You sigh as you escape from the palace. The staff of the castle mean well, but they're overbearing at times. They wait on you to no end, barely giving you privacy even in the bathroom. You head down to the river, spare clothes in hand.

You strip and lower yourself into the water. One minute you're swimming through the clear water, but a blink later, someone's staring back at you. You scream, but being underwater, your throat clogs. The merman lifts you out frantically.

"Are you alright?"