"Then why are you still living? Anyways, it's already soo late, I need to be with my Merrill," she said with an increased pitch in her voice.

"Hehehe, payback time," Dariyah said with an enigmatic smile on her face and dark glint in her eyes. Kaia couldn't see this because Dariyah had her back to her.

She relaxed her weight on the wall and watched as her friend bent down and picked her mirror from the floor. Satisfied that it didn't break, Dariyah gently placed it on the table in her room.

"Dariyah, are you listening to me?" Kaia asked.

"Not after you frightened me like that."

"Come on, you were late that's why I did that."

"Well I need to calm my pounding heart before I can help you princess."

"Okay I would give you what you want, just come, let's go," she said impatiently.

Princess Kaia was already frustrated as it was, she had barely two hours to spend with her beloved before her mum starts looking for her, but her friend thought it was a good opportunity to pay her back.

"Urrrgghhh! Dariyah... You're such a pain in the neck."

"You would give me anything?" She asked her friend.

One could see the mischievous smile in her big round eyes. At that moment, Kaia knew she made a big mistake, her friend could ask for the impossible sometimes, if given the opportunity.

One time when they were younger, Dariyah had asked for a beautiful flower from her queen's personal garden, in exchange for keeping a secret from her mother. As stupid as she was, she attempted to take it, but was caught by her aunt.

Luckily for her, her aunt Marin, didn't report to her mother, Queen Marceline. In exchange, they got the scolding of a life time.

"Not anything Dariyah! You know you ask for the near impossible" she said rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Okay I would not. Would think of something you can get me."

"Gee, one would have thought you'd say what are friends for."

"Hehehe, joking. You know I love to distract the guards so much. Anything for you. Anyways let's hurry, you do not want to keep Merrill waiting do you?"

"Thanks."

With that they swam out of the house towards their destination.

They met Merrill on their way and the trio continued on their journey together. When they got close to their meeting place, a familiar voice called her name loud. "Kaia!" The three of them froze in place like someone had caught them red-handed while they were stealing something.

Kaia's upper body bent forward, with her fins bent to her back and both hands raised a fraction to her bosom.

She had two guesses, one was her mother and the other her aunt. Her mother and aunt both had similar voice, it was hard to differentiate between both the voices especially when they were angry.

She hoped it would be the latter, if not how was she ever going to explain where she was going, to her mother. All three of them slowly turned to face the owner of the voice.

"Kaia, where... " She was cut off before she could complete her speech.

"Aunt Marin!" Kaia yelled and rushed to hug her aunt, ignoring the two mermaid warriors by her side.

The two of them bowed their head to greet her. "Princess Kaia."

Both Merrill and Dariyah bowed to greet Kaia's aunt. "Greetings Princess Marin" they chorused.

"How are you Dariyah and umm... " she paused when she noticed the unfamiliar face.

She let go of Kaia from her embrace and arched her brows at her niece. "Hehehe, he is my friend. His name is Merrill," she grinned widely.

"Really now... Merrill, nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine your Highness."

"So where were you three headed?"

"Just strolling round and enjoying the ocean."

"That's nice Kaia."

"What about you aunt?"

"Well we just returned and I was doing a sweep of the area, you know, just the usual."

"Any news from the surface?"

She leaned in and whispered in her niece's ear, "We still haven't gotten hold of the hybrid. The good thing is that, neither have the elves, but they have their forest guarded and swamped full of soldiers."

"Really? How is mum taking it?" She whispered back.

"Not so well I hear. Anyway you should head back now. You three shouldn't wander around so much, the ocean can be dangerous."

"We won't," she replied her aunt quickly.

"By the way... "

"Aunt, come teach me the fifth stage of my water control," Kaia said quickly cutting her short.

She tried her best to drive the discussion away from herself and friends, least her aunt figured out what they were doing.

"Not now dear. Maybe tomorrow, it's my day off, now go have fun. I would one last sweep and return to your mum's side."

"Alright, take care."

"You too. Be careful out there" she turned and swam away with the mermaids.

"We will" Dariyah shouted after her.

"Phew!! That was a close call" Kaia said slagging her shoulders.

"Yeah, let's hurry before someone else catches us," Dariyah urged her friend.

"Let's go dear," Merrill said holding Kaia's hand, and they left.

------------------------

~Human Kingdom – Princess Cyrena's Chambers~

"So, Mrs. Greg I am staking a lot to help you, so I need you to be clear and tell me all you know, alright?"

"Yes Princess."

"Good."