Hey guys, I know I haven't updated this for quite some time... so here it is! I hope you are still excited of how their 'under the sea' journey goes on! ^^

Red: Thank you for the compliment! ^^ I've taken note of the pacing thing and I'll try to readjust the pace for this particular arc :) my grammar is not my strongest suit, but I'm learning to refine them as I continue writing. For Poseidon's 'retirement', I was thinking like retiring to Mount Olympus kind of retiring where he can enjoy life and watching the sea from above :P Since now I'm doing three stories concurrently, perhaps I will only remaster this story when I have more time... and thanks for the offer! (I see you are also writing for Fire Emblem... perhaps you wouldn't mind taking a look on my story there? ^^)

"What's the deal about the Golden Book?" Neil asked after they were dismissed from the Throne Room.

"I've heard stories…" the pink mermaid replied hesitantly. "…but the book is a heavily guarded treasure of the kingdom."

"Then why ask a human to retrieve it?"

Reine was about to reply with a dismissive "I don't know" when suddenly the vision before her changed. There were two men, both stranger to the mermaid; one man held the glowing trident and he wore a golden crown on his head, slightly different from what King Troanes usually wore and more remarkably—he didn't wear any bracelets that Reine never saw her grandfather without. The other man was not a merman; in fact, he was more akin to human in his appearance, but yet there was something else in him that wasn't quite… human. There was a golden tome in his hand, bounded with green vines.

She heard the second man spoke:

My son, this tome will keep track of your descendants in order of their right to claim the Atlantean Throne.

The merman then replied:

Thank you, my godly father. I shall keep this in the Cave of Treasures.

Reine took a closer look on the merman. He didn't seem to be that foreign for her—but perhaps that would be because he was her ancestor since he was the king that came before her grandfather. The scenery changed again before she could dwell on that point, and she found Neil's face in front of her again. She gasped and quickly backed away.

"What the—!" she grunted. "Can you stop being so near to me?!"

"Then can you stop having that infinity sign on your eyes?!"

"What?!"

Neil furrowed his brow. "You mean you don't know?" he asked. "You have this sign—" he made the infinity sign on the water, "—on your eyes twice since earlier."

"Oh, okay. I know," Reine said, "like from five seconds ago 'cos I can totally see my own eyes."

Neil rolled his eyes, still refusing to yield and openly admit his worry for the mermaid.

"Any case, I think I have a guess on what the Golden Book does," Reine said, "It keeps track on who has the right to the throne."

"How did you know that?" Neil asked curiously. "You don't seem to be the bookish type."

"Well, thanks for the compliment," Reine quipped, "but your question begs for a confusing story. Come back when you have nothing else in your head to think about."

"You are never less than confusing," Neil murmured.

"'Scuse me?"

"Never mind," he quickly said, "When are we leaving?"

"Hm… tomorrow?" Reine suggested. "We have some trips to be made on the way, by the way, so prepare lots of haleweed."

"Okay."

"You can go with Viv, she really enjoys your company—and I know you prefer cute dolphins than nagging mermaids," Reine said, "Just don't get lost if you don't want another round of my nagging."

That evening, Reine made another trip to the solitary prison, and the old merman was there. This time, she brought with her some food she managed to sneak away from the dining table and she promptly gave it to the old merman.

"Oh, you are so kind, but I am fine," he said.

"But… I don't see any tray."

The old merman smiled, "Trust me, I am fine," he said, "but I will accept your kindness."

He took the food she offered, but didn't eat it right away. "So… about your questions?"

"I… I don't know where to begin," Reine admitted, "Besides, I have to go tomorrow… perhaps for quite some time…"

"What do you want to know the most?"

"The past story of the sea," Reine replied. "They don't really teach that in class. I mean, they do, but stories of yesteryears are often based on perspectives, yes?"

"Of course," the old merman smiled kindly. "Let see… ah, how about this tale…"

"Who is this king you say?" Ariel inquired.

"Er… King Troanes," Alicia replied hesitantly.

Ariel nodded solemnly and she kissed her granddaughter. "You must be tired, dear. I think you should sleep now."

"You're not… angry?"

Ariel's blue eyes turned gloom, and Alicia immediately regretted her question. However, Ariel decided to grant her granddaughter the truth that she had kept in her solitude. "No, I am not," she said, "Go back to your room, dear…"

After Alicia had excused herself from her presence, Ariel walked towards the balcony that faced the sea, the world that used to be her home. How long had it been since her last communication with her siblings? And how fared her father?

She still remembered what her father often told her after she became a human when he came to visit her:

Although you are humans, you and your descendants are still the children of the seas. The sea will heed their call and obey them.

Ariel looked far away, listening to the sound of waves crashing at the wall she had rebuilt in the vain hope of protecting her family. Her memories flew back to Melody and Eric Jr., her children who had met their untimely end at the very same place her father had promised would heed them for the blood running in their veins.

A drop of tear escaped from each of her eyes, leaving two wet trails on her cheeks for a stream of continuous tears to follow thereafter.

Reine left the prison just a little before the sunrise, promising to visit as soon as she returned from the trip. The old man had provided her with another account of history—not starkly different, but seemingly more complete than what she was taught in class.

At that moment, Reine was unsure of what to make of this… second account—of the perspective she had asked for. Reine closed the door behind her when she entered the room, and once the sound of the lock clicking into its place, her vision changed again—this time, it was of the very same mermaid who had announced her as a Seeress.

"What now?" Reine asked.

"The present is built not only by Fate, but of the choices made in the past. The truth of the present could then only be explained by looking into the past."

"That's very convenient," Reine remarked half-sarcastically.

"Heed my warning, Seeress," the mermaid replied grimly. "With great power comes great sacrifice. Truth can be ruthless, but you are bound to deliver the Truth."

The vision disappeared as suddenly as it had come earlier. Now, Reine was back in her room—alone. No spooky mermaid, no echoes, nothing but herself washed away by the amount of truth unrevealed to her—whether or not she wished for them.

Thanks for reading!

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