Under The Sea

Chapter Twenty-Four

                  

         The Captain stared at me with wide eyes that were filled with utter disbelief and confusion. "Princess? Your Maj—what is the meaning of this!" He exclaimed, a hint of anger coating his tone.

       "Let us get inside before I explain." I said looking around nervously. Although the colorful corals that stretched as high as trees shielded us well enough, I couldn't help the nervous flutter that vibrated my stomach. I was sure the guards had to have noticed two of their men were down by now, and when they woke up with no memory of what happened, they would report this to Hastings. And Hastings had always been suspicious of everything. I shook my head and focused on the advisors.

       Captain Soren grasped my arm and helped me up. "Princess, forgive me. I thought you were a soldier." He said quickly. 

      "It's alright Captain, if I were you I would have reacted in the same way." I followed Soren and Chaplain, who had attacked Jacin, into the small house.

       Jacin was at my side in seconds. "Are you okay?" His eyes examined my face before they found my neck. My neck was sore, but it wasn't unbearable. Jacin scowled at the fresh bruises but I shushed him, "he didn't know, Jacin." He grumbled under his breath , I heard something along the lines of 'stupid' and 'father.' I shook my head.

         Once we got inside, I felt slightly safer. The house was small and cozy. The walls were made of turquoise coral and dark green seaweed. There was another room to my right that was connected to the house and served as, what I assumed, a bedroom. The living room was fairly large, to my left was a circular table made of rock that was covered in moss. Surrounding it were smaller rocks. As I gazed around the room, I noticed barnacles covering just about everything the house contained. This house had been abandoned for quite some time.

          Corale, Nabu, and Michel emerged from the lone bedroom. Their eyes widened when they saw me, and my eyes widened just as much. I never thought I would see them again, in fact the whole situation hadn't felt quite real until then. Hastings had taken over the kingdom and here I was, standing with the advisors of my father, who were in hiding, with a huge price on their heads. This was actually happening.

      I straightened my back, feeling as if I needed to be strong. As if it were time I acted like a real princess, that was doubtless and calm. I felt my mindset change, my body stiffened. It were as if I had turned on a new switch in my body. As if I were in a different mode. Authority. It poured into me like water falling from above me. It was cold and warm at the same time. My fingertips tingled and my eyes shined with power. It felt amazing. I felt the power squirm inside my chest, expanding and deflating like a breathing thing. I felt light-headed.

        I closed my eyes, basking in the power as it grew in my chest. Tentatively, I reached for it, brushing my mind against it and it responded, like a million whisperers in my mind.

Forest. Forest. This power is yours, do whatever you please with it. I'm yours.

                                                                                     *****

          My eyes popped open. I felt the comfort of mossy rock against my head. I sat up confused and looked to Jacin, who sat ad the end of the rock bed. "What happened?" My chest still felt warm. The power still writhed inside me as it whispered my name.

      "You fainted," he said slowly. Fainted? I must have been so caught up the newly found power that I hadn't realized that I was fainting. I must have fainted when I closed my eyes, when I started t feel light-headed from all that power.