Clash of Tides (A merman story)

“And?”

“I accept your offer.”

“Such wonderful news, Elena! You shall not regret this decision, I assure you,” he says as he takes my hand and brings it to his lips. However, he stops and then asks, “I have but one more question before we make this arrangement.”

His curious gaze stares at me; adrenaline pumps through my body. As I steady my breathing, I respond with, “Ask what you will.”

“I take it you are unspoiled, yes?” He pursues his lips together and studies my face.

“Yes, my lord. I have never known the touch of a man. The magistrate was to be my first, but he never got a chance to.”

“Well, I am glad he didn’t. With this kiss, let us seal our deal, Elena,” he says as he presses his lips to my hand with a gentle touch. As he caresses my skin, I feel nothing for him, but I cannot deny I enjoy the kindness he has shown me. When I think of the Governor’s kindness, images of the brown-haired merman that gave his life for mine come to me. Hass.

I lower my eyes and move my face away from the Governor’s. Maybe I seem thrilled with my arrangement to the outside world, but I feel the opposite – I am leaving everyone I care about behind, hoping my decision will lead them to a better life.

“Elena, do not hide your happiness from me. We have the rest of our days together and more.” He places his fingers on my chin and brings my sight back to his. “Now, gather any belongs you wish to bring with you, and Nathan will work out arrangements with Leona. Hurry now; I cannot wait to introduce you to my staff and hear more stories about this man that almost stole you away.” He smiles at me with beaming eyes, a happiness that I cannot understand. As he removes his hand from my face, he gestures to the door and then turns, calling Nathan from the other side.

After being around Assan, my sense of caution is always alert. The Governor wants to know more about Assan, but why?

I suppose to the Governor, Assan is a wanted man. If the magistrate calls for retribution, then guards will search for him, find him, and hang him in front of everyone. At the thought of Assan’s death, I stop walking as my chest tightens. I must keep the secret of the sea hidden, and I hope for Assan’s sake, he doesn’t come to Hylnn. The sounds of faint whispers are heard behind me, and they don’t want me to hear whatever is being said.

“I suggest you hurry up, Elena. The Governor does not have all day to wait for you.” Nathan’s impatient voice scolds me, and I proceed back inside without responding.

It is quiet, too quiet. As my skin crawls with nervousness, I sweep my eyes around the kitchen and see my mother sitting at the table with a saucer. The smell of peppermint lingers in the room, flowing its soft scent into my nostrils. As she raises a porcelain cup to her mouth, the edges of her lips twist into a smile. For most families that live in these ghettos, tea is a luxury no one can afford; however, as usual, the mother wastes no time basking in things she shouldn’t have. Soon, she will get all she ever wanted, and even then, she still can’t wait.

“Tea, Leona? Tea is only for women of elegance, and you are not one of those women,” he says in a mocking tone and then laughs, not caring about my mother’s glare at him.

Rather than reply to Nathan’s blatant insult, my mother returns to sipping her tea calmly while saying nothing until she responds with, “If you are here, Nathan, you must have business with me, so tell me, how I may help you?

With a smile gracing her lips, it is clear she knows what the Governor’s private guard has to say. Nathan clicks his tongue; we both must feel the same way - we want to get this over with and move on.

“He wants to speak with you about payments and moving arrangements.”

“Of course he does,” she says, with confidence dripping from her voice. My sacrifice is her return to glory, as she always wanted it.

“Don’t pride yourself on this deal, Leona. You should be thanking your daughter for this.”

At that, my mother slams her cup down and jumps up, turning to Nathan. “Elena knows I am proud of her efforts, and the Governor is only giving me what I deserve!”

“Humph. You are a selfish woman, Leona, but I digress.” He shrugs. As for Elena”-Nathan glances at me from the corner of his eye and then flicks his gaze back to my mother-” I wonder what else Elena knows.”

“This idle talk bores me. Elena, why don’t you go upstairs and get ready while I speak to Nathan. We don’t want to keep the Governor waiting, do we?”

The grin showing her amusement grows wider as she keeps looking at the guard, waiting for him to respond. My mother’s history with Nathan is unknown to me, but their relationship must be deeper than I thought. At first, Nathan seemed like another man to sleep with and get money from, but there’s something more there.

Not wanting to deal with my enraged mother, I excuse myself and realize soon I will have to say goodbye to Joe. For so long, it was just the two of us, even when we were small children. If my father is still alive, out there, anywhere, I hope he regrets leaving us behind with a monster of a mother.

As I walk up these stairs, I allow myself to think those forbidden thoughts: I wonder what Assan is doing now and where is Seidon, Lucas, and Mika. Before I leave for the Governor’s home, I want to say goodbye to my friends. Would they come to visit me if they knew I was to be his mistress? A bitter laugh leaves my lips. The idea of noble sons visiting another man's mistress is unheard of, and by the time word reaches Seidon, he will be planning his wedding to Edith. And perhaps, Lucas will have left for training to be a scholar like his father. I want to sigh, to show my disappointment, but I knew this would happen one day. When we were children, our foolishness protected us from the true nature of this world, and now our stupidity traps us here.

One step and then another; as I get closer to my bedroom door and prepare to say goodbye to Joe, I wait for any tears to visit me, but like before, my tears have left me as my father did. Once I reach the top, I knock on the door, hoping Joseph is still inside.

“Come in.”

“Joe, are you alright?” I ask as I place my hand on the door handle and open it.

“Elena?”

Sitting in the same corner, he peeks up at me from his lap. With a soft smile, I let him know that everything is alright. I make my way over to him, bend my knees and place my hand on his shoulder.

“Joe, there is something I must tell you.”

“What is it?” He uncurls his body, stretching his legs out and lifting his head until his eyes reach my own. On his face, there is some relief as he stares at me, and then he asks, “did those men leave?”

Even though he only gives me a half-smile, it’s enough to make the pain of our parting even worse than before. These last few days have been for goodbyes, and today is no different. The words I am about to speak may hurt my brother, but the pain will be worse for me than when my father left me because I am leaving Joe behind. I hope that one day when he is older, and I am forgotten with time, he will still have fleeting memories of me.

As I part my lips, I slide my hand off his shoulder and say, “Joe, I have something to tell you.” He does not respond to me and instead tilts his head, with confusion lacing his features.

“Soon, you and mom will leave here to a better place. It will be your new home, where you will have more than enough to eat and space to play-”

“We are moving?” He asks, cutting me off.

I maintain my composure - not trying to show my genuine emotions of loss - with a faint grin on my lips. My brother moves closer to me, studying my face. His eyes search for the meaning behind my words, just like any curious child that does not understand what is happening.

“Yes, we are, but I will be going to a different place than you and mom-”

“Why! We should be able to go together!” Liquid forms at the base of his eyelids. He sucks in a breath as he quickly wipes the tears from his eyes. I laugh a little, knowing my brother does not want to cry in front of me. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around him and press his body to mine.

“Joe, this is for the best, for you, mom, and me. Even though I am not with you, I will always think about you. We may see each other again, but until then, I want you to promise me that you will stay strong and fight, no matter what happens”- I move back until my gaze on his and my mouth curls into a frown - “if mother ever hurts you again, write to me, do you understand?”

He averts his sight for mine and then looks back at me, nodding his head. I hate to remind my brother of that night when he was alone, surrounded by men with twisted desires. My brother then hugs me, holding me like he does not want to let go. For so long, it was Joe and me, two unwanted children stuck with a monster in a world full of greed, sex, and money.

“Joseph dear, we need-” Mother opens the door, spotting us on the ground in the corner. The edges of her mouth forming a frown tell me all I need to know. Instead of lashing out or attacking me without warning, she walks over to us in silence. “My two beautiful children, things will finally change for us. Elena, you should be getting ready. The Governor is not a patient man.”

In her words, I can hear the anger she is masking. She turns towards me, looking down at us with almost narrow eyes.

Of course, she ruins this moment with my brother when I say my farewell to him. Instead of fighting with her, I release Joe from my grip and get up, turning on my heel towards the door. Behind me, the happiness echoes in her voice. Things will be different for us now, she says. Joe, for now on, it’s just you and me, living the life I always wanted for you.

Stay safe, little brother. I rush to my mother’s room and shut the door. How I feel is like this wooden door. It is best to shut myself away from everyone, standing still and not moving. My knees buckle beneath me, and there I go, down to the floor, spewing in my own pity. Joe is safe now, and that’s all I ever wanted for him. Trade one life away for a better life, like life for a life. Hass’s sacrificed his life for mine, and my life was supposed to be taken to save the mers.

I need to get up. As I rise from the floor, noise comes from downstairs. My mother is likely making plans for a quick departure from this house. I walk to the closest and open the door, sorting through her dresses. Mother never told me what the Governor’s likes, but as a man of power, I am sure he wants a noble-looking woman that is a belle of a ball. The dress I choose is the color of the ocean, dark blue, like a certain mer’s tail engraved in my memory. A hint of turquoise highlights the navy color along the edges and hem. The sleeves are long, with turquoise ruffles to finish it off. And in the front, the white fabric starts from the hip down to the hem.

Before putting on the dress, I put on my shift and stay. Once I am done, I grab the dress from the closest and place it over my head. As I slip the gown on, a loud bang catches my attention. Quickly I slip the dress on my body and then run to the door, opening it.

“That boy will ruin everything! Nathan, get rid of him!”

The sound of the door slamming shut rocks the house. Boy! Does she mean Seidon?

No longer thinking, I race down the stairs until fingers grip my arm, pulling me back.

“Elena! Remember what I told you! Seidon is engaged to be married. Don’t waste your time with that boy. Going to him will be your downfall.” Despite what my mother believes, I will stand by my decision to be the Governor’s mistress, even though deep inside myself, I wish Seidon and I could live free together. With me, Seidon has no future, only pain, and we needn’t suffer in this world.

Yanking my arm back, I retort, “I haven’t forgotten. Our deal still stands; as long as Joe is safe, you will have riches and luxuries. Now, do not touch me like that again.”

She opens her mouth, agape at my words and tone. Stepping back, her eyes go wide in some sort of horror at what I have become. The girl she once controlled has died and was buried for the greater good.

Without saying anything more, I walk up to the door and open it. Outside, screaming fills the air. Seidon is calling me. I spin towards the entrance to the alley, and there he is, fighting again for me. Three guards block his path. Nathan is standing behind the three guards, probably tempting Seidon for his amusement.

“Seidon.” My childhood friend, the boy who cared about me regardless of my skin color and my stature in society, was there for me. My feet take one step and then another, slow. But then, the Governor’s voice pierces my ears.

“Elena, we must go now unless you want to cancel our arrangement.” The serpent has slithered his warning into my thoughts, and his message is clear; he is right. I turn.

“Elena! Elenaaaa!” Seidon has found me, but I refuse to turn around. Forgive me, Seidon. Please, forget about me and be happy.

The laughter grows around me as the guards laugh at his expense. Seidon doesn’t deserve this treatment after all he has done for me. Standing next to the two-person carriage, I grab the silver handle, about to hoist myself up.

Again, I hear him call my name.

“Elena! Why did you not meet me?! We were going to be free, together! Elena, why?! This is not like you-”

Then, the alley is quiet, and his screaming stops. I spin around and see Seidon in the distance. His multi-color gaze finds me without hesitation. For a moment, everything around me becomes blank, a white splash of paint that covers all sides of me. All I see are circles of the sea in the eyes of the man that I don’t want to leave. To my surprise, his features are not sadness or disappointment but rage.

“Seidon.” From here, I know he cannot hear me. The lines of anger contouring his face show me what he may be wondering. As he looks at me one last time, he turns from my sight, not defeated but determined. Nathan walks in my direction and comes up to me.

“Let us go,” he says, without any emotion lacing his voice. Lowering my head to the ground, I do as he says and gets inside the carriage. As I expected, the horse-drawn carriage speaks to the governor’s power. The seats are plush and soft. On each side, there is a viewing window to see the outside. Across from me, the Governor sits. He hits the ceiling, and then we are off. Happiness, I should be glad. Joe is safe, my mother is happy, and Seidon can become the man he was always meant to be. My goal was accomplished; I am not my father; I protect the ones I love, even if I alone endure all the pain myself.

The Governor places his hand on my mine and lifts my chin to meet his gaze. “I want to hear your story, Elena. And we have all the time in the world.” The slight smirk on his face is one of longing, not physical, but for knowledge. He wants to hear my story, the man in the blue who took me away to the forest near the sea, but that’s as far as I will go. For Assan, the mers, and to stop whatever the Governor hopes to get out of me. Maybe inland, there are secrets to be had, and men in power, like him, are the only ones who know.

I jerk forward. The carriage stops.

“What is the meaning of this?” As the powerful man opens the door, I look out the other window. Hovering over the forest is clouds, gray and forming like a gathering storm about to drown out life in the woods. The wind blows, swaying the trees in violent directions. Rain pours, gaining intensity as more clouds group together. Something or someone must be causing the storm, and I only hope Seidon and Assan are not there.