Princess Naida

“	My darling from the sea, I will treasure the life we have shared	”
—Prince James, The Exiled Prince

Princess Naida was a minor character first mentioned in the second Dark Parables game, The Exiled Prince, where she was named, 'Mermaid Princess'. Her full name and history were expanded upon in the eighth game, The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide and she appeared in its bonus game, Trusty John and King Bluebeard.

The eldest of the Prasino princesses, Naida was the third wife of the Frog Prince.

Naida and her sisters are loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. However, only Princess Calliope is actually based on the fairytale itself.

Appearance and Personality[]

In life, Princess Naida was a very beautiful woman with long, wavy red hair, fair skin, bright blue eyes, and a willowy figure. However, earlier depictions of her show her with darker auburn hair, a more tanned complexion, and brown eyes.

When she was a Princess of Prasino, she wore a gold and blue dress with a golden crown. After being cursed by the Sea Goddess, she was turned into a mermaid and gained a fish-like tail. During her marriage to the Frog Prince, she wore a special Princess Tiara of silver, pearls, and seashell-shaped jewels.

As the eldest of King Alexandros' daughters, Naida took on a maternal role towards her sisters after their mother's death. She was responsible and caring, trying to keep them all safe in the wartime environment they were raised in.

History[]

Princess Naida was born the eldest of five daughters to King Alexandros of Prasino and his wife. After her mother died of a wasting illness, Naida took on the responsibility of caring for her little sisters - Althea, Calliope, Theresa, and Daphne. Her father, meanwhile, had captured the Sea Goddess and used her powers to aid their kingdom in a war against the neighboring Kingdom of Kokkino. Naida was weary of the war and worried over the dangers it posed for her little sisters - this was justified as, despite her warnings to them not to explore too closely to Kokkino, Daphne and Theresa were kidnapped by King Bluebeard and held for ransom.

Thankfully, Chancellor Cassius happened to be nearby and rescued Naida's sisters from the wicked King. However, on the way back to Prasino, the Sea Goddess rose from the depths and unleashed her fury on their small boat. As the four of them tumbled under the waves, the Goddess destroyed Kokkino and sunk Prasino to the seafloor. Cassius was killed and the entire royal family was cursed into sea creature forms that would forever chain them to their underwater kingdom.

Now a mermaid, Naida continued to look after her sisters and her father. Eventually, the Sea Goddess told them of a way that their curses could be reversed. When each of the mermaid Princesses found a certain Elemental Orb, she would be freed from her own curse, and once their father had all five orbs, he could use them to power on a machine that would reverse his own curse.

Naida searched for the Metal Orb, but after centuries of fruitless searching, she became careless and was captured by fishermen. They imprisoned her in a tank and greedily collected money from people eager to see a living mermaid. Naida feared never becoming human or ever being free again.

The Frog Prince happened upon the captive mermaid and helped her to escape. Naida kissed him out of gratitude, turning the frog into the very human Prince James. The two fell in love and James swore to find the Metal Orb for her. While Naida returned to her home kingdom, he searched the world over until he finally found the relic. He returned it to Prasino and Naida became human once again. The two lived happily for many years until Naida's eventual death.

Princess Naida was well-loved in life and, after her death, two shrines were made in her honor. The first exists in her husband's Underground Kingdom, where she is depicted in a gorgeous underwater statue and a treasure room holds all of the various collectibles she'd found in her worldly travels. The second exists in her home kingdom of Prasino, where she and her husband are both honored in their own private chamber just outside of the palace.

Powers and Abilities (as a Mermaid)[]

Immortality: As a mermaid, Naida had an unlimited lifespan, eternal youth and could not die of natural causes.
Swimming: Naida's mermaid tail could propel her through the water at great speeds and allowed her to leap into the air like a dolphin. Her strong tail allowed her to swim vast distances like migrating whales.
Underwater Breathing: Naida could speak and breathe clearly underwater and could also breathe air like land dwellers. She could also adapt to freshwater.

When Naida returned to her human form, she lost all of these powers and became mortal once again.

Relationships[]

King Alexandros (father)
Queen of Prasino (mother, deceased)
Prince James (husband, deceased)
Princess Althea (younger sister)
Princess Calliope (second younger sister, deceased)
Princess Theresa (third younger sister, deceased)
Princess Daphne (youngest sister, fate unknown)
Unnamed Prince (brother-in-law, deceased)
Unnamed stepdaughter (from her husband's first marriage, deceased)
Chancellor Cassius (friend, deceased)
Thalassa (?possible enemy?)
Forest King and Queen (parents-in-law, deceased)

Relevant Parables[]

The Course of True Love (from The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide)

Once upon a time, Princess Naida unwittingly crossed a vengeful Goddess who cursed her; she would be a mermaid, forever bonded to the sea, until she found the treasure that would break the spell. In the midst of her search, Naida grew careless and was captured by local fishermen. The greedy men put her on exhibit and charged admission to see the miraculous mermaid. Naida despaired of ever becoming human again. One day, Naida encountered a magical frog and, with his help, she was able to escape from her captors. In gratitude, she kissed the frog, which transformed into a human Prince. They instantly fell in love and he chose to help her. He searched the world on her behalf for the secret treasure that would break the Goddess' curse on her, as well as help her father. When the Prince returned with the treasure in hand, Naida was returned to human form and they lived happily, contentedly - for a while.

Trivia[]

Naida's name is of Greek origin. It derives from the word Naiad, which are mythical water sprites. It also might be derived from the word naiein which means "to flow", possibly referencing how she is closely related to the subject of water.
It is possible Naida's appearance was inspired by Ariel, from Disney's The Little Mermaid.
Naida is represented by topaz, a birthstone of November and a symbol of love and affection - fitting since she found her true love.