Chapter Twenty-Four: Princess Esme

After the final footsteps of the departing men had echoed into silence and Grayson had vanished into the forest landscape, I redirected my attention to the extraordinary companion who had just entered my life in such an unexpected manner.

As she stood—or rather, swam—where the water hugged her form, her tail in place of legs undulated with the gentle currents. She met my gaze, her striking emerald eyes a vibrant contrast to the muted tones enveloping us.

She exuded a presence that was as curious as it was comforting, an enigma wrapped in a sad smile that seemed to suggest a thousand untold stories. And just like that, amidst the ordinariness of the day, I found myself in the company of a friend whose origins and essence promised the unraveling of an improbable and captivating tale.

Beneath the soft canopy of the willow, I tentatively reached out, my hand pausing before it contacted my friend's quivering shoulder. Her tearful eyes conveyed a turmoil t