“Are you sure you are going to be ok? ”
Lin as as unsure about leaving Mia behind in the mer-world as he was leaving her outside the barrier of the Fox Empire.
” This is the safest place. Some how it’s out of his bound. I need to stay here till we work out something else. ” Mia pressed him reassuring.
” But like you said, they do give me a strange vibe, ” Lin had that something pressing against his chest, rendering him unable to leave.
” That’s why you need to go. See how thing are happening in the outer world. And do come to check on me, once in awhile. ” Mia tucked the Water Breather in his hands, ” They whither away in about a couple of weeks. Be sure to get a fresh stock before you run out of supply. ”
” You mean get it delivered from your doorstep, madam, ” Lin winked at her teasingly. He then went over and hugged her from the back, holding her baby bump in between his wrists. ” You better behave yourself little one. Don’t you dare give your mother anymore unrest. ”
A moments silence graced the pause as both knew, it was for the best. The goodbyes, the parting would definitely come to an end.
Lin suddenly pulled Mia at arms length , then looked at her deep and well.
” Mia, I didn’t get to hear about how you escaped. ” He then lowered his voice as much as he could, ” There should have been a pendant on you. ”
Mia definitely did not understand what he was saying.
“Pendant? What kind? ”
Lin too had no answer to that, but he was sure it was something they should find.
“Tell me how you escaped? Wasn’t it the pendant that helped you to fight? ”
Lin persisted.
Mia looked sideways trying to think as a frown formed on her brows.
” I actually don’t quite know I escaped but there was this light. A bright, dazzling, blinding white. It made it recuperate . Like as you said, it was supposed to be Uncle Jin. But it wasn’t. But in that moment it was. I don’t know but it’s hard to explain. ” Mia fidgeted with her hands trying to put in words what had happened back there.
” Ummm, it’s alright Mia. Let me share this with Nana, your father and the rest. ” He pulled her into a deep kiss and made it quite long to last, ” I will be back before you even realise. Rest and recharge. ”
Mia snapped her fingers thrice as the two attending maids came forward to escort Lin upwards.
” It’s just a matter of time till I have to leave everything behind. You need to take good care of your father, that’s a job I give you my little fox”
Mia had the task of leaving. She didn’t forget it even a bit. Though she knew her families were trying their best to deal with the beastly Jin, she knew it was part of the curse. The ones that had designed it made it so diligently . Even if one survived the initial onslaught, the repercussions would be hard to miss. Had Mia not been half a mermaid, it would have been impossible hiding from the wolf Jin.
She sighed as she thought about it.
“May be the Tree of Knowledge wanted me by its side knowing all this would happen. May be it wanted to protect me as well. ”
Now that she was able to reassure herself, she didn’t feel so bad.
” My baby will have all it’s families. Atleast we were able to mend the ties. ”
She went back to reclining, quite content with her acts.
Back in the wolf palace, The Chief Queen, paced her room all night.
Xie couldn’t sleep either, so he thought about taking a walk. When he was at the back garden, over looking his mother’s room, he spied a few moments and he decided to take a round. He looked up at his father’s study. The light still flickered there.
” Father is still in his study. Then who could be here? ”
As he tiptoed with the thought in his mind, he heard a faint voice.
” He is digging into the entire matter. It won’t take him long to unearth the past. ”
” What am I going to do. If he finds out it was because of us? ”
” Why are you two being like this. That child was already a bastard. What are you scared of when it was that whore who seduced your Lord. Aahhhh! We had only heard about the seductress sirens. Never had thought it would last. Now that this child of her’s has returned, who knows how much more destruction will follow the aftermath. ”
Xie had his lips shut tight as he unmistakably identified his mother’s voice. He had his doubts about the two other people but had hints about there whereabouts.
He waited in the shadows, patiently for the two to leave but they seemed to scared and the Queen could not deter them either.
” Just go about your jobs in the plain. And never come back here. Never be seen. It beats me why you two are here in the first place when you haven’t been in the palace for all these years. ” The Queens voice was growing desperate but was also a bit quivering.
” We only fear for our lives. We obeyed you despite knowing how attached with that woman, was our King. ”
There was terror in those voice as they kept persisting.
” Mer-witch. She was a mer-witch. That too in hiding. ”
The Queen didn’t even seem to have the strength to stand the humane addressing of her it seemed.
” It doesn’t matter. It was us to insisted her to end her life. We told her the king cheated on her deliberately. We were the ones to make her believe she was used and the discarded. Had we known she was with child, neither of us would have dared. “