Chapter 6: Day 7

Seven.

That was the amount of days since Prince Turtle shunned by his brothers. She wondered if counting days even matter when his punishment was indefinitely long. Though she no longer had to worry about his appetite, his spirit had not been fixed.

More often than not, she saw him wandered around the Deep Palace. Peeking around the corner. Hiding out of sight from his brothers. Sometimes, he approached other servant for help but he generally avoided everyone.

Everyone except her.

Whenever he spotted her, he would give a nod and continue swam on like a jellyfish. Floating aimlessly along the corridors and hall. One evening, she spotted him at the entrance doorway of gathering hall, looking longingly at his brothers. The princes gathered themselves in their respective clutches. Some were having the usual time wrestling each other to ground while others were chasing each other around the hall.

But out of all of them, one group stood out from the others. Prince Octopus and Prince Cerulean. Two of Prince Turtle's brother from the same clutch. The moment they spotted Prince Turtle; they positioned their body away from the entrance. Tails forward. As if telling him that his presence was an unwelcome one. It was a long while before Prince Turtle could pull himself away from the entrance and continued wandering aimlessly along the long halls. The whole scene tugged lightly on her heartstrings and she had nothing to cheer him up.

Before she left, she noticed how the brothers sat far end of the corner. Not wrestling. Not chasing around. Instead, they just sat there, keeping their heads down.

Were they being punished too? Not quite. I guessed two dragons are little too few of a clutch. She thought.

All of these had been a usual routine around the palace. So much so that Prince Turtle had requested to have his own sleeping room separated from his usual sleep quarter. When Rainbow asked him, he answered to much of her dismay.

"I can't stand having to wait for everyone to sleep, only to sneak into my own bed. Then wait everyone to leave in the morning so I could wake up."

So, she cleared out a room for him and setup a simple seaweed bed with a writing desk and a reading rack beside it, in line of his apparent love for writing. It was not much for a SeaWing prince but she hoped it could serve as a spot where he could retreat. Still, she could not help feeling sad for his current circumstances.

However, today was the day which she had promise her grandfather to visit him. It surprised her that it already had been a week. Time must had been sneaking away when there were so much things happening. After having tidied the prince's room, she decided to swam on ahead to meet her grandfather.

Which she unexpectedly met the little prince wandering nearby the 'Garden of Wounded'.

"Prince Turtle. It's a pleasant surprise to see you here."

The prince looked as if he was about to flashed something but decided not to. She sidled beside him, wondering why of all place he was here.

"Father…" His scales flashed dimly. "This is where all it started and where my life ended."

Rainbow glanced around. Coral reef that surrounded the healing patient, fishes scurrying around the area for food and rays of sunlight reflected off the seashells all around them. Nothing to which suggested anything dreadful that caused his distress.

"Was it the two princesses?" She said.

"Yes." Came a reply after a long wait. "And how I failed to save them."

Rainbow have yet to ask the prince what had actually happened. Between his depression and dodging around the palace. There was hardly any chance to do so.

"What happened?" Prince Turtle echoed her question. "I couldn't find Snapper. That's what happened. I failed to bring her to the hatchery when my dad asked me to."

He clasped his talon against his face before flashing.

"I'm a terrible son."

"Prince Turtle... Everyone makes mistake. And-" A sudden flashed thought hit her. "Remember the first day I met you? Didn't we find Snapper outside the Deep Palace? Why was she even there?"

The little prince just shook his head and continued to stare blankly toward coral reef that swayed against the sea current.

"Prince Turtle do you know what this mean? It means that it's not your fault that you couldn't find Snapper in the Deep Palace. She simply wasn't there."

For an instance, she thought she saw a glimmer of light return in the little prince's eyes. But it quickly faded back into its lifeless gaze.

"No. Snapper would never leave the Deep Palace. My mother simply just dragged her out in the sea to punish her. That's why her body was there." Prince Turtle flashed.

Abalone said the same thing too. She thought.

Rainbow glanced at the little prince. Wondering when she would have another chance to look at those emerald seaweed green eyes filled with energy. A glint of gold shone in those that she had not notice before and… Something was held in those tiny talon of his. It was a piece of coral. One she recognized from the collection of trinkets placed on his writing table. She wondered if that was some sort of good luck charm.

"I should be going." Prince Turtle flashed. "Sorry that I took your time."

Before she could correct that, he had already swum few strokes away. Back towards the direction of palace. With no one left to spoke and a twisted heart, she swam towards the 'Garden of wounded'.

Grandfather Bony's jade green scales rippled up and down against the backdrop of the beautiful rainbow colour coral reef. She could feel the waves of sea current coincided with his rhythm of breathing. Each pull and push in sync with his motion of inhale and exhale. Slow and relaxed.

"Good afternoon, Grandpa." Rainbow flashed her greeting as she sat down beside him.

"Ah, Rainbow." His motion of body interrupted by her sudden appearance. "Aren't you a tad bit earlier than last time to visit me?"

"I like my duty like my Seashell collection." She replied. "Organized. Tidy. And Efficient."

"I'm sure you do. Seashells... It's been a while since you last shown them to me. I know you had been busy but what a shame." He returned rueful smile before holding up a newsletter slate to her. "Let me finished this last bit of reading before we talk."

"Of course."

Her eyes wandered along the beds and corals around her. She had already noticed there were increasing number of SeaWing patient in here when she entered the Garden of Wounded. Many of them seem to have some sort of exterior wound rather than sickness. Some were wearing scorched marks while others had cuts and puncture wound on them. The whole placed was swarmed with patients of similar wounds. Soon, there would not be enough to hold any more patients.

If this war continues, any young healthy SeaWing with all of its limb intact would be a thing of miracle.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Her grandfather flashed beside her. "I read the news stating that we lost another front against the SkyWing." He nodded his head towards the wounded soldiers. "That's explain the sudden upsurges of patients in here."

"I wonder how long do we have endure this war, Grandpa. For all I know, we gained no benefit of it and paying huge price for it. What's the point?" She said.

"Indeed." Her grandfather heaved a deep sigh. "Maybe we should had stay out of the war. Like the NightWings and RainWings. It has seemed that those who have no part of the war are the ones no paying the price. I doubt any of us get any rewards."

"And among all those who are in the war." Her grandfather continued. "The young dragons seem to bear the brunt of it the most."

"Then why? Why did we fight?" Rainbow flashed in frustration.

"The Queen had decided it was for the best to joined forces with Blister to fight." He said. "Some say it was because of she would like to make a glorious name when all of these had gone down in history. But given her liking towards arts and writing, this is unlikely."

"Others said it was because she would rather side with Blister than against her. Everyone knows of the war-mongering Burn. Even after the succession war, many dragons believe that she would find ways to cause another war just to get the thrill from it. But the SeaWing could just hide under the sea to avoid direct confrontation and she couldn't able to do anything about it."

"But Blister? That's a snake you wouldn't want to mess with. She would give no quarter to her enemy and eliminate all that oppose her. Imagine if Queen Coral refused to join with her and she found ways to convince the MudWings to form alliance with her. Even without knowing the location of Sea Kingdom, she probably would poison the whole sea just for refusing her alliance. That sound a bit far-fetched but who knows what sort of devious plan Blister could have conjure up."

"Anyway, enough talking about war. It is depressing enough with all these poor souls laying here." Her grandfather stood up. Stretched his talons and wings and said. "Swim with me, would you?"

She nodded and two of them swam out into the open sea, away from the dimly lit scales of the wounded SeaWings.

Somehow, the switch of scenery had been all she needed for these few days. She felt the tense of her wings' muscle eased through as she cruised through the sea current. Rays of light shone through the surface lit the entire ocean floor of its content. Revealing yet another large field of coral of various colour which pleased her eyes as she admired them in peace.

Yes. Peace was what she yearned for. Whether it's her state of mind, her concerned to her grandfather, or the state of Pyrrhia. Peace was a luxury that she couldn't afford now. That and her duty of caretaking the little prince.

"All that frowns and wrinkles will turn you old quickly that way." Her grandfather grinned at her. "You should be swim out in the open once in a while. I can see its effect on you."

Rainbow would have sent a torrent of angry remarks at his smug face. But that grin combined with the scenery. Would had made her day. Had it not cut short by series of coughing. Each cough was signalled by his luminescent scales and it only grew brighter after every other cough.

"Grandpa, are you alright?" Rainbow swam alongside him, ready to hold on to him. "I'm not sure swimming out here is good idea."

"Don't fret." He replied after his coughs subsided. "The healer said I could have a little swim here and there. So long I do not overexert myself."

"Alright. We'll rest if needed."

He nodded and continued swam on. His eyes fixated somewhere far away. Further than the eyes could see. She swam on behind him, only this time closer on his tail, in case he needed help.

After a short while, her grandfather finally settled down on a ledge. Beckoning her to join him as she slowly landed herself besides him. In fact, there were couple more SeaWing were here too. Many of which were in pairs, some come along with dragonets not much older than the little prince.

"This probably one of my favourite spots to do just about anything." Her grandfather raised his talon away and around their surroundings. "Enjoy the view."

Corals. Her grandfather never grew tired them. In fact, he was an expert in coral gardening before he fell ill. She could appreciate the beauty of coral reef, the various colours, but what she couldn't understand was his obsession of it. He could spend his whole day coral-gazing while writing his thoughts down into his journal. Sometimes when she was there with him, he would spend time tell her about different species of the coral and how important they were in this vast ocean ecosystem. One she expected him to elaborate yet again when they had settled down.

They had just swum right above the field of corals before her grandfather landed. A canyon right in middle was brimming with life of various sea life: fishes and coral alike.

As she settled down beside her grandfather, she noticed something about this particular angle of view make it so different. The ledges on each of the canyon were fully grown with corals but the arrangement of it. Her eyes did a double take when she noticed them.

"Saw it?" Her grandfather said. "Each level of the ledges in this canyon is a colour of its own. Red at the top most. Indigo at the bottom most. But have u notice something else?"

She shook her head in disbelief.

"Look from the top to bottom." He said. "Name each of the colour as you go."

"Red. Orange. Yellow-"

"Rainbows." Her scales flashed even before her mind could reacted. "It's a rainbow of coral."

Her grandfather nodded.

"One of finest coral garden of all Kingdom of the sea." He seems stood taller than usual beside her. "In fact, the coral themselves aged almost as old as me."

"Amazing."

The field of coral weaved and bobbed against the current. Reflecting its colours from top to bottom. Like the iridescence colour of her scales under her wing and-

"Wait. Are you flirting with me? Your own granddaughter?" She flashed while feinting a gasp. "Don't think I haven't noticed the all the couples and families gathering here. Is this some sort of date?"

"A date?" He grinned. "I would never dare to. For such a fine, lovely lady. You would forever be out of my league."

She smacked her talon against his wing and both of them flashed in amuse.

Corals and seaweeds swirled under the motion of the currents. Fishes and crabs swim in group with the turtles and jellyfishes. Dragonets playing on the fields of coral reefs, catching bubble from the vents and couples holding hand with each other whispering promises of eternal love between their ears.

"Rainbow."

"Hmm?"

"Did you know why your parents named you 'Rainbow'?"

"Because of my iridescence scales under my wings. That shines like a rainbow when the light reflects it. Dad told me that."

"Part of it." He mused. "Your parents actually were going to name you some other name. Like Salmon, Swordfish or Sunfish. Your mother was so fixated with naming you something with 'S'. It almost drove me crazy. It was I who suggested we named you Rainbow."

"I-I see…"

"You could already guess. That it wasn't just any simple as that." He gestured one talon towards the coral reefs. "The Deep Palace was built upon one of the greatest natural wonders of Pyrrhia. We called it the 'Great Canyon Reef'. But this one, this particular coral reef is a wonder made by talons and claws. Called the 'Rainbow Garden'. It expands the coral reef from the end of one canyon to a whole new field of reef. This feat alone is great achievement itself."

"Rainbow Garden…"

Rainbow, her name was named after this coral reef. She wondered who could built such a marvellous landscape. It must had been a lot of hard work and time spent on it.

"That and the pattern underneath your wing." He raised the wing closer her and pointed. "They shaped like rain droplet fell from the sky. And what's after the rain?"

He grinned before continued.

"The story behind the Rainbow Garden is one I will have to save for next time. Just relax and enjoy the view. You'll need it."

"Grandpa."

"Yes?"

"You were right." She flashed. "About Prince Turtle."

Her grandfather shook his head and flashed.

"It was just all guesswork. But I'm glad we did not have a psychopathic prince."

"But there is more. I think someone is behind this. Behind all these princess murdering." She said.

Her grandfather turned towards her and beckon her to continue.

"I had a chance to meet Abalone and…"

Rainbow started to explain about how Abalone was poisoned from his food and Snapper went missing when they need her most. She then followed by telling him about the dull-green SeaWing, Minister of Magic and his possible relation to Snapper.

"Abalone. What a shame. I heard the news: the King had executed him. It must be hard for him. But that SeaWing you mentioned." His grandfather remembered. "Whirlpool. The Queen's favourite subject. If I recalled correctly, he had involved in a lot of her stories writing processes. How he gave many inspirations to the Queen. Like one of her recent work of 'The Missing Princesses'. I think he was credited for the magical moment of lobster bowing and glowing jellyfish." He chuckled. "I did like to see that happened."

"He was… I don't know." Whirlpool's malice stare flashed before her as she said. "Awful. Terrible. And maybe even evil?"

"Best not to point claw before we know for sure." He advised. "Without any evidence, allegation can turn even the tiniest mistake into a fatal one. A council member. Not to mention Queen's favourite subject."

Rainbow felt a gentle squeeze of talon at her shoulder.

"Please don't put yourself too much involved in the matter of council. Let the others handle it."

"But grandpa!" She replied. "This might be the chance to proof it wasn't the prince's fault. He could then return to his brothers. I can go back doing my job and spent more time with you."

Her grandfather shook his head.

"Things often seem to be more complicated on the surface than it really is." Her grandfather flashed. "We, dragons from outside the nobles and the Councils, often unable to grasp the full picture of the things play out. It's best we leave things in better talons."

Rainbow was silenced for a while before she flashed.

"It's not fair. Abalone. Prince Turtle. The King…"

Her grandfather put one wing over her as they watched little dragonets chasing each other all around coral reef, jellyfishes floating, and corals swirled.

All without a single care for the world.

Author Note: Beyond this chapter there was some issue with the website that cause chapter unable to view in website. Either use mobile Application to view the next chapter or Go to AO3 (Archive of our own ( AO3 profile: /users/TaccoWriter ) ) or under my profile to view the rest of the chapters.