Mistic Pets

Welcome to Issue 49
Created by The Mistic Pets Team

A Kelpie Cinderella: Part 1
Written By gemajgall

“What are we going to do? Another spring is approaching, and the prince has yet to wed!” lamented the king of Kelpie Fortress. “This can't continue! We must have an heir! Without an heir, we cannot pass along our traditions: our stories, our culture, our legacy!”

“But what would you have us do?” asked his wife. She looked sadly at their son, who was lounging on the open balcony that overlooked the reef. The young prince's webbed hands gently strummed a coral lyre; his gaze was vacant as his thoughts wandered.

“Marry him to someone!” the king emphasized. “If the Festival of Blessing passes by one more time without the prince marrying...!”

“Hmm,” murmured the queen. “It would be nice if he could meet some girls.” She paused, contemplatively. “I know! Why don't we have a ball?”

“A ball?” the king echoed, looking at her skeptically. He looked back at his son, but the young prince was slumped over his lyre, snoring lightly.

“Yes, a ball,” smiled the queen. “We invite all the single kelpie ladies in the fortress, from the river, and even as far as Klaeris City and the Lighthouse right before the Festival of Blessing. We can announce that it's a romantic dance—where single kelpies can find a partner in time for the spring ceremony.”

The king pondered her words for a moment, “It's a wonderful idea! We can make the most romantic decorations and have the musicians play the love songs of our founders! With an environment like that, surely the prince will find someone to love!” He took his wife's hand, and they walked out the door together. “I'll have the couriers make announcements across the oceans at once!”

As they left, they didn't see their son's seaweed-colored eyes slide open—he had heard every word.

~*~*~*~*~*~

As pale moonlight from Europa filtered through the ocean waves, a lone figure snuck out of the fortress. His body was completely wrapped in a cheap cloak, and a lyre was clutched in his webbed hand. Not a servant heard him; they were all exhausted from preparing a ball.

By the time morning sunlight rippled down, the young prince was out of the view of the fortress and into the river territory. The kelpie settlement here was less grand than anything the prince had seen; the buildings were small, the roads were narrow, and the currents smelled differently. His feet were tired from swimming though, so he settled down at an intersection and plucked his lyre softly as the morning shoppers began their rounds.

A few placed some Mistic Cash at his feet, surprising the prince in disguise. This gave him courage to play louder. Those who passed smiled happily at his tunes, but the first to speak with him was a young girl whose arms were loaded with shopping bags.

“Lovely,” she said with a smile, causing him to look up. Then she blushed slightly. “Your song, I mean.”

He looked her over before replying; her clothes were tattered and patched, her hair had been cropped short by someone with dull scissors and even duller skills, and her hands were calloused from hard work—but her smile shone like a star. “Thank you.”

“I've never heard a song like that,” she continued. “Where did you—?”

“Ella! Ella!” bellowed an older woman, an aristocrat by her appearance, cutting her off. Two girls who were clearly her daughters stood beside her. “Get over here with our bags. Now!”

Ella, the young kelpie woman, smiled one more time at the prince as she said her good-bye and hurried after the others. They all vanished into the crowd, but the prince watch where she had been long after he lost sight of her.

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