Scene 1
“Esteemed merfolk! Thank you all for being present tonight!” Yells Elder Octo over a balcony as guests look up at him from the ballroom below, high ranking merpeople of all shapes and sizes adorn the crowd, from an imposing white jellyfish whose tendrils billow gently with the current to lurking merchants in the corners of the room, “Allow me to extend my thanks to the citizens of Atlantia in particular, may our joint merry be a symbol of fruitful relationships to come!” he raises a glass, and the guests join in, cheering as they mark the start of this high profile evening of indulgence, away from the prying eyes of their kingdoms at war. A war that the royal families hoped to stop one day in favour of a much more beneficial trade relationship. Elder Octo was hopeful that tonight’s party would kick start that process, giving not only the court officials but the people of Atlantia a reason beyond commercial ones to believe in Coral Reef and what it could give them.
Coral Reef balls are loud and colorful, full of ale and copious amounts of food stacked in the center of the room. Elder Octo seems to be looking for his son, Prince Flowerhorn, hoping to quell his rambunctious tendencies by giving him a task. He finds the young prince looking over the tower of food in awe, with a gentle hand on his shoulder, he gives the boy a bag of seashells.
The elderly man urges the boy along his way. Manta was found easily – distinguishable by sleek black fins and a barbed tail trailing around as she walks. Prince Flowerhorn clumsily swims up to the small girl, tapping her on the shoulder. He is greeted by eyes filled with so much life he felt his breath catching in his throat. He was so enchanted that he almost forgot to give her the shells, bowing he said “A present, from my kingdom. We give girls shells from our shores – they’re really pretty” He had not yet learned subtler ways of speaking, but it seemed like the princess didn’t mind. Her sharp yet handsome features crackled into a wide smile, reflected in those expressive eyes. She took the bag and looked inside, “Thank you!” she exclaimed as she tied the bag to the side of her belt.
“do you also give girls adventures?”
The prince was taken aback.
“w-what?”
“You know, you give girls shells, which are pretty and all but I want an adventure! Do you have those instead?” She held out a single shell from the bag to the Prince like it was currency exchangeable for that experience.
The prince found himself flabbergasted by this notion, nobody in his kingdom had ever spoken to him like this before. He looked around for ideas, settling on the tower of food in the center of the room, representing the bountiful harvests in coral reef. The Princess followed his eyes, “The food tower is so cool!” she exclaimed, eyes lighting up all over again. “How did you get it?”
Every time she got excited, the prince was in awe, Such pure joy wasn’t something he’d ever seen… how could someone be so enthusiastic about everything? “Um… we made it?”
“How??”
“Uh… we have chefs, in the kitchen… that make the food, and then they-
“That’s awesome! Can I see??”
“See… the kitchen?”
“Yeah!”
“But… it’s just a kitchen, it’s a normal kitchen, it’s not really an adventure…”
“But they made such a huge food tower! They must be special! I wanna see I wanna see!”
The Prince final agreed. not quite so sure how the kitchen was that special, but it’s not like he had any other ideas. He took her by the wrist, and led her out one of the side doors to the basement, where a bustling kitchen was churning out canapes. They stopped short as they spotted the children – a slippery Eel tail came before them, bending down to reveal a man with blown back hair. “Hello there,” he greeted.
“Where is the food tower!” demanded the princess, making the eel man laugh.
“Ah! You mean the centerpiece. Well – it doesn’t just appear out of nowhere you know, we have to make it” the eel explained.
“That sounds like a lot of work…” pondered the small Prince beside her. The kitchen was too warm, and smelt not half as food as the finished food upstairs, these guys must have a hard job.
“Sometimes, but it’s really worth it you know.” Chimed in another voice in the back belonging to a stout man with a lumpy, yet wide sliver tail. “you get to see the smiles on people’s faces when they see it, or eat it.” He poured a pot of stew into a large, wide bowl – and the sight made Manta’s face light up all over again.
She was so strange. And yet those looks must be what that man was talking about.
“Would you like to give it a go my Prince?” The Eel interrupted as both children stared at the head chef. “it’s not that hard.”
The two nodded, and the Eel brought them up to sit on the counter. “I’m Sous Chef Electric Eel by the way, but people just call me Eel.”
They soon also learned that the man pouring stew was head chef Dory, and that he had many plates of small crackers that would become canapes for the night. Eel had mixed a seafood puree and taught the prince how to pipe it onto the crackers by holding his hands from behind, forming neat dollops of blue green in the process, carefully controlling the prince’s hand movement, they ended up far neater than the prince could have done on his own.
“See, cooking is easy!” exclaimed Sous Chef Eel with a pat on the Prince’s back as Manta placed little garnishes on top. The boy stared in awe at the exceptional handiwork that was most definitely not his own, not like he had to know that though. The prince had to admit, he did feel a little proud of what he had done.
Manta’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she picked up a canape with a perfect swirl, “it’s sooooo pretty!” she exclaimed, munching down on the delicious snack. The chefs smiled warmly.
“You got potential kid” started the Eel with a hand on the Prince’s shoulder, “we could really use a hand like you around here, what do you say you come down whenever you got time. We could always use your help.”
This had been a very unusual day for Prince Flowerhorn. First, this girl came crashing into his life like a hurricane, and now praise? He didn’t know what to make of it, but it was worth coming here again at least once, if only to escape his overbearing father. Though he had to admit, between Manta’s wide smile and Eel’s willingness to teach him, together with what he thought was natural talent, he kind of feel like this kitchen was where he belonged.
Though Elder Octo could not find his son for the rest of the night, it comforted him to know that even Atlantia’s first Princess was missing, meaning that they might be together somewhere, and thus, his long term plan had succeeded. Or so he thought.
Scene 2
Manta and Flowerhorn, Princess and Prince, grew up together. Since the ball, Manny would always whine that she would like to go to coral reef, and Elder Octo’s house telephone was ringing every few days with the ask of yet another playdate to set up. Soon enough, Elder Octo and Atlantia’s king had decided on their betrothal. One to bind their kingdoms together with a treaty of peace knowing that they had much more to gain from each other than to fight, as the people of their respective kingdoms still believed. Perhaps a marriage, one between two childhood best friends who had every reason for their love to grow organically, would placate the masses, urging them against war.
As the adults made these difficult and life changing decisions, the lives of their children were carefree. Together, Manny and Flowerhorn would sneak off to the kitchen, where they would make sea jelly and clam chowder under the watchful, encouraging eyes of Head Chef Dory and Sous Chef Eel. Once they were old enough, Elder Octo decided they should engage in some more respectable hobbies instead of “adventuring” all day, as Manny called it, and so he hired them both a Fencing Coach. Under the contacts of Atlantia’s royal family, they recommended one of their ex-soldiers who had retired to fencing in his older age, a man who was precise as he was strict, technique unwavering as the point of his long barbed nose. Perfect for the rebellious duo.
Manny took to the hobby much faster than Flowerhorn did, as she had a penchant for all things physical. Though, she did feel bad for her best friend as Flowerhorn, however decent, always dreamt too much about if white sauce would work with scallop salad to focus on lessons, this often earned him long lectures from Elder Octo. Though this wasn’t always the case, as they got older, there were several fights where Flowerhorn had won.
During one match, he had carefully parried Manny’s fencing weapon of choice, her tail, in order to strike her as she was open. Elder Octo, who happened to be watching this match, applauded. Later congratulating his son on improving vastly since he last saw him fence. He also complimented his future bride, knowing that her skills and determination would be a great asset to Coral Reef’s royal court.
As they grew older, Manny preferred to fence than to be in the kitchen, while Flowerhorn wanted every opportunity to turn raw ingredients into mouth-watering meals. It was no help that Sous Chef Eel was always inviting him to prepare food for the servants. Elder Octo caught onto this hobby, though, he was not as unhappy as the servants thought he might be. Instead, he told his son that so long as he kept up his responsibilities, regular meetings with the court officials and fencing classes, perhaps it was alright for him to cook, once in a while.
Scene 3
Back in Atlantia, Princess Manta had often pondered over what Swordfish had told her after that fencing match. Was there something she could change? Does she have the power to change it? He had given her a few tips, or at least, she thought he had, perhaps she was reading too far into it…
Her days of fencing and kitchen raiding quickly fell behind her as the wedding approached and she was more often bombarded with the need to taste a potential wedding cake, ones not as good as those Flowerhorn could make. Or to choose flowers, ones for a ceremony that wasn’t hers in spirit anyway. Today, it was time for a dress fitting, in a wedding gown that she did not make or choose herself.
Manny had been annoyed as she was ushered away from the fencing grounds to her room, complaining that this could wait until her lessons were over, and that she was too sweaty to try on this stupid dress. Her complains however were interrupted by a sweet, soft smile. One from her royal chambermaid, Grey. The grey whale merwoman held the white dress laid in two hands, ready for her to try on as the door to her own room closed behind her.
“H-Hey…” she started, feeling her face heat up.
Why was she so nervous?
Normally, she was confident, bright and challenging to all she met, even those beyond her rank. And yet, to this soft, kind lady she had always been held by the tongue, not that she minded. In her life, Manny crashed through every opportunity she met, operating at volumes nine out of ten and yet this one smile cracked that resolve – it was admirable to her.
As she took the dress from her maid’s hands, she felt as if there was nothing expected of her – there was nothing she needed to give because herself was enough. In the light that illuminated the ocean behind them she felt at ease with Grey’s smile. An ease that she could spend an eternity with.
Unfortunately, it was an eternity that ended every time she had to face reality again.
“How are you Manny?” ask Chambermaid Grey as softly as everything else she did. Her voice was full of a gentle and sincere sort of kindness that Manny had not known from anyone else. It made her heart stop for a second.
“I’m… good, how about you?”
Grey giggled knowingly and the scenery outside her room fell away to black as Manny’s mind rang with nothing that sweet song, “You know as well as I do that you can’t lie to me Manny… what’s really been on your mind?”
Grey felt like she could ask her princess anything without any restraint, for as convicted and determined Manny was, she always found time to listen to everybody with patience beyond her years. Something that Grey very much appreciated, especially when she had just started working in the palace and was so shy she would barely speak a word. Manny would be the only person who never dismissed her, she would stay, and wait, wait until Grey felt it okay to speak, and speak her mind at that.
Manny slipped into the dress, a gaudy white affair that did not suit her sleek tail at all. It hid her hip fins with a billowing ballgown complete with a bow at the back. Grey began the complicated process towards tying it while Manny spoke. “It’s just that, Flowerhorn is great and all… but, I cannot bring myself to love him. At least not the kind of love that would be destined for marriage.”
A direct princess as always. Another thing Grey admired about her, she wished she could be so confident, a confidence that had long since pierced its way through the walls of her heart with its boldness, one that even the most reclusive lover could not deny entry to.
“And why not? He is your best friend, not to mention handsome, and an excellent cook. All great traits in a future husband…”
“But that’s the thing Grey!” Manny exclaimed, “he’s my best friend! I have no such feelings for him… He’s a goofy guy, with his head in the clouds and while those things are great in a friend… it’s not something that… makes my heart race you know?” Manny turned around to face her maid, “you know…?”
Grey finished tying the huge bow behind Manny’s dress, and gingerly looked up, coming face to face with those huge eyes, ones that burned with a fire warmer than any hearth. Ones that were so intense that they made the most hardened officials step down and yet to her had always felt like home. “Well…” Grey began, unconsciously taking Manny’s hands in her own.
“What does make your heart race?”
“I don’t know…” Manny lied, “Someone who… I can rely on. Someone steadfast yet not arrogant… someone down to earth, kind… and selfless…”
Grey nodded, listening intently to her Princess wishing so much that they could be something more.
Manny thought back to her breeding, she should not say any more. Her loyalty lies only to her kingdom, and it should not waver. She had worked so hard to be the best ruler she could be and yet, yet she had a beating heart. One that now strained against responsibility and want. She had spent so long with her guard up that right now, in this intimate moment she supposed she could afford to utter something selfish. Something that no one should ever hear not because her kingdom would revolt but because these words should be for one person and one person only…
“Someone… I guess someone like you…” Her voice got softer and softer as she continued, and Grey’s face blushed as red as Chef Dory’s when he had a few too many pints of ale. Manny was not much better.
“Oh my… Princess I…”
“Call me Manny”
“Manny I… I must say…”
At that moment, the door burst open, and the girls pulled their hands away. “Princess!” A panting servant exclaimed. “I’m sorry to interrupt you but…. But we just got a call from Elder Octo and it seems that the Prince… Prince Flowerhorn has gone missing!”
Manny looks worryingly at Grey, who, with a panicked look on her face, quickly pushes past the servant that barged in and leaves the room.
Scene 4
The night before, Elder Octo was pacing down the mansion hallways. Unlike the towering buildings of Atlantia, his home was wide, with long corridors between wings of the mansion, overlooking the sprawling reef beyond. Occasionally colourful schools of fish would swim across the glass, tinting the hues of moonlight that shone on the terracotta floor tiles.
As Elder Octo admired the view he had not paid such attention to where he was going, soon finding himself hurling towards the floor at top speed. As he fell, he braced himself as to not smash his face against the tile to no avail.
“I’m so sorry!” cried a servant from behind him. As the Elder turned around with a bleeding nose, he saw a hazy vision of an anglerfish in a trench coat with an ominous, playing card-like bait dangling off a hooked appendage stemming from his forehead. The servant was holding a stack of towels, turning towards the vig-net camera, the anglerfish winks.
Elder Octo intended to stand up to yell at the clumsy servant, but as he blinked a few more times, clearing up his vision, the servant was gone. Leaving the Elder to painstakingly get up himself.
Meanwhile, Flowerhorn is once again in the kitchen, helping bake his own wedding cake, as he slices layers, he sighs. “Why…” he mutters more to himself than anyone else, even though the others hear it. “I love Manny… but… I love her enough to know I don’t want to marry her. Why is father so insistent…”
“What ya thinking about lad?” Boomed Head Chef Dory from behind him. Flowerhorn looked up, realizing that he’d been dreaming for far too long.
As he turned around, he found not only Chef Dory, but most of the other kitchen staff. They were not in their uniforms, but dark cloaks with hoods, with rucksacks on their shoulders and lanterns by their side.
“It’s time to go.”
“What… are you guys, going somewhere?” the puzzled prince responded, frosting spreader in hand.
“Well, Seabass found us a hideout for a few days, so we’re going to chill there until a plot opens up.”
“Ye. It’s time to blow this joint!” The kitchen staff chatter over each other, confusing the prince even further.
“What… what are you saying? Are you leaving? Elder Octo will have your necks!” The Prince carried on frantically, what will father say if… or when, he finds his entire kitchen staff abandoned right before the royal wedding? He didn’t want to deal with the backlash of that.
“Not if he can’t find us.”
“C’mon Flowerhorn” Head Chef Dory pulled out a book, “you can’t keep anything from us you know,” he extends the rattled diary to the Prince. Who responds in alarm by snatching the book back from them,
“My diary! How did you get this!”
“slipped out of your back pocket one day, found it on the floor.” One slippery eel commented.
Head Chef Dory walks up to Flowerhorn, one large hand on his shoulder, “listen kid, I, we know you’ve wanted this for a long time. You’re sad here, and you’re actually not half bad at cooking, plus, you got a dream. A dream that the rest of us here got too.” He helps Flowerhorn open up his diary to the page containing detailed plans and recipes for his restaurant, Flowerhorn looks behind the Head Chef, and see the rest of the crowd nodding.
“I… I don’t know what to say I…”
“You don’t gotta say anything, just pack a bag. You’ll need some warm clothes.” Dory replied.
“I can’t leave.” The Prince retorted. “what about father, he’ll come looking for me! We’ll never get that far before he sends his horsemen, then it’s off with your heads, you do know that right?”
There is a rather hearty slap on his back, one given by Sous Chef Eel, “got that all taken care of Princey. Don’t you worry, Elder Octo won’t come after you for a while, if he comes at all.”
The Prince’s confusion morphs into a gratitude for the Sous Chef, and for all of the kitchen staff. Never did he think he would have a chance to do something… something quite like this.
“So? What are you waiting for kid, go grab your stuff, we ride in an hour.”
“But-
Head Chef Dory grabs Prince Flowerhorn by the shoulders “Look, Flowerhorn, you spend so much of your time dreaming, you dream and you dream and you write everything down and yet. What? You think you can just sit around in here and let this hard work go to waste? C’mon. For once, just once, do something, anything, to make what you want a reality.” The chef shakes the Prince’s shoulders, “she doesn’t want to marry you anyway, you’ll be doing Manny a favor. And we all know you don’t want this life by a long shot.”
The prince stares a long time at the older chef, then with a glance and nod at sous chef Eel, he reaches to his head and chucks off his circlet crown.
Soon the kitchen staff and Prince Flowerhorn, inconspicuous in black cloaks, sneak out to the stables past the royal guards, asleep in the dead of night. Careful not to wake them, they mount their horses and soundlessly ride off into the night.
It’s not until next morning, the day of the wedding that Elder Octo discovers they’re missing. “What is the meaning of this!” He yells as he orders the servants around the palace to find Prince Flowerhorn, while he himself heads down to the one place where he’s most likely to find the boy.
He bursts through the kitchen door only to find sous chef Eel, calmly washing dishes while a completed wedding cake stands with a box over it, as not to get damaged before the ceremony. “Where is he!” the Elder booms, tentacles scurrying with purpose across the floor.
“Your son is gone great Elder” says Eel, reddening Octo’s face.
“I know that you scum!” he spits, “what I WANT to know is WHERE! I’ve been planning this wedding for years I tell you, years! And he has to be in Atlantia in merely 4 hours!”
Scene 5
As the staff of Elder Octo’s mansion continued to fret over the disappearance of their prince, Atlantia’s palace had been busy with preparations while civilians crowded outside, eagerly awaiting the marriage of a century. One which had since given them hope, clouded their minds with the possibility of love between star cross lovers, urging them to put down their swords for the sake of the happy couple. It should work, so long as they actually tie the knot at the end, driving both kingdoms into a long and storied celebration that would go down in history.
Manta and Grey made their way to the barred off wedding venue, though outdoors – civilians were only allowed to look through the iron gates, with the upper class from both Atlantia and Coral reef invited inside to witness the ceremony up close. Guards stood by the gates, keeping the crowd placated from too much excited yelling over the happy occasion. Manny stood in the shadows behind the open front door of Atlantia’s palace, where she was to walk down the steps onto the aisle. Close to the iron gates was the Altar, where the merpreist stood, ready to commence the ceremony, but Flowerhorn was nowhere to be found.
The guests waited, and waited.
The crowd started to chatter.
Not Elder Octo nor the Prince had shown up. Whispers passed themselves around, what had happened? Was this a hoax? The Prince was going to come right?
Manny took a deep breath, now was the time. Out of the pockets of her god awful ballgown she pulled out a card and held it close to her chest.
“Time for this ship to sail” she whispers to herself as she steps out into the diffuse sunlight.
“Esteemed Merfolk!” She boomed, turning all heads in the crowd towards her. “Reefians and Atlantians alike I extend my greats thanks that you could make it here today. However! As you can see, Prince Flowerhorn is not here. And the reason he isn’t here is because I cannot marry him!”
Gasps filter through the crowd, and the merpeople outside extend their heads to see what’s going on.
“You see, Flowerhorn is by best friend, but I cannot say I love him!” A cry of outrage, and the garuds motion people to settle down.
“To marry him here today would be the biggest lie I ever told, and I cannot afford my subjects, much less the subjects of Coral Reef such slander!”
“Ask yourselves my good merfolk! Would you want a marriage for peace when that marriage itself has no love?” Mummers spread through the crowd, and men have taken off their hats in respect, “Would you want an empty union? I ask her as my barest self… If the nobles of Coral Reef would allow me to respectfully decline Flowerhorn’s hand, and instead marry the merperson I love, I would be eternally grateful! And that, the right for me choose my own path, will be the greatest gift Coral Reef could ever, ever give me!”
The crowd is stunned into silence at such a notion.
“But! I know that, despite it all, you came for a wedding, isn’t that right?”
The people outside the gates cheer, some even shout obscenities as they get rowdier at this turn of events.
“Well, I can give you one! Because it just so happens that the love of my life is here right now! And if you would allow it, people of Coral Reef and Atlantia, I would like to marry her!”
She takes another step out onto the altar, and reaching behind her, she pulls Grey onto the carpet with her. The Chambermaid’s hands are cold as ice, but as Manny grasps it, it gains confidence. The two girls walk, hand in hand to the altar, Manny dragging Grey along. As she gets to the end, Manny holds both of Grey’s hands in hers, like they have down so many times alone.
“Chambermaid Grey.”
Another wave of shock amongst the audience.
“Will you please, do me the honour of marrying me, right here?”
The shivering maid in her bridesmaid’s dress stutters out a barely audible, yet amongst the near silent crowd, it was heard, a very soft, yet excited “y-yes…” she cries, tears streaming down her face. As it is uttered, the crowd can’t help but cheer. Even the ones who have opposed the wedding, such a sight of unadulterated love would have grabbed anyone’s heartstrings.
With that response, Manny throws her card into the air and gets down on one knee. The card floats high above the entire venue. In an ancient gesture of commitment and respect amongst her people, Manny takes Grey’s right hand, and presses the back of it to her forehead, showing the upmost submission to her bride.
At this, the card explodes like a giant party popper, releasing colourful ocean fish, confetti, flower petals and wave of creative magic upon the entire scene. Manny’s ballgown transforms into a sleek wedding dress with a train and cutouts for her hip fins. A veil takes its place on Grey’s head, flowers around the entire garden bloom and the crowd cheers as fish swarm all around them. There is a standing ovation amongst the guests.
The remnants of the card filter down as a set of rings, which land on the pillow of the ring bearer, prompting the merpreist to recite the ceremonial wedding vows, allowing the girls to be officially wed. They share a kiss, driving the crowd to a frenzy once more, with a chant for them both, one so loud that it overwhelms any nay sayers amongst them.
As they sit down once more, Sous Chef Eel stands up from his chair in the periphery, amongst staff. “I would just like to say, as a Coral Reef Native, even if I am not of a high rank, my congratulations to both of you. At least to me, it is a sign that we merpeople remain unrestrained by any power to pursue whatever our hearts desire. On behalf of Coral Reef I would like to thank you, for sharing such a moment with us, and showing us all here!”
He gestures to the crowd around the iron gates “That love is real, and that we, the people are free!” The crowd cheers.
“I agree my good man!”
Another voice closer to the altar booms out. Fencing Coach Swordish stands up, “I would even go so far as to say that if Flowerhorn and Manny were to marry today it would be False form of collaboration between nations, and this here is a more potent, real union made with real bonds!”
At this, the crowd’s cheers are less in celebration of the two girls but instead how now become… awry. Speckled with betrayal and skepticism
“Do you mean to say that Atlantia intended to force this false union to placate its people?” Another voice chimes in.
“Yeah, was this all a hoax to shield our eyes from the real issues?”
“If the monarchs can’t take responsibility, then people suffer!”
“If we were truly free, why aren't we free from you lot!”
As more and more outrageous claims are made, a billowing white jellyfish bursts onto the scene, sword in one hand and clad in a Atlantian’s court official’s uniform. He holds up a card and presses it to his chest, allowing his body to absorb it, a wave spreads across the scene once more, and all heads turn attention to this figure.
“The people are right Princess Manta!” He places a hand on his hip, right above his sword, “If Flowerhorn cannot keep himself responsible, then why should you be following in his footsteps!”
“yeah!” scream the civilians outside. “Do you guys think you can do whatever you want? Royals have responsibilities too!”
“Exactly!” The imposing man replies. “If you speak of such freedom, freedom to love whoever you want, then surely the people should also have their own freedoms… and yet they sit behind your iron gates!”
“Freedom for the people!”
“Freedom from a useless monarchy!”
The Crowd behinds to boo and shake the bars they have been restrained against, to the point where the guards are having trouble keeping them contained. Even those that were in such favour before find themselves questioning their motives in lieu of this mysterious yet righteous hero of the day.
“Sir. Sir please calm down…” Grey starts, but the jellyfish is having none of it.
“Your love may be more potent and real now, but there remains a promise to your people! A promise of a marriage which you have broken because of your own selfish reasons! Love or not!”
The guards standing right in front of the gate hand started to draw their shields up against the merpeople banging against the bars.
Manny shuffles Grey behind her, and readies her tail.
“Sir please! I emplore you, stop this nonsense, it is a happy occasion, and true love is something that all people can relate to, it is a symbol of happiness!” Fencing Coach Swordfish begins to urge against the mysterious Jellyfish.
“Aren’t we all just a little irresponsible in our happiness?”
“Nay!”
The Jellyfish draws his sword, and Swordfish draws his own rapier in return, “Monarchy have luxuries the peasants do not, and such! They need to make sacrifices! Ones that bind them to their kingdom! Flowerhorn has betrayed his, and so has Princess Manta!”
He man points his sword accusingly to the young bride.
Manta grits her teeth, who was this official? She didn’t remember seeing him before, moreover his words were tearing the crowd apart. A crowd that was supposed to be hers to govern, hers to control and please.
Well not anymore.
“I have been bold enough to follow my heart! And will fight for my right to love who I please!” She yells, flicking her tail in response towards the courtly jellyfish, beckoning for a match.
With that the crowd outside can no longer we contained and the iron gates burtst open –merpeople of all walks of life, Atlantian and Reefian alike of life rush into the venue, attacking their very own monarchy.
“In the name of freedom!” They yell. Thinking that if they were truly free, they should be free from the irresponsible royals that rule them.
“Viva la Revolution!”
