Astrid is the crown princess of Atlantis, but she barely has time to worry about the kingdom with six younger sisters to watch over, especially with the youngest coming into her powers as a daughter of the sea to navigate time. When Astrid fears tha...
I place the crown upon my head and clasp it into the top of my pleated brown hair as I sit in front of my sea glass.
The green eyes of my reflection stare back at me, unflinching and unfeeling. My lips are set into a straight line under my noble nose in a face pale from seeing so little sun, per my father's orders.
In every way, I resemble what a queen should be. What my mother was.
Using my silver tail to propel myself upwards, I smooth down the ceremonial grown woven from kelp to flow down my torso and half my tail, as modesty permits.
For a moment, I miss the feeling of my hair flowing free around me as a skirt, but I push that emotion deep inside and lock it in my chest along with so many others. A queen doesn't need to feel free. And she certainly shouldn't show grief for the previous queen.
Lifting my chin, I swim toward my window and peer out the bars I ordered placed in every palace window to keep certain princesses from sneaking out. Though, at this point, I don't know who is worse- Calypso with her always needing to sneak out to explore the seven seas without father's knowledge and unchaperoned with her tutor's son, or little Lena, with her insistence to act older than her nine years of age and practice time-swimming where we can't keep track of her.
Suddenly, the canvas that covers my door when I desire privacy is pushed away and I turn to find Priscilla come swimming in.
I frown at my second youngest sister, her golden locks flowing free around her in a way that fits her charming personality and rank where it would never complement mine.
Now, however, her face is twisted into an uncharacteristic frown as her silver-green fin swishes nervously below her.
Calmly, I reach up to readjust my crown. "What's wrong, Prissi?"
"It's Lena," she gasps, her gills expanding and contracting erratically. "She's gone!"
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