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Eavesdropping is bad.

Like really really bad.

But it's also something that gives you hints on the spiciest gossip to ever exist.

Now look, I'm not someone who loves gossip. That's a lie but let's pretend I'm not.

I'm standing here outside Zander Hellion's study listening to him and Derek discuss about the delfs protesting in the castle grounds only because I was passing by the hallway and happened to overhear. It has nothing to do with my curiosity after Zander left the archives telling me we'd continue the search tomorrow. Absolutely nothing.

Even if my ears are pressed against the wall of the hallway and my eyes peek in through the little gap between the door and its frame, I'm not eavesdropping. And if someone thinks otherwise, they can come fight me.

Back to the not-so-eavesdropping,

I see Zander sitting behind the desk on his chair, his hands holding his head as he passes Derek a glance, "What do the delfs want?"

"They're demanding for shortening of their trials. And that's ridiculous to even demand for." Derek mumbles, taking a seat on the chair adjacent to Zander's and then looking at his friend, "It never happened with Queen Annabeth before."

Delfs. They're half-demon, half-elf creatures.

Demons are powerful. Like really powerful. And their true egoistic nature doesn't help them well with being held in Helvon as a form of punishment. Therefore, demons during the duration they're serving for their sins are made to drink a potion that transforms them into these elf-like small creatures. This prevents them from using the full potential of their powers and also lessens the chances of them escaping Helvon in the middle of their trial. Once their trial is completed though, they're allowed to return back to their full demon form.

So typically the demons are harmless while being in delf forms. But even then, if a lot of them are gathered together at one place, it could create chaos.

Zander's long sigh diverts my attention back to him.

His eyes are shut as he says, "The delfs keep acting reckless after mother's gone. It's like they don't take me seriously at all. They don't fear me."

Derek was silent for a moment before speaking again, "You're her son. There's no one other than you who can get them in control as she did, Zan. You know that."

I felt a genuine smile slip on my face. He's a good friend.

Zander takes his hands off his head and flattens the palms over the mahogany desk. Staring down at his hands in silence,

"I don't know how to rule a kingdom. I've never been raised to do this. Mother was supposed to rule forever." His voice was so soft as he mumbled the words, so filled with pain and confusion.

For the first time since I've met him, I see a flash of vulnerability pass over his features.

My heart softens the tiniest bit. I do understand how he must be feeling right now. More than anyone. It reminds me so much of myself. So much of the day when I'd been thrown down the weight of an entire kingdom on my shoulders. . .

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"I can't do this, Ursula. I don't know how to. I've never been raised to do this." Thirteen years old Marilla said as a tear trickled down her cheek.

The girl was crouched on the bed, her tear stained face dug in between her knees that were folded up to her chest.

Ursula, the green-haired mermaid who was the same age as her mother, stared down at Marilla with her emerald eyes. The second-in-command of the former and the existing queen, let out a heavy sigh before walking upto the crying girl.

Taking a seat on the bed, Ursula's hand caressed the little siren's blue hair, "There's nothing one can't learn, Marilla. Nothing. You might not be raised for this. You might not be expecting to be the queen. But you are the queen now. And that's the end of it."

As Marilla raised her face to look up at the woman, Ursula hardened her eyes and gave the girl a stern look, "Get up and stop crying, Marilla. It's about time you act as the queen of the seven seas and not the pretty little princess coddling in her crib. It's about time you learn how to rule a kingdom. Your mother knew you could do this. Don't tatter her faith in you."

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The memory blurred but Ursula's words remained etched in my head. Till this date, seven centuries later, I remember them.

That encouragement is what had made me snap out of my baseless self-pity and stand up with a strong front. I might be the queen of the seven seas but I owe that woman so much for getting me where I am right now with her stern words.

Sometimes, we just need a push to move forward. Sometimes, we need someone to tell us that we are not a damsel in distress wanting to be saved. That we could stand up for ourselves if we just tried.

Like Ursula said, there's nothing one cannot learn.

It had been hard for me but I'd learnt how to rule. Zander could too.

Telling Charlotte about how to enter the underworld's castle had been my biggest mistake. I don't think I'll ever get over the guilt of doing so. I hadn't known what she'd do with the access though. I was just desperate of what she'd been willing to give me in return. I was so selfish.

I hadn't known she'd kill Zander's wife, Laira. I didn't know she'd capture Queen Annabeth. And despite everything, I know I'm still in the wrong for giving away the information to get into the castle in the first place. I won't ever deny it. And I regret doing it with everything I have.

And I don't know where Charlotte captured his mother before she died, but I know wherever Queen Annabeth is right now, she'd want her son to look after her kingdom in her absence. And maybe, one day Zander would find his mother and she'd be proud of him.

But for that to happen, the stupid devil incarnate has to actually work his ass and stop being pompous to me. Okay, his association—or lack thereof—with me has nothing to do with this but still, I gotta point it out. I'm my first priority here.

"I'll go tell the guards to ward off the delfs for now. But Zan, we can't do this forever." Derek's voice gets me out of my long dreamy saint-like reverie.

Zander nods at his second in command defeatedly, "I'll try to think of a way to stop them."

Derek looks as if he wants to say something but then decides better against it.

"Fine. I'll send them away for now then." With a curt nod, he gets off the chair, turns around and starts approaching the door.

Oh, holy macaroons! Marilla, hide!

Fortunately, due to the god-graced siren agility, I'm able to whisk and hide inside a random room by the time Derek exits the study.

Placing a palm over my thumping heart that beats too loud at the prospect of being caught eavesdropping, I let out a long dramatic exhale.

Gods, that was close.

Although. . .

My eyes widen when I take in my surroundings. The supposed 'random' room I'd hid in is a piece of art.

The furnishings here are all black and so are the walls but with a ruggish grey shine to them. The parquet underneath my feet is a dark wood. The floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the room are made of those type of glass that allows you to see the whole world outside but for the outsider, all they see is the black tinted glass. Thin black see-through curtains were draped over the entirety of the window.

It was beautiful beyond words. I could see the infinite stretch of the castle grounds and the wide starless sky all together.

But the ceiling, oh God. The throne room ceiling is nothing compared to this.

This ceiling right here looked like the night sky brought to life inside the packed area of the room—twinkling stars and moving clouds. Which blessed person's room is this?

As if hearing my thoughts, a voice answers although I hope with my whole might he hadn't,

"What the heck are you doing in my room?" Zander Hellion, devil incarnate himself, hollers appearing in the middle of the room out of nowhere.

Damn demons and their teleportation abilities.

What in the world do I do now?

Die?

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