CHAPTER 3

The family sat down to dinner. Queen Daphne looked around the table.

"One of my daughters has not joined us for dinner tonight. Have any of you seen her?"

Each of the children guiltily looked down at their plates. Not daring to meet the gaze of their mother.

"Afton, where is your little sister?" she asked her oldest son.

"I do not know where she is. Why do I have to keep track of her?" He responded.

"If you are to rule after your father then you need to learn that everything that happens here is your responsibility. You should know if there are any problems." She stared right at her son, "You should know where your sister is and why."

King Aegean squirmed nervously. Skye had left his study that afternoon and had not been seen since. How would he explain to his wife that he was the cause? How would he explain that he did not know where Skye had gone or when she would be back?

"Mother, Skye is different. I do not understand why I need to worry about those that are inferior." Stated Afton haughtily.

Queen Daphne turned and stared at her son. "Inferior?" she said with sarcasm in her voice. "Exactly what do you mean by inferior?"

With courage that he did not really feel, "She is a mermaid. Mermaids are inferior to us father has told us so. We are better than those people. I know she is my sister and that is why we tolerate her but when I am king I will implement strict rules against Merpeople. The idea of them growing a tail is embarrassing. I have found someone I want to marry and I do not want my future queen to have to witness this abnormality of nature."

Queen Daphne turned on her son and with a look she sent him flying from his chair and he hit the wall.

"Inferior to you? I think not. It appears that your father has been instructing you incorrectly. Your wife will not be queen, hasn't your father instructed you in the hierarchy of our kingdom?" She turned to her husband, "It appears you have been negligent in teaching your son the correct way of things here."

"Afton, your wife will be High Princess not the Queen. Skye will be Queen and her husband will be High Prince. And, if Skye does not take the throne neither will you. You had best hope I can find my daughter and that she is unharmed or you will never ascend the throne." With that Queen Daphne marched out of the room, leaving her children to look on in shock.

*****

"I am not going back Marshmallow. They do not want me and I will not go back." Skye was babbling. She was hurt by her father's cruel words. She never realized how much he disliked her. She was his daughter, weren't fathers supposed to love their daughters?

She swam for what she thought was hours when she surfaced.

"This is where they were before Marshmallow. But I do not see them now." She said sadly. Skye continued to swim looking for her rescuers when, what was that in the distance? Could it be the boat?

"Come on Marshmallow." Skye quickened her pace. Quietly she swam up to the boat. She bobbed just below the surface observing the men. What were they doing? She swam closer making sure that she was just below the water; she did not want them to see her too soon.

"Bruce, you really want to sail on this thing?" Gene asked.

Sitting there drinking a beer, "I kind of like it out here. Peaceful, you know?" Bruce answered.

"I think he is waiting for his mermaid to show up again." Paul teased his friend.

"No. She only had eyes for you." Bruce laughed.

"Can I help it if women are attracted to me? All kinds of women?" Paul laughed along with his friend.

Skye swam closer to better hear what was being said. Marshmallow picked that moment to jump, getting the full attention of the men on board the yacht.

"Hey, isn't that her dolphin? I mean the one that was with her when she swam away?" Bruce asked.

Just then there was a sound they had never heard before. It was a mix of the wind blowing, the sea crashing on the rocks, and a woman singing. Each of the men looked around but could not find the source. This sound….this sound was intoxicating. Skye knew what that sound was. Her mother was looking for her. How was she going to face her mother and admit that she had run away? Skye sank down below the waves and headed for home and her mother.

Queen Daphne was waiting at the portal for her missing daughter. Slowly, Skye swam to the portal, closely watching to see if anyone was observing her.

"I have been worried about you Daughter." Queen Daphne said as Skye came through the portal. "Where have you been?"

Skye was avoiding her mother's gaze. Queen Daphne always had a way of knowing exactly what Skye was thinking just by looking in her eyes. She did not want her mother to see the hurt she felt or to know that she had considered running away.

"Come my daughter. It is time we had a talk." Queen Daphne walked with Skye to the home of Skye's grandmother. The Queen Mother Adolphina welcomed her granddaughter with open arms. Skye always liked going to her grandmother's. She did not feel different here. Here she felt special.

"Mother," Queen Daphne began. "Princess Skye decided to run away today."

Skye looked at her mother in shock. How did she know what she had considered doing. They had not talked about it and Skye did not think about it as she swam home. How could her mother know?

Adolphina looked at her. "Is this true Skye? Where you trying to run away?" her grandmother asked sternly.

"I…well, I…" Skye stammered, she could not look at her mother or her grandmother.

"Tell me what happened that would cause you to consider such a thing." Her grandmother changed her tone to one of understanding.

"Father said I was an embarrassment." Skye finally allowed the tears to fall.

"Your father said that to you?" Queen Daphne was taken back. She would have words with her husband that he would not like. No, he would not like it at all.

"Yes, he said that I was an embarrassment and I was never to let anyone see me swim ever again. I am not good enough, I guess."

"My daughter." Queen Daphne took Skye in her arms and comforted the sobbing girl. Queen Daphne looked at her mother and they both nodded. It was time.

"Skye," she started again. "there is something that I have to tell you."

"You my dear are very special. You are a mermaid. You see, this kingdom is made up of Merpeople and Aquaticans. Your father is Aquatican. Long ago when this kingdom was formed, it was agreed that an Aquatican and a Merperson would rule as King and Queen. But, the Merperson was always the most important decision maker. You see, we can go to the surface. Many of the things we have here like the food we eat comes from the surface. The Aquaticans cannot go to the surface. Without us they would perish."

Skye was having trouble following what her mother was saying. Did her mother just say "we" and "us"? Did her mother grow a tail also? Skye had never seen this; of course she had never seen her mother in the water. Could it be?

The Queen Mother led the way to the private throne room. Here was a pool in the middle of the room, which was a portal to the ocean outside. Skye did not remember ever being in this room before. It was beautifully decorated in greens, blues, and lavenders. It looked like the sea. It was so tranquil you could get lost in its peacefulness. The Queen Mother Adolphina spoke softly to the attendant in the room, who quickly left with a smile on his face. 'What was grandmother up to?' Thought Skye.

"Come my daughter let's go swimming." With that Queen Daphne entered the portal to the outside.

Skye watched in shock as her mother grew a tail the moment she was in the water. It was beautiful, very much like her own tail. Skye looked at her grandmother.

"Go on my dear, I will be right behind you."