It has been a while since I have written anything. The King has grown suspicious of me. I can feel his spies watching me almost all the time. I get very few moments alone to be able to study the book and write my findings.

I have managed to find an old scroll in the great library. It is about the ancient Lupine language and its evolution. With that, I have been able to translate a few texts from the book. The passages I've translated so far have been interesting. Though they have not provided me with any new information. What I can theorise is that the two books are not the same. This one describes a little black book identical to this one. One that Visara keeps on her at all time and has been enchanted by strange, godly magic. I have come to believe that this book is meant to look identical in every way. From the writing inside to the pages. However, the other book contains a deeper story. Hidden behind the simple Lupine texts. This one is served to be a distraction. So that if anyone unwanted gets a hold of it, they cannot tell which is the real book or not. I am just glad that I managed to hand the real one to the Princess. The secrets inside are very intriguing. I hope I live long enough to be able to ask her what secrets it holds.

On another note, I was approached by one of the Princesses a few days ago. She claims to have been having strange, realistic dreams. She won't tell me what they are about. However, it is my guess that she has developed the Gift of Visions. The same Gift that turned Queen Orianna mad and stated the barbaric Queen's Trial. Of course, that brings about many new questions about The Gift. Why surface now? Are any other Princesses experiencing any signs of the Gift appearing?  What does this mean for the future of the Dulavelle line? So many questions needing answer yet I fear I won't be around much longer to find out the answers.

I am not scared of my death. I have lived for many years. What I am afraid of are all the hidden truths never being discovered. I am scared that lies will continue to spread around these lands and I am scared that the Dulavelle daughters and the rest of Vivelle will never be free.  Then there is my own selfish fear. That I will die without knowing finding out the answer to all these mysteries. Which I fear is the most probable outcome...

The Rising of the True Queen. Written by Master Audwin. Master Scholar during the Reign of King Orion and King Chosen Matthias.

The Mer and Sirens all pass odd looks between each other. I guess they are communicating. Finally, there is a voice in my head again.

"We are so out of touch with the surface world. The last King we remember is King Niklaus. Just after he took over the throne and announced the Queen's Trial is when we came back to these lakes. The lakes where our ancestors hid during the First War before Queen Visara set them free. It was clear as soon as Niklaus took the throne that our people would be in danger. Though he may not have legalised the slave trade of Waterfolk, it was clear he wasn't going to stand in the way of the Fae. Behind the scenes, where the people of Vivelle couldn't see, he gave the Fae full permission to hunt us down," King Zuriel snarls angrily in my head. Seraphina's smooth voice then fills my mind.

"We managed to bring as many of our people with us as possible. Some were taken in our escape to get back onto land before the Fae set their traps along the coast. Others couldn't escape before the traps were put in place. They suffered one of two fates. They either starved out in the oceans, not able to come back to the lands to feed. Or, those who did risk coming back to Vivelle were caught."

An image of Si enters my mind.

"Mer and Sirens live for a long time, much like the Fae. We live hundreds of years longer than you humans. Those caught have been tortured for hundreds of years. Living without their magic," she shudders. "When I think of my sisters all I can see is blood. I can see the Fae taking blunt knives to hack away at their tongues and disfigure their faces. I see them sometimes sew their lips shut! I've watched it happen to so many of my kind. I have tried to save some but I have had very little success. I could not get to them inside the brothels where they were being raped and beaten. I couldn't get to them in the estates where the rich used them as their prize possession. Eventually, King Zuriel convinced me it was better to stay hidden away down here and protect the last remaining free Sirens. All twenty-two of us..." She stops and looks around the room. Their eyes all glow with anger as they glare at me. I'm not sure what to say. She looks back at me with sad eyes.

"Our tears are more of a curse than a blessing. It takes a lot to get a Siren to cry. When I would visit the cities to find my sisters, I would find their masters. They'd wear viles around their neck. Full to the brim with Siren's tears," she shudders. "As a way of survival for both our races, we have come together. Myself and King Zuriel rule together. We will fight together and we will die together. If you are who you say you are. If you can vow to us that with our backing, you will help free my sisters, then I will give you the loyalty of the Sirens. I will convince the Mer King to do the same." She swims closer to me, her face now directly in front of mine. I realise then, that no one else can hear our conversation. I point at my arm.

"I am not afraid to vow on my life in order to do the right thing. I care and I want to help you all," I tell her. Her eyes narrow as she grabs my arms. Her fingers glide over the marks from the blood promises I've made. The ones that will kill me if I break them. She looks back up at me with narrowed eyes.

"I am still not sure if you are who you say you are. Myself and few other Mer are the only ones to have surfaced since we first arrived here not long after the Mad Queen's execution. I have not returned to the surface for a few hundred years. We do not know what has happened in the world of the Land folk. We do know the name of the King now or the previous kings before that. If I find out you're lying to me..." she growls. I shudder, not wanting to know what will be done to me. I nod my head and slowly lift hands up. I rip away at the dress slightly to reveal my mark. She inspects it closely. With a nod of her head, she looks up at me again.

"A royal mark," she replies. I nod my head.

"Yes," I reply. She smiles softly before turning to me. I see her conversing with the other Waterfolk. I gulp nervously. The King's voice enters my head.

"So, you are Queen Orianna's descendant?" he asks.

"I am. And you know about the True trial?" I ask back, wondering if they are aware of what I must do to be queen.

"We do," he replies. His eyes flicker over to Queen Seraphina. The two converse some more. From the looks of their body language, I can tell she is trying to convince him of something. After about five minutes he turns back to me. He speaks again, but by the grand tone of his voice, I can tell he is talking to everyone.

"For hundreds of years, we have all been trapped down here. Relying on a few humans to deliver us a creature to feed on three times a year. So we only just survive. We have two choices. We kill this princess and anyone who knows our location so we can stay hidden. Or, we can follow this princess. We can pledge our allegiance to her and when the time comes we can fight for our freedom. But in doing that, we risk the extinction of our species." I gulp. 

"I am willing to follow this Princess. I have had enough of hiding here whilst my sisters are being tortured. It is time we stop hiding away and fight for our people!" Queen Seraphina says. "The Princess has already told me that she is willing to make a blood promise to show us that she means to help us. This may be our only chance!" She pleads. The Sirens all nod. My chest flutters with nerves.

"Okay Princess," the King says to me. "We will swear our allegiance to you, but we have some conditions." I smile with relief.

For the next hour, we speak on terms. Finally, we come to an agreement. The King, Prince and the Queen all take me through another passage. It opens up into another cave. This one is full of mostly air. We come out of a small pool. I pull myself out onto the side, coughing all the water from my lungs. The King and Queen do the same. I watch in amazement as their tails transform into legs, still covered in their beautiful scales.

"Princess," Queen Seraphina says standing up. Her wet hair clings to her golden skin which glitters in the glowing blue light of the pool. She walks toward me and helps me up. The King stands too. It is odd, hearing their voices out loud.

"Shall we do this?" the King asks. We both nod. We stand in a small circle, each of us cutting our wrists. We paint the circle around our wrists with the blood. One at a time, we say our vows to each other before finally speaking the magic words. The band glows golden before my upper arm and shoulder begins to tingle. I watch as fresh black swirls make their way over my skin. Adding onto the marks already on my arm made up by my promise to Nianzu and the Centaurs. I look at my arm. Each section links together so beautifully. You can tell the difference between each section. The patterns change slightly for each promise. The new ones ripple and interlock in swirling shapes and little scale-like patterns. The King and Queen each have matching marks in the same place of their bodies that are on mine. When it is done, the air is filled with silence.

"It is done. You must have your three armies needed now," Seraphina says. I nod my head, not really able to wrap my mind around it. I've gone from having no support but Nianzu, to the three I need in one day.

"It isn't enough," I sigh. "I still have a long way to go yet," I tell them. They nod.

"We all must come up with a plan."

"There are well over a hundred centaurs around this lake who have placed their allegiance to me. You will be safe to come out of the water. We can all have a meeting about our next steps," I tell them. The two nod their heads. "My friend..." I begin. "He came into this lake a few hours ago. Last I heard from him, he was in a spot of bother," I tell them.

"Ahh, you mean that odd creature," Queen Seraphina smiles.

"Yes, he is very odd," I chuckle.

"Follow us," King Zuriel says. We walk down some passageways which eventually leads to another small room. Nianzu lies on the floor, chains around his wrists.

"What did you do to him?" I ask as I rush over to him.

"He is just unconscious. We had to be careful. We could feel his psychic communication and had to stop it."

"Illyana," he groans as I tap his cheek. His eyes open slowly.

"So, how did the Mer and Siren's manage to get the better of the great Demi-god shifter?" I ask. He groans and closes his eyes again.

"I don't want to talk about it..." he grumbles. I laugh and help drag him up. 

"What's going on?" he asks. I sigh.

"I have a lot to tell you," I chuckle as all walk back to the pool.