Poor Unfortunate Soul

Ursula's Tail

Vanessa Syreni grew up in a small village that bordered the sea. Her father died when she was far too young to remember him, and her mother raised her and her sister all on her own. She was cruel at times, unable to depart her wisdom without beating it into the girls. What she wanted more than anything was power and wealth, and she planned to use her daughters to receive it. Morgana Syreni wanted nothing more than to please her mother. Vanessa had a different goal. More than anything in the world, she wanted to find her true love and leave her life behind to be with him. She loved fairytales for that very reason.

Vanessa was never interested in politics, or any of the things her mother tried to teach her to turn her into the perfect bride. She couldn't cook or sew to save her life. She had no interest in cleaning, and avoided the subject of children like the plague. In her own time, she would go into town to learn from the midwife who practiced medicine. She was taught how to mix ingredients to heal, and the right things to say and do to command the elements around her. She was very interested in making poultices and learning about the different herbs and roots, and how they could be used. She had to hide the fascination from her mother, who never would have approved. As it was, the midwife was usually referred to as a witch, even by Morgana.

Since her mother feared the water, as that was what had taken her husband, Vanessa spent much of her time on the shore. Even Morgana avoided the sea, too afraid to anger their mother to learn about the world around her. Vanessa would get as close to the water as she could without getting wet, and read her fairytales in peace. It was on that very shore that she met Triton when she was eighteen years old.

Her mother had been pushing her towards getting a job in a neighboring city, far from the ocean that she loved so much. On one such day, she ran down to the sea to be away from her nagging mother and sister. She ran directly into the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. His gleaming red hair was pulled away from his face, and he had a very handsome matching beard. He was muscular and tall, though he seemed clumsy on his feet. She hoped that he couldn't see her embarrassment as she tried to straighten her wavy, black hair.

"I'm so sorry! I should have been paying more attention to where I was going," she told him, taking a hasty step back as she blushed. He just smiled at her for a moment before replying calmly.

"No, it's quite alright. I'm sure it's just as much my fault. I'm not from around here, you see. You're the first person I've met," he replied. She couldn't help but return his smile.

"And what an impression I've made. My name is Vanessa, and I've lived here my entire life," she said softly. "May I ask where you're from?"

"I doubt you've heard of it; it's not an easy location to get to," he answered vaguely. She frowned slightly, and he hurried to continue. "My name is Victor Triton. It's lovely to meet you, Vanessa."

"The pleasure is all mine," she assured him. "I was on my way to the shore, to watch the waves. Would you like to join me? I would love to get to know you."

"Of course. It would be my genuine pleasure to accompany you," he told her, grinning.

Vanessa had never been shy. It wasn't in her nature to be quiet or withdrawn; that had always been Morgana. However, with Victor, she found it hard to meet his intense gaze. She was much quieter than she usually would have been as she described her home and her family for him.

"My sister, Morgana, works as a seamstress in town. My mother has been trying to get me to move to the neighboring city, to meet a suitor and find work, but... I don't want to leave this behind. I've always been drawn to the sea," she finished after a while. She had never shared that with anyone, yet she found it easy to talk to Victor.