A Mermaid's Tale:
Chapter 28:
Mina closed her eyes and crossed her arms. Now, all they had to do was figure out who poisoned Serenity.
Amy swam up to the large door and opened it. She looked around the room before spotting a servant washing the floors. "Excuse us." Amy said to the servant.
The servant looked up at Amy with wide eyes. No one of a higher rank was ever polite when they wished to speak to her. "Y…yes." She stuttered as she got up off the floor.
"I need to know who gave the princess her drink this afternoon." The blue haired mermaid told the servant.
The auburn haired mermaid bit her lower lip. She had been the one who had given the princess her drink. She had also seen the duke pouring something into the drinks. The servant took a deep breath in before letting it out. She then began to explain what she knew to Amy and Mina.
…
As Darien swam through the city he couldn't help, but notice that everyone he passed looked at him strangely. At first he was a little confused of why people were staring at him, but the more he thought about it he realized that everyone pretty much knew everyone. He, too, would stare at someone he didn't recognize in a place like that. The only thing he could do was ignore it and continue on.
…
Diamond discreetly followed Darien through the city. He wanted to get ahead of him, but he was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Once they both left the city he would find a quicker way to the flower.
Several times Darien looked behind him because he felt like someone was following him. Each time he looked behind him however he'd only see the people he had just past. He figured it was their stares that he felt on him.
….
Amy and Mina started at the servant. Both of their mouths were wide open. The duke had poured the drinks. Amy closed her mouth and cleared her throat. "Thanks you for informing us." She told the girl. "I will see that you are rewarded."
The servant looked at the ground and nodded. Mina looked at the girl and frowned a bit. She could tell that this servant was worried about something, but she didn't know what. "Is something wrong?" She as the servant as she gently touched the girls shoulder.
The servant looked up at Lady Mina. Her green eyes were filled with water. "I'm worried." She said softly.
Mina blinked a couple of times. "About what?" She asked gently.
The auburn haired mermaid looked at Mina as she took a deep breath in. "I'm worried that the duke will remember seeing me in the room with him and know that I was the one who told you." She told the other two mermaids.
Mina looked over her shoulder at the blue haired mermaid who lingered by the door. Amy swam over to them. "It's alright." She replied. "We'll make sure nothing happens."
The servant nodded. "Thank you." She said as she bowed her head.
The two other mermaids smiled. "Thank you, you have been a big help." Amy told the servant as they swam out of the room. Now all they needed to do was to find the duke.
…
Diamond peered around the building. He saw that they were nearing the edge of the city. In a matter of minutes he would find another, shorter way to the pink-tipped-lotus blossom. He would be the one to bring it back to Serenity no matter what it took. He wanted to be the one to save her. In his mind if he saved her then she would forget about Darien and love him for saving her. This was his one and only chance to become king and nothing would stop at nothing to see this happen.
…
The black haired merman let out a sigh of relief when he saw that he was nearing the edge of the city. It had taken nearly twenty minutes just to get through the city. He sure wished that he had a watch. He wanted to know how much time he had exactly.
Darien stopped and sighed. Now he had to find the pink-tipped lotus blossom. It couldn't be that far away.
He swam forward and looked at all the rocks. Did it grow on the rocks or did it grow in the field. Darien looked to the right of him and saw an open field. He stopped for a moment and looked between the rocks and the field. What way should he choose to do?
"I guess the rocks would make more sense." He muttered to himself. "With a flower that rare and all." Sighing he swam towards the rocks.
…
Diamond swam out into the open. He had to be careful there was still a chance that Darien could see him. He stopped for a moment as he watched Darien swim over to the rocks. Where was he going? As the black haired merman disappeared behind the rocks Diamond looked at the field of flowers. The pink-tipped lotus blossom had to be in there. And he was going to find it.
…
Mina and Amy sighed as they swam down the hall. The orange finned mermaid couldn't believe that Diamond would try to poison Serenity. Why would he do that?
Amy sighed as she stopped swimming. "What are we going to tell the queen?" The blue haired mermaid asked her friend.
The blonde shrugged. "The truth I suppose." She replied. "Though I don't know why he would try to poison Serenity."
Amy shook her head as they began swimming once more. They turned the corner of the hallway and were in front of the queen's room. They both looked at each other and took a deep breath. This would not be an easy thing to tell the queen. Nervously Amy raised her hand and knocked on the door.
…
Darien swam over the dark rocks. They looked like they were created form volcanic ash. He hoped to god that he was right and the flower grew among these rocks. He didn't have all day to search for this flower.
…
Diamond swam over the field of flowers. There were tons of flowers in a rainbow of colors, though none of the flower he was looking for. He stopped swimming for a moment. Could he have been wrong? Could the flower be among the rocks?
…
The two mermaids floated there for a while. They wondered if their queen was even in her room. After a few minutes of waiting the two turned around to swim off. As they began the door opened. "Yes?" The queen asked the two girls.
Mina licked her lips. "Your majesty," She began. "We have new information for you."
The queen blinked a few times. "About who poisoned Serenity?" She asked. The two mermaids nodded. "You know who poisoned her?"
"Yes your majesty." Amy replied. "Though we think it doesn't make any sense. The duke, Lord Diamond, poisoned her."
Queen Darya's soft eyes widened. "What? Why would he do that?" She asked as she left the room and shut the door behind her. She agreed with the two mermaids. It didn't make any sense as to why Diamond would poison Serenity. "Where is he?" She asked. "I would like to speak to him."
Both mermaids looked at each other. That was a good question. "We don't know, your majesty." Mina told the queen.
"Well, get the other two and find him." She told them. Darya really wanted to speak to him. She wanted to know why he had tried to kill his ex-fiancé. As she watched the two girls leave she sighed. She hoped that they could find the duke without any problems.
…
After an hour Darien stopped swimming to rest. It was taking forever to find this flower. He sat upon a stack of rocks and let out a breath. As he sat on the rocks he looked around him. It looked like these rocks went on forever.
Sighing he ran his fingers through his hair. Well, he had better get going once more.
…
Diamond narrowed his eyes. There was no way that the this pink-tipped lotus blossom grew among the rocks. Yet, as he looked around him, he didn't see it among the flowers that grew in the open felid. He cursed under his breath. If it grew amoung the rocks then that Darien would get it. He didn't want that, but if Darien did get this flower before him he would just have to take it.
…
Mina and Amy swam down the hall of the palace. The queen had wanted them to find Lita and Raye before going out to look for Diamond. It was a good thing they knew just where to find those two. They didn't want to spend all day looking for them. They didn't have all day at all.
When they reached Serenity's room Mina opened the door. There they were sitting in Serenity's room with Leith. The three of them looked over at the two mermaids at the door. "Raye, Lita," Mina began. "You need to come with us."
"What's wrong now?" Lita asked. Today just wasn't a great day for anyone.
"We need to look for the duke." Amy began to explain. "He's the one who posiend Serenity."
"Why?" Lita asked.
The two sighed and shrugged. They were still trying to figure that out as well. "The queen wants us to find him and bring him to her though." Mina told them.
Raye nodded. "Well, we better get going." She said as she got up out of the chair she had been sitting in. "Who knows were he is."
Lita got up as well. Once she and Raye joined Mina and Amy by the door the four of them swam out the door. They were off to find the duke.
…
As Darien swam futher and further along he saw patches of seaweed sitcking out from the rocks. He smiled to himself. He knew he was getting cloer. He looked ahead and saw a group of flowers. This flower had to be in that patch. He had a feeling.
As he got closer he could tell the flowers were pink. When he reached he spotted the flower. It looked exactly the same as it did it the illustration. Darein reached down and picked it. Now he had to make it back to the palace within a few hours.
