Saraiyu

5- Rose Tail Dragon Tail

"Wait, wait please! You don't understand," Rosa Quyruq Lohe Saba begged.

"Give us at least one good reason not to kill you."

The servants had actually frozen this time, eyes open wide in shock at the scene that was unfolding before them.

"Please, I know she's princess Lárima, I know you serve her. I swear my country and I are not behind the attacks on this castle. Why would I purposefully do that, when I'm here myself?"

"And," Rosa added," I am not after you or Leonjairo's crown. I am the second daughter of the king of the Santua Islands, I have no power, I swear," she pleaded desperately.

Princess Lárima's ladies seemed even more threatened by the outburst though.

"How did you know who she is? And why would you decide to show up, acting the damsel in distress so we would be occupied on you and not the soldiers?" Eleina asked. The more unspoken question was why she had the privilege of calling the crown prince by his first name without a title.

"How could I successfully pretend to drown? How would I know that the princess and prince would be there to save me? Why would I want to risk my life? Why would I put Jairo's life in danger?"

"Don't answer our questions with more questions," Eliena warned, more unnerved about the fact that she seemed close to the prince. She might not be able to steal the Prince's crown, but she could certainly steal his heart, therefore becoming a threat to Lari in the process.

"Enough!" Lárima ordered quietly.

"Put the weapons down Eliena and Anaik. I can't stomach anymore. Her points are valid, let her be. We need a plan so we can get everyone out safely," said the princess holding her head and sitting cross legged on the floor.

Eliena and Anaik complied, somewhat hesitantly, and joined Lárima on the floor.

"Anyone who wants to help with the planning sit down here," instructed the Reynilha.

Jshulia and a few more servants sat, now they were in a circle.

Lárima took charge, the very picture of cool and collected, she was a natural leader. They all proposed escape routes, weighing each with their lives. The servants told of the hidden passageways where they would sometimes go if the king wanted to feel as if things only magically appeared.

They had finalized their plans when footsteps sounded through the servant's stairs.

They all froze, as they had before, except for Jshulia, who ushered the girls into hiding in the hidden passageways.

Jshulia quickly stood up and moved away from the entrance and froze like the rest of the servants.

The door opened, and Jshulia gasped at the sight and quickly rushed forward.

There was no way of telling whether it was safe still for the girls to come out, they stayed hidden, hoping nothing was wrong.

"Is anyone a medic? The prince needs help," Jshulia called out to the servants.

At that Lárima and Rosa jumped up and ran out of the hiding place.

The sight made Lárima stony and cold and made Rosa frantically start to order people about.

Eduardo was holding up the dying heir to Suliná.

"Eduardo, take him to the table. You and you, clear the table. Jshulia, I need cloth, lots of it. You, I don't know your name, get me a candle or something, Anaik and Eleina, help me with my hair and dangly things," Princess Rosa commanded, pointing to the people she assigned jobs to.