Red Mermaid

Lines by , Colors by , Lilja belongs to . Read more about her adventures in Eio's webcomic Semi-Auto-Semla!

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Lilja Trevaine sniffled, pressing a handkerchief to her face. She was dressed lightly for the summer. Just heeled sandals, a miniskirt and a sleeveless blouse. “Oh officers! It was terrible!” She exclaimed. The twenty one year old Trevaine heiress was all aflutter as she recollected the events of that morning. “Lady Cvet and I were just coming out of the mall. We’d been spending the afternoon together. There...there are so few girls my age who I can just be myself around, so I had really been looking forward to this outing. Then suddenly, this van pulled up besides us and...” Lilja paused, looking uncomfortable.

The two BCPD detectives, a man and a woman, sat across from Lilja in the living room of the Trevaine estate. They gave her sympathetic looks. “Now Miss Trevaine, it’s alright. You’re safe now. Tell us what happened?” The male detective reassured her. His colleague sympathized to, but spared the occasional glance to the Trevaine Household Maid off to the side. A tall black haired girl, standing perfectly straight, and and as still as a statue. It was a rather uncanny sight.

Lilja sniffed again, but she noted her servant being scrutinized.  “Then these big men in masks came out. They...they grabbed me! Pulled my hands behind my back and pressed tape over my mouth!” Lilja rather convincingly shivered. “And they put tape over my eyes to. But before they did, I saw they had bound Cvet even more securely! She struggled so hard, but they just picked her up and tossed her into the van.”

“And then?” The female detective implored.

“Well what do you think? They drove off. Left me there, on the brink of tears and hoping somebody would call the police!” Lilja looked to the officers pleading. “Oh Detectives! You must find Cvet! I would feel oh so very dreadful if something were to happen to her!"

The male detective nodded. “Of course Lilja. We’re putting all in on this case. We’ll get her majesty back safe and sound!”

The female detective looked skeptical. “Miss Trevaine, I know you’ve been through a very traumatic experience, but do you have any idea why only the Helconian Princess was taken? Any reason why you were left behind? Perhaps they didn't recognize you?” She eyed the grandeur of the Trevaine manor. It was a lavish estate, with dozens of rooms, and an inner courtyard. It even had a massive outdoor pool. Though it seemed to be covered up at the moment, probably for cleaning. 

Lilja glowered at the detective. “What exactly are you implying detective? Isn’t it your job as the detective to figure these things out?"

“Well I-” She answered. “Well we just need to go over all the details. And we’d appreciate your cooperation Miss Trevaine. Really. Any little bit of information, no matter how inconsequential, could prove incredibly helpful.” She eyed Lilja. "We want to get Cvet home safe and sound just as much as you do lady Trevaine."

Lilja sighed. But after a moment, her eyes sharpened. “Well...while we were shopping Cvet seemed a bit pensive I suppose. Normally she’s so chipper and care-free. But today she seemed worried. Why, she didn't even accost or harass a single one of the brawny hunks we'd passed!"

“She, uhmmm, does that a lot?” The male detective asked.

“Of course!” Lilja exclaimed. “She’s...well she’s a bit of a playgirl. It’s an endearing trait of hers.” Lilja laughed fondly. For a second her eyes shifted out the patio window, and into the covered swimming pool. “Oh my but do I hope she’s safe. But as I was saying, she seemed so terribly off. So I asked her if anything was bothering her, and well...” Lilja’s eyes shifted about

“What did she say?” Both officers seemed to demand at the same time, lighting up at what might have possibly been their first big break on this case.

“She said she was in Beistad because of trouble at home. Not with her family of course, they’re marvelous. But she said...she said she was worried about certain people from her country. That she had come to Beistad to get away from some kind of danger back in the Principality. I was going to ask her more about that but...” Lilja contemplated her story, and again began to sniffle elegantly into her handkerchief. Though it was hardly wet, the stoic maid dutifully replaced it with another one. “Oh if only I'd pressed her on it more then, but just a few minutes later it all happened!”

The detectives were quickly taking notes. “Hmmmm, this didn’t come up when we talked to the staff at the Helconian consulate...we could start looking at all recent arrivals from Helconia? Perhaps even scrutinize them over the next few days?”

The female detective prodded her colleague. “Sir, the civilian.” He blinked. “Oh, right. But I think you’ve been more than helpful Miss Trevaine! We’ll get back your friend safe and sound.” They stood up to leave.

Lilja smiled, standing up as well to her full diminutive height. Sitting it was sometimes easier to forget how damn short the youngest Trevaine girl was. “Thank you officers...I’m confident that Beistad’s finest will be able to rescue our visiting princess! Why, as soon as I see her again, I’ll give her a big hug!”

The maid was waiting at the Trevaine Manor door with their coats. The officers took them gladly, and went out the front. “I tell ya, it’s bad luck.” The man grumbled, pulling out a cigarette. “First the Kampuneans, now this? Visiting Royalty snatched off the street? This town has gone to hell in a handbasket. "

“Hmmm...sir, did that girl...the maid...did she seem off to you?” His female colleague inquired.

The man blinked. “What about her?”

“She seemed a bit uptight.” She answered.

He shrugged. “Trevaines are old school aristocrats. They like their staff to melt into the background.”

She seemed uncertain as they got into the squad car. “Maybe. But she seemed kinda familiar.”

Lilja sat impatiently at her chair. Fidgeting about until her maid returned. “AH! Rebecca! Are those stupid police officers gone?”

The Maid nodded. “Yes. They just left.”

“Finally!” Lilja exclaimed, hopping up to her feet, and immediately began stripping down! First her heeled sandals were kicked off,  and then she unzipped her skirt and unbuttoned her blouse. But instead of her skivvies, Lilja was wearing an exquisite lily white Swimsuit, with bows that unfurled as soon as they were freed from the confines of her regular clothes.

Rebecca bowed deeply at Lilja, even as the little blonde girl began tossing her clothes around haphazardly. The blouse even landed on top of Rebecca’s head! “Forgive me for interrupting your swimming mistress. But they were insistent. And dismissing the detective likely would have likely drawn unwanted attention towards your-"

Rebecca was interrupted when Lilja strolled up to her, shifted the blouse out of the way and pressed a finger to her mouth. “Sssssh, it’s alright Rebecca. I think performed commendably!”

The maid, ever so passive up until that moment, seemed to light up. “Truly Mistress?”

Lilja smiled. “Yes of course!” She looked up at Rebecca.. “In fact, I was thinking that perhaps we should-”

“Spend some time together?” Rebecca blurted out eagerly.

Lilja frowned at being interrupted. 


Rebecca wilted. “Forgive me Mistress, that was out of turn.”

Lilja nodded. “Yes. Yes it was...but I forgive you.” She went onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the cheek of the taller girl. “But no. I was thinking maybe you’d like a little tune up.” Lilja tapped Rebecca’s nose. “There’s a plastic surgeon I know in South Auland who could really make your face shine!”

Rebecca smiled. “That is oh so very wonderful mistress! Thank you! I would be so happy to look beautiful for you!”

Lilja smiled. “I know you would. Now run off now!” The maid curtsied, and went off.

Lilja was all smiles until the moment when the maid was out of sight. Rebecca had been at the manor for about a year and a half now, and Lilja felt she was starting to get a little too clingy. The amateur lightweight fighter had been a doll to break in, but everything lost its novelty after sufficient exposure.

“Maybe I ought to retire her after she’s done with that face job.” Lilja mused. She’d done it before. A generous severance package, a glowing letter of recommendation and a mouth full of memory altering drugs. Defensive Domestics was always eager to accept referrals from the Trevaines. Heck. Lilja was even sending her off with a beautiful new hand crafted face! It certainly beat a dead end cage fighting career with your brain plastered all over the ring. Lilja could take pride that despite covering her own tracks, she was giving Rebecca a kindly send off.


But right now Lilja had more exciting things to worry about.

The pool had been prepared for her as soon as the detectives had left, the tarp pulled off to reveal the clear sparkling water. Lilja ran forward and jumped straight in, not even bothering to use the diving board. Her latest conquest was too enticing to much bother with ceremony. And had been waiting patiently for the return of her mistress for far too long.

Lilja's latest conquest indeed was still there. As she had been for the entirety of the interview with the police. Princess Cvet Delphinium Helconia Dianthus. And held to the bottom of the pools deep end by an ankle weight that easily kept the royal beauty submerged. Her long red hair floating up majestically. Bound strictly hand and foot with zip ties. Naturally for her little excursion underwater, she was wearing a brilliant little red bikini that Lilja had just bought for her yesterday! 


While Cvet had assumed foul intentions at first, Lilja was not attempting some crude method of disposing of the princess. No. Lilja had taken precautions. Cvet had been fitted with an oxygen tank with a mask tied tight and secure over her face. And even one of Lilja's butlers (also one of her "conquests", and an expert swimmer and diver to boot) was holding a constant vigil over Cvet, to act as a safeguard against the fire of the Red Haired Princess being extinguished. If Cvet were to be in the slightest danger, he could provide her with air from his own tank, or simply cut her free from the weight and bring her to the surface.

Cvet had been sizing up her lifeguard with a feisty glare, having felt very much conflicted at how the tall Nooklander by the name of Maxwell had manhandled her into the pool. But as soon as Lilja returned to the water, Cvet more than tripled the irate intensity of her glare.

“MMPGH! MMMHN!” Cvet babbled, bubbles foaming around her mask. Lilja could only help at giggle at how helpless and weak Cvet looked! She swam right over to the twisting ginger, and wrapped her arms around her! She had promised to give the lost girl a hug when she next saw her after-all! Cvet recoiled, especially when Lilja ground her rather sizable chest against Cvet’s own bosom!

“MMMPGH!” Cvet protested yet again, but even she froze when Lilja deftly removed the oxygen mask. “Mmmmhn?” Cvet said, suddenly clamping her mouth shut. But it was still exposed enough to let Lilja plant a hungry kiss on Cvet’s mouth.

Cvet’s eyes widened as Lilja quite eagerly frenched her. The royal ginger struggled, but with the numerous zipties wound over her body, she couldn’t shake Lilja loose.

After getting short of breath for a moment, Lilja pulled back. She ran a hand through her floating blonde hair, and smile dotingly at her pet Princess. Cvet met Lilja with a look of unimpressed indignation. Lilja just winked at her captive. She then took a deep breath from the oxygen mask, before handing it back to Cvet.

There was something especially thrilling about this. A royal fling all to herself! And a dangerous one at that! Even when caught unarmed by the men Lilja had hired for the abduction, Cvet had still managed to injure one of them rather severely. Yet here Cvet was, all for Lilja! 

Cvet did not resist as much the second time Lilja removed her oxygen mask to give her a quick kiss.  Cvet was taking well to the extended diving session! That might have made it a little boring, if it hadn’t been for that piercing gaze that Cvet had hit her with. In her gut (the part that wasn’t already getting tangled into butterflies from smooching Cvet!), Lilja was feeling a pang of concern. And more than the usual nervous anticipation with her other less than legal antics.

Cvet was an important person. A genuine princess and heir, even if it was only of a small country. Ostensibly her fathers status as the head of the internationally renowned Rozen Panzer Arms was more important. Despite the vague fancies of breaking the fiery Ginger in, Lilja wasn’t sure how long she could afford to keep her captive. The Beistad Colonial Police were already searching high and low across the city. But who in this city could suspect the scion of Beistad’s oldest and most respectable family of such a dastardly deed?

The Helconian family attack dogs might. Labana and Malladus would almost certainly unleash the Mist Knights to search for their daughter. Deadly great sword wielding assassins in armor who had protected the family for hundreds of years with their unique blend of pragmatic fanaticism. As much of a disaster it would be for Lilja to be discovered by the Beistad police, she could survive. Her family had defense lawyers on call who were practically magicians. But legal wizardry meant nothing to men who knew no law but their sense of duty to their red haired lieges.

That had been part of the reason Lilja had tried to cast suspicion on Cvet’s own countrymen. Perhaps a dozen active duty Helconian soldiers (the secretive Mist Knights were all ostensibly regular members of the Helconian army) traveling together to Beistad would be suspect. Perhaps get them held up at the airport by the Police. That would foil both parties search attempts. Perhaps she had a week before she’d have to cut Cvet loose, hopped up on enough memory suppressors to not remember where she had been held captive. Cvet was the best witness to her own abduction after all. And it *would* be a shame if Cvet no longer felt like consorting with Lilja due to something as trivial as remembering her own abduction by her. That shopping trip had been fun.

But for now. Lilja was thinking she would have a delightful week.

Flights of fancy did flash across Lilja’s mind. Like if perhaps she managed to covertly pull a few more misdirection. Maybe the Helconian’s and the Police simply wouldn’t think to look for the bread crumbs connected to the Trevaines. Maybe Cvet, the little sheltered princess so confident that she would always be safeguarded and rescued by those stronger than her, would be finally alone and unprotected. And Lilja’s to keep...perhaps forever.

It was an overly ambitious thought, but Lilja considered perhaps getting a maid uniform fitted for Cvet.

“Mmmmhn!” Cvet mouthed as Lilja was huffing the oxygen mask. Though demanding air, Cvet maintained her discerning look. It was obvious to Cvet that Lilja was contemplating. And she was oh so right! Lilja smiled, and in a daring move, decided to give Cvet a kiss rather than share the oxygen mask. If Cvet wanted air, she’d have to get it out of her generous hosts lungs!  Cvet seemed to understand at first, and squirmed. This necessitated Lilja to wrap her legs around Cvet’s, grinding the two of them close. Cvet pulled her feet back, tugging at her weight, and for a brief moment Cvet and Lilja’s delicate toes interlocked. Cvet tensed and struggled for a moment or so, but eventually, Cvet relaxed within Lilja's embrace and accepted her breath.

The Glares never stopped. The nagging feelings of what if she got caught never stopped. But it was little things like that which reminded Lilja what it meant to be alive.