"Welcome home." Samuel whispered at the princess sitting in front of him.
Jade smiled genuinely as she looks briefly at the male before returning her gaze to her humble home.
Her hands grazed the warm water and she felt the urge to swim and race down there.
"Go ahead your highness!" Rhian said from the other boat as she laughs.
The others were looking at her with the same anticipating look that was allowing her to go back to her humble home.
It made her feel respected and loved.
"Look!!!" Yvel suddenly yelled and pointed at a certain direction.
Not far from the group. They saw couples of heads peeking on the surface as it swims closer to them.
Jade wasted no time and stood up from the boat with Samuel's assistance.
"It's okay. Those are my royal guards. They must have sensed that I'm back." She said with a small smile.
Although Samuel noticed something else.
She sounded a bit worried. And he only have one thing in mind.
Jade's return is suppose to be with her possible partner to continue their pureblood race.
However, that is not the reason why she is back home. And it worries Jade that her parents might be disappointed. Just like what she had seen in the underworld.
"Giant fish! Giant fi--" Yalex quickly cut off Ysabella and covered her mouth before she cause a commotion between races.
"Quiet or you'll get us in trouble." He mumbled while fauxing a smile at the phoenix.
"Don't worry. We'll back you up okay?" Samuel said to her.
Jade only nodded her head before she decided to jump on the water.
Seconds only and the princess are back into her original form.
The merman whom they assume as Jade's royal guards swam around her as if it's their welcoming ritual.
Soon, the water creatures started swimming like they were racing. The movements of water became totally aggressive and the boats kept moving because of the underwater creatures.
It's noticeable that Jade being in her mermaid form is very different from her human body.
She looks way stronger and more dominant. Because it is clearly obvious that the royal guards kept a safety distance and not even once looked at her straight into the eye.
Even when they communicate. Jade have her chin held up like she have the most authority among them. Which she does.
Soon. After almost an hour of reunion. Jade and her guards rose up to the surface.
Everyone. Especially Samuel were glued staring at her original facial features. Because unlike the guards, her features is much different.
It was like staring at a cursed and forbidden beauty. That when you look at it, you know you can never stop.
And Samuel felt like he's stuck. He couldn't peel his eyes off her.
From her viper jade eyes that were inviting him completely deep. Her sharp features and the faded gradient jade scales on her jaws were so gorgeous and it felt like staring at an art.
Her lips were plump and pink and beads of pearl are naturally sticking on her skin and her flowing beautiful hair, forming a crown and decoration to her silky raven hair.
It's different than when they saw her back at Samuel's home. Because the sun doesn't beam on her skin there and showcasing her natural features. And today makes a difference as her beauty makes an appearance on the surface. Boasting the meaning of real beauty of mermaids.
"She's beautiful." Yalex complimented with Ysabella clapping like a seal.
"Samuel your boat is sinking!" Yvel giggled sheepishly when she caught the male battling stare with the royal mermaid.
"Look at him! He's so whipped! I don't think he can hear us at all!" Coleen said as she laughed and pointed at their leader.
"I think he's having a mentally crisis right now!" Blue said bluntly.
"Or maybe Jade completely tranced him!" Yalex added.
Samuel looked like he was tranced though. Although Jade didn't even do anything because she mean it when she said that she wanted everything between them to be genuine and no magic involve. And it's amusing her how she's able to cause an effect like this to the prince.
She is a princess and she is used to the attention. It was normal to her.
But this winter prince is different. The way how those frozen eyes still stares at her filled with nothing but admiration. Jade could feel herself important and not just because she's entitled. But because someone genuinely cares and looks at her with affection.
She can't help but stare back at his eyes. Slowly being unable to let him go of her grasp.
And she knew in that moment.
I will make him mine!
She said in her mind.
And if it wasn't for Coleen who bursted out laughing after Trevor told her what he just heard from the princess. Jade and Samuel would have stared at each other the whole day.
"U-uh... W-we... I-I mean..." Samuel cleared his throat and mentally cursed himself from stammering.
It was totally embarassing especially with Yalex around.
"W-why don't you... b-bring us to your place?" He asked and Jade gently nodded her head.
"Oh! Does that mean that we need an air bubble again?" Coleen asked.
"But I love these boats! Can't we just ride it until we arrive there?" Yvel whined as she pouts like a kid.
"Sure thing! I'll lead you there." Jade spoke to her. Everyone exchanged looks at each other hearing how her voice went deeper and screaming with authority.
No wonder everyone bows under her presence.
Jade started swimming with two royal guards swimming behind her and the other four are swimming around them in a rotating circle.
After a few minutes of swim. The mermaids stopped.
"Home is underneath. To the bottom of the trench." Jade said and everyone looked at Samuel waiting for his decision.
"But I really love this boats! Don't we Kitsch?" Yvel cooed at the baby dragon who hadn't stopped slipping in the boat as he struggles to stand on four feet.
He lifted his head and cutely glared at his rider. Clearly, he's not enjoying the boat because it's too slippery for his tiny feet.
"Let's go down. The same thing we did back at my place." Samuel announced and the girls groaned.
"Okay! But this time! No one is controlling me!" She said and directly looked at Trevor with a cheeky grin.
Samuel started to make the same giant ice flake and everyone hopped on.
Coleen surrounded it with air bubble with an oxygen before it started to sink down to the ocean.
Darkness began engulfing their air bubble and so Samuel casted the same glowing snowflakes again. Although the darkness this time is unbearable, compare to Samuel's home so the snowflakes is starting to fail to illuminate their visions.
"I can't see." Blue mumbled and gripped on Rhian's hand.
He may not look like it. But he's actually uncomfortable of the dark.
A purple ball of light appeared on his hand like it did before back at the cave. The ball of lights started appearing everywhere that helped most of them to see in the dark.
"You know. I keep forgetting that you have dark magic as your side ability!" Rhian said to him as she chuckled and watched the lights flickering.
The mermaids swimming around them had become more visible now. And the way how their scales became vibrant due to the light looks so amusing. Especially Jade who stood out effortlessly.
After atleast four hours of swimming and they were just there in that snowflake sitting and waiting to arrive.
They finally made it to the bottom.
"Why is it quiet?" Ysabella asked while whipping her head here and there. "Where are the other giant fish? I wanna see the giant--!" She asked rather impatient and Yalex had to cover her mouth once again.
"Stop calling them giant fish please." He smiled forcibly to the phoenix and then to the royal guards that are now full on glaring at the two.
Jade suddenly turned at them as if gesturing them something. Coleen and Yalex quickly picked up at what she meant. Just as when the royal guards had bent further down.
"Show your respect! The King and Queen of the seven seas are approaching!"
I hope you liked the chapter.
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