"-Happy birthday dear Sofia! Happy birthday to you!" Everyone applauded and Sofia blew out the candles. Sofia and her friends and family we celebrating her birthday on their family's floating palace. She had just turned 14, to some just another teen year. But to her it was the year she got to choose three men that would soon come down to one future husband.
She made friends with all of the princes and at first it was up to her parents and the princes parents who she would be engaged to. But after a lot of begging (from both Sofia and the princes), they finally agreed that she and the princes should be aloud to decide who they would marry. But she must pick three princes at 14, pick two at 16 and she would marry who ever she picks at age 19.
After everyone ate cake, they went down to the platform to open gifts. Her mermaid friends, Oona and Cora, swam up to her.
"Hey Sofia! Happy birthday!"
"Yeah happy birthday!"
"Thanks Oona and Cora. You guys are welcome to come up here. Remember that bracelet I gave y'all?"
"Oh yea!"
Sofia's royal sorcerer, Cedric, created magical bracelets for all mermaids and merman so they could walk on land when every they pleased. The same for all the villagers in Enchania. After pressing the button on the bracelet, they grew legs and climbed onto the ship.
After an hour of opening presents, they had all decided to go for a swim. Sofia on the other hand decided not to go swimming at that time.
Sofia had an amulet with magical powers. Years ago, her step father, King Roland II, married her mother and she gained two step siblings, James and his twin sister, Amber. The day after she got it she rescued a baby bird and in return she gained the power to speek and understand animals. More powers grew over time, along with one where if she gets in the ocean or pool, she will turn into a mermaid. Her family nor her friends know about this power, cause she's scared someone will try to use her for her powers or try to take it. Then she wouldn't be able to talk to her friends: Clover the rabbit, Robin and Mia the birds, Minimus the flying horse, and Whatnaught the squirrel.
When the sun started to set, Prince Desmond walked to where Sofia was looking out at the sea.
"Hey Desmond. Why aren't you inside?"
"No reason. Heh."
"Oh right. I forgot your afraid of tight spaces."
"No I'm not." He said blushing.
Sofia giggled. She knew that Desmond was scared of almost everything. And that he was the smartest kid in Royal Prep, the school for all royals.
After talking for a little bit, Desmond went on the other side to study the dolphins. Queen Miranda came out and said, "Sofia, why aren't you inside at your own party?"
"Oh, heh heh, I was just thinking."
The queen smirked. "Mm-hm. And do you happen to be thinking of which three boys you will be picking?"
"Maybe. I don't know who to pick right now. It may not be that big a deal yet but I know whoever I pick, I would have to decided between them for who I will marry."
Miranda walked over to her and put her hands on Sofia's shoulders. "Who every you choose, is your own decision. You are the one in charge of your life. You can pick a whole other person who you haven't pick yet when you are of age. But till then, you need to at least pick three men, ok?"
"Ok mom."
"We will pick at night fall. That gives you another hour to decide. I love you baby." She kissed Sofia in the head. "I'm gonna go back in. Wanna come?"
"No I'll be in in a little bit. I wanna think a little more."
She nodded and went back to the others. Sofia turned around. I want to pick someone who I know will treat me right. But I want to pick the three guys who I KNOW I will have a hard time deciding when I get older. That way I know that those three men are so nice to me, so sweet that I would want all three.
Sofia sighed. Well, James told me that Zandar has had a crush on me for a few years now. He I will pick first. And ever since that ice skating recital with Hugo, I started to have feelings for him. He will be my next choice. But I don't know who I will pick for my last one. Maybe I can pick Axel, Hugo's brother. He's a really sweet guy. Although he is really annoying when he talks about how great he is and all.
After thinking long and hard, Sofia finally came up with her three picks. And right on time too!
Everyone was called to the dock for Sofia's big announcement. She stood at the edge of the dock while everyone else was way in front of her. She was a little nervous about being so close to the edge in case she fell in, but the ship was still so she didn't need to worry about it too much.
"I have come up with my three picks. The first will be Zandar of Tangu." Zandar was smiling really big, for he still had a huge crush on her. "The next shall be Hugo of Albuquerque." He was trying to hide his smile but everyone could obviously see that he was excited to know that he was picked. Sofia giggled, relived that both of them like her and she like them back. "And for my final choice, I pick-"
The ship started rocking back and forth roughly. Everyone either moved to the left side or the right side of the ship. Sofia on the other hand couldn't move to either side.
Mainly cause she fell into the ocean!
"Sofia!" Everyone screamed. Zandar and Hugo were the first ones to run to the edge of the dock. Everyone looked in the water, hoping to see where their princess went.
Sofia had turned into a mermaid and was right below the floating palace. What am I gonna do? If I go up there they will see that I am a mermaid. But if I stay down here they will think I drowned! She signed. I'm just gonna do it.
Sofia swam up to the surface and poked her head up. Hugo saw her first and shouted, "Sofia! Are you ok?!"
"I'm fine. But there is something that I need to tell you."
She swam up to the dock and he and Zandar pulled her up. But when they saw her chest, they saw that she was wearing a bikini top instead of her dress. "Sis, why are you-" everyone gasped when they saw a tail instead of legs.
"I can turn into a mermaid," she laughed nervously. "My amulet gave me the power after I saved Oona from that fishing net the first time we visited here."
"Wait." Said King Roland, Sofia's father. "Is that how you knew the queen and the mermaids were scared of coming to the top?"
"Yes. My amulet has given me many powers in the past ever since my dad gave it to me."
Sofia explained to them all what would happen when you do a good deed and a bad deed. Before she could tell them all the powers she had, the waves started pushing them all again. But instead of Sofia in her mermaid state, when the ship pushed her back into the water, her amulet got yanked off and she lost her tail!
As Sofia struggled for air, she wondered why she couldn't breathe. But when she looked down, she didn't see her tail. She reached to grab her amulet but didn't feel it anywhere on her.
Holding her breath, Sofia swam up to the surface. She gasped when she got to the top. She tried to swim back to the ship but the waves kept pushing her under water. Finally, she grabbed onto a log that was floating by.
After getting on it, she looked for the ship. After finding it, sofia heard someone calling her name. "Sofia!!"
She saw Hugo on Minimus flying towards her. "I'm over here!" Sofia waved her hand in the air. But before Hugo could grab her hand, rocks behind he started to cause the log to tumble back and forth.
After a few tosses and turns, a soaked Sofia looked behind her to see a waterfall!! Sofia screamed, "Help!!"
Minimus and Hugo heard her and saw that she was in even more trouble that they thought! They started flying faster and faster until they were right at her finger tips. When he reached out to grab her hand, Hugo and Minimus crashed into a tree.
Sofia calls their names again but right as she said "Hugo" again, her head crashed hard into a rock. Sofia, out cold, laid on the log. Hugo rushed to her as fast as he and Minimus could, but he failed..
Right as Hugo's hand brushed against Sofia's, she fell down the waterfall!!
"Sofia!!!"
Black out...
Sofia's POV
All I could see was darkness. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear. And I couldn't talk.
I couldn't feel anything around me anymore. I couldn't even feel where the log went. But there was one thing I knew:
I was dying..
3rd person POV
After Hugo returned back to the floating palace, he ran to the bathroom and locked the door. When Minimus explained everything, everyone was devastated.
From that day on, they would never celebrate Sofia's birthday, for that was the day she died.
Or is she...?