Chapter 3.

As Esperanza reached the throne, with Simon beside her, mother spoke in a serious tone. She said, “Esperanza! Where have you been.”

“I went to the restroom.”

“You have been gone all day, and I was not born yesterday. You have been roaming around again, without my approval.”

“It so boring just sitting down all day.”

Mother shouted, “It is your duty! When, I am no longer around, you will be the main overseer of the sea. You must get use to your position! Don't you understand?”

“I do understand, but I want to have fun. I want to play. I want to travel.”

“Rulers don't have time for fun!”

“This is not my life! This is your life!” Esperanza shouted and quickly swam to her seashell bed. She cried herself to sleep.”

“My sovereign,” Simon said. “Please don't punish Esperanza. I convinced her to leave from her posted position. She was with me all day.”

Mother replied, “I am disappointed in you Simon. I am even more disappointed in you, considering that you are a member of the deep fish committee.”

“I am sorry my sovereign.”

“If it comes to my attention that you have Esperanza wandering again, I will permanently remove you from the committee.”

“Permanently?”

“Yes, permanently!”

“Okay, Goddess Charlotte. I will obey my sovereign.” Simon lowered his shoulders, flung his head down, and swam away with a gleamy face.

Moments later, the Goddess Daughters had arrived. “We finished seaweed picking, Mother,” the first daughter said. 

“It was a delight. Who knew there was so much to gather for dinner,” the second daughter said.

Mother replied, “That is wonderful!”

The third daughter glanced at the empty chair next to Mother. She asked in a concerning voice, “Where is Esperanza?”

“She won't be joining us for tonight's dinner,” Mother replied. “She just needs some alone time to think things through. The daughters prepared the seaweed dinner. Creatures of the sea came to them and received their meal portions. Later, Mother and the daughters ate their dishes, as Esperanza looked up at the smooth flowing waters above.

. . .

The next day was the day of the sea creature ball. Every creature of the sea was finely dressed and bobbing their heads to the melodic sounds of trumpets playing, dolphins performing synchronized dances, mermaids singing songs of love, and fishes chanting rhymes of joy. It was a beautiful event.

Mother and Esperanza’s three sisters, the other goddess daughters had already prepared themselves and entered the ball. Esperanza moped in her seashell bed and imagined that she was living the life she actually wanted, one with adventure, travel, and excitement.

Simon, the sea horse boogied and grooved his way through the crowd of jumping jellyfish, and greeted Mother and the goddess daughters, but he noticed that Esperanza was nowhere to be found. After making his kind and complimentary remarks, he snuck away from the ball and swam to Esperanza’s bedside. He knocked on the closed sea shell bed, but there was no response. He knocked again, but there was still no response. He knocked a third time, but there was still no response.

Esperanza shouted from inside if the shell “Go away!”

Simon replied, “You can't hide in there for the rest of your life!”

“Yes, I can,” Esperanza said as the sea shell top slowly lifted. “If I don't get to live the life I want, then I will hide away forever.”

“Esperanza, I love you, but nothing about sounds right.”

“Go away!” Esperanza took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

“What about the song and dance you were going to perform in the talent show today? You've been practicing all year. Are you going to thrown in your fins, and give up.”

“I will perform the song, and then I will hide away forever.”

Esperanza combed through the coils of her hair with a sea shell pick and adorned herself with her royal jewels. She kissed Simon on the nose, and swam quickly with Simon trailing by herside. She did not want to miss the talent show.

Just moments on time, Esperanza had swam on stage right after the last contestant. With her beautiful and soothing voice, she sung her song. With her sparkling pink tail, she danced and danced. All of the attendees of the Sea Creature Ball were mesmerized by her radiating beauty, delightful talent, and captivating spirit. Just as Esperanza wanted, their hearts were filled with love and joy. The dolphins wanted to dance with her, the crabs wanted to be her new friend, and the mermen wanted to be her suitor… but the three clown fish were angered by her undeniable stage presence. They placed their fingers on their chins, in hopes of thinking up something quick that would stop everyone from admiring Esperanza.

The first clown fish threw a rotten tomato at Esperanza, still on stage performing. The audience was shocked, and shrieked in disapproval of the clown fish’s mean behavior. The second clown fish, and yanked on the microphone’s cord until it flung out of Esperanza's hand slapped Mother, Goddess Charlotte in the face, who was floating in the front admiring her daughter. Mother became tempered. The third clown fish snuck backstage and poured a bucket of seaweed meal onto the stage. Esperanza tripped, and fell on her face. Embarrassed, she quickly swam away until she found the quietest place she knew of, the abandoned fallen ship. Simon swam after after her, but the windows quickly shut, enclosing Esperanza inside and keeping Simon outside. Esperanza was too caught up in her embarrassment and sadness to notice how the ship's windows had behaved. She found the stack of handsome suits and beautiful dresses. Filled with tears, she laid on top of their comforting fabrics and took a nap.