Chapter Four
Katie held on to the back of Princess Simona with all her might. She almost fell off, but caught herself just in time. She cringed as Chait dug his claws into her skin. His eyes were wide and wild with fear. After several minutes, Simona finally slowed to a trot. Chait calmed down and retracted his claws but left a small mark on Katie’s arm.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to hurt you. I got so scared I didn’t realize what I was doing. My animal instincts, I guess.” Chait said, looking at her arm with concern.
Katie held onto her arm and smiled at Chait. “It’s okay, it’s only a little scratch, and I’ll be fine.”
Simona started to walk very slowly now. She looked back at Katie and Chait. “We have to be very calm when speaking with the mermaids. They are very temperamental, and will swim off before we can get any information from them. Katie, you and the fairies are the only beings who can understand my speech now. The mermaids cannot. I will need you to speak with them on my behalf.”
“Alright,” Katie replied, trying to hide her excitement of seeing real mermaids. She had always been fascinated with the idea of mermaids when she was a child, and now she was getting the chance to see one up close.
When they reached the water’s edge, Katie climbed down and looked at Simona. “I’m ready; what do you want me to do?”
“Well, I have never done it myself. My brother Varek once told me that you have to walk slowly to the edge of the lagoon and then bow slightly to the water. Though they are only mermaids, they consider themselves a higher class than the rest of us. When they come up, ask for permission to speak. Once granted, tell them what has become of my brother and me. Then ask them if they have seen him in the past few days. Now go.” Simona said, giving Katie a quick shove with her head. However, she stayed only a few feet away from Katie, so the mermaid could see her. Chait remained calmly on Simona’s back.
Katie walked up to the edge of the water and gave a quick bow. She felt a little foolish bowing to nothing. She almost thought it was a mean joke the Unicus was playing on her, until she saw small bubbles appear on the still water. Suddenly, a red haired woman lifted her head out of the water. Katie was surprised to see that her hair wasn’t very wet. It looked like normal hair, but the water trickled off her long red hair like it would on the feathers of a duck. “Permission to speak,” Katie said quickly.
The Mermaid pulled herself up a little and rested her arms on the shore. She looked up at Katie and began to laugh. “You must be Princess Simona, Varek’s sister.”
“No, but that is why I am here.” Katie said a little confused.
“You must be Varek’s sister. He planned that whole bowing and asking permission to speak, if you ever came. He said you probably never would, because you were afraid of us. Are you afraid of us?” The mermaid asked, putting her head in her hands and looking up at Katie.
“I am not Princess Simona, but I am speaking for her,” Katie giggled a little, glancing over to the Unicus at her side. “She did tell me that was the only way you would talk to me, though. Prince Varek must be a very amusing guy.”
“He is my dearest friend. He was always playing tricks on his sister; they are very close, I assume. I’m Niela, by the way. If you’re not the Princess, what is your name and are you human?”
“I’m Katie and yes, I’m human, but I’m not from around here. I am here to ask for your help. Prince Varek is missing. He and Simona were turned into Unicus’. The key that the Princess held was stolen as well. All I need to know is if you have seen a Unicus hanging around lately?” Katie asked Niela. She loved talking to this wonderful creature, if only she had more time.
“Well, now that you mentioned it, I did see him just yesterday. I know now it must have been Varek. He was trying to talk to me but when I couldn’t understand him. He gave up and ran off toward the river. I remember when I first met the Prince, when I was very young.” She smiled, as if deep in thought.
“You see, long ago, mermaids were never seen on the surface. We were told it was filled with fish-eating monsters. It wasn’t until Varek’s great, great grandfather decided to build his castle near the sea. He discovered a way to breathe underwater for hours at a time. We knew about this, but never shared it with surface dwellers. He visited our Queen and told her that your world was not as savage as our Queen led us to believe. The Queen then gave us the choice to visit the surface whenever we wished. We can only surface within the boundaries of this cove.
The Queen has never come to visit the surface. I am a free spirit, I guess, I come up all the time and sometimes even further when no one is around. That is how I met Varek, many, many years after this law was made. His grandfather took him out on a ship.
There was a terrible storm and Varek fell in. I was very young and Varek only a boy, himself. I swam as fast as I could and I saved him. He has come back almost every day since then, to see me. I showed him the secret of how to breathe underwater and even took him to my village, once. Since he was the grandson of the King, he was welcomed. I saved him once, but now it seems like he is always trying to be the hero and save others. I was there for him the day his grandfather died and his dad was named King. Now it’s only Varek and his sister left to rule.” She looked over at Simona. “You must be the Princess, then. I know this isn’t the best situation, but it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Simona looked back over to Katie. “Can you please tell her that at my present state, I cannot understand her?” She said, rather annoyed.
“I’m sorry Niela, but Simona can’t understand you.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize. I have a good feeling about you. You are going to do something amazing for Atheness. I know we will meet again. If there is anything you need, you know where to find me.”
Katie started to bow, and then remembered it was no longer necessary. The mermaid waved goodbye and dove under the water. Katie walked back to the grassy shore with Princess Simona.
“So what did she have to say?” Princess Simona asked, impatiently.
“She said he was headed toward the river, just yesterday.”
“Good! He might still be there. Get on my back and we’ll be there in no time.”
Katie climbed on and Chait jumped back in her arms. He made sure he was very careful with his claws this time.
“Wow! What a story Niela told you about meeting the Prince. He must be something great.” Chait said, as Simona began to run.
“I know; I can’t wait to meet him.”
Princess Simona ran next to the water for a while. She veered right when she smelled fresh water. The river ran through a thick forest. The fresh water reminded Katie and Chait of how thirsty they were. Simona stopped at a clearing. Katie and Chait then climbed off and walked to the water. Katie bent down and scooped her hands to drink.
Simona wasn’t concerned about the water, even though she was a little thirsty. Since she had become a unicorn, she had learned how to use her enhanced senses. She sniffed the air and then kicked around the dirt. “He was here; hasn’t gone far.” She said to herself. She took off running in the same direction she had smelled the air.
Chait looked up, just as Princess Simona ran off. “She’s coming back, isn’t she?”
The water fell from Katie’s hands, as she saw nothing but a trail of dust left by the Unicus. She stood up and walked back to the clearing.
“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted any other animal but other cats, and even then, I would do the talking. Now, we are left here in the middle of the forest with nothing to eat!” Chait exclaimed, glaring at his reflection in the water.
“Calm down, I’m sure she just went to find her brother, she’ll be back. Let’s just sit on the grass and wait. She’ll be back.” Katie said, almost reassuring herself.