The corridor leading to Serena's room is unusually quiet despite the activity bustling throughout the palace for the impending wedding. Only one day remains, and she has yet to find anything of note to expose the Aquilus family.
Rodion, of course, was hardly any help after Prince Oceanus begrudgingly brought her back to him. Rodion was more concerned with nagging her ears off than inquiring after the reason for her prolonged disappearance. So she's completely on her own with this one.
Not that that thought gives her any comfort. Especially given her current surroundings.
Her gaze flits about the corridor, which has been dimmed for whatever reason. And the absence of any palace staff truly makes her current predicament all the more unnerving. She hasn't seen Lord Hallmar or Lady Delmara, not since yesterday, but she doesn't know if she should be grateful or concerned. As happy as she would be knowing that Lord Hallmar had given up his pursuit, somewhere inside she knows that this isn't the case. His persistence is unyielding, and determination unbelievable. He wouldn't give up so easily, and yet not knowing is what's most terrifying about it all.
The little floating orbs provide meager light in the hall. Though these lights should be radiantly bright during this time. They aren't this low unless it were still dark out, which obviously isn't the case given the annoyingly bright light that filtered in through her window this morning. More of Aaralyn's efforts to rouse her from sleep that she wished not to leave.
Yet Aaralyn was the only servant she saw today, and no one else. The corridor has basically been abandoned.
A sudden bit of movement in her right peripheral immediately has her turning her head to a pillar casting a shadow on the wall behind it. She slowly moves towards it, despite every attempt of her body to reject the action and flee. However, upon circling the pillar, she finds nothing. Just blank, empty space. No sinister beings here.
Nevertheless, the alarms going off in her chest and head say otherwise. They're literally screaming at her to leave immediately, but there's no obvious danger to run from. It's just her in the corridor and no other.
And yet...
"Serena..."
She freezes. As far as she can tell, no one should be in this corridor. But the creepy voice singing her name from the shadows says otherwise.
"Come to me..."
The voice, she realizes, sounds male, and has such a beautiful tone to it that she doesn't even notice when her body stops responding to her. Her mind is suddenly lost in a haze of thought and action. Briefly she snaps out of it long enough to notice what's happening, but there's little to be done about it at this point.
She's already been ensnared, and the stranger realizes it as he finally materializes from the shadows whilst still singing that sinister melody.
A smirk appears on Lord Hallmar's face as he swims forward and slips a pair of fingers under her chin to tilt her head up. The youthful visage of his everlasting beauty does nothing for the malicious glint in his teal eyes as he tightly grasps her chin. But she can't even wince or grimace to express her discomfort as she once again loses herself to the tempting haze incited by that song.
And then he says with a triumphant smile on his face, "At long last. You put me through quite a bit of trouble you bothersome girl." He chuckles. "You should have kept your fins out of it, and now you know too much." His pupils narrow into slits as a set of fangs take shape within his mouth, much likes the way Pelagios's had during his battle with the siren.
"Oh please say you are going to kill her father!" Delmara says excitedly as she appears from somewhere farther down the corridor not even moments after her voice reached them.
However, Lord Hallmar chortles under his breath as he studies Serena's face. "I am afraid not, my pet. Lord Proteus wants this one alive and unharmed. You will have to content yourself with the mere knowledge that she no longer poses a threat to you."
Not that Lady Delmara is satisfied with this answer as she releases a rather inelegant noise of discontent.
The fear begins to pool in her chest, and quickly switches into full on panic mode. Yet try as she might, her body refuses to obey her, and even trying to gain control of her mind seems to be a struggle. She's only heard of such a thing just once and that was a few months back when she was still newly arrived to this new oceanic world. She had been swimming and chatting with Princess Arcelia when the Princess decided it would be prudent of her to warn her of some of the sea's more concerning dangers. One such being a particular kind of song that any merperson could sing. It's something of a siren song, just not as potent. Typically a siren's song would produce an everlasting effect on its victim whereas a normal merperson could only enthrall that person for a certain amount of time.
But never did she think that this song could be used on merpeople themselves. Although she quickly reminds herself that she's not a merperson, and the humanistic qualities still shine through her outer appearance. Then again, she never thought to inquire any further on the topic given the discomfort she felt at knowing about the mere possibility that she could come into contact with such a dangerous being.
However, a simple recollection from months ago is the least of her problems as her gaze refocuses on the face staring back at her with not a single good intention to be found.
"Now then, be a good girl and sleep for a while..." His voice falls out of focus as she loses complete control over her mind. The darkness fades into her vision as her sense of awareness disappears along with her sight...
-
When next she awakens she finds herself in a place filled with darkness. An unpleasant muggy smell greets her nose as she squints in the darkness in an effort to find out where she has been stashed away. However, the only thing she's able to make out is a set of solid steel bars in front of her, and cold, hard stone behind her.
Something heavy constricts the base where her tail meets the fin. Upon feeling around the area, she discovers a cuff made of a foreign metal connected to a chain that she traces all the way back to the wall.
She tries to stand, but quickly realizes that her pitiful lack of strength prevents her from doing so. Despite how strongly her tail propels her through the water, her poor physical capabilities seem to catch up to her in this instance.
A particularly cold chill happens to blow through the enclosed space right then. She shivers as a result. Merpeople's bodies are usually capable of adapting to the temperatures of the ocean, but may hap the lack of light prevents hers' from doing so. The darkness unnerves her, and as a result, her body refuses to adapt to the temperatures surrounding her. Instinctively, she wraps her arms around herself and tries to bring her tail closer to maintain some form of warmth. Yet that proves futile as the heavy cuff keeps her from moving it much.
Briefly does she wonder as to how long she has been here, but quickly gives up on the thought. The lack of anything resembling a method to tell the time discourages that thought, but if she has to guess she figures that it's at least been a few hours. Although, now that she thinks more on it, panic quickly begins to set in. The wedding is tomorrow, but she's locked behind bars in god knows where! There's no way she's stopping a wedding, let alone getting out of here, and the hopelessness of the situation sets in as more pessimistic thoughts filter in her head.
Suddenly, a flood of light filters into her dark little world from above, and she's temporarily too blinded to effectively study the silhouette standing in the middle of it.
"Ah, so the sleeping beauty has awakened at last!" A scowl appears on her lips quite quickly once her eyes adjust well enough to see that it's Lord Hallmar sitting in the doorway. There's another figure behind him, wrapped in shadow with no discernible features, and yet the malice they emit is enough to send her reeling backward. Or at least she would if her tail was free to allow her more movement.
The shadow then asks, "So this is the girl?"
To which Lord Hallmar replies, "Indeed, it is. Acquiring her was something of a challenge. The royals seem intent on maintaining the safety of her and her foolish brother."
"That is of little concern now. What matters is that your daughter succeeds in her own task, and gain control of the throne. What becomes of the royals after the fact, our lord has left completely to your own discretion."
"And for that I am grateful, but what of this one?" Lord Hallmar inquires as he points a casual finger over in her direction.
The shadow looks at her briefly before replying, "Lord Proteus wants her and her brother alive. They are entirely off limits to you and yours'."
"Of course. Well, now that we have established that I have safely imprisoned her, let us retire to a more cheerful setting."
At the prospect of being left in the dark, Serena begins to shout, "Hallmar! You cannot simply keep me here like this!"
But this statement only proves to amuse him as he releases a loud chuckles and says, "I do not intend to keep you here forever, little one. I just need you out of the way, so that everything goes according to plan tomorrow." He grins wickedly before he and the shadow leave through the door once more.
"Hallmar!" She shouts in a tone full of anguish, but it's useless as it the light abruptly disappears and her calls fall on nothing but the silence of her prison. A silence that encroaches upon her like the endless darkness, and steals from her all remnants of any hope she may have had leaving that pessimistic voice inside her head to do its damage.
At most, her brother may notice her absence. That thought alone serves to give her just a tiny speck of hope. After her disappearing act yesterday, her brother's been inclined to ask after her whereabouts for the duration of the day. I suppose having overprotective older brothers have its perks sometimes...
And in addition to Rodion, Princess Arcelia may become concerned as to her whereabouts as well. Usually at some point in the day Serena would spend an hour or two with the princess doing anything and everything. Whether it be roaming about the palace gardens or searching for sweets in the kitchens. But it's all a matter of when would they notice her absence.
Although, for whatever reason she wonders if Prince Oceanus would notice her disappearance. He doesn't usually actively seek her out unless the mood strikes him, and that in itself is a rare occurrence so it's usually her seeking him out from time to time. But would he notice? She doesn't really think he cares much for her presence, nor did she. At least that's what she says while a strange feeling in her chest says another.
All of a sudden she's interrupted from her inner thoughts by the clearing of a voice.
"Is someone there?" She calls into the darkness in a quiet voice.
"Ah, so I was right then. It is you Lady Serena." Pelagios! A grin spreads across her face at the familiar voice, and a flood of relief engulfs her at not being completely alone.
"Where have you been?! Do you have any idea how worried we were when you never returned?!" She asks angrily as she becomes more relaxed in her current situation.
"Forgive me. No sooner had I chased off that bloodthirsty beast then I found myself becoming privy to bits and pieces of a most peculiar conversation after following her."
"What kind of conversation?"
"Mainly the plot to dethrone Aquaria's royal family at the wedding being spoken by Lord Hallmar himself. Unfortunately his associate was able to sense me which led to my capture and imprisonment here."
"The wedding is tomorrow! How are we going to get out of here and stop it then?!"
"Worry not, my Lady, I have a plan for that..."
-
Sorry this is late, but here you are! I've been putting more of my energies into Inkitt as of late and I started my classes last week. Updates may be slow going since I have classes for the entire week, and I get homework in nearly all of them so bear with me here. The story is beginning to draw to a close so I'm trying to wrap it up so I can start the next book. In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did please be sure to vote, comment, and follow! Have a good Labor Day weekend!