Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

*UPDATED* Chapter 10: Lost Again

"RODION!"

Serena watches, excitedly, as Rodion turns his gaze towards her. A smile spread across her face as she readies herself to call out again.

"Ro—mmph!" A hand clamps over her mouth. She's abruptly dragged beneath the surface of the water and pulled back towards the seawall.

Serena struggles against the arms imprisoning her, but they're much too strong.

"Enough of your squirming!" They hiss into her ear, and she stops all movement. She doesn't need to look back to know that it's Prince Oceanus hauling her down the seawall. And obviously, he's pissed.

But why did he come to get her himself? He could've just as easily sent along some guards or something to retrieve her.

It only takes him three minutes to five down the wall and come to a halt. He releases her from his grip—maintain a hold of her wrist.

"What did you mean to do?" He growls out. His expression indicates that he's seething, and Serena finds herself shocked into silence. She's never seen an angry Prince Oceanus—annoyed, yes, but angry, no. He looks about ready to strangle the life out of her.

"Oceanus, I—"

"Do not dare address me so casually," he says sharply.

She bites her tongue to keep a rude comment from escaping. She reflexively looks down at the distant sea floor.

Prince Oceanus continues, "What did you intend to do by revealing yourself to that human?" There's a frigid malice to his tone that causes her to involuntarily shudder.

But she quietly replies, "I just wanted to see my brother." She doesn't try to meet Prince Oceanus's scrutinizing gaze—clutching her hands to her sides tightly to control the onslaught of emotions raging through her.

"...We are returning to the palace. I will make sure that there is a guard with you at all times seeing as you cannot do as you are told."

She flinches at his tone. His hand becomes a little tighter around her wrist as he pulls her along at a rapid pace back towards the palace.

She glances back longingly, wishing that she had had a few more seconds. A few more seconds and she would've connected gazes with her brother.

By the time they return, it's quite late and the palace is in an uproar over her disappearance. King Neptune was none too pleased by the day's developments and she was promptly assigned a guard.

He basically became her shadow. She couldn't even sneeze without him being right there at her back. It's absolutely infuriating!

Now that she has a chaperone, she's been granted more freedom to move about the palace. A worthless consolation in the face of having one's every move watched all day, every day. She sighs as she mindlessly looks about the garden's roman-themed gazebo.

"Serena?"

She looks up upon hearing Princess Arcelia's voice and murmurs, "Princess..."

Princess Arcelia smiles as she comes closer. "I insist you call me Arcelia! I shall not have my friend addressing so formally!"

A light smile plays across Serena's lips. Truly, Arcelia is the more agreeable of the royal siblings. Without even noticing it, Serena's mood lightens and the previous day's exchange with the prince and king fade from her mind.

All the tension drains from her body as Arcelia seats herself beside her on the bench. Meanwhile, Serena's chaperone has stationed himself at the gazebo's entrance—ever vigilant.