It's been four weeks, exactly a month, since Scarlett Solaris took to the throne and has been leading her nation, Goldaria. She and her friends still hurt from the traumatic mental wounds inflicted on them during their captivity weeks prior, but the...
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✰✦✰ Chapter Five ✰✦✰ " Luna "
"MAKE SURE SHE knows how sorry I am," I told the fish. "And don't let her interrupt you, she has a habit of doing so."
The fish nodded once before swimming off into the distance rapidly, like he thought my message was one worthy of the meaning of life and death. I ran a hand through my long blonde hair that glowed beneath the water. Being a mermaid was my favourite thing about myself. It was something I knew I was proud of—something that not even my mother could ever take from me. Something that I'd never let her take away from me.
I had just sent a fish off to tell my sister how sorry I was that I couldn't make it to her party tonight. It wasn't even a special occasion—she was just the oldest and therefore felt the need to make sure everybody knew just how "unique" she was. I loved her but she was definitely the hardest to deal with along with my mother. Then again, that was just because Olivia and my mother shared far too many qualities, clashing against one another more than they should've.
I rose to the surface again to get back to the castle. I loved these deserted ponds and lakes in the forests beyond—yet still part of—the castle. I'd come here probably more often than I should've but I always felt the need to clear my head whenever I left my new home. Because the castle was my new home and I simply couldn't believe it. It obviously wasn't a permanent thing, considering they only needed us to stay there for protection for the next couple months, however it still seemed unreal every day I woke up in a bed, sometimes even surrounded by maids and servants, asking me what I wanted for breakfast or if I wanted to get changed first.
I used to want to be a princess. Now I couldn't believe I actually felt like one. Oh, but I knew Scarlett was the star. Seriously. I didn't mean to steal her thunder if I just did. I loved her too much for it. She deserved all of the love. And I couldn't begin to imagine how difficult and unfair life had become for her when she took her rightful throne back.
I hummed an old tune to myself and turned around, shrieking when Miles's face was inches away from mine. My hand flew to my mouth as I watched him suppress a smile. He was crouched down by the edge of the pond, his silver sword attached to his back.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, chest rising and falling.
Miles cocked his head. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I have my reasons," I said. "Such as having to let my sister know I won't be making it to her party tonight."
He grimaced. "Why is your family hosting another party? We were just there on Monday."
I shrugged. "Olivia likes the attention."
He sighed, sitting down on the grass and crossing his legs. Usually he never voluntarily spent time with me. Actually, let me rephrase that—he never used to. Ever since we had escaped Apheses's imprisonment, he'd been much closer to me, attached to my side. Maybe no one else had noticed but I certainly had. It wasn't as if he was there when I awoke or super touchy or anything but he was definitely around more often. As if to check up on me. I still didn't know what had happened to him that day when we were tortured by Apheses's Guards since we'd all been separated. I wasn't going to pry, especially because I wouldn't have wanted anyone to do the same to me.
