"I hereby declare you our queen!" squeaked a translucent shrimp, bowing low before Coral the hermit crab.
Coral stepped back, her legs clicking nervously against the sandy floor. She had spent all morning building the most magnificent sandcastle the ocean floor had ever seen. It had twelve twisting turrets, a grand throne room, and even tiny windows carved from shimmer-shells. She just wanted to sit back and admire her hard work. She definitely didn't expect a parade of micro-creatures to start moving their furniture inside.
"I'm not really queen material," Coral protested. But it was too late. Seventeen barnacle children were already hanging curtains made of kelp in the east wing.
By afternoon, the royal headaches began.
A microscopic jellyfish burst into tears. "The water current is flowing backwards in the tall tower! My babies are getting dizzy!"
Before Coral could answer, two sea slugs started a loud argument about double-parking their shell-cars in the courtyard.
