Princess Master 3, page 16
She trailed off for a long moment, and she gnawed nervously on her lower lip.
“Go on,” I urged her, and the teenage mermaid flashed me a shy smile.
“Okay, so I did tell you part of the truth…” Vivian plunked herself down on one of the coral stools. “I told you before I thought the necklace had something to do with Eudora’s attack, and I guess that might have been proven last night. Well, to tell you the complete truth, I already knew more about the connection than I let on.”
“What do you mean?” Jessamine breathed as she leaned closer to the young girl.
“After Eudora… after the worst had happened…” Vivian began in a trembling voice, and she twisted her fingers together, “I was looking outside the inn’s windows, and I saw something red sparkling in the street. I knew I probably shouldn’t, but I just… had to see what it was. I ran out there and grabbed it, and as soon as I touched it, I just knew it was magic, because it practically burned my hand. But then… that’s when I heard her voice. It was the… the same voice I heard when you all were fighting last night. I ran down to the stable, and I hid, but I could still hear her talking. And she was mumbling something… something about her necklace. Do you know what I’m saying?”
“Vivian.” Ariana reached down and grabbed her around the shoulders. “Are you telling us you know for sure this is Eudora’s necklace?”
“Yes, I am.” The teenager looked Ariana right in her eyes. “It’s definitely that sea hag’s necklace, and I need to tell you more about its healing abilities.”
Chapter 9
“Okay, so I hope you don’t think I sound crazy…” Vivian said as she peered up at us with her wide hazel eyes. “I’ve just used it to heal one of my father’s seahorses, but the effects were pretty strong. My dad told me she wasn’t feeling well, and I had this strange feeling that maybe the necklace could help somehow. So, I brought the necklace to the stable, and since it was a heart, I pressed it against where I thought her heart would be. The necklace flashed and… buzzed… a little, but nothing happened right away. Then, the next morning, my father told me the seahorse was better. Isn’t that strange?”
“No, I’ve definitely heard crazier things than that.” I shook my head vigorously. “If you say that’s what happened, Vivian, then I believe you.”
My wives nodded their agreement, but the young mermaid seemed to blink back a tear.
“Are you okay, Vivian?” Jessamine asked as she reached out to pat the teenager’s arm. “You look sad all of a sudden.”
“I just… I miss my mom so much,” Vivian replied, and then she started to sob silently.
“Oh, honey, I miss my mom, too.” Cienna pulled Vivian into a huge hug, and Ariana and Jessamine threw their arms around the two of them. “We can talk about it, if you want to.”
“N-No, I’m okay,” Vivian sniffled through their arms, and then she cleared her throat. “I’m going to miss the necklace, because it reminds me of her, but I want you to know I understand why I shouldn’t have it.”
As I stood next to my wives and Vivian, I was impressed by how grown-up the young mermaid seemed all of a sudden.
“Well, then, Vivian, I want to thank you,” Ariana said in a slightly quivering voice. “You’re being so mature right now, and I’m really proud of you.”
“I hope you’ll come back again someday to let me know what happens, or… I’ll see you at the palace.” The teenager pulled herself away from my wives and looked each of us in the eyes in turn.
“We’d love to see you again, Vivian,” I told the young mermaid, and she looked up at me with a shy grin.
“That’s right, the offer always stands,” Ariana told Vivian, and she squeezed her arm. “We’re going to miss you, Vivian. We’ve already had quite an adventure together.”
“Yes, we have,” the teenager said, and I was happy when she giggled. “I guess you’d better go outside, since a lot of people are waiting for you.”
“I suppose,” Ariana sighed. “But, Vivian, thank you again. I can’t even express to you how much you’ve really helped us, but it’s more than you know… ”
“I-It’s the least I can do,” Vivian said, and she blushed bright pink. “In any case, I’m hoping Wes and those assholes don’t bother me anymore.”
“Yeah, fuck them!” Cienna laughed. “That fight clearly terrified those guys, and you really told Wes off.”
“Yeah, I did, didn’t I?” The young mermaid’s face brightened with a smile. “And I have to thank you for all you did for me.”
“It was our pleasure to help,” I responded.
We all looked around at each other for a minute, and then Ariana put her hand on the teenager’s shoulder one last time.
“Vivian, I know we’ll meet again someday,” my red-haired wife said in a wistful tone. “This isn’t a real goodbye.”
“O-Okay,” the young mermaid stammered, and then she looked up at me and blushed. “Bye, Joe. And bye, Your Highnesses.”
The young mermaid turned and headed back to the lobby, and I looked around at my wives. I pulled the rock out of my pocket and set it on the table, and we all stared at it for a moment.
“I wonder if I should convert it back to the turquoise amulet, and then we could try to heal something,” Jessamine suggested.
“What could we try to heal?” Ariana looked around the table. “We don’t have a sick animal around, so…”
“Well, earlier this morning, Jessamine clawed me so hard on the shoulder that she drew blood,” Cienna told us with a smirk. “I think she was having a little too much fun…”
“I did not!” my raven-haired wife giggled. “Did I really, Cienna?”
“Yes, you just need to look at the back of my shoulder,” the blonde said, and she turned away from me so I could examine her. Her shoulder blade was exposed in her metal swimsuit, and sure enough, there was a small scratch on the left side of her back along with various other claw marks. “See what I’m talking about?”
“Yeah, I do,” I said with a nod. “Jessamine, you’re a bad girl, but you’ve given us something to work with. Why don’t you transform the rock back now, and then I guess I’ll try to press it to Cienna’s cut and see what happens…”
I stared at the rock for a moment on the shiny tabletop, and before I knew it, it was back to being a beautiful piece of jewelry. Jessamine and Ariana came around behind me to see what was going to happen, and as I crossed the fingers on my other hand, I pressed the gemstone to Cienna’s back.
Almost immediately, the skin on the back of her shoulder began to heal. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes, and my other two wives and I watched in amazement as the scratch and the other marks disappeared.
“Well, I guess we’re keeping the necklace,” I said, and my mouth hung open for a second. “I have to admit I really wasn’t expecting that to happen.”
“Do you honestly think we’re safe?” Jessamine asked with a furrowed brow. “That was really intense.”
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be okay, especially if you turn it back into the rock,” I replied. “Let’s just put it inside the trunk once we have our luggage back, and hopefully this is going to let us heal ourselves as needed. If we could keep an eye on Eudora using it, well, that would just be a bonus.”
“Yes, Joe, that sounds good.” Ariana nodded at me as Jessamine transformed the necklace back into a rock. “I can’t believe how powerful this amulet seems.”
I put the rock into my pocket again, and suddenly, I became aware of Ronan and Vivian talking in the lobby. I realized how focused I’d been on our magical test, and I was glad no one had walked in on us.
“On that note, it’s probably time to face your fans, Ariana,” Cienna said as she got up from her seat, and she patted her sister-wife on the shoulder.
“Yes, better to get it over with,” the mermaid sighed. “I can do anything as long as the three of you are behind me, right?”
“That’s right,” I told the redhead, and I squeezed her hand.
We all turned and headed up the ramp to the main lobby, and I saw Ronan was swimming in place in front of the open door to the hotel. It appeared that dozens of merpeople were waiting outside for us, and when the mayor heard us coming up the ramp, he looked over with a nervous expression.
“Your Highness, I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t even get the crowds to clear enough to get your chariot out yet,” the mayor apologized, and he gestured to our luggage on the floor. “I had my porter bring your things from your room, but I’m afraid you might have to address the citizens again to get them to go away. I can try to disperse them, of course, as the mayor, but they’re really eager to see you again.”
“It’s fine,” Ariana assured him. “I can take care of this.”
My red-haired wife swam over to the door and looked out at the crowd of merpeople, who immediately began to clap and cheer.
“Your Highness, we heard you got those… teenage sharks out of the cave at the edge of the sandfalls,” an elderly mermaid with bright white hair called out over the noise of the crowd, and she reached out for Ariana’s arm. “Bravo!”
At her words, the congregation of merpeople began to cheer even louder.
“Thank you, everyone,” Ariana said with red cheeks, and she was clearly a little flustered as she tripped over her words. “I-I certainly hope I’ve been able to help your town during the time I spent here. I appreciate your gratitude, and I hope I will be able to return again soon to provide further assistance.”
I stepped up beside her and grabbed her arm for support, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I was a human, but the crowd immediately grew quiet and stared at me expectantly. I was about to ask them to clear the way for us when an auburn-haired merman spoke up.
“Bravo to the royal family!” After the merman spoke, the crowd almost immediately began to clap and cheer again.”
“You are all being way too noisy,” Vivian said loudly as she swam up behind us. “Now, can everyone get out of the way? The princesses… and Joe… need to get through.”
I liked the young mermaid more all the time.
The large group of merpeople still just stared at us, though, so I knew I was going to have to take action.
“Okay, coming through!” I announced. “The princess needs her chariot now.”
“That’s right,” Ronan said as he swam up next to me. “Out of the way, everyone!”
The crowd continued to stare at us for a minute, and they grumbled amongst themselves before they began to disperse.
“Thanks, Ronan, Vivian, Joe,” Ariana said in a grateful tone, and she wiped her brow with relief. “I wish I were better at these things…”
“You’re fine, Ariana,” Jessamine assured the redhead with a big smile. “I feel a lot less nervous now that all those people are out of the way, too.”
“Uh, you’re welcome, Princess Ariana,” Vivian replied, and she seemingly couldn’t handle another long goodbye, because she quickly turned and rushed back over to the ramp. Then she turned and called back over her shoulder. “Um, I’m going to miss you!”
“You, too, Vivian!” Ariana called out, and we all watched the teenager swim away.
“I’m going to run out and get your chariot now,” Ronan told us. “I’m sorry for all the commotion, because I’m sure you need to be on your way. Oh, no, did Vivian even feed you?”
“We’re absolutely fine, Ronan,” Ariana assured the mayor. “We were planning to eat on the road today, anyway.”
“Well, alright, then.” The mayor nodded. “See you in a couple minutes.”
My wives and I followed him outside the inn and stood quietly for a long moment while we stared at the sandfalls.
“So, what’s planned for today?” Cienna broke the silence. “I suppose we need to look at the map again, but I think the whales might be next.”
“I can’t wait to see them!” Jessamine gasped as she clapped her hands together. “It sounds incredible.”
“And slightly terrifying,” Cienna admitted with a slight grimace on her face. “Marinus said they were bigger than ships.”
“Yeahhh,” I said, but then I tried to smile reassuringly. “It’s going to be fine. Who doesn’t love whales?”
“Whales are very highly regarded among my people,” Ariana informed us. “They are revered for their great intelligence. I have seen one in person, a long time ago, but I’ve never seen so many of them all at once like Marinus described.
Just then, Ronan pulled up in Ariana’s gleaming, pale green chariot.
“Still looking good,” I commented. “Thanks for taking care of it, Ronan.”
“Not a problem,” the mayor said with a big smile as he pulled the coach to a halt and swam out. “It’s been an honor having you stay at my inn, and even Vivian seems more cheerful now than she did before. Let us load up your things for you, and you can be on your way.”
Ronan lifted our chests into the back of the chariot with a loud grunt, and then he dusted off his hands.
“Thanks again, man,” I told him, and I reached out a hand to him.
“Of course.” He gripped my hand and shook it heartily. “I hope you know you’re welcome here anytime.”
With one last final wave, the merman turned and headed back into the inn.
“Oh, girl, it’s so nice to see you.” Ariana rushed over to see Callie and stroked her on the head, but then she turned to look at me and her sister-wives. “So, who’s ready to get on the road? I’m looking forward to driving again!”
“Shotgun!” Cienna yelled, and I started to laugh.
“You picked up on that pretty quickly,” I teased. “You definitely deserve a turn in front with Ariana. I’ve never seen anyone ride a horse as well as you ride Starlight, so I’m sure you’d love to be near the animals. Plus, then I get a little time in back with Jessamine.”
I looked at my dark-haired wife and raised my eyebrows, and she grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“Sounds good to me,” Jessamine said with a huge smile.
“Back where I’m from, people used to make out in cars a lot…” I informed the princesses.
“Joe, you’re insatiable!” Cienna started to laugh. “Besides, why would you do that when you have a huge bed?”
“It’s mostly when teenagers don’t have anywhere else to go, or if people are into the idea of getting caught…” I trailed off when I saw the expressions on the princesses’ faces.
Cienna and Jessamine were nodding their heads, but Ariana looked totally perplexed.
“Never mind… should we go?” I asked.
Ariana and Cienna slid into the front seats of the carriage, and I held out my hand to help Jessamine climb into the back. Once we were all in safely, Ariana slowly began to pull the chariot away from the Sandfall Inn.
We all looked back for a moment, and when I saw Vivian and her father had come outside to wave goodbye, a rush of sadness came over me as I waved back. The teenage girl and her father had been so incredibly kind, and their story was so heartbreaking. I genuinely hoped we’d see them again someday with the news that we’d defeated Eudora. I put the magic stone into one of the chests with our supplies, and I knew I’d never forget this town, regardless of whether or not we ever came back.
Ariana began to drive faster as she navigated the chariot up and away from the buildings, and soon the town was out of sight. I could see the sandy ground sloping down away from us, and I knew our travels would soon lead us even deeper into the water.
To calm my thoughts, I leaned back on the comfortable seat and held Jessamine’s hand. She began to tickle my palm with one of her fingers, and I was immediately reminded of the time we’d spent in the honeymoon suite. However, I currently had a more pressing need, so I leaned forward to talk to Ariana.
“Let me guess, Joe, you’re hungry,” the redhead laughed as she glanced back at me. “To be honest, I am, too. The last good meal we had was with my father, and I just couldn’t bear facing Ronan’s breakfast.”
“Well, what are we going to do about it?” I asked with a shrug. “Can we stop and have a picnic?”
“I think we do need to stop before long,” Ariana replied as she pulled back on the reins to slow the seahorses. “I’m going to have to fish for us, and maybe we can even find some other things to eat.”
“I’m happy to make us anything, although being underwater limits us,” Jessamine said, and she pursed her lips. “I feel like I want something tasty, though…”
“Listen, I’m not blind,” Ariana said as she glanced away from the ocean in front of her to give each of us a sly smile. “I know raw fish and the other underwater foods aren’t your favorite things to eat, and after tasting more from the surface, I can see why. But why don’t you let me catch some fish? At the very least, we can have a bottle of ale and some fruit from what we packed.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I nodded, and then I saw an area of the seafloor that flattened out before it dipped down again. “We just need a good spot to stop the chariot, and I see what looks like a more level area up ahead.”
“I see it, too,” Ariana replied. “I’ll stop us there, and then I’ll take a better look at what fish are around. Of course, some taste better than others.”
I glanced around, and the fish swimming by weren’t as beautiful as the ones from the reef that surrounded the palace, but they weren’t as creepy as the ones we’d seen down in the Boneyard, either. I shuddered to think about what we’d encounter on the way to Eudora’s lair, and I grabbed Jessamine’s hand tighter.
“What’s wrong, Joe?” my black-haired wife asked as she looked up at me. Then she leaned her head on my shoulder and put her other hand over mine.
