The Merprincess

  ( Splishsplash )

  Splishsplash scooped food from her plate and deposited it into her mouth. An array of green leaves, legumes, nuts, and berries, selected for neither taste nor texture, but for nutrient density. A fairy's body was an efficient machine. She could survive on the poorest sustenance for her entire life, but optimal fuel would allow for optimal performance. If it were a choice between flavour and even just a fractional improvement to physical strength, mental agility, and energy levels, then the choice was no choice at all. Reaching one's maximum potential required constant dedication. It was a simple equation. In order to serve her Queen best, she needed to be her best.

  The other Fairy Princesses lacked resolve. At times she had tried to explain this to them, but they didn't seem to understand. They were illogical and selfish creatures, at times valuing personal enjoyment over duty. When she'd tried to force her ways upon them, it had only led to a decline in teamwork. Eventually, she arrived at the conclusion it was more beneficial to allow them small freedoms and maintain their co-operation, even if it led to inferior individual ability.

  At a certain point, those small freedoms had stretched too far. Splishsplash now sat alone in the dining room. That was not an issue in itself. She was perfectly capable of chewing and swallowing without the aid of her allies. The problem lay in where those allies were instead.

  Two were dead, and the fault partly their own, a result of overconfidence and reckless impulsivity. But there was another unspoken factor that contributed to their demise. The very pairing itself was a failure of the Royal Council.

  The day of Winterwish's emergence, Puddingpuff had arrived at the Queen's Study before dinner, panting for breath. She'd pushed for Merrymint's selection in Mentorship. Rainbow City's warden had always provided sound counsel in the past, and had proved intellectually superior to Splishsplash on many occasions. That was why, despite having reservations, Splishsplash had raised no objection. Even without said opposition, Queen Titania initially rejected the proposal, determining such an arrangement too risky. That, however, changed when Winterwish and Merrymint had proved to be fast and enthusiastic friends. Queen Titania, for all her power and wisdom, often fell victim to fickle emotions.

  One was imprisoned. Of all Splishsplash's allies, Sunshine was the one she respected most. Like herself, the firstborn constantly strove for self-improvement. If only their personalities were more compatible, they could accomplish great things together. Splishsplash had hoped confinement might provide her elder time to attain mental maturity, but thus far her condition had only deteriorated.

  Three had defied Queen Titania and left the palace grounds without permission. Splishsplash's allies often committed minor infractions, but this level of misbehaviour was unusual. If their defences weren't so diminished, she would have searched for them, but as things were, she had no choice but to remain within the palace.

  Splishsplash's plate was clean and stomach satisfied, yet her vision scanned the table until it stopped upon a serving of vibrant vegetables. For the longest time, she'd endured something of a cerebral flaw. Regardless of dietary requirements, no meal registered as complete without a radish's crisp spice.

  Inessential...

  She reached out and indulged her neurological quirk.

  Crunch.

  There were far more leftovers than usual, for no one else had touched the food yet. She decided to give her allies a little more time before clearing things away.

  When she headed for the door, the handle retreated from her hand and hinges creaked. Beyond the opened frame, Cutiehorn's silver eyes fell the moment Splishsplash met with them. Cherrychomp took cover behind the knight, cradling her deceased ally's hat.

  It seems they are aware of their misbehaviour.

  Splishsplash tapped on Loyalty's shaft with her index finger whilst calculating the most appropriate response.

  Princess Cutiehorn and Princess Cherrychomp have broken the rules and disobeyed Queen Titania's will. That is unacceptable. They must not repeat such an action. Scolding them would make them aware of my disapproval, and if severe enough, may also dissuade them from future misdemeanors.

  However, they are vulnerable in heart and mind. Recent events may have already tested their mental endurance. Treating them harshly now might damage their allegiance. We can ill-afford to take such risks during our current crisis.

  The safest conclusion is one of cautious lenience.

  Splishsplash bowed her head to each in turn. "Princess Cutiehorn, Princess Cherrychomp, your absence was concerning, but I am glad of your return. Please eat and rest. It is important that you recover your strength."

  Slowly but surely, Cherrychomp peeked back out from behind, yet Cutiehorn's lips trembled and eyes grew wet.

  Why do their reactions differ? Did I present unrealised aggression? Did I voice a divisive insult?

  "Thank you, Splishsplash." Cutiehorn's mouth formed a shaky crescent.

  It was an oral shape that Splishsplash had been careful to study. One she believed indicated positivity, and was often used to encourage a bettering of bonds.

  Cutiehorn may be attempting to befriend me. I should respond in kind.

  Splishsplash clenched her cheek muscles as if they were bearing immense weight, and felt exterior soft tissues stretch tight. She was sure she had performed the exercise correctly, yet the pair before her widened their oculars and retreated a half step.

  Is my facial strength lacking? Perhaps I should have trained for this.

  Then, in complete conflict with all reason and understanding, Cutiehorn advanced to embrace Splishsplash, and began to cry into her shoulder.

  Unsure how to proceed, and unwilling to complicate things further, Splishsplash chose to remain motionless.

  Interactions would be simpler if individuals stated their thoughts and feelings out loud. This game of interpretation is as inaccurate as it is inefficient.

  Just when Splishsplash thought things could not become any more inconvenient, she felt Cherrychomp join their physical engagement by latching onto their waists.

  After enduring for a time, she had to ask. "...How long does this activity usually take?"

  They released her shortly after.

  "Sorry," whimpered Cutiehorn. "I... I tried to speak with Queen Titania. She's in the Study, I'm sure, but..." Eyes narrowed, causing moisture to spill. "...She wouldn't even answer me."

  "I am to see her now," said Splishsplash. "Should I pass on a message?"

  Cutiehorn nodded slowly. "I don't know what's going on, but things are looking rough up in Rainbow City."

  Princess Puddingpuff has been underperforming in her duties of late. This is an unideal time for dissatisfactory operations. I must address this with haste.

  "Oh," continued Cutiehorn, "and there are twelve corpses by the ruins near Shroomster. I didn't know if we should bury them or tell Queen Titania first..."

  Burying them serves no purpose. The creatures of the forest will take care of things.

  "The cause of death?" asked Splishsplash.

  Cherrychomp placed the bloodied hat before Merrymint's throne, then steadily headed for her own seat, her usual enthusiasm to devour muted.

  "Murder." Cutiehorn lowered the faesteel shield and propped it against the wall, handling it with needless care, as if under the misunderstanding it might break. "No signs of corruption, but they carried iron daggers."

  Splishsplash tightened her grip on Loyalty. Even wielding iron, humans presented little threat to fairies, but its presence indicated something intolerable. Defiance.

  "I understand." Splishsplash bowed once more and prepared to depart. "...Princess Cutiehorn, may I enquire as to Princess Bubblebun's whereabouts?"

  The knight sat down and stared at the empty chair opposite. "...I don't know."

  "Splishysplash?" called Cherrychomp. "Is Sunnyshine comin' to eat?"

  "Do not fear for her starvation," said Splishsplash. "I have taken her ample food."

  The red hooded fairy's lips remained downturned.

  On approach to the Study, Splishsplash initially believed Cutiehorn to have been mistaken. If Queen Titania was inside, then the glow of her flames would surely have flickered from the crack beneath the butterfly-chiselled door, as the abundance of eruptions had depleted their faefire supplies, but there was no such radiance to be seen. Yet, when she pressed her ear to the hewn oak, she detected sounds of distress.

  Whilst Splishsplash was unsure why, the three queens had held high hopes for Winterwish's cocoon even before her emergence. Queen Titania had not taken the loss well.

  She knocked thrice, as was customary. "My apologies for disturbing you, Queen Titania, but I require your attention."

  It seemed Splishsplash was to fare no better than Cutiehorn, for the monarch within refused to respond.

  She struck the door harder, so much that it rattled within the frame. "Queen Titania, it is I, Princess Splishsplash. Has your hearing diminished?"

  Again, the Queen remained uncommunicative. Worse yet, the last order Splishsplash had received was to leave her be.

  This is unideal.

  Most of the keys Splishsplash had been entrusted with remained hidden in her room so that they would not be lost during combat. A few years ago, however, her fellow councillor had presented a proposal. Puddingpuff had quietly offered to research potential solutions to the crisis they would one day face, and all she required was access to the Study’s materials. Since then, Splishsplash had kept the appropriate key on her person at all times.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “Forgive me, Queen Titania, but I must enter.”

  She reached behind her tiara’s starfish and pried the bronze shape from its suction cups. The Queen’s will was absolute, but she was not always lucid. She had lived for over a thousand years and endured tragedies that would break even the strongest of souls. As such, Splishsplash sometimes had to act autonomously to further her Queen’s best interests.

  One twist and a click later, the door was unlocked.

  Splishsplash found Queen Titania within the ring of runed mushrooms, but not channeling. Rather, she was upon her knees, more weary and gaunt than ever before, the edges of her skeletal structure visible beneath sunken skin. In her weak grip was a sleek, curved knife.

  "My Queen, I bear tidings both urgent and ill. Princess Sunshine's condition is declining, and she still refuses to talk. I do not believe there is any benefit to be had in her continued incarceration. Additionally, Princess Cutiehorn has reported unrest in Rainbow City."

  Black pearls laced with the faintest of cinders lifted from the blade. "...Gone," uttered Queen Titania.

  "My Queen?" asked Splishsplash.

  "Nix... I waited so very, very long. At times, I thought she might never emerge… Now, it’s like she never did. No, it’s worse than that. This time she’ll never return..."

  Nix?

  Splishsplash tapped a finger upon Loyalty. She combined various possibilities with certainties, rearranging them until she arrived at the most likely theory. “Forgive me for prying, Queen Titania, but were you perhaps familiar with Winterwish prior to her metamorphosis?”

  “...To think, I actually allowed myself hope…" Queen Titania shook her head. "It’d been so long, I almost didn’t recognise the sensation.” The sleek, curved knife fell from frail fingers with a clatter. Bony arms wrapped each other, as if she was suddenly lacking in warmth. “I’d always thought she’d be able to fix everything… I always thought she’d remember… Yet when I looked into her eyes, they were cold. So very, very cold…” Queen Titania’s expression collapsed. What followed was not a word, but the faintest of intermittent whines.

  The queendom will not last long if she remains crestfallen.

  "All is not lost. The Nursery still holds almost two dozen cocoons. If necessary, we could expedite the induction of new recruits too. With your permission, I will begin escorting potential candidates immediately. If we start now, we may see the swiftest emergences within the year."

  The monarch’s body rocked. Her shoulders rose with a long, deep breath, before it released as a shudder. "...How many?"

  "If I am not mistaken, we can initiate as many as sixty-six metamorphoses right now."

  Queen Titania buried her face in her hands. "So many..." she whimpered. "I can't do it. Not again. I -" She paused, looked to the Study door, and swiftly rose to her feet. Light returned to her eyes with a flash that turned tears to steam.

  Crash.

  The oak swung open with force. Gasping and gulping, Puddingpuff shambled toward them with one hand clutching her midsection. Her attire was tattered, torn, splattered and stained. One side of her face was swollen, and both eyes carried tired bags.

  She has been neglecting her nightmares again.

  Splishsplash had attempted to stress the importance of sleep to Puddingpuff before, but it was challenging when Queen Titania insisted the true nature of fairies remain a secret. "What is the meaning of this? Were you attacked? Are you harmed?"

  Puddingpuff waved a hand. “Oh, you needn’t… worry about… me, dearest Splishsplash,” she wheezed. After a few seconds, she was able to talk properly. “...Merely the price of acting alongside imperceptive dullards.”

  Splishsplash was unsure of whom Puddingpuff referred, but so long as she remained fit, there were more important issues to address. "I have received a concerning report regarding Rainbow City."

  Lips rolled. Unsteady fingers failed to tidy stray curls. “...Good. That should expedite matters. Indeed, things are becoming somewhat unruly, but may be easily remedied... Tell me, how co-operative is Sunshine right now? We may need her to address a few concerns.”

  Splishsplash looked to her Queen, who remained as still as she was stern, then spoke on her behalf. “...I believe that to be an unreliable option.”

  “Well, that’s a slight kerfuffling,” said Puddingpuff. “Then I must humbly request that Titania ascend and denounce the lies of our enemies in person."

  That too was an unsuitable solution, for there were two things their Queen could not abide. The first, physical contact, was an occasional inconvenience. The second, large crowds, had always proved problematic for her position.

  When the ruler remained silent, Puddingpuff used her parasol as a support whilst lowering to her knees. “...We also need to promise to rebuild the forest villages, as well as request food from Obon." She waited several seconds for a response that did not come. "...Immediately.”

  Eyes smoldered and embers drifted, yet the Queen moved not.

  Puddingpuff looked between the two several times. “…If my advice is to go unheeded, then may I at least enquire as to the purpose of my presence on this council?”

  Queen Titania's voice cut through the Study as easily as a blade to butter. “Remind me, on whose recommendation did I depart, attending a meeting which would prove fruitless, the day of Winterwish's demise?”

  Pursed lips readied, but it took a moment for sound to emerge. When it did, it was as weak as whisper. “I never claimed to be infallible... You have my sincerest apologies. If there is anything I can do to -”

  “Bubblebun passed by a short while ago,” said Queen Titania. “She delivered me a great deal of troubling news…”

  Puddingpuff’s head drooped. “...I see. I’m sorry that you had to hear such things.”

  “You’re only sorry that you’ve been caught,” said Queen Titania.

  A laced finger raised. “You permitted me discretion provided I yield results.” Pink eyes lifted to meet Queen Titania’s glare. “Are you dissatisfied with the peace and prosperity I have bestowed your previously pauperous fantasy? Have I not maintained, nay, bettered your wonderland?"

  "Through deception and defiance," said Queen Titania. "I granted you authority, and in return you encouraged the subversion of my laws. You fostered dissent in the heart of my realm."

  Faced with such grievous accusations, Splishsplash would've expected any true subordinate to grovel for forgiveness, or at least proclaim innocence. Puddingpuff, however, did no such thing. In fact, she struggled to her feet.

  "I contained the undeniable," she said sharply. "What you perceive as sordid sin once swamped every street. I merely swept it all into one easily concealed corner, and to the majority's benefit, might I add. Humans are frail, fragile creatures. To grant them self-destruction is to allow them a sense of control. You cannot deprive them freedom and expect them thrive. I thought you might've realised that after a thousand years of rule."

  “Rather rich coming from one who has lost control of her charge after just forty years,” snapped Queen Titania.

  For a moment, the Study remained silent.

  Splishsplash might not fully grasp the situation, but even she could tell the current conversation was gaining in unhelpful hostility. One thing she had learned over a century of misunderstandings, was that no two individuals agreed on every matter. For every similarity Queen Titania and Puddingpuff shared, there was an equally opposing distinction. Normally, hierarchy averted conflict, yet on this occasion, the inferior refused to submit to the superior.

  "This is unconstructive," said Splishsplash. "Princess Puddingpuff, you are conducting yourself improperly before our Queen." She bowed her head to the monarch. "Queen Titania, forgive my disrespect, but you are both in dire need of rest. I believe we should prioritise solving our current issues over judging Princess Puddingpuff's transgressions, at least until you have both slept."

  "I would agree with you, Splishsplash, but you are yet unaware of Puddingpuff's true treachery." The Queen's wings illuminated with fresh lustre. She proceeded with harsh ones. "I would like you to imagine my distress, Puddingpuff. Firstly, upon learning you entered my private chambers whilst I was away, as per your counsel. Secondly, upon checking my most precious personal possession only to discover it damaged."

  This time, Splishsplash did not speak in Puddingpuff's defence, for the only way she could've accessed the Queen's Bedroom was with the use of a key placed in her trust. The fact it had been taken, used and returned without her realising was a failure on her part. "I was unaware of this. I beg your forgiveness, Queen Titania."

  The monarch remained focused on Rainbow City's warden. Flickering fists tightened. "...Where is it?"

  Puddingpuff's features made twitchy movements. The hand left her midsection to pull a piece of paper from her pocket. "I wonder, just what is it that makes that book so special? Perhaps it's this very page... Perhaps it's the name of the one who orchestrated our allies' deaths?"

  Then came the impossible.

  Queen Titania retreated a step, eyeing the paper as if it was capable of slicing her in two.

  Splishsplash took Loyalty in both hands. Her grip firm. Objective undecided.

  "Allow me to grant you something you've never granted us. An answer." Puddingpuff threw the paper to the floor. "Skaphos. That's the name of your enemy. A man I believe you may be familiar with."

  Immolation swallowed up the Queen. "Princess Puddingpuff! You are hereby relieved of your duties in Rainbow City and removed from my council! Think yourself lucky the prison tower is currently occupied!"

  This. Is. Unideal.

  "So be it." Puddingpuff braced her stomach and turned to stamp her way out. "I have grown tired trying to hold together that which you so willingly let fall apart. I am done carrying your shitshow of a queendom!"

  If Puddingpuff had looked back before slamming the door to a close, she would've seen the monarch collapse to her knees and heave for breath.

  Splishsplash surged to her side, stopping just short. "My Queen. You do require aid?"

  The monarch's hand moved to cup at her mouth. She closed her eyes and shook her head rapidly. When she finally spoke, it was mostly incoherent. "A lie... Mistaken... Wrong... Wrong, wrong, wrong... Impossible... H-he's dead..."

  Splishsplash looked to the aged paper resting upon the floor. There in faded ink was the name that troubled her Queen so. Skaphos. A lord once wed to a Princess Nym, sister of Princess Nix.

  She squeezed Loyalty's shaft. "This villain... give me the order and I will bring you his head."

  "No. If... if that monster truly lives, then you must all stay far, far away from him. I'd sooner burn this realm to the ground than let him lay his rotten hands on any of you."

  Splishsplash was not opposed to extreme measures. She'd once suggested culling half the population so that defending them might become more manageable, yet that idea had only horrified the monarch.

  For the Queen to voice such a destructive strategy, she must perceive the threat to be great indeed.

  "I must know if Puddingpuff speaks the truth." Queen Titania struggled to her feet. "You said Sunshine still refuses to talk? Then I will speak with her myself."

  "Of course, my Queen. I do not wish to delay you further, but I must ask, what of Rainbow City?"

  Queen Titania looked up through the glass ceiling to the bright bands high above, then loosed a shaky sigh. "...What do you suggest, my Ace?"

  With Puddingpuff out of the picture, only one option remained. Splishsplash would have to take matters into her own hands. "I will do what is necessary."