Chapter 3 - Taboo

 "Did you go to the Surface again?" 

Marissa paused in her tracks and she bit her tongue as she heard the voice. She knew she has been caught. 

"Father." 

Marissa placed her hand on her chest and bowed. Their way of greeting the king in Teravenia.

"Why won't you listen to me, Mari? I told you that the surface is filled with danger for our kind.

"The human calls us a taboo and would kill us if they knew of our existence......" Marissa completed her father's words. She has heard that statement too many times that she can recite it with her eyes closed. 

"Why do you still go to the surface, when you know this?"

"Dad, I just go there to see the beauty of nature and also to visit mother earth."

"Mari, Can't you visit mother earth here in the Sea?"

"Dad, I like it up there," Marissa confessed as they arrived at the palace. 

"Don't be deceived by what you see up there, It is all a lie. Besides, everything you see up there is also available here in the sea, so why do you still go there?"

"We don't have airplanes, motorcycles, cars, and music here father. All of that and more are available on land."

"Marissa, the surface has nothing to offer you but Misery."

"Chill dad, I make sure I don't get seen by any human. So that keeps me safe from misery, right?" Marissa laughed to lighten up her father's mood. 

"Chill? Dad? King Valle wrinkled his face in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Chill means Calm down. And Dad is the same as father. So what I meant was Calm down father."

"Mari, you even learned their language?" 

"Father, I just overhear them say that too many times."

"So you've been going to the surface so many times?

"Oops," Marissa bit on her tongue again as she realized that she just exposed herself. "No father, I just...

"The truth, Mari!"

"I...I. I'm sorry Father."

"So you've been disobeying me all along? King Valle couldn't believe that his favorite and only daughter would be the one to disobey him. "Answer me, Mari!"

"I'm sorry Father."

"What if someone finds out and tells it to Amarella? Don't you know you just gave her a reason to rebel against me?

"Forgive me, Father." 

Marissa bowed her head in regret. She couldn't say anything but apologize. She knew it was against the law of Teravenia to have any mermaid go to the surface. But her curiosity got the better of her as she wanted to see what the surface holds, which made it so dangerous.

However, she fell in love with the surface as soon she set her eyes on it. So, she started sneaking out at night to come to see what was happening on land. 

Luckily for Mari, the time difference between Teravenia and the surface was favorable to her. Because the night time at Teravenia is the late hours of noon on the surface and this time is the period when the humans are always out on the beach chilling and relaxing with their families. 

This was one of the things Mari loved about humans, the fact that they can get together and have fun.

So she takes advantage of the fact that everyone was asleep in Teravenia, to sneak past the guards and her maids and she goes off to enjoy the cool breeze at the seaside and also enjoy the view of humans having fun.

If only Fun wasn't a taboo in Teravenia.

"Do you know how serious an offense you just committed? King Valle seethed. 

As much as he hated yelling or being angry at his daughter, he couldn't help it now because this time, Mari went out of line. 

"I won't go back to the surface Anymore." 

King Valle found himself immediately calmed by her words. He couldn't stay mad at her anyway. He smiled and rubbed her long hair. "Do you promise?"

"I promise you, Father."