LEGEND OF THE MER (27 page)

At that, Makoa could take no more and hit Damon in the face with his fist, causing blood to spill from his mouth.  Damon gave a h
ateful glar
e to Titus
and then dove below.

“Thank you Makoa, you read my thought
s exactly
.
”
G
rinned Titus
.

“Yes, I had enough of his talk myself,”
chuckl
ed Makoa and then they returned to the city of
Tullius
.

~~~~~

Chapter 17

TALEI (
PRECIOUS
)

Titus and his guard took constant shifts on their patrol that went from the city of
Tullius
to
Kaloki
Island
.  The islanders were even vigilant in their watches.  All hoped that perhaps King Tiberius had reprimanded Damon and that he did not want war, but everyone knew that time would tell.

Lana and Titus took little Rose on small outings near the city where she could play with Tempest.  She felt that Tempest was her very own personal toy and he made her laugh at his silly antics.  She seemed like a little sponge that soaked up every new thing she came across.  Her little eyes would light up with a passing turtle or a school of orange and white clown fish. 
She loved the flickering lights of the jellyfish. 
She even clutched to any pretty shell she saw that her father would quickly get for her.  Lana enjoyed this small moment of happiness and prayed that it would last.

Makoa swam
quickly towards them, “It is the Princess Tarra’s time and she has asked that you come
to her
Princess Lana
.
”
H
e smiled.

“I’ll go right away, Titus will you watch Rose?”

“No, I will take her to her grandfather instead.  I will not let you travel to the grotto without me Lana,” he said taking Rose from her and quickly swimming her to the city.

Little Rose did not mind, she loved her
g
randpa Terrance and was glad to see him.  Titus’ father told him that his mother and Princess Rema had already gone with some of the guard.
 
Titus quickly swam back to where Makoa and Lana were waiting and then they three traveled to the grotto.

Micah’s mother Kalea and Grandmother Nalani were already with Princess Tarra before the others arrived.  Micah was beside himself when the women made him go outside and sit in his boat.  Now that Titus and Makoa were there, he felt somewhat better.  He
knew that his father, brothers
and friend Levu
,
would also come soon to give him their support.

Princess Tarra was especially glad that Princess Lana was there.  She knew that if anyone could relate to her situation, it was she, having only just had Rose a little more than a year ago.  She also loved having her and Micah’s family there.  Grandmother Nalani was especially comforting.

It was a difficult and long labor.  There were moments that all the women beg
an
to worry, but with one last hard push, the baby was born.

She was a beautiful baby girl.  She was a merwalker, with the curly black hair and dark skin of her father.  She had the silver eyes of her mother as well as her ears.  Her fingers and toes were webbed and Lana had to smile at the sight of her.

Micah was brought in and his eyes filled with tears as he held his new baby daughter.  He kissed Tarra and said, “She is Talei, our precious one.”

“Yes, her name is Princess Talei
.
”
S
miled Tarra
lovingly
as she kissed her daughter on top of her head. 

This made Lana’s
eyes fill with tears as she realized that Micah and Tarra must be the very image of her own mother and father when their merwalker daughter was born. 
It caused
Lana
to
miss her father even more and she wished she could tell him thank you for all of the sacrifices she knew he had to have made to have such a life.  She also knew
;
it’
s
a good life dad, just like you told me
.

“Welcome Princess Talei,” said Grandmother Nalani.

“Yes, welcome,” said Micah’s mother Kalea.

“I am so proud of you my daughter, and she is a beautiful little merwalker,” said Princess Cassandra as she kissed Tarra on her cheek and then Talei.

“I can certainly see some of
her a
unt Princess Lana in her
.
”
S
miled Tarra to Lana.

“Yeah, hopefully she isn’t as stubborn,” Lana
giggl
ed.

“Congratulations Princess Tarra and Micah, she is beautiful,” said Princess Rema.

The
n the other men were allowed in a few at a time
to see the new little Princess Talei.  Micah’s father Ratu Daniel beamed and puffed out his chest with pride to see his little g
randdaughter.  Micah’s brothers Eli and Andrew
each took a turn
holding her.  Then Levu, Titus
and Makoa were allowed to see her.

“Congratulations Micah,” said Titus smiling at little Princess Talei and then he looked to Lana.  He could not help but remember the day that she was born.  Lana smiled and went to him and hugged and kissed him.

“Congratulations my friend, she is precious,” said Levu.

“Yes Congratulations Micah and Princess Tarra, I pity the man or the mer that ever comes to ask your permission to join in union with her,”
chuckl
ed Makoa.

“There had better not be one so brave.  Well, at least not for a long while
.
”
Micah
smiled
.

Over the next few months, little Talei grew.  Princess Tarra was careful to not keep her daughter too long under the surface.  She did not know if her daughter would have gills, but most merwalkers can stay beneath the ocean for a time.  They usually open their gills when they reach one winter, time would tell.

Tarra knew that Lana’s mother allowed her daughter to spend most of her time with her father on his boat, on an island, or in the cavern.  She knew that Princess Leona felt sorry for Cole; not having any family of his
own to be with when they travel
ed.  She felt that Lana would give him comfort and she never allowed her too much time in the deep to have her gills open.

Tarra hoped that Talei would have gills.  She knew that Micah had his family and friends, but she was also glad that Talei would have the freedom to visit with them on
Kaloki
Island
herself one day.

~~~

Once more, Lana found it hard to sleep.  Since the time that little Talei had been born, Lana had such strong memories and em
otions stirred up for her dad
.  She wondered if he did in fact marry Rose and was he happy.  It had been nearly two and a half years since she last saw him.  Once again, the holidays had come, even in the islands.  Next week would be the third Christmas she had missed w
ith her father. 
I wish I cou
ld speak to you and tell you
about
your
little granddaughter Rose
. 
You’d love her dad
.

At that moment, Titus came in from his shift on patrol.  He could not help but read her thoughts, “Lana, there must be a way for you to send word to your father.  Perhaps Micah can help us?”

“There is a way Titus
, if I could get to a telephone
then I could speak to him,” she said a little unsure if he would agree to such a thing.

“I have heard of these telephones from your father.  Yes, I am sure that Micah could help us to find one
.
”
H
e smiled
sweetly
to her.

“Titus, do you mean it!  Would you really let me go to an island and call him?” Lana asked with such excitement as she hugged and kissed him.

“I wish I had thought of it earlier.  Who knew you would give me such a reward,” teased Titus as he allowed her to continue kissing him.

~~~

Titus and Lana
did
me
e
t with Micah and Tarra and told them of Lana’s hope to speak with her father.

Micah explained that his island did not have a telephone, but that he knew a man that he traded with whose son worked on one of the big islands at a hotel.  When they had heard that Micah got married, they offered him a free stay as a wedding gift.  He was sure that they would still honor it.  Micah knew that they could use the telephone at the hotel.

“I am not so sure that I like my wife pretending to be yours,” said Titus a little unsettled about the whole idea.

“Do you not see Titus, it would be a good thing for people to see Micah’s wife.  Everyone has been told that he married a white woman from the States.  Lana will give that story some credibility,” said Tarra
with a grin
.

“Yes, but Princess Lana will have to wear a disguise, even the big islands have heard rumors of the mer,”
cautione
d Micah.

“Yeah, I could wear a wig, sungla
sses
and some touristy clothes.  It would work!” Lana said getting even more excited.

“How long would you need to stay?” Titus asked not liking any of it.

“Titus, I’d only stay l
ong enough to speak with my dad
and then we’d return.”

“Does this telephone need treasure?” Titus asked
, willing to pay any cost for Lana to speak with her father.

“No, my dad would be more than glad to pay for the call
, once he knows it’s me calling.”

“You will have to be very careful, I have heard it said that some listen to the overseas calls, you will still have to pretend to be my wife,” said Micah wondering how she could do it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll think of a way, you just get me the things I need for the disguise
!
”
Lana
squealed
to Micah
and then hugged Titus.