Maribelle's parents stared, jaws dropped a little, at their daughter whom they assumed tragically died weeks ago. Maribelle saw that they were struggling to realise what they were seeing. How could they not? Falling into the sea as a human was surely a death sentence. And yet by some miracle, here she was, alive and well.

  With a hesitant step forward, Maribelle's mother was the first to approach. Maribelle felt her mothers hand feel her face, as if she wanted to ensure that the person in front of her was real and not an illusion.

  After looking into each other's eyes, Maribelle's mother took a step back. “It's you, it really is you,” she uttered, still in shock. Moments ter Maribelle found herself being embraced by her mother who was unable to contain her tears of joy. Her father joined in shortly after, whispering about miracles as he held her close.

  “Yes it really is,” Maribelle said as she started to cry as well. Her tears fell to the floor, rather than floating away.

  Once the tears stopped falling, and their voices returned, the almost reunited family sat around the small dining table as Maribelle nursed her drink. The ale was unpleasant to down, but it was better than drinking sea water. Drinking was another experience she was going to have to get used to again. All that time in the sea had changed her.

  “So how did you survive?” Her father asked, eager to know the secret to her survival.

  Ah. That was a difficult question to answer truthfully. While her parents were most certainly happy to see her, Maribelle was unsure if they would remain the same if they knew about her transformation? She wasn't ashamed of her time spent as a mermaid, but she was afraid of how people would react if they discovered she had become a mermaid.

  “I was saved by a merfolk, well more specifically a mershark,” Maribelle said, thinking of Bryn.

  “What did he do to you?” Her father asked warily.

  Maribelle put up her hands. “She did nothing to me, other than take me to some remote isnd, and look after me while I recovered,” she replied. It was a partial truth. Bryn did look after her very well, but there was no isnd.

  “Oh good,” her father replied as he sighed in relief, as if he expected something else.

  It looked like it was better to lie. “The moment I was healed, the mershark took me home. I'm sorry for making you worry so much,” Maribelle said, continuing her half-true story.

  Maribelle's mother reached out a hand and pced it on Maribelle's hand. “It's fine. All that matters is that you're alive and with us again. We all feared the worst when Edward shared the dreadful news of your accident. I'm sure he will be delighted to know you're alive.”

  Maribelle's other hand shot to her neck. She almost tried to pry off hands that weren't there when she remembered where they were. Instead she waved it dismissively. “Oh him. No, I don't think it will be necessary. Someone like him will have already moved on and found someone else. Besides, I would rather avoid making a big scene and causing trouble for him,” she replied as she tried to control her fear.

  Her mother and father looked at each other for a moment before her father said, “very well. I suppose you'll need some time to settle in.”

  “Thank you,” Maribelle said while she looked around the dining room. “By the way, where is Steph? Are they working right now?” she asked, worried about their absence.

  A look of concern fshed on her mother's face, deepening her fears. “He's not here right now. He wasn't able to find a pce among the clergy so the army took him in,” her mother expined.

  Maribelle covered her mouth. Poor Steph, the army was filled with murderous bastards like Edward. They didn't belong with such awful company at all.

  “It's okay, he writes to us and sends us a share of his pay. It sounds like he's doing well,” Maribelle's mother said as if such assurances would clear away Maribelle's fears.

  “I see,” Maribelle murmured. She tried to think of ways she could help her sibling. Unfortunately she knew that there was nothing she could do. She could only hope they were safe.

  She didn't leave the house that day. Instead she helped her parents with organising the groceries, and learning about life in Port Glorious. By the end of the day she was confident that she knew enough of the area to be able to blend in. She had also helped cook dinner. It really was not much, just some salted fish mixed with some porridge. As she ate it, she couldn't help but compare it to the delicious meals that Bryn had made for her. Her favourite had to be the sushi, the blend of fish and sand rice complimented each other in delightful bite-size pieces. She scolded herself as she ate her meal; her parents did not have much, and yet they still shared it with her. There was no need to be so ungrateful to them. But at the same time, wouldn't it be nice to try merfolk cuisine once more?

  She gnced around her new bedroom. It was not as rge or as colourful as Bryn's home. And her bed that Bryn had lent her was far more comfortable. But she was back home, and from now on her life would return to normal, and as a result she could put her pn into motion. All she had to do was find a tailor that would hire her. After that she would be able to further develop her sewing skills, and in time do well enough to open her own store. It may take some time, but now that everything was back to normal, she was confident she could do it.

  *****

  The next morning, Maribelle went out to find a job, and by the afternoon she had settled into a dimly lit workshop sewing damaged clothes back together. Getting the job had gone much quicker then she had expected it to go, but as it turned out the owner of the shop needed competent hands quickly. All it had taken Maribelle was dispying a basic understanding of how to wield a needle and thread and she got the position with no questions asked. Which was handy, because the less questions she was asked the better. Unfortunately, despite getting the job with ease, the pay she had been promised was cking. It would be enough to keep herself fed and sheltered, but that was it. The knowledge that she was being shortchanged for her work just because she was a woman infuriated her. As, there was nothing she could do about it. At least she would earn some money to support her family.

  She picked up a torn shirt in desperate need of repair and sighed. In Coraltide, Joyce had introduced her to the wonders of merfolk fashion. The clothes there had been so exciting, so vibrant, so colourful. Maribelle had to admit it had been a delight to wear such clothes, and that it was a deep shame she had to leave it behind on the beach she arrived at. In comparison the shirt she was holding in her hands was very dreary and drab. It was just a pin white shirt, nothing exciting at all.

  It was such a shame that human fashion was so… boring. Of course the nobility had something that had more style to it, but such expensive luxuries were beyond most people. Though some of the dresses she saw dies wear looked very uncomfortable. As she started to stitch the shirt together she imagined that once she had her own shop, she could try and sell clothing that had a bit more colour to them. She wouldn't copy merfolk fashion, but perhaps she could try and make something that took inspiration from it. Looking to her side, she saw the pile of clothes she was expected to get through before the end of the day. She sighed again as she continued working on her first shirt. There was no time for any more daydreaming.

  She quickly went on with her work, stitching tears together or sewing a patch where the tear was far too big. Once a piece of clothing was finished, she examined her work under the light from the nearby window. It was with some pride that she noted her fine work could be spotted under close examination. She was relieved to know her sewing skills had not rusted away during her time in sea. She may be working on putting rags together to make something that could just about pass for clothing, but she would rather not get in trouble for poor quality. She needed this job. Without it her pn was dead in the water.

  At the end of the day when all of Maribelle’s work was finished, William, the tailor, had begrudgingly accepted she had done a good job. Counting her pay, she was relieved to know he had not tried to hide away some of her wages. Thank goodness for that, as she did not have the energy to argue. It had been a long day turning rags back into clothing and it was not going to ease up any time soon. More colonists were expected to arrive and some of them would not be able to be picky about the clothes on their back.

  As she left the store, Maribelle rubbed her stinging fingers. The sun had started to set while she’d been working, resulting in the illumination she was working with diminishing. More than once she had pricked herself with her needle. Despite her requests, William was more than reluctant to provide any form of lighting for her. How infuriating. If only she could use magic like Bryn could then perhaps she could make her own light. A nice idea, but wielding magic was certainly beyond her capabilities.

  She gnced to her left where the great sea y. The sea that she had been a part of. Bryn would be somewhere there. She was probably returning back to her home. Maribelle hoped that the mershark would be okay. Bryn had been a good friend. Joyce had been one too, but there was something about Bryn that drew Maribelle to her. Her eyes, her smile, her kindness. Yes, Bryn was a very sweet woman. She turned away from the sea and began walking back home. She was a human, not a mermaid.

  Two days ter Maribelle was walking to the markets to buy some food when she noticed one shop that sold pearls. Memories of her time with Joyce brought her closer. Through the window she saw dozens of gleaming white pearls, polished to perfection. They were beautiful, but also far too expensive for her.

  As she examined the pearls, her mind tried to figure out what they represented. Pearls were worn to show the world who you were. White pearls with white pearls, and more white pearls. Who were they made for? It had to be for someone. She remembered the pearls Joyce had shown her. There were colours for asexuals, for lesbians and for those who were trans. They had such wonderful colours. So who was represented by just white pearls?

  Maribelle stopped as she blinked bnkly at the pearls before she sighed quietly to herself. Of course there was no meaning within the pearls. Humans didn't sell pride pearls. Their pearls represented nothing more than having a lot of money to spend, and the desire to show it off. That's all, nothing more, nothing less. Pearls were just a way to funt wealth, something that Joyce would surely have disapproved of.

  Her reflection smirked at her misguided assumptions. She was thinking like a mermaid, and not as a human. At least anyone passing by would merely assume that she was merely dreaming of one day owning such beautiful things. No one would suspect her of remembering her day as a mermaid. With one st gnce at the window, she returned to her task of getting food for her parents.

  Once she had acquired everything she needed, she began to return home. Her route took her close to the piers where she could look out into the sea. The smell of salt water, and the sound of pping tides always made Maribelle think of Coraltide, of being a mermaid, and of Bryn. It probably wasn't healthy to dwell on it, but the beautiful sight of the sea always had a soothing effect on her. It had been her home once. She walked on, careful to not be so distracted by the sea that she walked into something, or someone she shouldn't.

  Close by, fishermen were unloading their catches, and oysters were being broken into. Sailors ughed together while enjoying their leave while dockworkers scurried around making sure their deliveries were not te. All around her was noise and chaos. However, the sea in contrast was serene and peaceful. And welcoming.

  Movement caught Maribelle's attention as she veered close to the pier edge. The sea was so close. She searched for whatever distracted her. A dark grey tail peered out of the water before submerging itself with a spsh.

  Bryn? Maribelle's eyes widened in wonder as she stopped walking. The noise around her faded away as her entire focus became centred on what she just saw. Was it really Bryn? Had she come to check on Maribelle? The colour of the tail matched that of Bryn’s. But did the shape of the tail match? She wasn't sure, she didn't get a proper look at it before it disappeared. It could have just been a dolphin swimming by, but the possibility that it was Bryn herself was too tantalising.

  Should she call out Bryn's name in hopes she would hear her? She would look strange if she shouted someone’s name into the sea. People would notice, and would start gossiping about it. All she would achieve is drawing unwanted attention to herself. However, the potential to see Bryn's face once more, even for a moment was strongly tempting.

  She gazed into the depths of the sea, unable to decide whether to call out or not. As she debated herself, someone collided with her, causing her to stumble back. She clung tightly to her bag, far too much had been spent on food for it to be lost to the sea. Fortunately only a small loaf of bread fell to the floor.

  “Watch where you're going, you stupid bitch,” the fallen dock worker spat venomously as he started to gather his scattered tools. Maribelle could see that he had scuffed his leg, but that hardly excused his rudeness. He was the one who failed to see what was ahead while she was just looking into the sea. It wasn't her fault he was in a rush. With her current state of mind she was very tempted to crush his reaching fingers under her feet in retribution.

  She would have, but there were far too many people looking in her direction. Most were far to focus on their own problems to notice, but there were far too many stares for her comfort. She didn't respond to the rude dockworker, she did even retrieve the bread that had fallen. Instead she left the scene as quickly as she could.

  It was dangerous to think about the sea. She was a human, not a mermaid. She belonged on the nd, not in the sea. She told herself that truth again, and again as she scurried back home. And yet it was difficult to know it was even the truth.

  *****

  Two days, while she was hard at work, stitching clothes together, William was making small talk with the customers for the day. While she could hear them, she couldn’t see them, as her work space was tucked away in a corner in the back room.

  Working alone was not the worst problem she had ever had to deal with, but she did wish there was at least someone she could talk with. William only stopped by to give her more orders, and when she was alone her mind would wander. She always found herself thinking back to her time in Coraltide. It had been fun to spend time with Bryn and get to learn about a whole new world. It was certainly more fun than mending shirt after shirt. But that was then, and this is now, so she should better get back to work before William caught her daydreaming again.

  However, her stitching slowed down a little; the test customer was sharing news of the opening of an open air theatre for the people, and that the first show would be tonight. Maribelle smiled at the memory of watching them with Maribelle. It had been a wonderful evening; the py had enthralled her heart. With any luck tonight's show might even be half as good in comparison.

  Maribelle stifled a yelp, once again she had stuck herself with her needle again. Focusing past the stinging pain, she reminded herself to keep her eye on her work.

  That evening, once all her work was finished, Maribelle headed towards the theatre. There was no reason to return home. There were no beautiful dresses waiting for her, and her parents trusted her, they would understand her unusual teness. It was still a shame, the preparation with Joyce had been exciting, and the results of the make over Joyce had given her were astounding. Maribelle found herself smirking at the memory. She doubted this evening would match tonight in sheer delightfulness, but hopefully there will be some enjoyment to be found.

  *****

  Maribelle started bnkly at the stage. Oh deep abyss, the py was more boring than watching coral grow.

  At first her hopes had been raised when she discovered how cheap the tickets had been. Apparently the low prices were to encourage the popution to watch the pys which were intended to bring many benefits to the people. However, to her great dismay, these benefits were quickly revealed to be centred on the concepts of moral purity. It was a short while into the py when Maribelle figured out that the plot was centred around the proper courtship between a man and a woman. She assumed that the purpose was to ‘teach’ people how to form a respectable retionship that the church and nobility would approve of. How dull.

  If the romance in Love Within Tides was a great whirlpool of passion, then this py was just a small ripple in the sea. Everything was so uninspired it threatened to bore Maribelle to tears. The man, whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember, kept on waxing poetically about the love of his life. On the other hand, the woman who the man was fixated on barely had any lines. Sure she was bnking most of it out, but she was sure that the woman was being sidelined in almost every scene.

  She really wished she was watching a merfolk py instead of this waste of time. She imagined that if whoever wrote this crap had tried to present this in Coraltide, they would have been ughed out of the city.

  On and on the agonising py carried on. Not even the tides could wash away the foulness of this py. Maribelle wondered how long it would be until the break started, as that would be her chance to slip away and be rid of this excuse of entertainment.

  Maribelle snapped out of her trance just as a strange new character entered the stage. She tilted her head at her strange appearance. Was she meant to be a merfolk? Her costume seemed to suggest it, but why would they have a merfolk in the py?

  Maribelle, for the first time in far too long, began to pay attention to the narrative. Her anger started to boil when she realised the purpose of the merfolk. She was the temptress, her purpose was to seduce the dutiful wife and take her away from her husband. She clenched her fist as she continued to watch the merfolk py the role of the vilin. It wasn't just that she was doing a bad job of it, she also loathed the implications that merfolk were treacherous creatures that were a danger to humans. Bryn was not like that at all. She was kind and generous. She had saved Maribelle’s life, asking for no rewards other than the knowledge that a life had been saved. Bryn had welcomed her into her home and made her feel welcome. Byrn had shown her the wonders of Coraltide, kept her company, and helped her adjust to her new life. And when she was ready to return to the surface, Byrn had escorted her all the way back without asking for anything. And in return Maribelle-

  Maribelle shook her head, returning her focus just as the final act was ending. Of course, the evil merfolk had tricked the wife, leading her to her death by drowning. In revenge the heartbroken husband cut down the merfolk, ending her reign of terror. Although it was sad that the wife had died, there was at least some consotion that she had already bore the husbands heirs. The fact her giving birth to children was more important than the part where she was dead made Maribelle scoff with absolute derision. Thank fuck the py was over. With all haste she began to slip through the appuding crowds. The ability of the crowd to praise such an abysmal py astonished Maribelle. Were they worried about backsh or were human tastes just so low that slop like this passed as entertainment to them.

  Walking briskly back home, the salty smell of the sea reminded Maribelle of Love Within Tides. The romance in that py had been exciting, captivating, truly inspiring. The love between the sea witch and the merchant daughter was enthralling to the point where even memories lit up her heart. Shame there was nothing like it on the surface.

  Once she returned back home, she had no intention of sharing her experience with her parents other than a brief warning not to bother going to the next showing.

  *****

  Maribelle was eating dinner with her parents when she realised it had been six days since she returned from the sea. It had not been easy adapting to life on the surface; in fact she could argue that she found it easier to adapt to being a mermaid than she was to being human again. That thought y uneasy on her, threatening to suggest that maybe she had made the wrong choice.

  She shook her head. She was with her parents again, and that mattered most. She wished Steph was with her as well, but since they were not with her, she could only hope they were doing well.

  “Maribelle?” a soft voice called out. Maribelle looked up from her dinner and saw her mother looking directly at her. She looked concerned

  “What's the matter? Do we need more money?” Maribelle asked, worries bubbling in her stomach.

  “No, no, we're fine on money thanks to you and Steph’s hard work. Instead I was thinking that maybe it was time for you to find someone,” Maribelle’s mother said, setting her fork to the side of her pte.

  “What do you mean?” Maribelle asked, suspicious of her mother’s intentions.

  “Well, me and your father have been talking over the st few days since you returned. We think it would be good for you to find a man to be with,” her mother said earnestly as if it was good advice.

  Maribelle pced her knife and fork on her almost empty pte. “I don't think that is necessary,” she said, a bit of sterness creeping into her voice.

  “Hear us out, think about it. A lovely dy like yourself shouldn't be alone. In fact, if you put your mind to it, then I'm sure there would be plenty of men eager for your hand in marriage. Men that will look after you properly,” her father said, putting a hand on her mother's shoulder in support.

  Maribelle closed her eyes. No, she did not want that. She was not someone's property.

  “Why just the other day, I came across a real nice d who-” her mother began to say. Her words faded away as Maribelle shut them out. She wasn't interested in men. Never was, never would be. She didn't want to devote her life to a man, she wasn't attracted to them. She wanted something else.

  She thought of Bryn, the mershark’s smiling face always coming easily to Maribelle's mind. The mershark was beautiful. She remembered how Bryn's tail cut through the water, her soft grey skin. Her heart beat just a little faster at the thought of Bryns dark lips and sharp fangs. Bryn really was gorgeous, but she was also very far away. She was probably at the theatre again, maybe she was watching the show with Joyce, or maybe Bryn was alone.

  Her focus returned to the conversation just as her mother started describing another man for her to meet. She had no stomach for the conversation.

  “I'm going outside for a walk,” Maribelle announced, pushing her pte away. Without waiting for her response, she hastily made for the door. Shutting it behind her, the sea breeze welcomed her as it ruffled her hair slightly.

  Maribelle watched the setting sun dye the sky red as she walked along the docks. The presence of the sea was a calming influence. She needed to remain calm. There was a lot going on in her mind tely and she needed to sort it out.

  It was not as busy on the docks tonight; most men were off to the taverns to drink, dance and sing their problems away. She had no interest in joining them, but was grateful that their absence gave her stroll some much needed quiet.

  So much had happened over the st few days: She had reunited with her parents, sent a letter that she dearly hoped would reach Steph, and finally put her pn into motion. Almost everything had returned to normal. And yet something was eating away at her. She was unsure what the root of it was, and whatever it was, it was being very elusive.

  Maribelle immediately stopped. With her mind distracted so much, she had almost stumbled into the part of the docks that were owned by the soldiers. She could see them in their blood red coats, chatting away with each other. She had always avoided this part of the docks in fear that Edward was there.

  The docks were almost empty with only one ship sitting in the berth. The rest must be out on patrol or some other important duties. There was also a strange crane sitting at the end of one of the piers. Focusing in on it she couldn't figure out what it's purpose was though the rge cages that y around it suggested nothing good.

  A small shiver overtook Maribelle as she turned away from the concerning device. She shivered more when she saw some of the soldiers starting to look at her. None of them looked like Edward, though one of them made the hairs on the back of her neck raise. He wasn't dressed like the others, his uniform covered every part of his body, and not a single bit of skin could be seen. His face was covered by a human-like mask, and the rest of his head was hooded. Annoyingly, the details of the mask were impossible to make out at a distance.

  Something about this soldier made Maribelle's skin crawl and her stomach turn. She did not like it at all. Was he an officer? Why did the colonies need such creepy looking officers?

  Immediately Maribelle turned away, almost running as she tried to get away from the masked soldier.

  After her swift escape, she continued her evening walk, much still on her mind. Eventually she followed a path she had trodden on before, and found herself at a familiar beach. She sat down on a patch of sand. She knew it well because she had sat right there when she had transformed back into a human.

  She y down on the sand, watching stars twinkle in the sky while she listened to the soothing rhythm of the waves rolling in. A part of her wished Bryn was here so they could watch the stars together, but she wasn't here anymore.

  As she continued star gazing, Maribelle pondered what she was doing. In Coraltide she had insisted so much on returning to the surface, but now that had happened, she couldn't get her mind out of the sea. Why had she been so determined to return to the surface? Of course, seeing her family was an important reason, but she knew they would have found ways to live on without her. There had to be more to it to have driven her back so much.

  Was it that she did not belong with the merfolk? Maybe. Bryn and Joyce had made her feel welcome, but she was always worried that she would have been seen as an outsider. Then again they did welcome those from the surface such as Emily who had even found love beneath the waves. It was impossible to know if she would have been accepted into the community if she stayed.

  There was also her pn. She liked the idea of making her own clothes. Such a business would have helped tremendously in helping her support her parents. She liked sewing, and sure it stung when she pricked herself with her needle, but it was also work she took pride in. But now she was alone, she had to admit that maybe her pn was out of her reach. A woman owning her own store in Engarnd? Not unheard of, but still very rare. As things stood right now, Maribelle knew there would be more than a handful of obstacles in fulfilling her pn. Right now she saw herself doing nothing more than mending rags in the foreseeable future.

  Crawling over to a seemingly normal spot on the beach, she began digging away with her hands. Moments ter she retrieved a buried bag and pulled something out. As she beheld her merfolk clothes, she wondered what exactly was at the root of her feelings. What drove her to return to the surface? Was she afraid of being wrong? Or was she scared of her life completely changing? Or was just just overthinking everything, and all her confused feelings would fade away in time.

  Maybe she was getting too tired for such complex questions.

  Maribelle twisted her head at the sound of rustling grass. She held the merfolk dress close to her chest, hiding it from any potential onlookers. She held her breath, terrified that someone had followed her and witnessed her moment of weakness. Seconds passed and nothing happened. Maribelle let loose a long sigh of relief, it was most likely just a small nocturnal creature that surprised her. Nothing to worry about.

  Swiftly burying her clothes once more, Maribelle set off back home. By the time she returned home, her parents had retired to their bedrooms which suited her just fine as she was in no mood for conversation.

  She y in her bed, her head filled with questions she could not answer. The sound of waves crashing resonated in her room, slowly lulling her to sleep.

  With gentle flicks of her tail, Maribelle glided through the waters of the sea. Oh it was so beautiful down here. The coral below her shimmered with so many colours, and the fish circled her as they swam past. With a ugh Maribelle truly felt like she was-

  Maribelle woke up with a shock and immediately threw aside her bedsheet. She stared at her legs and sighed. As she buried her face in her hands, she remembered it had just been a dream. It had been nice, but she had to remember it was just a dream. Better not dwell on it too much, she had to get ready for work.

  *****

  Maribelle sat at her work station and stared despondently at the pile of clothes right beside her. The dream refused to leave her. What did it mean? How infuriating, the answer refused to reveal itself. Never mind that, she had a job to do.

  At some point just before midday, some guests entered the shop and started talking to William in very hushed tones. Setting aside a finished pair of trousers, Maribelle paid them no mind, she had much work to do.

  The sound of stomping boots announced the arrival of many new people. Maribelle looked up from her seat and her eyes widened in horror. Four soldiers stood in front of her. All of them were gring maliciously at her.