.
The next day, Celia sought out Princess Larya, who sat at the tallest spire, staring at the Star Crystal with a somewhat lost expression.
Celia quietly joined her, and they sighed in unison.
"I'd offer treasures for your thoughts, but as a princess you can outspend me."
"Uhm." Princess Larya responded, her eyes never moving from the crystal.
They sat in silence for a while, before Princess Larya suddenly turned to Celia.
"You have some experience!" Her deep blue eyes were suddenly wide and uncertain, making her seem childlike. "Tell me! What is it like between you and the Crown Prince?!
"In school, I caught both of you sneaking off so many times." She said point blank. "I've noticed the same here... Have you mated already?"
Celia gasped at the intrusive question, which sounded as innocent as asking her what type of tea or cake she liked!
A fine colour rose to her cheeks, but she chuckled in understanding.
The Merfolk were as free as the water they inhabited. If two merpeople identified themselves as mates, they would simply swim off somewhere and get the deed done! The Celebration came afterwards, as a way to inform friends and family, and formally register themselves as mates!
"Why is your face so red?" Princess Larya asked with the same innocent directness.
"Ehehe, you've asked me something embarrassing! But things don't work that way here. In most land kingdoms, we can't do anything until after a formal ceremony binding us together. How do I put it... I want to, but I won't. He also wants to, but won't."
Princess Larya sighed. "This doesn't help me... We're different in and out."
Celia shook her head. "We're not so different. Even if we can't 'swim' into seclusion and tie the knot, the feelings should be the same, right?"
Princess Larya slowly nodded. "Then-... Then what does it feel like?! You and the Crown Prince act like one can't breathe without the other! I've seen the way he looks at you! Whereas ..."
She sat back and folded her arms in a never-before-seen pout!
Who was this rare, child-like beauty! In all her lives, Celia had only ever seen the confident and domineering side of Princess Larya!
Celia coughed. "Ahem! Why not talk to me? You're clearly like this because of the First Prince, aren't you?"
Larya gave a grudging nod.
"You love him, and you're sacrificing a lot to be here..." Celia put in and Larya stared at her in surprise.
"Don't ask how I know!" Celia raised a hand. "Perhaps I read too much for my own good! But I do know...
"Merpeople can survive out of water by surrounding themselves with an extremely thin layer of water, which constantly absorbs more water from the air.
"At night, you return to your dormitory- or your quarters in this case, where there's a large vat of saltwater waiting, and you sleep in it to refresh. But it's not the same... There's a constant ache, the further away you are from the Sea.
"Also, if you surpass your brothers in strength, which you most likely do, you stand a chance of ruling your kingdom, but if you mate with a human on land, you lose your tail... the symbol of pride for all merpeople. You also lose almost half your magic power, since it's borne of the sea.
"Yet you're willing to spend a lifetime like that for the First Prince. In your shoes, I would be worried as well... Especially if he secretly professes love to you, but hasn't taken any reasonable steps to ask you, your father, and even his own father for your hand."
Larya turned sad eyes to Celia. "Why are you saying all this?!"
"One strong lady would recognize another. You were the only one remotely challenging at Elfsworth, and if I didn't have a hidden advantage, you might have won!"
"Oh? And what was that?"
"Dr. Florence's theories helped me surpass you!" Celia lied. "Either way, I don't want to see a powerful mage like you make a foolish mistake, so I will confess three things to you, and let you make a decision after that. Is that okay?"
Larya nodded like a child.
"First of all, the First Prince proposed to me at the Winter Ball, while we danced."
"L- Lies!" Larya interjected, but Celia merely raised an eyebrow.
"If he came there for you, why didn't he offer YOU a dance?" Larya opened her mouth, but Celia raised a hand. "He likely explained it all away, but how do you explain his scandal with his concubine?"
"He was trapped!"
"Yes he was, but why was he there? That brings me to my second confession. You may not know, but that concubine, Novia, was believed to be my sister at the time. That day, the First Prince visited the Scarlett family to propose to me again, despite my insistence that I loved the Crown Prince. He spent the night, and that was how he landed with Novia."
Larya was shaking her head in disbelief, but Celia continued.
"As for the third confession, I was the Ice Mage who froze the entire West Wing that night." At Larya's doubtful look, she nodded.
"Yes, I'm indeed that powerful. I will state clearly that Vitav was present at the scene. I won't ask how he convinced you to lie for him, but we both know he only approached you somewhere in the middle of the night, and he likely bore signs of being attacked. You might have even felt pity because he was weak."
"Then why are you telling me in private?! Why didn't you testify against him?!" Larya demanded.
"I have no business being as powerful as I am, so the Crown Prince won't let me, for my own protection.
"And that should also tell you something... The Crown Prince is willing to let a possible criminal escape...a criminal who might have had something to do with his years of illness. The Crown Prince is willing to let it go, all to protect me.
"But the First Prince endangered your reputation, and possibly your life to protect himself."
Pretty blue tears were running down Larya's face by now. Celia placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, then rose and dusted her skirts.
"I'm not asking you to believe me or even pay attention to my words, so I will leave you to your thoughts...
"It's just... If I do become Queen, I'd like to someday challenge the Queen and Ruler of the Eastern Seas! It would break my heart if you're living as half of what you could be, merely because of some unworthy prince!"
Celia vanished after that, leaving Larya sobbing quietly.
"I've been foolish..." Larya whispered into the night. "What was I thinking?!"
.
.
The Throne Room was usually quiet around midday, if there were no government matters or cases to oversee, so King Vien was quite surprised to hear a slight commotion outside the heavy doors, and he looked up from his book.
"What's going on?" He asked calmly, and a servant hurried in.
"You Majesty, the East Sea Princess is here! I tried to tell her you were not receiving gues-!"
"Let her in." King Vien said with an exasperated sigh, and he watched Princess Larya walk in, shooting the guards an annoyed look as she passed.
"Princess, to what do I owe the pleasure?" King Vien's words were patient and controlled, and Larya bowed.
"I came to thank you and bid farewell." She said.
That surprised him, and he raised a fine brow. "Farewell? I thought you were hell-bent on marrying the First Prince?"
Larya straightened. "Do you want me to marry him?"
King Vien smirked. "If I say yes, would you?"
"No." Larya replied on a sad sigh.
"Then you finally have my respect." King Vien said, making Larya's eyes widen.
He continued. "You can heal your broken heart now, but it would have been too late if you mated with my first son. If you had lost your tail, there would have been no going back, and yes... love is indeed something we should sacrifice for, but we must look closely at who we are offering that sacrifice...
"You see, the First Prince has been pushing to marry the Scarlett Young Lady for months now."
Larya sighed. "I know this. And this is why I should return home. Etiquette requires me to say a proper goodbye, but more than that..." She seemed hesitant. "Most Palaces would treat a foreigner with suspicion, but you allowed me to live and work in your Palace... I owe this to you."
She turned to leave. "I lied about the night I spent chatting with the First Prince."
"What?!" King Vien thundered, causing the throne room to tremble.
But Larya continued calmly. "He came to me in the dead of night, weakened by some ice spell. You can make of that what you will.
"You don't seem like the type that'll punish a little girl for a silly mistake, so I'll take my leave now. Goodbye your Majesty."
She strode confidently towards the large doors, and King Vien watched her leave with barely controlled rage.
His anger wasn't directed at her... She had come clean, so he wouldn't harm her.
No. His anger was now directed at someone else.
"Vitav... You're quite good at lying!"
Somewhere at the base of a nearby pillar, hidden from sight, a small black centipede wriggled, and then crawled away...
.
In the South Wing, a rush of wind rushed in, and candles flickered around a dark magic circle.
At its centre, Vitav opened his eyes.
"Hmph. So Father knows I was present that night..." Fortunately, he had kept an eye on the throne room, or he wouldn't be aware.
He had two options...
He could stay here and face his father's wrath.
Or, he could leave!
He nodded slowly.
With the spells he had copied from the book of dark magic, he could easily grow his strength and strike back, so leaving was the wiser option.
He was going to make his father regret choosing the wrong prince...!
.