15: Guardian of the Sea

"Avery!" Ezra called me after I escort Katrina to her new home.

"What is it?" I asked keeping calm even though I'm irritated with her

"You see, it may sound absurd but can we return to what we used to be?" she asked

I thought for it for a second. If we return to what we used to be there's a chance, the conspiracy might be avoided but this proposal is probably just a mere façade, just like what Katrina wanted my coronation to be.

"What am I thinking? It's impossible." Ezra said and laughed unsurely and awkwardly

She looks stupid.

"Sure." I said and smiled

"Great." She said and hugged me

"You won't regret this." She said

Oh, I won't regret it but I'll make sure that you will.

"I know." I smiled and went inside the carriage.

Upon arriving at the palace, my royal guards lined up in front of me and assisted me. They went into a defensive stance when an arrow suddenly flew into my direction and pinned the end of my gown on the ground. Everyone was alerted and I couldn't smile an amusing one so I covered my mouth with my gloved hands.

They assisted me, covering me until I reached the safe ground, the throne room.

Oh my, I can't believe that they're this desperate to kill me, and to think that they tried to assassinate me just right after I met with them.

Oh my… how more stupid can they be?

"I don't like that smile of yours, Princess." A voice among my guards said while we were walking to the study room

I have matters to fix regarding the proclamation.

I looked at where the voice came from and I was surprised to see Zairo, in a knight uniform, at that.

"Zairo?" I asked surprised

"He came to visit, your highness." Knight Stephen said

"And you didn't inform me?" I asked and they all bowed their heads

"I'm sorry for the unannounced visit, Queen Patrice, it' my fault for not telling you beforehand." He said smirking and bowed in front of me

"Don't surprise me with unexpected visitors again." I told them

"Yes, your highness." They answered and I smiled

"What made you come and visit, Knight Zairo?" I asked emphasizing his title in this kingdom

"I want to visit my comrades, you highness, I do not mean any harm." He answered and I raised my brow at him and he smirked

"You've left a lot for Queen Patrice, the queen retrieved it from your room." Sir Charles said

"Oh, those were the things she tasked me to find, and some reports about the things she asked me to investigate." He answered scratching the back of his neck

"I've seen the reports and the things you've recovered, you've done a great job, Knight Zairo." I said and he smiled

"I'll be taking my leave, your highness. All hail to you, Queen Patrice." He said

"You'll be taking your leave already?" Knight Maia asked

"I only came to visit you and I just snuck out from my new work." He chuckled

'You mean being king?' I asked him through the communicator device

"Take care, man." The Knights and Sir Charles told him

I entered the study room and the four of them stationed at the four sides of the room, the knights stationed in front of the room closed the doors.

I opened the scroll where the new proclamation is written and stamped it with the royal stamp and signed it.

"Knight Zairo became more handsome, don't you think?" Knight Therese suddenly said

He did? I probably didn't notice since I often see him before and I got used to him looking different.

"Don't you think so too, Queen Patrice?" Knight Maia asked

"I don't know." I answered then I rolled the scroll after the stamp and ink dried and handed it to Sir Charles.

That's the only thing that I went here for, I only needed to finalize the proclamation I brought up in the council, I already brought it up before and it only need finalizing.

After handing it to Sir Charles, he bowed his head and left the study room.

"Knight Stephen," I called him

"Yes, your majesty?" he asked

"I entrust the monitoring of the progress to you, accompany Sir Charles." I said and he bowed

I opened my drawer and I realized that there are some documents that I need to read and give my approval to. I want to make a plan, a back-up plan for the proclamation and an emergency plan for the whole kingdom.

I stood up and looked out of the window, I can hear the trumpets and the cheers of the people from here, it must've been really loud down there.

"ALL HAIL QUEEN, PATRICE!"

A smile formed on my lips when I heard the cheers of the people.

My people…

I went back to the table and continued reading the scrolls, there are some laws that need to be reconsidered.

I just find them unfair but I need second opinion regarding the matter because at some situations, the punishment indicated in the written law is acceptable and right but at some certain circumstances, it's quite unfair for the people.

I placed the scrolls of laws I'd like to change at one side of the table then I took a vacant scroll and began writing an emergency plan.

"What is that, your majesty?" Knight Maia asked

"A plan," I answered

It's alright for me if they ask because I don't want to create a gap between me and the palace workers. At a time like this, I need their loyalty the most.

"Plan for what?" Knight Therese asked.

"A plan for the Kingdom," I said and looked at the two of them

Knight Therese and Knight Maia are several years older than I am so for sure they have some information about the tragedy that happened thirteen years ago. I want to make sure that the people will not suffer greatly and the kingdom's economy will be able to recover if ever the same tragedy more than a decade ago happens again, but I need information about it, or even a gist of what happened before to make the right emergency plan.

"I have a question." I told them

"Yes, your highness?" they replied

"How old were you when the tragedy thirteen years ago happened?" I asked them

"I was already eight, your highness." Knight Maia answered

"I was seven, your highness." Knight Therese said

"What were your memories of it?" I asked

I don't have memories about that certain time as I was merely four years of age when that happened and there wasn't any written report about it as the whole kingdom suffered gravely during that tragedy.

"If I remember correctly, your highness, more than hundreds of people were washed by the bay after that storm, homes were wrecked and there were lots of people gone missing." Knight Maia answered

"Also, livestock were either dried up or frozen. I remember my grandfather told me that the guardian of the sea expressed her wrath about the mortal's defiance against their rules." Knight Therese said

"Defiance?" I asked amusingly

"But it's just an old tale, your highness." Knight Therese brushed it off but it got me wondering

According to the book, our ancestor, the Cold Queen, was a product of a goddess and a mortal king. If that's true then what Knight Therese's grandfather said before might be true, the guardian of the sea could be expressing her wrath about mortal's defiance against their rules… wait… defiance against their rules?

"Knight Therese, do you have an idea about the Guardian of the Sea or her rules?" I asked

"The guardian of the Sea and her rules, your highness?" Knight Maia asked and I nodded

"The guardian of the Sea is said to be residing in the deepest part of the sea, undisturbed but when she's disturbed she would express her wrath by sending storms and calamities. My grandparents used to tell me before that the guardian of the Sea, once every one hundred years sends one of her descendants into the kingdoms by the sea to know what they've been doing, and if they do anything against her rules, they'll be punished greatly." Knight Maia answered

"It is also said that one of her rules include peace between the land and sea, she governs the sea and sees to it that the people who govern the land does not destroy her territory and in turn she protects the kingdoms around her territory." Knight Therese said

Hmm… now that's interesting.

The Guardian of the Sea sends one of her descendants into the kingdoms by the sea to know what they've been doing, probably to make sure that her territory does not get destroyed…

However, that being said, I don't recall any issue about the waters in the villages under our rule that could have triggered the Guardian of the Sea's wrath.

"Why did you seem so interested in what happened thirteen years ago, your highness?" Knight Therese asked

"I want to make sure that if ever the same tragedy were to happen again, we won't suffer gravely again." I answered

It doesn't make any sense… What could the king and queen do during that time that could have triggered the Guardian of the Sea's wrath?

"What do you think, personally, could have triggered her wrath?" I asked them and they looked surprised

"There wasn't any problems regarding the sea and the villages residing by the seaside during your father's reign, your highness." Knight Maia answered

"That leaves her descendant, your highness." Knight Therese said

"What about the guardian of the Sea's descendant?" I asked and it hit me

There wasn't a problem regarding the sea and the villages near it so the only factor that could have triggered the Guardian of the Sea's wrath… is her descendant.

So, that's it! Something must've happened to the Guardian of the Sea's descendant that made her unleash her wrath upon our kingdom but the question is what?

I continued working on the emergency plan with only the aftermaths of the tragedy as my basis and data on what to expect and what to avoid, after a whole day of working inside the study room. I stood up and went to my room.

I took a quick evening bath, changed into comfortable sleeping clothes before lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, and admired the beauty of the design. Zairo placed constellations, planets and such things in the galaxy on my ceiling and walls. They were glowing in the dark.

"Admiring them again?" a voice said from my window

"Zai." I said without glancing at him then he went beside me with his hand behind his head.

"I didn't like that smile of yours earlier." He said

"What's wrong with it?" I asked and looked at him

"The reason of that smile," He said and sat up

I acted as if I didn't know what he is referring to.

"You can lie and hide things from anyone but not me, Patrice. Not me." He said pulling me to sit

"Zairo." I grunted while giving him a glare

"I won't stop you but when you're hitting something that's no longer relevant to the plan and is dangerous, I'll stop you. You know what I mean, Patrice." He said and pinched my cheeks

"I know that, Zai." I said smiling

He will always be at my back to support me in my plans and pull me in case I cross a forbidden line.

"You should sleep, Queen Patrice." He teased me

"King Zairo." I retorted and he smiled

"Good night." He said and kissed me on my forehead

"Good night to you too," I said and kissed him on his cheek

"And oh before I forgot on the Pisces's end, I have a surprise for you." He said and left

Pisces's end? That's more than couple of weeks from now.