Excerpt

Enchanted
By
Nancy O’Berry

Serena swished her flukes, ignoring the situation evolving in her father’s room as her sister cried out her rage. She kept her hands busy by braiding and unbraiding her long flaxen hair while paying no heed to the cries of her younger sibling.

“How could you not have known he belonged to your sister?” her father’s voice roared over the rising lament at his feet.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked in another direction. She needed to show penance then her father’s anger would cease to exist. It always did. Besides, her sister was young. She could practice on another mortal. His voice rose again catching her attention.

“This behavior will not be tolerated.” He turned toward the child at his fins. “Nadine, we shall find you another one. One who won’t so easily be seduced.” He scowled at his other daughter across the room.

She lowered her head so her father wouldn’t see the blatant roll of her eyes.

“They are all alike, those mortals,” she spoke up in her own defense.

Her comment only inflamed her sister’s angst, making her cry harder.

“He was mine, Father. I was going to seduce him, my first. She butted in just like she always does,” Nadine lamented. “She sang for him, Father, after she told me you wanted me. She sent me away on a fool’s errand and took my cull!”

Serena could not help it, a chuckle slipped out. “Fool’s errand did you call it, dear sister,” her red lips lifted in a sneer. “He was no match for you. Your voice has not yet developed its tone. He would have floundered and died a horrible death, realizing you were not strong enough to pull him in for coupling.”

Her tone, derogatory, making her younger sister howl in agony.

“Enough!” King Neptune bellowed. His deep voice shook the very stool she sat upon.

Serena looked skyward through the crystal dome to see the sky grow dark and the sea churn into a tempest at her father’s will. Drawing her eyes back to the throne, she could see the anger in the dark purple of his eyes.

“It’s bad enough a mermaid steals another’s cull, but to do it to your own sister, Serena,” he said and shook his head. “Somehow I thought better of you.”

“You will punish her, Father, please, for me,” Nadine begged. Her earnest tears cascaded down her cheeks to pool at her father’s fins, turning to tiny pearls.

Serena took a deep breath and thought of how to calm the stormy waters. “Father, I did nothing more than sun myself on a rock.”

“Did you smile at him, daughter?” The King leveled his angry glare at her.

“I…I suppose I did,” she began fluttering her eyes, hoping to appear demure. “It’s a natural habit,” she opened her mouth to defend herself further when he roared.

“Silence, speak no more to me about this, child,” his voice edged with fury. “You are no more a daughter of mine. Your actions shame our family and our people.  You have brought disgrace upon our name.” His fist beat against the sky as his resentment swirled. Lightning flashed above him rattling the chamber causing the other royals to shrink against the stones.

“Father,” Serena rose to her fins, for she had never seen such anger in his face before.

His raised hand stopped her. “I have allowed you to do as you please all these years, but no more. You have taken advantage of my good nature, and now you must pay the consequences.”

Stunned she floated down to the chair.

“Do you know what the penalty is for embezzling a mortal?”

She nodded, a knot formed near her heart, causing it to forget a beat.

“My daughter, it is death,” Neptune rose, pacing in front of his throne. His head moved slowly to and fro as if he were having trouble coming to deal with this disaster.

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