The haven is a trap

        Breakfast in the dining hall of 'the regal II' was engrossed in silence. Roland sat at the head of the table, not speaking at all. Cornelia, on the other end of the table, tried to keep her mouth full in order to avoid any questions. Zephyra, on the other hand, was dying to tell the truth that had been bugging her since the last night. Bailewick just stood next to the king; watching, waiting.

       "Father." Zephyra started. "I have to tell you..."

        "Zephyra," Bailewick interrupted. "Mind your manners. This is a dining room."

        "But I..."

        "Whatever you have to say can wait." Bailewick said, giving Zephyra a look that said 'stop trying'

        "I just wanted to say that..."

        "We're here." The voice of the captain echoed, stopping Zephyra's words.

        The king immediately stood up on his feet and walked out of the room, arm in arm with his queen.

        "Zephyra, are you trying to get yourself in trouble?" Bailewick asked as she stood up from her seat.

        "I have to tell Father the truth." Zephyra said. "It wasn't James's fault."

        "James was punished for a mistake which he made years ago."

        "But this time it was my fault."

        "No, it's not. If anything, he should be grateful because the only reason he was allowed yo stay in the castle or even consider this trip was because of your persuasion. Now forget that this ever happened and leave future deciding to me, if you would please."

        Without another word, Bailewick went through the door, too.

         Zephyra watched him walk out of the room like they didn't just have that conversation. And for the first time ever, she felt good about what she had done. Like it was all for the best.

        She wore a smile on her face (a faint one, hardly noticeable) and followed Bailewick out of the dining hall, down a flight of stairs and through the double doors out unto the main deck.

        Struggling to look over the crowd of shoulders, zephyra managed to catch a glimpse of the huge stone castle that was pronounced the haven of knowledge: the largest library in Aethlegard It towered twice as high as the castle in Fantascia and was almost three times as wide. It stood on a small island, surrounded by trees and gardens and, at the edges, rock.  All that or the storage of books.

        "This entire castle is just for storing books?" Zephyra asked

        "It also contains some living areas, a kitchen, and a dining room for those who would like to stay while searching for a book." The captain explained.

        "With that information, I'm guessing we are going to be here a while." Roland said. "Bailewick, pack our bags and bring them in after us."

        The regal II stopped at the dock, and the captain immediately tied it in place while the royal family got off the ship. They walked through the arched doorway into the large reception room.

      "Let's go find our rooms, shall we?" Cornelia said. She held Roland's hand and dragged him up the stairs with her. Zephyra followed excitedly.

     The captain didn't go. He instead turned into a hallway and walked through it for a few ten metres until he reached the voyage section of the library where all the books on ships and water travel were stored.

        Rodrick didn't search. He didn't need to. All he needed was placed in a safe on a table in the centre of the room.

        Many years, I have waited for this day, he thought. For this opportunity. Well, here we are.

        The captain had been taking detours on voyages to come here, all for that safe. That safe contained the captain Rodriguez's journal. Many attempts, he had made to get that safe open. But it all seemed impossible. Until now.

        The key had been in his possession all along. Handed down from the first generation captain to Rodrick, the obsidian pendant.

        Rodrick took the pendant off his neck and placed it in a small dent on the safe. After a few seconds of doubt, the safe opened.

        Rodrick picked the journal from the safe and closed it again. Then he walked out of the room like he was never there.

         ++++××××××××××××××××××××++++

        "What do you mean this is a trap?" Nherisa asked. Cordelia narrowed her eyes.

                "When I woke up on the bed beside Nherisa here, I immediately noticed that she  was a sea dweller. A sea dweller within my grasp." Eric explained. "But I didn't stop there. I knew that after I got you pregnant, you would come to me on your own, and I guessed you would bring along a family member."

        "And you did this. Why?" Cordelia asked.

        "So I could have you." Eric said. "I go way back with those sea dwellers. I couldn't just capture one of them. No, we had a deal. But you two came to me on your own. The other sea dwellers don't have to know."

        "You think you can capture us? Do you think you can capture me?" Cordelia lifted her hands to prepare an attack. Her eyes glowed dangerously.

        "As a matter of fact." Eric said. "I do."

        Ropes, out of nowhere, tied themselves around Cordelia's wrists.

        The ropes glowed like they contained some kind of magic that made Cordelia lose her connection with the water.

        "No more tricks up your sleeves now, are there?" Eric smirked.

        Guards stormed inside the room in two groups of four. Four men held Cordelia, and the other four held Nherisa and dragged them towards the door.

        "The sea dwellers are waiting for you at the shore." A tall man dressed in the Fantascian armour said, entering the room without knocking. "And they brought this month's worth of gold."

        "I'll be with you in a few minutes." Eric said. He turned his gaze towards Cordelia. "The king would be so happy with me when he sees you."

        But cordelia didn't hear that. She was too busy with her thoughts.

        The vision she had where she was in a man's body. The sea dwellers bring gold to Eric. The gold that her father was killed for.

        Cordelia didn't know how, but all of these were connected. It was all one big conspiracy. And Eric. He just fell into the centre of it all.

        "Take them away!" Eric ordered in a rather calm yet dominant tone.

        He watched with a smile as the guards dragged them like thieves. He saw the look on Nherisa's face. The look on the mother of his child's face. But he didn't care.

        "Go into the village and get me the best sorcerer you can find." He said. "And do it fast."

        He walked out of the room. His mind clouded the whole time until he reached the lake. He boarded a boat that was rowed in the direction of the river, not stopping until he reached the sea. The edge of the island.

        The moon was almost up, and the village was half empty, so no one could quite recognise him.

        The sea dwellers poked their heads out of the water. Among them was one with white hair that spoke of wisdom and power without saying a word, eyes that seemed to carry the entire ocean, a crown that would be heavy if it was placed in the hands if anyone else.

       "His daughters are on to us." The king said. Although he seemed calm, there was a spark of fear in his eyes.

        "Who's daughter." Eric asked.

        "Jasper." The king said. "The one king Harold killed twenty-one years ago."

        "That rebel had daughters? And you let them stay alive?" Eric yelled.

        "They were orphaned when you, ruthless as a child, ordered that their mother should be killed."

        Eric smiled at the memory. How she was brought up to him and was slaughtered in front of him. It was scary for him. But he had to do it. It was a part of warriors training.

        "We never thought that they would pose a threat to us." The king continued. "But now they have become strong. If they find out the real truth. You have no idea what is coming for you."

        Eric's smile never wavered. He did know what was coming for him. In fact, he had them captured. But he wouldn't tell the others. They considered him their saviour, and he would like to keep it that way.

        "Where's the gold?" Eric asked.

        "We brought it with us this time." Said Seward while a few drealivs pulled a big bad of gold from the water and placed it at Eric's feet. "But if they get to find out about this, your entire operation will crumble."

        "That is what you want, isn't it?" Eric said. "To be in power. To be free."

        "What are you saying." The king argued. "You have given us equivalent of what we give you. We would never."

        "Good." Eric said. He turned to the guard that accompanied him. "Load the gold in another boat. I have business to attend to."

        He walked back to the river, leaving the sea dwellers behind, and rowed the boat back up the river, to the castle, to the dungeon where Cordelia and Nherisa were imprisoned

        He looked into Cordelia's eyes. They carried a fire in them. It brought a smile to his face that he had captured that fire and was close to dousing it.

        A tall old man dressed in a sorcerer's robe walked in. "You summoned."

        "Yes." Eric said. "You see that woman over there." He pointed towards Nherisa. "She is carrying my child."

        Eric paused. He couldn't just say it like that, so easily like it was nothing. He wouldn't want anyone to think he was heartless. But wait. He was.

        "I want you to remove the baby from her womb."

         It just came out like that.

        The sorcerer's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon."

        "You heard me. Do something. Perform magic. Transfer the baby from he belly into... I don't know, maybe a... an egg."

        "You want me to place a human baby...into an egg.?" the sorcerer stuttered.

        "Was I not clear?" Eric asked. "You are a mighty sorcerer. Or are you incapable?"

        "No, no. I can do it." The sorcerer said. "I just... I wasn't sure that was what you wanted,...sire."

        "It is what I want." So do it.

        "No! You can't do this to my child." Nherisa cried.

        "What do you want with the baby?" Cordelia said in a low voice.

        "Science, of course. And fame." Eric said. "You have no idea how much people would pay to see a sea dweller. But a child of both sea dwellers and humans? That would bring tourists from all over the world. It would place us at the top. Number one in riches, number one in tourism. It's all set."

        "My child is not a lab rat." Nherisa said.

        "That thing is mine as much as it is yours." Eric shot back.

        Wow. He just referred to his child like he was referring to an object. Nherisa said she'd a tear. The father of her child was a psychotic whatnot. She hoped her child would turn out to be nothing like him.

        "Now, get on with it." Eric said.

        With his hands trembling, the sorcerer sat on the ground by Nherisa's cell. Cordlia could only stare at those cowards. They couldn't take her head on. They hid behind magic, tying her hands together.

        If she was free, no one would dare touch Nherisa. No one would even think of touching her baby. But no. She was tied up.

        But even if she was free, would she care enough for her sister's - that human's - child. That child, for her, was a mistake made by a sister whom she had to take care of.

        "Aaagh." Nherisa's scream echoed. But Cordelia could do nothing about it. The egg formed in the sorcerer's hands. That egg carried her sister's abomination. That egg carried her sister's mistake.

        Cordelia felt the weight lift off her shoulders but fell into the void it left in Nherisa's heart.

        The spell was over. The egg was placed in Eric's hands like a trophy. Nherisa cried and cried, her tears bringing a single tear to Cordelia's eyes.

        "You did it." Cordelia said. "You monster."

        Eric laughed.

        Cordelia laughed back. "You've really done it now."

        His hands shaking just for a second, Eric looked at cordelia.

        Using her eyes, Cordelia gestured towards Nherisa.

        Eric could barely keep his eyes on Nherisa as her eyes began to glow with agony, anger, and frustration all at once.

        "You've really done it now."