Princess Daphne

“	I'm sorry for the trouble...	”
—Princess Daphne, Trusty John and King Bluebeard

Princess Daphne is a minor character mentioned in the eighth Dark Parables game, The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide, and who also appeared in its bonus game, Trusty John and King Bluebeard.

She is one of the cursed mermaid Princesses of the Kingdom of Prasino.

Princess Daphne, like her sisters, is very loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid.

Appearance and Personality[]

As shown in Trusty John and King Bluebeard, Daphne was a pretty young girl with long dark blonde hair, golden brown eyes, and a bright smile. She tended to wear her hair in pigtails and insert flowers in it. She wore a short purple dress.

Daphne loved flowers and nature. She tended the Greenhouse in the Prasino Palace while she lived there. She also presumably cared for the giant eel that became the Eel Monster when it was exposed to the Goddess' purple poison.

History[]

Of all the cursed mermaid Princesses of Prasino, the least is known about Daphne. She was the youngest of the five sisters and was likely the most affected by her mother's death, which occurred while Daphne was still very young. She had a close relationship with her older sisters, especially Theresa, who she liked to go exploring with.

She was kidnapped by King Bluebeard while exploring near Kokkino with her sister Theresa. They were to be held for ransom but were rescued by Chancellor Cassius. It was during this adventure that the Sea Goddess' curse struck, sinking the Kingdom of Prasino and turning Daphne and her sisters into mermaids.

The orb Daphne was tasked with finding was the Earth Orb. How or when she found it is unknown, but we do know that she found the orb and turned it over to her father. Finding it would've turned her back into a human and it is likely that she left Prasino and lived out her human life on land since there is no evidence of her having aged past childhood while in the underwater kingdom.

Powers and Abilities[]

As a Mermaid:

Immortality: The Sea Goddess' curse made Daphne immortal and prevented her from aging.
Swimming: As a mermaid, Daphne was able to swim with great speed and agility, thanks to her fins. Daphne lost these powers after returning to her human form.

As a Human:

Botanical Skill: Daphne was well-versed in plants and their care, both as a human and as a mermaid.

Relationships[]

King Alexandros (father)
Queen of Prasino (mother, deceased)
Princess Naida (eldest sister, deceased)
Princess Althea (second elder sister)
Princess Calliope (third elder sister, deceased)
Princess Theresa (forth elder sister, deceased)
Prince James (brother-in-law, deceased)
Eel Monster (pet)
Bluebeard (captor and enemy, deceased)
Chancellor Cassius (friend, deceased)
Thalassa (enemy)

Relevant Parables[]

A King's Folly (from The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide)

There was once a noble King who was embroiled in a war with a rival kingdom. He had the grace of the Sea Goddess on his side, and she offered him her Staff of the Ancients to wield in battle. As his power grew stronger, so did his thirst for more. With the advice of his trusty Chancellor, the King went through a Binding Ritual, which imprisoned the Sea Goddess and her powers for his favor only. The heartbroken Sea Goddess cursed the King to live an immortal life with the face of a sea monster, forever chained to his sunken castle. He realized he had been betrayed by the Chancellor, the enemy's planted spy. The Goddess gave him only one possible cure, in the form of five elemental orbs. The King's daughters, themselves transformed into mermaids by the curse, roamed the waters in search of the orbs. Centuries passed and only the last orb remained to be found. But as time passed, the King's obsession with a cure obliterated his compassion, until his soul became as wretched as his face.

Theories[]

Given Daphne's interest in flowers, botanical skill, appreciation of monsters (possibly even the creation of them) and the statue in her chambers that is likely Goddess Flora, it's entirely possible that Daphne is Mother Gothel as a child. Once human, Daphne could've easily been drawn to Floralia to live out her human life, and after spending centuries as an immortal child, she would definitely have some issues with growing old. It also would explain the sense of entitlement Gothel had regarding Flora. After the close relationship and imprisonment of a Goddess in her home kingdom, she would have lacked the kind of respect most mortals have for Goddesses. Her past experiences would've also fueled her eventual fury towards Flora, as well.

Trivia[]

Daphne is a Greek name, which means δάφνη, "laurel". Fitting for her character to have a connection to nature/flowers.
Daphne is also a genus of toxic flowers native to Europe, Asia, and the northern part of Africa.
Daphne is represented by amethyst, a birthstone of February, and a symbol for not drunk.
Daphne's name is based on the nymph Daphne who was turned into a laurel tree to avoid Apollo's pursue. Coincidentally, the gemstone that represents her is based on a mortal woman named Amethyst, who was turned into crystals to avoid the wrath of Bacchus.

Quotes[]

Quotes by Daphne[]

"I'm sorry for the trouble..."
"We tried to return, but that crazy King Bluebeard caught us!"