Wings of Fire: The Kingdom of the Sea | ✔️

~ The Kingdom of the Sea: Chapter 20 ~

The three moons were high in the sky when Hare raised her head. The cauldrons of food Tsunami had brought back sat empty against one of the walls. The others were all sleeping together, everyone except Tsunami.

The SeaWing princess was sitting in the entrance of the cave. Hare stood up and walked over to join her.

"Can't sleep?" Hare asked.

Tsunami shook her head. Hare sighed and looked out at the palace. "Yeah, me either."

Tsunami remained silent for a while, and when she spoke it startled Hare.

"I don't belong here," she said quietly. "I can't fit in anywhere. This isn't my home."

Hare blinked at her. "But you're the lost princess, the future queen."

Tsunami shook her head again and laughed sadly. "I'm no future queen. That's Orca or Anemone or the dragonet in the last egg. But me? No, that's no role for me. I belong somewhere else, not here or on a throne."

Hare held her back from saying anything when Tsunami mentioned Orca. She wanted to tell her friend about what Orca was doing, about how she should pray that her sister never became queen, but how could she? She'd only told one dragon about the Place of Lost Souls, and she wasn't even sure if she'd ever see him again.

Tsunami lifted her head to look at the moons. Hare caught a glimpse of something red. When she looked closer, she saw a fresh cut on Tsunami's neck.

"What's that?" she asked softly, pointing to the cut.

Tsunami placed her talon on the wound. "This? Oh, uh- Can you promise not to tell the others?"

Hare nodded. "Of course."

Tsunami nodded gratefully. "I was attacked in the tunnel, they were trying to kill me."

"You were attacked too?" Hare blurted, too shocked to realize what she was saying. Could Orca have attacked Tsunami as well?

Tsunami's eyes widened a little. "You were attacked?"

"Yeah," Hare replied. She hesitated before adding, "By your sister, actually."

"Orca attacked you?" Tsunami gasped. "What for?"

"She got me confused for an intruder," Hare spat out quickly. "She thought I was a threat. She didn't realize until she delivered a good few blows."

Part of that was true.

Well, more like a third.

Orca did think she was a threat, but not to her kingdom.

"I don't know who attacked me," Tsunami admitted. "They were really heavy, heavier than any dragon I've ever felt."

So it can't have been Orca. Orca's about the weight of a regular dragon, only a little heavier, probably because of her strength.

Tsunami sighed. "Just another sign that I don't belong here." She looked at Hare, her eyes sad. "We should leave. Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Hare choked out. "We can't! I have to see Catfish."

"Catfish?" Tsunami tilted her head. "Who's Catfish?"

"He's my friend," Hare said quietly, "A really good friend."

"Like Prince Copper?" Tsunami asked.

"No," Hare replied. "Much more than Copper ever was."

Tsunami smiled softly and pulled Hare closer with her wing. "Awww, Hare. You've got a crush." Tsunami lifted Hare's chin with her talon so their eyes met. "I'll be honest with you, I do too."

"Is it Riptide?" Hare whispered teasingly.

Tsunami laughed and lightly pushed Hare's shoulder. "It's not that obvious."

Hare giggled. "Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night."

Tsunami rolled her eyes. "Alright, you little toad. Speaking of sleeping, we should join the others and try to get some rest."

"What about leaving?" Hare asked nervously. "Are we still going tomorrow?"

"No," Tsunami answered, leading Hare back to the group with her wing over her back. "We'll go the day after."