Toyah: The Nation of Water

 Zeya's carriage stopped right in front of the Northern ocean's splashing waves, signifying the arrival to her destination.

 She thanked the coachman and watched as he disappeared down the road, leaving her alone at the beach with her loyal shadow companion, Nox. 

 Without another minute to waste, she stripped off her shoes and walked straight into the water, leaving the perplexed shadow behind at the beach.

 Generally, shadows did not fare well underwater, and the environment was usually lethal to the weaker ones that lacked any abilities like Nox had.

 "My Lady!" Nox called out from the sandy shore with distress, hesitating to go after Zeya due to its obvious fear of the deep ocean depths. 

Nox could definitely survive this challenge; however, it was purely instinct to steer clear of any large pool of water whenever possible.

 "It's alright, Nox." Zeya reassured from a distance, hoping it could hear her. "Just stay right there for me, alright?"

 'There should be something that triggers the gate to appear.' She scanned the water's surface, eager for a sign of something, but nothing appeared.

 She quickly grew impatient and finally decided to go ahead with her second plan; using her powers to force the gates to open.

 "I am definitely going to regret this, aren't I?" She muttered as she felt the water rise up from her knees to her torso in a matter of seconds.

 She must have triggered its defensive mechanism somehow, and now it seemed as though the ocean itself was actively attempting to drown her.

 She began to bet her wings continuously until a strong wind began to form.

 The waves fought back with a strong resistance, swallowing away the progress Zeya would make with each beat of her wings. 

After some more trials and errors however, the water successfully began to recede until Zeya noticed a pair of golden doors at a distance.

 With one final swing using all her remaining energy, she sealed the water in place and crafted a semi-permanent pathway towards the door without getting anymore wetter than she already was.

 Nox immediately headed towards Zeya's side once the path reached the shore, instantly relieved at the fact that it didn't need to dive into the water.

 She snapped her fingers and a black veil magically placed itself on top of her face to conceal her true identity from the guards. 

 Her distinctively gold-colored eyes were bound to attract attention because of its symbolic connection to her father, and she couldn't risk being recognized so soon after her arrival in Toyah.

 "Halt." A voice erupted from behind the door when Zeya tried at its intricately decorated handles. "Identify yourself and the purpose of your visit."

 "... My name is of no importance here. I hail from Stygia under the orders of Baron himself to meet with Emperor Muir."

 "We have no plans to let unnamed strangers into Toyah." The guard replied sternly. "Besides, we did not receive any prior notice of any visitors for today."

"His Majesty will have other plans if you would just relay this message to him." Zeya explained calmly, having already expecting the refusal. "Please tell him that his sparring partner is here to settle that draw from our last match."

=================

 Muir Toyah had just recently become the ruler of the nation after his father announced his retirement of the crown not long ago.

 He was amongst the very few monarchs in the area that was well-liked by neighboring nations due to his friendly nature. 

 However, despite his major popularity amongst many influential women, he remained unmarried in order to prioritize his responsibilities as ruler.

 Zeya remembered him as an exceptional young man and as she walked through the magnificent city, she knew that he was also extremely loved by his people. 

 It hadn't been that long since he took over the throne but already, he has been making himself known as a fine young monarch. 

 'The perfect heir indeed.' She thought as she followed the guards through the palace.

 The palace was made entirely out of a material known as sea glass, allowing the structure to remain almost invisible to most land dwellers.

 "You may leave the two of us alone, guards." Muir ordered once Zeya finally entered the chamber he was in, wishing for some privacy.

 The two men looked at each other worriedly before the one on the right decided to speak up. 

"With all due respect Your Majesty, but... her identity still remains a mystery to us. All she said was that she comes from Stygia, and we aren't even certain about that either."

 "I understand your concerns gentlemen, but I'll be alright. I have a feeling that this, guest of ours won't speak unless it is in private."

 "... As you wish, Your Majesty." The guard finally agreed with a dejected sigh, knowing that it was almost impossible to change Muir's mind once it was made up.

 "It is in my greatest honor to see you again." Zeya greeted with the softest voice she could muster, hoping that he wouldn't catch on to her.

"I must say that it is rather bold of you to claim to be a dear friend of mine that has been dead for centuries." 

 His baritone voice was understandably filled with suspicion and hostility. It was not unusual for intruders to attempt to enter Toyah under fake aliases from time to time.

 He had been dealing with cases similar to this since he was given the throne, and usually, he would dismiss them without a second thought.

 Yet, it was the manner in which this particular person spoke that captured his attention and sparked his curiosity.

 "As much as I am known for my kindness, I hope you know that I don't take lightly to these kinds of foolishness. Making fun of the dead is considered desecration here."

 Zeya finally lifted her head to look at the emperor in the eye and the golden glow of her eyes were unmistakable. The emperor's unimpressed expression swiftly vanished, replaced by one of sheer astonishment.

 "It... really is you." Muir whispered as his suspicions were confirmed once the veil came off. "You really were alive all this time."

 "I... I can't believe this." He whispered as various mixed emotions visibly washed over him.

 Zeya had underestimated how friendly Muir was until he rushed forward to embrace her. 

 She awkwardly patted his back as a way to reciprocate his warm gesture, slightly stunned by the sudden movement.

 Suddenly, all the uncertainty and nervousness she had followed her all throughout the journey had vanished, it seemed like their friendship was more valuable to Muir than she had thought after all.

She would be lying if she denied that his warmth had greatly affected her. In a good way, of course.

 "It has been a while, Your Majesty." Zeya greeted formally with a small smile, finally reciprocating the hug.