There was a sudden loud growl from the throne room, causing a petite merman to quiver in fear.
"What do you mean she's gone?" the king demanded, his muscular body tensed with anger.
The guard stammered, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but she's nowhere to be found."
Frustrated, the king stood up from his throne and glared at the guard.
"What do you mean she's not there?" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the room.
At that moment, a young man entered the room, looking confused. His brown eyes darted between his father and the guard. "What's going on?" he asked.
The king let out a long sigh. "Your sister has disappeared."
The young man clenched his jaw. "Is she on land?"
The king nodded. "That's the only place she could be. She's not in the sea."
Abijam's eyes widened at the unforeseen reaction, but he managed to maintain his composure and conceal any indications of uneasiness. Despite the unexpected events, he remained poised and calmly handled the situation.
"Well, that means," he paused, "We have to go on land. Don't we?"
With a decisive nod, Ambudhi gave the guard a clear directive, "Assemble a team immediately! We must locate the Princess."
Amidst the vigorous preparations for an impending battle, Ambudhi and Abijam remained steadfast and focused. As they braced themselves for the imminent fight, a vigilant guard swiftly swam away to rally the remaining troops. The atmosphere was fraught with tension and urgency, as every moment counted towards the outcome of the impending conflict.
Upon casting his gaze upon his father. Abijam's countenance revealed a deep-seated unease. Intense feelings of apprehension flooded his being, causing him to feel uncertain about the trajectory of his future.
"What's the matter, son?"
"Is all this," he paused, "Necessary?"
"Abijam, I regret to inform you that your sister is presently in an unfamiliar place, and we are not aware of her whereabouts or if she has sustained any severe injuries."
"I understand your point, but having a whole army seems excessive. It could catch the Humans off guard, and they may not be prepared for it."
Ambudhi glared at his son and demanded. "Since when do you care about humans' safety?"
"I am primarily concerned with ensuring Arieshell's safety. However, if we involve the army in our efforts, there is a possibility that she may refuse to accompany us back," Abijam responded.
The king took a moment to reply, silently cursing himself for realizing the validity of his son's argument. Ambudhi let out a long sigh and faced his son with a defeated facial expression. He turned to the guard.
He instructed the soldiers to follow but emphasized that they should hold off on attacking until he gave the command. He turned to his son and stressed the importance of preventing the Princess from retreating again.
"Thank you, Father."
Abijam observed his father silently nodding his head without uttering a single word. He never thought he could persuade his father, as his father's word was usually final, and no one else's opinion mattered.
"We must determine her last known whereabouts before she went missing," declared the king.
"Right. Should we hold a council meeting?"
"Please clarify the relevance of a council meeting to locate your sister. Why is it important to address the council?"
"Firstly, it is essential to acknowledge the Princess's absence from the merpeople. Failing to inform them would be unwise," Abijam firmly responded. "Additionally, if anyone has information on her whereabouts before her disappearance, it could greatly aid in locating her."
Following his defeat, Ambudhi was forced to confront a harsh reality: his son's warnings had been accurate from the start. The situation was abundantly clear - without the council's permission and recognition, their efforts might be futile, leaving them powerless to take meaningful action.
The king sighed and lowered his head, expressing his desire to have Arieshell back. "Let's just get this done."
Abijam placed a hand on his father's back. "Trust me. This is for the best."
Abijam and Ambudhi swam gracefully through the vibrant coral reefs and towering pillars that supported the grand castle. The sea creatures paid humble homage to their noble presence showing their respect.
As the father and son approached the entrance of the council's quarters, they were welcomed by a serene sea with a spectrum of shells and rocks intermingled. The sea had a light blue hue that added to its tranquility.
In the middle of the sea floor were five great clam shell thrones lined with mother of pearl. A school of fish swam around and up to reveal two males and three females with distinct and diverse colored tails.
"King Ambudhi and Prince Abijam, what brings you here unannounced?"
A gruff voice came above them as they glanced up to see a robust man with a dark blue tail with aqua highlights.
"Senator Bay, we came here to inform the council that the Princess has disappeared," Ambudhi replied
Bay raised his eyebrow, "Did something happen between you again? I know you and Arieshell don't see eye to eye."
"Well-" A bullet of panic rose in his throat, and he sheepishly glanced at his son, "We had a disagreement regarding her being alone and not having anyone to assist in times of need or trouble."
"Ahem."
Bay examined Ambudhi and then Abijam. "Is your father telling the truth?"
Abijam perked up, "Mostly. He forgot to mention that Arieshell went close to humans."
"Always going against his words. Doesn't surprise me."
"Also, he wanted to assemble an army of troops and go on land!"
Bay crossed his muscular arms and narrowed his eyebrows. "You wanted to go on your own rules without consulting us?"
"Bay! What's going on?" a soft female voice called out.
"It's nothing. King Ambudhi and Prince Abijam were visiting."
"Visiting, Bay?" the woman swam toward the three men, "I'm not foolish. What's the real reason why they are here?"
Bay let out a sigh, "Jewel-"
"Abijam," the woman said softly. "I know you will tell me the truth. What happened?"
"Fine! Father argued with Arieshell causing her to disappear and go on the dry land."
With a graceful flick of her hand, Jewel swept her wavy, sun-kissed locks away from her face before posing her question, "How do we know she went on the dry land?"
"A guard informed us she wasn't in her bed chamber," Abijam responded.
"How about a cave, a reef, something?" questioned Jewel.
"No, we haven't-"
As a graceful siren approached, they heard her say, "Jewel, Bay, what seems to be the issue?"
She had a slender frame and beautiful fair skin. Her vibrant locks of strawberry-blonde hair flowed elegantly behind her, adding to the overall ethereal vibe she exuded.
Abijam's eyes lit up with a glimmer of admiration. The Prince was met with a flirtatious giggle from the woman.
"Prince Abijam, you have something right here," With a playful gesture, she flicked his nose.
"I-It is nice to see you too, Harmony," Abijam blushed.
"Senator Harmony! Stay on task," ordered Bay.
"Okay! Can't I say hello to the Prince and King?" pouted Harmony.
"Harmony, why don't you go get Jasper and Echo," offered Jewel.
"Fine, but I'll be back," Harmony said while looking at Abijam.
As he saw her swimming away, Abijam felt his face getting warm with a slight burning sensation. He suddenly felt relieved, refocusing on their mission to find his sister. Abijam thought of Harmony as he stroked his brown beard.
Abijam had been aware of Harmony's flirtatious nature, but it didn't diminish his fondness for her. He hoped she was flirting because he had feelings for her, but Abijam couldn't rule out the possibility that it might simply be her natural charm.
"I'm back!" Harmony greeted with a cheerful tone.
"Arieshell's missing?" asked Echo.
"Do we know her whereabouts?" inquired Jasper.
"Not exactly," replied Ambudhi.
"We should announce Arieshell's disappearance to the merpeople," suggested Jewel.
"No! It will scare them," Ambudhi expressed.
"We don't have any other choice," replied Jewel.
The ocean appeared tranquil, with a sense of truce emanating from its seemingly never-ending expanse. No sound, bubbles, or signs of life were present, as if the waters were lulled into a peaceful sleep.
"Everything has gone quiet," said Abijam as he looked at his surroundings.
"As if the ocean and everything had stopped to listen in on us," proposed Bay.
"Abijam did you do something to the sea?" asked Jewel.
"No."
"Oh, why do you have to blame him? He's a good boy," Harmony pursed her lips.
"Harmony! Please focus," instructed Bay.
"Alright, don't boss me around," she frowned and crossed her arms.
"If Abijam didn't do it. Then, who made the sea calm?" asked Jasper.
Everyone became motionless and exchanged looks before directing their attention to the king.
"Father, is the water around us silent because of your scepter?" asked Abijam.
"What you don't think-"
"Think? We know. Why are you so determined to keep your daughter's disappearance from the merfolk?" asked Jewel.
"I-"
"Because he's a coward!" exclaimed Abijam.
Surprised by what he said, Abijam put his hands to his mouth. Really? Those are the words that came to your head. Not very princely of you, Abijam.
A small giggle came behind them. They turned and saw a mermaid. She had tan skin, her hair was tied up in bronze locks, and her eyes were black like the ocean.
"Senator Echo. What's so funny?" asked Jasper.
"Well, it's just you guys are missing the point," she replied.
"What is it?" asked Bay.
"It doesn't matter if the merfolk or sea life is threatened or alarmed. We need to find the Princess, and we need to find her now!" instructed Echo.
"She's right. We need to go on land," recommended Abijam.
"We? Abijam, no one except Arieshell went on land to handle an issue the sea had a long time ago. We don't know if it is safe," Jewel said promptly.
"We will never know unless we try," Abijam reasoned.
"Know what? I should go," Ambudhi proposed.
"Father, no."
"I was the one that pushed her away. I should be the one that brings her back," He aggressively told his son.
"Then, we're both going."
"It's settled. We will make the announcement, and let's hope you get some information about Arieshell's whereabouts," declared Jewel.
Abijam and Ambudhi bid farewell as the senators paid their respects by bowing and showing honor. A large and heavy shell was lifted and tossed into the open waters of the sea. Bay, the second senator, cleared his throat and placed his lips at the thin end of the shell.
The vastness of the ocean's reverberation could be sensed by the inhabitants of the sea, from the graceful merpeople to the myriad of sea creatures that call it home. Their attention was brought to a deep voice.
"Merpeople and Sea Folk, this is an important message. The Princess, Arieshell, has gone missing. If anyone has any leads of where they last saw her, go to King Ambudhi's castle. Thank you, and long live King Ambudhi."
Sounds of merpeople in crowds came from below the mystic palace. A thin siren came swimming fast into the castle's gates.
"Halt. Stop-"
The siren managed to bypass the guards and successfully reached the throne room.
"Your Highness-"
"Sir, they made their way into the palace and-"
King Ambudhi raised his hand and gestured for the mermaid to speak. She swam closer to him. The guard lowered his spear.
"Thank you, your majesty."
"You came here in a rush. I assume you have information about the Princess's whereabouts?" he asked.
"Yes!" the mermaid nodded.
Ambudhi called over a great white shark and instructed it to fetch the Prince. The shark didn't hesitate and swam past the mermaid in one big wave.
A minute later, Abijam's voice filled the throne room with excitement. His vivid and bright blue tail splashed the water up and down like an energetic puppy. Abijam's eyes sparkled with the bliss of happiness.
"I heard we have leads on her whereabouts," he stated.
"Yes, this young lady here says she has some," Ambudhi replied, pointing in the woman's direction.
Abijam excitedly looked at her with big brown eyes causing the woman to giggle.
"I saw her trapped in a fish net. I was wary to tell you because I wasn't sure if it was the Princess," she replied.
The king thought for a moment. "It's possible that your mind tricked you into thinking you saw Arieshell, but how would you mistake the Princess?"
"Now I know it was her, and I didn't want to cause an uproar if she had gone off for a swim."
"Hmm. You do have a point," replied Ambudhi.
"But, I did see the boat. It was brown and large," the mermaid declared.
"Do you have any idea which direction it went?" asked Abijam.
"No, but I did hear a man's voice calling out, "Set the sails for France!" She replied.
Ambudhi nodded. He thanked the woman and had two guards escort her out of the place. Ambudhi looked at his son.
"Abijam, I think we might have to go on land."