NATALIA
OKAY. PERHAPS SOME OF YOU are throwing me some profanities in your mind because of our "engagement" with Ely.
Maybe some of you are saying, "You're such a bitch, Natalia!" or "That's fine because you don't deserve July. She's too good for you." or "What the hell, Natalia? Such a freakin' cheater!"
Okay, ouch. Ouch. Even though I'm a real bitch, a brat, dramatic, bossy, I'm a rude woman. It hurts to think that that's what you're thinking of me. Well, I'm glad I had the chance to explain my side.
For a long time, the author gave me the opportunity to have a point of view.Hear me out, people of the Freelipinas. Please hear my explanation before you conclude with some severe judgment and accusations.
Let's go back to the time I was led to this island, where the Faerie Landia is located.
Flashback…
"Polo! What did you do to my foot?!" I hysterically said to the seahorse. "Why do I have freakin' scales?! Did you put some witchcraft spell on my legs and feet?!"
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." Bloody hell, this seahorse is also feisty, I almost forgot.
"Why do I have a tail?! Did you make me a fish? You with your elongated nose, fucking horse, I'm no fish!Give me back my feet!"
"What the hell, Miss?!" The seahorse is obviously annoyed based on the pitch of its tone, but I don't care if it's upset or angry, "Don't be exaggerated! You are a mermaid! You're not a normal fish. Look, you're half-human, half-fish! A mermaid, miss! MER-MAID!"
Oh god! Isn't this impossible?I am not! I am not a mermaid!
"You fucking kidding me? Come on!" I rolled my eyes and put sarcasm in my voice, but Polo was looking seriously at me. Damn! "I will kill you, Haruka and Sofia, for playing a joke on my allergies!" Yes, I'm the denial queen. I feel like a crazy person screaming now, and honestly, I'm already crying. "July!" I called the woman lying on the shore. "July, wake up! You're their accomplice, right? I know you're their accomplice! Come on, Juls, let me out in this costume!The placement is so sticky. I want to walk!"
But July didn't wake up. Ugh! She is so good at acting. But ... Is she just acting? If she was just acting, she shouldn't have let herself drown earlier, right? If she's just acting, how can she stay unconscious for so long? That's the time when things came flashing back to my mind. It's been ever since we jumped earlier in the chopper.
Then realization hit me that this is really no joke. What happened flashed back. During the quick dive I did earlier to save July, it seemed like my breathing in the water was normal. It seemed like everything was simple for me when I was in the water. There is no struggle; all is purely simple and easy. That makes sense now because I'm a mermaid. Ahh, this is insane! All right, I'm the crazy one. I am the one who does not accept what is happening.
"Miss, this is no joke. Those scales," Polo pointed to my scales, "are real. It's all true."
My brain no longer processes what I hear. No! This is not possible. What will my friends say? Will they accept me? Will July still want to be with me? Will she still kiss me even though I look like this? Will she love me even if I'm like this? God, I can't face rejection, especially when it comes to her.
And I badly need to save her! Oh my goodness, she needs medication. She might lose a lot of blood and disappear from me forever. When I looked at July, my eyes welled up with tears.She was still unconscious and was so pale.
"Miss, don't cry. There's nothing you can do. Just accept the fact that you're like us," Polo said.
"You don't understand. This is not me. They can't accept me. What if July wakes up and sees me like this? She will despise me. She will hate me. I love her. I can't lose her," I sighed between sobs.
"Miss---"
"Natalia, my name is Natalia."
"Natalia, I know someone who can help you," Polo said. There is a look of eagerness on my face to know what this help is all about.
"Really? Who? Where?"
"Uhh, but we can't leave your friend here. She's badly wounded."
Oh yes, I can't leave July alone! What the fuck? What to do?
"Where are we going? Is it still far from here? Besides, July badly needed urgent medication." I stopped crying and wiped away the rest of my tears.
"It's still far, but hmm wait---" I looked at Polo. It was now tapping the water for a beat, as if it was sending a signal to someone. Surprisingly, I just watched Polo until I heard some splashes in the distance. I immediately looked at the ocean but saw nothing. I looked at Polo again and would have asked when somebody appeared in front of us.
"Princess Ely, you got my signal. Thank you for your response," I heard Polo say, but I was a little stunned with what I saw. Fuck! The stories are true!
There, lying on her gorgeousness, was a very beautiful mermaid with brown-reddish hair, tanned skin, a very beautiful and charming face, a sea shell covering her abundant boobies, abs, and golden orange complemented with a blue tail. Overall, the word GORGEOUS is screaming from her beautiful figure. The myths are true; mermaids are beautiful.
We huh? Oh, I seem to accept it. Doesn't it? But no, still not. No, no, no.
"I'm just there nearby," the princess said without taking her eyes off of me. "Why Polo? And who's the beautiful young lady you're with?" Aww, she has a nice voice. And yeah, she's definitely saying the truth.
"Princess, they are the passengers of the helicopter that crashed not far away," said Polo.
"Ahh. The reason why so many damaged coral reefs in the area and killed some fish and other sea creatures." Suddenly, the princess's eyes narrowed. Is she angry?
I apologized, "I'm sorry." Shit! I have to be kind. This is her territory! "Some bad people tried to kidnap me, but you see, we managed to escape. The chopper has self-destructed, so it's not our fault," I began to explain to her.
I told her everything that happened. I saw her face change in some expressions when I was telling her about our journey. I can't really read her when I start telling stories, even if she doesn't request it. It's up to you, I said to myself. I need to tell her everything because I know she can help us.
"So, you're the President's daughter?" Astonishment was on her face.
"Yes," I replied."Please princess, help us. Help my girlfriend here; she has lost a lot of blood. She is wounded on the side of her head. Please help her." Okay, you read that right.
I, Natalia Aquino, am begging someone for help. Freaking first time, right? But for the sake of keeping July alive, I don't care if I get enslaved by the princess.
"Girlfriend? She's your girlfriend?" she pointed out July.
I just nodded with a hopeful stare. The princess fell silent. There's something in her reaction that I can't read. I don't care at all. I also don't have time to read what her reaction wants to convey.
"Please, princess. And please help me with this tail. Aren't there any potions or stones you're scratching to get your feet back on? Please princess, I don't think July will accept me if she finds out I'm a mermaid. Please, I'll do everything. Just help me." I was bargaining. I had no choice. July needs her help. I need her help.
"As in everything?" Her question is meaningful. The princess's eyes are twinkling with excitement.
Huh? Why is that? Does she have a bad plan?
I replied, "Yes." I have no choice. I really need her help.
"Okay, you said that, huh?" smiling, she says. No, it's not a smile, it's a smirk, and I feel like it's not a good smirk, but I shrugged the thought. I really need his help. I know I'm saying this a lot, but yeah, that's true.
"Well then," said the princess, and she slowly strode to the shore. "Polo, tell Crabby and Goldy to hand me my dress. They're just on the rocky part. Asap," she ordered Polo.
"Yes, princess," Polo immediately complied.
"Rip me off some of your dress-- what's your name, beautiful?" The princess's look was strange. She is very focused on me. I don't think she's even blinking while looking at me.
"Natalia, princess," I replied.
"Natalia... Ahh, such a beautiful name. It suits you." She smiled again. I felt the warmth of both my cheeks.
I know I shouldn't be blushing, but I can't help it because, except that the princess is also beautiful, there was something about her that intimidated me. Is it because she's a princess? Hell yeah, I'm the president's daughter. Technically, I am the princess of a country.
If she is a princess, she only has rights in her kingdom, but if her kingdom is within the Freelipinas, I still have more power because my father is the ruler of this country. Why should I be intimidated? But I was. As I've said, there's something about her that's intimidating.
"Natalia, rip me off a little of your clothing to stop your friend's blood from flowing." She called July, my friend. I just didn't react anymore. I just followed what she said. Maybe she knows more about what she's doing, doesn't she?
I ripped the bottom part of my dress and handed it to her. When I handed it to her, she did not let go of my hand. She's weird. I was going to take my hand off of her, but she was gripping it hard. I confusedly looked at her and saw that smirk again. Uh-oh, I think I'm in trouble.
"Princess, here is your dress." It's good that Polo has arrived. The princess let go of my hand and took the dress given by a... Crab? Shucks! It was really crab and it spoke well too.
"Hello," it greeted me. All I could do was smile, a side smile actually. I'm sorry, I'm not used to them. "She's beautiful, princess. You made a great choice."
What is this crab saying? I saw the princess smile widely as she moved to the shore, sat there, and wiped off whatever potion was on her tail. Moreover, she wore the dress given by the crab earlier.
"Is she here, Princess?" A goldfish was talking. Shucks! I can really hear them talking! Damn!
"Yes, guys, so don't scare her," the princess said. Shit! What does she mean? Full of astonishment, I looked at Polo, but the seahorse was quietly staring at us.
Then, later, I saw the princess stand up. Fuck! She has legs! So that means I will also return to normal? Oh, thank goodness!
We just silently watched the princess as she treated July. Indeed, she knows very well how to treat the wounds of July. She only used some sea herbs, then later on, she finished treating July.
"Thank you so much, princess." I'm really happy. She just smiled and nodded at me. In fairness, she's nice.
"Leave us, guys," she commanded the sea creatures. They immediately complied. "So, don't you want your feet back?" she asked as the three sea creatures left. July was still lying on the shore, but she was safe and out of reach of the sea.
"Yes, princess," I replied.
"You're too formal. So serious," she joked. I just smiled awkwardly. "Just call me Ely, and you can address me informally. I think we are just at the same age. I'm twenty-two, by the way. How about you?"
"Twenty-one," I replied sparingly. I'm nervous. I'm afraid there is a 'bad offer' from the banker. I meant Ely.
"Oh, our age gap is only one year," she said with a smile. Hmm... I wonder if she is not tired of smiling? She had been smiling for a while now. "So, about the feet. Before I can offer that to you, uhhmm, you told me you'll do everything in exchange for my help. Right?"
Uh-oh, what does she want me to do now? I just nodded in response. That's what I said before, isn't it?
"Okay, then uhmm," I saw how the princess struggled to say the words she wanted to say to me. Why is that so? "So, marry me, Natalia."
"What?!"
End of flashback…
So, that's what happened, guys. Ely blackmailed me, saying that she would tell July who I really was if I didn't agree. I am very grateful to her for saving July's life, but that's what she did.
She took advantage of me because I promised that I'd do everything for her if she would help us, right? And actually, Ely was the one who was protecting us on the island.
There were a lot of really evil creatures there, but through the help of Ely, they didn't touch us.
Ely allowed me to take care of July. But she said, until we are rescued, I can still be July's girlfriend, but if we are rescued, I will be hers. I also agreed. But what I didn't expect was that in the few days we would be stranded on the island, I would fall in love more with July. Until I couldn't take it anymore, I gave all the love that I could give to July while I was still with her.
But sometimes, Ely will meet with me secretly. Reminding me that she already owns me and I shouldn't flirt too much with July because I will only hurt the agent when we separate.
I manage to hide my true feelings from July, even though I really want to tell her the truth, that I love her. And if she can accept me for who I am? But when I decided to tell the agent the truth, it was as if Ely seemed to be reading my thoughts and would say, "Just try to deviate from the plan Natalia, you know I can afford to kill July and every loved one you have. I will hurt them badly. Even your dad, I will kill him too."
Yes, she was threatening me. And am I afraid? Yes, I am! Because if you remember the poor rabbits, it wasn't really me who caught them but Ely.
Actually, she didn't catch it with a trap but with her bare hands. Yes, Ely is so fast when she catches the poor rabbits. Then she let me watch how she tortured the little rabbits while they were still alive. She was doing that while next to July, who was still unconscious and lying on the beach. Just imagine the fear in me while watching those rabbits, screaming in pain while Ely peels their skin with her sharp knife. Then, while Ely is doing that, she's glancing at July and saying, "I'll do the same to your poor sweetheart if you don't keep your promise, Natalia." Then she will smile foolishly.
She is such a psycho, isn't she? So when July woke up and ate the rabbit, I couldn't bear to watch, but I kept my cool because I didn't want her to notice my unsettling feelings.
And we met Ruby. You know what happened? We ended up in Faerie Landia and gosh, the one I met was a fairy. But unlike Ely, they are kind. I was really surprised because, wow, there are really supernatural people and, yeah, I belong to them now.
That's all. I still can't admit it because of July. Ruby was angry with me and even called me a hypocrite, but then, I said, they were kind and they welcomed us into their kingdom with arms wide open.
That fairy is also a princess. Coincidence, right? Another royal from the realm of the supernaturals.Hmm. And in fairness, they are really more elegant at banquets. The splendor of everyone, especially at their feast. It is forbidden not to wear a gown or tux. And there are a lot of royals in the supernatural world. How did I know? Well, they wore fucking crowns! And I know it's not for nothing.
I went to the hall earlier than July, so I was surprised when Ely greeted me. I tried to escape from her. I hid, but then I didn't get a chance. She still found me.
I knew I couldn't hide from her forever and I couldn't hide the truth now. I went back to the hall with Ely behind me, and like a dog, she goes with me everywhere. I saw July in the distance. She's so goddamn hot in her gown. I really wanted to run to her side and lock myself in her arms and run away with her, but I restrained myself because Ely was whispering threats to me. How can I possibly deal with that? Shit!
I have no choice but to ignore July. I heard Ruby called Ely, but the latter ignored Ruby, and I went straight to sit at the table with the king and queen. I wasn't looking at July, but I felt her stare at me.
"What was that for?" I heard Ruby grumble. Ely kissed me on the cheek. Oh, this girl!I looked down. I know July is wide-eyed staring at me now. I looked down so I could avoid the pain in her eyes and vice versa.
I thought Ely was done showing off. But not yet. She definitely continued her plan.
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," she began talking. God, what will she say? I bet it's not good. "I'm finally going to settle down. I'm going to get married." FUCK! Ely, you're a jerk!
"Aww, Ely. I know you love me too," Ruby said. Shit! Does Ruby love Ely? Damn it!
"So, let's make a toast, because the princess of Serenity…" Does she have to say that she's really a princess, huh? The arrogance! "is going to get married," Oh god, I think I'm going to die, "to the president's daughter, Natalia Aquino. Cheers!"
DAMN!