Author's Note: I've decided a big 'ah whatever' and to go ahead and put up this chapter to finish up the Husky arc. I'm especially proud of the last part of this chapter, leading up to Husky's circus arc. Next chapter, if and when I ever get to it, will be the start of the boy Nana's journey to become a phantom thief!

And once again, half the credit for this chapter goes to the wonderfully talented Moofy-Fan!

After almost an hour of meaningless congratulations that went in one ear and out the other, the dancing resumed and Myrrha managed to steal away from the ball. One destination solidly in mind.

Keane's room.

She had to make this right with Keane. She just had to. While Keane and her had never got along, it just didn't sit right with her that Keane truly hated her now. It wasn't right at all, because it wasn't right at all that Myrrha had been announced instead of Keane. Because, deep down, Myrrha knew her father was right: Keane was not a bad girl. Keane should not hate anybody.

Myrrha hiked up her skirt as she dashed down the hall, ignoring the gasps as she ran past the maids flashing her knees and shins. Speed was essential. She had to talk to Keane. She had to make this right. Because it was wrong.

She finally reached the harem, and made her way towards the princess' rooms. She heard Keane long before she saw the room…

For who else would be sobbing and wailing on this night?

Without thinking, Myrrha dashed even quicker up to Keane's bedroom door and tried the handle. Naturally, it was locked.

At the sound of someone trying to open the door, the sobbing and whimpering stopped. A silence hung in the air. Myrrha banged on the door with her fists.

"Let me in, Keane! I'm sorry! You know I didn't want this!"

"GO AWAY!" shrieked Keane from the other side of the door.

"I don't want to be queen, Keane! Let's go tell mother she made a mistake! It's supposed to be your night! This is all a terrible…"

"SHUT UP, MYRRHA! GO AWAY!"

"Keane!"

"NO! No! No… You shut up, Myrrha!" cried out Keane's voice, suddenly softer and broken-sounding, muffled as if the owner was curled in on herself. "You've always been better than me! Mother always loved you best, and you've never even noticed!"

"That's not true! I…"

"I never got earrings!"

Myrrha froze. Wait… could Keane be referring to her present from mother and her father? And if Keane was so bitter, did that mean…? Keane continued before Myrrha could fully process the thought.

"I knew this was going to happen, Myrrha! So just leave me alone!"

"But I want to…"

"GO AWAY!" shrieked Keane again.

And, somehow, this time Myrrha understood that Keane really meant it.

Myrrha felt tears fall from her own eyes, though she hardly knew what they could mean. After all, she didn't really care what Keane thought of her. So why was this so much harder to take than any bullying?

"I'm sorry, Keane," she said. And, never knowing whether Keane heard her or not, let alone believed her or not, she let her hands fall from her sister's door and left her older sister to cry in peace.

Princess Myrrha sat in front of the large artificial lake at the center of the courtyard. A scowl of anger and confusion was plastered on her delicate seeming features, and pebble after pebble was hurled ungracefully into the previously calm water.

"Myrrha," a calm voice called from behind the girl, and she didn't bother to turn around, instead continuing to glare at the ripples just barely visible in the water. The moon shone brightly in the sky, though the trees surrounding them obscured their view.

"I don't get it," she practically growled, yanking a strand of her long silver hair back as she searched for another rock with her other hand. Only once she found one did she started speaking again. "It's not right! Keane's supposed to be queen! She's the oldest!" Myrrha protested, each sentence punctuated with a loud splash.

King Marein nodded ever so slightly, taking a few steps towards the angry young child. His beloved daughter was much too young to be burdened with something as stressful as the fate of an entire country, but there wasn't any changing that now. The queen had made her decision.

"Keane may be the eldest, but you show the most promise," her father said, trying to reason with her. It was important that she understood her mother's decision, even if she disagreed with it.

But Myrrha just shook her head. That didn't make any sense. This wasn't right, and yet for some reason she seemed to have been the only one surprised at the announcement.

How in the world was she supposed to know that the queen was going to single her out over all of the other princesses, over Keane, as the next ruler? Everyone else had appeared like they had been suspecting as such, like it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Even Keane had been… It would explain the increasing hostility recently… How could she have been caught so off guard?

"I wasn't trying to be better than her. I'm not! I'm not any weaker than her either, but that doesn't mean the queen should go out of order…" Myrrha had turned around to face her father now, finally ignoring the pond and ceasing tossing the rocks. Even still, she wasn't able to completely finish her thought, trailing off instead. She was still trying and failing slightly to get over the shock.

Princess Keane had been groomed her entire life for the position of queen. It was just something they all had assumed was set in stone, or at least Myrrha had assumed as such. She had more classes than the rest of them, and was required to spend more time with the queen and actually sit in on real political meetings. There were already even men, well, boys right now, that had been picked out from across the country for her future harem.

Now though, it seemed that all of that was going to transfer over to Myrrha instead. She didn't deserve any of that though! She didn't even want it!

Apparently the current queen, their mother thought differently. She'd found something, although the girl couldn't figure out for the life of her what, inside of the stick thin fireball of a child that had apparently overruled the old standings.

Or maybe Keane had been right, and mother simply just loved Myrrha best? The silver-haired girl's hands drifted to her precious sapphire studs.

"You're right, you and Keane are mostly equal, in terms of strength and intelligence," Marein began. "But you forget that you're also three years younger than her." Myrrha cringed slightly. She did tend to forget that a lot…

"O-oh yeah," she answered after a moment, "but I still… I don't…" she mumbled, pulling at the grass and not looking her father in the eyes.

She guessed this was supposed to be some great thing, being named first in line for the throne. It was something all of the other princesses wanted, after all. That didn't change the fact that it had just never been something that had interested the girl at all.

She couldn't turn down the queen though. She had no choice but to fall in line with her decision, and try her best to not make a fool of herself in the process. To ignore all of the excess attention that she hated, the jealous glares and quips that someone like Husky could ever make a strong queen. The absolute hatred that had been seeping off of Keane in droves.

And Myrrha finally acknowledged that it made sense for Keane to hate her. That, for all Keane's efforts over the years, she couldn't match up to some girl three years her junior who wasn't even trying.

"I never wanted this," she said at last. "I don't think I ever will."

King Marien nodded, never losing his normal calm expression. He wanted to help his daughter and would have readily made it so that none of this would happen, but there was nothing he could do about the decision even if he tried.

Myrrha was strong though. She'd been thrown off by the sudden shock of it all, but he had no doubt that she'd be able to adapt quickly enough. The queen had not decided this lightly after all. It was clearly something she'd been weighing for quite some time now, even if Myrrha didn't realize it. Not ever figuring out that all of her attempts to prove herself as an equal to her sisters had inadvertently managed to prove herself superior.

"I know," was all he said, knowing that his daughter would have shrugged off any words of encouragement or comfort.

With a sigh, the beautiful young girl stood up, standing tall and proud. She wiped at her large, nearly catlike eyes, which held no traces of the tears Marien was sure she'd shed in an earlier emotional outburst.

Marien smiled proudly at his daughter, understanding the queen's decision despite wishing she hadn't made it. How the eight year old girl managed to keep herself composed when others years older would have cracked was a mystery in and of itself. He couldn't help but wonder if his daughter had ever truly been a child, other than in those moments where her temper got the best of her and she exploded on the other princesses.

"I should probably go get some rest. My classes are going to be harder from now on, aren't they?" she said, absentmindedly tucking a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

The tall man nodded, offering a rare smile to the silver girl.

"Yes, they will," he said, pausing for a moment before adding, "You'll do fine, dear." Myrrha frowned slightly before finally nodding reluctantly. She guessed that was true. If Keane could do it, after all, then there was absolutely no reason why she wouldn't be able to.

She didn't quite understand that it was that exact mentality that had landed her in this position in the first place.

A beautiful mermaid wearily dragged herself out of the river, only making it halfway out before having to rest. Her silver hair shone a pure, sparkling white in the moonlight. The scales of her torso and tail flickered between blue and silver as she gasped for breath.

"Father…" she gasped, staring at the grass she was clutching in her fingers. The gasp turned into a choking sob. She was obviously completely exhausted, on top of emotionally strained nearly to breaking. "Father… so sorry… I'm… so sorry…" she whimpered, tears flowing from her large, light blue eyes.

She bent her head and focused on turning back into a human. Surprisingly, it worked, and she crawled the rest of the way out of the river on all fours. For clothing she had only her underwear, short white bloomers and a sleeveless tunic top. Her dress, shoes, and accessories had all been discarded in her escape. It had weighed her down enough, and her father had raised no fool. Escape had been number one priority. At least she wasn't naked, and she'd heard some of the lower classes didn't wear much more than what she was wearing now.

Actually… She raised her hands to her ears, and a soft, heartbroken smile slipped onto her lips at feeling the sapphire studs still there. She hadn't lost everything. The logical part of her mind told her she'd probably have to sell them for money later on, but at this moment, here and now, she couldn't bear the thought of parting with her last remnant of her life as princess. Of her father. Even of her mother, much as the woman probably wouldn't bear to look at her if she knew the truth.

Princess Myrrha had pathetically been nearly murdered. Weak. Stupid. And, even worse, she had become a +anima in order to save herself.

Death would have been preferable. But you don't exactly think such things when the world is fading to black and all you can think of is air…

At least they thought she was dead. She'd gotten this far without being seen. Everyone would assume she had drowned in the lake.

Her fingers relented their hold on her earrings and drifted to clutching her long, smooth hair. She twisted it in her hands, and cursed how recognizable it was. Anyone with the slightest link to Sailand's royal family would spot it immediately for what it was. Myrrha was no fool. She knew how famous her father was, and quite how impressive her own reputation had become.

She'd have to disguise herself. She was pretty close to Astaria, if not quite in it yet. She'd have to think of an alias…

Maybe she could pass herself off as a guy? Her voice was rather low, and she had her father's accent… Husky. What Keane and the others had called her. Husky sounded like a guy's name, and it didn't sound Sailandian at all. She could already fight most men, which in itself would give credit to her claim of her gender.

Her fingers continued to twist in her beautiful hair, and suddenly grabbed and yanked painfully. She nodded decisively. Her hair would have to go. It was much to feminine. With shorter hair, she should be able to pass herself off as a guy. Maybe there was some truth to her sisters' taunts. If she was that boyish after all, it shouldn't be hard.

She was still breathing hard from her long, long swim. She knew for a fact she'd spent at least a week down there – she'd counted the sunsets. She was tired and starving and almost felt like crying at the feeling of being out in the open instead of trapped underwater, in a maze of canals or hugging the coastline and avoiding the slightest sign of human habitation. In her exhaustion and relief she let her guard down.

Just out of her sight, though well within hearing range if she hadn't been so exhausted, a lone fisherman stared at the incredibly beautiful mermaid that he'd just witnessed transform into a human. He'd watched, entranced, as she cried. He stared at her expressive face as she examined herself, found her earrings, played with her hair.

He swiftly gathered up his net, being careful not to alert the beautiful, supernatural being to his presence.

Myrrha had suffered many indignities and terrors in her life, none quite so terrible as being dragged into the air by Keane's father and strangled, then thrown into the lake to die.

Being captured in a net and manhandled into a giant jar, of the sort fishermen used to transport their catch live, for maximum freshness, became a quick third on her list of traumas, behind being strangled and drowning.

The worst part was the darkness and the sounds that echoed through the jar constantly, throbbing through her skull. She could barely move, and had been forced to transform in order to breath in the water, since the fisherman had immediately tied thick, dark fabric taunt over the opening and the jar was filled to the brim.

Was she to be killed and eaten like any other fish? Some delicacy for a noble? She'd heard legends of the prize of mermaid's flesh… Oh god, please no…

What could she do…? What should she do?

She angrily pounded on the jar, flinging herself side to side as much as she could, crying out to the fisherman and pleading with him to release her. This continued for well over an hour, with not a single answer or pause in the movements and sounds throbbing at her through the jar.

The ex-princess was already exhausted and starving. No matter how desperate she was, she could not possibly, humanely, continue any more. She hugged herself tight as close to the bottom of the jar as she could get, refusing to let herself cry, her fiercely plotting mind working on several escape attempts.

All involved getting at least some strength back and the jar being opened. She quieted and waited. Just breathing.

She was ashamed of herself when she awoke many hours later to the fabric being yanked off. She missed her chance at catching her captor off guard.

But no hands were reaching in to grab her. Frowning, she turned her eyes upward and reached out a hand to the lip of the jar and pulled herself up.

Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the light of the barely rising sun after the pitch blackness, but when they did she was unable to keep her fear off her face.

A large, brutal looking man, eyes wide with delight and greed, was towering over her. She lunged away, only to be caught by the fisherman from behind, before she was even halfway out of the jar.

The man had his huge, rough hands on her upper arms, easily holding her in place. She struggled to no avail.

"What an amazing beauty. A princess, I'd dare say," commented the brutal looking man in an oily smooth voice.

Myrrha froze in terror, the idea of her identity leaking out scaring her more than her current predicament.

"What the hell…" she managed to choke out. "Get your damn hands off me!"

The man frowned, grabbing her chin and forcing her face towards his. His eyes were puzzled at her voice.

"A boy?" he wondered, puzzled at the low voice and the accent, the likes of which he'd never heard before, making it sound all the more masculine to his ears. Girls did not talk like that, after all. Girls' voices were dainty and high-pitched, whiney and breathless. Certainly not low and husky and… extremely UN-delicate.

"With that hair?" asked the fisherman.

"It could be cultural," commented the man with the oily voice. "It's quite common in more barbaric societies."

"Should we… check?"

Myrrha stiffened, but she needn't have worried.

The brutal looking man was suddenly enraged. "Do you know how hard it is to sell soiled goods?" he demanded. "The gender matters not, regardless. I can definitely sell this, and other than the voice, she's my perfect mermaid princess. I'll make a mint off her. How much do you want?"

"Five hundred gillah."

"Done."

The lack of haggling made a part deep inside Myrrha whimper, but she quickly quashed it. As brave as she tried to look, even with her eyes feverishly darting for a way out, taking in with confusion the tents not fifteen steps behind the man, the broad plain they seemed to be in, with nothing recognizable around.

The brutal looking man smirked down at her, grabbing her right wrist as she tried to lunge away when the fisherman released her. She swung her free hand in a fist straight towards his face, which he caught easily.

"Calm down, mermaid. I've got a job proposition for you."

"You buy me as a slave, then choose to demean my intelligence by claiming this to be honest work?" hissed Myrrha.

"Would you rather I sell you as a pet or concubine? I'll make more money if you cooperate in my show. See, child, I run a circus…"

"What shall I call you, mermaid?"

"Husky," growled out Myrrha, still angry about this whole situation.

"A boy, then?"

"Yes," was the short reply, and Myrrha was so angry it easily came across as irritation about the mistake in 'his' gender.

"Alright then," said the circus master, seeing no reason to believe otherwise. Circuses were rough places for women anyway, so it was probably just as well. Who knows what his boys would do to such a pretty child if Husky was a girl?

"The way I see it, you're getting a pretty nice deal, Husky. I'm willing to give you your own small tent, and I'll even give you a salary after your purchase is paid off. Depending on how successful your show is, of course. Though I know word of a live Mermaid Princess is sure to draw comers from far and wide!"

He glanced down at the small boy with long silver hair. The boy refused to meet his eyes, but didn't fight the grip the man had on his wrist as he pulled him towards his personal tent.

"You're quite lucky, you know. Most +anima are hideous. Nothing more than monsters, really. And people are much more willing to pay to view something beautiful than something horrifying. If you cooperate, you could find yourself quite rich."

Husky was obviously thinking feverishly about all this.

"You don't have a choice, you know. Really, I'll be using you in my show regardless. It'd just be a better show if you cooperated. You get to choose between being chained up at night in a large tent full of brawny circus men, who quite honestly might not be able to keep their hands to themselves, even knowing you're a boy… or you can simply agree to my terms. Then you get your own tent, freedom to move about the circus grounds as you wish, and, in the future, a decent wage."

It was a blow to her pride, but Myrrha was no idiot.

"I'll do it," she growled, though she was already planning her escape. Which should be quite easy, given his 'conditions'. She hated lying, but in this case, it was necessary. And she wasn't entirely lying. She might lie low here for a while, while she made her plans. Do a few shows, pocket some gillah.

"But I have some conditions of my own," she continued, in a firm voice.

The circus master raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I want to wear a wig during the show," she said, feeling her face flush in embarrassment. To sink to such a low. Her. The one who was crown princess to the throne of Sailand. Wearing a wig and performing in a circus act… disgraceful.

The man laughed. "You really are a boy, aren't you? Is it really that embarrassing, the idea of being thought a girl? Admired and ogled? Or are you scared of word getting back to any family you might still have?"

Husky said nothing. His face remained flushed so red, the man took it as a yes.

"Fine, fine. I was planning it, really. Silver hair is a little too exotic for most. Plus, this makes it less likely you'll be recognized during non-show hours. Wouldn't want you getting kidnapped!"

Husky couldn't help a shiver at the very thought. Would she ever be truly free again?

The man laughed, then suddenly grabbed her by the throat. "One last condition to our deal, my mermaid princess. I'll be taking those earrings of yours."

Husky froze, eyes wide in fear, mind suddenly blank at the thought of losing what was now the last thing she could claim as hers.

"N-no deal!" she declared, though it came out weakly from the pressure the man was exerting on her throat. She was already fighting flashbacks of Dylana. Really, she'd never be able to bear hands on her throat again…

"You'll get them back," he continued, his voice even more oily and slicker than ever. "But I need some form of insurance in order to give you so much freedom, see? How could I possibly let someone I just paid 500 gillah for just wander around, when I hardly know you? You could be planning to desert first thing tomorrow morning, after all."

"I won't!" she exclaimed, or rather tried to. The denial turned out to be more of a gasp for air, even as the man forced her to the ground and pinned her down with one hand.

The other hand pushed aside her long hair, exposing the beautiful sapphire studs. Already worth far more than the 500 gillah he'd spent purchasing his mermaid. Stupid fisherman. But his mermaid princess was worth far, far more than even those…

And from the tears falling down the beautiful boy's face, they were the perfect collateral. Far more than he'd realized when he first made the statement. It was meant to just be repayment for his purchase if the boy escaped before he made his money back… but it was obviously perfect blackmail material. Something about these expensive studs was deeply personal to his little mermaid.

With skillful fingers, honed from years of juggling, magic acts, musical instrument practice, and the like, he easily slipped off the studs and safely pocketed them. He'd find a safer place for them later. He released the mermaid, but she seemed in shock, staring up at him, an obvious pleading in her eyes.

"Work hard, mermaid. The sooner your show pays me back, the sooner these are returned to you."

Author's Note: Hee, hopefully that last scene got everyone hooked on the story! If not, well, what can I say? We must have drastically different tastes! Anyway, hope to hear from everyone on what they think of the story. I haven't really gotten any feedback, except for High-Liter - so shout-out and thank you to him/her! Please review and let me know what you think!