A tune hung around the dining room. To even an untrained ear it was easy to tell that a fresh amateur was pying. The individual notes sounded off and the melody itself was disconnected. All in all, Maribelle's harp practice was going very poorly. She had been pying for just over a week now and had yet to make any progress.

  She stared at the music sheet before her, debating with herself if she had been pying the right notes. Where was she going wrong? Laying down the harp that Emily had lent her, Maribelle stretched her fingers and arms as she pondered the question. She thought back to the lessons that Emily had given her. The caecilia had given good advice on how to py the harp. However, putting that advice into practice was proving to be very difficult.

  Running a few fingers across the wooden spine of the harp, Maribelle had to admit that it was beautiful. Swimming fish were painted in gold leaf across the spine in such fine detail that if she looked closely, she could see the scales in this fish. Something like this would be worth a small fortune on the surface, and yet Emily was more than willing to let her borrow it for some time. She was honoured to know that Emily had such trust in her to allow her to hold such a delightful harp.

  As, while it may look beautiful, the melody she was making with it was not. She wondered if the harp was not for her. Those doubts had floated to the surface of her mind before, but this time they were especially strong. She shook her head. She had only been practising for a week, it was foolish to think she could master something in such a short time. She would get there in time, she needed to be patient. She had all the time she needed.

  Her short break over, Maribelle picked up her harp, pced it upon her p and began strumming the strings with her fingers. One pluck, two pluck, three pluck. Her fingers pulled at the strings and their notes floated through the water. With slow movements she repeated the exercises that Emily taught her that would help her get accustomed to her harp. She was getting better at remembering which note each string would py. There were still plenty of times when she misremembered and foolishly plucked the wrong string, but she was somewhat confident she was getting better.

  “Good morning,” a voice called out.

  Maribelle perked up upon hearing a melody sweeter than her own. Bryn was here. She beamed with joy as she looked towards the mershark, who was looking beautiful as usual. It was strange that Bryn was having such a te breakfast though. Normally she came down much earlier.

  “Good morning, Bryn. I'm gd to see you again,” Maribelle said cheerfully in Merrow.

  Bryn blushed at Maribelle's words before asking, “how is your harp practice going?”

  Maribelle sighed as she put her harp down. “I'm still struggling to connect the notes. Sometimes I have doubts whether I will get better,” she expined.

  Bryn swam behind Maribelle and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don't be so harsh on yourself. It took time for you to learn how to swim properly. This is just the same.”

  Maribelle suppressed a shiver of excitement as she felt Bryn's hand gently squeeze her shoulder. “Well that's different. Swimming with a tail just came naturally to me. This harp on the other hand is far more difficult to understand.”

  “You'll get there in time. You just need to stay confident in yourself and keep practising,” Bryn said encouragingly before swimming off to prepare her breakfast.

  “You're right, thank you Bryn,” Maribelle said as she picked up her harp again. “I have plenty of time, decades even.”

  “Decades?” Bryn asked, pausing in the water with a bowl of fruit in her hand.

  “Well I'm twenty four, and humans tend to live on average about fifty, sixty years? Usually our lives are shorter, but some of us can reach eighty with some amount of luck,” Maribelle expined as she mimicked pying her harp.

  Suddenly a question that had never crossed Maribelle's mind bubbled up. “Wait a moment. How long do merfolk live for?” she asked.

  “Firstly, it seems we're of simir age as I'm twenty six,” Bryn started. “And to answer your question, merfolk can live for approximately three hundred years, though a few have managed to reach four hundred years old.”

  “Oh,” Maribelle said glumly. She would be old and grey while Bryn would still be in her prime. For some reason that fact brought great sorrow to her heart.

  Bryn pced her bowl down, and swam close to Maribelle. “That includes you too, Maribelle.”

  Stunned, Maribelle could only stare into Bryn's red eyes. “Wait… what?”

  “When my magic transformed you into a merfolk, it did so completely. You're a mermaid in all aspects, Maribelle. For example, if you were to have a child then it would be a mermaid and not a human,” Bryn expined.

  Oh damn. “So you're saying I could live for centuries?” Maribelle asked, barely recovering from her shock. This changed everything; she had been given a whole new lease on life. She was going to live for hundreds of years, not decades. It was difficult to believe that her life had been extended so long, but this was Bryn, she would never lie about something important.

  Bryn smirked at Maribelle for a moment. “Yes it does.” She then gnced away. “I'm sorry I never brought it up earlier. The right time just never came up,”

  Maribelle reached out and touched Bryn's cheek. “I understand, there's no easy way to expin that. But I returned to the surface, would that have had an effect?”

  Bryn turned her head back to Maribelle and then shook her head. “No, you were only human again for a brief period of time. If you had remained a human then yes, your life span would have stayed unchanged. However, now that you're here with me under the sea, the process of fully being a mermaid will soon be complete. And once that happens well, you can put the mer into a human, but you can't take the mer out of a merfolk.”

  Maribelle ughed. “That is very true. I realise now that I could never have gone back to my old life on the surface. At least notwithstanding a great deal of regret.”

  “I'm gd you returned, “ Bryn said as she embraced Maribelle closely.

  “I'm gd I did too. I'm happy here with you, Bryn,” Maribelle said as a few tears floated away.

  Bryn floated away from Maribelle with a sad look on her face. “Which is why I am sorry to say that I will be away from Coraltide for at least two weeks, maybe even a month.”

  Maribelle’s eyes widened with shock. A whole month without Bryn? Such a thing was almost unthinkable. “Why? May I join you?” she pleaded.

  “I am sincerely sorry, Maribelle, but you can’t come with me. It is almost time for the coven to gather, and only sea witches such as myself may attend. And I must go, as there is much I must share with them,” Bryn expined, looking guiltily towards Maribelle.

  “Is this about-” Maribelle paused as she remembered the events that led to her second brush with death. “Port Glorious.”

  “Bryn nodded. “Yes, I am worried about what is happening there. It is not often that the entire coven convenes, and I must tell them. I have shared the events with some sea witches, but this will be the best chance I have to let everyone know,” she expined to Maribelle.

  “I see,” Maribelle said quietly. It was going to be a difficult couple of weeks without Bryn.

  “I wish I could bring you along, but at least it will be only for a couple of weeks. Joyce will be around, and I am confident you will be just fine here,” Bryn said.

  “I'll miss you, Bryn,” Maribelle whispered, as she pulled Bryn into another hug.

  “I will miss you too, Maribelle,” Bryn whispered back. “I will see you again.”

  *****

  Maribelle swam through the waters of Coraltide on her own. In her hand was a closed bag that contained some food for the coming week. She was very pleased that her Merrow had improved to the point she could barter at the markets. Well, she did still need to point out certain foods when the name she was looking for slipped from her mind. And sometimes she had accidently mistransted how much she owed and even ended up over paying once. Thankfully the fishmonger kindly corrected her and returned the excess money. Overall it was a good sign that she was acclimatising to her new life.

  However, she was not getting used to not having Bryn around. She deeply missed Bryn and all the joy she brought. There was a profound wrongness to starting the day and knowing she would be seeing no trace of Bryn at all. There was no bme to be thrown at Bryn who had her duties as a sea witch to attend to, but it didn't make the yearning any easier.

  As Maribelle continued to swim down the streets she considered what it meant to be a sea witch. They were certainly powerful given that she had been transformed into a mermaid by Bryn, and she remembered how Bryn had saved her from a vicious current that had almost swept her away on their journey to Port Glorious. But what else were there to sea witches? What other powers did Bryn have at or command? Or what duties did she bear? Bryn rarely spoke about her life as a sea witch. Was it because she was sworn to secrecy, or had the topic just never brought up? There were so many questions she wanted to ask Bryn, but as, the mershark was still away and would not be returning any time soon.

  Could she become a sea witch as well? When she was growing up she had been ever so fascinated with magic. But unfortunately for her, back on the surface only the nobility were deemed ‘worthy enough to handle such power’, and even then only men were allowed to be trained. With her hopes crushes, she stowed away those desires, but now that she had separated herself from such backward restrictions, those hopes were starting to resurface again. Especially since Bryn carried none of the arrogance infested the nobility.

  With a merry smile on her lips, Maribelle kicked with her tail and continued on her way home. She was so caught up with her imagination she almost failed to notice the hippocampus before her until it was too te. Gasping in shock, Maribelle narrowly avoided a collision by swerving around them. While she was able to narrowly avoid an embarrassing crash, her shopping scattered through the water.

  As she swam around desperately gathering her belongings, someone offered her some of what she had almost lost. Taking her belongings back with gratitude, Maribelle was surprised to see that the hippocampus was the same one she met during her first day out in Coraltide. Lily was her name, if her memory served her right. She certainly looked more approachable wearing a deep blue top instead of her imposing armour.

  “Maribelle, right?” Lily asked after handing over Maribelle’s belongings.

  “That's correct, and thank you for bringing my shopping back.” Maribelle replied, storing her belongings away.

  “Happy to help, though maybe next time watch where you're going. You would have hurt yourself more than me,” Lily said sternly.

  “Sorry about that,” Maribelle said sheepishly, gncing to the side.

  “It's fine. Also if I may, I would like to apologise for not politely greeting you the first time we cross paths. I just find it hard when people Bryn saves return to the surface. I heard about you. Out of everyone who has returned to the surface, you are the only one who came back,” Lily said, looking ahead sadly.

  “I should never have left in the first pce,” Maribelle admitted with her own sadness. So much suffering could have been avoided if she had just stayed.

  She then remembered their first and very brief meeting. She was the one who had brought Bryn to the council that had something to do with her duties as a sea witch.

  “May I ask you something, Lily?” Maribelle asked.

  “Go ahead, but can we swim and talk? There's many pces I need to be today.” Lily responded before setting off with a kick from her long tail. So what about the city you would like to know?”

  “What does Bryn do as a sea witch? I remember you bringing her to the council for something important. I understand if it's something that must be kept secret, but I really want to know more about Bryn,” Maribelle asked, catching up to Lily.

  “Oh right. Well as our city's sea witch, Bryn is the one to go to if you require any arcane expertise. She is also one of those who are responsible for patrolling the local waters, especially if any ships sail by, and if the council needs any advice with any magical matters then Bryn is the one they will contact. There are many in Coraltide that practise magic in one way or another, but Bryn is certainly the most powerful witch in the city. It's not easy to turn a human into a merfolk you know,” Lily expined.

  Maribelle looked at Lily with surprised eyes. “I never realised that Bryn was that important,” she said.

  Lily ughed. “To most, Bryn is a guardian of the sea, but it seems to you that she is just a very close friend. You're very lucky to have such a retionship with a sea witch.”

  Yes that's right, Bryn was a very good friend, but why did some parts of her yearn for more?

  “I am indeed a very fortunate mermaid, but I miss her dearly right now,” Maribelle said forlornly. “But she will return, right?”

  Lily smiled at Maribelle. “Of course she will. This is her home. By the way did you know that when we meet at the council, Bryn tells me about you. Out of all the people she has rescued, it seems you are the one she holds closest.”

  Maribelle's heart fluttered at Lily's words. “Oh, I didn't know that. Thank you, that is very good to know,” she said gratefully.

  They continued swimming through the water with Maribelle kicking more to keep up with Lily. When she thought about it, Lily was an unusual name for a merfolk. Yes, flowers did exist at these depths, but as far as she was aware, there were no lilies here.

  “Lily, where did you get your name from?” Maribelle asked, her curiosity overtaking her.

  Lily ughed loudly in response. “Come now Maribelle, surely you should have figured it out by now,” Lily said in Engarish.

  Maribelle gasped loudly as the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into one pce. “You were human once too,” she decred.

  Lily grinned back before saying, “Exactly. I'm just like you.”

  Maribelle looked at Lily's hooves tucked close to her body, and her long tail. Perhaps she meant it metaphorically rather than literally.

  “I'm sorry about what happened to you,” Maribelle said sympathetically.

  “Hmmm? Oh I see what you mean,” Lily said with a sad sigh. “Sorry Maribelle. We do not share that part of the story. I chose to be a part of the sea.”

  “What do you mean?” Maribelle asked, confused to what Lily meant.

  “Well I wasn't-” Lily hesitated for a few moments. “Thrown overboard. Instead I slipped away on a row boat during the night.”

  “Why would you do that?” Maribelle asked, shocked Lily would do such a thing. She remembered during her voyage how empty the sea was, at least on the surface. To flee on a rowboat could only end in death.

  “Because I was betrothed to another man. My parents were a part of the nobility and my would-be-husband had acquired great wealth in the colonies. It was the usual bargain: my hand in marriage and in exchange he would pay a great dowry,” Lily growled angrily.

  Maribelle easily sympathised with Lily's anger. “How disgusting. I assume you had no say in this?”

  “None at all. It was all organised by letters, none of which I wrote or even read. Apart from the st one, two years ago now, where I learned I was going to be setting sail in order to be engaged to a man I had never met,” Lily answered, gring towards Maribelle.

  “Hence why you slipped away?”

  “Exactly. Not only had I never id eyes on this person, but the way he wrote his letter unnerved me. He told me I should be grateful as he had found something truly wondrous that would make him ‘perfect.’ I have no idea what he was talking about, but none of it gave me any confidence. So one night while everyone was asleep, I stole a rowboat and fled into the sea. I know my chances of finding anything were non-existent, but I was my choice. Better to make my own destiny then let anyone else choose it for me,” Lily decred defiantly.

  Maribelle nodded back. “I see. I probably would have done the same. So what happened next?”

  “Bryn found me,” Lily stated. “She said she was going to trail the ship, but noticed my little rowboat. I expined why I was in the middle of the sea all on my own, and then she gave me a choice.”

  “What were they?”

  “Well either she could guide me to a settlement on the surface that was not a part of the colonies. Or-” Lily trailed off as if she wanted Maribelle to answer it.

  “Or you could travel with her to Coraltide,” Maribelle said with a small smile.

  “Exactly. Poor thing was very shy about expining all the details of what that would entail,” Lily said smirking.

  Maribelle ughed. It was true that Bryn was a very shy mershark. “So what made you choose life under the tides?.”

  Lily ughed back. “Well I figured that if I didn't like life in the sea, I could always return to the surface. However, I doubted I would ever get another chance to visit if I merely remained. Besides, a part of me was truly fascinated by what Bryn was proposing. The chance to become something else was strangely appealing to me, and in the end I could not resist the desire that bloomed within me and I accepted the proposal.”

  Maribelle beamed at Lily as she remembered how glorious it was to become a mermaid again. “It's truly one of the greatest experiences isn't it?”

  Lily grinned enthusiastically. “Without a doubt. I hopped into the sea, and one quick ritual ter I was watching my own body transform before my eyes. I couldn't look away, I had to take in every detail of what I was seeing. I loved what was happening to me.”

  “So did your legs become hooves or a tail?” Maribelle asked cheekily.

  “I watched my legs become my tail. Which meant these-” Lily said as reached a hand towards her hooves. “Grew out of me. Yeah, it's as weird as it sounds. At first I thought I was just a merfolk with a really long tail until I spotted the hooves emerging. It didn't hurt, but I could feel it happening. Thankfully, I've taken quite a liking to them. You see, I grew up close to horses and was quite skilled at dressage so being part horse works perfectly for me.”

  Maribelle and Lily ughed together as they continued to share their experiences of becoming merfolk until they reached a building that looked like someone's home.

  “Thank you for the conversation, it was quite delightful. However, we must part ways for now,” Lily said gratefully.

  “Likewise, I am gd I got to know you a little better,” Maribelle replied, grateful to have met someone who shared her experiences.

  “Me too, and I am relieved you came back. You belong here, Maribelle. And just remember that Bryn will come back,” Lily said warmly.

  Maribelle truly felt like she belonged in the sea.

  Before they parted ways, Lily embraced Maribelle. “We should meet up again some time.”

  “We really should,” Maribelle said eagerly before parting from the embrace. “See you next time.”

  Maribelle floated in the waters, relieving the moments of her transformation. Such a wonderful moment to become a mermaid once more. She doubted she would ever forget such a vivid experience. Sighing with relief, she was about to turn and leave when she noticed through the house window, Lily approaching a sea mia. Her heart suddenly rushed as she witnessed Lily hold the sea mia close, and kiss her on the lips.

  As quick as she could, Maribelle turned away as this was something not meant for onlookers. With a mighty kick with her tail, she propelled herself away from the house. However, no amount of distance prevented certain notions entering her mind.

  *****

  Maribelle stared at the book before her. While her understanding of Merrow had been steadily improving, there were still gaps in her knowledge. As much as she did not want to, sometimes she was forced to ask Joyce or Emily for their assistance with a few words.

  Bryn had been gone for over two weeks now, and in an attempt to distract herself from the fierce yearning she felt deep within her heart, Maribelle accepted Joyce's offer to join the little ‘book club’ she and Emily ran. The word ‘club’ was a very generous one to use considering there were only three people including herself, but Joyce had convinced her that it would be more exciting than not doing anything.

  Today's book was a very tense one detailing the hypothetical descent into one of the great abyssal trenches. Two brave mermaids had descended into the dark in an attempt to discover the truth of what awaited at the bottom. With nothing but darkness surrounding them, it was only their love for each other that kept them going deeper and deeper.

  Maribelle sighed quietly as she turned a page. She had hoped that a good book would keep her mind off Bryn, but every single time the two mermaids expressed their love for each other it brought visions of Bryn back in full force.

  She just liked Bryn as a friend, Things were perfectly fine as they were, right?

  She tried reading a few more pages while Joyce and Emily whispered among each other. However, at this point it was only making her year even stronger. She couldn't stop thinking about holding Bryn close, just like the mermaid explorers did so often in the story. What would it be like to have something like that in her life?

  Maribelle snapped the book and swam over to the bookcase.

  “Everything alright?” Emily asked.

  “I-” Maribelle tried to speak, but her words were too easily lodged in her throat.

  “I think the custrophobia is getting to poor Maribelle. Nothing to be ashamed of as many merfolk suffer from it too. Were meant for open seas, not cramped spaces,” Joyce teased.

  “Y-yes, that's exactly what's going on,” Maribelle lied, grateful for the convenient excuse.

  Her eyes scanned the bookshelves that were filled with much loved books. She tried to find one that would be suitable for her, but her mind was wandering so much she couldn't transte the Merrow on the spines of the books. Eventually in order to avoid any more suspicion, she plucked a random book from its spot and drifted back to the table.

  She began flicking through the pages. However, there was something about the way it was written that made it difficult to follow. Either she was mistransting words or there was a specific way to read the lines.

  Pushing the book across the table Maribelle asked, “could any of you help me with this?”

  Emily picked up the book and held it before her face. And then promptly gasped in surprise. “This is one of Saphrena's poetry books. It's one of her most famous.”

  “I'm struggling to transte it. Could you read it out to me please? I don’t know if I am transting it right,” Maribelle requested politely.

  Maribelle had to confess that she started to get very worried when all she got in response was silent stares. Moments of awkward confusion passed until Joyce coughed and said to Emily, “I am very sure Maribelle does not know the implications of what she just asked.”

  “Wait, did I do something wrong?” Maribelle asked while she stroked her tail. Had she unwittingly broken some unspoken taboo?

  “No, your fine Maribelle. It's just that Saphrena’s poems are traditionally only recited to the people you love with all your heart,” Joyce expined calmly.

  Love. The word brought many, many thoughts to Maribelle’s mind, and each and every one of them involved Bryn. She liked Bryn, there was no doubt about that. However, what eluded her mind was what exactly her desires were. More memories flowed through her mind, all the times her heart fluttered from some unknown excitement. What was it that her heart desired most? Should she be truly honest with herself? She felt the pressure within herself build up more and more as her heart screamed what it wanted most in the whole world.

  “I like Bryn,” Maribelle announced.

  Joyce and Emily gnced at each other for a moment before turning their gaze towards Maribelle who was fidgeting with her side fins.

  “We both know that,” Joyce said nonchantly as a small smile started to creep up her lips.

  Maribelle swallowed her nerves before continuing. “I mean I really, really like Bryn. But-”

  “But what, Maribelle?” Emily asked with anticipation.

  “But, I don’t understand how I like her,” Maribelle expined.

  Joyce left her seat and floated closer to Maribelle. “I am very certain you know exactly how you feel about Bryn deep down. I’ve seen how you gaze at Bryn,” she said softly.

  Bryn turned her face to Joyce, who looked at her with kind eyes. “She’s just a friend though. Things are just fine as they are.”

  “Come now, Maribelle. This is just like when you deep down wanted to stay here, but kept making up excuses to leave for the surface. All this repression is not going to help you at all. So tell me Maribelle, do you just like Bryn, or is there something more going on?” Joyce asked eagerly as if she knew the answer already.

  Twice now Bryn had saved her life, But there was more to the matter of what she felt in her heart. It had taken time to get to truly know Bryn, and the more she understood, the more she admired. There was so much about the mershark that she admired it would take too long to list. It was not just that Maribelle liked Byrn, as there was something that Bryn had done that no one else had even come close to doing so. The truth was that-

  “I love Bryn,” Maribelle confessed, tears drifting from her eyes. It was true, Bryn had won her heart through nothing more than pure kindness. Yes, she owed Bryn much for what she had done for her; However, that did not grant her free entry into her heart. Instead it was her generosity and sympathy that had awakened Maribelle’s heart to love. She never thought she would fall in love with a woman, and yet here she was admitting her yearning for Bryn.

  Joyce’s smile brightened with joy. “Knew it,” she said teasingly. “But I imagine you feel worlds better for finally admitting it to yourself.”

  “It does, it really does,” Maribelle said, watching a tear drift away in the sea.

  She really had fallen deeply in love with Bryn. Oh how her heart soared now that it was free of the chains holding it down.

  “But does Bryn feel the same way I do? Would she reciprocate the feelings I have for her? I would never force her into a retionship she did not want,” she said, deeply worried about the potential that the woman who held her heart would not feel the same way.

  Joyce gnced to the side for a moment, before returning to Maribelle and ughing. “When you returned to the surface, Bryn waited. She may not talk about those that leave Coraltide, but not once did she wait so long for them. I've also never seen her so close to anyone else, and stly I'm sure you'll be relieved to know that Bryn also has no interest in men. In fact, if you check Bryn's bookshelf I bet you'd find more of Saphrena's works.”

  Maribelle's face began to blush as she realised the implications of Joyce's words. “Are you saying that there's a chance that Bryn might feel the same way?” she asked, daring to hope that it was true.

  Joyce nodded eagerly, her hair waved through the water. “A chance? You have more than a chance, you have the best shot with Bryn in the whole sea.”

  Maribelle's blush turned a deeper shade of red, and then she rendered something.” Bryn’s not here though,” she mented glumly.

  Joyce reached out and took Maribelle's hand. “Think about it this way. Do you want to confess your love to Bryn?”

  “Of course I do,” Maribelle decred.

  “Well now you have time to think about how you're going to tell her how you feel about her, and since she is elsewhere then she's going to be none the wiser. I mean you want to make it a special occasion right?”

  She couldn't treat the admission of her love like any normal event. It had to be something spectacur, something to truly stir the heart. “Absolutely,” she replied.

  “And you can help with this, right?” Joyce asked excitedly as she turned back to Emily

  “We are both willing to help,” Emily said, joining in on the excitement.

  Maribelle's mind was drowning in ideas of how to confess her love. There were some ways to do it. Some were loud and energetic while others were more quiet and subdued. What mattered most was that it had to be perfect for Bryn.

  Maribelle floated beside the table, and picked up the book containing Saphrena's poetry. Looking at the front cover, an idea started to form in her heart.