The Little Mermaid ¬¬ over here acresofhope!

[Anonymous]

((Erm, this is going to be set on a different island to the one described on the forum. But maybe there can be a storm and my charrie gets washed onto Sirena Island?))

Frederick Kingley strung up his bow, and stood in the classic archer’s stance once more, feet set apart so that his weight was evenly distributed. He pulled back the stiff bowstring as he carefully aimed at the target twenty metres away. The string twanged, and the arrow sailed through the air, straight as the crow flies.

“Bullseye!� He crowed valiantly, punching his fist into the air.

“Now now Master Frederick, you know that isn’t the term we use here at home,� John, one of the elderly servants said.

“John,� Frederick began with an exasperated sigh, “how many times have I told you, don’t call me-�

“Master Frederick,� John finished, eyes twinkling.

Frederick shook his head, sending his mass of dark locks into an unruly tumble. Seventeen years of his life and he still couldn’t get over the fact that he was next in line to be the Duke of Valendor. His father, being the great Georgio Kingley V, who’d brought his kingdom to victory in the last war- Frederick had had a major part to play in it, but nobody knew about that- and was now the longest living Duke to grace Valendor.

Frederick liked to think that he’d inherited his father’s patience and intelligence, but most of the kingdom seemed to think that he’d inherited his father’s good looks instead. He had his father’s thoughtful brown eyes, his sharp angular face, but most importantly of all he’d been bestowed with his mother’s good nature. Maybe he was just naïve.

Setting his bow aside, he walked through the courtyard, to the grassy orchard and stood at the top of the little hill. From here, one could see all the way down to the Tuor Oceans, and even maybe the lands beyond. John had followed faithfully behind him, making disapproving clicking noises with his tongue. After all, Master Frederick shouldn’t have been neglecting his duties, after all he was the next in line.

“John,� he said as he turned to his servant, half smiling. That smile meant he was going to propose something and that John wouldn’t like it at all.

“Yes, Master?� John replied cautiously, fingers twitching behind his back.

“I’m going to go down to the coast.�

“What?!?�

Frederick laughed to himself at John’s predictable bursts, making a beeline for the stables. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in sight. Why should he waste it learning about ancient wizened rulers? Smoothing his tunic, he straddled his favourite horse, Bessie, and took off, calling to John, “Don’t worry; I shall be back before starfall!�

This reckless behaviour hadn’t always been Frederick. He’d only started living on the edge since his sweetheart Porphyria died.

((Been using a story I wrote when I was thirteen for reference to his character ^^))

[Anonymous]

((Sorry I took so long. I haven't felt well the past few days.))

"I'm going up today, Stevie!" Nendyé swam upward in haste toward the surface of the water, her long, sandy blonde hair flowing behind her. She'd been talking about this for weeks, and now she had finally worked up the nerve. The young stingray chased after her.

"But, Nen, the king says-"

"I don't care what he says. Daddy's never even been up there!"

"But what about all those stories? The ones about the monsters? What if they're true?" The mermaid princess almost rolled her eyes.

"Those are just old fish tales! Do you know anyone who's been to the surface?" Stevie paused.

"Uh...no?"

"Exactly. So I'm going to see what's up there." Reluctantly, he followed her upward. There was clearly no way of talking her out of it.

"Okay, but if there are monsters up there, don't expect me to stick around."

When she finally surfaced, she was blinded. The light up here was certainly more intense than that below. Soon, though, her gray eyes adjusted. As she looked around at the calmness of the sea, a bright smile spread across her face. "See Stevie, there aren't any monsters up here!"

The ray in question as behind her shivering, his closed eyes just above the water. At her comment, he opened one eye cautiously, then both and blinked.

"Hey, you're right! There really aren't!"

She giggled at her friend's excitement, taking a better look at her surroundings. In the distance, she saw a strip of sand.

"Hey, let's go see what's over there!"

[Anonymous]

((No worries, homework has been dragging me down so...*shrug*))

As he rode, Frederick breathed in deeply, and sighed. It was good to get away from the hustle and bustle of the castle, and the responsibilities entailed. A gentle breeze played across his face, as he rode past the vibrant forest, past the rolling green hills.

Life hasn’t been the same for a long time now, but slowly, he was beginning to bury the wound in his heart. Porphyria had been beautiful, a sweet angel, and now it was time to move on. That night…of madness was all a blur…he’d been under a spell. Cheeks burning furiously, he pushed away the memory and carried on riding.

The sparkling strip of ocean was getting closer and closer. Already, he could smell the ripe seaweed, and taste the salt on the air. It was about midday when he finally burst onto the coast. Atop a cliff, he jumped off his horse and strode to the edge, taking in the magnificent view.

The ocean gleamed and twinkled, gently lapping against the yellow shore. In the distance, he could make out other lands, lands far away. Places he’d never been to before. He wondered if anyone from Valendor had ever been there. Of course, there were the legends, the stories of the secrets the oceans concealed, and of the terrible storms that frequented the seas.

It was hardly likely to storm today. The weather was actually perfect. Frederick led his horse down a steep rocky path, down to the beach, and sat down on a rock to eat his lunch of bread and cheese.

A crab scuttled away a few feet from him, and seagulls wheeled overhead, their characteristic screeching lost to the breeze. After drinking his wine, Frederick laid his cloak on the sand, and stretched. Leaning against his horse, which was also lying down, he listened to the steady swish and swash of the waves.

What would life be like if he wasn’t who he was now? Could it be this carefree everyday? Thoughts like these accompanied him, as he gently drifted off to sleep.

((I’d strongly recommend reading Frederick’s stat page- there is a lot of history involved which explains Porphyria. How should he meet your character? Do you think we should have a storm? ^^))

[Anonymous]

"WHOOO!"

On her way to the shore, the princess decided to see what the "water" above her father's see was like, so she had made a leap into it. At first it scared her when she sank, but seeing that she was unharmed, she tried again and was now laughing as she made another jump into the strange "water".

"Nen, stop!" Stevie exclaimed, still looking nervous. "What if there really are monsters? What if they're just...hiding?! If you keep doing that, they're going to notice and eat us for dinner!"

She stopped and turned to him, still giggling. "I told you, everything is going to be fine. There aren't any monsters."

"You should listen to the mermaid, deer boy." Nen turned to find the strangest creature she'd ever seen.

"Ah!" The little ray hid behind his friend. "M-m-monster!"

"Monster?" asked the creature, sounding quite insulted. "I most certainly am not! I, deer boy, am a pelican. Frances is the name and the air of the sea is my domain."

"Air?" she asked curiously.

"Why, yes, child. The air is the substance in which you were just enjoying yourself. It is also referred to as 'sky.' And that," he said, pointing to the sandy strip close by, "is called 'land' or 'shore.'"

As she looked on to this 'shore', Nendyé saw some curious shape and decided to get a closer look. As she swam nearer and nearer, the sight came into focus and she look her place cautiously behind a large rock. There, she gazed at the most beautiful male she had ever seen, sleeping against a great beast she couldn't identify. He had strange coverings and what appeared to be two tails, but he was still magnificent.

"What is that?" she asked quietly to her newest friend, who was now perched on the rock.

"I assume you mean the human. The creature he is lying on is called a horse."

"Is the horse a monster?"

"I say, do you think everything is a monster?"

The two animals continued their conversation, but Nendyé was too taken in by this 'human' to notice. So many emotions filled her, mainly a nervous kind of joy. She needed a way to both express her joy and calm her nerves, so of course, she sang, the enchanting sound of her voice carrying across the water. It was a lullaby in the language of her people, one the servants would sing to her as a child.

((And we all know how the prince should react ^^ ))

[Anonymous]

“Frederick, one day all these lands will be yours.� Frederick nodded dumbly and allowed his mother to shift him slightly, so that he was more comfortably sat on her shoulder. She pointed out the landmarks to him, but all he was interested in was the butterfly that was sunning it’s wings on the grey stone wall.

He reached out for it, but his mother chided him softly. “You’ll tumble to your death if you’re not careful! Look how high up we are.�

“Tower,� he said proudly.

“Mmmhmm.� She wrapped her arms around him and began to hum a song that made him smile and laugh and yet was also soothing, like the lull of the sea, the rise and fall of a wave.

Frederick stirred, groaning slightly as he left the land of dreams and returned to the sandy beach on which he lay. He kept his eyes closed for a while longer, allowing himself to breathe in time with Bessie, his horse. Her warm body was oddly comforting and as he continued to lie there, he became aware of a strange sound.

It wasn’t unpleasant, far from it, for although it was a series of alien notes that had no sense of any melody he was accustomed to, it was still by far one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard.

This must have been what woke me up, he thought, remembering the dream he’d had. He wished he’d paid more attention to his mother. All he could remember of her was a flick of hair, a brief snapshot of her against the sun, the smell of her perfume. Summer lilies.

Opening his eyes, he searched for the source of the singing, but it eluded him.

“What if it’s one of the sirens John always warned me about?� Maybe the elderly servant really did have his best interests at heart.

“Come on, Bess,� he finally said, shaking his horse gently. She awakened with a snort. Frederick watched her shake herself as she got onto her knees and then stood up. He brushed the sand off his own clothing and dusted Bessie.

Just then a gust of wind ruffled the tufts of grass, causing sand to puff into the air. Frederick shielded his eyes, and in doing so, took in the darkening sky and the leaden clouds.

“How long have I been asleep for?� He wondered aloud, frowning. It wasn’t like him to lose track of time. No doubt the others would be looking for him. Frederick allowed a sigh to cross his face as he imagined them turning the place upside down for him. Too many tragedies had ensured that he was to grow up overprotected.

Biting his lip, he scanned the sea one last time. As he was about to turn away, he caught side of something sparkling that was bobbing up and down, riding the waves. Curious, he stayed where he was uncertainly. What if it was nothing? What if it was a siren?

“I’ve had my share of enchantments,� he murmured. But nevertheless, his curiosity got the better of him and he sprung up onto a rock to get a better view.

[Anonymous]

The princess ceased her singing. The human was standing...and seemed to be looking straight at her. She froze in place, too nervous to even shake. What if he had really seen her? What would a human think of a mermaid? Not that it mattered. If he'd seen her, he'd surely come after her, thinking she was one of his kind. After all, they seemed to have the same upper half and her tail was under the water.

She tried to move, but something kept her there. She could only hope whatever he was looking at wasn't her.

((I don't think they should meet just yet, not officially. She should have a chance to get away, if he sees her, and he shouldn't get too good a look at her.))

[Anonymous]

The wind had begun to whip up the waves. Frederick craned his neck, peering carefully out to sea but whatever it was had drifted too far away. All he could see were wild churning waves, and something that sparkled slightly, when it caught the shafts of sunlight that managed to scythe their way through the leadening clouds. Bessie whinnied, and he returned his attention back to his patient horse.

"Sorry Bess," he said, as he hopped down from rock to rock with all the grace that came naturally to him. Wiping the sand from his boots, he hoisted himself onto the broad back of his horse and urged her to head home, shivering by the sudden change in weather.

"It'll be another twenty minutes if we hurry," he murmured. Bessie's ears twitched in response and she cantered off. It seemed to him as if she could understand every word he said.

As the first spatters of rain hit the ground, Frederick urged Bessie on faster. What would John say when he arrived back, bedraggled and soaking wet? What would the townspeople think as he trudged back through the gates? His father wouldn't be home for another week or so, so at least he'd be spared the disappointment in his father's eyes for neglecting his "studies".

With all these thoughts whirling through his mind, failed to realise he'd he'd left his handkerchief behind, the one that used to belong to his mother.

((Couldn't think of any other item to leave behind. Hmm maybe it can blow out to sea and your charrie catches it?))

[Anonymous]

Nendyé breathed a sigh of relief. He probably hadn't seen her. More than probably. He hadn't. After all, he wouldn't have gone riding off if he had, right? Right?

The mermaid squinted. What was that white thing in the air? Another pelican? No, that wasn't it. It was too small. This was something else, something that was floating toward her. She reached up with both hands, trying to get whatever it was. It took her a few swipes at it, but she got it.

"What is that thing?" Stevie asked curiously.

"I don't know..." Whatever it was, he must have left it behind. Yes, of course he did. Maybe, if she came back here some other day, he would be here sleeping again and she could return it to him. She smiled, diving back under the water.

"Hey, wait for me!"

((Cue sea witch!))

[Anonymous]

Frederick closed the latch and crept away from the stables. Soaked through to the bone, he was looking forward to a nice hot bath, if he could escape from the servants first.

The sky was a dark shade of purple, and raindrops continued to pummel him as he darted across the courtyard. Huge shadows sprung up from nowhere. It was meant to be summer, but instead it seemed to be storm season.

There would be too many people at the entrance of the castle, so his best bet of getting in unseen would be to climb into a room. Flickering torchlight indicated the presence of people in various rooms, due to their dancing shadows.

Going round to the south wing, he hoisted himself onto the ledge and carefully edged towards the wall. There were a few stones that jutted out, which allowed him to climb up the side of the wall and it was an easy matter to open the wooden shutters of the window and get inside.

"Mission accomplished," he said to himself, looking around. Turned out he'd ended up in a dusty unused room. Drapes covered the furniture, which gathered dust in the corners.

Going to the door, he pushed it open and peered out to the corridor. All he had to do was to get back to his room, unseen.

[Anonymous]

Ah, but while the prince had not seen her...

Another human had. How could he not have...? She had been jumping and singing and drawing a lot of attention to herself. Unluckily for the princess... This had been just the wrong human for her to be seen by, for he would know what she was, and more specifically... who she was. This man's name was Damian McFinn, and he knew a lot about the sea, and that was partly why he was such a great fisherman.

Once, he'd been poor as dust, hungry, and barely catching enough fish to survive like a beggar. Bandits would rob him daily for half his catch, beat him for not catching enough, and induce debts on his head, like bullies. He had no wife, no kids, so he hurt none but himself... but he could not understand it: he was doing everything right! Why should he have to suffer?

The answer was simple: Merfolk liked their fishie friends, and did not want ugly, smelly humans killing them. They would herd the fish, they would make them avoid his nets, and he only caught them by chance, like a hungry spider in an austere room. When he learned this, from a voice he could not identify back in those angry days, he vowed revenge. Before, he'd released merfolk who he had caught... it only happened once or twice in his whole career. this was ten or so years ago, when he was in his twenties. He killed them. He went out of his way to chase them down and slay them. Naturally... the merfolk were not happy with this. They called a great storm down upon him, on his little ship, and forced all others to port. They singled him out when he was in the middle of the bay, and drove his ship to a sand bar when he was most vulnerable: putting down the sail.

He went overboard, and was at the mercy of the merfolk... but he had a guardian angel of sorts on that night, when all would turn against him. The captain smiled in remeniscience of that... She was so like an angel... absolutely beautiful... she destroyed them before his eyes, she sent those selfish creatures screaming to hell, stayed the storm, saved his life. She was a mermaid... yes... but she was one unlike the others. She was massive, her human torso bound inside the body of a great monster, a leviathan dragoness. She was so alien to his eyes... so terrifying, but she was beatiful despite all that, in a way no human girl could ever be. She was brilliant, funny, adorably ambitious... everything he'd been searching for, AND she had been watching him, and loved him. She even had a big vendetta against the merfolk, who had cast her out and made her change like this into what she was. A monster. Merfolk were such cruel creatures... to them both.

The two became lovers. She would keep the merfolk at bay, teach him how things worked under the sea... how to catch enough to flourish, yet let the creatures of the sea prosper as well. He was no longer a poor fisherman. Soon, he was making enough to hire a crew, get a decent ship and equipment, and get lessons in the arts of the captain (fencing, footwork, magic, the like) and learned everything he could from anyone who would teach him. He was patient and persistant, and for that, in ten years of love with his beloved lady... he became a gentleman, even took notice of the king, who gave him free reign of that whole bay, as long as the king could use it freely as well. He was merciless in driving out the other fishermen, who did not care for the sea, using cannon, sword, spell, and diplomacy to drive them out of the water. With the help of his maiden, he could do anything.

He lowered the lookingglass from his eyes, and barked several commands to his men. Tehy were bewildered, but they knew him... it was a secret to the whole world but his loyal crew: they were hardened ex-pirates the king had spared to serve him, and the captain had taken them in, made them prosperous, cared about them. He was good to them, so they owed him their lives. They were absolutely loyal, and loved him.

"We're heading back to the Cove! Look lively, men!" he said, pulling out his already-filled pipe and lighting it, taking a few puffs at it, shooting the mermaiden a glance once more.

---

"--And thats the situation, my love..." Mcfinn finished, the human upper body of his beloved mermaiden nestled tight in his arms. She, even fresh from the sea, smelled in such a way that he found soothing... she smelled like the sea, and he loved the sea. She was warm and moist, and stroked him gently, her lovely violet eyes staring right into his own. She had bioluminescient skin, and glowed softly in the dark of the cavern in which they were, two massive limbs holding her up on either side of him, each about half the size of his ship, dwarfing them both. She was a magnificent creature indeed, her thick scales glistening like a dark pearl.

"She'll be back... She'll come back to see that prince again, my love..." she said, her voice vibrating unnaturally, yet soothingly in such a way he found very lovely. "Once they see the sky, they always do. When she does... when you see her love the prince... catch her. I will help you. Tell her that there is a way she can be with her prince... that there is..."

"Heh... a witch.. who can give her legs, make her able to walk beside her prince... right?" he said, wrapping his palm about her cheek, avoiding the frillspines she had that would numb his hand for a few hours if he pricked himself on them. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"But why help them, my love..." he said, curiusly... "I thought you despised them..." he said, concerned. She smiled. "Exactly. I want revenge... if I help the princess... and take her from that bastard king... nothing would please me more than to watch him lose his own daughter to something she herself agreed to... And the king of your world... well, he'll be more than happy to have his son fall in love with a merfolk princess..." she suggested, grinning.

Thats why he loved her as much as he did... in addition to being kind and warm, she was brilliant, and could come up with a complicated scheme at the drop of a hat. She was wonderful...

And so the captain bid his farewell, and set sail again.. ready to do his thing.

[Anonymous]

Ah, but while the prince had not seen her...

Another human had. How could he not have...? She had been jumping and singing and drawing a lot of attention to herself. Unluckily for the princess... This had been just the wrong human for her to be seen by, for he would know what she was, and more specifically... who she was. This man's name was Damian McFinn, and he knew a lot about the sea, and that was partly why he was such a great fisherman.

Once, he'd been poor as dust, hungry, and barely catching enough fish to survive like a beggar. Bandits would rob him daily for half his catch, beat him for not catching enough, and induce debts on his head, like bullies. He had no wife, no kids, so he hurt none but himself... but he could not understand it: he was doing everything right! Why should he have to suffer?

The answer was simple: Merfolk liked their fishie friends, and did not want ugly, smelly humans killing them. They would herd the fish, they would make them avoid his nets, and he only caught them by chance, like a hungry spider in an austere room. When he learned this, from a voice he could not identify back in those angry days, he vowed revenge. Before, he'd released merfolk who he had caught... it only happened once or twice in his whole career. this was ten or so years ago, when he was in his twenties. He killed them. He went out of his way to chase them down and slay them. Naturally... the merfolk were not happy with this. They called a great storm down upon him, on his little ship, and forced all others to port. They singled him out when he was in the middle of the bay, and drove his ship to a sand bar when he was most vulnerable: putting down the sail.

He went overboard, and was at the mercy of the merfolk... but he had a guardian angel of sorts on that night, when all would turn against him. The captain smiled in remeniscience of that... She was so like an angel... absolutely beautiful... she destroyed them before his eyes, she sent those selfish creatures screaming to hell, stayed the storm, saved his life. She was a mermaid... yes... but she was one unlike the others. She was massive, her human torso bound inside the body of a great monster, a leviathan dragoness. She was so alien to his eyes... so terrifying, but she was beatiful despite all that, in a way no human girl could ever be. She was brilliant, funny, adorably ambitious... everything he'd been searching for, AND she had been watching him, and loved him. She even had a big vendetta against the merfolk, who had cast her out and made her change like this into what she was. A monster. Merfolk were such cruel creatures... to them both.

The two became lovers. She would keep the merfolk at bay, teach him how things worked under the sea... how to catch enough to flourish, yet let the creatures of the sea prosper as well. He was no longer a poor fisherman. Soon, he was making enough to hire a crew, get a decent ship and equipment, and get lessons in the arts of the captain (fencing, footwork, magic, the like) and learned everything he could from anyone who would teach him. He was patient and persistant, and for that, in ten years of love with his beloved lady... he became a gentleman, even took notice of the king, who gave him free reign of that whole bay, as long as the king could use it freely as well. He was merciless in driving out the other fishermen, who did not care for the sea, using cannon, sword, spell, and diplomacy to drive them out of the water. With the help of his maiden, he could do anything.

He lowered the lookingglass from his eyes, and barked several commands to his men. Tehy were bewildered, but they knew him... it was a secret to the whole world but his loyal crew: they were hardened ex-pirates the king had spared to serve him, and the captain had taken them in, made them prosperous, cared about them. He was good to them, so they owed him their lives. They were absolutely loyal, and loved him.

"We're heading back to the Cove! Look lively, men!" he said, pulling out his already-filled pipe and lighting it, taking a few puffs at it, shooting the mermaiden a glance once more.

---

"--And thats the situation, my love..." Mcfinn finished, the human upper body of his beloved mermaiden nestled tight in his arms. She, even fresh from the sea, smelled in such a way that he found soothing... she smelled like the sea, and he loved the sea. She was warm and moist, and stroked him gently, her lovely violet eyes staring right into his own. She had bioluminescient skin, and glowed softly in the dark of the cavern in which they were, two massive limbs holding her up on either side of him, each about half the size of his ship, dwarfing them both. She was a magnificent creature indeed, her thick scales glistening like a dark pearl.

"She'll be back... She'll come back to see that prince again, my love..." she said, her voice vibrating unnaturally, yet soothingly in such a way he found very lovely. "Once they see the sky, they always do. When she does... when you see her love the prince... catch her. I will help you. Tell her that there is a way she can be with her prince... that there is..."

"Heh... a witch.. who can give her legs, make her able to walk beside her prince... right?" he said, wrapping his palm about her cheek, avoiding the frillspines she had that would numb his hand for a few hours if he pricked himself on them. She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"But why help them, my love..." he said, curiusly... "I thought you despised them..." he said, concerned. She smiled. "Exactly. I want revenge... if I help the princess... and take her from that bastard king... nothing would please me more than to watch him lose his own daughter to something she herself agreed to... And the king of your world... well, he'll be more than happy to have his son fall in love with a merfolk princess..." she suggested, grinning.

Thats why he loved her as much as he did... in addition to being kind and warm, she was brilliant, and could come up with a complicated scheme at the drop of a hat. She was wonderful...

And so the captain bid his farewell, and set sail again.. ready to do his thing.

[Anonymous]

Nendyé quickly made her way back to the palace with her newfound treasure. What exactly it was, she didn't know, but she would keep it, maybe use it to carry small things in. She smiled down at the cloth in her hands as she entered her room.

Well, it wasn't entirely her room. She shared it with her younger sister, Keryé, for reason she could never understand. It was rather large and both princesses had plenty of space for themselves, but surely there were enough rooms so that they could have their own. It wasn't that she didn't love her little sister...Nen just wanted some time to herself once in a while.

Not even bothering to notice if Keryé was there, she swam straight to the stand next to her sponge bed. She carefully straighted out the cloth, placing a few small shells on top to keep it from floating away.

((And that's all I got xD I'm lax with in inspiration, for reason I won't mention. I want to spare people the TMI. Keryé would be next!))

[Anonymous]

Keryé laid on her sponge bed, reading, or trying to, anyways. Despite her best efforts, she was skipping paragraphs. It was just so hard to concentrate. The text was just so boring, and it didn’t help that she was tired.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t old enough yet to be excused from lessons, which meant that she had to endure through agonizing lessons in music, deportment, mathematics, and literature. She had never been able to understand why it was necessary for her to know all this information. It wasn’t as though she was ever going to use it, anyways.

She looked up at Nen’s arrival, her eyes curious when she saw that Nen was holding a piece of cloth. It didn’t look too valuable, but Nendyé was treating it as if it was important. “What’s that, Nen?� she asked, her curiosity evident.

Keryé loved pretty things. Her bed was surrounded by oddities that she’d picked up while shopping or swimming with the dolphins. Therefore, she was very interested by the fact that Nen had brought back a piece of cloth, unlike anything she had seen before at the market. Even more intriguing was the way that Nen was so carefully taking steps to make sure that it was secure. Whatever it was, the piece of cloth was obviously important to Nen.

“May I touch it please?� she asked eagerly. She swam over to Nendyé, giving Nendyé a pleading look.

[Anonymous]

Nen sighed softly and subtly. Why did her sister always have to be so nosy?

"No, leave it alone," she said in a soft and polite manner. "I found it while I was out today." Her sister didn't need to know where she'd found if. If she knew, she'd probably think her sister was crazier than the man with 200 catfish. Not only that, but there was a possibility she would tell their father, which would mean punishment and constant supervision. Having someone watch her every move wasn't something the princess wanted, even if she hadn't planned on another trip to the surface.

[Anonymous]

"Why not?" Ker asked, her tone still pleading. All she wanted to do was touch it, just for an instant. Really, if Nen kept on being so intractable, then she would have to steal it or something. It would serve Nen right if Keryé lost it as a result. Keryé decided she would get her hands on the cloth, one way or another. She would be nice and nag Nen a few more times, but after that...Well, Nen was always out exploring, so sooner or later Keryé would be alone and able to touch the cloth with Nen away.
 
"At least tell me where you got it." she wheedled.

[Anonymous]

"Frederick!!!" John's yell echoed throughout the corridors, even down to the abandoned wing where he was currently closing the door and preparing to slip back into palace life "unnoticed".

Oh dear...they must have noticed. At least I have a week to persuade John not to tell Father.

He swallowed, and with a forced air, strode confidently down into the main castle, looking for all the world as if he belonged.

"Frederick!" A large matronly woman almost ran into him. "Where in the blazes have you been? You are sodding wet!"

He blushed, not meeting the Cook's gaze. "I was...not...here."

Jeez, how lame was that!!??

"Hmm." She clicked her tongue disapprovingly and he felt her gaze go right through him. "I can't believe you've forgotten the ball tonight."

His surprised look said that obviously he had.

"Honestly, how are you going to integrate with the other princes and princesses if you keep running off to lord knows where! Go, I'll run you a bath!"

"No Martha, it's alright really..." His voice trailed feebly off as he realised he was talking to empty air.

So this is why everyone was rushing around. Well, he thought, I'd better make myself presentable then. Sighing, he mooched off to his room.

[Anonymous]

Nendyé sighed, moving the shells back to pick it up. "Okay, you can touch it. But I'm not giving it to you." She held it out for her to touch. Of course she would never tell her where she found it. Never in a million years.

[Anonymous]

(OOC: Ack. Sorry about my absence. Real life ate me.)
 
Oh, good, Nendyé had seen sense after all. She touched it eagerly, and was slightly disappointed by how it felt. She’d expected better. She frowned. Why was Nen protecting this piece of trash, anyways? Maybe Nen had a secret lover, someone she didn’t want the family to know about.

“Where’d you get it?� Ker asked again. Eventually, Nendyé would tell her, she thought. “I promise I won’t tell anyone else…�

[Anonymous]

All the way throughout the ball, Frederick's mind was elsewhere. He knew his father had arranged it on purpose so that he could choose a future wife, something he didn't appreciate.

But he tried to be as cheerful as possible through the night, and stay in the splendour of the room when all he wanted to do was to get as far away as possible. Maybe go back to the coast.

Would anybody notice if he slipped away?

He picked up a champagne flute from a tray and sipped the clear liquid, smiling politely and trying to follow the conversation he was currently having with the princess of wherever.