Maribelle looked through the gss windows, her attention entirely on the array of outfits before her. Some of them reminded her of what Bryn wore, others looked simir to silk dresses, but were clearly made of another material. The clothes were dyed in many different colours and looked well made. She turned to Joyce, who was floating merrily close by.

  “You've taken me to a clothes store?” Maribelle asked.

  “Of course, I figured it was about time you got out of those rags and into something much more suitable for a mermaid like you,” Joyce said with a sly smile.

  Maribelle looked at herself. Maybe Joyce had a point. Some of her dress had been cut away to adjust for her new form, and it was unlikely to hold together in the long term. Besides, right now she stuck out far too much. Perhaps a change of outfit would help her blend in with the Merfolk.

  “I pnned on becoming a seamstress before the voyage,” she said as she looked longingly at the outfits in the shop.

  “Oh, that is nice. Perhaps if you return to the surface you could take some inspiration from here for your designs,” Joyce said while also browsing the shop's wares.

  “Not if, Joyce, but when,” Maribelle said with a small sigh.

  “Oh don't be like that Maribelle. It's far too soon for you to decide that,” Joyce replied, turning her head to Maribelle.

  But Maribelle knew she had to return eventually. Her family were back on the surface, and she needed to reunite with them. They had to know she was still alive.

  “Come along Maribelle. Lets see what we can find you. Trust me, you'll look dazzling by the time you leave,” Joyce said as she swam towards the shop door. She gently opened the door, holding it open while she gestured for Maribelle to enter. Maribelle ughed softly to herself and swam into the shop.

  Once in the shop, Joyce shared some words with one of the staff in a nguage Maribelle did not know. Then Joyce got straight to work picking out new outfits for Maribelle, frequently getting her hold onto a variety of different clothes close to her while Joyce swam around and examined her.

  “No, this colour does not suit you at all,” Joyce said as she took a bright yellow leather and returned it to where it originally came from. According to Joyce the leather had come from the hide of a whale that had been cured, tanned and dyed.

  “What do you mean?” Maribelle asked.

  “It's your scales, Maribelle. The colour of what you wear has to compliment the colour of your scales,” Joyce expined while searching through the array of clothes surrounding them.

  Maribelle searched her surroundings. Most of the tops and dresses were sleeveless and the few that weren’t only had short sleeves. There were plenty of skirts for sale as well at various lengths. She picked up a skirt, running her fingers through the material. It felt smooth but a little mossy. What was it made of?

  “Goodness, Maribelle, that skirt is far too short for you,” Joyce said as she swam up to Maribelle and took the skirt from her. On second inspection it was clear that the skirt was almost indecently short. Oh, Light, she really could not wear a skirt that short.

  “Oh, I was just wondering what it was made of,” Maribelle responded.

  “Well there is this special type of kelp that is grown around here, and it can be woven into the fabric you see before you. It's quite light and does not float around too much. However, I doubt you will be able to replicate it on the surface,” Joyce expined as she returned to browsing. It was clear that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

  “Tell me, Maribelle, what do you think of the colour red?” Joyce asked as she picked up a red sleeveless top.

  Maribelle shuddered. “No, not that colour.” She shook her head trying to remove those horrid memories of Edward in his lousy coat.

  Joyce did not notice Maribelle’s reaction, her focus was elsewhere. “Fair enough. Aha, I think I got something that will be perfect for you,” Joyce said with glee before swimming up to Maribelle holding a sleeveless top and a skirt, both of which were made from what seemed to be shark leather that was dyed a deep green. “Would you be kind enough to try these on for me? The dressing room is just right behind that door.” Joyce nodded to her right and Maribelle could see the door that Joyce was referring to.

  With some trepidation, Maribelle started to reach out but stopped just shy of Joyce’s hand.

  “Oh don’t worry, they can’t hurt you,” Joyce teased.

  With a small grunt of annoyance, Maribelle took the outfit from Joyce and, with a stern kick, began swimming towards the changing room. Unfortunately she used too much force and was unable to slow herself down before she collided with the door. Maribelle winced at the shock and then frowned when she saw the staff worker cover her mouth while she ughed. How infuriating. Why am I getting worked up so much about some clothes? Calm down, it's just fabric. Carefully opening the door, she entered the room.

  Once the door was shut firmly behind her, Maribelle took her clothes off. It was certainly bothersome with how much the fabric clung to her or drifted around in the water, but eventually she was finally rid of it. It was only when she was free of the outfit she had worn as a human did she realise how uncomfortable it was to wear in the sea. A part of her was relieved to be free of the sodden fabrics.

  She shook her head. Perhaps she should put something on before thinking about such matters. It was simple work to put the top on, and she had to admit it felt rather comfy. It was much easier to move her arms around without sleeves getting in the way. The skirt was a more complicated matter, but she was able to get her tail through it. Using a belt, she was able to tighten the skirt around her waist to ensure it would not slide off while she swam about.

  Taking a quick gnce at herself, Maribelle felt quite comfy with what she was wearing. It also seemed that the colours did suit her, but she would need a mirror in order to confirm it.

  Joyce was still browsing around when Maribelle returned from the dressing room. The moment Joyce noticed Maribelle, her face beamed with joy and she quickly swam over to Maribelle.

  “Oh my, look at you, Maribelle. You no longer look like you were dropped in the middle of the sea,” Joyce said with some pride.

  Maribelle's hands reached for her neck as Joyce's words reminded her of why she was here. For a split second she wasn't in a shop in Coraltide, instead she was falling faster and faster. She had just started to gasp for air when she felt soft hands gently hold her own hands.

  “Oh Maribelle, I am so sorry. That was incredibly insensitive of me. It's all okay now, though, you're safe here. No cruel, arrogant soldiers can reach you here,” Joyce said, her eyes filled with sorrow and remorse.

  It took a few deep breaths for Maribelle to regain control of herself. She was so very far away from Edward. He would never catch her or hurt her ever again. “I'm fine now, thank you. And I forgive you, Joyce,” she said as her hands slipped away from Joyce's. Curiously, she thought about Bryn and how nice it felt when they held hands.

  Joyce nodded. “Right. Well, would you like to see how you look now?”

  Now it was Maribelle's turn to nod and so Joyce guided her to a nearby mirror. Maribelle gasped with awe when she saw her reflection.

  Joyce swam behind Maribelle and pced her hands on Maribelle's shoulders. “My, my, Maribelle. Don't you just look gorgeous in that outfit. I just knew it would be the one for you,” she said before swimming away to give Maribelle some space.

  Joyce was right, Maribelle did look gorgeous. The deep green of her skirt perfectly complimented her lustrous purple scales, and sat quite well on her hips. The gaps on the sides barely got in the way of her side fins which were gently wafting around. The sleeveless top was also beautiful with its design supporting her bust nicely. She had to admit, the ck of sleeves was quite refreshing. She had not realised how much of her midriff was left bare. However, as she ran a hand over her stomach, she did admit it made her look rather attractive. Her new outfit matched her so well.

  She realised she had never owned clothes as exquisite as the ones she wore now. On the surface all she had avaible were second hand rags or whatever she could mend. They did the job but they were never elegant, never beautiful. A strange feeling lodged itself in her heart. Her old clothes were a reminder that she had been human. Now however, there was nothing to suggest that Maribelle had been anything else but a mermaid. Apart from her memories and inexperience with swimming, of course.

  She reached out and pced a hand on the mirror. Maribelle the mermaid really did look like a mermaid. A small smile crept up her lips. She was beautiful, so incredibly beautiful. But how long would it be until she returned to being Maribelle the human?

  As Maribelle gazed at her reflection she wondered what would Bryn say when she saw her now? Wait… why was she thinking about Bryn. Maribelle watched as her reflection’s cheeks bloomed with a bright blush while her tail swished through the water.

  She pushed herself away from the mirror and swam up to Joyce who looked as happy as ever.

  “You liked what you saw didn't you?” she asked, ever so curious.

  “Well I don’t hate what I see,” Maribelle said meekly.

  “In that case, I say, if you're not against it, then you're for it. Which means you're willing to try something else,” Joyce expined while presenting Maribelle with a new light grey outfit. This was going to take much longer than Maribelle originally thought.

  By the time Maribelle and Joyce left the store, Maribelle had tried nine different outfits. Joyce had wanted to buy all of them for Maribelle, but that was too much. She wouldn't- couldn't stay. One day soon, Maribelle would have to return to the surface. In the end Maribelle had been given three new outfits. There was the dark green outfit she was now wearing, a light blue top and skirt that covered more of her torso and a nightgown to sleep in. Overall she had to confess she was quite happy with everything she got, and felt more comfortable knowing she did not stick out so much. She really did look like one of the merfolk.

  Kicking with her tail, Maribelle was able to keep up with Joyce who was slithering through the water. As they passed by the shops, Maribelle sated her curiosity by gncing and seeing what goods they offered. As she swam along, a list developed of matters she was going to have to ask Bryn about when she saw her again.

  “We are almost there,” Joyce said.

  “And where's there?” Maribelle asked.

  “Another delightful surprise,” Joyce replied with a quick wink.

  Maribelle sighed as she swam towards the mystery destination. Joyce was enjoying herself far too much, though to be fair, Maribelle found herself also having a good time. She did wonder where Joyce was guiding her to, and judging by Joyce’s excitement, it had to be exciting.

  After a few minutes of swimming, Joyce beckoned to Maribelle as she slowed down. Maribelle tried to halt her advance but once again, she smacked into the wall. She groaned as she rubbed her now aching shoulder. How was she going to figure out how to do something as simple as slow down in the water? It was very infuriating, she hoped she figured it out soon

  Maribelle swam beside Joyce and began investigating the shop that Joyce had shown so much interest in. Inside were many pearl neckces and each of them were painted in different colours.

  “They are pretty,” Maribelle said as she watched the pearls glimmer in the light.

  “Yes, you're right about that. They are called pride pearls,”

  Maribelle turned to Joyce. “What does that mean?” she asked.

  “How to expin it? Hmm. Well it's a way of expressing your identity. The colours represent a different serial or gender identity that differs from the norm. Imagine it as a way of expressing who you are.” Joyce pointed at one neckce, it had bck, grey, white and purple pearls. “That one is for asexuals, those who are not interested in sex.” She pointed to another, this one had yellow, white, purple and bck pearls. “This one represents non-binaries, those who don't identify as just female or male. And this one.” She pointed to a different neckce, this one had pink, purple and blue pearls. “Stands for bisexuality, they are attracted to men and women.”

  “So what about this one?” Maribelle asked, gesturing to the orange, white and pink pearls that stood out to her.

  Joyce’s smile widened. “Ah, you have a good eye for things. That one stands for lesbians. The women who love women. Though some of us prefer the term sapphic, named after the great poet Sapphrena.”

  Maribelle's ear fins twitched as she listened to Joyce. Again, another mention of the love between women.

  “Just like Torya,” she muttered to herself.

  Joyce csped her hands. “Oh, she mentioned Emily when you visited her stall. Well if you want I could organise a little meet up with Emily. I'm sure she can give you some great advice for adapting to life as a merfolk,” she said with plenty of enthusiasm.

  Maribelle considered Joyce's offer. Maybe it was a good idea; it may even help her understand the complex feelings that assailed her. It was likely that since Emily had gone through something simir, she would understand what was going on in Maribelle's mind.

  Maribelle looked up at Joyce. “What about your pearls, what do they represent?” she asked, looking at the pink, white and blue pearls that sat comfortably on Joyce's neck.

  “Oh these?” Joyce asked, running a finger across her pearls. “These symbolise trans pride.”

  Trans? What did that mean? It had to be short for something but what was it? Maribelle gnced at Joyce's long eel tail as she tried to figure it out. Suddenly inspiration struck. Of course, it made perfect sense, trans as in short for transformation.

  “Wait! You're from the surface too? Why didn't you tell me earlier?” Maribelle shouted.

  Joyce blinked in shock for a few moments before bursting out into ughter. “Oh Maribelle, you were so close. These pearls do not represent what you're thinking.” Joyce took a deep breath as her ughter halted. “I'm sorry, allow me to crify. When I say trans I mean transgender. I was born in the wrong body, given the wrong name, referred to by the wrong titles. Growing up was not easy for me, and it took me quite some time to realise that deep within my soul, I was actually a woman. When I discovered the truth of who I am, well I took steps to ensure my body matched my soul.”

  Maribelle watched as Joyce talked and then smiled. “Ah, I thought I figured it out. It would have expined how you knew Engarish. Still, it doesn't matter who you were, your Joyce to me and you always will be. Thank you for sharing this with me,”

  Joyce beamed with relief. “Well I'm not exactly hiding that part of myself,” she said, gesturing to her pearls. “But I still greatly appreciate your acceptance. On the surface they have such rigid views on what men and women should be, how they should behave, and who they are allowed to love. I'm gd those loathsome ideas didn't get their hooks into you.”

  Maribelle thought of Steph; they didn't really fit in with what everyone expected of them.

  “May I ask you a question, Joyce?” Maribelle asked

  “Of course you can,” Joyce replied.

  “Was it Bryn who changed you?” Even as the words came out of her mouth, she worried that she had crossed an invisible boundary.

  “Why yes, it was,” Joyce answered, her smile telling Maribelle her question caused no offence. “It would seem like you and I have something in common.”

  Maribelle ughed. “So it would seem.”

  “Would you like a set of pearls?” Joyce asked, gesturing to the window.

  Maribelle gazed at the pearls for a moment before shaking her head. “Thank you, Joyce, but I can't accept this. I just don't have anything to be proud of. Not in the same way you do.”

  There was a hint of sadness in Joyce's eyes as she smiled. “I see.” She looked aside for a few moments. “Maybe there's one more pce we should check out before we go back.” Gracefully, Joyce spun around and began slithering through the water.

  With a mighty kick, Maribelle caught up alongside Joyce. “What is it this time? Come on, you can give up one secret right?” she asked.

  “Allright, how could I say no to that face? Well there's a jewellery shop I like to go to, and I think a bit of gold would really bring out the best in you,” Joyce said nonchantly.

  “Jewellery? Gold? How can you even afford it? Wait, how do you even smelt gold in the sea?” Maribelle asked. She had seen many strange things in this city, but being able to craft gold jewellery sounded almost impossible.

  “Well to answer your first question, wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few nobles. True, jewels are not cheap but neither are they out of the hands of the people. Fortunately I have saved more than enough money so you need to worry about the cost. For the second question, well I don’t fully understand it but there's some cave system not far from here that is home to some strange forge. It takes merfolk skilled with fire magic to be able to work the forge properly and craft weapons, armour and jewellery for the city,” Joyce expined.

  Maribelle tried to imagine the merfolk forge, it must be a very strange contraption indeed. However, Joyce was being far too generous with her offer of giving her something so valuable. “I am sorry Joyce, I can’t accept what you intend to give me,” she said with some remorse.

  “Why not? I told you that the gift won’t be a burden on me. I won’t be forced to eat meagre portions of sand rice because of it,” Joyce said, although she was being jovial about the matter, there was more going on.

  “Because I can’t return to the surface with merfolk jewellery. What would people think when they see me wearing gold? They would assume that I had stolen it from a noble,” Maribelle said.

  “You don’t have to return to the surface, “Joyce said bluntly. “You can stay here in Coraltide. You’ll be safe here and who knows, maybe you will be happy as well.”

  “I can’t stay Joyce, I must return to my family. I have parents who need me,” Maribelle responded sadly. She had to return to the surface. It was an undeniable truth.

  Joyce continued swimming while deep in thought, and some moments ter she slowed down and stopped. Maribelle was grateful that she was able to halt in good time as now was not the time to be floundering around.

  “I am sorry Maribelle,” Joyce said, looking unsure while holding her arms. “Why don’t we go back home. You have some new clothes that will st you until… you go back to the surface.”

  “Allright, It's been a long day,” Maribelle said. While she did not feel physically tired, she did feel emotionally drained.

  “Okay, if Byrn is not back by the time we return, how about we cook her a meal? You can help out with it if you want.”

  Maribelle nodded. Cooking with Joyce did sound like a nice idea. “I like that idea. You lead the way.”

  *****

  When Maribelle returned to Bryn’s home, it was little surprise that the mershark had not returned yet. Therefore, she followed Joyce to the kitchen where they began cooking a meal. While she chopped fruit and seaweed, Joyce prepared the sand rice. It was simple work chopping the fruit, however, she had to remind herself many times to store the fruit slices in a bowl to stop them floating away.

  “Hello? Is anyone there?” A voice called out. Maribelle immediately turned in the direction of Bryn’s voice.

  “Go on Maribelle, spend some time with Byrn. I will finish up here,” Joyce said.

  Maribelle nodded with gratitude and immediately swam off to meet Bryn.

  Maribelle found Bryn at the dining room, and the moment Bryn saw Maribelle in her new outfit she quickly put a hand to her face. “Oh my, you look,” Bryn paused hesitantly. “really pretty.”

  Looking at Bryn, Maribelle had the feeling that the mershark wanted to say much more but something held her back. “Welcome back. The shopping trip with Joyce went well as you can see,” Maribelle said.

  “Oh thank goodness, I was worried that Joyce would have teased you too much,” Bryn said as she swam to the table.

  “Joyce was fine. I'd rather be with her than alone,” Maribelle said while taking a seat. Though I'd rather be with you. “So what was your business with that council?” she asked.

  “Nothing much, they just wanted a report of what I had found while scouting,” Bryn replied. “I am really sorry I had to leave you like that.”

  “It's fine, Joyce helped us out on that front. Though am I in trouble because I'm from the surface?”

  “You're perfectly fine, Maribelle. The council knows about you and you're welcome to stay as long as you like,” Bryn answered with a warm smile.

  “I see,” Maribelle said as she caressed her scales.

  “How are you feeling?” Bryn asked, slightly worried.

  Maribelle looked around the room, it could be her home if she just asked. But she couldn't afford to get attached to the pce, to being a mermaid. Staying was not an option, even if she wished with her heart to stay, she couldn't. “I'm doing okay. The worst of the shock has long passed at least, and I'm getting used to this new form,” Maribelle expined, her side fins twitching.

  “That's good, and you really are doing well Maribelle. You've adapted quickly to everything,” Bryn said, smiling slightly.

  Maribelle smiled back, but caught herself. “Well that just means I can return home sooner, right?”

  Bryn's smile faltered and she fidgeted with her hands. “Yes, I suppose that's true. It's likely you'll soon be back on the surface. Unless-” Bryn stopped, unable to finish her sentence. An awkward silence settled between Maribelle and Bryn.

  The silence was eventually disturbed by Joyce announcing that dinner was ready. Her cheer quickly defted when she saw Maribelle and Bryn's expression. Maribelle felt a twinge of guilt, but reminded herself once more that she couldn't stay.

  No one was interested in conversation during the meal, though at least the food was nice. The fruit was fresh and the fvours really combined well with the sand rice. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to share such a dish with her family.

  Maribelle's thoughts were consumed by her family. They were likely to still be mourning her ‘death’ as they travelled on the King's Call. She would reunite with them soon, but how would they react? It would be weeks or even months before she returned to where she belonged, that would probably cause complications. How would she even expin that Edward had tried to murder her, and the only reason she survived was by being transformed into a mermaid? Would they even believe her? Would they even accept her?

  Tears began to well up her eyes, but she forced them back. She couldn't stay here, she had to return home. She may look like a mermaid but in her heart she was a human. Right?

  Right?