Empress of the Sea|✔️

Chapter 21

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Suzy clutched her shoulder, neither wincing nor groaning in pain. Though it seemed Iona felt the pain rather than Suzy. The White Crow's quartermaster both winced and cried at the sight.

Men clad in black filtered into the room, walking in with a crouch and perfectly straight backs.

"What the hell?" said Sehyun considerably loudly in the silent room. "Explain what the hell is going on, maid." He pointed at Lara.

Lara merely laughed maniacally, clutching her torso and leaning over. She laughed and laughed and laughed.

How did such an innocent-looking girl end up doing something like this? What was even going on?

It took all of Sehyun's self-control to not look over his shoulder. He wouldn't be able to stand the sight of an injured Suzy. He'd caught a glimpse of his quartermaster before and deemed it a scary sight to behold.

He stepped around to cover Maya's body with his own subtly, a movement no one other than Aeryn noticed.

Lara kept laughing until the person who shot Suzy sent an arrow into her chest.

So Lara was just a means to get into the castle, not a vital part of the plan.

This was humanity's most significant flaw. The reason for conflict. The need for revenge.

One of the humongous men in black announced, "Anyone who tries to run will die alongside everyone in this castle. However, if you want to live, tell us the location of Han and Aranaz of the Black Egret."

***

The chaos the ballroom left everyone and everything in shambles. Broken glasses and bottles of booze flew around the room, ladies screamed, and their partners tried hard to impress them with bravery. Some even dared to stand up to them, but no one was smart enough to exit the room.

Everyone except King Picke Fiore, King Djord, Queen Fiore, Maya, Juele, Aeryn, Iona, Suzy, and Sehyun.

Sehyun and Suzy both expected Aeryn to sell them out, but she was the one who had helped Suzy out of the room. The one who had gripped Suzy's left while Sehyun held her right. The one who told them of the exit.

The one who saved them for reasons none of them knew.

Juele knew about one of the saferooms in the ballroom, and the kings knew of the other. Prince Juele Fiore knew all about secret passageways. It was the only way he could get around the castle without attracting the attention of his father.

Leaving behind the ballroom with arrows flying and swords swinging without a fight weighed on Princess Maya. She would regret not being able to save people and not being able to be of use.

Not that she could fight in her overly tight gown that constricted every limb from moving more than an inch.

Why people found this fashionable was beyond the young princess.

After dodging the intruder's attacks and the chaos that none of them committed to memory and unlocking the secret passageway's door, Aeryn pushed everyone inside. She was the last to enter the tiny, tiny opening, but she came with a shriek. She entered with a hand on her lower back, her dress and skin cut open by a flying arrow.

But that didn't stop her from getting inside the cave barely big enough to hold her crawling body. She was swift to close the door and lock it.

Then she allowed herself to melt against the dusty, spider-web covered stone walls.

In between two injured women, Sehyun had a hard time moving. The rest of them had already started crawling out of the caves and into the room further inside. How would he move? He could drag Suzy out, but he couldn't leave Aeryn bleed out onto the floor.

"I need some help," he said.

Prince Juele replied, "Sure." He came into the cave once again, his tiny frame easily maneuvering in the enclosed. He was grateful no one was claustrophobic.

The prince dragged Suzy's half-limp body out while Sehyun did the same for Aeryn.

The situation could've been slightly more comfortable, but the world continuously pushed its hatred onto his shoulders.

Questions ran through his mind: What could've been the men's motive? Why were they looking for him and Suzy? Questions, theories, inquiries, solutions.

So many that he hadn't realized he made it out of the cave.

He turned Aeryn around who groaned at every movement and sluggishly tried to whack him away when words didn't form. By the time her back was present, her wound no longer graced her lower back.

But he had seen the arrow cut her. Had seen it. Now he couldn't see the wound to accompany his memory despite blood dripping from her dress.

Within seconds, Aeryn returned to her regular self. She stood in the room dimly lit by the lamp Iona had snatched and pointed a finger at both Han and Aranaz. "I saved your lives, so now you owe me as many questions as I want, alright?"

Not wanting to argue, Sehyun nodded.

Everyone in the room, save for Iona, watched Aeryn with mouths agape and eyes wide. No one dared to ask the question that mattered.

Sehyun was the first to regain composure. "By any chance, did this Erel person kiss you at some point in time?"

Aeryn raised her brow. "How do you know that?"

Sehyun had learned about the Mermaid's Kiss while researching Poseidon's daughter. He'd read that the first person to receive a blessing from a mermaid was a prince of Atlantica. He had fallen in love with Ariel, the adopted daughter of Triton.

Quite a tale of romance.

Until Ariel died.

The Mermaid's Kiss was a blessing granted to a human. For love and companionship, the mermaid would offer healing abilities.

But not sirens. Their kiss did quite the opposite.

"Are you sure Erel is a siren? Are you sure she's not a mermaid?"

Aeryn pushed Sehyun, earning a face of disgust from him. "I thought I was the one allowed to ask questions."

"In return for telling me about Erel--"

"In return for your life." Aeryn pulled out a hidden dagger from the folds of her dress. "Your quartermaster is barely conscious, and I'm almost one hundred percent sure you don't know how to fight." She pointed the dagger at his neck.

Maya, finally gaining composure and escaping her regrets, shoved Aeryn away from Sehyun. "He may not know how to fight, but I do."

When Maya appeared to ready another attack towards Aeryn, Juele found himself shielding her the same way she'd been in the ballroom. "Don't hurt her. From what I understand, no one understands anything. We have an injured woman bleeding out on the floor, and I am the only one who knows the right way out. I suggest you don't make me your enemy. We have a misunderstanding we can deal with once we get out of the castle, so don't bicker like children in this dark room."

Sehyun was about to defend himself. He would've said something like, "She started it," while pointing at Aeryn.

But when Maya stood down, so did he.

Prince Juele was right...And more level-headed than the rest of them.

They needed to get out, and the most important one in the room was also the shortest in the room. Prince Juele Fiore. With the face of an angel with delicate brown features and equally fragile hair, no one would have expected him to be a force to be reckoned with.

A force much scarier than the men who'd attacked a royal function.

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Word Count: 1265