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Chapter Twenty-Six
AQUARIUS IS A FORGIVING STAR SIGN
Pasha
My head is spinning from the turn of events. I’m pretty certain I’m in big trouble, and the oracle’s words are weighing heavily on my mind. It’s so important I get this right. If I don’t, Atlantis will be doomed, or at the very least, I will be.
My father holds his posture firm as he enters the castle. Maris is by my side, but I dare not glance at her. I wonder what she’s thinking? Does she hate me more than she already did?
“That’s my throne, Cyrus. Now, move,” Neptune says.
One of my dad’s men holds a dagger to Maris’s throat, and I have to fight the urge to swim towards her. She lets out a gasp, and I squeeze my fist into a ball.
“What are you doing here?” the king asks. His eyes widen, even though Ryn and I warned him this might be coming. Threatening his daughter is a low blow.
“Guards, go get my men,” my dad says. The guy with the dagger tightens his grip on Maris.
“Hold it,” the king says. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”
He moves forward but stops when Maris lets out a squeal. “You’re hurting me,” she says.
“Your reign as king is over.” My dad holds a dagger up towards the king.
“How did you work that out? This is my kingdom. It was sixteen years ago, and it still is now. You’re the outcast.”
“We have your daughter and an army outside the city waiting for my signal.”
“Why now?” The king signals for one of his guards to look outside. He moves towards the door and my dad waves the dagger towards him. The guy holds his hands up and slowly swims out of the room.
“This has been a long time in the making. When I realised your daughter might be outside Atlantis, I knew we had to try our luck. Not everyone supported your ruling sixteen years ago, and not everyone does now. The difference is, I’m in a stronger position now.”
The king’s guard returns, “He has men outside.”
If the king had listened to us, he’d have his own army ready.
One of my dad’s guards leaves the room and, using force, a few men help my dad remove the king from his chair. He struggles but he’s outnumbered as more guys swim into the room. Two other guards I’ve never seen before take the king away.
My insides are jumbled with nerves. The guards gesture me and my friends over to some seats. The guy with the dagger moves away from Maris. All we can do is sit and watch while the nightmare unfolds before our eyes.
Merfolk pledge their loyalty to my father like they’ve been waiting for this day to arrive. I can’t work out if they’re scared or actually loyal. I knew nothing of my father until I went on land because not even my mother told me the truth. The whole thing makes me feel like I’ve missed something. These mer never once offered me a helping hand for being my father’s daughter, and now he’s in power, they’re all looking at me differently. The oracle said my actions would change everything, but that doesn’t help me figure out what to do.
I’m biting my nails away by the time my mother turns up. “Neptune, this is ridiculous. Why have you come here? You’re not wanted!” she shouts.
“You were always short-sighted. I had to wait for the time to be right before I returned. Change is needed, and that’s what I’m offering. There will be no more royals. Instead, there will be a leader, me, and everyone else will be treated equally.”
“Why now?” She crosses her arms.
“I waited too long to make this day a reality, but I have Maris now. The king won’t want anything to happen to his only daughter.”
“What about the mer against you?”
“This is the uprising. We’ve stayed quiet for too long. If you’re not with me, then you can have the caves on the outskirts of the city. Atlantis will be glorious once more.”
“Come on, Pasha and Maris, we’re leaving,” my mum says.
“You have no power in here,” my dad says.
I look between them before getting up. “Do I have to stay here? Is Maris your prisoner?”
