Maristella: Star of the Ocean

Swings!

Tiana dropped me at the gate of my apartment complex, she lives a few blocks down the street in order to avoid any suspicions. The apartment complex itself does not have the looks of a posh royal inheritance or a high-class NYC condo full of celebrities. It looks fairly average from the outside, something that an average student would probably be able to rent.

That is exactly the way I wanted things to be, to seem normal. But normalcy is not something a princess can afford easily. My aunt Rosella, for example was vehemently against the idea of me staying in a shabby apartment, so she had ordered the architect to make the exterior look rather common, while the inside of my apartment was as big as a luxury condo.

Needless to say, the interior decoration of it was done by me. I always had a fascination for interior design. Only if I could have had a normal life, I would have chosen to become either an artist or an interior designer.

Grandpa loves my designs as well and I still remember how happy I was, when as my fifteenth birthday gift he had allowed me to re-decorate the entire Oceanian International Convention. That monstrous building has 196 halls representing the different countries of the world which are affiliated with the convention itself and it is over 500 years old. Mermaid architects are far more advanced than their human counterparts. It took me an entire year to complete the decoration!

But the funniest part of it was seeing the media rage over the mystery designer of the convention. Some of course guessed that "the princess herself has taken up the task of designing the historical building". The project did gain some popularity, because most of the country leaders who visited the halls dedicated to their country were amazed at the cultural symbolism used in the decoration. Yes, you guessed it right, the leaders of each country are well aware of the existence of the mermaids on earth. But they intelligently refrain from trying to disclose this valuable information to the humans, because they don't wish for a death warrant.

Grandpa of course was turned into a proud mushy ball after the evident success of the décor.

My apartment here at NYC was designed by me when I was feeling utterly homesick after the news of the death of my parents reached me. It's been two years, but the void in my heart has remained ever since. I knew that they were assassinated, and I will not be able to go back to Bhabyanagar or Japan anytime soon, hence I decided to influence my designs with my favourite aesthetics and symbolism which was characteristically Indian.

It's not your typically black and golden luxurious penthouse. It's distinctitively 'me' and each of my rooms have specific intonations on mood and colour, for example, my bedroom is white, becase white makes me calm down. My apartment is thus complete with an indoor pool, a swing bed, a temple and my most favourite spot: a swing on the pool!

I am obsessed with swings to say the least!

And now, after a hectic and admittedly confusing day, I head towards the swing, which is placed upon a pool of crystal blue water.

I gently place my feet on the water and slightly focus my mind on it so that it will be able to hold my weight. I walk on the water, and move towards the swing. I just love playing with water. Yes, I can control water and model it to any shape I wish!

It almost comes as a second nature to me, to fashion water in certain ways. It is as natural as moving my hands or simply breathing.

And at this moment I just want to play with the water, swing and sleep and not think about the hole that I have dug for myself by crossing the path of the Prince of Seandra. Why do I feel like killing a man whom I just met? Its not really in my nature, I promise.

But I should not really worry about it right? After all I will be leaving for Oceana tomorrow morning. I just visit NYC in the weekends, in order to meet my dear little munchkins. And right now, I am happy because I won't have to see the despicable face of that prince, at least for a week.

Girls like to swing!