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CHAPTER 2

"The queen is dead."

Just like a sonic wave, the words being said echoed in the king's ears as his eyes widened with shock.

Similarly, Prince Zale's face instantly paled from the information just dished out to them but unlike his father, he managed to hold on.

"Where is she?"

"The sacred room."

Immediately the King regained a bit of strength as he pushed forward and without a thought swam off with speed.

Before he rushed off, Zale issued his command immediately ignoring what thoughts might follow in the minds of those present.

"No one is allowed to leave the premises and kingdom. Issue a lockdown."

"Yes, your highness."

*****

Following his father, the prince and king of Ashedore ran to the scene of the incident.

True to the words uttered by the guard, Ashedore's Queen lay on the floor of the sacred room, dead.

King Storm stopped suddenly as his eyes washed over his wife in confusion and shock.

They had been told but even that did not prepare them for what was to come.

King Storm's heart clenched so tight he could barely breathe. "No, no, no. Nooo."

"Mother," Zale's voice broke as he swam straight for the queen and bent down close to her, leaving his father in anguish, his white hair falling over his face and her body.

Still, King Storm's pain never ceased.

His brain buzzed, and his ears ignored anything and anyone as his body trembled violently.

His heart was in so much pain as reality stared him in the face.

His wife, his queen, his love and his everything, dead in cold blood. King Storm could not fathom anything that could be this terrible.

"Aella," King Storm's voice called out loud, moving closer to his wife's body.

Seeing her up close, the pain shot deeper into his chest but it was not enough. He was too late. There was nothing he could do.

"Aella," he called out once more and got no response.

The more pain he felt, the more his powers were ready to explode inside of him. His brain went numb without reasoning. Only pain soared freely in the void left in his heart.

Nothing mattered more than her.

His heart was not strong enough to handle this blow and to what end?

For a moment there, his eyes glistened as he clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists at his side.

"Who did this," King Storm gritted, his clear blue eyes turning darker by the second.

"Mother, talk to me, please," Zale called out frantically as he shook the queen's body.

Still, no sound fell off her lips. Her body turned completely cold by the second.

All of a sudden, another merman swam into the room, his eyes cold as they held the painful sight before him.

But rather than mourn as the others did, he swept his cold gaze over to the centre of the room. His eyes went wide as he immediately swam close by.

For the next few seconds, he remained before the sea shell, not saying anything as he studied the situation carefully.

"Which soul had the guts to commit such treachery?" King Storm bellowed, his anger rising with each second as he averted his gaze from his wife to his son.

"I-I… I wish I knew," Zale responded and lowered his head.

It was hard to bear but there was nothing he could do. They were far too late at this point.

"Wait, a stab mark with poison. The blade."

Quickly he whipped his head to the side and caught sight of the dagger lying in a corner of the room.

"Father." Letting his mother's body go, Zale swam close and picked up the dagger by the hilt as he lifted it close to his face for careful inspection.

"I am guessing the perpetrator is not from the sea. Only a human possessed such a knife."

"What do you mean?"

"Their insignia on their weapon. None from Ashedore wields such," he said and looked at his father. "It is a lotus in a ring."

"The kingdom of Noterra," KaiKane informed.

"How dare they invade and kill in Ashedore?" King Storm roared. "Where were the guards?"

"Your majesty, I do not think that is our biggest problem now. Although the late queen is dead, accept my apologies but I think this is a matter of utmost importance."

Together, both Zale and his father turned their head in his direction where the merman was.

"I think what they came for was not the queen but the Pearl of Azucean."

"You have got to be kidding me," Zale blurted out in disbelief.

"I am not. And I think our problem just got bigger too," he pointed out.

"What is wrong, KaiKane?"

"This is." He moved away from the front, paving the way for them to see what was wrong.

Right before their eyes, the sea shell on which the soul pearl once hovered above closed up and was instantly turned dark.

Vein-like shadows began to slowly spread out from the shell, moving down the wall and into the water.

"No. I never expected the effect to be sudden, Your Majesty," Kaikane uttered in grief.

"No." King Storm muttered; his pupils dilated as the truth registered in his mind. Instantly he shook his head and immediately ordered.

"Quick, the queen's necklace. It has a quarter of the power of the soul pearl. It can help prevent the widespread of the darkness."

"Father," Zale pulled his attention before he could say anything.

As if on cue King Storm looked at his son, following the line of his sight to see what had his son petrified.

"It's gone?"

"That would explain the fast effect," KaiKane chimed in, but the thought rampaging the king's mind was different.

His forehead furrowed deeply as his chest tightened. With every passing second, his rage began to go out of control.

"It's gone?!" He hollered in anger.

He had managed to conceal his pain moments earlier but with this, both his pain and anger returned in full force.

Clenching his fist, King Storm tilted his head back and the next thing Zale knew, an ear-deafening roar echoed throughout the water.

The water trembled as did the surrounding, the sea roared in response and might while his anger reigned.

For a moment there, everyone in the palace trembled in fear at what was happening as more and more screams filled the surroundings.

But it did not matter. His rage had been kindled.

It was like an echo in a tsunami.

Quickly, the water began to take her shape all around everyone, his hair flaring in the surrounding with both hands thrown at either side.

Sensing the trouble that was about to happen, Zale intervened quickly.

"Father, please abate your anger," he pleaded, holding his hand as he tried to reach him before he let his anger take control.

"Your Majesty, please listen to his highness. At a time like this, we must prioritize getting the soul pearl back or all of Ashedore would suffer," KaiKane advised.

Still, his body trembled. He was finding it hard.

"Allow me, father, I will retrieve the soul pearl at once and avenge mother," Zale asserted with a determined look.

"Please, think of your people. They are not to blame for this. Calm your anger, father."

Taking their advice, he shut his eyes briefly and when he reopened them, this time the disturbance in the water calmed down.

His grief shone brightly in his aqua-blue eyes, but it did not stop him from giving the proper order.

"Then do so, Zale. Set out from the four seas and go to the human kingdom. Retrieve the Pearl at once and make those responsible pay dearly for this crime committed."

"Yes, father."

"Just as they did not show the queen mercy, show no mercy and make them pay."

"Definitely, Your Majesty. I shall set out at once."