My name is Coral and I'm a mermaid of Crystal Cove but I'm not your average mermaid. I'm the princess and as the eldest child I'm the heir to the throne. Not even my brother can replace me despite our wishes. My life has already been planned out for me.
I sigh as I sit on my window looking at the sleeping kingdom. I go to sleep late and wake early so I can have a few minutes for myself. The lights turn on slowly and as time passes they wake up faster. I enjoy my kingdom and the people on it but I don't want to rule it. My brother wants to but our parents won't allow for it just because I was firstborn and he is second.
Tide-Coral, we will be late.
I turn to see my brother swimming to sit at my side.
-Morning.
T-Have you any ideas to get rid of the throne?
-No, you?
T-Nothing.
-The coronation is coming soon. Time is running out.
T-Let's go for breakfast on the meantime.
He pulls me in a hug to the door before he let's go. I laugh at the fast swimming he does for me before we leave.
We are the first to arrive to the dinner room only after our father and mother's empty space at his side. Our family alone is big enough for a room to be crowded. I am the eldest of all 14 siblings and my brother Tide is the second of all. Five of our sisters are the first to arrive, then five of our brothers and the three wives of the eldest ones and lastly the two youngest siblings who come and sit at each of our father's sides.
F-Eat now.
I eat together with my favorite brother while we look at our siblings each eating by themselves.
T-So, who do you tjink is our worst rival for the throne? They all want it.
-Do you want it?
T-Not as much as them. Father trained you and you trained me to take it from you.
I smile at that before I speak truthfully.
-Abijam is too close minded and a bit dumb at that. He can't handle being the third after a brother and a sister.
T-Darius is desperate to please dad any way he can. Look, he got his wife pregnant already.
-Mariela is as air headed as always.
T-Marcus doesn't care, he's only for his wife and wathever they can do together.
-Nerida and Thalassa are getting along as always, unconcerned.
T-Erwyna is starting to close herself.
-Luke and Mako are as protective of Delphine as ever.
T-Wavy and Bayou are up with dad, still innocent to the ways of the throne.
-So your rivals are mostly Abijam and Marcus. You need to be stronger than them, not just smarter but both. You need to train.
T-I got training, I just don't want to be the army general.
F-Coral, come with me.
I look at dad leaving and rolling my eyes I follow him out of the dinner and to the predictable kingdom tour he always makes me do with him. Our kingdom is caring and nice even our army is merciful or bloodthirsty according to the situation. My kingdom is not so bad but I have no interest in being a queen. Dad talks to the people and I just follow and listen bored.

At night time we are all woken by some screams. Only me and my three oldest brothers show up at the scene. Dad is already there with his trident and a few guards around him. They let us through and I'm the first to join dad.
-What happened?
F-Sharks hunting.
T-There's been a lot of hunting recently.
F-Every migration is the same no matter how hard we try to avoid it.
-Who is hurt?
F-Her tail, it was mostly the scare she got but she's alive.
The woman stays silent cuddling herself against my eldest brother as he looks at her tail.
T-Thankfully is only a painful scratch.
F-Why were you out this late?
?-I fell asleep at my friends and I wanted to go back home.
F-I will take you home.
Without another word they leave with his guards close behind. My third and fourth brother swim away in disgust unhappy for not being recognized by our father but Tide and I swim back slowly to his room.
-I have an idea how to give you the throne.
T-Oh.
-If I die then you'll be the rightful heir to the throne.
T-Absolutely not. You can't die.
-I won't.
He looks at me confused before I explain myself.
-Tomorrow is the last day of the shark migration and then after that is the coronation day, safe and without sharks.
T-I know that.
-I will injure myself and leave with the sharks. That way dad will believe that a shark ate me to death.
T-How do you expect to accomplish that in less than a day?
-I'm doing that now. Dad is out protecting so he won't be able to save me on time.
T-Alright but don't tell me, that way I can be truly surprised when I discover your absence.
I nod and giving him a kiss on the forehead I go grab some things for my trip. I grab a bag of food, my belt with some knives and a few shirts. I also wrap a hood over me so nobody can see me before I head out to look for the sharks.
Easy to find I cut my arm to leave blood so they follow me to my window. As expected, they make a mess of my window and room following my blood trail before I stop on a coral where they can't reach me and I look at my tail. I grab the knife and blinking hard I cut two of my four ends out leaving a lot of blood now. It hurts but I get out to spread the blood before I hide again to bandage myself. The sharks go rampaging around my room and despite the pain I smile when I see the cut off tail hanging from one of their mouths. Now that I acomplished myself I swim as quick as I can and as far as I can to the now free ocean. My home getting smaller behind me each time I look back.

To be continued........................