Found at Midnight

Chapter 14

Kellin's POV

I was never really a morning person, but waking up right now was less pleasant than usual. The familiar, pungent scent of sea salt hit me, making my eyes water viciously. I was accustomed to the smell, but from spending so much time on land recently, my body lost its protection from it. I went to sit up, but my arms shook under me and buckled. I hit whatever piece of furniture I was lying on like a sack of potatoes, too weak to hold myself up. Instead of trying again, I took in my surroundings from my current position. The room was the colour of a polished abalone shell, and two small windows streamed in subtly blue light. I was lying on what appeared to be a king-sized bed, which I was ashamed to admit was far comfier than Vic's, but it didn't have that smell I swooned over when he was near me. I couldn't see any doors from my vantage point, but the room didn't look very small, so there was still a possibility of one being out of my line of sight. I held on to that hope because otherwise, I couldn't escape. The windows appeared to have a covering on them, and abalone is too strong for me to break through using blunt force, especially if I am not strong enough to sit up. 

Speaking of which, I tried a few more times, and eventually pushed myself up enough to rest my back against the headboard. I surveyed the newly uncovered area, taking in the enormity of the room. It was definitely a room built for royalty, which confirmed that I had been taken by the Royal Guards and my brother. Anger surged through me as hazy memories of the kidnapping came to me. I remembered that they had knocked Vic out with an enchanted pearl, and that made me nearly forget about my situation. All I could do was hope that he was okay, and that Jenna or someone had found him on the beach. Before I could really freak out, I took some deep breaths and tried to focus on how to get out. I finally spotted a large door in the far left corner of the room. It didn't look like it was too heavy duty or anything, but  I didn't anyone would come in to check on me, so I could be under limited time to escape. Not to mention I'd have to figure out a way to get out of the castle once I actually left the room. I had no doubt that there would be guards stationed nearby, and they are always patrolling the hallways. I tried to keep my hopes up, but in the back of my mind I knew that there was a good chance I would be caught and forced to return to my life before I met Vic. 

Pushing the overwhelming thoughts out of my head, I decided that the best thing to do first would be to make a list of preparations. The first thing I had to do was wait a little bit until most, if not all, of my strength came back. I had briefly studied under a merman that dealt with undersea magic, so I knew quite a lot. That came in handy because I could remind myself that the effects of an enchanted pearl would wear off within fifteen hours of it being used. However, I couldn't remember how long ago I was taken, or what time it was now. I definitely knew that it hadn't been fifteen hours, seeing as how I struggled just to move my torso, so I would just have to wait until I felt better to assume the time was up. All I could do now was sit and wait, waiting for my strength and waiting for someone to walk in. 

After a few hours, I began to feel a lot better. I could move all of my limbs fairly easily, but I still felt very drowsy. I also had started to get hungry, and that wouldn't help get my energy back. It was both good and bad that no one had entered the room; it was good because they wouldn't alert anyone that I was awake, but I couldn't try to coerce them into bringing me some food. After growing tired of sitting in bed listening to my stomach growl, I got up and wandered around the room. I searched the drawers of the bedside table and dresser, coming up empty-handed with anything useful. All I found was some cotton shirts, a baseball, and some playing cards. I sighed and closed the drawers. I walked over to the door and pressed my ear against it. I couldn't hear anything, but I didn't know if that was because no one was there or if the door was thick enough to block out sound. Before I could return to the bed, I was shoved against the wall by the door. My heart jumped up into my throat as someone walked in. They shut the door behind them, freeing me from the surprise attack. It was a small mermaid, wearing the uniform of a royal servant. She walked towards the bed, finding it empty, and began to frantically look around the room. It appeared as though she was going to run out the door when she noticed me. Her shoulders drooped in relief as she walked over to me. I suppose she was glad I hadn't escaped. 

"I hope you slept well, my Prince," she said as she curtsied before me. I cringed at the title but still smiled at her. 

"I have been sent to see how you are." My stomach rumbled just as she finished her sentence, making both of us freeze and burst out laughing. 

"Sorry about that. I can't remember the time I ate, though. Are you allowed to bring me food?" I asked, unsure of what orders she was under besides checking up on me. She nodded her head, and I felt a little better. Now that I was getting food, my energy levels would go back up, and another thing could be crossed off my mental escape list. 

"I'll go fetch your food, Sir. Do you have any specific requests?" I shook my head, too hungry to think about what I wanted. She curtsied once more before exiting the room. Then I was alone again, stuck worrying about Vic and how I would get out of here. 

Sorry for the late update guys, I ignored my updating schedule again. As soon as my crazy second semester settles down, I'll be able to not only post on time, but also start my new story. ALSO, is anyone interested in an editor? I love editing, but I can never think of a way to ask someone if they'd want me to edit their story without making it seem like I'm calling them out on poor writing, even if their writing is great. If anyone is interested in me editing their writing, comment here or message me. I'm not looking to change someone's story line, I just want to check grammar, spelling, and punctuation, you know? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see ya soon!