Triton lurched up, coughing terribly. His stomach was doing all types of flips.
"The witch...", he muttered. He sat straight up and looked around wildly.
"THE WITCH! SHE HAS ATHENA! HELP!"
A nurse rushed in, looking worried. She nodded and said something to another nurse, whom immediately rushed off.
"Calm down, your highness. There is no witch, and Athena is alright, she just had a bruise which is quickly fading.", the mermaid said soothingly.
"Where is she?" Triton asked worriedly, still disoriented.
The nurse stood and partially swept the curtain on the other end of the room, revealing Athena's sleeping face, flawed by a single purple bruise on her cheekbone.
Triton's eyes suddenly widened.
"The witch! Did you catch her?"
"What witch? You must calm down, Prince Triton.", the nurse said.
"The witch was just there! In the..." Triton frowned, struggling to remember how the attacker looked like.
"That's it, your highness. What did she look like?", the nurse said gently.
"She... had purplish eyes, with black tentacles, I just remember purple and a dagger."
Triton looked down, not very surprised to see tight stitches with a slightly fading scab.
"I don't understand. This happened not that long ago, why is it healing?" Triton asked.
"You have been knocked out for 5 days, your highness." The nurse said solemnly.
Triton went silent. He was about to speak, when suddenly Athena's green eyes shot open, and his father rushed in.
"Triton! Son, are you alright? How did this happen? Who attacked you?" His father asked.
"The witch! She-"
"How did she look like?", his father demanded.
"She had purplish eyes, and black tentacles."
King Xianhuawi rubbed his temple, sighing.
"There is only one cecaelia who fits that description. Son, you have been attacked by the Empress of the Dark Empire herself.", the king declared.
"What's going on?", a soft voice asked.
Everyone turned to look at Athena, who sat up and rubbed her bruise.
"What happened?"
"I saw Empress Orluiowa holding you, and I tried to stop her but she shoved some powder thing up my nose and I blacked out.", Triton explained.
"She shoved a powder up my nose too. And it looks like she stabbed you." Athena's russet brows crinkled in concern.
"It's nothing.", Triton shrugged, trying not to flinch as his gut screamed in pain.
Triton paced nervously. He wanted to be with Athena especially after the incident they were both in on. He thought of the bruise on her cheek. He clenched his fists in boiling anger.
"I'll kill her..." he muttered angrily. As he neared the kitchen area, he stopped. From the kitchen, the most beautiful voice he had ever heard rang from the dishes area.
Is it Athena? It's beautiful...
"Under the bright... blue... endless sky...."
Triton swam cautiously, lest he scared the owner's beautiful voice. He peeked out, and sure enough, it was Athena, her red hair floating softly and framing her heart-shaped face. Servants tapped lightly on a harp, and another one played a karamuza, to which Athena swayed her dark teal tail. Triton's mouth moved nervously without saying a word. As he watched her dance, he realized how much of a creep he must seem. But still Triton struggled to think of something cool and nonchalant to say. Finally he came up with something to say.
"Beautiful voice, Athena. Where did you learn to sing like that?"
Athena turned around, her mouth dropping slightly open as she spotted Triton leaning against the door frame. Then she smiled shyly, and said,
"Thank you... I've always had that song in my head growing up."
Triton smiled and nodded. But on the inside he was panicking because he had no clue what to say now.
"Do you want help?" He nodded at the dishes.
"Why not?", Athena agreed.
He swam next to Athena, and began washing the dishes. As the silence began to grow, Triton said, gazing at the fish,
"You guys play great."
The fish both grinned and began playing a cheerful, happy tune. Triton noticed Athena was not dancing.
"Do you know how to dance?", he asked.
Athena smiled nervously, biting her mouth and shook her head.
"Would you allow me to teach you?", Triton asked coolly.
Good job, Triton! Of course, being the son of Poseidon this was success since the beginning.
Athena nodded.
Triton took her hands, and began twirling her slowly. She swam straight, swimming too fast and squishing their arms.
"You're not swimming straight, you're twirling, your tail swims last and you swim first.", Triton instructed.
Athena quickly caught on. As the music quickened and became louder, Triton twirled her around and Athena swam in a quick circle, swimming higher and higher, about to break their grip when she twirled back down softly to the ground. She looked up at him and smiled, realizing how close they were.
"Thank you for the help and dancing lesson." Athena grinned, raising one eyebrow as she let go of his hands and twirled.
"Anytime." Triton said cheerfully.