"I saw Celine and Julia sneaked into the castle yesterday. Julia looked scared and worried, it was all written over her face." Mira whispered to Eva.
Eva looked at her shocked, she wasn't expecting that at all.
"Why do you think they sneaked into the castle? What gave you that impression?" Eva retaliated coldly.
"I saw them clearly. You know Julia fidget anytime she's scared or in trouble. Or even when she's hiding something. I saw them very well yesterday. Julia was very scared." Mira hinted.
"Really?" Eva asked, feeling concerned. She suddenly became interested in the topic and decided to listen carefully.
"And I'm very sure, they went outside this kingdom." Mira whispered while Eva opened her mouth shocked.
"Outside? Where did they go to?" Eva asked, trembling.
"I don't know but I'm still trying to find out" Mira corrected.
"How could she leave this kingdom like that? Is she not a princess? Don't she knows the rules and regulations?" Eva asked, feeling disappointed.
"I know she is up to something. Since her behaviour changed, I have been suspecting her. I hope she doesn't hurt anyone." Mira confessed.
"You always say that but I still wonder why you are suspecting her, did she wrong you in any way? It seems you don't like her." Eva commented.
"Aren't you sensible? Can't you notice changes and relate them to reality?" Mira queried.
"Well, I have sense. The princess only changed her behaviour, she didn't do anything wrong. And besides, what is happening? As far as I know too well, nothing wrong is going on." Eva retaliated. She was very angry.
"Forget it. I'm leaving." Mira said and swim away.
"I don't understand her these days, her parables are now becoming unbearable and strange. What is wrong with someone changing her attitude? The princess only became a saint instead of remaining a villain. Is anything wrong with that?" Eva asked. She hissed in frustration and swim away.
Mira's attitude towards princess Celine is something the king needs to interfer on. She don't have any sort of respect for the princess, she disobeys and disrespect her at her will. She even insult the princess sometimes in her presence.
Princess Celine was used to ignoring things, be it insult or anything else. She just ignored it. After all if she complains, no one will respond to it. So, most times she just ignores Mira and do her thing.
"This shell is truly beautiful. Now, I understand why you fought for it." Julia said and smiled. She was in Celine's room, helping her to arrange some stuffs when she saw the shell.
"But, it's more precious than anything. I will keep it for years." Celine boasted. She carried the shell and examined it closely.
"I wonder what you will use it for. It doesn't look like an ornament. To me, it's just a plain shell. Beautiful for nothing." Julia commented.
"It's more precious than an ornament, Julia. you just can't see it. It's beautiful with a sealed treasure. I know it's useful." Celine corrected.
"Well, it's just a miserable shell we picked on the floor. And besides, what is so special about it that you fancy so much?" Julia inquired. She looked at how Celine kept on cleaning the shell over again. She sigh deeply and drop the pearls she was carrying on the mirror table. She could arrange them soon.
"I am convinced that it has some powers. We can use it, in time of trouble." Celine blurted out. Julia opened her mouth shocked, she couldn't believe that shell was powerful.
"Po....Po....Po.....powers..." Julia stammered. She quickly look around, hoping no one was listening to them. She wished no one heard their conversations.
"Was that why you picked it?" She asked, looking confused.
"Yes." Celine answered and smiled.
"So, you knew it was powerful. But, my princess. You can't bring any powerful creature into the castle." Julia warned, she was still scared.
"It's in my possession, I'm not harming anyone with it. I just want it, in case of anything in the future." Celine confirmed.
"But, you know this is wrong. What if someone found out?" Julia asked, trembling.
"Please, don't tell anyone about it. I won't hurt anybody with it, it's just for protection. So don't be scared." Celine reassured.
"Okay, if you say so." Julia agreed.
"But, this is still wrong. We stole that shell, please let's return it. what if the owner is looking for it now?" She added.
"Come on, Julia. We didn't steal it, we picked it on the floor. How can you tell me to return it after the fight I had with that pine? I almost died there. I didn't even get it freely and you expect me to return it. Is that possible." Celine inquired.
"You better hide it very well. So, no one can find it here." Julia warned.
"Yes ma'am." Celine said and bow her head.
"I'm serious. If anyone finds it, I will just tell them everything." Julia reassured.
"You are talking as if we did something wrong, it's just a shell." Celine said.
"Of course, we did something wrong." Julia reminded.
"Okay, what have we done this time?" Celine queried.
"First, we left the kingdom unguarded." Julia reminded.
"Is that an offence? I can decide whether to be guarded or not. And besides, it's not my style. I don't like guards everywhere, it's like I'm being restricted from doing what pleases me." Celine complained.
"I know, but we were leaving the kingdom. What if something bad had happened?" Julia questioned.
"So? Who cares?" Celine asked.
"Well my princess, everyone cares. I care too. I don't know why you are avoiding everyone. You are suppose to be more friendly now, but you just stay alone. Aren't you lonely?" Julia inquired.
Celine turned away from her, as tears trickled down her cheeks. She won't show Julia her weak side. She has to be strong, no matter what.
"I feel you are deeply hurt, even if you are not telling me anything." she added.
"I don't want them, I prefer to be lonely. They won't even help me in any way, so why will I waste my time." Celine retaliated.
"You are pretending as if everything is alright. But, I can see you are hurt." Julia confessed.
"I'm fine, nothing is wrong with me." Celine lied.
"Then, why are you not looking at me? Is my face causing you trouble?" Julia queried.
Celine cleaned her face and turned to Julia with a smile.
"I'm fine." She reassured.
Julia sigh deeply and fold her hands around her chest.
"Yes ma'am. But, I know you are lying. Just be truthful about it, you are a princess. No one can treat you like trash, you deserve....
"Forget about it, ma'am. Tell me, did I commit another offence?" Celine interjected.
"Well yes." Julia replied.
"What is it this time?" Celine inquired. She was tired of Julia's disturbance. She wonder when she will stop.
"You went to Whale kingdom and picked something on the floor." Julia replied confidently.
"Haaaaa, don't say that again. I didn't steal it." Celine yelled.
"I know, that's why I used the word 'picked' instead." Julia confirmed.
"Seriously? I can't believe she is...
"Thirdly, you killed a pine over there. So you committed three offences." Julia interjected.
Celine was shocked, she looked at Julia disgustingly and hissed.
"I can't believe this girl." She said.
"Why? Didn't you commit those crimes? Better don't deny them, I'm a witness of everything. I can give accounts of it when asked." Julia threatened.
"Are you for real? Are you threatening me now? I can't believe you, you want to betray me." Celine said. She was still shocked and confused.
"I didn't threaten you, I'm just saying what's on my mind. Is anything wrong with it?" Julia queried.
"You this annoying...
"Don't deny the crimes, I won't spare you." Julia interjected.
"Fine ma'am, I accept my crimes. Better don't tell anyone outside." Celine warned. She was still scared.
"Did I instill fear in your mind?" Julia asked and laughed.
"Really? Are you kidding me?" Celine questioned.
"I was just pulling your legs, but you took it serious." Julia said and laughed more. Celine frowned her face and hissed again. She couldn't believe this girl pulled a prank on her.
"Whatever?" Celine said, blatantly.
"Are you angry, my princess?" Julia teased.
"I'm coming for you." Celine said. She kept the shell in the mirror table's locker. She need to deal with this girl first before hiding it properly.
"Bye, my princess." Julia waved and started swimming outside.
"I will get you soon." Celine said and swim towards her. Julia hit the flowers with her flukes and they laughed.
"Good for you. Those sticks could have held you there for me." Celine murmured.
"I heard you, my princess. I know you don't like me, but please don't wish me bad. You want the sticks to inflict pains on me, never." Julia said, stressing the last word. They laughed more as they swim outside.
Mira was very shocked, she has been listening to them. She hid somewhere so they wouldn't see her, she sigh deeply as she watched them swim away.
She knew something was wrong since Celine changed, she has been suspecting the princess but why is it that no one believed her? She must show this to Dior immediately.
She swim to Dior's room and met her discussing with Eva. She quickly dragged Dior which made the princess and Eva surprised.
"There's something you need to see now." she said, as she dragged Dior.
"What is your problem? Where are your manners?" Dior yelled, as she pulled her hand from her.
"How dare you drag the princess like that? No more respect, right?" Eva tongue lashed.
"Sorry, my princess." Mira apologized and bow her head.
"What were you thinking? Do you think I'm Celine? The fact you are my friend doesn't give you the right to insult me. I won't spare you, I'm not Celine who is ignoring you." Dior warned.
"Better, don't forget your manners. I will punish you mercilessly if you try it again." She added.
"I'm sorry, my princess." Mira apologized.
"What is it? What do you want to show her?" Eva asked.
"I don't know how to explain it, just follow me." Mira explained.
"Let's go." Dior emphasized.
"Yes, my princess." Mira said and pulled her along without waiting for her reply.
"Where exactly are we going?" Eva asked, as she swim along.
Mira took them to Celine's room, they were shocked as they wonder what she was up to this time.
"What is going on? Why are we here?" Dior asked, she was very surprised and angry at the same time.
"What are we doing in Celine's room? Are you suspecting her again?" Eva inquired.
"What has my sister done to you? Can't you let her be for once?" Dior queried.
"Sorry, my princess. She's hiding something in this room." Mira said.
"What is it? You better be careful before the princess request for your death. If you continue like this, she might reconsider." Eva warned.
"I will get it." Mira said.
She swim to the mirror table and brought out the shell from the locker, she took it to Dior and put it on her hand.
"What is this? Is this why you dragged me here?" Dior queried. She was more angry than before.
"Don't be angry, my princess. This shell is mysterious." Mira explained, as they exchange glances.
"Really? Maybe you are saying this because it is multi coloured?" Eva asked concerned.
"It's true, my princess. This shell is magical, please believe me." Mira said.
"But, it looked ordinary. It's not even an ornament, how can this be powerful? It's just multi coloured and I'm sure my sister took it for beautification though it doesn't look like an ornament." Dior explained.
"It's not just multi coloured, it is powerful and Celine is keeping it to fight anyone who crosses her path." Mira lied.
"Are you okay? A shell? This is just a shell. Better, don't lie on the princess. The king will punish you dearly for it." Eva emphasized.
"I'm not lying, I over heard their conversations." Mira blurted out.
"How can you invade in her privacy like that? She is a princess and deserves respect, is it because she is ignoring you? You no longer respect her." Dior yelled.
"Sorry, my princess." Mira apologized and bow her head.
"I wonder why she's really ignoring your disrespect? Why isn't she punishing you? I'm still wondering why." She added.
"I'm sorry, my princess." Mira apologized.
"But, what did you hear them say?" Eva asked, curiously.
"Good question, they went to Whale kingdom." Mira blurted out.
Dior and Eva exchanged glances as they opened their mouth shocked.
"What?" Dior shouted, Mira quickly covered her mouth.
"Shhhhhhh, don't shout, what if someone heard you?" Mira whispered.
"But Mira, are you sure of this? It's forbidden for any creature to enter Whale kingdom. How can the princess go there?" Eva asked, trembling. She was very scared.
"I heard only monsters live there, what has she done? What if the king finds out about it? The princess will be in trouble, but what was she looking for there? How can she go there?" She added.
"She disobeyed the laws of this kingdom, she disobeyed father. Whale kingdom? Why that kingdom? Why didn't she go elsewhere?" Dior asked, rhetorically.
"I was surprised when I heard it too. But, something worst than that happened there." Mira said.
"What is that?" They asked in unison.
"She killed a pine there, in other to take this shell." Mira explained.
"She even killed?" Eva asked. She quickly covered her mouth as she became more scared than before.
"I hope this won't bring trouble to us. What if the monsters came to our kingdom for revenge?" She added, trembling.
"That's what I'm scared of too. I hope they don't come, it will be war. Painful war." Mira explained.
Dior sigh deeply, she don't know what to say again. How can her sister do that? She disobeyed their father and brought problem to the kingdom, she is a princess. And, she was supposed to obey the laws first before the creatures. This path she chose will bring a lot of problem to the kingdom.
She looked at the shell closely and saw magic words written on it, she wonder what they are for. She read the words out loud which made Mira and Eva surprised, they looked closely to see the words.
"Something is even written on it, I didn't noticed." Mira said.
"Strange magic words." Eva said.
"I wonder what they are for. But, my princess, you shouldn't have read them, who knows what will happen now?" Mira asked, she was scared.
"I'm okay, nothing happened." Dior explained.
"Thank goodness, please let's leave. They might be coming back now, I don't want to be caught here." Eva said, trembling.
"Yes, let's go." Mira said.
Immediately, a magical transition began around Dior, Mira and Eva ran from her side as they watched in awe not knowing what will happen soon. Fire and dust roll round her, from her flukes to her waist. Dior couldn't say anything as she don't know what was happening to her.
Meanwhile, Celine and Julia entered, they became shocked immediately they saw what was happening. Celine wondered what caused it, how did it start? She wished it could be stopped but she don't know how.
Few minutes later, Dior disappeared, they ran out of the room, shouting. They don't know what will happen to them if they remain there. Neither, did they know where Dior was taken to? Their wailing draws the attention of the king and his counsels who were having a meeting in the royal chamber.