𝑪𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑨 ¹ ↳ 𝒍. 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏

iii. a decision to make

Her head clears appropriately as she looks around the room, seeing the same expression on their faces that she felt in her heart. They have hope that Vera can do this, they have faith. Her eyes drift to her mother's orbs and the two come to an understanding. This is bigger than them. Finally, Vera rises up assertively with newfound determination and dignity. With a breath, she releases her words. "I will decide by midnight tonight. This meeting is dismissed."

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"Vera, you can't," Neptune pleads, his eyes looking at her in fear and panic. He didn't want his sister to embark on a dangerous journey like this, it isn't right. He, no matter how much they fought, cares for his sister too much to let her go alone or to let her go at all. She may be older than him but it wasn't going to stop him from protecting her.

After the meeting was adjourned, the council members left the Kingdom and returned to their humble homes with passive and warm goodbyes. Marella had escorted them out of the castle gates while Vera and Neptune were left to their thoughts, before she came rushing forward in a desperate attempt to change her daughter's mind. Despite her previous words in front of the council members, Vera is still her daughter and if there was a better alternative, she would take it. Still, she had claimed her sentence with witnesses and couldn't back down anymore, so she simply let her son do the talking. The remaining family members of the royal family were confused at the outcome of that useless meeting.

How did they twist is so that Vera could go and get herself killed in a journey like this?

"I don't know what to do, Brother," Vera spoke with such solemn and thoughtfulness, that Marella had to backtrack. Vera was not known for her seriousness and this was certainly something she hasn't seen from her daughter in the past centuries they have lived.

"Don't go!" Neptune pushes, clasping her hands in a plea. He hoped that his touch and his words would be enough to save his sister from the dangers before her. He isn't going to let his sister get hurt in this stupid adventure, she is too inexperienced and hard-headed to survive. He didn't want to admit it but he feared for her survival and the fact that he had to feel it overall, brought him anger. "Stay here, where you are safe."

"And be locked up?" Vera snaps. "I refuse to go back to the chambers Mother threw me in!" She was being dramatic, she knew, but perhaps a part of her did want to go out into the world, and for a great cause as saving their country.

"At least you were safe there!" Neptune argues. His attempts at keeping her in the castle were desperate but weak, and he turns to their mother, who had been silent while her children argued amongst themselves, and pleads for her to say what she needed. Neptune knew better than anyone that Marella wouldn't just let her firstborn daughter out of the castle and out of the waters with one word. They weren't going to risk Vera's life. It isn't an option, in Neptune's mind.

"Mother, what say you?"

Marella thought for a second. Two sides of her are battling against each other. While one side of her, the side in which the crown rests on her head and her people sit on her shoulder, who thought only about the protection of her subjects and their home, fought to let Vera go. To let her go to the journey she sought out for and the adventure she yearned to experience. To let her do her job and protect the people of the sea. It is their responsibility and their duty to repel any danger or harm, and if the council thought Vera is best for this, then so be it.