"they try to keep me down but i just get higher."

-

TWELVE.

DOCTOR CORNELIUS ALWAYS FORBID HER TO SOAK TOO LONG IN THE WATER. For reasons unknown other than that her mother didn't want her to get wrinkles. Not a very good excuse but it made Cady listen, nonetheless.

But today, for once, Cady wants to break the rules, and let herself relax. No rules, no teachers, no Pevensies, nothing. She has had enough of these annoying feelings that make her burst and it is like a fire set aflame, ready to burn everything that stands in its path. Destructive, just like her mother said she is.

She pulls off her coat and boots, leaving her only in her dress before she dips into the cool water. It comes around her like a cool embrace closing over the top of her.

Cady stays in the water, breaking the surface just to take a deep breath before diving back in for a swim. She hears voices sail over the trees and ducks behind a large rock, hiding out of sight in the river.

She hears Susan's voice first, it's gentle but scolding, and Cady flinches when she raises her voice. "Edmund, stop it! Did you not hear what her doctor said? When we win this battle, she'll be married to a kingdom for relations, because it's Telmar tradition!"

Cady hears his shuffling as Edmund sighs, saying, "It's not like we wouldn't be back."

"Just because you wanted to play knight in shining armour, doesn't mean she will be here when you come back again! Centuries have passed since we were last here," Susan protests. "It will never work out."

"You're wrong," Edmund replies, determination lacing his voice. "It will work out, I know it will."

"What happens when you come back and find her married?" Susan asks, kicking a leg in the water. "What happens if you're only a few years older and you come back to find her decades older than you?"

"I don't care, she's worth it," Edmund says. Cady's heart aches, because she cannot know the future and she's terrified of what it holds. Fate has not been merciful to her and she doubts it will be.

All of a sudden, pain shoots up her legs and it takes her entire being to hold in her scream. A stinging pain sets her gums on fire and Cady clenches her jaw, stifling her yell as she inhales through her nose shakily.

There is shuffling on the shore and Cady hears them leave, their steps crunching the dirt and sand before their footsteps reside.

Cady lets out a whimper, feeling her legs bend in an unearthly direction. She holds herself above the water with the rock and lets out a cry when another jolt of pain shoots up her legs, setting her thighs on fire in fresh agony. There is a magic in this, ancient and delicious, yet painful and agonising.

"Princess?" Cady snaps her head at the familiar voice coming from the exit of the How's direction.

"Cady? What are you doing out here alone?" Peter's voice cuts off when he finds Cady struggling on the piece of rock. A whimper escapes her lips as she turns to the High King with glassy eyes. "Oh, my Aslan! Cady!"

The High King runs over to her immediately, pulling her out of the water and scooping her up into his arms. "What on earth happened?"

Cady shakes her head, tears pouring down her face and the world blurs before her. "Get Caspian and Doctor Cornelius," she chokes out. She feels his grip tighten around her as he breaks into a run towards the How.

"Stay awake for me," Peter says. Cady sees the fleeting passing of a certain brunet and barely catches the way his jaw drops open at the sight of her, drenched from head to toe with legs twisted in a horribly wrong angle.

"Oh goodness." Cady hears the faraway voice of Doctor Cornelius. "You stupid girl, I told you that you shouldn't stay in the water for too long. Get her inside the room, quickly."

Cady feels herself being rested on a cot and curls into herself instinctively, wrapping herself into a self hug. She reeks of magic, of blood and nature and salt.

"What happened?" Edmund's furious voice demands from the doorway.

"Cadence! You never listen to me!" The doctor crouches down to press a rag to her forehead, dabbing away the sweat from her face. "Your mother didn't tell you anything, did she?"

Caspian bursts into the room, pushing past Peter and Edmund, and pales at the sight of Cady's body curled up on the bed. "Doctor? What is it?"

"It's all in her genetics, oh, for Aslan's sake," Doctor Cornelius blurts out. "When you didn't show the signs, I assumed that the gene didn't pass on. But I should've known, oh you poor girl."

All of a sudden, the bones in her legs snap and crack, causing an unnatural guttural scream to burst from Cady's lips.

Hands are clutching at her, grabbing at her thrashing limbs in an attempt to keep her still. "Your Majesties, keep her still!" Doctor Cornelius begins shouting orders. "Caspian, I need you to go to my bag, there is a golden bottle, small and smells like salt. Get that and the leather notebook! Hurry, my boy!"

Cady looks up and sees Caspian bolt out the room before she lets out another yell, sending Lucy and Susan running in. The younger girl crouches down and pulls out her cordial. "This should help."

Doctor Cornelius holds out a hand to stop her from getting closer to Cady. "Your Majesty, this is something that cannot be reversed by the fire flower." The blonde then lets out a furious snarl and bares her teeth, causing Lucy to jump back in surprise and into Susan's arms. Cady lets out a cry when the sides of her legs snap, making the side seams of her pants rip to show skin.

"Doctor." Caspian returns with a gold vail and a book with a clear blue jewel embedded on the leather cover. "I hope you have a good explanation for this."

"Someone close the door please," the doctor says calmly, pulling a stool to sit beside the cot Cady is curled up in. Cady arches her neck back in a silent scream and is immediately pushed back down in the cot. The urge to defend herself intensifies and she thrashes under the hands holding her down. She twists her head around and snarls into someone's face, causing them to step back. But still, they don't let go of her.

Cady hears the wooden door close with a click and she gasps, choking on air. The doctor flips through the pages of his notebook furiously as Caspian peers over his shoulder to read. "That's Mother's handwriting! Where did you get this?" He demands, stabbing a finger on the paper.

"Lorelei gave me the book in case anything like this happens, I never thought–Oh, poor girl," the doctor replies, his hands shaking as he taps his finger to a page. "Here!" His eyes read through the words speedily before he snaps the book shut and pulls Caspian's dagger out from his belt.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Edmund moves forward with a shout. Cady watches his approach intently, teeth bared in attack as she tries to arch forward.

The doctor ignores him and carves out the blue jewel from the front cover, the jagged sapphire dropping into his palm. He mutters something incoherent to the stone and it burns up into an intense glow, the room lights up from the jewel and Cady lets out another cry as she feels another bone crack, the pain worsening. Something sharp digs into her bottom lip and Cady feels like she is about to die.

Until the doctor presses the jewel into her chest and a light comes from her like a blast.

x

ON THE COT, Cady's legs begin to sew together. Scales erupt from her feet and glide up to her waist like a wave pulling to shore, in glimmering iridescent shades of silver and green that catch the reflection of the torches lighting up the room. Her hair streams over her shoulders in rich curls of deep gold, and when she moves her lips she feels sharp fangs digging into her bottom lip.

Caspian collapses to his knees, coming to grasp her hand and they watch her transformation together. Cady drinks in the air greedily, panting as she catches her breath, grateful for the pain to finally cease.

"Cadence." Doctor Cornelius is the first to speak up. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Y-Yes," she stammers out, still surprised at her tail. Carefully, she moves it, and when it responds to her body, she flinches back with a yelp. "What is going on? Why do I-What is this?"

From the side, Edmund lets out a sigh of relief, his eyes raking over Cady's body and he tears his gaze away when they reach her newly grown tail.

"Your mother didn't tell you everything, did she?" The doctor says.

Cady turns to look at him with a look of disbelief, mustering up the courage to say, "Does it look like she did?"

He manages a laugh, and Caspian cuts in, echoing her words, "What is going on?"

"Your mother is Narnian, a mermaid to be precise. I only found out when she realised I am a descendant of the Black Dwarves in the Northern Mountains."

Cady shares a look with Caspian. They know that her mother is different, but they didn't expect her to be Narnian.

"I've never seen a mermaid up close," Lucy says in awe, hands hovering just above her fin.

"Well, it explains the tail," Cady mumbles, pushing her matted messy golden hair out of her face. She catches Edmund's eyes and immediately wishes she hadn't, the way he is looking at her makes her tail go weak but the glint of unease sets her emotions into a dangerous spiral.

The doctor flips open the notebook and begins reciting, "Pureblooded mermaids are born with tails, both female and male. Male borns are rare, because the female is the more dominant sex in the culture. If a mermaid were to be born to mixed-race parents, they would inherit both traits from their parents."

"When a half-mermaid is born, signs like being able to breath underwater or exceptional speed in water can detect the genetic being passed down," The doctor continues. He turns to look at Cady with an apologetic stare. "You showed no signs, other than the fact that you and Lorelei look exactly the same."

"Half-mermaid offspring will have their first transformation at the age of sixteen. The first change is the most painful, but a half-mermaid has the ability to transform their tail as they wish."

"So? I can change back?" Cady perks up immediately, a hesitant smile flitting over her features.

"Yes, it's all part of the Deep Magic. Start wearing this around your neck, my dear, it'll help with the transformation." He hands her the sapphire, and she wraps her hand around it tightly. "Now, imagine your legs, and the magic will do its work."

So Cady does as she is told: she imagines human skin, her feet, her thighs, her knees. And the transformation reverses, her scales dry and peel off like a snake shedding its skin. Her fin splits, tearing her straight down the middle and breaking her in two. It's uncomfortable, and there is a tingling feeling underneath her skin.

And when her legs return, she curls into herself and shrinks back from everyone's glances. Caspian, being the protective brother he is, pulls the blanket over her bare skin.

"Are you alright, Cadence?" Doctor Cornelius asks, standing a respectful distance away.

She manages a nod. And while the doctor doesn't seem to believe her, he backs away with a comforting smile. "We'll give you some space," he says. It is more an order than anything, and Susan immediately understands, dragging Lucy and Peter out with a shake of her head.

"I'll come back to check on you later," Susan calls back. "Try not to wander off," she adds with a small smile. Cady grins at her antics, relief coursing through her at the normalcy.

Caspian doesn't seem to want to move from her side. "Cadence, answer me honestly now, are you sure you're feeling alright? That was quite something to take in."

"Yes, Caspian, I think–I think I just need some time alone," she says, turning away to hide from his concerned stare.

Hesitantly, Caspian stands, squeezing her hand. "If you say so, Cady. I'll stay close," he answers. Lowering his head, he presses a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Get some sleep, will you?"

"I will," Cady replies. When Caspian leaves, she catches the warning look he shoots Edmund before he shuts the door closed.

At his burning stare, Edmund clears his throat. 'I should go too," he mumbles, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles turn white.

"Edmund, wait!" She calls, sitting up. Her breath catches in her throat and a dizziness creeps up to her, having sat up too fast. The king freezes in his spot. "Will you stay?"

Edmund pauses, hesitating. Then he steps forward and takes a seat on her cot. "Are you sure it's alright?"

"Yes." The answer comes easy to her, yet her voice is quiet as a whisper.

The boy in front of her is tentative about his actions now, treading cautiously and speaking carefully around her. She hates it, she hates being treated like glass. "Edmund, I'm still me," she says, reaching forward to grip his hand.

"That I know," Edmund says with a small smile, shifting closer so he can sit next to her and lean against the headboard. And when he presses his forehead against hers, his dark brown eyes are full and warm, and the whisper of her name in his breath lulls her into his comfort.