The Ocean Price

CHAPTER THREE

Adella woke up in her bubble again, breathing violently. Pearl placed an oxygen mask on her face, her eyes darting around nervously. 

"Hey. Adella, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, truly. I only wanted to see your mermaid form. I didn't know you'd black out like that!" Adella couldn't talk as her chest heaved through laboured breaths, sparing Pearl from being screamed at. A nurse bustled in, well if mermaids could bustle in. 

She was wearing a nurse's outfit with a matching light blue tail, her scales gleaming and shining through the darkness of the infirmary. 

"Now Pearl, you're bringing too much light in. My patient won't have the light, you need her to adjust. Have you informed Her Majesty yet?" the nurse said, eyes crinkling on the sides with her smile.

Pearl ducked her head and she swam out, shutting the door. The nurse turned her smile to Adella. "There there. You're the first non-mermaid to swim through these doors for a long time. Pearl's a good kid you know, saved you and carried you through the treacherous waters of the monsters." The nurse hissed the last words menacingly. But then, her smile reappeared. 

"I'm Nurse Mariah Herald. Who are you?" she asked, kindly. Adella ran a hand through her disheveled hair and pulled off her oxygen mask as it was no use now as she could breathe normally again. "I'm Adella Coralia."

Nurse Mariah gasped. "Coralia? That was the name of our former Queen. She died a few days ago. We're still investigating her death. In our world, the daughter takes her surname from their mothers' first name and the son takes his surname from the father's first name."

As Nurse Mariah stared at her suspiciously, Pearl burst through. "Adella! Her Majesty wishes for your presence in the Oceanic Chamber right now! Hurry!"

Adella got up and Nurse Mariah patted her arm gently. "Good luck and stay safe! Rest for a bit, don't hurry yourself." Adella waved at her. "Bye!" Pearl swatted Adella arm and pulled her along.

They reached the palace in no time. Adella gasped. The palace was large and completely made of pearl and jade. It shimmered beautifully in the sun, it's pale towers winding upwards to touch the surface of the water, the light bouncing off the iridescent surface. Jade lotuses adorned the main building itself with vines, looking so realistic that Adella thought they were from the land. Large domes sat on one side of the building, like a hub, which Pearl explained was for the public to do whatever they wished. The whole place glittered with royalty and formality, a place of worship for the monarch.

Pearl stopped at the main entrance and the guards dutifully put their spear down and kneeled. "Peace and prosperity to Princess Pearl Marina!" Adella frowned and thought, Princess? Pearl never said that to me, before Pearl was dragging her along. 

Then, they reached the Oceanic Chamber. Adella knew it in her soul. The room was fully transparent, watching sea life go by. The light shone into the room, giving it a bright glow whilst corals weaved in and out of the pillars. And there, in the middle, sat a majestic woman. 

Her long multicoloured hair was out, brushed and plaited into tiny braids amongst the rest of her hair, which was flowing. Her eyes were a serene sea greenish-blue. She sat gracefully on the throne, looking so regal that Adella felt like a squashed sea slug in comparison. Even Pearl had smartened up, looking beautiful in a new cream crop top and her tail was flicking back and forth, glowing iridescently. 

Her Majesty gracefully placed her hands on her lap. "What is your name child?" Adella bowed her head. "I am Adella, Your Majesty." Her Majesty raised an arched eyebrow. "I am Queen Marina. You may call me Queen Marina as you are not familiar to this world. I was surprised when you did answer correctly though. I want your surname."

Adella blushed and looked down. Her surname was the one that the Queen wanted because she knew that they would find out her mother. "Coralia," then she looked down, not wanting to see the bombshell-she-threw's impact.

Queen Marina gaped like a fish. "Coralia? Queen Coralia?" Adella shrugged. "I didn't grow up with her. I don't know."

Adella remembered the moving out day. Her parents were screaming about legacies, history, breaking the law, monsters and deadly weeds. Adella didn't know what that was about, she was hiding in the cupboard under the stairs, peeking out through the keyhole. Her mother's voice rang out, clear and loud. "So, Edward. Our daughters are already in danger because of your dumb sister! Fix it!" 

Adella's father ran a hand through his jet black hair. "I can't! I'm an outcast because I married you!" Her mother screamed back, "So this is all my fault? I am to blame for your sister? The deadly weed? The legacy! The history of my family is ruined because of you! I thought we'd be safe. And we aren't. We're breaking the law. I'd even be safer in the water, a moving target, than to be above the water, being constantly frightened of dying from non-protected skin on the sea glass! You know what, I'm leaving to earn my right as the Queen of Mermaids again. You can rot in hell. Or, the little cavern you used to live in."

Then, her mother marched out, leaving a desperate father and two daughters, one too young to understand anything and one who was crying silently.

A couple of year later, very recently, her mother had come back. Told her father to leave now as her father's sister was not in control of herself. Then, they both died mysteriously in a 'car crash' their bodies burnt and bruised, smoke coming out of their ears and eyes, leaving both of the sister's old enough to remember the trauma. The flashbacks of the funeral hit hard.

"Those poor sisters. Lost their family." "Yes, they have no one to rely on now. They will need to marry to continue the family legacy." Adella had shoved them away, blocking Lorelei from their hurtful words. 

Now, Adella was by herself. Without anyone anymore. Lorelei wasn't there to comfort her through the hard times. Without realising it, Adella started crying.

The Queen looked appalled. "Child, the tears of the damned will not soothe the wretchedness. Dry your tears up now, your ancestors are not capable of feeling sympathetic."

Adella sniffed and hiccuped once. Then, she dried her tears and calmed down. Pearl looked at her, upset, her own eyes glistening wetly whilst she watched Adella. Queen Marina smiled gently. "My daughter is empathetic. She picks up on the hardest emotions by reading your face. It's a trained skill, not a sort of superpower."

Suddenly, a guard ran in. "Queen Marina, a peasant has asked to die!" he shouted. Queen Marina stood up, much taller than Adella has thought, and she crossed over in a few strokes. "Hurry and bring me there."

Pearl glanced widely at Adella and they went after her, tail flicking and bubble bouncing.