I opened my eyes. I was on a bed. I thought maybe I had dreamed this all up. But no — this is no dream. I am not in my own room. This is a completely different room. How did I get here? The only thing I can recall is a fairy lifting me and the water getting me wet and then I passed out. That's all I recall. But where am I? Everything is so strange.
I was exiting the room when two others approached ahead of me. Calling them people was the wrong term — they were half-man, half-fish. That is, they were water-people.
Water-person: "You must join us. The queen has seen you."
I did not answer because I was so scared. Just looking at them reminded me that I was underwater.
But the room did not feel like it contained water in any way. But outside the room floated everything — water all around. I stepped outside. One of the water-people took my hand. Just like I figured: nothing but water. But although the door was open, water wasn't coming inside the room. Again, so strange. They took me somewhere. The most bizarre thing was that I, like a fish, could breathe in the water. And I could talk underwater like those water-people did. It all seemed so strange.
And yet, in the water everything was familiar. They had brought me to the king's throne here. Everything was weird — no one had legs; everyone had fish tails. They were completely imaginary water-people and merfolk. I didn't know if I was really seeing it or had died.
Water-queen (Rani): "Welcome to the water world."
She seemed like their queen.
Me: "Why did you bring me here? I want to go home."
Rani: "You were brought here because the time has come for the settlement your parents made with us."
Me: "What settlement?"
Rani: "They offered their lives for us in return for you."
Me: "I don't understand. Explain to me."
Rani: "When you and your sister died when you were two, it was an error on our king's part. To make up for it, he transformed himself into a human dervish and came to your parents. He offered his life for you both and revived you. But there was a twist."
Me: "What was that twist? I'd like to know."
Rani: "She said that when your son and daughter become eighteen, one of them will disappear. I can keep both of them alive until eighteen. But then it will be your choice: you might like the son or the daughter."
Me: "Who did my parents like?"
Rani: "Yes, they desired both. but the need was that one must be sacrificed. They desired your sister and gave up you. And our king put all his energy into you, giving his life for both you and your sister to live."
Tears rolled down my cheeks. They just could not abandon me like this. I couldn't stomach anything.
Rani: "Get ready."
Me: "Are you going to kill me?"
Rani: "Haha, what do you say, boy. Don't you know?"
Myself: "Then why have you brought me here? I want to go home."
Rani: "Forget going home, because this is where you will stay now. And after fifteen days you will sit on this throne. You will be the king of this entire water world."
Myself: "I'm a simple human."
Rani: "You are not ordinary human. All the power of our king rests in you. You will not know what you are until your coronation."
Me: "But I don't want to stay here."
Rani: "I know that too. But you must stay. Because if you go upstairs, that wicked fairy will kidnap you again."
Me: "What if she harms my family?"
Rani: "She cannot do that. Only water power and no power other than that can hurt your sister. And within fifteen days your coronation."
Commander: "Yes, Your Majesty the Queen."
Rani: "Train our king immediately."
Commander: "As you command."
The commander took my hand and dragged me away. I can barely even swim. They all have tails, so they can swim easily, but I'm afraid because they won't let me go out. In fifteen days I'll be king. Then everyone will obey me. Just fifteen days; I'll see around this water world correctly. If I'm made king, I'll go out after that. No one can disobey my commands anymore.
My commander is teaching me to fight underwater. I am just standing, let alone fighting. Seeing me like this, some girls were giggling around me. At once, I turned towards them. My eyes halted. My heart racing. Even beneath the water, I could detect that very fragrance. This is the mermaid I have been calling all this while. This is the mermaid I've been feeling on all around me. I moved toward her. When she saw me, she blushed and bent her head.
Pushing all of my fear behind, I lifted my head. What a face. A fascinating face. Everyone would be mad for that beauty. I was already mad.
Mermaid: "Uh-huh… are you going to just keep staring like that?"
Me: "Why are you so beautiful?"
Mermaid: "You can still look. There is no wonder in staring."
Me: "I've dreamed of you all my life, sketched you. I could never envision your face. Now that I can see your face, please let me look properly."
Mermaid: "Hmm, you can look. Is there ever a finish to looking? But come, let us go for a bit of a walk together."
Me: "Hmm, alright."
Commander: "But princess, you must learn your mother's commands."
Mermaid: "Commander, I'm the future queen, you know. I'm taking a walk with my king—inform my mother of this. I don't think she's going to object."
Commander: "Hmm, princess."
So the mermaid is a princess… wow. Taking all the rest of the mermaids with her, she took my hand and started to swim. She pulled me out of the water. I was thrilled. I hoped that maybe now I could go home. I'd trick her and go home — or take her along with me. But all dreams don't come true.
It felt like being in the middle of a huge ocean. There was a tiny island nearby, the form of a small house. It had trees all over. I could never have imagined such an island. What is this? I even saw a tree house on one of the trees — a little house. I couldn't believe it.
Mermaid: "How do you like the place?"
Me: "That is wonderful. I never thought there could be such an island."
Mermaid: "I created it especially for you. You and I will live here together."