Millicent first saw Arilya a few years after the girl's tail turned red, when Arilya attended her sister's Maidening Ceremony. When merphen reach maturity, the Community "celebrates." The Council of Elders hosts a festival; work is suspended, games and sports are played, prizes given, and at the end of the festival, the Ceremony is held. Young members of the Community are not allowed to attend the Ceremony until they complete their fifth session of education.
The vibrancy of Arilya's tail startled Millicent. She heard about it when the Council discussed the case, but as she rarely mingled with merpeople outside of the Elders, the story dulled in her mind and she imagined the "girl with the red tail" to be somewhat of a misnomer. Surely she did not really have a bright red tail – more likely it was a rich orange, or a saturated magenta. But pure red? Preposterous.
But when Millicent finally saw her at the Ceremony, it could not be denied. Arilya was an exuberant merphan, bouncing in the water the way a jellyfish does, though with greater speed. Her hair streamed behind her, unable to keep up, and she wore a smile – an actual smile – on her face. When was the last time Millicent had seen a real smile, one full of joy? Too long to recall.
Millicent studied the merphan throughout the Ceremony. Arilya's smile faded, ultimately disappearing as she witnessed her older sister marry a cruel merman. She hid her face behind her hands as the Council forced the couple to consummate the marriage. Anger, hurt, and betrayal shouted from her eyes when she dared look up again. Her sister floated by, leaving the ceremony, and Arilya reached for her hand. The older girl shook her off, "Do not be such an infant, Arilya," and continued to swim through the crowd. Arilya felt the full force of the abandonment – it read in her features so distinctly even the cold-hearted Elders would have seen it if they bothered to pay attention. Millicent knew then it was not the red tail that made Arilya special.
YOU ARE READING
The Maidening Ceremony
FantasyCenturies ago, a group of humans made a choice to abandon their families for "freedom" in open waters. They didn't realize that family wouldn't be the only sacrifice. The ability (and desire) to love would be another. But the urge to love, the urge...
