Destan slammed the heavy doors open, a jarring noise startling the servants. The Diamond King sat at the edge of a long, rectangular table, his fingers coated with slime from his food.

"What do you want now?" his father deadpanned.

Destan's fury nearly boiled over. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you lie about my mother?" With each word, he got closer to his father, his voice trembling with barely-contained rage.

The King stood up, his eyes narrowing as he towered over the table. "Your mother was a common whore. She was nothing."

"She was of noble blood!" Destan growled, his fists clenched at his sides. "The sister of the Emerald Queen!"

"A whore, nothing more. She gave herself to everyone, even the despicable human," he snarled, his voice sharp enough to cut through the tension. His hand gripped the scepter, which held an ancient diamond, as though it gave him the authority to crush Destan's defiance.

Destan's knuckles whitened as he struggled to steady his breath. "Call off the war, Father."

The King sneered. "No. I've gone this far, and I'm not willing to back down. This war is necessary," he declared, motioning for a servant to secure a piece of armor over his chest. "You wouldn't understand."

"What is it, Father, that you have against the Emerald Kingdom?" the prince demanded stiffly, his voice like ice.

"They took everything from me," the King muttered, his voice low but brimming with bitterness. "The Emerald Queen was supposed to be my wife, not her idiot sister. I will take everything from their offspring." He turned to Destan, his expression a cruel mockery of warmth as he extended his hand. "Come with me and fight against them once more. We will defeat them."

Destan's glare deepened. "No."

The King's brow furrowed, his expression darkening. "Why not?"

"You're asking me to kill my cousin, take his kingdom, and rule next to someone who unjustly banished my mother because he loved her sister? I won't fight alongside you, Father. In fact, I will fight you."

The King's frown melted into a sinister laugh, one that echoed throughout the chamber and sent shivers down the spines of the servants. "Guards, lock him in the dungeons. Don't let him out until I return."

Destan tensed, his hand instinctively finding the hilt of his sword. He glanced toward the approaching guards, their burly frames casting long shadows against the walls.

"We're sorry, Your Royal Highness," one of them said, their voices tinged with regret. "But it's the King's orders."

"Over my dead body," Destan snarled, drawing his blade in a single fluid motion. The metallic ring of steel echoed in the hall, freezing the guards in their tracks.

The first guard lunged, spear aimed at Destan's midsection. He sidestepped with precision, parrying the attack and delivering a swift strike to the shaft of the spear, splintering it in two. The second guard charged, his massive arms swinging a mace, but Destan ducked low, sweeping the guard's tail out from under him.

The clash of metal and grunts of exertion filled the room as Destan fought with the ferocity of a cornered beast. He disarmed the first guard with a calculated twist of his wrist, sending the man's weapon clattering to the floor. The second guard managed to grab Destan by the shoulder, but the prince spun around, his elbow smashing into the guard's jaw and sending him reeling backward.

Panting, Destan stood amidst the chaos, his sword pointed at the guards who now hesitated to advance. "You'll have to do better than that," he hissed.

The King watched from the doorway, his expression unreadable. "You've made your choice, boy," he said coldly before turning and swimming away.

***********

"Ren, what are you doing?" Morgan said when he saw her begin to wrap pieces of seaweed around her body.

"Disguising myself. I'm not stupid, Morgan. I know trouble when I see it, and I'm not willing to stand by and watch Kai get himself killed," she murmured as she wrapped seaweed around her head.

Morgan glanced at her, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Morgan?"

"Yes?"

"Does Kai have an army of his own?"

Morgan's features brightened. "Of course! I must send a message to them!" he spoke as his fingers slipped inside his pack, pulling out a seashell to write a message. Ren continued to wrap herself, her thoughts drifting toward Kai. Nearly a month ago, she was stranded at sea, with a body that the anemic would envy. She never thought that mermaids even existed.

Something glinted, revealing a swordfish. Her eyes widened at the sight. Morgan, however, seemed calm as he tied the shell around its beak before the swordfish swam away.

"Th-that wa-was a swordfish," she stammered, her mouth gaping.

Morgan shrugged. "I can communicate with animals."

Ren facepalmed herself. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The witch's eyebrows furrowed. "You never asked. I never saw it as relevant information."

"This could prevent the war!"

**********

"The Diamond army is approaching the defenseless King and his brother," a dark figure said.

"Good," a sinister voice echoed through the walls. "The Diamond King will take the Emerald Kingdom."

"You will bring the seven kingdoms to their knees," the figure said reverently.

"And I will become a god once again. The ocean will be mine," the voice laughed. A laugh so sinister that the surrounding coral crumbled to dust.

"Yes, my lord Poseidon."