"Yulan" Sakura called my name. I wondered if they found us already. My eyes were still shut while I pray to my ancestors. We're they going to listen to me? Why would they? I disobeyed a woman who was not just their daughter but the queen of the underworld. Their successor!
"Have they ceased your tail?" I asked.
"No. Open your eyes and see what is happening" she whispered. I opened my left eye slowly to see. It was the mermen – the soldiers of the sea. Mother must have sent them on an errand. But why was Sakura showing me a battalion of soldiers? I never told her that I wanted to be one of them.
"Thank goodness, they distracted the guards. Now we can think of what to do next" I let out a sigh. It was a relief.
"I feel like smashing your head to the rock right now, Yulan. Where did your brain travel to?" she looked at me with annoyance. Oh yes, I was annoying and still, I didn't have an idea of what she was talking about.
"Think of something Yulan" she continued. "If you can join the soldiers, then our worries will be gone. A free pass."
Wait. These soldiers were mermen. How Earth was I going to fit in? I knew we were crazy to come this far but, joining the soldiers, was no different from giving up ourselves to the guards at the gate.
"If you use a little bit of your magic properly. Then we wouldn't have any problem" Sakura explained. Her explanation was confusing me more. My eyes widened at her and she drew my hair.
"Ouch!" I let out a cry.
"Don't get us caught princess. Just close your eyes and summon all the powers within you and get us through this please."
"Okay." I now understood what she meant. Sakura wanted me to disguise myself as a soldier and join the queue. Her idea was not as bad as mine.
I closed my eyes quickly. Said a few words and made signs with my hands. My fingers snapped and I felt light energy going out of my body. It stopped and I opened my eyes. Disappointed!
"Wow! You did it Yulan." Sakura said, almost shouting. I looked at my tail, it was green in color. The magic did work this time. I couldn't stop smiling. " You look like the other gender. Hurry up join them. I will wait for you as usual."
I hugged her and I looked left and right, everyone seemed to be serious. Confused about where to join, a soldier, maybe their commander ( he was standing outside the line with a frown on his face) stopped me and asked "you! Where are you coming from?"
I was afraid to turn back and look at his angry face. After everything we have tried, this was the reward for our efforts.
"Aren't you supposed to be in there?" He asked with a deep voice. I turned around and faced him. My shoulders didn't drop. I held them high with confidence. That was what a soldier would do.
"Yes sir. My badge fell sir" I lied. It was the only thing, I could think of at the moment. He looked at me with a start. Was he going to punish me because of this little thing?
"Nonsense. Go back in there" the commander pointed at the marching soldiers. No need for him to shout at me. All I wanted was to get online anyway.
Quickly, I joined the line and we marched to the gate. The checking was supposed to be done by the Guards. My heart kept racing as they moved in between lines. I feared that my heart might come out of my mouth if they didn't stop checking. After five minutes of roaming around the lines, the guards whispered to the commander who looked at me. Was another trouble coming my way?
"Where is your badge?" he gave me a look that scared me. Didn't I tell him that lost it? Sakura was looking at me from behind the rock. In case, I get caught, I will signal to her. Run for life, girl.
"I lost it, sir. I told you earlier but you said I should join the line" I reminded him. His face dropped as he tried to remember. The commander nodded his head in agreement. Maybe they won't allow me to go out without a badge.
"Fine. Keep marching soldiers" he said aloud. The guards opened the gate finally. I almost jumped out of the line. This was a dream come through. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. 'Don't ruin things for your self Yulan' I muttered, looking at those Giant irons. Do you know how it feels to be locked up in a place, you don't want to be? Restrictions of places were laws I couldn't obey.
Line by line we started marching out of the gate. I felt like spitting at the guards when we came face to face with them but why was I blaming them for my predicaments? They were only following the instructions of the Queen. My mother!
I turned and looked towards the rock. Sakura was still there. I winked at her while she dropped a tear. Wait? A crying baby! I was no cry baby, no matter the situation. Mother trained me to be a tough girl. That way she never hesitates to punish me when I go wrong. A few months ago, I was crowned as the princess that served most punishments in the underseas. Maybe my ancestors were quiet, shy, obedient, and respectful but I wasn't.
"Make sure you look for your badge when you come back," one of the guards said to me. "That's if you come back" they all laughed at me. 'Just wait, when I become the queen of the undersea. I will punish them for their mistake' I said in my head.
"Yes sir," I said. I was good at pretending more than being a princess.