Chapter II: The Merman.

S E L A D O N  A G E   F O U R

"Your Highness please get back here this instant!" A middle-aged elven female holding nothing but a fluffy, white towel in her hands, her face flushed in annoyance, redness covering up her natural, pale complexion as she chased the young princess around the castle.

"NO!" The young member of the elven royal society shouted as she runs amuck, her small, pastel yellow button-up dress covered in dirt and mud as if the young Nobel was playing in the earth.

Something a little lady of such status should not be doing.

"I don't want a bath! You'll never catch me!"

Seladon, formally known as Ellie in her past life used to be such a kind and courteous young woman, after her reincarnation, her love and passion still lingered, however, her manners, especially at her current age dove off into a deep ocean, trapping themself there.

"Your Highness!" The servant shouted once more, her voice husky and hoarse from all the shouting she had done in an attempt to catch the young princess, it wasn't long until she couldn't bear anymore, stopping dead in her tracks, hands on her knees as she panted. She was watching Seladon run away from her. From bathtime.

'Good, I think I lost her...' Seladon turned a corner, looking behind her to see if she had truly lost her prosecutor, a broad grin on her face once her very eyes had confirmed what she was hoping.

"Now, I hear the outside world calling for me!" She exclaimed in triumph, feeling trapped in the castle she called home, "If I have to stay in this castle any longer I will--" She stopped dead in her tracks, letting out an 'oomph' sound as she had walked into something, her forehead hit against something firm.

"You will what dear Seladon?" A deep voice boomed from in front of the small child; she hesitantly looked up. Her forehead still pressed against the knee of whoever it was she had run into.

Her Father.

"Uh, Oh..."

"Yes, Uh Oh indeed," The king looked down at his daughter with his hazel brown eyes, his pointed ears hidden inside his crown, "what have I told you about running in the castle," he leant down, picking up his dirt-covered child, resting her on his hip, "you're filthy, don't tell me you were running away from Alena who were to give you a bath."

Seladon's face paled as her father had hit the nail on the head, her lips puckered, eyes drifting off to the side as her young mind did anything to scramble up an excuse, "But bathtime is supposed to be before bed! It's lunchtime now, why do I need a bath now?"

A sigh slipped from her father's lips, "Because your mother and I have a very important meeting we, must attend to and you, my darling daughter," he adjusted her position, removing her from his hip and placing his hands under her arms, swinging her around in a small circle, "must be there too."

Seladon giggled as she was spun around, after all, she was a child, of course, she would find something so small as being spun around humorous and fun. However, her happiness didn't last long, as soon as the King had stopped spinning her around, she let out a small sigh, engaging back into reality, "But meetings are boring! I don't want to sit around and watch adults talk!"

The elven King couldn't help but loud aloud at his daughter's remark, she wasn't entirely incorrect, meetings were dull, and they mostly consisted on adults speaking with one another, "But my little princess, this one is different." He set her down on two feet, letting her go when her feet were securely flat on the flooring beneath them.

"Different?" Seladon had her index finger on her bottom lip as she cocked her head to the side slowly in curiosity.

"Yes, this was supposed to be a secret, but I'm sure I can tell you now," Seladon watched as her father looked around the corner which she had previously turned to escape Alena who was assigned to bathe her, she noticed him wave his left hand toward the direction she had come from, "the people we're meeting with, another Nobel family from out neighbouring hamlet are to meet with us, and they're also bringing their child whom you'd need to meet, the best part is that he's about your age."

This piqued her interest, questioning it further Seladon spat out another question, "So we will get to play? But why do we need to meet?" 
While waiting for her questions to be answered, she looked over toward where her Father was looking only to have a mini heart attack.

Alena was back, holding the same fluffy white towel and a change of clothes for the little princess, it was a beautiful, pastel blue dress with ruffles underneath.

"I'll tell you after your bath now," He pushed Seladon gently over toward the middle-aged elf who gently grabbed the young princess's wrist, "go with Alena and get ready."

Before leaving her Father, the elf assigned to take care of Seladon turned around to bow at the King, giving him a quiet, "Thank you, your majesty."

-Time skip-

"WHAT?!" Seladon gripped the bottom of her elegant dress, her sky blue wedged flats landing on the ground as she stomped her feet, childishly, "What do you mean engagement?!"

The young girl, despite her age, sure she was stupid, but, she wasn't dumb enough to let those words slip her mind.

After her reincarnation, she had been slowly regaining some memories, learning new phrases every day. Currently, she had recovered one percent of her memories back, she knew what the concept of engagement was, and Seladon was not fond of it one bit.

"Listen, Sweetie," A sweet, feminine voice rang in the young princess's ears, she looked up with tears in her eyes at her mother, listening to her speak, "we know it's a lot to take in, but this has been finalised ever since you were two, it's the way things work, but I promise you," The Elven Queen picked up her daughter, resting her on her hip, "we're not leaving you if that's what you're afraid of." 

"But--If I get engaged, doesn't that mean I have to live with somebody I don't even know?" She hiccupped, her small arms wrapping themselves around her mother as she buried her little face in her gown. 

"Oh, heavens, no!" Angelita rests her hand atop of Seladon's head, patting her gently, careful not to mess up her hair, "We would never do that! You're stuck with us until you're an adult capable of making her own decisions."

Seladon looked up into her mothers baby blue eyes, letting a stray tear fall before letting a smile take over her slim lips, "So I get to stay here? So I don't have to get engaged."

"Yes my little girl, you get to stay here, but I'm afraid you will still have to go through with the engagement with the young prince of Lotia, but I assure you, you'll grow to love him, just how I grew to love your Father."

The young Princess tilted her head to the side, sneaking a glance over toward her Father who was sitting at the duchess, looking in the mirror, adjusting his crown, "You didn't choose to marry daddy?" She looked back at her mother with curious eyes.

"No, I didn't," The queen admitted, "my parents chose him out for me before I was born, but I grew to love him, despite our ten year age gap."

Seladon was gawking at her mother in astonishment; she was learning things she had never known before, "What if I don't grow to love the Prince of Lotia? Can I break off our engagement?"

Angelita covered her mouth with her free hand to stifle a laugh, loving how free-minded and determined her daughter was, part of her wishes she was like that at her age, "It is possible, but you would have to get both kingdoms to agree with your decision."

'And that's exactly what I'll do.' Seladon nodded to herself before asking her mother to be set back down onto the ground, once she was back on land, she popped another question, "What time is the meeting?"

Angelita looked over toward her husband, shaking her head at his vanity while he fiddled with the crown on his head, "We leave in one hour."

"Oh okay," Seladon backtracked, walking backwards out of the room she was currently in, "I'm just going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Angelita stepped toward her daughter before she could exit the room, "Do you need help?"

"Nope!" Was all the young elf said before running as fast as she could, sliding through the halls in her best dress, sneaking past the guards and servants before she dashed out of the front door, not looking back to see if anyone had spotted and was chasing her, 'How to break off an engagement, make them think you're not interested and to do that, run away!'

Seladon ran through bushes, trees, the shoes she wore digging into her heels, she could feel the blisters forming, but she didn't stop running, not until she caught a glimpse of something shiny, it was like a giant, transparent dome.

"Was this the protection Mama and Papa were talking about?" She cautiously stepped toward the magical barrier, sticking one arm out, "Mama told me never to leave the protection of the barrier..."

She went to step back, to turn on her heel and return home until her curiosity made her give in, "But I'll be right back, what's the worst that could happen?" Seladon stepped out of the protective barrier; she was now on the other side of the forest, the side she had never been in before.

"Wow!" She gasped in astonishment; there were types of bird she had never seen before sitting in trees, the grass was greener on the side she currently walked on, everything seemed more beautiful, more peaceful.

The young elven Princess stepped over a tree root, only to misplace her footing and end up tripping on it instead, she fell to the ground with a thud, without a doubt, dirtying her best dress.

"Ouch..." She placed the palms of her hands atop of her head, feeling around for the hairclip her mother had previously put in her hair.
Her eyes widened, and panic began to grow within her small body once she couldn't feel its presence, "Oh, no, no, no, where is it?!"

Not only did she lose her accessory, but her sense of direction had also vanished, she couldn't find the barrier surrounding her kingdom. She had concluded that she was also lost.

The four-year-old stood up, only to stumble and fall right back down upon feeling a stinging sensation on her right knee.
Her eyes drifted over to said body part, and she flinched upon noticing it was bleeding.

Of course, she had to graze her knee.

The feeling of hurting herself and losing her beloved hairclip, a gift from her mother on her first birthday had taken a toll on Seladon's little mind so she did the only thing she could think of at the time.

Cry.

Her sobs were loud and frequent as she limped around the unknown forest, searching for her hai piece she stumbled across a small pond.
Sniffling a few times, Seladon wiped her eyes with her forearm to clear the tears from her vision.

Once her vision was clear, her mood instantly shifted as she had found her cherished accessory, she reached out for it only to let out a gasp and return to her misery.

She had accidentally knocked it into the pond.

"W-Why do I have to be so clumsy?" The young girl sobbed, sitting down on the wet mud beside the pond, she lifted her knees p to her chest and buried her head between them, sobbing semi-loudly.

Seladon remained a sobbing mess until her attention was brought to the water in front of her as she heard gushing and movement. This frightened her as she let out a small squeak, sliding backward, away from the water.

Her fear was replaced with confusion once she saw a head pop out of the water, there was now a young boy with pale blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair and cute, chubby cheeks looking at her blankly.

"...Hi..." She slowly inched toward the water again, in an attempt to get a better look of the boy only for him to narrow his eyes at her and dive back underwater.

"Hey, wait!" Seladon inched closer toward the pond, wincing once her grazed knee made contact with the rough, muddied ground beneath her, her hand was hovering over the water, "Please don't leave me..."

Her face fell upon noticing the boy didn't resurface, she was saddened without a doubt but decided to wait for him. Picking up a small stick, she used it to draw patterns on the mud beside her for a good few minutes.

A few minutes later, the girl was once again startled, almost jumping out of her skin once she heard the familiar sound of movement in the water, she looked eagerly at the young boy who had resurfaced.

"Er det din?" The little merman's tail moved throughout the transparent water, Seladon had to take her attention off his fascinating tail to look at him, more importantly, what he was holding.
(Translation: Is this yours?)

It was her hairpiece.

"Oh!" She dropped the stick she was holding and reached forward, toward the merman, "You found it!" She allowed the boy to place what was hers into the palm of her hand, "Thank you so much!" She thanked the merman and waited for a response.

"Jeg kan ikke for sta dig..."
(Translation: I can't understand you...)

"What was..." Seladon placed her accessory back in her hair, "I can't understand you..."

She was told that every species had its own language; she just never believed it. Her species itself has its own language, Elvish, however, English is still used between all races; it was the universal language of this world. 
However, only those of the high class can get the opportunity to speak English, either that or you would need to be extremely wealthy to afford the tuition.

Seladon could speak both English and Elvish, thanks to some of her memories returning to her ever so often she was able to master English once more, it was Elvish which was the tricky one.

However, she tended to use English more often, speaking it to anyone and anywhere unless they could not understand her, it was then her race's native language was to be used which was of course, not supposed to be allowed but, her parents tend to baby her, therefore, allowing her to speak how she pleases.

"I heard that other species communicate in English all the time..." Seladon mumbled as she looked back at the boy, "Can you speak English?" The young girl was yet to understand that learning the universal language of this world was only a luxury for those with money or of high status.

She spoke slowly and carefully, beams of hope in her eyes as she once again, waited for a response.

"E... English..." The young boy muttered in the universal language, his accent heavy, thick and hard to understand; it had taken Seladon a little while to process what it was he was saying, "...Learn English... at school..."

She let out a gasp once she had registered what is, that as he had said, "You learn at school? That's so cool! I wish I had school, I learn from my tutors!" The young girl blurted out her response at rapid speed, making it hard for the poor young boy to understand her words.

Of course, she didn't tell him she already knew the language and just pretends to learn for her tutors, so they're not fired, if she did, how else would she explain how she knew how to speak it?

"...Tutor..." The boy managed to mimic one of the words which Seladon had confidently spoken, once he recognised the word, his eyes narrowed slightly before he picked up the stick Seladon was previously using to draw in the mud, pulling a royal crown in the earth, "Are you..." He pointed to the drawing.

"Am I crown?" Seladon cocked her head to the side, studying the drawing and patting her head with her left hand before it clicked, "Oh! Princess, am I a princess?"

The boy nodded.

"Yes!" She nodded her head, verifying the boy's question, "I am a princess!"

Hearing the word 'yes,' and seeing her head move up and down in a nodding motion was enough to help the merman understand, and once he did, his eyes narrowed at her even further, soon diving back into the water, not uttering another word.

"Wait!" Seladon was confused by his actions, inching dangerously close to the water, "Don't go, was it something I said?" She tapped the edge of the water, "If so I'm sorry!" She leaned forward to get a better glimpse inside the body of water only to fall in.

Sure, if she were still in her past life, she would swim up and get out of the water, but in this case, it wasn't so easy.

The four-year-old elf had one problem.

She couldn't swim.

Flailing her arms around, trying to keep her head above the water the girl felt her life flash before her eyes, memories filling her mind, at the scare of losing her life, memories shot forth, embedding themselves into her mind, so many of them that it caused Seladon to feel a little queasy, remembering many things, including things she didn't want to.

'How unfortunate... Imagine being reincarnated just to die a second time early on...'

'It's painful...' Seladon felt herself sinking, unable to move from the shock of regaining most of her memories of her past life and from the ongoing death experience, she was about to give in, hoping Artemis would give her a third chance.

Until she had felt something sturdy wrap around her waist, tugging her upward.

This confused her so with much difficulty, she opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of the young merman, he was holding her in his arms, swimming what appeared to be up.

In what felt like hours, Seladon was placed back onto solid ground, almost coughing her guts up along with the water she had swallowed, "T-Thank you." She spoke in between wheezes.

She looked off to the side, spotting her savour about to leave once more, "N-No, wait!" She reached out, grabbing his hand, almost falling back into the water while doing so, "Don't leave."

A sigh left the boy's lips, he removed Seladon's hand from his and stared into her eyes, as if he was telling her, 'What do you want?'

"What's your name?" She asked, speaking very slowly, aware of the small language barrier between the two.

"...Alton..."

"Nice to meet you, Alton!" She was ecstatic upon hearing his name, it was beautiful, "I'm," pointing to herself the young elf introduced herself, "Seladon."

A bright smile on her face as she looked at the merman who was close in age to her, only to jump in fright upon hearing a loud voice shouting her name, "SELADON!"

With wide eyes, she quickly stood up, wincing at her injured knee, "I-I have to go!" Upon hearing footsteps approaching, she ran away from the pond; she wasn't stupid; she knew that voice belonged to her father.

Watching the young girl run away, Alton remained with his head out of the water, once she was out of sight he opened his mouth, muttering to himself, "Seladon..."

//End of Chapter//

A/n Can my spellcheck please stop correcting 'Seladon' as 'Salad.' Like no. Her name is not Salad, I get she's bland but not that bland-