Imperia dipped her bare feet into the starlit stream, the flowing water calming her spirit.
All her life, she'd followed Mother's plans for her.
She stared at her rippled reflection... wondering just when that broken girl started to doubt.
In only the past few moons, she'd learned more about life and living than she had in over a century.
When Neptune's Revenge ship docked at Thorne less than a moon prior, she was rescued by the last creature she could have expected...
--a human named Willow
And she wasn't just a human. She was an orphaned girl-- not even an adult.
She had a younger brother, too... an innocent fool, but honest and kind.
They taught Imperia that not all humans were horrible... and that not all siblings had to be her enemies.
Before meeting them, she met Mina.
The mermaid girl was a literal servant whose sole purpose was to attend to nobles and heroes.
