Meanwhile, Inam is swimming furiously under the sea and paused. He covered his burning cheeks from embarrassment, to think that he really gave 'that' to Alon! Ah!
His emerald eyes watery as he remembered his actions just a while ago, Inam felt like he want to bury his self under the sands. He's really shameless, to give his tear to a clueless young man... and to the little prince at that!
Oh god! He's so ashamed of his self!
Inam's tail flipped shyly, like a bashful maiden. He watched it in horror.
Look!
Even his tail is not listening to him!
What shyness! That's the little prince! He's cute and kind, like the warm sunshine above the sea and the gentle breeze brushing on the shore... He's grown up now too....
The little prince has become slender and tall, when he smiles all the girls and boys alike would swoon... Plus, he looks so sexy with that simple civilian clothes...
Inam, once again covered his face, oh gods! what is he thinking!?
He swam in circles in embarrassment for a long while before calming down. The surrounding fishes look at his antics weirdly, thinking if that piranha has finally gone insane and swim away in horror when their eyes met.
Inam rolled his eyes at them and continue his way back to their sea cave.
He just left there to check the little prince and he didn't expect for something like that to happen, the little prince seems to be healthy but only his memories are the problem? There's something suspicious about it! He have to ask Master about this! or he won't be calm down!
Seeing the entrance to the master's sea cove, he swam faster and saw his master focused in his toxic water and purifying metal observation again.
He can't help but tear up when he saw Lila, his grievances overflowed seeing his father.
" Master... " Inam tearfully started as he swam in the sea cove, Lila who was observing an experiment paused and turn towards Inam who just left yesterday.
" Why are you here again? I thought you'll continue on your way after visiting your little prince? "
" Master! " Inam cried grievously and hugged Lila suddenly.
Lila stiffened and felt flustered, " Why? What happened? "
Lila asked with concern in his voice, he gently patted Inam's back to pacify him and glanced at his youngest disciple who acted like nothing was happening. Lila's lips twitched at the sight of Danaw burying his head in making tea.
" Little prince lost his memories! He even forgot me! " Inam exclaimed his grievances at Lila and continued telling what happened when he met the little prince.
At the side, Danaw who is busy making tea froze as he heard those words.
His pupils contracted slightly, memory lost....?
His lowered head makes his darkened expression unnoticed by the two talking at the table.
" Hm? " Lila frowned and took another look at Inam who's still crying pitifully, " You have a familiar scent... "
" Huh? " Inam paused at his master's words and sniffed his self.
" It smells like Dura's potions... " Lila's eyes brightened and glared at Inam, did this brat cause trouble again?
" Did you go there...? " He asked, looking like he will beat this child up until he sobered up and not cause trouble for him again.
" What? No! I did not! " Inam's tears back away at Lila's terrifying eyes and he backed away looking fearful.
Lila narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Inam if he is really saying the truth.
" I really didn't go there! "
" Then, where did you get her smell, you punk... " Lila approach the troublesome kid and was about to beat him up.
" Wait! Wait! I just came from visiting little prince! I didn't go anywhere! I swear! " Inam already hide behind Danaw as he tried to explain rationally his innocent self.
Lila stopped and frowned, " Really? "
" Yes! I swear to the sea! "
" Hmm... " Lila left him for now and think for a while.
" You just came back from little prince? " Lila asked.
Inam hurriedly nodded while still hiding.
" Then, your little prince must have met the sea witch, Dura or someone who asked for help from her is near your little prince, either way it's not good. " Lila frowned as he thought of the octopus woman, the sea witch, Dura who likes to help others in exchange for something equivalent to their wishes.
Inam paused and asked, frowning, " I think, I should ask her if she did something to little prince. I also planned to find a cure for his memories, if possible..."
Lila look at his child and sighed, this child's concern for little prince is really high.
Having no choice, he agreed.
" Here, bring this as a gift, she won't turn you down. About memories, it's not my specialty so it's better if you ask Dura instead. " Lila said after taking a potion from his shelves and gave it to Inam.
Inam smiled gratefully, " Thank you, master! "
Lila just waved him away and continued his observation.
Inam laughed and waved them goodbye, now that he has clues, he can continue and find a cure for his little prince. He then swam away leaving his master and his junior who watched him swimming away.
In the Langka Kingdom.
Arbol, the crown prince, is currently in his office looking through the files stocked on his table. After a while, the stocked papers lessen and he put them aside, he then sighed as he took another paper about the investigation of his failed plan to kill Prince Alon.
As he look through it, he can tell that everything went smoothly and steady until the storm came and killed everyone on board except Prince Alon, that lucky bastard. Arbol just doesn't know what went wrong and what gods did that bastard called for him to survive that storm.
Whatever the case of that bastard's survival, he still has another back up plan for him.
Arbol raised his head when he heard a knock and smiled at the person who entered, " Welcome, did you think through of my proposal? "
The person nodded.
The crown prince, Arbol scoffed and motioned for the person to sit at the couch. The person silently walk towards the couch and sat, in front of the couch were a table filled with four tea cups and confections.
A servant came and filled the cups with tea and left after.
The person quietly took the cup of tea in front and took a sip.
They did not wait long as another knock sounded from the door and entered the room, two identical individual walked in and nodded at the crown prince before their eye fell on the person sitting quietly at the couch. Their eyes widened in disbelief and turn into mocking the person as they too, sat in the couch in front of the person.
" Great, we're all here. " The crown prince said smilingly as he stood up and took a chair beside them, he look at them with cold discerning eyes as he took a cookie and bit onto it.
" Then, least discuss my plan, shall we? "
Arbol narrowed his eyes in delight as he thought of the future where that bastard and His Majesty, King Langit is gone. He would then sit at the throne and governed the whole kingdom as his!
Unbeknownst to him, a bird was listening to their whole conversation and flew away after they all leave.
The bird flew all the other way if the castle and settled itself on a young man's shoulder.
The young man glanced at the bird as he listens to its report, his eyes darkened and laughed sarcastically at the crown prince's plan.
The young man is wearing an offcial's robe and the golden stripe indicated that he has a high position.
The bird fly away after finishing his report and the young man sighed, he turn towards the door and was about to knock when the door burst open.
" Ah! It's lunch! I'll go visit Alon! " An old man rushed maniacally outside and flew pass him.
The young man, Pohas, the newly appointed prime minister sighed tiredly as he followed the excited old man who is King Langit, the one who supposedly managed the kingdom into his son's palace.
He has to inform him about his investigation as well as tell him to work properly! He keeps doing taking breaks every few minutes and create many excuses to neglect his work, he has to take the king back to settle his work again or else they would piled up like mountains again...
King Langit happily arrived at his son's room and took him in the garden for a walk, Alon has no choice but to let him self be pulled outside.
" Ah, yes. This is your mother's garden. She likes this very much and even planted them personally... "
Pohas heard their voices faintly as he stayed in Alon's room and decided to go to the tea room to wait.
" Alon! Alon! You just came back!? What did you--- "
Pohas frozed when he heard a familiar voice but there's supposed to be no one aside from him inside the room as Steward Dikit go out to take tea and sweets to serve for them.
He stiffly turned around and look through the room, his gaze them paused at a certain mirror that has a figure that seems to be frozen.
A beautiful mermaid.
Pohas's eyes widened in disbelief as their eyes met.
Ayon also panicked and disappeared to hide. She patted her chest to try and calm her furiously beating heart down, she just heard that Alon came back and came out to greet him but unexpectedly meet someone else!
Also, that, that person...
Pohas approach the mirror when the image of the mermaid disappeared, he raised his hand and touched it carefully.
He look at it thoughtfully, even though it only reflect his image now. Pohas didn't doubt that he saw a certain mermaid inside.
Both Ayon and Pohas felt flustered and shocked at seeing each other again.
" Ai, I should go back then... "
Pohas paused when he heard the king's reluctant to part voice and turned towards Alon and King Langit who just finished their leisure walk in the garden.
Alon smiled and nodded, they were then sent off by him.
Pohas remained silent even after coming back at the king's office.
He keeps remembering the mermaid in the mirror, his eyes flashed. Why is she there ...?
" Prime Minister? "
Pohas snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the king calling him, " Yes, Your Majesty? "
" Are you alright? "
" Yes, I apologize. "
" Right, why did you come? " The king asked as he look through the papers in his table.
" Your Majesty, about the investigation you gave to me a while ago. I have acquired results and I confirmed it. "
King Langit paused and sighed looking tired, " I see. "
He put down the paper he just look through and stood up, he walks towards the window and watched his beloved kingdom, his eyes melancholic.
...........
After a few weeks, Inam finally arrived at the sea witch's abode.
He swam determinedly and faced the sea witch, Dura, an octopus woman with amber hair and eyes.
The sea witch, Dura noticed someone entering and raised her amber eyes at the visitor, " Oh? What a unique visitor. "
" I didn't expect a piranha to visit, it's been a while since! " She said looking interested and swam to Inam.
" Ohho? You have Lila's scent in you, oh my. Are you related? "
" Yes, he's my father. " Inam answered and remained in his place as he keep his eyes on the witch that circle him and look at him as if appraising a product.
" Oh, not bad... " Dura seems satisfied and swam in front of him.
" Why did you came here for, dear? "
" I came to ask a question and a cure for memory lost. "
" A question and a cure, huh... " Dura blinked at Inam and tilted her head, her long hair swaying behind her, looking sweet and innocent but her eyes turned sharp when she asked another question, " What's the compensation? "
" Here. " Inam took out the potion his master gave to him and present it to Dura.
Dura's eyes shined and accepted the potion, " This is acceptable. Alright, first, what's your question? " She asked with a raised eyebrow.
She then put the potion to her shelve and sat leisurely waiting for Inam's question.
Inam stared intently at Dura's expression as he asked this question, " Did you do something to the little prince in the Langka Kingdom? "
" Hm? Which prince? "
" Prince Alon. "
" Oh, that delicious one. " Inam frowned hearing her comment.
Dura watched him fascinated at his reactions, " I did nothing to him. "
Inam's expression eased.
" However... "
Inam's eyes flashed sharply at her. Dura laughed at him, clearly enjoying their conversation.
Dura continued, " I seem to have gave some help to the trapped little mermaid near him. "
" Trapped? Mermaid? " Inam frowned at this two terms, when did the little prince meet one?
" Oh, I'll give you a discount since I like you. Your little prince seems to have picked up a mirror were the little mermaid is trapped. Well, true love is the only cure, ah. " Dura said to him.
Inam's expression completely eased, so it's not because of witchcraft.
Seeing his expression, Dura smiled mischievously.
He seems so in love with this little prince. It's quite cute, though she often meet some tragic love stories. She doesn't mind a sweet one.
" Alright then, since I've answered your question. Let's move in to the cure, yes? "
" Ah, yes. "
" Hm-mm... This is quite tricky.... " Dura said as she watched from her bowl, Prince Alon's condition seems simple yet complex.
Dura stared for a while and observe then she took a shell of a clam with something written inside.
" Here. I need the ingredients here to make a cure for your little prince. "
Inam took the shell and nodded, " I'll come back. "
After saying that, he swam away without looking back.
Dura curled her lips as she watched Inam leave.
Ai, few handsome sea folks visit her. It's a shame for him to leave so soon but well...
Dura continued her things after seeing Inam off.