Page 62 of Midnightsong
Angie shed her coverup, and clad only in her swimwear, jumped into the sea beside the Mer-Princess. “It’s been a few months. I heard you were away at the Southern Queendom?”
Calora stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes, but the smile remained as they made their way through kelp forests, over swaths of corals and fish, and through a pod of sleek Dall’s porpoises.
“I was staying there for a bit. Mom and Dad wanted me to get experience with building alliances and talking to other royals and dignitaries and such.” Calora motioned Angie to follow as they plunged into the depths. “It was a good experience, but I’m glad to be home. It’s tiring.”
Angie thought of the efforts she made by getting attention on the mer and nodded her understanding. “I can imagine. Are you going to get to rest a little bit now that you’re back?”
“For a tidesday or so. Then back to my regular princess-y duties.”
Farther into the depths they swam, and Angie scrambled upward to dodge a giant Pacific octopus on the seafloor. Her bare legs brushed their soft head, and their two eyes followed Angie and Calora, a silent chastisement Angie had almost run into them. The octopus darted away, leaving a cloud of black ink in their wake.
A dogfish swam into their view; lidless eyes met Angie’s for a split second. The scar on her eye told Angie it was likely the same one she saw on Shoreline’s beach. She had swum far to make it to where the Central Queendom was, but dogfish were a migratory species.
Calora snickered. “Looks like you’re making friends down here.”
“No, that dogfish.” Angie pointed, looking after her tail as she glided away from them. “I saw her at a beach, when the mer attacked and took her back.”
Calora’s face fell. “I heard about that when I returned. Patrolling sentinels saw landw—I mean, humans, drag her from the sea and they sought to rescue her.” She shook her head in disdain, her single, short braid followed her head movements. “When will humans learn to respect life that is not themselves?”
“We’re trying to spread awareness,” Angie replied.
“Hmph.” Calora turned her head and gave her a half smile, her iridescent tail bright in the black depths. “Come around this way. There’s less mer.”
Silver plates came into view, sparkling like a cluster of jewels in the pitch dark. They circled to the top of a seamount and entered the palace through the back, approaching the closed, throne room doors.
In front of them, a group of sentinels floated guard with one larger merman at their head. His tail shone bright pale blue, a golden belt encircling his thick waist. He held a spear decorated with badges and pins down its shaft; ones Angie couldn’t make out.
The large merman swam to them, his gaze falling on each one, dorsal fin swaying side to side with the waves.
Why was there an increased military presence in the palace? Angie hadn’t recalled seeing this burly, decorated merman before.
“Angie. Calora.” His gravelly voice thundered through the waves. “Her Majesty awaits.”
“Thank you, Shangjiang.” Calora gave him a nod of acknowledgement and they swam inside.
Shangjiang.
Saying the word in her mind, she made out the title for ‘General’ in Renyuhua.
That was concerning. Were Cassia and Varin expecting humans to attack?
“Mom told me there had been some more incidents of missing mer, so while our sentries are looking for them, they need to make sure the queendom is adequately defended,” Calora whispered as they entered.
“Makes sense,” Angie said weakly. More missing mer? She hadn’t heard of any, but she had also been staying away from the news for her own mental health in the past week.
Calora greeted her mother quickly before swimming off and leaving Angie alone with Mer-Queen Cassia.
“Hello, Angie.” Something about the way she was curled high around her throne while Angie floated beneath her made Cassia more imposing than the austere, yet cordial Mer-Queen Angie was used to seeing. And at that moment, Angie might as well have been a tiny plankter on the seafloor.
An unseen light from above made her eyes and iridescent tail shimmer. “It’s been some time since we’ve seen you.” Her tailfins grazed at the side of the throne.
Angie bowed her head and shoulders. “Our efforts are paying off and we’re getting more support from humans, turning them to the mer’s side and understanding you’re not the killers, or animals they believe you to be.”
Cassia folded her arms across her chest. “They have taken three more of ours—sentinels patrolling at the surface. Others are getting caught in fishing nets. Some were returned to us, others, we didn’t see again.”
“We don’t haveeveryoneon board, but my friends and I are trying to reach more people. News like this takes time to spread,” Angie said in earnest, though inwardly, she flinched at the mention of more mer being hunted down. “And we are fighting for the captive ones to be released back to the sea where they belong.” A thought came to her. “Your Majesty, how many mer are missing? I’ll spread the word and hopefully if those facilities get enough pressure, they’ll agree to release them.”
The Mer-Queen narrowed her eyes, but her posture relaxed. “From this part of the sea, we’ve lost close to twelve. Mostly patrolling mer or mer who wandered outside the queendom walls. The human presence increased.”
