Page 29 of Mermaid on Heels
Liriya walked hand in hand with Ella behind Bianca who held Sessa and Kitty’s hands, out of the courtyard to the cobblestone street. Just then, the baker’s son from the other night pulled up in front of them in his cart.
“Good morning, Gezer. Thank you for coming,” Bianca greeted him with a shy smile, not at all surprised. She turned to Liriya and added, “I asked him if he could give us a ride.”
“The pleasure is all mine, milady.” The young man tipped his hat and flashed them a dimpled smile. “Hop on, ladies, our journey awaits.”
“That is so kind of you, sir.” Liriya smiled back politely as she and Bianca helped their sisters climb on the cart.
“Please, call me Gezer.”
Bianca helped Liriya up to the cart before she sat on the front with Gezer at his invitation. Liriya suppressed a smile at the back of her friend’s head; a certain something was indeed blossoming.
Gezer was an optimistic man with a good sense of humor, and the journey to the castle couldn’t have gone any smoother. The wheels of the cart rolled smoothly along the streets, carrying them past fellow citizens making their way to the castle gates. When Gezer pulled to a stop in the square nearest to the castle, Liriya and the girls dismounted and set out on foot towards the gates.
The grand gates of the castle stood open and welcoming, its imposing, tall walls adorned with banners and flags that fluttered in the gentle breeze. Liriya held hands with hers sisters so they wouldn’t lose each other as they moved along the crowd spilling onto the grounds. Bianca kept checking on them over her shoulders occasionally, walking just ahead of Liriya, and held Sessa’s other hand to keep them together.
The castle, the most magnificent and gigantic building Liriya had ever seen, was nothing short of breathtaking. She gaped up at the building, stupefied in awe at its structure and beauty, as she made her way through the crowd blindly. She didn’t tear her eyes off the castle until Bianca spoke and she realized they had stopped moving.
“Goodness, we’re luckily early enough to get inside and secure our spot this close to the front.”
Liriya noticed they had stopped behind the already-present people. The royal guards in blue uniform flanked in front of the crowd vigilantly and held the line, preventing the crowd from moving any more forward. She compared all that her eyes caught on, to her own underwater kingdom, one that she realized was much smaller in comparison—even their population was probably less than half of all of Lectoria’s.
Standing there, suddenly, she felt like she didn’t belong here.
The courtyard was abuzz with anticipation, the air heavy with excitement and the murmurs of the gathered citizens. Liriya noticed many nobles among them in their elaborate attire, each outfit and jewelry a display of opulence, a striking contrast to the simple beauty she had known beneath the waves. Their women fanned beneath their faces with their hand-fans, their noses turned up and looking down at the commoners around them with sour facial expressions.
Liriya’s irritation gnawed at her; how many like the self-priding triplet sisters were here on this land? She wished nothing but to yank at their perfectly styled hair and tear off their expensive attire if being rich was what made them act so high. Such an act was never tolerated in her kingdom, and she could barely stand this.
If she would ever become the next queen of Lectoria, she would end their—stop!
Liriya’s eyes widened and she recoiled, shocked at what just crossed her thoughts. Did she hit her head on a wall today?
She immediately shook herself out of her thoughts and focused on her surroundings, barely registering how fast her heart was beating. She was crazy, definitely crazy.
Liriya fixated her gaze on the impressive balcony that overlooked the courtyard. The richly adorned canopy billowed slightly in the wind, its luxurious drape framing the space she assumed where the new king would soon stand.
Minutes ticked by as Prince Luke was becoming King Luke inside the castle, and the excitement grew to a fever pitch. After so long—it felt like an age—and standing amid so many people felt like she was in a sea of flesh, Liriya heard a blast—one that she was too unfamiliar with to recognize as atrumpetblast.
A hush fell over the buzzing crowd.
“Look up at the balcony! The king is coming!” Bianca whispered to their little group, in pure excitement.
Liriya craned her neck and glanced up in time to see the balcony doors open. And there he was, King Luke, resplendent in his regal attire.
Liriya’s breath hitched in her throat and her heart skipped a beat as her eyes locked on the young king. Her excitement dissipated into a mixture of awe and disbelief. She couldn’t believe that her eyes were now looking at the human she had seen underwater, whose mystery attracted her to the surface and was the reason she was here.
The man whose secret she carried and beckoned her to the land, a realm forbidden for Merfolk. The man who dared her to break the underwater rules.
A feeling towards him, greater than respect, suddenly overwhelmed Liriya. He had beckoned her to this enchanting realm of air and she had followed without looking back. Now, having him in her sight, she felt a strange, magnetic pull between them.
Her mermaid eyes drank in the appearance of the young king, skimming the details that the eyes of the people around her failed to reach—except her sisters.
He was attractive; she had to admit, with a blend of regality and youthful charm. His dark hair was light brown against the sunrays, his eyes blue like the ocean surface, face angular, features a symphony of masculine beauty with a straight nose and full lips that were stretched into a genuine smile, revealing the perfect set of his pearly-white teeth.
Standing under the canopy of the grand balcony, King Luke was a sight to behold. His tall and lean structure exuded confidence, his deep blue robe adorned with intricate gold embroidery that caught the sunlight made him appear almost ethereal. The crown atop his head glinted like a star as he lifted his hand in greeting. His smile was as radiant as the sun as he acknowledged his people, waving at them with grace as they chanted, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”
Liriya’s lungs ran out of air supply, highly overwhelmed by an unrecognizable surge of emotions, unable to find her voice to chant along with the crowd and her sisters. What was this? What was this feeling? Having him before her eyes made it unable for her to focus on anything, even her own breathing.
Then, King Luke began speaking, and Liriya’s memories took her back to the shore where she first heard his voice.