The Story of Jullanar of the Sea

In the days when the great King Shahriman ruled over a vast and prosperous kingdom, there came to his court a most extraordinary maiden whose beauty was like nothing ever seen upon the earth. Her name was Jullanar, and though she appeared to be a mortal woman, she carried within her a secret that would transform the king’s life forever.

The maiden had been brought to the palace by merchants who claimed to have found her walking alone on a distant shore, clothed only in the finest silk that seemed to shimmer like scales in the sunlight. When they offered her food, she would accept only fish, and when they gave her water, she would barely touch it to her lips. Most peculiar of all, she never spoke a single word.

King Shahriman first beheld Jullanar when she was presented to him as a gift from the merchants. The moment his eyes met hers, he felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Her hair flowed like dark water, her eyes held the depths of the ocean, and her skin seemed to glow with an inner light that reminded him of moonbeams dancing on waves.

“What is your name, fair one?” the king asked gently, but Jullanar only gazed at him with her mysterious eyes and remained silent.

For days, the king tried every means to make her speak. He brought her the finest foods, the most beautiful garments, and the most precious jewels in his kingdom. Still, Jullanar said nothing, though she accepted his gifts with graceful gestures and a smile that made his heart race.

The court began to whisper that the maiden was either mute or perhaps touched by madness. Some advisors suggested that the king send her away, but Shahriman found himself utterly captivated. There was something in her silence that spoke to his soul, and her presence brought him a peace he had never known.

One evening, as the king sat alone with Jullanar in his private chambers, he noticed her gazing longingly toward the window that overlooked the sea. The moonlight streamed through the opening, and in its silver glow, he saw tears glistening on her cheeks.

“You miss your home,” he said softly, moving to sit beside her. “You come from the sea, don’t you?”

At these words, Jullanar turned to him with such surprise that he knew he had guessed correctly. For the first time since her arrival, she opened her lips and spoke, her voice like the sound of gentle waves upon the shore.

“How did you know, O King?” she whispered, her accent carrying the music of distant tides.

Shahriman’s heart leaped with joy at finally hearing her voice. “Your eyes hold the color of deep water, and you eat only what the sea provides. But most of all, I see in your face the longing of one who has been separated from her true element.”

Jullanar bowed her head, fresh tears falling like pearls. “You speak truly, Your Majesty. I am not of this world, but of the realm beneath the waves. I am daughter of the Sea King, and my people are those whom mortals call the merfolk.”

“Then why are you here, so far from your underwater kingdom?” the king asked, his voice filled with gentle concern.

“I fled from an arranged marriage to a prince I could never love,” Jullanar replied. “My father commanded that I wed Prince Bahram, a cruel ruler of the northern seas who governs through fear and violence. Rather than submit to such a fate, I used the ancient magic that allows my people to take human form, and I swam to your shores.”

King Shahriman listened to her story with growing amazement and compassion. “You gave up your home, your family, and your very nature for the sake of freedom. That shows courage beyond measure.”

“But now I am trapped between two worlds,” Jullanar continued, her voice breaking with emotion. “I can remain in human form, but I will eventually weaken and die without returning to the sea. Yet if I go back, my father will force me to marry Prince Bahram, and I would rather perish than live such a life.”

The king reached out and gently took her hand. “There is a third choice, if you would consider it. Stay here as my queen, and I will ensure that you can return to the sea whenever your heart desires. My kingdom borders the ocean, and I will build for you a palace by the shore where you can transform at will and visit your underwater realm.”

Jullanar looked at him with wonder. “You would do this for me? Even knowing what I am?”

“I would do this because of what you are,” Shahriman replied earnestly. “I have loved you since the moment I first saw you, not despite your magical nature, but because of the extraordinary being you are. Your courage, your grace, and your gentle spirit have captured my heart completely.”

For the first time since her arrival, Jullanar smiled with genuine happiness. “Then I accept your proposal, O King, for I have come to love you as well. Your kindness and understanding have shown me that not all surface dwellers are to be feared.”

Their wedding was a celebration unlike any the kingdom had ever seen. Jullanar appeared in a gown that seemed woven from sea foam and starlight, and as she and the king exchanged vows, dolphins leaped joyfully in the harbor as if celebrating with them.

True to his promise, King Shahriman built a magnificent palace on the cliffs overlooking the sea, connected to the royal residence by a bridge of white marble. The palace featured pools of seawater that allowed Jullanar to transform and swim, and a special chamber that opened directly to the ocean.

In the early days of their marriage, Jullanar would spend her mornings as a human, ruling beside her husband and learning the ways of the surface world. In the afternoons, she would transform into her sea form and swim in the depths, maintaining her connection to her underwater heritage.

The king often joined her by the water’s edge, and she would regale him with tales of her underwater kingdom—of cities built from coral and pearls, of gardens of seaweed that danced in the currents, and of creatures more beautiful and strange than anything found on land.

“My people worship the Great Leviathan,” she told him one evening as they watched the sunset paint the waves in shades of gold and crimson. “He is ancient beyond measure and guards the deepest secrets of the ocean. It is said that he grants great wisdom to those pure of heart.”

One year after their marriage, Jullanar gave birth to a son whom they named Badr Basim, meaning “Full Moon of Beauty.” The child was extraordinary even from birth, possessing his mother’s luminous skin and his father’s noble bearing. Most remarkably, he could breathe both air and water, a gift that filled both parents with wonder and joy.

But their happiness was not destined to remain unchallenged. One day, as Jullanar swam in her sea form near the palace, she encountered her brother Salih, who had been searching for her throughout the seven seas.

“Sister!” he called out in the language of the depths. “Father has been frantic with worry. Prince Bahram has threatened war against our kingdom if you do not return to marry him.”

Jullanar’s heart sank as she transformed back to human form on the shore where Salih had followed her. “I cannot return, brother. I am wed to a king of the surface world, and we have a child together.”

Salih stared at her in amazement. “You have truly made a life here? But Jullanar, Prince Bahram’s threats are real. He has gathered an army from the darkest depths, and father fears our people will suffer greatly if you do not comply with his demands.”

That night, Jullanar explained the situation to King Shahriman. “I must face this challenge,” she said, her voice heavy with determination. “I cannot allow my people to suffer because of my choices.”

“Then we face it together,” the king declared firmly. “You are my queen, and your people are now my people as well. If this Prince Bahram wants war, let him come. We will show him the strength that comes from love and unity.”

“No, beloved,” Jullanar said, placing her hand on his cheek. “This is a matter for the sea realm to decide. But there is another way. According to the ancient laws of my people, Prince Bahram’s claim on me can be challenged by combat. If a champion defeats him, his demands become void.”

“Then I will be your champion,” King Shahriman said without hesitation.

Jullanar shook her head. “You cannot fight in the depths, my love. Only one of sea-blood can serve as champion in the underwater realm. But our son… when he comes of age, he will have that power.”

And so it was decided that Prince Badr Basim would be trained in both the ways of the surface and the secrets of the sea, preparing him for the day when he would face Prince Bahram and settle the matter once and for all.

Years passed, and the young prince grew into a remarkable young man. Jullanar taught him the languages and customs of the sea folk, while King Shahriman trained him in the arts of leadership and combat. Badr Basim could transform between human and sea forms at will, and he possessed strength and wisdom beyond his years.

When the prince reached his eighteenth year, the time for the confrontation arrived. Prince Bahram, now grown even more powerful and cruel, sent an ultimatum: “Let Jullanar return to wed me, or I will lay waste to the Sea King’s realm and drag her to the depths by force.”

“The challenge is accepted,” Prince Badr Basim declared before the assembled courts of both land and sea. “I will meet Prince Bahram in single combat in the deepest arena of the ocean realm. The winner shall determine Princess Jullanar’s fate.”

The battle that followed became legend among both the sea folk and the surface dwellers. In the deepest trench of the ocean, surrounded by creatures of the abyss, Prince Badr Basim faced Prince Bahram in combat that shook the very foundations of the sea.

Prince Bahram fought with the fury of the storm and the power of the crushing depths, but Prince Badr Basim fought with something stronger—the love of his parents and the desire to protect both his worlds. Drawing upon the wisdom of the surface and the magic of the sea, he defeated Prince Bahram, sparing his life but demanding his eternal oath never to threaten Jullanar or her family again.

The victory brought peace between the realms and established Prince Badr Basim as a bridge between the world above and the world below. King Shahriman and Queen Jullanar ruled together for many more years, their love becoming a symbol of the harmony that could exist between different worlds.

And when their time on earth was done, it is said that they transformed together into spirits of the sea and sky, dancing eternally on the horizon where water meets air, blessing all lovers who dare to bridge the gap between different worlds.

Their story became a beacon of hope, proving that love could overcome any obstacle, whether it be the vast differences between sea and land, the opposition of families, or the challenges of two very different natures learning to become one.

Prince Badr Basim inherited both kingdoms and ruled with the wisdom of the depths and the justice of the surface, ensuring that the peace between the realms would endure for generations to come. And sometimes, on calm nights when the moon is full, sailors claim they can see him swimming alongside their ships, a guardian prince watching over all who travel between the world of men and the mysteries of the deep.