Escape the Sea (COMPLETED)

Chapter 23: Missing You

Countless hours of swimming led Queen Elizabeth, King Robert, Ronal and Lydia to a small city in the deep blue Atlantic where the rest of the kingdom remained. There were small shops full of mermaids purchasing items of all kinds. Hotels made of rock in every corner for a temporary home for each family. "Dad, how will the kingdom know who you are if Titus wiped their memory?" Lydia questioned, swimming alongside her family. "My dear, once they see me, their memories will be restored." The King answered. "It would be like we never left." The Queen added. "That is why Titus hid them from the rest of the world." Ronal explained. As they were wrapped up into their conversation, the same swordfish that was guarding the cell that the King and Queen were in approached them. "Hello my King! Welcome back!" He said warmly, welcoming him to the city. Lydia shyly waved her hand, trying to be as polite as possible. "Who is this?" The swordfish said, stopping Lydia with his sword. "My daughter." The King sternly said. "Oh, my bad sir. She just doesn't look like a princess is all." The swordfish apologized. He led the family to the hotel where they would all be staying in, except Ronal. He had to stay in another hotel.

They swam through the little city, appreciating the change of scenery, each mermaid bowing in respect as they passed through. It was very different for Lydia, as she was usually pretty invisible to the rest of the kingdom. The swordfish brought them to the biggest hotel they had, and the most heavily guarded one. They swam through a beautiful but simple lobby. It had a red coral chandelier when you walked in and the lobby had splashes of gold and red throughout. Lydia looked at it in awe as they passed through. "Here we are sir." The muscular fish said, pointing towards the yellow coral door. "Thank you Bow." The King thanked, shaking the fish's fin. The sword fish quickly swam away, leaving the King and Queen to rest. Lydia swam all around the room, examining every detail, then finally collapsing on her parents bed. "Lydia, there's a room just for you dear." The Queen chuckled. "I get my own room?!" Lydia said in surprise. The King smiled at his daughter's reaction and said, "I'll take you to it."

He brought her to the door right next to theirs. He gave her the key, gave her a kiss goodnight and went to bed. They hadn't slept all night so they were all extremely tired. Her room was a lot smaller than her parent's room but it was still pretty. She looked around her temporary home, taking in every detail. She swam to the vanity, which was made of orange coral, and started examining her slim figure in the mirror. She thought back to when Bow said that she didn't look like a princess. What does that mean? Was it her hair? She looked at her curly long dark brown hair that reached to her lower back. It was floating out control, due to her not brushing it in hours. Maybe, it was her clothes? She examined her pink fish scaled top, that had small brown beads attached to it. A very simple top that a lot of the merfolk had. Just the color was different. She swayed her hips, trying to see why he would say that. "Do I look like that much of a mess?" She said, looking for a starfish comb inside the vanity. She eventually gave up her search and groggily floated to her bed. It had shells all around it, making it look very elegant but simple. She laid on the semi-comfortable bed, thinking about Josh. Oh how she missed him. His smile, his laughter, his hair. She then remembered that she gave him a shellphone, she could talk to him whenever she wanted! She thought that calling him would make her feel better, so that's exactly what she did.

Josh lazily walked up to his door step, silently unlocking the door then slowly creaking it open. "Josh, you're home." Mrs.C said, embracing her son. "What are you doing up?" He asked, surprised that she waited up for him. "I wanted to make sure you got home safe." She said with that motherly love in her eyes. "How was your date?" She quizzed, separating herself then bringing her empty cup to the sink to wash it. "It was great! We had an amazing time." He said, smiling at the memory of earlier that day. "Oh, there's been a slight change of plans. Lydia's partially staying." "She is?! Wait, partially?" His mother questioned. "Yeah. Since she's the princess and all, she'd have to go back and do whatever she needs to get done then come back here. And, Ronal is going to make me a necklace to become a merman so that I can hang out with Lydia under the sea." He explained. Mrs.C processed the information that she had just received. "Josh, I'm going to ask you something." She said with the most serious tone he's ever heard her use. "Do you love Lydia?" She said, staring intensively into his eyes. "Yes?" Josh answered, a bit afraid of his mother. "Then that's all I needed to know." She simply said, patting his head then making her way up the stairs. "What does that mean?" He called. "It means that she can stay. But," she stopped mid way up the stairs, "it also means to stay true to your words." She then vanished up the staircase. "Okay..." He said, wondering what she meant by that.

He ran up the steep steps and entered his room and instantly fell asleep the second he touched the pillow.

BLOOP BLOOP
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BLOOP BLOOP
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BLOOP BLOOP

"What is that sound??" Josh said, turning on his lamp. He waited for the sound to appear again... he took a look at his iPhone to see that it was 5:00 am. His eye twitched seeing the time, wishing he was still asleep.

BLOOP BLOOP

"Aha!" Josh jumped up from his bed and went towards the sound. It was coming from the shell Lydia had given him before leaving. "Uh, hello?" Josh said, putting the piece next to his ear. "Josh, you're awake!" Lydia joyfully said. "Oh, yeah. Been up for a bit." He said, smiling at the sound of her voice. "Is everything ok?" He asked, rubbing his tired eyes. "Yeah, I just wanted to say goodnight and that we got here safely." She said a bit shakely. Josh could hear the unsureness in her voice. "So, what is princess life like so far?" He asked out of curiosity. "Fine, I guess. The guard that welcomed us thought that I was new and didn't let me in at first. He apologized, of course, and said that I didn't look a princess." She admitted. "What would a princess look like??" He questioned, a bit angry that someone would say that to her. "I don't know!" She said very frustrated. "Lydia, don't listen to that guy. I mean, fish." He stated. "I know, I know." He's just one fish, who cares what one fish thought. Right? She pondered these things to herself. "Lydi, I'm really tired. I need to go to bed or else I'll be a walking zombie tomorrow. I love you my starfish." He said. Real smooth Climans, real smooth. He heard her beautiful and infectious giggle coming from this other side. "I love you too Josh." She said back, wanting so badly to be tightly wrapped in his arms. They said the last of their goodbyes and hung up. Lydia stretched her tail to its full extent, which was almost as long as the bed, and slowly drifted off to dreamland.

"Lydia!" Her father softly said, carefully shaking her arm to try to get her up. She slightly grunted and turned to the other side, her back facing the King. "Lydia, come on dear. We have a big day ahead of us!" Her mother encouraged, pulling her daughter to a sitting position. Lydia sleepily looked at her parents that looked like they slept a whole 8 hours. (In all actuality, they slept for about 3 hours.) She rubbed her red eyes and sleepily got out of bed. She sat at her vanity with her mother brushing her long hair. "So, since we all need new clothes, we are going shopping today!" Her mother said enthusiastically. "Actually, Mom, I wanted to see Coral today if that's alright. I miss her so much." She said, smiling at the thought of seeing her best friend. "Sure dear, we can squeeze that into the schedule. Besides, your father and I have a meeting with the general to go to so we can drop you off beforehand. Afterwards, she can come shopping with us if she chooses." "Really?! That would be great!" Lydia cheerfully said, hugging her mother.

After eating a delectable breakfast and an hour of waiting for her mother to be ready, Lydia was finally able to see her best friend in the whole world. She quietly knocked on her hotel door, waiting for a response. The door slowly opened, showing half of Coral's face. "Hello?" She asked with pure confusion in her voice. Her brown eyes widened to their full extent and swung the door open, revealing her tiger striped tail.

"Hey Coral!"