Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
Chapter 32: The Date of the Wedding

"Have you been feeling any form of pain anywhere?"

Serena suppresses a groan as her hands grip tightly onto the edge of Arcelia's bed, that she's been seated on all morning. She fixes the healer with an annoyed look as he studies every inch of her being with bothersome meticulousness. His short brown hair, despite being in water, is neatly done and is barely bothered by any movement he makes. It almost makes her wonder if that's just another form of magic, but she quickly dismisses the thought as a stupid one.

"Again, I feel no pain," she says tiredly as the healer adjusts the glasses on his face. Every now and again, his brown irises will flicker to her face back to the unique colors of her tail. As if his annoying observations weren't enough, it does nothing for her mood to have him study her tail as well.

Princess Arcelia abruptly says, "Something is quite clearly wrong! Your return to the palace was most alarming! You were pale, and hardly heard anything happening around you!" Her pouty red lips are downturned in a frown as her sea green gaze narrows and stares at her fixedly.

To which Serena replies, "You are overacting! I have told you a dozen times that I am fine!"

"You woke the whole east wing with your terrified screaming! The guards nearly bursted into your room thinking you were being attacked!"

At this her cheeks redden slightly as she replaces that she can replace no response in this exact moment. She hadn't been aware that her nightmares had incited that kind of reaction. Back on land Caspian would already be at her bedside by the time her eyes popped open. Even now, she can hear the soothing baritone of his voice coaxing her into a state of calm with a few gentle words. He would sit beside her until she fell asleep again, and pet her hair to ease her active mind. Such thoughts leave her with a painful feeling in her chest when her mind decides to remind her of his disappearance.

"-more rest and a little less excitement if it can be helped." She rapidly blinks a few times as the healer's voice pierces her thought process. She immediately hones in on the healer preparing his things and Princess Arcelia fussing over any treatments to help her with her ailings.

"Is that really it?!" Princess Arcelia asks, aghast at what she's hearing.

The healer offers her a gentle smile as he replies, "Yes, Your Highness. Peace and rest will serve to calm her mind, and allow herself to recover from the events of the previous days."

"Very well then," she sighs before continuing, "I thank you for your services. You are dismissed."

The healer deeply bows with another soft smile before gathering his things. Afterwards, he quickly leaves the room with a swish of his blue tail.

As soon as the door closes, Princess Arcelia wastes no time in rushing up to Serena. She claims a firm grasp on her hands as she stares at her with a determined look in her eyes. At this point, Serena can only guess what it is the princess is thinking.

Suddenly, she exclaims, "We shall head into the city today!"

However, such a declaration leaves Serena quite confused by her meaning. "What on earth are you saying?" Were it not for the fact that they had a friendship, Serena would never have been allowed to speak to royalty this way.

Princess Arcelia grins. "You have yet to actually get a look at the city, so now is an ideal time for a grand tour." The excitement seems to give her a measure of radiance in her smile as she adds with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Along with some shopping too, of course!"

At this, Serena suppresses a groan. Even the thought of shopping is liable to send her fleeing in the other direction. She never much cared for it on land, since the very activity itself seemed to bore her beyond belief. Zale, more often than not, would spend a good thirty minutes impressing upon her the value of looking good. Even though he and the rest of her brothers would send any guy interested in her running in the opposite direction. Of course she never voiced this contradiction to him, but now that he's missing she replaces that she misses such annoying lectures.

All of a sudden, Princess Arcelia's face fills her field of vision as her voice rips through her thoughts. "Serena! Are you listening?"

She blinks rapidly for a moment before responding, "Sorry, what did you say?"

Princess Arcelia groans with a shake of her head as she turns back to the doors to her bedroom with a blank expression upon her face. "Aaralyn has come with most...worrying news."

At the mention of the servant assigned to her, Serena looks up to replace said mermaid bowing before them with a tight expression.

She then replaces herself asking, "What kind of news?"

To which Aaralyn responds in kind, "The royal wedding for Prince Oceanus and the Lady Delmara shall take place within three days’ time."

What? Her mind goes blank, yet she can replace no explanation for her own alarm. Her relationship with the prince is, uncertain at best. However, it can hardly be called bad at this point. They've finally established something of a kind of friendship between one another, so why does her chest ache with such an ominous feeling, and her head scream with alarm? Such a thing happened to her only one other time in her life, but that was back when she lost her mother to the sea.

And all at once, she replaces herself no longer having the desire to go out. So she rises from her seat on Princess Arcelia's bed, causing the two other mermaids to look at her curiously, and makes for the doors.

"I am sorry, but I think I shall go see my brother right now. We will have to go out another time," she says apologetically before leaving the room. Yet she heads in the opposite direction of her brother's quarters. Instead, her fins take her in the direction of the Chamber of Stars.

She enters the familiar dark corridor filled with portraits of the royal family amongst other paintings depicting great battles long forgotten. A place that has been deserted by the palace's inhabitants, and yet tended to with such care.

The starlight silver doors open without protest at the gentle push of her hand, and the sea of stars within the room welcome her like an old friend.

She's momentarily surprised to replace the chamber empty, but it quickly morphs to relief at the prospect of being alone. The doors shut behind her, and she sits herself down beside the comfortable looking seat on with marbles platform. After all, she dare not disturb anything in this room since it holds such great meaning to the family of the one who used to inhabit this room.

And it's in this room that she opens her mouth to do the thing she loves most. She sings. Yet it's not her mother's lullaby of love with promises of sweet dreams. No, it is a song of confusion and fear for what tomorrow may bring. One of pain, and a call for those still missing. And it's in her mind, within that moment, that she concludes: her mother's sweet lullaby holds no place in this world that is surprisingly filled with such darkness and malice...

She doesn't know for how long she's been sitting in that room, but her peaceful solitude is interrupted by the sound of the opening doors. Without thinking, she hurries to conceal herself behind the chair that sits within the middle of the room. She pulls her hair down to keep it from flowing about and places a hand over her mouth to keep silent.

She never really received any kind of permission to come in here when ever she pleased. So she really didn't want to have to explain, to an angered Prince Oceanus, why she has barged into his deceased mother's favorite room.

Although the voice she hears isn't quite the one she expected, least of all the second one that joins it.

The first voice she instantly recognizes as Delmara's, who speaks with such frustration in the form of a childish tone. "He has no interest in me whatsoever Father! I cannot even get him to look at me!" She wails pitifully like a petulant child.

Lord Hallmar’s tone is more sympathetic as he tries to soothe his beloved daughter. “My precious jewel. I understand your frustration, but you must try harder! You need to become the queen of Aquaria so that we may gain access to Aquarius!”

A gasp suddenly slips through her fingers, and all is still for a moment as her body tenses. Thankfully, it would seem that she would go unnoticed a bit longer.

“I can try no harder than I already am Father! That human girl is capable of gaining his attention with not an ounce of effort, while I must toil away with such difficulty to even get him to look at me for more than five seconds!”

Lord Hallmar proceeds to hush her soothingly as he replies, “Be still my pet. I shall see to this human girl. You need not worry your pretty little head over her any longer.” Her heart sinks at this as her body tenses with the knowledge of yet even more danger coming her way.

“I would hope so. Your success is riding on your daughter’s marriage to the prince,” says an androgynous voice which incites Serena to take a peek around the chair to catch a glimpse of them. Yet all she sees is a dark shadow that stands before Delmara and Lord Hallmar with no notable features to see. They then continue, “Once you are queen, you can take over the kingdom and do with the royal family as you see fit. The powers of the royal family will be yours’ to command, and Lord Proteus will see you rewarded for your services.”

Her blood suddenly runs cold as she ceases to breathe for a moment. For a second her mind is berating her about always being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and boy is she in the wrong place.

“So I would cease your wailing and ridiculous mewling Delmara. Our Lord grows impatient, and he does not wish to entertain such a petulant child!” They say sharply as Delmara’s body stiffens.

“O-of course. Please excuse me,” she says quickly before dismissing herself from the room as quickly as possible.

“And what do you propose we do about the girl?” Lord Hallmar asks lowly.

“Stage a little accident for her. I care not what you do so long as the girl still draws breath when you do it. Even barely alive will be acceptable,” they say dismissively. They then seem to be preparing to leave, but add in, “And be sure to avoid causing a commotion that may disrupt the day of the wedding itself. Your daughter must marry the prince without incident.”

And with that, they’re gone. All is silent in the room, but her skin yet crawls uncomfortably. Her senses are still whispering to her of Lord Hallmar’s presence within the room.

“Oh Aegaea, look what you have wrought upon your family,” he mutters darkly before finally leaving the room.

Serena sits silently for a five moments more, waiting for him to disappear from her senses. Once the warning bells finally cease, she rises from her hiding spot and clutch a hand to her chest. As if she wasn’t already deep within the problems of this world, she somehow landed herself even deeper with this new plot. From what she can ascertain, the Aquilis Family intends to commit high treason against the Aquarian royal family. Not to mention that they’re servants of Proteus.

But another question comes to mind in that moment. Who is this Aegaea that Lord Hallmar was referring to, and what does she have to do with all this?