The Queen and her Servant

This is an extract from my mermaid novel in the making that is not going to be part of the novel. While I really enjoyed this conversation between the Queen of Sahdows and her loyal servant, it does not serve the story as I want it to. However, I want to share it here, as I consider it an exciting piece and a glimpse into the longer story and mermaid world I have been writing on for a long time.

The Queen of Darkness stood in a grand room. It was only illuminated by one chandelier hanging above her, radiating silver light. Large books, both leather-bound and kelp-bound stood on shelves along the walls. They glittered bronze and silver-black, until the shelves and books disappeared into blackness, where the chandelier’s light could not reach them.

She wore a long, flowing silver dress that was made of the scales of Atlantean mermaids. Hundreds of mermaids have died for this dress. When it reflected the light of the chandelier, it appeared to catch starlight, glittering like a beautiful night sky. Her long silver hair seemed to become one with the dress as she leaned over a long table, a big book, open in front of her. Her eyes, as dark as an abyss, read an old text from a long-forgotten time.

‘Have you found what you were looking for?’

A man stepped out of the shadows and looked at his Queen with concern. Mervita did not look up. She simply sighed as if annoyed by the question of her servant. He was smart enough not to ask another question, knowing his Queen for almost seven thousand years. He was her oldest servant, her oldest ally.

Celeborn’s face expression showed no emotions. His stern face looked like a mask. Only his silver eyes, filled with longing for his Queen, glittered in the chandelier’s light.

Mervita looked up and closed the book. A thud echoed through the room as the cover and the heavy pages closed. Her pearl-shimmering hand, with nails like claws, tapped with impatience onto the dark cover.

‘The ancient songs of whales,’ Celeborn read out the title aloud.

‘Nothing I already know,’ Mervita said, bored. ‘Whales sing about all sorts of things. Gossip mostly, but a few know very ancient tales about a time when I was not even born. But it matters not. They only sing about the same things mermaids have known for centuries.’

With a wave of her hand the book floated towards the bookshelves and rose up into the darkness where it was swallowed by shadows. Celeborn looked after it, concern in his eyes and said. ‘So, our spy in Atlantis has led you to a dead end.’

‘He will be dead soon if he doesn’t come up with solutions. I was excited this morning, just until a few seconds ago. I thought his information he has given me would be finally of some use,’ Mervita said with a slight agitation in her voice.

She began to pace up and down, along the dark table below the chandelier. Her dress played a game of silver lights and shadows. As if moonlight, starlight, and night herself would chase each other over her dress.

‘But don’t you think he is invaluable to you. His position, his influence,’ Celeborn suggested. ‘Since Waron Tandrion, we have never had someone so deep within the inner circle.’

‘And look how that turned out. Waron is an old warrior with too much pride. We are only keeping him alive because he is still somewhat useful.’

Mervita stopped pacing and looked at Celeborn. He broke his masked face, and he smiled at her like only a devout lover could.

‘I can summon the armies now. We could lay siege to the Atlantic and the Venezea Kingdom at the same time. They would lose one or the other. Depending on where the Aquorsian forces would be sent to.’

‘No,’ Mervita simply said, and her word crawled like a shadow through the room and snuffed out Celeborn’s smile like a candle in a storm. ‘Thergo and the other Kings and Queens would know. They must not see my impatience. The Atlantic Kingdom is too strong right now. A conquest would take years. Besides, if darkness advances, we do not know what magical powers the ancient capitols can unleash. The libraries, or their guardians could even reveal themselves. It is a game of balance that we must play here. It must be the work of our spy. A work done in the shadows.’

‘So how much more time do you want to give him? I have to send him another message eventually,’ Celeborn said.

Mervita sighed. ‘Some more months will do. They will have to. But do mention in the message that my patience is running out. I want the library in Atlantis destroyed, and I want to find the library in Venice as soon as possible.’

‘We could always send some more red skull sharks with our new shadow portal,’ Celeborn said.

‘It takes too much energy. Energy we don’t want to waste. Not yet,’ Mervita answered. ‘Kataja and the others still need to refine it. But when it works, we will be able to attack everywhere and anywhere.’

There was concern in Celeborn’s eyes once again. ‘Are you certain there is nothing else bothering you.’

Merivta looked at him, her eyes without expression, but her face telling another story. There was not only impatience written all over her face but also something else. ‘I have been wondering about something for quite some time. There is something. I do not know what it is, but something has awakened. And this something grows stronger in the light every day. Yet, it conceals itself from me, hiding in the light, but I can sense it.’

‘What do you think that is?’ Celeborn breathed.

‘I have only told Kataja about this. You must not tell anyone else,’ Mervita said, and Celeborn simply nodded, knowing that the following conversation would not leave this room.

‘I believe an old power has risen. Something very ancient. Something that could challenge me. Some device fashioned by King Thergo and Queen Elmelina.’

‘And this is why you need to find the libraries so urgently?’

Mervita just nodded and stepped out of the chandelier’s light into the shadows, almost dissolving into them, as the glitter of her dress faded into darkness. The next words she only dared say out loud in the safety of blackness to her closest servant. ‘For the first time in thousands of years, Celeborn, I feel fear rising inside my inner ocean.’ The Queen of Shadows turned around and disappeared into darkness.