Far out by the ocean blue
sweet song of siren echoes true
with every wave that breaks anew
there drifts a soul, lost for you
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Stephen picked his way along the shell-strewn beach, his dog Fred pouncing beside him. The smell of sea salt in the air and the warm sea breeze comforted him. This coastline, with its deep bronzed stretch of sand and the day-long whisper of eddying waves had always been his one joy and solace. Stephen heaved a sigh and turned to look at the castle behind him.
It was tall, spired and beautifully set with ivory and gold, its pearl-lined windows glistening in the noonday sun. But gleaming as it was it was merely a prettily-cast prison.
Stephen sat upon a sand dune and sighed. Fred peered up at him from under his thick fringe and rubbed his nose against his knee. Stephen smiled and ruffled his sheepdog's hair.
"Well, Fred, this is it. A week. That's what old Grimsby has given me." Fred looked up at him adoringly. Stephen sighed again. "A week! A week to find a maiden to wed." A large wave broke upon a boulder, sending sea spray in his face.
"I don't know, Fred. I'm only twenty one. Maybe I don't want to marry. Maybe I don't even want to be a prince anymore." Stephen looked down at Fred, who opened his mouth and lolled his tongue out.
A particularly large wave rolled into shore just round the corner, sending bits of crystalline seaweed and glistening bits of shell upon the beach. Fred looked up and sniffed. With a loud bark he bounded off.
"Fred! Come back!" Stephen got to his feet and chased after his pet.
"Fred, what're you.." Stephen was startled to see a pair of petite feet in the sand. The rest of the body was obscured by Fred as he sniffed at it. "Heavens," Stephen pushed Fred aside and pulled away the long ribbons of seaweed that draped the fragile figure.
"It's..it's a woman." Shocked, Stephen beheld the pale figure lying on the sand. She was young, perhaps just under twenty, and her chest still rose with even breaths, which meant she was alive. But, oh, she was unclothed. Stephen removed the last of the seaweed from her body and turned slightly red at the sight of her soft, uncovered skin. Her body was lush with curves, and her thighs were spread slightly to reveal a soft mound. Wavelets tugged at her hair, tinting its deep auburn hue brilliant red in the sun.
"We've got to get her to land," Stephen murmured, pulling off his shirt and draping the girl with it. With a light heave he had her in his arms. The sun shone in his eyes as he looked down at the strange girl. Long lashes feathered her closed eyes. She looked...oddly familiar.
Fred barked.
"Alright, let's go. Come on, boy."
With the emerald waves beating upon the shore at his back, Stephen carried the maiden to the castle.
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"It was your 19th birthday. The entire kingdom was there. The entire kingdom but you!" The king of Polaris thundered on his throne. Madeleine frowned.
"I said I'm sorry, Daddy. I forgot about it! From what I heard it went well, anyway."
"Went well! It was a disaster! Where were you!" King Neptune bellowed. His trident gleamed a dangerous golden hue.
"I..." Madeleine thought quickly. "I was gathering shells for Mary's wedding decorations."
Neptune looked at her, unconvinced. "Mary's not getting married for another hundred moons! I wasn't hatched yesterday! You were at the surface again, weren't you!"
Madeleine cringed. Her father's eyes widened with rage.
"You are not to go near the surface again! Do you hear me!"
"What's wrong with the surface?" Madeleine cried.
"It's dangerous. I'm trying to protect you, don't you see?"
"No, no I don't see! What harm could there possibly be in a world that makes such wondrous things?" With a swallowed sob, Madeleine swam away.
Neptune lowered his trident and sighed.
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"Madeleine, my dear, just lay low for a few moons and it will be fine," Mallory begged.
Madeleine folded her arms.
"Yes, father never means to lose his temper," Meredith added. She took a comb made from mother-of-pearl and began combing Madeleine's long red hair with it.
"He's so unreasonable," Madeleine muttered.
Yes, but he's only looking out for you, you know," Mary offered from where she was cleaning her scales in the corner. "Anyway I don't see what's so wonderful about the surface. We have everything here."
"Indeed," Melanie added. "You can get sunburn up there, and you know how sensitive our skin can be. Besides, you could bump into a human."
A collective shudder went around the underwater cavern.
Madeleine looked up.
"What's wrong with humans?"
The sisters looked at each other.
"Madeleine, don't tell me you've met one of them?" Mary said slowly.
Madeleine flushed. "Well, not really, he was, well he didn't see me, he was caught in a storm and I helped him to shore-"
"Madeleine!" All the other mermaids stared at her in mortification. Mary looked to check that nobody was outside. "We will keep this a secret but you must never go back to the surface again and you must never, never contact another human again, do you understand!" She hissed.
Madeleine stared back at her sisters. They formed a semi-circle around her. Wordlessly, she swam out of the cavern.
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In the solitude of her secret hideout, Madeleine pondered the events of the day.
"I must see him again," she murmured to herself. "But how?"
Out of the shadows in the corner, two manta rays emerged.
"Ssssiobhan," they said.
"The sea-witch?"
