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In the carriage, Rosabella rested her head against the cool windowpane, letting out a soft sigh. It had been ages since her Uncle Berend departed, but today, he was finally returning. Memories of the day before he left flooded her mind as she closed her eyes.
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~°•°❂ᕯᕯ✬ᕯᕯ★ᕯᕯ✬ᕯᕯ✵°•°~
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a glow across the room. A flickering candle on the desk shed its gentle light, illuminating the array of maps spread out before Berend. With intense concentration, he traced his finger over the intricate network of roads, searching for the optimal route.
Suddenly, a faint creak echoed from behind him, causing Berend to instinctively turn his head. To his surprise, standing in the doorway was his twelve-year-old niece, Rosabella. Her wide eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and mischief, but she was frowning.
“Bella, what are you doing here? You should be in bed”
“I couldn’t sleep...” She walked towards the desk.
Berend placed a hand on her head, and a warm smile braced his face, “you couldn’t sleep?”
“I was worried about you...do you have to go?”
Berend let out a small laugh, “Oh you don’t need to worry about me hun” he reassured her.
Rosebella’s frown deepened, “what if the elves and the other creatures don’t like you? What if they are mean just like the dark fairy? How do you know they won’t hate you?”
Berend’s warm smile turned into a sad one, “I don’t”. He simply said. Berend was always honest. “But I hope they won’t and are willing to hear me out”
Rosabella fidgeted with the compass, “That’s not reassuring...”
“I guess it’s not...but I promise you I will be fine”
Rosabella hugged him, “I will miss you...”
Berend returned the hug, “I will miss you too, but it’s worth it. Imagine a world where everyone is equal and one, human, fairies, elves or a hybrid it doesn’t matter”.
As Rosebella ventured through the dimly lit corridors of the ancient castle, her mind lingered on the profound words spoken by her beloved uncle. “Imagine a world where everyone is equal and united, regardless of their humanity, fairy heritage, elven lineage, or even their hybrid nature,” he had reflected earlier that evening. Rosebella couldn’t help but question the possibility of such an extraordinary vision becoming a reality.
Lost in her thoughts, Rosebella pondered the essence of her uncle’s words. Could it be possible for different races and beings to coexist harmoniously, caring long-standing divisions birthed from fear and hatred? The idea appeared both astoundingly beautiful and incredibly daunting.
As she made her way back to her room, an unnerving feeling crept upon her, as though unseen eyes were fixed upon her. Instinctively, she turned around, only to be met with the dimly lit silhouette of a boy. His eyes emitted an eerie green glow, and his purple-tousled hair added to his mysterious appearance.
“Ernesto!” Rosabella’s voice echoed through the hall, filled with a mix of frustration and concern. “What on earth are you doing, standing there like a creep?!”
Ernesto wrinkled his nose, “What are you doing a wake in this hour?!” He shouted back.
Rosebella walked towards him, “I could ask you the same question?” She smirked, “did you get lost?”
Ernesto frowned, looking the other way “yes,” he admitted stubbornly.
Rosabella held in her laughter, “Do you need help? Or is the cold prince too cold to want help?”
“I was hoping to find a servant or maid to help me...” he looked at her, “but if you are offering..”
Rosabella grabbed his hand, “It would be my greatest pleasure to help the prince of Venora.”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“...”
“Also can’t you use magic to find your way?” She asked
“No, magic doesn’t work that way...and I am not allowed to use magic outside of our castle” he spoke.
Rosabella giggled, “On really?”
“Yes, really” he pulled his hand back from her grasp.
“Why don’t you use it anyway? What’s the harm as long as you’re not harming anyone else?”
Ernesto’s face darkened, “it is not that simple”
“Off-” she rolled her eyes, “magic is such a big fuss”
“As I said it’s not simple”
“It looks simple to me, and fun”
“It’s not fun” he had a hint of anger in his voice.
“Ok come down purple lizard I was just saying what I usually see”
Ernesto stubbornly pouted at her comment, his voice hushed “Purple lizard.”
They reached a staircase, “go up there and take a turn and you will find your room.”
“Ok thanks.”
“Wait” she stopped him.
“What?”
“Is your sister, Eleanor up? I want a sleepover with her”
“I do not-” he began but, his sister came rolling down the stairs, literally.
Ernesto looked at his sister as if she was some sort of deranged lunatic, he wasn’t far off from the truth. “What on earth are you-”
Eleanor got to her feet and kicked her brother on the knee. “Ouch!“, her brother reacted, “you!“.
Eleanor smiled at Rosabella taking her hand, “Let’s go Rosabella”.
“I wanna go to!” Edward rolled down the stairs coping his sister. Ernesto was displeased, “Don’t copy that mad woman!”
“Shh~” Eleanor coaxed, “if you are this loud you might wake up the sleeping people” Her voice was sweet and melodic. Eleanor didn’t look much like her brothers, she had brown hair, in contrast to their purple.
“So can I come?...” Edward asked, still on the floor. “No, we are going to bed” Ernesto picked his younger brother by the collar, dragging him up the stairs.
“But why??” Edward cried.
“Because I said so,” he said sternly
“Goodnight, sleep tight” Eleanor waved.
“I hope you don’t sleep at all!” Ernesto’s voice comes from up the stairs.
“Don’t mind him, that’s his version of an insult”
~°•°❂ᕯᕯ✬ᕯᕯ★ᕯᕯ✬ᕯᕯ✵°•°~
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“Wake up!”
Rosabella yawned, “we are here?”
“Yes”
As they disembarked from the carriage, Ariana pointed towards a bustling commotion in the distance. “Hey, why is there such a large crowd gathering over there?” she inquired curiously. Rosabella pondered for a moment before suggesting, “I’m not entirely sure...maybe they are there to welcome Uncle Berend.” Ariana’s face lit up with excitement as she imagined her uncle’s arrival. “Do you think he has brought gifts?” she wondered aloud.
Curiosity piqued, and the two princesses made their way through the crowd, with onlookers graciously parting to create a path for them. As they inched closer to their destination, their eyes widened in astonishment. The sight that unfolded before them was nothing short of extraordinary. Anchored before them, majestically floating upon the azure waves, was the renowned silver tide. The ship, adorned with delicate carvings and adorned sails, stood as a testament to artistry and craftsmanship.
Its towering masts stretched towards the heavens, wrapped in intricately woven rigging that held firm against the gentle sea breeze. The hull, polished to a gleaming silver hue, reflected the sunlight and shimmered with an ethereal glow. From every corner, cascading cascades of delicate pearls and precious gemstones encased the vessel, glistening like stars against the midnight sky.
As the princesses took in the sight, a hush fell over the crowd, captivated by the sheer beauty of the sight before them. But their awe quickly turned to concern as they noticed an eerie emptiness aboard the ship. The normally bustling deck was desolate, void of life, and an unsettling sense of unease filled the air.
“What’s going on?” Rosebella bellowed, “Where are they?”
A fellow sailor spoke out from the crowd, “We don’t know your Highness, the ship arrived that way. Empty”
Ariana narrowed her brows, “they can’t just disappear!”
“Has anyone abraded the ship? Or investigated it?” Rosebella turned to the crowd. They all said “no”
“we haven’t princess”
“What if something terrible is in there?”
“I am scared mama”
“Are there any survivors?”
Rosabella turned her attention back to the ship and noticed, a boy about Ariana’s age near the ship. He was looking at the water concerned and shouting curses at the sea. “Who is he talking to?” She asked herself.
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“YOU CRAZY BASTARD!”
Icurus did not pay any mind to his friend and went under the hull of the ship. Breathing wasn’t a problem, he could breathe underwater. He doesn’t quite remember when he learned it, it came naturally. Now only if he had fins. He searched for the thing he saw, but it was nowhere to be seen.
“IF YOU DIE I AM NOT GOING SWIMMING TO FIND YOUR FUCKING BODY!!”
He heard it.
In the depths of the waters, a chilling and unnerving sound caressed his ears with a horrifying swiftness. As he turned his gaze, an inky black substance materialized before him, resembling the sinister form of a malevolent stingray. Its body emanated an otherworldly glow, casting an eerie hue upon the surrounding darkness. Gleaming with a haunting blue radiance, its menacing eyes pierced through the gloom, instilling a primal fear deep within his soul. Ancient markings and runes adorned its sinuous frame, their faded blue luminescence pulsating ominously with an unsettling aura.
As the supposed stingray altered its form, Icurus’s eyes widened with recognition. He knew exactly who was before him, though his memories were hazy, his mother’s image persisted. The ethereal black mist transformed, taking on the likeness of his beloved mother. Icurus trembled, unsure of how to react. The silhouette of his mother reached out and embraced him, its touch comforting yet unnerving. Softly, it spoke,
“Thou art neither siren nor human fair,
Yet fated ’twixt realms to forever be.
Blessing or bane bestowed by the ancient sea,
Marked in the annals of time, remember me”
As Icurus watched the silhouette vanished, a sudden chill gripped his entire being. The ethereal presence seemed to seep into the very depths of his skin, causing an overwhelming sense of dread. Agonizing pain radiated from his chest, but he was rendered speechless, unable to release even a single scream. Moreover, a peculiar numbness invaded his legs.
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