“Get up please, Your Highness.” Lilliana felt a soft touch along her arm and she opened her eyes. She was still on the ship, but remnants of her dream danced before her like a vision. Mermen and mermaids all lined up with a blue monster raging in their midst. She looked over the small girl’s shoulder to see the large pearl on the king’s dressing table glowing.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long, Miss. Only two-to-three hours in the morn and two-to-three hours after that.”
Lilliana smiled at the young maid, and looked down at her clothes. They were dry now, but completely unsuitable for public. After all, her last week of adventures was spent in only her pantaloons. She glanced at the pearl on the table and noticed it was glowing even brighter.
“Could you get me some hot porridge from the galley? I need to eat before I dress.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” the maid said as she backed towards the door.
Lilliana sat still until the door was completely closed, then she rushed to her father’s dressing table. The pearl was casting glimmering light around the cabin. Lilliana picked it up and peered inside. The colors of the pearl seemed to pull together to make shapes and then they would dissolve again. This definitely wasn’t the pure picture she had seen with King Nereus. She rolled the pearl in her hand and she saw King Nereus and Queen Doris in their garden. They were smiling at her. They nodded their heads and Lilliana could just hear Queen Doris say “Stay with the Star.” The picture faded and Lilliana stroked the pearl and watched it glow again. She saw bits of blue swirls and an angry woman. Her face was blue and her eyes were red. Serena. She was enraged. Lilliana rolled the pearl in her hand to see if there was more. Mermaids and mermen were swimming in all directions in fear. Their tails were thrashing the water. There was a burst of light and Lilliana heard faint screams from the pearl.
“Here you are, Your Highness,” the maid said as she scooted through the door carrying a tray of breakfast foods. Lilliana quickly put down the pearl while the maid was watching her own steps into the room. “I hope you don’t mind the extra honey. That’s the way the king likes it so they put lots of honey in it for you too.”
“I’m sure it’s just right,” Lilliana said as she sat in a chair across the room from the pearl. It was still glowing and swirling in blue on the dressing table, but its light was fading.
“You’ll be going in to the port soon. The galley men say that there’s never been so big a crowd there.”
“Do you have a dress for me?”
“Of course miss. What color would you like?” The maid opened a chest full of dresses and they sorted through them. Lilliana chose a simple pale blue silk gown and contemplated her dream as she dressed. Why should she dream about the mermen? They had not been kind, nor did they even seem capable of intelligent conversation. Serena was still under the sea and now that Star Shadow was protected she was probably very angry. Lilliana had fulfilled her purpose with the Onsa. Why would she still be dreaming of life under the sea? She took a deep breath and smiled at the vanilla and cinnamon smells that had come in with the maid from the kitchen. She would not take the smell of food for granted again.
The ship shook a little as it docked in the port of Atlantis. Home was just outside those doors. Lilliana and the maid hurried to finish her hair and find shoes. As they dashed to the door Lilliana caught a glimpse of her mother in the mirror. She stopped and looked again. Her reflection showed the change she had glimpsed. Her hair was pulled neatly off her neck in a bun and the modest neckline of the blue dress was pleated and unadorned. The silk was smooth and sleek like a fish and her feet were completely covered. Pierce and Lance would approve. The real difference was in how she held herself, how she walked. That was where she looked like her mother. Would her mother smile? Had she missed her? Lilliana knew that the whole royal family could not be on one ship together, but still she wished her mother was here.
“Are you coming dear?” the king asked from the door. He stretched his hand out to her and they walked together to the deck. At the railing Lilliana saw all of Atlantis lined along the port. Cheers and shouts rang out to the ship as the people spotted their beloved princess. She and the king waved and walked towards the dock. In no time they had crossed the red carpeted planks to the shore with Spectrum following close behind. Lilliana almost fell over backwards as two bundles of red hair hugged her.
“Squid! You’re alive!” screamed Thud with another bone-crushing hug.
“I was until you squeezed the air out of my chest.”
“I wuv you and did you bwing me somefing?” asked Proteus who had stuck his thumb back in his mouth.
“I love you both and I will tell you everything soon,” Lilliana gave them quick hugs before she saw her mother.
The queen walked regally towards Lilliana and the princess lowered her eyes. She could not stand to look up and see disapproval in her mother’s face. Not today.
The queen came to Lilliana and placed a hand under her chin, lifting the princess’s eyes to meet her own. Lilliana looked up and saw the tears and joy in her mother’s eyes, and hugged her before she thought about it.
“Oh mother! I love you and I’m so sorry!”
“Dear child do not apologize.” The queen melted into Lilliana’s embrace and held her tightly. “I have been sad for many years and you my love have given me hope.” Her mother looked down with love and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
“Hope?” Lilliana looked up at the queen. It felt so good to be in her arms. Her mother took her hand and they began to walk towards the castle. The guards kept a protective circle around the royal women as they walked.
“Yes dear,” continued the queen as they walked along the path. “When you were just a baby, your father went to sea with your brother. He was still small himself, but your father said the salt air would be good for the boy.”
“I have a brother? Why have I never met him? You’ve never said a word.” Lilliana looked up at her mother in confusion.
“That’s because your brother never returned from that trip.” The queen looked down at the path and Lilliana could see that her eyes were moist. “He was an active boy; always running under the maids’ feet and chasing the horses. He chased a gull across the deck of the ship and fell into the ocean. He was never seen again. The king’s men searched for weeks trying to find my son, or to at least bring his body home. They never found a trace of him, not even a hair or a piece of clothing.”
Lilliana felt a tightness in her chest. This was not what she expected to hear when she came home.
The queen continued, “It was my fault you see. Nana and I knew how to watch over your brother the best, but we both stayed on shore to care for you. If I had sent Nana, or if I had gone myself, then he might have lived.” The queen looked down and touched the locket around her neck. “You were so young that we thought it best not to tell you.”
“Is that why you didn’t smile at me, or hold me when I was young? Were you mad at me?” Lilliana could barely speak as she stepped slowly along the path.
“No dear princess. I was angry with myself. I did not think I deserved to love a child or to receive her love.” The queen stopped walking and looked down at Lilliana. She placed a hand under her daughter’s chin and gently lifted her face until their eyes met. “But I was wrong. In punishing myself I hurt the one I love the most. I hurt you my dear, and I know that now.”
Lilliana was still a little lost. She was glad her mother was walking with her, even holding her hand, but what did this have to do with her homecoming?
“Why are you telling me about my brother now?”
“You see sweet daughter, when you were chased into the sea by no choice of your own, the Morning Star was with you, and he even gave you a way to survive under the water.”
“Yes...” Lilliana said, still unsure of where this was leading.
“So if yo
u, the Princess of Atlantis, can survive in the ocean, then I have hope that your brother, the Prince of Atlantis survived too; and I have hope that the Morning Star will bring him home.”
Lilliana’s heart lifted and she turned her face to the bright afternoon sunlight. She placed her hand over the crystal in her pocket and felt its warmth. Her heart was light with hope. They continued walking hand-in-hand to the castle. At the entrance the queen turned to Lilliana.
“You, my dear, mean everything to me. I love you so much dear daughter, and now I have hope that you will one day have your brother again.” She embraced Lilliana, holding her tightly. Lilliana wrapped her arms around her mother and put her head against her chest. The sweetness of the moment was interrupted by two little hands pulling on Lilliana’s skirts.
“I want my hug too,” Proteus said looking up at Lilliana with huge eyes.
“I will leave you to greet your cousins. We shall resume our talk soon dear,” the queen said as she wiped a tear from her eye, pulled back her shoulders and walked towards the king.
Lilliana picked up Proteus and turned to see Wilhelmina coming up the steps.
“What happened to you Thud? How did Proteus win the race to the castle? He doesn’t have legs half as long as yours.”
“He doesn’t have any skirts to trip over either,” Thud said with an