Arcane

Mizu

Mizu-

    I had not been able to attend the sea clans council because the king had insisted that I remain with him until the end of the day.

   One day I was going to kill that man exactly as Akane said so many times when the subject came up. Being a member of the sea clan meant attending their monthly meetings and I was not looking forward to the scolding I was going to receive from the sea clans matron when I returned home.

   Each clan general has a second to protect them and thus protect the continuity of each clan's future. I thought it was ridiculous - Lilith was just sixteen and I didn't need a second to protect me; I could do just fine protecting myself.

   The only thing that could break the scales of the Mer was heat from the Seraphim inhabitants of the fire clan, but still I knew it was unlikely that the two clans would fight each other. For years the four clans had lived in peace and only came into small quarrels that were quickly resolved and put to the past due to the former king and his kind and generous reign. So I had absolutely nothing to worry about. I missed the former king as I was just a child when he reigned, but I knew it was the most peaceful time the four clans had ever seen. Without the creation of droids and the wretched clock towers in every city and town the new king had ordered to be created. Why? I haven't a clue.

"Where are we going?" Lilith walked a little faster and caught up to me. She glanced at me with a skeptical look on their pale face. I had always seen Lilith as beautiful and a fighter in her youth, and Lilith reminded me of herself at that age. She had the lightest blonde hair and most bright blue eyes, like most Mer in the sea clan. They were almost the same height as me and we had grown close through the years I mentored Lilith as my second. The straps on my thighs pinched me a bit when I walked and it was something I could whine about to Sunaro later. The thought made me chuckle to myself a little.

"We are going to change shifts in order to guard the crown princess," I said in a serious tone. Princess Akari is destined to become our queen one day when the king finally dies. The job itself was easy but very important. Lilith perked up with a sense of purpose in her eyes and walked in unison with me.

   Protecting the royal family was an honor that only the best of the best in the sea clan were tasked with. I loathed the king but Akari was not her father and was in fact a joy to be around. And I knew that even with her faults she would make a wonderful queen.

   Lilith and I walked in the poorly lit hallways of the palace and into the royal library where the princess spent most of her time. Although she never actually read the books. The royal library was enormous and had three levels all filled with books and scripts. it , unlike the halls, was lit well and had many large windows. Droids wheeled around and placed each book where it belonged. I twirled my bright red hair around my finger on my way to the princess, Lilith stood behind me at attention and ready. Droids chittered and moved out of our way to work on the library.

   People near the capital of Doragon believed the princess to be a little loose minded, so the rumours spread further than just the capital, to townspeople nearby who lived to the west and north. This put the princess in danger of assassination because some thought she wasn't fit to rule the kingdom after her father was gone. Further they preferred that Akari's younger brother take the throne regardless of the fact that he is a ten year old boy. I knew this was ridiculous and that a ten year old boy could never take the throne but the princess did have a tendency to become... erratic at times.

   Lilith and I Took the princess's side and greeted her with the respect we were taught by our matron. It was imperative that we make a good impression on the royal family for our clan's image and pride.