'Is she still sleeping? Yes sir but she's fine, we've treated her injuries, we diagnosed minor bruising to her gills, signs of heart over exertion, dehydration and scratches on her neck, those are signs of choking and drowning but thats impossible, its physically impossible, its perplexing and I'm very curious to question her about what happened. "Thank you laek Gor, make sure she recovers well'. Will do sir, the laek responds.
I rub my eyes with the back of my hand as I awake, "I don't remember falling asleep", I wonder to myself, I disregard the thought and focus on where I was, my room, I move my legs to stand up but something feels off, I reach for my neck, its been wrapped, I don't remember hurting myself, I scrunch my brows in confusion, in a split moment, my brain clicks, making me remember what had happened prior, those illiterates, did they do something to me because I didn't accept their barbaric practice in the rune?? How dare they touch me! I get up from my bed feeling pissed, I won't let them get away with this, I rip off the wrapping on my neck, moving to change my clothes, just after I finish my door swings open.
In walks Leo looking furious, followed by a laek, and the head of the house with a panicked expression on his face, I'm so agitated at this point, 'you're awake? What happened, where did you go'? Leo swarms me with questions, 'You've got some nerve prince, I walk out of your pit because I refuse to watch your barbaric tradition and you hurt me, why are you asking what happened? I don't know you tell me' I retort. 'What are you talking about princess? I didn't do anything to you, we were looking for you for hours at the pit, we thought you escaped, I was already thinking about how my father would've had my head!! What do you mean we hurt you, did one of my men touch you'? I examine him, he seems shocked, I could tell he's telling the truth, so does that mean one of his men did it? Why don't I remember though?
I look down racking my brain trying to remember what happened but I was unsuccessful, it was like someone deleted it, and it doesn't exist anymore, "I really don't remember anything, the last thing I remember was rushing out from the pit, what happened after is a mystery to me, how did I get back? The laek speaks up turning my attention to him, "I treated you princess, your body presented after effects of drowning, I was hoping if you woke up you'd be able to tell us what happened, because drowning is impossible", he finishes. 'Drowning? My voice falters, that's impossible. 'One of the guards found you unconscious while they were patrolling the house, we rushed you in and called the laek after, you really don't know how you got here? the head adds, "you're messing with me, you're lying to me, I laugh, there's no way that's true".
'He's telling the truth, we searched everywhere for you, everywhere, I even concluded that you escaped, it was finally communicated to me that you were here, confused is an understatement of how I felt, if you don't remember then there's no way we can explain what happened" Leo exclaims. I sit myself attempting to recall but again nothing, do you think I got hit in the head really hard maybe that's why I can't remember? I question the Laek. "It cannot be because I examined you and there's no sign of trauma to your head". Interesting, I mumble as I laugh to myself, don't come in my room like that again, I stare at Leo. "Of course and I will investigate this further, in the meantime, this should not be spoken of to anyone, someone hurt you, its very possible they could do it again, and its never a good thing to over look any issue, I can't let you leave again, its the only way to guarantee your safety, he turns towards one of the guards, "have Nord question every soldier that was at the pit and report to me immediately, without speaking of the actual events that happened." The guard salutes and exits the room.
"I'm excusing myself," I say as I get up to leave, I'm not sticking around to be questioned like a criminal, even if I remember what happened there's no way I'd tell them, I'm at least sure it wasn't Leo, I can sense if someone is lying sometimes and I can tell he isn't, the laek that treated me is a fish folk, I'd like to speak to him, "on second thought, could you all leave, I'd like to speak to the laek alone, I demand." The head shares a skeptical look with Leo, he looks at me and sighs before turning to leave, the others following him. Its been years since I was with a fellow fish folk, let alone alone, we have the best laek, they are knowledgable and can treat a lot of ailments, I know every laek fish folk is being kept alive because they need them. I look his way but he's avoiding meeting my eyes, he looked so skinny.
"What is your name?" I inquire. "Gor, your highness, laek Gor," he answers with a quivering voice, as if scared he might say something wrong, "raise your head Gor, you come from an honourable line of ancestry, you have no reason to feel inferior, how are they treating you? Do you see other fish folks? I'm dying to ask him so many questions, what's the outside like? Do we still have a normal civilisation of fish folks? But I know I can't bombard him with questions, he glances around the room, pacing to the door and back before looking back at me, he bows his head, "your highness, you've grown so much, his eyes glint as they watch me intensely, he maintains a distance between us, taking a pause to speak up again, I never thought I'd ever get the chance to meet you after all these years, you're alive and healthy, they did keep their promise after all. Your highness, we don't have much time, there's so much you should know, I am flabbergasted they let me speak to you alone, listen to me" he shuts his mouth immediately turning to the door, I sense someone's presence approaching us, a few seconds pass by but no one knocks the door nor opens it, mermaids still underestimate our abilities, we can sense presences so accurately, laek Gor bows again to me, I'll be back again to check on you, I recommend you don't move too much," he turns to leave.
That got me wondering what could he have wanted to tell me, whatever it is must be important, I decide to leave my room shortly after to the courtyard, I needed to stretch my body a bit, my injuries had completely healed with the help of Gor and Leo, I was treated by Gor when I was brought in my room and then Leo after he returned from the pit, thinking about the pit brought back the gruesome flashbacks of what I saw, my heart drops to my stomach, making me feel the need to empty the non-existent contents of my stomach, it reminds me how evil that specie is and the need to erase them from our world, I'm supposed to be representing the kingdom now that my parents are no more, but instead I'm more helpless than I've ever been in my life, I couldn't do anything for anyone, I couldn't save my parents, I let my head fall onto a pillar, curling myself into a ball, I ran away like a coward leaving everyone behind, I'm not worthy to be their princess.
"Father, what should I do? Help me please, I was just starting to feel a bit more alive, every time I get the slightest taste of hope, the darkness pulls me in again, I miss you and mother, if only you were here, tears spill from my eyes, making the water around my face feel warm. Do you think I should trust Leo, he's helped me out a lot, spared a few of my people, listened to everything I said, he's the first to tell me he doesn't blame us, what would you do in this situation? If I could speak to you one last time, I close my eyes picturing his face with mother beside him, their features weren't as clear as they used to be, I'm forgetting what you look like, a sad smile creeps my face.
"Rey," he mutters, my eyes shoot open, I sink a few times, closing my eyes so I could see it again, their faces appear again, both of them giving me reassuring smiles, I keep my eyes closed longer, I'm going crazy, my imagination is interacting with me now, but I'm not complaining, I've wanted to see them again since that day. "No," I mutter in my head as their faces slowly fade from my mind but I keep my eyes shut relieving the moment, "you answered me, thank you," I mumble, I slowly get up, feeling better than when I made my way here. They didn't give up on me, I won't give up on the kingdom too, I will speak to Leo, see if he's really on my side, but I won't trust him completely, I'll use him, it'll be easier than working alone.
I'm currently looking for Leo but he is nowhere to be found, I looked everywhere in the castle and the courtyard, I guess I'll check the garden, if he's not there, I'm giving up, I want to do this as quickly as possible before I change my mind, I told the maids I'll be in my room so no one comes looking for me, I lay on the sand, surrounded by all sorts of plants, I couldn't find him so I'm currently clearing my mind here.