The Sol Palace (4)

A month had passed,

the frozen snow melted by the warmth of the sun

Butterflies kissing the plum blossoms;

And the birds singing, dancing above the grass.

A new season has begun,

The lively spring.

Whoosh—

Splash, Splash, Splash.

I'm in a big tub of water that Brother Ethan made for me. Brother Ethan said last time that it was called pool. It was so big that I could imagine twenty people could fit into it. Swimming on this large tub reminded me of when I was in the sea. It had been a while since I swam. For the past month living here in the palace, I had only been carried by Papa as we roamed around the palace. Most of the time, the princes came along with us and often the Empress invited me to her tea time. In his spare time, His Majesty, the Emperor, would pay me a visit. All of the servants inside the palace were friendly and always greeted us as we passed through the hall. Even after seeing me several times, they couldn't get used to my tails. Well, I'm a little used to see their reactions.

Time flies so fast huh. A month has already passed but I'm still a mermaid. Sigh, can I return to normal? Or will I be stuck with a tail for the rest of my life?

"What are you putting in the water?!" Papa was sitting beside the pool, only dipping his feet.

"Fishes?" replied Brother Ethan.

"I have eyes. What hit your head to come up with this stupid idea?!"

Wait. Wait. Wait. Seriously? I appreciate Brother Ethan's thought, but I can't talk to fish or any kind of animals, sea or land. On top of that, I'm not alone; Papa is always with me. Take a look at that. The response of the prince left Papa dumbfounded. Yeah, Papa, we were thinking the same.

Bang!

A sudden loud bang on the door surprised us. There was someone who entered, and I think I knew who it was.

"I'm here!"

"Kye, could you enter without any noise!"

"I'm sorry. It's just that my hands are full." Woah! What was that?! Crazy. Brother Kye was holding a giant turtle. Do they intend to fill the pool with sea animals? I'm okay with just a pool. Okay? Only the pool.

"No wonder you are brothers," Papa said, shaking his head. "Return the turtle and fish to where you took it. Brielle doesn't need that."

"Why? Is this turtle too ugly?" asked Kye.

"Do you want a bigger fish?" added Ethan.

You even blamed the pitiful turtle, and what am I going to do with a big fish?

"Stop asking Brielle stupid questions. She can't accept those-- particularly that turtle." Papa stared at the turtle with disgust. "It might eat her."

"I'll get rid of it immediately." Kye summoned the servants to get rid of the turtle. Three servants worked together to lift the turtle and take it out. The members of the Imeprial family are so strong since Brother Kye carried the turtle all by himself.

"I'll get rid of fishes once you've done swimming," Brother Ethan informed us. In comparison to the turtle, these fish appeared to be safe. And Papa wasn't bothered by it.

After a long time, swimming in the waters, I went out and Papa dried me with a clean soft towel. It was nice to swim again. Sometimes, I wondered about the condition of our home. Is it still there? Or someone broke in there and destroyed it? It had been our home since I was born so no wonder, I got sad leaving it there. So many memories happened in the sea cave. That reminds me… How is Max doing? It's been a while since I met him and I couldn't thank him for helping me.

"Papa, could we pay a visit to Max?"

"Why? "Would you like to play with him?"

"Are you sick of playing with us, Brielle?" asked Kye.

"Absolutely not!" I blurted out. "Max is my first friend, and he helped me when I was in danger. I want to thank him personally."

"However, you are currently in a difficult situation. If anyone sees you in this form, the past may repeat itself." Yeah, sad to say, but Papa is right. I should be more cautious, especially given my current circumstances.

Suddenly, amid my frustration, Brother Ethan interrupted, "No problem! I have an idea."