"Will the first petitioner please step to the dais?" the Cat says.
The red haired woman in the first chair walks to the center of the dais. Her red hair hangs in waves around her face. Her pale green skin glitters in the torch light. She wears a low-necked, corseted blue gown. She faces the Cat with her hands held stiffly at her sides.
"What is your name?" the Cat asks.
"I am Aegae, daughter of the mermaid Ariel, granddaughter of King Triton," Aegae says.
"Why have you petitioned this court?" the Cat continues.
"To avenge my mother," Aegae says.
"Against who?" the Cat says.
"Prince Eric, my father...and my mother's rapist," Aegae says, voice trembling slightly.
A soft buzz goes through the crowd. Many had heard Ursula's story of helping Ariel to become a human. King Triton had beaten Ursula, stripped her of her powers, and banished her from his kingdom on pain of death. All who heard the story assumed Ariel had gotten everything she wanted. No one had heard from her since she came to the surface. Typically, no news is good news, right? But this was an unexpected turn in the story.
Aegae stands straight-backed, though her lip quivers. She does not look at the crowd, but stares straight ahead at the Cat. She waits for the next question.
The Cat raises his hand and the crowd quiets. "That is a serious charge," he says, smiling his ever-present smile. "One that may be hard to prove."
Aegae says nothing, but continues to stare at the Cat.
The Cat appears to weigh whether to continue or not. Finally, he waves his hand toward Aegae. "Tell your tale," he says.
Aegae takes a deep breath. "It began when my mother was sixteen..."
YOU ARE READING
Misfit Trials
FantasyWe all grew up on fairy tales from a variety of cultures, eras, and races. There is the good guy. The dashing prince or the helpless princess or the virtuous children. And there is the villain. A gnarled, evil witch who takes advantage of the he...
