It had been days since I'd stumbled upon the truth about my mother. Or, rather, the woman I thought was my mother. She was my aunt, my real mother's sister. The revelation had sent a tremor through everything I believed, and I was constantly on edge, anxiously awaiting Torrance's return from his latest mission. Eight days. It had only been eight days since he left, but it felt like an eternity. I craved his presence, his strength, his… everything. I needed him.
I was striving to maintain a semblance of peace and normalcy within the castle walls, but Wilson, my ever-observant, ever-loyal head bodyguard, saw through my charade. He noticed the shadows under my eyes, the forced smile, the way I jumped at the slightest sound. He tried to reassure me, offering platitudes and quiet support, but it was no use.
Every night, the nightmares came. They weren't just dreams gone awry; they felt… ominous, like warnings whispered on the wind. Ever since I found out the truth, Sleep had become a torment. Exhausted, emotionally drained, and teetering on the brink of burnout, I collapsed onto the balcony overlooking the moonlit gardens.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the sterile environment of the medical ward. A small weight pressed against me, and I turned to see Athenia, her blue eyes wide with concern, clinging to my arm.
"Athenia?" I whispered, my voice raspy. "Ms. Isabella… are you alright?" she mumbled, her tiny hand tightening its grip.
I managed a weak nod, slowly sitting up. Wilson stood nearby, his expression a mask of concern, and Grayson was by his side. But where was Torrance? He had left with Grayson.
"Torrance sent me back after Athenia called," Grayson explained, his voice gentle but firm. "He got caught up in a mission, but he wanted to guarantee your safety."
I nodded, trying to process the information. Athenia slipped off the bed and hurried away, presumably to raid the kitchens for cookies with Elana.
"What happened?" Grayson asked, his gaze unwavering. "Athenia was terrified."
"I know… just… stress and nightmares," I mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
"I understand. Torrance filled me in on some of it. We're trying to track your mother." He offered a reassuring smile, but my heart sank further.
"But…?" I asked, sensing the unspoken words hanging in the air.
"We couldn't find your aunt or father. They've been off the radar since October."
"WHAT?!" Panic surged through me, cold and sharp. My father and aunt, who had embarked on a grand tour last year, had been unreachable for months. Oh God.
"I-I can't believe it," I sobbed, the dam of suppressed emotions finally breaking. My father was gone.
"We're looking into it," Grayson said quietly, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "Last we found them, they were near the Rival Sea."
The Rival Sea… The name echoed through the chambers of my heart. The forbidden place. I'd heard whispers, legends passed down through generations, tales of a treacherous realm created by Poseidon to prevent mortals from entering his domain. I had always believed it was just a myth, a cautionary tale. But now…
I sniffled, wiping away the tears that streamed down my face. "Can I have some time alone?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Grayson nodded, squeezing my arm once more before leaving the room.
I reached for my phone, my fingers trembling, and created a group chat with my brothers: Ace, Jacob, James, and Mason.
QueenBella: Guys, I need you all to read this. It's important.
Silence. Then, almost simultaneously:
WingKingJames: What's up, Izzy? Everything okay?
ElementMason: This better be good, Isabella. I'm in the middle of inventory.
MysticJacob: Spill, Bells. You're stressing me out.
SolarAce: Isabella?
I took a shaky breath and sent a picture of the diary.
QueenBella: I found Mom's diary. There's... a lot to unpack.
Another silence. Long enough to make my skin crawl.
WingKingJames: Mom kept a diary? Since when?
ElementMason: Just get to the point, Isabella.
QueenBella: Mom… wasn't our mom. Lyra, our "aunt," is actually our mother. Our real mom was Elara. She disappeared shortly after I was born.
The digital silence screamed. Then, a flurry of panicked messages.
WingKingJames: What?! Are you serious?
MysticJacob: Bella, are you sure about this? A diary could be anything.
ElementMason: Let me see the diary. Now.
QueenBella: (Sent multiple pictures). The diary entries reveal that Lyra was always jealous of Elara. She loved Dad, but he married Elara. Apparently, she sent Elara away while she was unconscious and took her place.
SolarAce: And Dad? What does he say about this?
QueenBella: Dad and Lyra disappeared last October. Their last trace leads to the Rival Sea.
ElementMason: The Rival Sea?! That's just a cursed myth!
QueenBella: Apparently not. The diary says our real mother's true father wasn't mortal, which caused huge conflict between Lyra and Elara's parents. Lyra was always jealous of Elara. The diary never reveals his name, only that he wasn't human. No one knew. No one knew if Elara or Lyra had magic or any other advantages.
WingKingJames: So, what you're saying is... Dad and Lyra potentially went to a cursed sea?
ElementMason: I'm going. I'm going to the Rival Sea.
MysticJacob: Mason, no! That's insane! We don't even know if this diary is legitimate!
WingKingJames: Yeah, Mason, think about this! We can't just run headfirst into danger.
ElementMason: I'm not leaving Mom out there! If she's alive…
SolarAce: Enough! Mason, you are not going anywhere without a plan. Jacob's right, we don't know the truth yet. And James, stop egging him on!
WingKingJames: I'm just saying, this is messed up! Someone stole our mom and our dad is potentially involved?
MysticJacob: We need to be rational. We need to figure out what's going on before we act.
SolarAce: Precisely. We raise the guards. We watch for any unusual activity in our kingdoms. Keep an eye on our borders. We keep each other informed. And if they're at the Rival Sea we will find and rescue them but we must do this together. No one goes alone. Understood?
A beat of tense silence. Then, one by one, the replies came.
ElementMason: Understood.
WingKingJames: Fine. Understood.
MysticJacob: Understood.
QueenBella: Understood. Thank you, Ace.
The anger and the hurt still burned, but under Ace's calm leadership, a sliver of hope flickered. We were a mess, a fractured family reeling from a lifetime of lies. But we were a family. And we would face this together. The Rival Sea, the secrets, the truth – we would find it all.