The Missing Prophecy (COMPLETED) (Undergoing Editing)

Chapter 30

          "Your terms are accepted, daughter. But you must bare whatever I have to ask of you, and you must pledge your loyalty to my terms when it is time. If you agree, I will hand you over the stone for you to destroy it publicly and not keep it for any other reason." Hector says, voice rising to show superiority and I know better than to disagree. I nod, taking his hand and kissing the backside of his palm. 
          "It was a pleasure meeting you, father." I say, with a little bit confidence than what I had before I spoke to him.
          "Alex and Dylan will escort you to Alastair, though I would love for you to stay and have dinner with my family and I. Meet my wife and my daughter, Eleanor." It seems that the confidence I held just a second ago has shattered into a million pieces. Eleanor can't be my stepsister, that's close to being impossible. I feel my face go pale and I start to shake. If you don't know already, Eleanor and I don't really have a good chemistry, not now and not during school. There are some things I never mentioned during my life that I feel should be included. The first night when we saw Princess Eleanor come to the shore, Prince Matthew, Christopher and Princess Eleanor decided to torment us whenever they had the chance. They made fun of me for becoming friends with mortals who are "far beneath me," Eleanor made sure I was always being watched by some of her puppets and whenever I was seen to be the most vulnerable, she would torture me.
           One night, I had just left Livie's chambers and was headed towards my bed chambers when Eleanor, dressed in all black dragged me behind the shadows. She covered my mouth with a cloth that tasted, surprisingly, sweet enough to send me to a deep sleep. When I woke, she had tied my down to a pillar in the basement, she beat me up until blood was dripping from my bruised face. 

          "Eleanor is your daughter?" I choke out, heartbroken.
          "Well, she's the princess of Cordelia, isn't she?" Hector lets out a laugh, clapping his hand on his knee as if I just made the world's best joke. I feel my face go red and I try to hide what I feel by looking at my mermaid tail. So, I really am Princess Sybil Cruz now? No, I'm not and I never will be. I can never take her place, I can never be Queen Coraline's daughter. Father doesn't care about Cora, neither does he care about me, and I can never ever take Eleanor's place. My tail looks beautiful though. I should probably wear green more often.
          "Sybil?" My train of thoughts are broken when I hear his voice. It sounds like a question that I need to answer. I jerk my head up, looking at his emerald, green eyes. It looks horrifying, his face, but he's still beautiful as compared to the rest of them. "I'll stay." I say, boosting my confidence. 
          "To what exactly are you saying that to?"
          "I'll stay for dinner and then I will depart with your guards to find my best friends. And you will promise me to make Coraline well, give her the strength to open her eyes and not punish her for all that she has done." And so, without further ado, Dylan and Zoey escort me to a colossal chamber and allow me to slag a bit. In the center of the room there is a large, king-sized bed that could probably fit about 4 people. The bed is covered with white curtains that illuminate a radiant blue light whenever I pass it by, I'm not sure what that is about anyway. Coral reefs are sticking up from the sandy ground, long and thick wines are held up on the half-eaten, half bombed up walls, allowing salty water to evade my comfort space. I remind myself that it is not comfort that I have come here for, but a bargain, and I don't know what Hector wishes to have in return yet.
          A circular window is built on the roof of my chamber, and it is pushed upward, creating the look of a dome. I have no idea how I'm supposed to let my eyes and my body relax a bit on this massive bed when all I'll be capable of doing is floating around in my room while I try to get some beauty sleep for the big night with Eleanor and her God-Knows-What-Kind-Of-A-Mother. I decide to chain myself, crazy, I know. I rip strips from the shirt I'm wearing and tie myself to my bed. I close my eyes and try to sleep for at least a few hours until it is time to get ready. 

         When I wake, Zoey is in my room, rummaging through my closet. Two other mermaids stand next to her. I quickly untie myself and float next to them. One of them has orange and fiery hair, her skin is the pale color, that of the moon on a dark gloomy night. She wears earrings made from shells and her tail is the color of pink cotton candy. She is a bit overweight for her age I assume but it suits her. She has different gowns placed in hangers made from fish bones and seashells. The lady floating next to them wears a gown of maroon, red velvet. Her skin is like the pale color of snow, her lips the shade of icicles. She wears a crown made from pearls and extravagant seashells. She searches my body, looking up and down in a disgusted manner. I feel embarrassed so I clutch my shirt lower. Zoey is giving me a death stare and I instantly realize who I am standing in front of. I bow let her touch my head with her hand.
          "You may rise, little girl." I don't know how I feel about her yet, but I don't let anything show on my face yet. "I'm here in your chambers to choose a dress for you to wear tonight. You will meet me with the King once you are ready." Queen Marilla speaks elegantly.