Inside room three, Amber and Mermaid were seated at the dining table with covered plates each in front of them. They opened their plates and Amber gasped at the sight of what was inside her plate. What she found was potato peels neatly diced. Looking from her plate to Mermaid’s she found potato meat in hers. Why would Mermaid eat the potato insides and feed her the peels she wondered, eyeing Mermaid who in turn was observing her closely. “Eat,” Mermaid commanded and Amber shook her head in refusal. “You must eat so that you can be strong. Your mother did not tell you that?” “My mother never fed me potato peels,” Amber said simply. “I don’t know what you take me for but I eat potato meat just like you” “I won’t tell you to eat again,” Mermaid said impatiently and for the first time, Amber lost her patience. “I never asked to be here” she retorted, annoyed at the situation. “Will you punish me if I don’t? Would that be right?” Mermaid sighed. “I won’t punish you. And that’s becaus
With the brightness of the day on their side, the villagers were gathered at the square inside the King’s palace with the King dominating the crowd. Isis was weeping beside him with Rhea consoling her. Soldiers, led by Arnold began to ride out of the square with the villagers looking confused. As if on cue to offer explanations, the King began to address them. “My people, I greet you all and welcome you once more to your palace. Now we all know how stealing is discouraged in Upland. And today, it saddens me to announce that a valuable piece of an emerald necklace has been stolen from Isis’s home. And injury to one?” “Injury to all” the people responded. “Good. It was gifted to her by her dear late husband who was a great commanding soldier. That emerald must be found. Hence, while we all remain here, the soldiers have permission to ransack everyone’s home for the emerald. The culprit will be imprisoned as required by the law only to be released with a fine twice as much as the pric
The day was bright and fair in Underland. Mermaid and Amber stood before door three inside the corridor. Mermaid opened it and stepped inside, Amber coming to stand beside her with a gaping mouth in her surprise at what the room held. Not that it was particularly strange but it was unexpected because they were inside a room full of stacked boxes of varying sizes and colors that ranged from tiny to the biggest. The biggest was about 50 by 30 inches while the smallest was about 10 by 10 inches. The boxes were simple and plain, the kind that could blend anywhere, except for the mermaid drawing on top of the boxes which could probably set them apart. “This is the room of treasures” Mermaid explained. “You will pick only one and that, you will return home with” “Conditional?” “Yes, because there is a way to open any of them. Counting from the day of your return, you will open it on the seventh day. Only the patient and obedient will be blessed. Now, make your choice.” Amber scanned th
During the early hours of the morning, Amber was taken by Arnold to see her mother. Arnold went to Miriam’s cell and greeted her. “Someone is here to see you.” He said. She looked curiously to find Amber rushing towards her and they were separated by the bars of iron but they could hold hands through the open holes offered by the bars and they both cried from the happiness of seeing each other again. Eventually, the news went around that Amber had returned. It was after the King made her sit before the town crier who wrote down her story. Amber told a tale of how she had been forced to look for Isis’s bowl during the storm, how she had fallen inside the river and couldn’t remember anything except waking up at some shore in the forest where she had to survive and find her way home after she was helped by a hunter who pointed her to the right path. The story was believed and the King summoned Isis concerning Amber’s accusation about being made to go out in the night during the storm
The following day was the 4th day after Underland. Amber woke up to her duties in Isis’s home. She went from early morning coffee serving to cleaning and cooking and dish-washing at the river. When she was done, she moved close to the bank of the river, her thoughts on Mermaid. “Where are you?” she murmured. “I don’t think I have any friends. Maybe Arnold but he yelled at me. I feel so alone. I need to free my mother. She is innocent.” The water didn’t twirl as Amber was hoping. Maybe she was hoping too much. After all, Mermaid was done with her and they had parted on good terms. Amber found she could not bring herself to accept that fact. “Mermaid,” she called out several times in a louder voice but with silence, she gave up, carried her basin of washed dishes, and returned to Isis’s house. She was surprised to find Arnold leaving on his horse. He paused when he saw her at the gate and dropped from the horse. Amber paused and watched him approach her. “They told me you were at th
In turmoil and fright, Amber whipped open the door and fled down the walkway toward the gates. She had no destination in mind but the second she exited the gate, only one place came to her mind. Hence, her running feet led her straight to the dock at Isis's waterfront. Given the location of Isis's home, no one was in sight. She grabbed stones from the ground and threw them into the river as though she was throwing them directly at someone. “Come out and talk to me” she cried in her desperation and helplessness. As she threw the stones, she was speaking constantly. “You said you have extended your hand of friendship to me Mermaid and I know that you’re in there and you hear me.” Amber paused, panting from all the throwing even as there was no sign of Mermaid. “What kind of a friend are you?” she asked, allowing tears to roll down her face. “I am in trouble. Always in trouble. I need money. You know what I need it for.” Following the silence, Amber grabbed more stones. As she was
Waking up to a tremendous surprise was the last thing that Amber and her mother expected the following day. Miriam had emptied the box of coins into a bag and the moment she replaced the box on the floor, it became filled with money again in the same organized format. Miriam called Amber's attention and emptied the box's new content into the bag. As she put the box back on the ground it became filled again with money, arranged in all the denominations as before. Both of them were staring jaw dropped at the box of treasure and then getting over the surprise, they embraced each other. Overjoyed, they could barely contain their excitement. Finally, they gave up holding back or attempting to control their excitement and screamed for joy, rejoicing as people with all the happiness in the world. Later, Amber and Miriam were at an abandoned half-cleared land. It was about a couple of plots, fenced with wooden sticks for a boundary and they both stood outside its gates admiring it. A sign
It was the auction day which was held inside the ballroom at the palace. Musicians were playing as the guests socialized and made small talk. The guests were highly placed in society and it showed in their appearances. The women were in colorful, flowing, elegant vintage evening dresses and glittering accessories. The men on the other hand were in well-tailored outfits. Isis and Rhea were there, relaxed like every other guest as they sipped their cocktails, and engaged in a conversation with Arnold. At the high table though, were seated the King and Queen who were chatting as they observed the crowd and the ballroom wall clock which proudly displayed the time as seven noon. The town crier came to stand beside the King who nodded at him, indicating for him to go ahead and so he rang a bell to gain everyone's attention. “Settle down great people of Upland.” He said and the people began to occupy the seats which had been arranged to face the throne. About four chairs were arranged a