SeaWings stroll passed her in chatter as she idly stood by the side of room watching. These were no ordinary SeaWing, or better yet, she wasn't in ordinary place either.
"Coconut juice please."
Rainbow offered the juice to the prince and returned to her post. Blue and green bioluminescent scales flashed before her as she watched for any possible request on the tables around the floor.
The feasting hall. It was the time of monthly royal family dinner gathering. This time around, the family had invited the council members to join them for this feast. She spotted Commander Shark, Council of Defence, Moray, council of communication, Lagoon, council of Aquaculture and other council members whom she only could vaguely remembered their name or position.
Out from the corner of her eyes, there was Prince Turtle. Sitting at the furthest table from the centre. His head hang low while catching glimpses of things happening around him. Like a barrier of fishing net placed around him as everyone tried to avoid it. On the other side of the floor, Prince Hammerhead stood there. His chest swelling with pride as he shared his plans for war and discussion on future for the SeaWing Kingdom. The dragons surrounding him were cheering for him while Prince Turtle only had empty plates and a glass of wheatgrass in his talons as his partners.
It's like he was not even there.
Isolation. She did not think the it was that terrible punishment. Basically, everyone ignores you. No one is going to harm you or going to attack you. Food was prepared and there was no movement restriction. A dream for a hermit if she dared say so.
But clearly, that was not the case for Prince Turtle. It had been five days and he was still depressed about it. Even though he has been eating his food since the day after he had unlocked the door for her. He nonetheless had never left the room. Until now that was. She wondered whether her decision to drag him out of his room was even good for him. Seeing how everyone treated his existence like water around them made her feel guilty.
"Who was that in the corner?" One servant asked while cleaning up empty dishes.
"That one? Don't bother him. If he asks for anything, just nod and do what he requests."
Something inside her was boiling with fury. She walked up to the grab an empty plate and started filled it from the serving table.
"What are you doing?"
Rainbow stared at her talons. One was holding oyster and another holding the plate now half-filled seafoods. The servant looked as though she had witnessed a murder scene.
And she might as well do. It is common sense that servant should not be taking any food unless request by the guest. But taking a plate full of food? She might as well feed herself to the eels.
Quick. Think fast. What request might the royal family could have for this plate?
Her eyes brought themselves to the Prince Turtle. She could tell the truth that she would wish to keep these foods for Prince Turtle. For fear that he might not get them himself. But the servant would stop her and even might report her to the eldest prince. She had to mention someone else. But who?
"Prince Fin." Rainbow mustered what confident she has left. "His recent project on cartography had kept him busy so I'm making sure he was able get his share of food."
The servant wrinkled her snout then nodded. She quick to attend the council members who was calling for assistance.
Like a seal escaped a polar bear, she felt her tense muscles relaxed. Back to her post she went and placed the plate on a serving cart. She glanced back at Prince Turtle. Alone, the table was emptied of food and dragon alike.
He's probably not taking any food because how everyone was treating him.
And that is where this little plate full of seafood come to play.
"NEVER!"
The deafening roar came from the centre of the floor made everyone snapped their head towards there. The roar contained such strength and ferocity. It could be none other than Queen Coral herself. She was facing one of the members from the SeaWing Council.
"A son inherits the throne? Never in my life had I heard such prosperous idea." The queen cried. "You can't even imagine the chaos that it will caused by even suggesting that, brother."
"Just a thought. No need such caused big fuss about it." replied Commander Shark. His face inscrutable. "In times of war, we must do what we must. If we do not have a princess ready to inherit the throne, it will only cause more uproar within our own dragons."
"And break what few traditions that is left from our ancestry? Not a chance." Queen Coral took a sip from her cup of coconut juice. "I would never let the royal bloodline to be tainted by such ill-considerate thought."
Wait. Rainbow thought. Wasn't Moray considered the only one who is eligible to inherit the throne?
"Of course, my king and I will be working hard on it. Hopefully the guards would prove themselves to be some use when the next hatching comes. Or maybe, I shall do it myself since no one was capable of watching my eggs."
Sounds of protest were made from other council members but Queen Coral dismissed them. In the mist of confusion, Shark spoke up.
"I would like to request permission to move the guards from the hatchery to the Summer Palace. Blister-" Shark rolled his eyes at the gaze from Queen Coral. "Queen Blister had us cornered since we lost our last general and MudWing's alliance. Bolstering our defence on our only open territories should be our top priority."
"Do we have to-" Queen Coral rolled her eyes. "Fine. Do as you please."
"That reminds me." Queen Coral turned to King Gill, who sat beside her. "When will that incompetent caretaker will be executed, we must let the others know that this is no joking matter."
Rainbow discreetly move herself to serving cart closer to the royalties. She pretended to arrange the serving food and caught a glimpse a King Gill. He looked at Queen Coral with eyes glittered with both soft and sadness.
"It will be done soon."
"How soon?" She asked.
"Tonight. I will be doing it personally." He answered.
"Very well." Queen Coral took a lobster from serving plate to hers. "No that I don't trust you my dearest but remember. I need proof."
Did the king just shifted his seat?
"A proof it is then."
Tonight. Abalone would be dead by the sunrise. But it was not his fault. It was the food. He would not be sick if it was not poisoned. This was unfair and unjust.
Those were the words she wished to scream but unable to. Her heart wandered between the indecision of saving Abalone or risked losing her job. Her job which had tied to the livelihood of her grandfather. How could she save Abalone while keeping her job in the palace?
As though on cue, King Gill had his eyes locked on Rainbow. She managed to push down a gasp before moving acting busy on the side. She felt the gaze from the king for a while before he returned to his food.
Did he know? Or her indecision was shown in her face? Oh Abalone, how can I save you.
The thought ran circles in her mind as she continued to attend the guests' needs. By the time she snapped herself back, most of the guest had left the party. At one side of the floor left with two young SeaWing, probably princes, chattering in whisper. Few tables to the side had a table filled with dirty plates and half-finished plate with a pair of SeaWing having an argument. On the other side was Prince Turtle. She grabbed the plate she had reserved and started striding towards the prince.
"Prince Turtle?"
Like a timid calf called from its slumber by its dolphin mother, his startled wide eyes stared into hers.
"Oh. It's you." Prince Turtle mumbled and returned to his depressing slumber which he had worn throughout the whole dinner. "Just Turtle. No prince."
"I knew you haven't eaten so." She placed the plate on the table. "It's not much but I hope you can enjoy them."
Prince Turtle took a glance at it. A small lobster, a small pile of shrimp she thought he would like and small herring pile together in a single plate. He averted his gaze.
"Don't you said you don't deserve them." She said softly. "If you don't want to have it here. You can do it in your writing room there. I will be cleaning up the plate once you finished them."
Prince Turtle didn't answer but a growl from his stomach broke the silence.
"Thank you." He finally said. "I'll do just that."
"Was the food enough for the night?" She asked just before he was about to flew away.
The little prince nodded. With one talon holding the plate of food and flew away, up into the library level. She let out a sign of relief as the shadow of the little prince disappeared from her view.
BAM! CLANG!
The sounds of clattered glassware might as well had shattered her inner bones for its worth.
"If we are not going have a civilize talk, I suggest we move to another place to continue our discussion."
It was the pair of arguing SeaWings. One of the SeaWings, dark green in scales, pointing at the stacks of dirty plate and half-spilled glasses all over the table; indicating the danger of physical activities mixed with such fragile objects surrounding them. While the other SeaWing, with one of her horn broken and scars all over her scales, had her talon planted on the table.
"Fine." The other SeaWings with a broken horn said. She pointed to side of the table and spoke. "But you're not getting away from me. To the side. Ministry of Magic."
"To you, my fellow member of council, I'm just the publishing dragon." Said the dark green SeaWing in an oily tone.
She scowled in return while sternly indicated the cleaned table besides them.
As they moved along, Rainbow volunteered herself with a serving cart alongside her towards the dirty table. Making herself unobstructed as possible.
"If this is about your precious Snapper then it's over. She already dead. We should all move along and focus on-" said the dark green SeaWing.
"Dead because of YOU! Whirlpool."
"Now, now." His oily voice like a sea cucumber oozing into her mind disgustingly. "I have you know that I have no part in causing her death. I merely predicted it. War Commander Piranha."
Clang!
Rainbow accidentally slipped a plate against the table she was cleaning. A small piece of it flew over and landed on the arguing SeaWings' table.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Quickly. Lowering her head, she swept the piece off the table.
"Be careful with it. Don't want to hurt yourself with it, I'm afraid the healers might not attend to any minor injury. Now with all of the wounded from the wars." The SeaWing with broken horn, who she identified as Piranha through their conversation, expressed her concern with a warm grin.
Rainbow gave a small nod but felt a gaze on her not unlike a shark stalking its prey. A glimpse at her side found herself locked eyes with the green SeaWing which made her immediately regret her decision. His eyes were curious, sharp. But more frightening were the cold malice behind those eyes. She quickly slipped back aside to cleaning the dirty tables.
"Now, where were we? Ah yes." Whirlpool said. "Your precious underlings."
"My friends. You jerk."
"Well. There might still be time for you to save your friend over at the electric eel prison. I heard King Gill is heading over there right now."
Piranha almost launched herself at Whirlpool but by the looks of her tense muscle, she was able to restrain that thought. At last she replied.
"The king was just obeying order from the queen."
"And you have a job to keep." Whirlpool quickly interjected. "Don't you know?"
Confusion written all over Piranha as he continued.
"War benefits both of us. Me as a council of magic and you, well, a war commander." He rolled his talon against the table. "I wonder if the war ended. What would the war commander do? Why have a war commander when defense commander can do the rest? Return being second-in-command to the defense commander? Maybe even third? Or back to pearl hunting?"
"Queen Coral was not only expecting a female dragonet, you know? She was expecting magic happening in her clutch anytime by now. Maybe. Just maybe." He smirked before adding. "Her next daughter shall be the one who could stop the war."
"Animus dragon? How could you be so sure?" Piranha asked.
"I'm not." Whirlpool reassured her. "But the number is working in our favor. More child means more chances."
"The last clutch hasn't been tested with the ceremony. For all we know, it could be one of the dragonets."
Whirlpool chuckled in response.
"This is where my 'Council of Magic' earned its place. In recorded history throughout the line of Royal lineage, an animus dragon always happened to appear in the SeaWing Royalty after a certain amount of time. About five generation apart, if my calculation is correct. It would be most likely happened in this generation."
"If they ever live." Piranha retorted. "Maybe one of our animus dragons had already died because of the assassin's doing. Wait, do you think the assassin was targeting the animus dragon? If so, why are they targeting the female eggs only?"
Whirlpool shrugged indifferently.
"For the time being, I suggest you think carefully on securing your job at the council. Which I suggest more risky war expedition with the king."
"The King?" She echoed.
"He had always been advocating for peace. Which means putting your- our job to an end." He leaned towards Piranha and spoke. "There is no need backstabbing scheme or a coup. Just a little riskier. That's all."
"This discussion is over."
Piranha stood up and turn in one forceful motion. Whirlpool added just before she left the vicinity.
"Consider it."
When Rainbow turned to look for Piranha, she was gone. Flew down below, probably exited the palace.
"Your name?"
"R-Rainbow."
Whirlpool sudden appearance at her side frighten into a quick reply. His stare held on for a while before he too strode across the floor and disappeared from her view underneath the floor. She collapsed on top of a seaweed cushion, trying to make sense what she just heard.
Were Abalone and Snapper being conspired? Animus dragon? Is the king in danger?
She quickly placed the dirty plates into the serving carts and left the dining floor.