Disclaimer: I don’t own Voltron: Legendary Defender or the Barbie movie A Mermaid’s Tale which is where I drew inspiration for the story that follows.
Chapter One- Odd Relationship
It was another beautiful, tranquil day. The perfect day for surfing, swimming, and other activities one enjoys in the sea. Shiro seized his surfboard off his porch, and rushed toward the water with a smile. The waves were different sizes and he wanted to get some surfing in before the early evening storm hit.
Shiro reached the water, got onto his board, and expertly paddled out into the surf. Shiro loved doing all kinds of water activities ever since he was a kid. He wasn’t sure why except that his dad was an avid swimmer according to his mom. He had lived alone with his mother ever since he was born so he assumed his dad had died shortly before his birth. When he turned eighteen, Shiro moved to a beach house that was isolated but close to a local beach where he worked as a lifeguard and a surfing instructor.
A small wave rose up and Shiro easily rode it to ease into surfing and bring his skills to the surface. He slid down the back and he met up with another wave. He rode that one with a few of his favorite tricks. The waves varied from small to big the further out he went. He wasn’t afraid of the big waves; if anything they gave him a thrill and he used them to perform complex maneuvers. He was at the top of a rather large wave and was attempting to pull off a move he had been practicing when the board went out from under him and he went under the water. He popped back to the surface and pulled his board toward him by the wrist strap. He climbed aboard and sat there to relax and reflect on the failed move and decide on how to tackle it differently when he next attempted it.
Shiro nearly fell off his board again when a boy with brown hair and eyes as blue as the ocean popped up beside him. “Lance!” he exclaimed. “Don’t just pop up like that.”
Lance flashed the grin that Shiro found attractive before saying, “Sorry. I should have popped up somewhere else and called out to you, huh?”
“Definitely.” Shiro had been straddling his board but he slid himself so that his legs were sitting on one side as Lance pulled himself up onto the board, a blue tail with a white diamond pattern flashed before sinking back under the surface. Shiro didn’t bat an eye.
Lance revealed himself to Shiro a year ago, claiming he sensed the older man was receptive to the mythical beings of the world. He was correct as Shiro had seen mythical ocean creatures briefly ever since he moved to his beach house, but he had never seen a merperson before.
“That’s not a surprise,” Lance had said. “My kind tend to stay at the very bottom of the ocean. My parents would probably be furious if they knew I was up here.”
“I would imagine they would be,” Shiro had replied, balancing himself on his surfboard that was balanced on a rock. “What do your parents do?”
“Rule the ocean.”
Shiro had nearly slipped off the board at the casual reply. He had leaped off the board and landed on his feet. He had gaped at Lance before saying, “You’re a prince?”
“Yeah. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier.”
Lance and Shiro continued to meet almost every day over the year and eventually fell in love. At first, Shiro was a bit concerned that their relationship was forbidden but Lance countered that. “There’s been occasional instances where humans and merpeople got together. It’s usually male-female pairings and the child is human with no clue of their dual heritage until they are of mature age which for merpeople is twenty-five.”
“I’ll be twenty-five in a few months,” Shiro had said.
“Well, then I’ll come by then and say happy birthday.”
“Lance,” Shiro said as he came back to the present. “You remember that tomorrow’s my birthday.”
“Sure do. I’ve been planning some surprises for you for a week now.”
“Such as?”
“A picnic with some food I’d like you to try and some rare shells one can only find on the ocean floor.”
Shiro wasn’t too sure about the picnic but being presented with rare shells sounded real good. I’ll try the food. After all, Lance planned all this just for me. Out loud, he said, “I look forward to your now not so secret surprises.”
Lance did corkscrews and barrel rolls as he headed home with Shiro doing the same because of a storm. Lance had never seen a surface storm as they were dangerous for anyone up there. Lance pitied the humans who had to suffer through a storm and clean up afterwards; not that merpeople were spared as they had underwater storms of their own and there would be some clean up involved as well.
Lance ceased his tricks as his thoughts turned to Shiro. He had kept his meetings with Shiro a secret while he perused the library for books on merpeople history. He looked up every page that was related to humans and found information that he had ended up sharing with Shiro, like how their interaction was not really forbidden. He shared a lot of his findings as their friendship progressed and as they fell in love.
It had been easy to meet up with Shiro in the early days of their friendship. In fact, it was shortly before they fell in love that he was found out. He was surprised that his parents weren’t angry for him surfacing and interacting with Shiro. They praised him for being cautious of approaching Shiro and were pleased when Lance explained why he chose to reveal himself.
When Lance announced eight months into his friendship with Shiro that the two of them were in love, his parents were surprised but they knew they couldn’t stop him as Lance was a stubborn, headstrong merman. They questioned Lance about Shiro, saying that they may visit him at some point.
Turns out interaction between humans and merpeople is not exactly forbidden as long as the merperson is careful in approaching the human. Most of my family is happy for me…except my older sister, Veronica. She seems jealous and I’ve heard her muttering about how I’ll be king before she will be queen as I have a lover while she does not. That is ridiculous. Shiro is human. He can’t live underwater. The odds of me ruling before her are slim. She has time to find a lover, court him, and become engaged.
Lance reached his kingdom and floated above it, admiring the buildings that served as homes or businesses. Merpeople swam about as they shopped; buying cosmetics, food, drinks, clothing, or jewelry. Others talked and laughed with one another sharing gossip or showing off their purchases. It amused Lance how similar humans and merpeople were when it came to social behavior like talking and shopping.
“Lance!” a female voice called and he turned to see Veronica.
“Hi, sis,” he said as she swam up to him. “What’s up?”
“Were you with your…human again?” she asked with a tone of disgust.
Lance bristled at her tone. “Yeah, I was and I plan to tomorrow as it’s his birthday and I shared what I’m going to do for him.”
“Lance, you shouldn’t share any more than you already have. He’s a human and humans have a habit of betraying each other and especially betraying their lovers.”
“Shiro’s not like that,” Lance snapped. “He’s different. If you met him, you would like him.”
“I doubt it and I doubt that anyone else would like him either.” She swam away in a flurry of bubbles and toward the city, leaving Lance to shake his head in frustration.
Chapter Two- Birthday
Shiro put on his favorite wetsuit and then reached into a small necklace case to remove an odd necklace. It was a brown cord that had a string of pearls and a small iridescent conch shell amongst the pearls. His mom had presented him with it when he moved out and told him it was made for him by his father who wanted him to have it when he either moved out or turned twenty-five. He had thought that was an odd request but mom had always told him that his father was an odd guy. He put it on, feeling that it was only appropriate to wear it on his twenty-fifth birthday.
His phone rang and he picked it up. “Hello?”
“Happy birthday, honey,” came his mother’s voice.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Shiro. I have something to tell you. It will be a shock to hear and sound crazy, but please hear me out.”
“What is it?”
“It has to do with your father. He is dead and he was a…merman.”
“Merman?” Shiro repeated faintly.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I met him while scuba diving. We talked, met often, and fell in love. When I became pregnant with you, he told me that you would be part merman even though you would be born human. Today, on your twenty-fifth birthday, that heritage will unlock. A little or some of your hair will change color once you’re in the ocean and you’ll be able to breathe underwater. You’ll be able to swim deeper than I would ever be able to go.” Her voice took on a faraway tone.
“Mom, really? Dad was a merman? I’m part merman?”
“Yes. Who knows? You might meet a merperson who would know you’re part merman should you be swimming underwater and breathing.”
“Sure, Mom. Uh, I’ve got thing to do in town. Shopping, you know.”
“Okay. Goodbye, honey. I love you.”
“Goodbye. I love you too.” Shiro hung up and sighed as he looked out a window that faced the ocean. What he had just been told sounded completely crazy and yet it was possible; after all he was in love with a merman prince and didn’t Lance tell him that part merpeople unlocked that part of their heritage at twenty-five? He knew merpeople were real, but was he really part merman? There’s only one way to find out: I have to go into the ocean and see what happens. But that can wait until Lance comes with lunch and I do have some shopping to do. Shiro put some clothes on over his wetsuit, slipped on some shoes, and headed into town.
Lance swam through the city, window-shopping for the most part while he waited to meet Shiro. He looked through a rack of slip-on tails, wondering what Shiro would think if Lance showed up with a different-colored tail. I told him that we shop just like people, but I didn’t give specifics. I think I will at lunch so I could show up with a slip-on tail. I have one that is rainbow-colored and I love how it looks on me.
Lance stopped at a coffee shop to order a latte. He noticed the barista giving him a hard, almost hateful look as she mixed his drink. She gave a smile, however, when giving him his drink.
Lance sipped his latte as he swam among his people and saw them part away from him with looks of alarm, anger, concern, or suspicion. He didn’t know why and chose to speak with a citizen who had a look of disbelief.
“Katie, what’s the matter?” he asked a green-tailed girl whose father and older brother were part of the royal army.
“Lance, is it true?” she asked. “You revealed yourself to a human and are in love with him?”
“I am, but how do you know?”
Katie blinked. “Well, Veronica was swimming through the city yesterday and early last night, telling others about it. Lance, please be careful. Humans are devious and not trustworthy. Everyone knows that. He might be trying to trick you into revealing our location and then showing up to capture some of us and sell us to a circus or laboratory for study.”
“Katie, Shiro won’t do that and besides, we’re too far down for anything humans have to explore the ocean or for humans to survive at the bottom of the ocean.”
“The human could still capture you. Please stop seeing him or at least keep your guard up.”
“I’ll keep my guard up,” Lance assured her as he swam for home, anger in his eyes. Veronica had made the city see his relationship with Shiro as something to worry about and hate. She’s revived our fear and mistrust of humans in one afternoon and night. Shiro is not like the other humans. He’s friendly, nice, and accepting of our existence. He has no intention of doing anything to me except love me.
“Veronica!” he called once he was home and spotted her swim past him. He raced after her and called her again. This time, she stopped and turned with a sweet smile. “Hi, little brother. Lovely morning, isn’t it?”
“Drop the innocence. Why did you say bad things about Shiro and humans? You just revived our old fear of humans.”
“I’m doing it to protect you. You’re my little brother and I want to keep you safe.”
“Little!? I’m seventeen and I can protect myself! You’re…you’re just jealous that I have a boyfriend and you don’t!”
“Lance! You’ve never spoken to me like that! This is proof that that human is a bad influence on you.”
“That’s not true. He’s not a bad influence. You know you’re jealous, just admit it.”
“I don’t have to admit to anything because I am not jealous. I can easily find a boyfriend and I can guarantee that he won’t be some lowly human.” Veronica swam off before Lance could continue the argument.
Lance stared after Veronica before swimming off for the throne room. He had to make sure his parents hadn’t changed their minds about Shiro. He swam in to see only his parents on their thrones and they smiled at the sight of their son.
Lance bowed at the waist before saying, “Mom, Dad. Do you still approve of Shiro?”
“Still approve?” the king repeated. “Of course we do. He sounds like a fine young man. Why are you concerned that we don’t like him anymore?”
“I…hate to admit it, but Veronica has revived our kinds’ fear of humans. She seems to dislike Shiro just because he’s human. I…think she’s jealous that I found someone and she hasn’t.”
The queen smiled sadly. “You are correct about your sister’s feelings. She is jealous that you have someone while she does not. Her jealousy causes her to put down Shiro and is using our old fears to insure our people are against your boyfriend. Do not concern yourself; no one will meet him save for your father and me. Please ask him to let us come visit him next week.”
“I’ll ask him today and I should go once I grab the picnic basket.” He flashed a bright smile, hugged his parents, and swam off to gather the basket, food, drink, and shells before swimming off to meet Shiro, his concerns over Veronica temporarily forgotten.
Chapter Three- Dual Nature
Lance surfaced and saw Shiro standing far from the water and the tide. He cocked his head curiously as he moved into the shallows. “Shiro, why are you over there? I’m not beaching myself even though it’s your birthday.” He gave an amused smile at his last statement.
Shiro focused on Lance. “I got a call from my mom this morning. She stated again that Dad is dead and added that he was a…merman.”
Lance gasped. “He was? Then, that means you’re part merman. That’s why you’re far from the water, but Shiro you’re going to have to touch ocean water at some point. I mean, you said you’re a lifeguard and a surfing instructor, the latter definitely involves the ocean.”
Shiro sighed. “I know I can’t avoid it. I just wanted to tell you before I touch seawater so a change in hair color wouldn’t be a shock.” He slowly exhaled before approaching the shore and entered the shallows. He sat down, feeling the water lap at him and the sea spray hitting his body.
“Whoa,” Lance said softly and with awe. He ran his hand from one point of Shiro’s hair and up to the front. “All the hair I just touched turned white. It suits you.”
“It should. All merpeople twenty-five and older have two-toned hair, right? That is what you told me once.”
“Right. I did.” Lance opened the basket and put some of the food out. “You’ll be able to breathe underwater, too.”
“Mom mentioned that too.” He took a bite of what resembled a cucumber sandwich that Lance had offered him, licked his lips, and continued to consume it. “Oh, that was good,” he commented.
“Thanks. The chefs in the palace are the best in the city.” Lance handed him a glass of liquid. “Try this.”
“Looks like a smoothie,” he said before taking a sip.
“Well, it’s the merpeople equivalent of one,” Lance admitted.
Shiro sampled everything Lance offered and then ate what he really enjoyed. During the picnic, Lance presented Shiro with the promised shells and Shiro saw Lance occasionally glance at his white hair and then Lance blushed when he realized that he had been caught staring.
“Uh, Shiro,” Lance said as he cleaned up. “My parents want to meet you after hearing about you.”
“I’d like to meet them, too.” Shiro’s eyes twinkled as an idea came to him. “How about today?”
“What? Now?”
“Why not? I can breathe underwater now.”
“Shiro, my city is not viewing humans very favorably right now. My older sister, Veronica, was jealous that I have someone while she doesn’t and she’s not wild about you. She ended up reviving our kinds’ old fears of humans.”
“I see. I had wanted to meet your parents.”
Lance then snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. You remember me telling you that our kind buys clothing?”
“Yes.”
“One type are slip-on tails. They just go on over our own tails. I could bring you one to wear over your legs. You’d be able to blend in.”
“I would look like a merman but, blend in? It would be clear that I’m a stranger.”
“Yes, but we get visitors from other parts of the ocean quite often. I can claim you’re a visitor I befriended a while ago.”
“Yeah,” Shiro said, feeling a bit excited. “Go ahead and get one. I’ll wait here.”
“Actually, you could wait outside the city and I’ll bring one,” Lance said. “There’s a small cave you can hide in so no one sees you.”
“That sounds like a better plan.” Shiro swam out into deeper water with Lance and both simply ducked down. Shiro had taken a breath out of habit, but let it out when Lance clucked his tongue. Shiro breathed in and then out before he followed Lance as best he could until Lance took his hand and pulled him along which gave Shiro the opportunity to admire his surroundings as they descended into the depths.
He saw wonders he wouldn’t have seen if he had still been fully human. He saw coral, plant life, and sea creatures that he had either rarely seen or never seen before. “Amazing,” he said.
“Just wait until you see the city,” Lance said as he stopped at the cavern he had mentioned and Shiro swam inside it. “I’ll be back,” he promised and swam off.
Shiro sat down and fingered his necklace. One conch shell with five pearls on one side and six on the other with the pearl closest to the shell being smaller than the others and hanging on a loop of cord that was attached to the main cord. This pearl could fit snugly inside the shell and Shiro guessed that this was why it hung separately from the rest.
He lowered his hand and peered out of the cavern. I can hardly believe it. I’m underwater and can breathe. He saw fish swim by and watched kelp wave in the current. He was observing life he saw only in pictures. Shiro then saw a mermaid swim past, unaware of a pair of eyes watching her. She had short brown hair and a green tail. He was sure that was her real tail as he imagined the slip-ons would be unusual patterns, not found naturally. But then again, maybe some slip-ons do look natural.
Lance dropped off the basket before going to his room and opening his closet to look at his slip-ons. I need to pick one that can pass for a normal tail. His eyes roved over his choices before selecting one that was light blue and pale green in a swirled pattern. I have seen natural swirled-tailed merpeople and these two colors would look great with Shiro’s hair. He put the tail on over his own and then swam out of the city, hardly aware of the fearful looks the others gave him.
“Shiro?” Lance called softly as he approached the cavern. Shiro came out and Lance removed the slip-on and held it out. Shiro took it and put it over his legs. He smiled at the feel of it and how it concealed his wetsuit which was actually a two-piece. The top part was sleeveless and ended at his midriff. The bottom ran from his belly button to just above his knees. There was no hint of the lower half, thanks to the tail. “It fits snugly,” he commented. “It won’t come off easily.”
“That’s the idea,” Lance said. “It wouldn’t do for it to slide down every time one swims. One has to push down on it to remove it or someone yanks it off by the lower half or the fins.”
Shiro moved his bound legs and the tail moved like a real tail. “I feel like a real merman this way.”
“You could become a real merman,” Lance said. “There is a way but only the king and queen would know how.”
“I’m not sure if I want to be a real merman,” Shiro said as they began their way to the city. “I mean, I have a home and two jobs on land. I’d rather not have to give them up.”
“Oh. Right.” Lance looked sheepish. “Selfish of me to want you to live down here with me.”
“You want me to live with you because you love me. I love you too and I can visit you now.”
“Yeah, you can and you can keep that tail so no one will know you’re really human.”
“Perfect. Now, let’s see your parents.” Shiro grinned as Lance sped up before he did the same.
Chapter Four- The King and Queen
Shiro was astonished. A dazzling city spread out before him and around him as he swam. He looked around at the buildings and the merpeople that went about their business. He saw tails of different colors and patterns around him and no one was giving him another look, although looks of fear and dislike were fired in Lance’s direction. Shiro felt it was wrong for the people to regard their prince like this, but held his tongue as Lance led the way, pointing out the different stores while heading for the palace. Shiro felt nervous as they drew closer to the imposing structure. He was going to meet royalty who were likely going to question him to see if he really loved Lance and if he would keep the existence of merpeople a secret. He was certain that they would pose such questions as was proper for rulers.
The two of them swam into the palace and to the throne room. Lance was delighted to see that only his parents were there and entered with Shiro following slowly. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” Lance said as he gave each a hug.
“Welcome back,” the queen said and, upon seeing Shiro, added, “I see you brought a friend.”
Shiro gave a bow as Lance went over to him. “Actually, this is Shiro. It turns out he’s part merman.”
Shiro looked up to see confused looks and slid the tail down a little to expose his thighs before pulling it up again.
“Come closer,” the king said and Shiro did so. The king reached out and fingered the necklace. “That is a true merperson necklace.”
“Of course it is,” the queen said. “And the fact that he’s here and breathing is proof of his heritage.” She smiled at Shiro. “You are a special man; indeed the latest of a rare breed of merpeople. You can be part of two worlds: Land and sea. My husband and I were taught a special secret by his parents when we were wed and that we could not reveal it until one of our children was married or someone like you appeared. Your necklace, while like the other necklaces our kind wears, is special due to your shell. An iridescent shell is equally rare and it is said that if a black pearl was placed inside it, a part merperson will gain a tail of their own, the necklace becomes unbreakable, and they are able to use the pearl and shell to change between human and merperson.”
“My own tail?” Shiro repeated, feeling excited now that he had been told that he would be able to change between human and merman.
Lance, however, bit his lip. “Black pearls are rare and are usually a bit too big to fit a small shell like that.” He pointed at Shiro’s necklace.
“That’s true, son,” the king said. “There’s also another part to this secret. A powerful force must be transferred from the owner to the necklace to the pearl. Just a small amount of that force needs to be given and then one puts the pearl in the shell.”
“So, a small black pearl, a little of a powerful force, and putting it in my shell will give me a tail, make the necklace unbreakable, and give me the ability to change between human and merman,” Shiro reiterated.
The queen nodded. “It is quite a tall order, but I do believe you can do it.”
“Maybe we can start with the jewelry stores,” Shiro said.
“Then, the wild oyster fields,” Lance added.
“You can search the stores before they close,” the king said. “But the fields must wait until, at least, tomorrow.”
“When’s your next day off?” Lance asked Shiro.
The part merman gave a big smile. “Today is the start of a week-long vacation. I could stay underwater the entire time.”
“And since you’re Lance’s boyfriend, you are welcome to stay in the palace during your vacation,” the king said.
“Then, I guess that you can see that I love Lance and will keep your existence a secret,” Shiro said.
“Yes on both counts. Your love for our son is clear and as you are part merman, you won’t tell anyone about us,” the king said.
“Most people wouldn’t believe it, anyway. Merpeople are considered a myth.”
“Nothing to worry about then,” Lance said. He seized Shiro’s hand and pulled him out of the room and toward the shopping area.
Lance had been aware of the looks of the people when he led Shiro to the palace, but chose to ignore them. This time he deliberately acknowledged the attention he was getting; mostly because the looks were of curiosity and confusion. He was sure it was because he was still holding Shiro’s hand. No doubt they’re wondering who Shiro is and if Veronica had been lying that I was in love with a human. Well, once Shiro has his tail, I’ll tell everyone that he’s part merman and completely trustworthy. Of course they’ll believe that as Shiro won’t tell anyone about himself.
Shiro also saw the looks as well as Lance openly acknowledging them. He was sure it was their clasped hands that caught their attention. He knew their confusion would clear up once he had his own tail.
The requirements are both specific and vague. A small black pearl, a small transfer of a powerful force from me to the pearl, and finally putting the pearl into the shell. Hmm…that force. The king said it had to go from me to the pearl. I suspect that force is love. If I hold the pearl and openly declare my love for Lance, that should trigger the transfer. I’m sure it’s love as it is a powerful and pure emotion.
The bell jingled as Lance pushed open the door to a store that sold only pearls and a mermaid with black and magenta hair came out of the back room. Her purple eyes lit up and she bowed. “Your highness. A pleasure to have you here.”
“Hi, Krolia,” Lance said. “Is Keith here?”
“He’s polishing some pearls we’ve recently acquired.”
“Speaking of which, we would like to look at your black pearls.”
Krolia smiled as she grabbed a key and swam over to a display case. “You always did have fine and unusual tastes, my prince.” She set a tray on top of the case along with gloves before getting another tray.
Lance looked at the people before saying softly to Shiro. “How will we know if it’ll fit?”
Shiro pointed to the lone pearl that was next to the shell. “This one would fit the shell perfectly if it wasn’t separate from it and the others.”
“Perfect. We’ll use that to compare sizes.”
The couple left a short time later with no success. They compared every small black pearl to Shiro’s and none were a match. Shiro was disappointed but Lance just said, “There are other jewelry stores and plenty of time to search them all and let’s not forget the wild oysters.”
“Yeah,” Shiro said, feeling buoyed by Lance’s optimism. Surely they would find the pearl that fit his shell. Shame I can’t use any small pearl; I have one right here. He gently touched it as they swam to the next store.
Shiro picked at his food as he and Lance sat in a restaurant after searching all the stores. No one had a pearl that matched the one he had, size-wise. Lance had been right: Black pearls are usually big, the size of a regular pearl.
Lance saw Shiro’s despondent look and said, “Don’t give up. We’ll find your pearl and that force. You’ll have your tail before your vacation ends. I just know it.”
Chapter Five- Learning the Truth
“I had thought the stores were a long shot,” the king said at the start of breakfast the next day. “But one should explore all options.”
Lance and Shiro sat at the table with the king and queen, awaiting Veronica’s arrival. Shiro had never met her but knew that she was responsible for reviving the old fears of humans and why he had to wear a tail to blend in. But I won’t judge her harshly. She doesn’t know me and I don’t know her. Perhaps we can be friends and she’ll find that I can be trusted; after all, we will be in-laws in time.
A mermaid with two-toned hair of light brown with streaks of bright blond swam into the room. Her hair complemented her tail that was green from the waist to mid-point and purple down to the fins. “Good morning, everyone,” she said. She then blinked when she saw there was one more at the table. She swam over to Shiro and held out a hand. “Hi. I’m Princess Veronica, Lance’s sister.”
Adopting a courtly response, he held her hand and kissed the back of it. “Greetings, princess. I am Shiro.”
“Shiro?” she repeated as her hand was released. Her eyes roved up and down him. This can’t be the same Shiro Lance loves. This Shiro is clearly a merman.
“That’s right.” He cocked his head for a moment. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. It’s just that Lance spoke of loving a human named Shiro.”
“I was not aware of that.” He looked at Lance quizzically.
Lance laughed slightly, his mind racing. “Sis, I think you misunderstood me. What I meant to say is that I would love Shiro even if he was human.”
“I also thought he was too old for you.” She eyed the white in Shiro’s hair.
“I know you are protective as an older sister should be,” Shiro said. “Rest assured, I love Lance and will not harm him in any way. Also, I just turned twenty-five.” He slightly fingered the white hair.
Veronica nodded as she sat and the king clapped for breakfast to be brought out. She spoke with everyone but her thoughts were on her past talks with Lance over the last year. She recalled the ones where Lance admitted that Shiro was human. She failed to see how she could have misunderstood him and yet Shiro was here with a tail and two-toned hair; he even had the necklace that only merpeople owned and sometimes wore.
But, I can’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t wrong; that Shiro is human. The problem is that humans can’t breathe underwater or survive this far down…unless they are the offspring of a human and a merperson.
“Shiro, are your parents still alive?” she asked.
“My mom is. My dad died before I was born.” He smiled as he fingered his hair again. “I really am twenty-five. My mom is still around and doing quite well.”
“How long will you be here?”
“Six days now. Lance is showing me things I don’t see at home. For one thing, Lance spoke of a wild oyster field. I have never seen one so I look forward to seeing it and maybe find an unusual pearl to give Mom when I return home.”
“Our field does occasionally produce unusual pearls,” Veronica said while finding his comment about never seeing an oyster field odd. She had visited other kingdoms as a visiting princess and her host didn’t hesitate to show off the wild oyster fields they were proud of. Shiro could be part merman. His tail could be a slip-on to conceal his legs. I need to know. If I follow them, Shiro may remove the slip-on to stretch his legs. I would tell the citizens about it if I see it and even expose his legs for all to see. She inwardly smirked at the imagined result of a human Shiro revealed to the whole city.
“That was a close one,” Lance commented as they swam out into open waters. “I’m glad I was able to cover my original statement about you with a different one.”
“So am I,” Shiro replied. “Your sister is a very perceptive mermaid.”
Lance nodded. “I’m afraid you misspoke about never having seen an oyster field. Every kingdom as at least one field and they love showing it off to visitors.”
Shiro exhaled. “So, she’ll be suspicious of me after everything I said before mentioning the field.”
“Uh-huh. But, we’ll worry about that later. We have an oyster field to explore.”
“And how does one do that?”
“Well, we just tell the one who tends the fields what we are looking for and he or she will coax the oysters to open.”
“Who tends your fields?”
“Her name’s Allura and while she’s pretty, she’s too old for me. We are really good friends, so she rarely refuses a request from me.”
“That’s good to hear. Uh, Lance? Could we stop for a couple of minutes? My legs are feeling cramped in this tail.”
“Oh, okay. I kind of forgot that tail isn’t real.”
Shiro shimmied out of the tail, freeing his legs. He separated them, flexing them and the toes, and kicking his legs. “Shiro, don’t put it back on until we’re almost to the field,” Lance said.
“Sounds good to me.” Shiro folded the tail and tucked it under an arm before the two resumed their swim, unaware that the whole scene had been witnessed by Veronica.
Veronica had followed the couple from a comfortable distance and hid behind rocks, coral, or whatever she could use to conceal herself. She could tell they were talking as Lance tended to move his hands while talking. They came to a stop and her eyes widened as Shiro wiggled away from his tail and revealed a pair of human legs. He stretched, flexed, and kicked his limbs before folding up the tail, and leaving the scene with Lance beside him.
So, he is part merman. I say it’s safe to say that his mother is human as stories of a part merperson would have traveled through the oceans if the mother was a mermaid. She scowled at what she had witnessed.
Part merpeople were rare, but the ones that had existed had proven themselves to be just as bad as humans. The world beneath the waves didn’t impress them or leave them awe-inspired. The lack of electricity and the devices that depended on electricity caused them to show disdain for the merpeople way of life.
The part merpeople lived too much among humans to ever be proud of their dual heritage. In fact, in the past, they’ve threatened to expose us to humans somehow. When those threats were voiced, they were either killed or banished from all the kingdoms in the ocean.
I now know the truth about Shiro and can tell everyone back home what he is. I had heard some people wonder if I had been lying about Lance loving a human. Well, now, I’ve seen proof that I wasn’t lying. She turned on her tail and headed home, eager to spread the story. She would start with the people and then end with her parents later on. Lance and Shiro’s relationship was over.
Chapter Six- The Oyster Field
Shiro, his tail back on, stared in surprise at the oyster field before him. He truly had never seen an oyster field but even he could see that it was huge. Good thing these things have a tender; it’ll make our search a little easier.
He flicked his fins a little and felt excited and nervous. He was nervous about their continuing search for a black pearl and excited as that pearl was part of what was needed to get a tail of his own. He wondered what it would look like and knew that it would look right on him because it would be real.
Lance smiled at Shiro’s stunned expression before taking his hand and pulling him over the field and toward a tall and wide coral house. He stopped at the door-less entrance and called, “Allura? It’s Lance. I brought my boyfriend and I have a request.”
“Lance?” A mermaid with tanned skin, blue eyes, a white tail with blue and pink accents, and long white hair with thin streaks of ice blue appeared and behind her was an older merman, his age evident as his two-toned hair was all gray. Allura’s eyes went to Shiro and Lance said, “Shiro, this is Allura and her father, Alfor. They are the current tenders of the kingdom’s oyster fields.”
“And I hope Keith marries Allura and that they have children to carry on the family career,” Alfor said meaningfully. “Although, Krolia is a fine mermaid.”
Allura ignored Alfor’s hint of her getting married as she held out a hand. “It is nice to meet you, Shiro. How long have you been dating?”
“We met a year ago but didn’t date until a few months ago,” he said as he took her handshake.
Suddenly, Allura’s eyes flared white briefly before Shiro released her hand, a bit startled by her eyes glowing. She stared at him in awe. “You’re part merman,” she said in a loud whisper.
“How…can you tell?” Shiro asked, too stunned to deny it.
“Allura is one quarter Seer on her mother’s side,” Alfor said. “She is also able to divine one’s true nature if they are hiding it. Most merpeople tend to be open and honest in her presence.”
“Diving one’s nature only happens if I can touch them,” Allura clarified. “So, Lance. Can I safely assume that you’re looking for a black pearl?”
Lance nodded. “That’s right. Specifically, one that can fit in Shiro’s shell.” He pointed to the white shell on Shiro’s necklace.
“That’s quite the request,” she said as Shiro and Lance parted to let her pass. “But I’ll see what I can do.” She swam over to the closest row, went to an oyster, floated close to it, and murmured to it while gently stroking its edges with her fingers.
The oyster wiggled and shuddered before slowly opening up. Lance and Shiro hurried over to see a pretty white pearl sitting in the middle. Shiro marveled at its smooth surface while a little disappointed that it wasn’t black.
“Shiro, do you know what to do once you’ve found your pearl?” Allura asked as she coaxed open the oysters which would close a few minutes after opening.
“I know I have to transfer a little of a powerful force from myself to the pearl and then put it in the shell. It’ll make the necklace unbreakable and give me my own tail.”
“Correct, but your shell will also turn black once the pearl is inside.”
“Interesting,” he said as he checked a black pearl’s size with his lone pearl: A little too big, but awfully close.
Allura watched as Shiro compared sizes with any small black pearl that was revealed. She admitted that the size was a rare one; as rare as part merpeople. She also noticed that the pearl he was using to compare sizes would fit in the shell if it wasn’t tied off by itself. By itself. Hmm…
“That’s the last one,” Lance said later on. “No small black pearl.”
“Your pearl may be closer than you think,” Allura said. “I believe your lone one maybe be a black pearl, biding its time.”
“Biding its time for what?” Lance asked.
“It’s a story passed down through my family line on Father’s side. Pearls that small are rare and only used for special occasions or purposes. I think if you transfer that force to that pearl, it’ll turn black and complete your quest of getting your own tail.”
“And change between human and merman,” Shiro added. “Although, no one’s said how that works,”
“Mom and Dad will know. Maybe they’re waiting until you’ve changed before revealing how to change back and forth.”
“They could be. We do have a lot to fulfill and need to keep it in mind as we look and it’s possible that what we needed was right here the whole time.” He touched the small pearl.
Allura looked to the far horizon. “It’s starting to get dark. Why don’t you two spend the night with Father and me? We rarely have guests and it’s more enjoyable to cook when there’s more than one or two.”
“Sounds good to me,” Lance said. “How about you, Shiro?”
“How can I turn down such a warm invitation?” he asked. “We accept, Allura.”
“Great.” She quickly swam back to the house, calling, “Father, we have two more for dinner and they’re staying overnight!” Shiro and Lance shared grins at Allura’s enthusiasm.
“I like her,” Shiro said. “She’s friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.”
“I like her for the same reasons. Alfor likes me too and he tried to fix me up with Allura when I was a kid and she was a pre-teen.”
“Really?”
Lance nodded. “Allura put a stop to that. For one thing, I was too young to be engaged or even betrothed and for another, she was not interested in me romantically. She only saw me as a good friend and that’s how I saw her. I do agree with Alfor, though. I think she and Keith would be a good match.”
“I haven’t met Keith but considering his job in a pearl shop, I would have to agree in that respect.”
“Then, I’ll introduce you to Keith tomorrow. He may seem cold at first, but he eventually warms up once he gets to know you.”
“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”
&&&&
Veronica sat at the dinner table with only her parents as the dishes were being brought out. “Where are Lance and Shiro?” she asked.
“Probably spending the night with Allura and Alfor,” the king replied. “There are a lot of oysters and Allura has to coax them open to reveal their contents. I wonder if Shiro will find an unusual one to give to his mother.”
“I…followed them a littler earlier,” Veronica admitted. “I found out that Shiro’s not a merman. He revealed his legs.”
“He’s part merman, yes,” the queen said calmly. “He revealed this the day before you met him.”
“You…knew?” Veronica was stunned that her parents already knew and weren’t put off by it.
“Yes and thanks to you reviving our kind’s fear of humans, he has to wear a tail to avoid fear and hate from our people,” the king said sternly.
Veronica looked at her plate thoughtfully. She had spent the day telling the city what she had witnessed and the looks of horror and fear filled her with satisfaction. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t feel the same way. That’s fine. The city shares my feelings and, with any luck, Shiro will want to stay away from here after his vacation is over.
Chapter Seven- Quest Complete
Lance and Shiro arrived at the city around mid-morning and, after checking in with the king and queen, they swam into the city with the pearl shop as their destination. Shiro was aware that he seemed to be attracting attention and none of it good. He saw looks of fear or hate on the faces of those he saw and wondered what Veronica had said while they were away.
Lance also noticed the looks but proceeded to the pearl shop without comment. He chose to ask Krolia what had happened yesterday. He entered to see Krolia at the counter, looking nervous and a bit scared, the latter aimed at Shiro. “Krolia, what is it?” he asked.
“Is it true?” she asked. “Is Shiro really part merman?”
“Who told you that?” Lance had his suspicions but didn’t voice them as he wanted to hear them spoken aloud.
“Your sister. She said she saw Shiro with legs.”
Damn, she must have followed us. Out loud, Lance said, “Yes, it’s true, but Shiro truly does love me and how we live. He’s not out to endanger us or expose us to other humans.”
“He has taken to our way of life,” Krolia said slowly and thoughtfully. “And he could have betrayed us some time ago, yes?”
“We’ve known each other for a year,” Shiro said defensively. “If I had wanted to capture Lance and sell him, I would have done so not long after we met.”
Krolia smiled at him. “I believe you. I should have known you were no threat and should not have had any doubt.”
“Thanks, Krolia,” Shiro said. “Lance wanted to introduce me to Keith. Is he here?”
“No. He’s off today. He’s likely shopping and enjoying himself.”
“I’m sure he is. Come on, Shiro. I think I know where he is.” Lance swam out and led the way to the city’s center square where most citizens went to relax and enjoy other’s company, but when they got there, the center was ringed by merpeople but the exact center was empty. Lance pushed his way into the center with Shiro beside him. He looked around and his fins twitched in irritation. “Veronica!” he shouted and said mermaid swam out of the crowd. “Yes?” she drawled.
“Your jealousy has gone too far! Mother and Father approve and have no problem with Shiro being part merman.”
“They have no idea how much of a danger Shiro could be. He could be waiting for us to completely relax our guard before betraying us.”
Shiro swam up to her. “I won’t betray anyone. I have loved the water and all the creatures in it my whole life.”
“I don’t believe you and I can’t stand for you pretending to be one of us!” She swam beneath Shiro, seized the fins, and yanked the slip-on off, exposing his legs.
There were gasps from the crowd and then murmurs while Veronica smirked at the revelation. But Shiro was unfazed by the action. He had anticipated that Veronica would remove the tail to prove that Shiro was a human instead of a merman. I’m not all human. I’m human and merman. Now is the time to declare to all my love for Lance.
He kicked his legs to propel himself over to Lance. He seized Lance’s hand in his right hand and clutched the small pearl in his left hand. “I am part merman,” he announced in a loud, clear voice for all to hear. “I may not look like you, but I can feel just like you. I can laugh, cry, and be angry. Most of all, I can love. My receptivity to the existence of mythical beings is why Lance revealed himself to me. We became good friends and then fell in love several months later. I love Lance and being part merman. It is a heritage I am proud of.”
“I love you too, Shiro,” Lance said. He kissed Shiro in front of everyone.
Shiro felt a warmth in his left hand and opened it to see his pearl turning black! His heart pounded as he snapped the cord of the lone pearl, pulled it free of the cord, and tucked it snugly into the shell.
The white of the shell changed color, becoming an iridescent black shell. Shiro felt a warmth surround his legs and glow so brightly that he closed his eyes against it. The glow ended and he heard awed murmurs as well as Lance gasping, “Shiro. Your tail…it’s so cool!”
Shiro opened his eyes and looked down to see his legs were gone and an emerald green tail with a spiraling black diamond pattern down its length was in their place. The fins flicked and a smile came to Shiro’s face.
“I have a tail, a real tail,” he said and then kicked it to swim in a circle around the center. “Strong too,” he added to himself. He returned to Lance who had a huge grin on his face.
“You figured out the force needed for the pearl,” Lance said.
Shiro nodded. “Love,” he said softly as they hugged. “I guessed it was love and accepting of who I am. I thought if I declared my love to all while holding the pearl that the transfer would trigger.”
“And it did. I really love your tail. I can’t get over it.”
“You better as this is my natural one,” Shiro said and then noticed a raven-haired teen with a red and white swirled tail approaching and Lance turned to see who Shiro was looking at.
“Keith! We were looking for you. I wanted to introduce Shiro to you.”
“I was hoping I would, mostly because of what Veronica had said. I had been relaxing here until others started to gather and I heard them saying the part merman would be showing up in the city square soon.” His eyes looked Shiro over before giving Lance a playful punch. “You are so lucky. He’s very handsome.”
Shiro had noticed that the crowd had dispersed when Keith came forward and there was only Veronica who sat on the bottom, her head bowed. Curious, he swam down to her and sat before her. “Veronica?” he asked.
“Lance was right,” she said in a choked voice. “I am jealous. I didn’t want to like you and held your humanity against you, even when I realized that you were part merman. I’ll…understand if you hate me and never forgive me. I know that’s what I would do.”
“Veronica, I don’t hate you. I can and do forgive you. Yes, you let your jealousy get the better of you but you were mature enough to admit it. I would like for us to start over.” He held out a hand.
Veronica, who had lifted her head during Shiro’s little speech, looked at his hand, and timidly took it. “Yes, let’s start over.”
“Good.” Shiro pulled his hand away and pushed himself up with his hands while Veronica used her fins to put herself upright. Shiro smiled at that. “I need to know how to do that.”
“It’s not hard. You just need practice.”
“Okay. So, what do you like to do?”
“I love shopping, especially for tails.”
“Maybe we could do that right now. I mean, maybe try some on.”
Veronica smiled happily. “Definitely and afterwards, we show my parents your tail.”
Chapter Eight- Jealous No More
Veronica took a sparkly purple tail off the rack and placed it up against Shiro’s tail. “Oh, yes,” she said. “This looks wonderful on you.”
“I don’t know,” Shiro said as he looked in a mirror. “I don’t sparkles are me.”
“I agree,” Keith said. “But purple does go well with your black and white hair. Pretty much any color would.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Shiro said. “If I wore orange, it would have to be on Halloween.”
“Halloween,” Lance repeated. “Isn’t that the holiday were kids wear costumes and go door-to-door for candy?”
“Right. Orange and black are the traditional colors of the holiday, though purple also works.”
“How about solid light blue or pale green?” Veronica suggested holding both up and changing the subject.
Shiro was enjoying the window-shopping with Veronica. Now that she wasn’t jealous, she was warm and friendly like her brother and made it clear that she’d love to have Shiro as a brother-in-law.
“You know,” Lance said. “I have a rainbow-colored one at home. I personally think it looks great on me.”
“Rainbow-colored?” Shiro repeated. “That sounds interesting and cool.”
“And there’s one right here,” Veronica said, pulling out the tail and holding it up.
“It’s beautiful,” Shiro gasped.
“I say you should get it,” Veronica said.
“I don’t have any money and I may not wear it often.”
“I’ll buy it and I think it’d be nice if you and Lance had matching tails on your wedding day.”
“I don’t know what to say except thank you,” Shiro said.
“I’d like to buy a couple for you,” Lance cut in. “So, you’ll have some options whenever you choose to visit.”
Shiro laughed slightly. “All right but afterwards we need to see your parents to show my tail and how I can change back and forth.”
All four merpeople left with three tails for Shiro: The rainbow one along with a swirled black and white one and a deep sapphire blue one. Veronica offtered to put them in Lance’s room so the two mermen could meet with the king and queen. They headed to the throne room in time to see six mermen and mermaids leaving, all looking important. Shiro and Lance allowed them to pass, the latter being bowed to as they passed.
“Oh, good. The council has just ended,” Lance said. “Mom and Dad are alone. Shiro, stay here and listen so we can really surprise them.” Lance swam into the room.
“Lance,” the king said. “Where is your beloved?”
“He’ll be along in a moment. Actually, we have a surprise for both of you. Shiro!”
Shiro swam in bare-chested now that he was a real merman. The king and queen gasped at seeing Shiro with an actual tail. “You did it,” the queen said with a smile. “I knew you would succeed.”
Shiro bowed. “Thank you, your highness. Allura revealed that the lone pearl on my necklace could have been a hidden black one. I transferred a little of my love for Lance to it while declaring my love for him and my heritage to the city.”
“Why did you do it before the whole city?” the king asked.
“Veronica had told them that I was a danger as I was part merman. She had pulled off the slip-on to expose my legs. That is when I went to Lance and declared my love.”
Both king and queen sighed before the former said, “My daughter has been causing you two a good deal of grief.”
“Not anymore,” Shiro said. “After getting my tail, she admitted being jealous and not wanting to like me. I told her that I forgive her and for us to start over. She agreed and I find her as warm and friendly as Lance is.”
“Good,” the queen said. “And now that your quest is complete, we will tell you how to change forms which is simple. You touch the shell and say, ‘I wish to be…’ and then state which form to take.”
“I’m guessing if I say human, I’ll still be able to breathe underwater,” Shiro said.
“Of course. You are still part merman when in human form.”
“Since this is your third day of vacation, what will you do with the rest of it?” the king asked.
“I’ll stay here until the end,” Shiro answered. “There’s still a lot to see and experience. I also need to practice using my tail. It feels a lot different than a slip-on.” There was gentle laughter from the royals.
“Maybe we could be betrothed this week?” Lance asked hopefully.
The king stroked his chin. “I do not see why not. I recommend a private ceremony and then a public announcement later on.”
“Sounds good to me,” Shiro said.
Lance’s fins twitched happily. “Once we’re betrothed, we can sleep in the same room and even the same bed! I mean, mine’s large enough for three merpeople.”
“Wow,” Shiro said as the bed he had been sleeping in was a normal full-size one. Well, when one is royalty, accommodations tend to be bigger.
“A betrothal later this week?” Veronica’s eyes sparkled.
“Yeah. Father suggested a private one and a public announcement at a later date. I’m thinking family only.”
“As it’s a private ceremony, it makes sense. Are you going to shop for rings?”
“I think we should,” Shiro said. “In fact, I saw one I really liked even though I was looking for black pearls.”
“Yeah? Well, in that case, let’s go get our rings.”
“Great. I also saw this diner that looked interesting.”
“Yeah? Mom and Dad won’t mind if we have dinner alone.”
“I’ll let them know,” Veronica told him.
“Thanks, sis,” Lance said as he and Shiro headed out to a late afternoon of shopping and dining.
Veronica watched the pair leave and reflected on her actions and feelings. When she had first heard that Lance had approached and befriended a human, she had been shocked and scared. She was shocked that Lance approached a human but it faded a little when hearing that Shiro was receptive to the existence of mythical creatures. She was still afraid that Shiro would try to capture Lance and sell him; of course that didn’t happen.
When she learned that Lance and Shiro fell in love, she became insanely jealous and refused to get to know Shiro. She was convinced that he was trouble and it wasn’t until today when Shiro gained a tail that she realized that she had been wrong. She jumped at Shiro’s offer to start over and let her actual personality come out. She liked Shiro now and looked forward to the betrothal in two or three days.
Chapter Nine- Betrothal
Shiro eyed his reflection, paying particular attention to the tail. He had to admit that his swirled black and white slip-on was a good match for his hair and also went well with his white pearls and black shell. It was the day of the betrothal and Shiro had learned that it was bad luck for Lance and him to see each other before the ceremony. So, the two stayed in their respective rooms until Veronica came to escort them separately to the throne room.
There was a knock and Veronica called, “It’s me, Shiro.”
“Come in,” he answered and the mermaid did so. She looked him up and down before nodding in approval. “Very nice. Black and white are definitely your colors.”
“Are we sure this is not a little overwhelming?”
“Not at all. Betrothals are solemn serious occasions and black and white are preferred colors. Our weddings tend to be cheerful, festive events. Why else would I suggest matching tails for the wedding?”
The throne room looked the same as always, only the king and queen weren’t seated and Lance wore a black and white checkered slip-on. Shiro was escorted to Lance’s side and then Veronica went to her mother’s side and accepted a pillow from her where two rings sat; the ones Shiro and Lance had chosen two days ago.
The king held his arms out wide. “This is a great day for our family. Today, I betroth Prince Lance to his beloved Shiro. It is understood that they will not wed until Lance is twenty-one, four years from now. Until then, they will give their word to be faithful to one another and wear the rings they have chosen to symbolize their vows and love for one another.” He gestured and the two mermen turned to each other and clasped hands.
“Shiro, the day we met, I knew you were special, though I didn’t know just how special you were. I cherished our friendship and was very happy when we admitted feelings of love for each other. Today, before my family, I take you as my betrothed and fiancée.”
Shiro was relieved that Lance had gone first as he had wondered if there were certain words he had to say. Now, he had an idea of what to say. “Lance,” he said. “I was surprised when you revealed your tail to me and why you had done so. I gave you my assurances that I would never tell anyone about you or about your kind. I found you a charming friend and as our friendship progressed I found myself falling for you. My heritage deepened those feelings and today, before your family, I take you as my betrothed and fiancée.”
Lance smiled as he raised his left arm. Shiro copied him and the king said, “By your words and rings I, as king, declare you engaged.” Veronica swam above the couple and placed the rings on their third fingers. Shiro lowered his arm to admire his ring. It was cream-colored with pieces of red and blue shell pieces embedded in it in a beautiful pattern. He glanced at Lance’s ring which was a gold band with a ring of alternating rubies and amethysts around the entire band.
“That was a great ceremony,” Lance said as the two of them laid in Lance’s bed that night, their slip-ons already off.
“Yes, it was. I admit I was unsure of what to say. I mean, I felt that there were certain words I had to use.”
“Only the phrase in taking the other as his or her betrothed and fiancée. You have to say that phrase exactly as you and I did. I knew you were concerned about that, so I went first, knowing you would follow my lead.”
“You know me well,” Shiro said with a slight chuckle. “Small wonder that we’re engaged.”
“Yeah and over the next four years, Dad and Mom will teach us about how to rule and I will teach you about being a prince.”
“A prince? Me?” Shiro asked.
“Yes. You’re my fiancée and with our kind, you are already considered royalty. From this point on until we rule, you are Prince Shiro.”
“I will have a lot to tell Mom when I get back.”
“I see what you mean. You have to tell her about me, your quest, and being betrothed.”
“Not to mention any questions she may have.”
&&&&
Shiro swam for home alone, eager to use his shell’s power. He paused in the deep water just under the surface, touched the shell, and said, “I wish to be human.” His tail glowed and split into his legs, his wetsuit reappearing. He surfaced and swam for shore. He climbed unsteadily onto his legs and swayed a little as he hadn’t had his legs for days, not to mention having to deal with gravity again. He staggered to his house, gradually adjusting to being human again. He sat down by the phone, picked it up, and dialed his mother’s number.
“Hi, Mom,” he said when the other end was picked up.
“Shiro! I called you twice but I got no answer.” There was no anger; just a matter of fact tone.
“I was underwater all week. I didn’t tell you because I had promised to say nothing, but now? Mom, a year ago I befriended a merman prince named Lance. Then a few months ago, we fell in love.”
“Honey, that’s wonderful.”
“Thanks. Anyway, I met his parents and they revealed that I could be a merman. The necklace Dad made for me became very special. I was told if I found a black pearl to fit in the shell and transferred a powerful force to it, the necklace become unbreakable, I would gain a tail, and have the ability to change between the two by touching the shell and wishing.”
“So, you have a tail now?”
“Yes. It’s emerald green with a black diamond pattern spiraling down its length. It’s a nice match for Lance’s tail which is blue with a white diamond pattern.”
“I’d like to meet him one day.”
“I’m certain I can arrange that. By the way, Lance and I just got engaged and received the king’s blessing.”
“Engaged?”
“Yes. The wedding won’t be for a few years but in the meantime, I will be learning of how to be a prince as I became one when we got engaged.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“I imagine it is and I will need to balance that with my life on land.”
&&&&
“Your mom took it all in stride,” Lance said as he visited Shiro a couple of days later.
“Considering she fell for a merman, that’s not a surprise. I was thinking that when we rule, I will live as a merman full-time.”
“Well, don’t live only as a merman. You are also human after all.”
“All right. I will spend some time on land too.”
“Good. So, think you have some time to go on a swim with me?”
“I’ve got plenty of time until tomorrow morning.” He swam toward Lance and touched the shell. “I wish to be a merman.” He felt his legs merge into his tail before going under to enjoy a casual swim with his future husband.
