Concubine Shaye was seated within a pile of soft cushions in her royal chamber. Pearl beaded curtain drapes hung down over her cosy nest. The concubine was nibbling on a slice of apple, a luxury in the mer kingdom that few could afford since trade between the two species had stopped completely.

Whatever human items that the mers could get their hands on were sourced through shipwrecks and attacks on merchant ships that strayed too deep into mer territory. Such instances were uncommon but they still happened when bad weather and storms swept the ships off their charted course.

"Mother, do we forgive the human? It doesn't seem to be his fault that brother died." Grifan's younger sister, Shali, asked her mother, the concubine Shaye. The little purple mer was sitting beside her mother on the nest of cushions.

Although Grifan had been a troublemaker, he had been a loving brother to little Shali, and so the mer who missed her brother had been crying almost every day since his death.

"Forgive him? No, never," the concubine said as she fed the little mer a slice of fresh fruit. "It is still his fault that your brother lost his life. If the human hadn't attracted undue attention then would Grifan have died?"

"No..." Shali answered. She couldn't understand how it was the human's fault. The murder had been committed by the mers who had lost themselves to their desires. How was it the victim's fault? If at all, she could only blame the human for not helping her brother out when he was being attacked.

"The human will get what he deserves. Mother will make sure of it, Shali. I will not rest till I see him punished for his role in my son's death." The concubine had one thing in mind. He had seduced Grifan and the others with his pretty face so it was only fitting that she take away his beauty. He would still have his use as the saviour of Silisia even if she carved his face. And consequently, the King would punish her but not too harshly.

"Mother, maybe we should just leave him alone," Shali suggested quietly. "The human is the saviour of Silisia..."

Concubine Shaye grimaced as she peeled another apple. Her sharp fingernails pierced the skin of the fruit as she thought about the bewitching human who had snared even prince Drevin.

"The saviour of Silisia," she slowly said as she ripped the skin off the fruit. "It couldn't be a filthy land dweller. I don't know where his majesty heard such a prophecy from but if it's that hag who prophesied it then it has to be a lie. She's senile and doesn't know fish from mer."

Shali was frightened by what her mother had uttered. Silisia's oracle was a revered figure who watched over their lives. She wished that her mother wasn't so free with her disdain for everyone.

"Shali, I need you to do something for me, my dear." Her mother often used that tone when she wanted something from Shali, something that little mer girl would refuse if given the choice.

"Yes, mother."

The concubine pushed another slice of apple into the girl's mouth and smiled. "Befriend the human."

"What?" The little girl shook her head, her brown curls swinging in the water. "Mother, I... Why?"

"Because I want to know what is so special about Syryn that he's got Drevin wrapped around his little finger."

"But why me?"

"Because you are Grifan's sister. If the human has a single bone of gratitude in his body then he will welcome your friendship and he will trust you. Do you understand?"

Shali reluctantly nodded.

"Mother's heart is sick and tired, Shali. Grifan's death has hit me harder than anything I have had to endure in my life. The King, your father, doesn't seem to care much that his own son was murdered. It hurts me but this is all I can do, my child. We will avenge your brother."

Shali looked down her at folded hands and mourned Grifan. She was still but a child, and she lacked the wisdom that her mother had. It was only right that she followed her mother's instructions.

"I will do as you say."

______

Syryn wanted Arhak back. The new guard was perfect but he was too perfect. Whenever the mage left his room, the mer guard stuck to Syryn like they were joined at the hip. He disobeyed Syryn's orders to get him food or an item he needed because it was a window of opportunity for an enemy if Syryn was left alone.

He was never out of the guard's sight unless he was hiding inside his room. There was no way for Syryn to meet with the siren if the guard kept watching every move he made.

And as Drevin refused to visit him before the rumours cooled, the mage was left bored in his room with nobody but a jellyfish to entertain him.

Then like a heaven-sent gift, a little mer girl appeared to relieve him of his boredom.

"Hello, who might you be?" He asked her. The mer princess was purple and had long brown curly hair. They were standing at Syryn's door, staring at each other.

"I'm Shali. You knew my brother.."

The mer girl had big brown innocent eyes that Syryn liked. Suni and Utsui had the same pure and innocent eyes that had drawn his attention. One received his ribbon while the other was divested of his hairpin. Now he wondered if Shali needed a clip for her mass of beautiful brown hair.

"Grifan's little sister?" He guessed. They had similar-looking faces.

"Yes," Shali smiled. "I wanted to meet the person that my brother... saved," she weakly said. The little girl was nervous and it was written all over her face.

Syryn looked at her, quiet, not knowing what to say because her brother had been killed by him. He was a little sorry about killing Grifan but the mer had locked him in hypnosis, confusing the mage. He had overreacted but it was too late to rectify what was done.

"Would you like to talk about your brother?" He asked the princess who couldn't meet his eyes.

"Yes," she answered, eyes darting to the guard.

"Vaiu, I'm leaving the door open," Syryn told the guard. He didn't want to suspect the little girl's intentions but it was safer to act with caution when Grifan's sibling was involved.

"Come in," he stepped to the side and made space for the mergirl to swim in. He also took that opportunity to push the door wide open so that their conversation might carry to the outside.