"Please kill me, your majesty! I failed to do my duty! I didn't protect my lady!" the guard who accompanied Ria pleaded as he knelt in front of King Derian who was still in his sleeping wear.
"Rise now, Iren. Killing you won't help me find Ria. Tell me. where did she go last?"
"Thank you for your benevolence, your majesty. Lady Ria asked me to bring her to the kitchen an hour ago. So, I did. But when I came back, there was no one in the kitchen anymore. only a little girl was found."
"Then take me where the child is," Derian immediately stood up and was followed by the royal guards.
"Yes, your majesty!"
***
"Tell me! Where did you hide Lady Ria!?"
"Speak!"
"Do you want me to torture you before you speak!?"
When Derian reached the kitchen, he heard his royal guards already interrogating the child.
"Amus. If you keep speaking that way, the girl will be too scared to speak." Hearing the familiar authoritative voice, all the guards in the kitchen bowed to their king.
"Your majesty!"
Derian ignored them and directly went towards the little girl who was tied in a chair. There was a little glint of tears in her scared eyes. but as she looked at him, it's as if she was assessing him.
He noticed the radiating light coming from her little hand. Carefully, he untied the rope on the girl. before he could speak, the little's girl's voice was finally heard.
"Are you his majesty?" she asked carefully with small shaking voice.
"Yes. I am," Derian replied and smile.
The girl opened her palm and the pearl shinned on the poorly lit kitchen.
"Your majesty! that's-" he cut the royal guard off by raising is hand.
Holding the girl's shoulder lightly, he gentle spoke to her. "Did she asked you to tell me where she went?" he added and the girl nodded.
"Then where is she?"
Looking around, the girl seemed hesitant and suspicious to answer. Yet, after few moments, she showed her index finger and pointed at the floor.
Immediately, Derian's face lost color. "Sigmund! Hurry! Find the lady on the third floor of the ship!"
Hearing this, all the royal guards panic and even Sigmund tried blocking the king's path. Yet, Derian was firm. He won't let Ria be harmed in any way.
***
"Ria!" Before Ria could turn to see who called her name was, she felt her arms being grabbed to. She twirled and in an instant, she was wrapped by a protective embrace.
She couldn't see who it was but behind him was a face she recognizes. It was Sigmund. And the others were the royal guards who were looking at them with worried face.
"Ian?" she whispered but the man was holding at her too tightly. She couldn't even flinch or move a little.
"I thought I lost you. I thought something happened to you. I thought…"
"It's fine. I'm fine," she assured but Derian was unconvinced.
he immediately released her but still pulled her by the hand. "You shouldn't be here. We need to get you out quickly." By listening to his firm and nervous voice, it seemed like he was scared.
"No." It was the word that came out from Ria's mouth that halted him. "You're a king and it's not really right that you're here. but, I'm different. I can stay here."
"king? His majesty?" suddenly, the confused crowds who were just watching the scene buzzed when they realize who the newly arrived man was. It was their king!
"Greetings, your majesty!" they all said in chorus but Derian could only give them a hesitant look.
"You don't know what you are saying. Come to me." he tried holding her hand again but this time, Ria pulled it back.
She looked away from him. look to the people who were on the dim lights. Starved. Ill. And suffering.
"Look at them, your majesty." the sadness in her voice was too evident for Derian to ignore. Making him look at the floor in shame. "Even though they're slaves, they are still people… your people."
"How dare you talk to his majesty like that, woman!" Sigmund roared, about to approach Ria but Derian waved his hand.
He looked at her in the eyes, and it's as if Ria had seen what a real king was. A cold and decisive one.
"I know they are my people, Ria. But the people in the land and on the upper floor of this ship are also my people. If I don't isolate them, more of my people will suffer."
"Then what are you planning to do with them?"
"I…I…" Derian looked away. indeed. What was he planning to do with them? First, he planned to take them into the sea not to let the disease spread. Then find a cure for them as they sail. Yet… he failed. So…
"His majesty is finding a cure for them." Ria glanced at Sigmund who just spoke. "But…but there is none…" in the last sentence, his voice went softer, indicating their lost of hope.
Now, even Derian couldn't look at Ria's eyes. did he fail as a king of these people? Did he disappoint Ria? For sure, she was disappointed…
"Ian…"
His face lightened up, hearing her soft and sweet voice calling his name.
Ria held his hand and gave him the red pouch of pearls. His brows knotted in confusion.
"This is…"
"Take it. Haven't you heard of the tale, your majesty? the tears of the mermaids are what pearls are made of. If you possess it, you can cure any illness and suffering in the world."
"But this is your only clue of where you came from…" Derian opposed but she just smiled and shook her head. She turned around, looking at each faces of the people. Their features and body indicated pain and weariness. But their eyes gleamed with hope as they looked at her. how can she just abandon them?
"Compared to this thousands of lives, my past is no more precious than theirs. Please cure them, your majesty." As Ria curtsied at him, Derian was sure of one thing.
'Ria. Besides you, I will take no other queen.'