Love in Dangerous Waters

Prologue

"It seems like all the kingdom came." The Queen stated, setting Ocea and Nicole between herself and the King.

"This party is spectacular, isn't it?" The King smiled, turning his head towards his wife, who was holding Aqua. "Best one yet, I think." He smiled, wrapping around the throne back and clipping her deep yellow shell necklace around her neck.

"What?" The Queen asked, jerking her head towards him. "Oh, uh, right…" She stammered, shielding her hair on the side facing him, turning back towards the crowd.

"Are you alright? You've seemed kinda off all morning." The King asked, settling down in his throne and flipping her curly, dark brown hair away with the hand, and it floated aimlessly in the water.

"She's different." The Queen breathed, lowering her voice drastically. "I can sense the Magic in her."

"Magic?" The King asked seriously, leaning closer next to her. "There hasn't been a single merperson with Magic, not since we had it all extracted. Could it be Black Magic?"

"I don't know." She whispered, smiling and waving to the merpeople like nothing was wrong. "But let's just keep it a secret until we get it figured out, okay? God forbid that Lucille finds out."

"Oh yeah, Lucille…" The King muttered, tapping his fingers impatiently on the armrest. Lucile was the evil sea witch, her heart as black as her sharp, pointed tail. She wasn't too old, but everybody in the kingdom dreaded her ever since she first used Black Magic. It wasn't found in a while until she conjured it up, and was now living on the south side on Antastica, away from the rest of the kingdom. She's been searching for the little Magic that was left in Antastica, but it was harder to fins since it was banished from the kingdom. The only reason she hasn't left was because she couldn't. Morphing was very hard and complicated, even for a sea witch.

"What are we going to do?" The Queen pestered him, a tone of annoyance settling over him.

"Everything will be fine, I haven't seen Lucille in who knows how long." He soothed, smiling at the chaotic yet peaceful scene. "Do you see one frown on any of the merpeople?"

"No…" She answered, rocking Aqua back and forth in her arms. "I'm just scared."

"Don't be, we're prepared. You know how the guards are." He pointed out, and she nodded in agreement. She flipped her goldish-green tail lazily, wishing to be out there with her people, but she knew she couldn't do that. The King grasped her hand gently, rubbing his thumb in circles. "Everything will be fine, calm down."

And a flash of lightning came from above, sending other flashes and thunder across the area. The creatures started screaming, huddled around, looking for an escape. The guards swam out quickly and surrounded the royals, and the Princesses were whimpering or shrieking as the dull-colored green skinned, black-tailed woman appeared from black smoke in the middle of the crowd, laughing hysterically and evilly.

"Well, you didn't tell me another Princess was born!" She laughed, swimming quickly towards the front, making the other merpeople around her cower away from her. "And still no sons…" She made a tsking sound, waving her index finger as she floated upright. "Well, that does put a damper on today now, doesn't it?"

"You're the one who burst in, Lucille, ruining the party." The King stated bluntly, floating in front of his family protectively, the Queen holding their terrified, shrieking daughters as he was holding his silver and gold trident, aiming right at her. "Now leave before you are vanquished!"

"Oh please." Lucille laughed, taking the tip of her finger and placing it on the edge of the trident, pointing it away from her. "I'm just here for the Magic."