CHAPTER TWO (1): THE SHADES ARE DRAWN
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The following days seem like years as the Water Court is left reeling from the kidnapping of Princess Alanni. Crown Prince Alcandor spends most of it in a haze of disbelief as he contends with the fact that his baby sister is now missing from not only his house but also his heart. He cries multiple times a day thinking about the fear she must have as she had been taken from her family’s side.
As time slowly moves on from the scandal of the missing child, people forget about the young Princess entirely. Including what feels like his entire family. Many years in the future, he will realize this as the warning sign it was. But Prince Alcandor feels the pain like it was just yesterday, even as months and years pass.
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Years later, his cousin Alec angrily swims toward Crown Prince Alcandor in the Court hallways. “I don’t know what it is that you’re pulling, cousin, but I refuse to see it happen! I REFUSE to follow him as my King”
He tenses up, not understanding what his cousin is talking about. “Alec, what are you talking about? I am your future King.”
Alec gives him a piercing look before darkly laughing at his naive older cousin. “You don’t even know?” He huffs before boring his eyes into Alcandor's. “My mother is trying to rally behind my eldest brother, Alvon, as the new King. She wants him to dethrone your mother.”
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Alcandor turns around and yells at the walls before looking at Alec again. “Are you sure?!” His breath hitches at the thought of his aunt trying to replace him and his mother in one swoop. “I didn’t realize that she hated us so much.”
“It isn’t you so much as it was her sister, the Queen, advocating for her baby daughter over her, the Queen’s sister’s adult children.” Immediately after saying this, Alec cringes at Alcandor’s narrowing eyes and angry face. “I don’t believe it though! I still think you’re the best option for our next King!”
Alcandor’s eyes narrow even further. “If that’s the case, cousin, I’m giving you one of my medallions that you WILL wear from here on out.”
Alec’s eyes widen before he nods his head in agreement. “I’m fine with that. Oh! Also, some random Merrow female is waiting in your study.” Alcandor nods and starts making his way over to the room.
As he does, he has a very sickening thought: what if his Aunt and her aide were behind the kidnapping? Almost immediately, he banishes the thought from his head. His aunt wouldn’t be so shameful to kidnap a baby. Or would she... He tries to shake the thought out of his head again, but it maliciously lingers in the back of his head.
The minute he arrives at his study, he takes a deep breath in and then goes into the room. But the minute he enters, all the breath leaves his body as he looks upon a very beautiful Merrow female and a very handsome Merrow male.
The Merrow female looks up and smiles gorgeously at him. “Hello, Prince Alcandor. My name is Killigan and I have a proposition for you.”