An encounter

Startled, Niamh turned to see a stranger

A merman with a muscular frame walking towards her

"Oh, Elrich. you surprised me!" she continued, "what are you doing here?" she asked with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"I just wished to see my master," Elrich replied, bowing respectfully to Niamh.

She scoffed, her weariness evident. "I am not your master, Elrich. I never was. Leave now if you're here to pity me."

Elrich's expression softened, and he held out a small box.

"how dare I pity my princess?!. I overheard about the late invitation through some maids"

he continued

"I thought these might be of some use to you. It contains all the accessories you'll need for the royal dinner." he smiled

'Always trying to lookout for me' Niamh thought to herself

She eyed the box suspiciously.

"And why should I wear that? It must be another trick from my sisters! I don't trust you. I suggest you leave this instant,"

She said with a painful expression whilst making her way towards the gate, feeling dejected by the encounter.

"Ah wait, princess!" he hurriedly grabs Niamh's hand trying to convince her to take the box

*she yanks his hands off of her*

"How dare you lay your hands on me" she glared at him

"oh my apologies princess! I made a mistake" he backs away hurriedly

"Leave! Now! and I am not a Princess!"

*she slams the doors shut*

"Fine. If you don't believe me, I'll just leave this on your doorstep. Goodbye," Elrich said, bowing once again with a contorted expression before departing, his presence fading into the distance.

Closing the door behind her, Niamh lazily made her way to her bed, her mind racing with conflicting emotions.

"that stupid knight.." she mumbled to herself

Elrich, A knight assigned to her when she turned fifteen, had stayed with her for two years. But during a critical incident involving her sisters, he failed to protect her. It was a painful memory that had driven her to leave the palace as soon as she turned eighteen, working hard to become a teacher despite her limitations.

"I'm too tired to go shopping today. I'll just go tomorrow," Niamh mused aloud, lying down on her bed.

As the day passed, she found herself immersed in a cycle of frustration and reflection, unaware of the passage of time. Before she knew it, two days had slipped by, and she still had nothing to wear for the upcoming dinner.

"Oh, no! I still don't have anything, and the dinner is tomorrow," she muttered, the urgency in her voice evident.

Steeling herself, Niamh ventured outside and noticed the box Elrich had left. Despite her reservations, she decided to investigate its contents.

"Tch," she clicked her tongue and begrudgingly donned the accessories Elrich had chosen.

Now dressed for the occasion, Niamh made her way to the palace entrance, her one fin swaying with each graceful movement.

Whispers and sidelong glances followed her as the servers and onlookers took notice.

"No matter how many times I go through this, I'll never get used to it," Niamh sighed to herself.

Elrich, the knight, greeted her with a friendly smile. "Greetings, lady," he said, extending his arm. "Allow me to escort you to the dining hall."

All the scrutinizing gazes as if blurred into a distance

Niamh forced a smile and accepted his offer. "Sure."

Together, they navigated the grand corridors until they reached the ornate dining hall.

As Niamh entered, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for the tense atmosphere and familiar gazes that awaited her.

'this is it' she thought to herself as she entered the grand hall

Her father, the king, glanced her way with an air of indifference, while her mother's gaze held a hint of disappointment. Niamh found her seat in the corner, where she felt both physically and emotionally distant from the rest of her family.

The silence in the dining hall felt suffocating. Niamh took a sip of her drink, trying to ease her nerves.

She couldn't help but think about the exquisite food before her.

'This food is so good,' she thought to herself.

'If only I didn't have to endure this stifling silence.'

Breaking the tension, the First princess Erique spoke up.

"By the way, I heard that you were fired from your teaching position," she said with a hint of malice.

Niamh's grip on her utensils tightened as a chill ran down her spine. The truth exposed, her heart sank further.

The second princess couldn't resist mocking her, joining in the conversation.

"Oh my, our dear sister lost the only job she was mediocre at," she sneered.

Niamh's mother, interjected.

"Why am I hearing about this now? Do you know how hard I had to use my personal connections for the principal to even consider you as an employee?"

Her disappointment and frustration were evident.

Niamh's mind raced, confused and hurt. She had always believed that her position was earned through her own efforts, not through any favors or connections.

Her world began to crumble around her.

"Is this true?" her father, the king, interrupted, his cold eyes locked on Niamh.

Swallowing her anxiety, Niamh mustered the courage to respond. "Yes, Lord."

The second princess snickered, enjoying the sight of her sister's discomfort. "Well, I wasn't expecting much from you," she scoffed.

The words pierced Niamh's heart, a stark reminder of her standing in the family hierarchy. Her father, seemingly unmoved, continued eating.

The dinner continued in tense silence. Niamh couldn't shake the feeling of her father's coldness, his indifference towards her achievements and struggles. The stark contrast between his reaction to her siblings' accomplishments and his disregard for her efforts was unbearable.

As the dinner finally came to an end, Niamh mustered the courage to approach her father. "Father, I have something to discuss with you," she said, her voice determined.

Her mother's eyes widened, surprised by her daughter's audacity.

"I see. Meet me in my office in an hour,"

her father replied calmly before leaving the dining hall.

An hour? Niamh mused bitterly. Her sisters always received immediate attention from their father, no matter how busy he was. The favoritism stung, reaffirming her belief that she was not truly considered his daughter.

Restless, Niamh stood at the reception area, clutching the letter she had prepared—a letter that would finally free her from the oppressive ties that bound her to this horrid place. She placed it on a wooden table, ready to present her case.

Just as she was about to gather her thoughts and make her move, she was unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of her younger twin sisters, both just 12 years old.

"It's nice to finally meet you, sister!" the fifth princess Rezia exclaimed, grabbing Niamh's hand.

Niamh hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Oh?"

Her fourth sister Alexa joined in, grabbing her other hand. "Yeah, we've heard so much about you!"

The weight of their innocence softened Niamh's heart, and she mustered a faint smile. "I'm glad to meet you both too," she said, trying to hide her internal turmoil.

"We want to take you somewhere!" the fifth princess chimed in, her excitement palpable.

Curiosity piqued, Niamh decided to follow her young sisters, hoping for a moment of respite from the family drama.

After a short swim, they arrived at the border of the city, where turbulent currents created a treacherous and awe-inspiring sight.

Niamh's curiosity quickly turned to alarm as her sisters produced handcuffs and swiftly restrained her.

Confusion filled her mind as she struggled against their unexpected strength.

"What's this? What are you two doing?" Niamh exclaimed, panic rising within her.

Amusement gleamed in their eyes as they explained their motives, their voices laced with mischief.

"Oh, we heard you couldn't swim, so we wanted to see for ourselves," Rezia said, giggling.

"After all, what kind of mermaid can't swim?!" Alexa said mockingly

"what! Let me go this instant! Father will punish you both for this rotten behavior!" Niamh struggled against the restraints

"Ha! as if! we all know nobody here likes you, you aren't welcome here" Alexa said

Niamh's heart raced.

"It's pointless to resist. We've already blocked your magic through these restraints," Rezia smirked

Trapped, Niamh's desperation grew. "Let me go! This isn't funny!" she pleaded, her voice tinged with fear.

The twins swam away, leaving Niamh at the entrance of a perilous whirlpool. The water churned, threatening to suck her into its depths.

Fear coursed through her veins, as she was being dragged into the whirlpool against her will.

'Oh no!'

She tried her hardest to swim against the flow but it was too late!

She was sucked into the dreaded whirlpool and the aggressive currents shook her body violently

*blurgh*

'i might puke my organs out' she thought to herself

As she was being sucked deeper the currents got even more violent

'Agh!' she groaned in pain 'my body! it feels like it'll tear up'

'i can't die like this!' Niamh refused to give up

She tried to open her eyes but she could only see a huge rock formation at the end of the whirlpool

"NO! No…no.. " her screams were muffled in the currents

as soon as she's about to hit the rocks she thinks to herself

'this must be it, what a pointless life I've lived until now''

tears start flowing down her cheeks

*BAM!*

Her Body Hits something!

'But wait, why is the rock formation soft?' she thinks to herself

'strangely I don't feel any injuries'

*she meekly opens her eyes and sees a tall blurry figure holding her before her consciousness fades away*