The Maidening Ceremony

Chapter Twenty - Scene 1

           

For as long as I could remember, the arena had been set up for the Maidening Ceremony with straight rows, theater style, facing a stage at the top, or front, of the space.  All of the Community found seats wherever they choose and laughter, bets taking place on which maid would be paired with which man, and other random conversations filled the place with pleasant noise.  It was the only time every single merperson assembled in one place, and it was taken advantage of: gossip was spread, rumors retold, it was a loud event.

Not this time.

Swimming just inside the entrance, a different arena came into view.  The stage had been moved to the very center of the arena.  The Elders were seated in a semi-circle, perched on tall seats, like thrones, Two center seats were empty as was a third on the end.  William, Elizabeth, Joseph.

I wanted to swim straight to the "Royal Court" and knock them all down a peg, but before I could, a thick yellow cord appeared and began winding itself around my wrists and waist.  I tried to swim out, but the cords were dragging me inside.  I tried to scream, but my voice was disabled.

The cord was incredibly strong; I twisted, turned, pulled, did everything I could, but I could not break free.

What the hell was going on?  What had William and Elizabeth done?

I was yanked into a seat on the now semi-circle benches beside a mermaid with a green tail and red hair I could not remember ever seeing before.  I wondered if she was still a merphen.  She looked young, but so we all did; it was really the look of terror on her face that made me question her age.  Did she see this event in the near future for herself?

On her other side a merman with a light blue tail and black hair looked just as terrified, if not more so, and I definitely recognized him as one of the Community's hunters, so he had gone through his ceremony already.

Everywhere I looked, the faces of my fellow merpeople were plastered with fear.  No one knew what was going on and no one liked it.  William had finally taken complete control of everything.

I did not know how the arena could get any quieter, but it did as the parents of the Maidening Class appeared, the mothers from the northern entrance and the fathers from the southern.  There were only two fathers lined up with the mermen and my heart tugged pity for Finley.  He had always been alone, now Arilya loved him, but I had the sick sense that he would never truly have her, either.  There was no way the Council would allow Arilya what she wanted.  They had gone to such drastic measures for God-only-knows what reason; there was no way they were giving in to the whim of the red-tailed girl.

The parents took their places in the closest circle to the stage, their role was not complete yet.

If I could have gasped, I would have.  The Class came in next, blindfolded, arms behind their backs, being led by massive, cruel-looking mermen.  No, "led" did not properly describe it.  Manhandled.  Shoved.  Dragged.  All much better options.  And I was helpless to help them.

Arilya was easy to spot.  Her red tail stuck out especially amidst the meatheads with their unmistakably blue tails.  When I glanced at the mermen's line, I had to do a double take.  Finley's orange fin was not there.  But a red one was.

"Finley can love!  Finley loves Arilya," I though, joyously. It was a good sign, right?  Hope that things were changing for the merpeople.  They could learn to love, after all.  I had never been successful, but I had not tried as hard as Arilya did with Finley.

Things were changing.  Oh yes, they were changing all right.  How little did I know how much.  All my hope for the Community, for Arilya and Finley, it was all in vain.

William and Elizabeth came in with the Class.  William headed straight for the tallest, most throne-like seat amongst the Council.  He was staking his claim, no doubt at the end of the ceremony he would proclaim his divine right to rule as king or emperor or something equally horrifying and ridiculous.