#dca stories

A young lady with dark blue hair, tied in side ponytail with a feathered-crown, wearing a red, blue and yellow uniform was walking to the venue for rehearsals alongside another girl with short pinkish hair, she wore a ribbon with a crown on her head and wore a teal and dark green uniform. From around them, she kept hearing people gushing about who was going to win between Neige and Vil. With a frustrated sigh she looks at the colosseum with a look of mild annoyance.

Evonie: NRC and RSA really sure do love hogging the spotlight… I can barely remember the names of the other schools competing!

But I guess that’s just the reality of media… even though our school is a pro at these contests, people didn’t even mention DCA at all…

Allison: You sure are getting pumped up for the championship, aren’t yah Ev? Chill out, it’s not like it’s any different from our usual idol concerts at campus

It was an attempt at cooling down her dark-haired companion but it just made her more determined. As a student who was known for singing and dancing, it was expected for them to be kind of miffed if the people forget their school. But in Evonie’s case, being someone who held a seat as a top idol in DCA might have been a good reason.

The two reach the venue and shows a staff their stage pass, Allison can faintly hear the music from the person currently rehearsing. Everyone backstage was busy hyping themselves up for the competition, the sight alone sparks the Evonie’s competitive spirit.

She’ll make sure that the audience will know who the stage truly belongs to. When the person’s performance ended, a staff called their school, signaling that it was their turn to go on stage. Allison follows Evonie as they go towards the open stage onto an eager crowd.

Announcer: Next performer from Diamond Crown Academy, please enter the stage

Student A: Diamond Crown Academy?... That’s the all-girls school, right?

Student B: I know that school! That school is famous for the idol competitions on and off campus!

Student C: My sister was obsessed with one of the students of that school!

Student D: How could you not know DCA? They had a joint school festival for RSA and NRC! I was there!

The crowd was filled with murmurs and eventually they reached the ears of the NRC team. The first years held confused looks while their seniors were used to the murmuring around them, as if it was normal. From the looks of it, they seem to recognize one of the girls, Vil and Rook that is. Epel piped up and asked Rook what was the fuss all about.

Rook: DCA is an all-girls academy, although not as famous as RSA and NRC, they have an excellent reputation. The one thing that they’re famous for is their idol competitions… and it looks like we will be able to witness a spectacular show

I especially can’t wait to see how princess de pommes and lapin fougueux perform~ Her gaze carries an eternal fire, beaute!

Deuce: I haven’t heard of DCA… this is my first time hearing about them

Jamil: You freshmen only know about NRC and RSA… of course you wouldn’t know about that school…

Kalim: We know someone from that school! She’s a prin-

Jamil: You’re gonna start babbling, so shut it…

Ace: Are they really that good? Seems too good to be true, no one has said anything about DCA until now

Vil: Such uncultured potatoes, you don’t understand the standards of that academy… A variety of educational fields as well as the idol training is the hot topic amongst the girls back in Pyroxene. Although we are focused on taking down RSA’s representative, don’t underestimate them either

And the reason why we haven’t heard anything is because the audience was too busy talking about the battle between NRC and RSA, but there have been mentions of DCA in magicam.

Ace: I-Is that so?...

Rook: You’ll understand once you find out for yourself!

Vil isn’t one to give empty praises, they now know that DCA is something to consider. The first years decided to look to the stage, they will see what Vil meant when the students of DCA don’t joke around when it comes to contests like the VDC.

Announcer: Representative of Diamond Crown Academy will be performing an original song… Eternally Flickering Flame, please begin rehearsal!

The music started off with a loud blast of rock followed by a gothic symphony that captured everyone’s attention, Evonie sings the first lyrics with a loud yet harmonic tune, her movements are graceful with a hint of aggression.

When it was Allison’s turn to sing, she sang with so much energy and her dance, although not as graceful, was very cheerful and all over the place that made some of the people watching tap to the rhythm.

At the two of them were synchronized in their dance and their voices, although were a contrast, created a pleasing harmony. The first years were watching with wide-eyes, no wonder Vil said that they were not to be underestimated. They thought back to their strict training during the past weeks and they wondered how hard these girls trained to be able to give this performance.

It was already hard to sing and dance, but putting magic into the mix? That’s a new level of intensity.

Epel: I… can’t look away!

Deuce: They’re casting magic?! Usually, its at the end of the performance, but here they’re using it throughout the song!

Rook: You are yet to see the main event, mon ami~

At the climax of the song, Evonie and Allison’s rings glowed red and light blue as an orb of light went up the sky and a burst of magic created an illusion of a gloomy forest with black rabbits and flying bats around a silhouette of a crescent moon.

When a chime of a clock was heard, the illusion shatters the moon and it dissolves into the scenery to turn the dark colors of the forest into a red background of crystals and gemstones with black thorns growing from the ground.

They finish the song with a pose with the illusion around them creating an outstanding finish.

The crowd didn’t expect the use of magic to create effects, but it was mesmerizing to look at, all eyes were on them, faces in awe and mouths agape. When their performance ended and the illusion faded, a loud applause fills the venue as students cheered.

TV Staff: That performance gave me goosebumps!

Audience: Seems like DCA is going all out today, huh?

I thought the other performances were good but damn, DCA goes all out!

They’d win for sure!

Neige and Vil will be performing too, but I can’t help but admire DCA’s performance!

Evonie felt proud for some of the comments she hears as her and Allison exit the stage. As soon as every participant was done with rehearsals, the two decided to head to the food booth for a light snack before the performance. Evonie was quietly assessing the choices and thinking deeply on which would be better to eat and won’t make her feel like throwing up when she performs, while Allison was chewing on a chocolate bar.

Evonie was unaware of a small presence behind her until something grabbed her hand, she was startled by the sudden touch and looked to her side only to see one of the dwarves from the rehearsals. “Toby” was what his name was, looking at her with his goofy grin and asymmetric, purple hair.

Toby: Miss Evonie! Timmy is a huge fan of yours, and so am I! The flashy magic you put on stage was super cool!”

Timmy: T-Toby! Don’t rush at her like th-that! And why’d you have to tell her that I’m a fan?! So, embarrassing!!!!

Evonie was frozen, not in fear but in restraint. The dwarves were so cute and she was tempted to pick them up and hold them close to her like a plush. But that would be rude because they’re college students and they are NOT children even if they look like one. Allison was snickering and greeted the dwarves too.

Allison: Aww, Ev, you got a fan!

Evonie: I-I… uhh!

Toby still held her hand and was looking up at her with his doe eyes, it took almost all of her self-restraint to act professional with the dwarf.

Evonie: I-it’s an honor that you like my performances, I am thankful!

Toby: I’ve seen you in that one play about the six queens too! You looked so pretty! Do you wanna come with us to see our other friends? Dominic and the others saw your work too, oh but Gran is not into idols that much…

Timmy: T-Toby! We shouldn’t impose on her and besides, w-we need to stick together! M-Miss Evonie, it was nice meeting you but we need to leave!

Timmy grabs ahold of Toby who was pouting along the way as the two scampered off into the crowd, leaving Evonie behind. Evonie takes a deep breath while Allison looks at the crowd before facing her.

Allison: I don’t see any of my fans… boohoo, quit stealing all my potential fan members!

Evonie: If you had been taking the time to actually participate in SOME venues then you might have had one…

Allison: It isn’t my fault most of the performances they want is girly!

While they were bickering, they don’t notice a grim fight against an overblotted dorm leader was taking place in the colosseum.

The carriage arrived at the noble’s estate where the father and daughter got off the carriage and were invited inside by the butler. When Gaspard presented the shoes, the noble was very impressed by his work that he wanted to invite him as his plus one along with his daughter as thanks.

Though Gaspard thought that it was too much for some footwear, it was a good opportunity to be introduced to more social elites who can help boost his business. So, he took the invitation and thanked the noble before heading home with his daughter in tow.

When the day of the party came, Gaspard and Ella went inside the grand venue along with the noble and his wife. He held with him a fancy bag containing his latest designs to show off to. The entire place was a paradise for the Glaciels, everywhere is a gold mine for new inspiring designs. The ladies with the feathered fans and mermaid dresses, the gentlemen with silk coats and shiny leather shoes, the family of two can’t help but zone out a bit during the event.

But Gaspard was snapped out of his daydreaming when the noble mentioned his name and beckoned him to come forward. He let Ella sit on a nearby chair as he took out one of his eye-catching works and presented it to the group.

The noblemen have gathered around him to marvel at his craftsmanship. While he was busy with entertaining business opportunities, Ella’s attention was on a peculiar man with black and white hair that was lounging on a corner sofa, sipping red wine.

She took note of his red and black vest and the faux fur coat that he wore loosely, she noticed that her father just happened to pack a nice pair of shoes that would make his outfit better by a lot. Swinging her little legs off the chair to rummage in the bag, she pulls out a pair of black shoes with red outlining the bottom part with a red gem adorned on top. She speed-walked to the man, being mindful of the people she might bump into.

As she walked, some of the nobles looked to her in amusement and complimented on how doll-like she was in her baby blue dress. Once she reached her target however, the nobles paled as they know Divus isn’t probably fond of children and most tend to stay away from him. 

Divus looked to his side and was mildly surprised to see a rather adorable little doll looking up at him with her bright blue eyes. 

“Hello, sir!” She greets him with a perfectly executed curtsey, which makes him smirk. This little pup was very brave to speak to him, most children ran away from one look on his face, the entire situation was amusing to him. He decided to play along to see what the little pup could do.

“Good day to you as well, young lady… what business do you have with someone like me?”

“I noticed you wear a very dashing ensemble, and I couldn’t help but notice how it would look more dashing once you wear a new pair of shoes!” She presents the shoes to him wearing a proud smile.

That got the people nearby to start praying for the child, if there’s one thing Divus hates, its people questioning his fashion sense. They thought she’ll never live to see another day after this.

But Divus was silent, he wasn’t scowling… far from it, he was genuinely surprised at the child. He looked at the shoes she offered; they were absolutely marvelous. At first, he thought it was the child who made them, but she couldn’t have. She must know who the designer of the shoes was, and if she does then he might have to grab the opportunity to meet the designer of such exquisite shoes.

“Little lady, would you care to tell me who made these lovely shoes?” He grins at her and she nods her head before pointing to her father in the group over the other side of the room.

Divus gets up from his seat and puts down his wine glass on the table to walk towards where Gaspard and the others are, with Ella walking behind him.

As Divus was approaching, Gaspard started to notice how the others froze and started to back away from him, which made him worried. Did he come on too strong? Was he too forward and has now made it awkward for himself? Before he could even answer his thoughts, a gloved hand lands on his shoulder and he hears a deep voice full of pride. Divus grins at him when he turns his head to look.

“You must be that man who brought his dear little pup into this party~” he teased, not realizing that Gaspard just may have gotten pale.

“I-If my daughter did anything to offend you then-“, he was cut off by Divus chuckling, Gaspard thought he had a chance of staying clear of his radar, but he can’t exactly blame Ella for approaching him, he knows she likes to approach people who catch her eye. 

“I must say, she was quite the salesperson when she approached me! Hardly anyone has managed to convince me to try anything other than what I picked; you know”

That caught him off guard, Divus was known for being extremely picky with his clothes and recommendations are risky unless you truly understand his tastes. He glanced at Ella who was holding his newest design in her tiny little hands, her smile is practically beaming with anticipation.

“I must know the name of the designer who made the shoes”

“I-I am Gaspard Antoine Glaciel, and this is my daughter… Ella Glaciel, p-pleased to meet you, Sir Crewel!”

“Glaciel? My, my… to think that I’d meet members of the famed Glaciel family”

“Famed?!”

“I’ve read articles about the Glasswork Kingdom and their fashion; I’ve always wanted to see for myself but I was always swamped with work… Your designer brand was always front cover of your kingdom's newspapers”

That was so surreal hearing from the monster fashionista, to think that Divus Crewel himself was looking into his business when he thought that his designs might not get accepted by him. He could feel a bit of shame for putting himself down just because he was scared of a bit of bluntness.

He was snapped out of his daydreaming when Divus handed him a business card, it contained his number and an address.

“It’s a pleasure to get acquainted with a fine man who sees fashion the way I do. If you ever have new designs please do contact me. I look forward to doing business with you~” 

Gaspard’s jaw hung open as Divus walked off but not before turning back to him to say one last thing.

“Oh, and miss Ella… when you follow in your daddy’s footsteps please feel free to inform me when you start your own line of fashion”

Ella grins at him and waves goodbye before tugging on her father’s pants, he looks at her with a dumbfounded expression.

“Papa, I guess you were right! The Rose kingdom certainly has a big opportunity!” By the gods, the heavens just had to bless him with a child that’s bolder than a bear. Compared to her, he was a frightful deer. 

Moments later, the pictures were taken and he went over to see how the photos came out. The light that hit the gems on his coat made the photo glitter and sparkle, almost like some sort of magic spell was cast on him, he looked like a fairytale prince.

Vil was sure that the person who designed the clothes was no ordinary person, they clearly have the talent for using clothes as a tool rather than just fabric you wear, this concept of clothing was something that he hasn’t seen before. While he was lost in his thoughts, taking note of all the details of everything, he didn’t notice the manager usher someone towards him until his name was called, he turned to Adela to see a young girl with sea pink hair next to her. 

“Vil, this is Ella Glaciel, she’s filling in for her father who was supposed to be here but unfortunately he couldn’t make it. She’s the designer of the outfit you wore for the shoot.”

That was intriguing information, he’s vaguely heard of the name Glaciel but they had just started to set up branches on other kingdoms so it was still fairly new and quite a far cry from the top brands that were more commonly known. He can see why the brand was unusually goring in popularity despite the recent debut abroad.

“I’ll let you two get acquainted, I need to take this call” his manager walked off to the side as she conversed on her phone.

“Schoenheit-senpai, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Was the outfit to your liking? I made sure to pay attention to what color matches with your complexion and what fabric feels comfortable.” Ella gives a small smile as he folds her hands over her skirt.

She was a rather interesting individual, he could say that much. People usually can’t contain themselves when they meet him because he’s a top tier supermodel. But he has to admit that professionalism makes her easy to work with and her mannerisms almost make her seem like a princess. He holds out his hand to offer her a handshake which she accepts.

“There was nothing wrong I could find with the outfit, Miss Ella. The fabric wasn’t scratchy or tight when I moved and the gemstones were cleverly placed on the coat. Any pose I do makes the lighting in the photos better… almost like it’s a man-made special effect.” His praise makes Ella grin and beam with delight.

“I’m so glad you like it! I’ve worked on that design for weeks, my folder was almost full and out of space with all the revisions I’ve done…” she says as her expression becomes relieved.

Vil can’t help but chuckle a bit, this Ella girl certainly made an impression on him. She doesn’t even know how hard it was for the others to even get a word of “I like it” from him, and for him to easily compliment her work at their first meeting meant that Vil has found another person who might aid him to becoming the ultimate beauty. 

‘It’s a shame that she’s not a student of NRC, if she were then she would have been a worthy addition to Pomefiore’ he thought.

He asks for her phone and they trade magicam IDs, “This must be fate for us to meet, Miss Ella… If you get any new designs, do let me know~”

“Of course! I’ll be sure to send you a picture!” When it was time for him to get back to taking pictures, Ella had to leave since she had somewhere to be. She bids him farewell and exits the studio, unaware that Vil was staring at her back.

He thought she was an interesting little potato- no… with how much her hard work and efforts into making his outfit impressed him she can’t be labeled with a muddy potato, she was more like a brilliant sapphire.

‘A shame she can’t stay a bit longer, I wanted to ask more questions about the brand… maybe next time then, Little Sapphire’

When Ella got onto her carriage, she squealed and flailed about inside, she was trying her damn hardest to keep a professional face in that studio for as long as she possibly can. Ella couldn’t believe her luck, she got to meet THE Vil Schoenheit in person. Was a fairy godmother watching over her and granted her this fateful meeting as a reward? It may as well be, because he never does anything like trade magicam IDs with anyone!

‘Meeting Vil… he seemed very much like a prince! I can’t wait to see him model the clothes I made again!’ she felt like everything was too real to be true and one might assume that it’s all a dream. But it wasn’t, the coachman rode her back to the hotel where she was staying as the sun went down, after he calmed himself down after being startled by Ella’s screaming inside.

When Vil returned to Pomefiore, Rook was the first to greet him and despite the dorm leader’s neutral face, the hunter could tell that he seemed to be in high spirits.

“My, my~ What happened today for you to be so full of joy, Roi du Poison?”

“Ah, Rook… I found a lovely sapphire at the photo shoot today” Vil replies with a wave of his hand as he and his vice dorm leader head to the lounge.

“Sapphire? This is the first time our lovely dorm leader has met someone who has garnered so much praise! Pray tell, who might that be?” Rook’s interest was piqued. Vil just smirks before walking off, “It’s better if you see her for yourself… But I will tell you this, they looked like a fragile porcelain doll”.

While Jade recalls going to the sunken ships several times, he is aware that there are sharks swarming around that area. He’s kept track of the time when sharks hunt around those grounds but Floyd doesn’t know that, he doesn’t remember things when he loses interest. Jade is more than aware of the fact that sharks would roam about the shipwreck zone at this time.

He hopes his brother and the princess are alright and still in one piece, because if they are then he and Azul would kill Floyd and Cerule. Royal status be damned, he’s had enough! 

Azul: (This is why I hate royals!)

Was the only thought in Azul’s mind.

Meanwhile, Floyd and Cerule were still busy rummaging through barrels and debris for some interesting objects.

Floyd: Ugh, nothing but junk here too!

Floyd tossed a broken metal to the floor and slumped next to the barrel he was rummaging through.

Cerule: Really? Because I think you can make something out of it if you try hard enough

Cerule tries to reassure Floyd as he was getting irritated that the ship, they’ve searched is devoid of anything good. But he just responded with a huff and urged Cerule to move to another ship. As he tried to swim through an opening, his tail was caught by a fishing net and he struggled to pull himself out to no avail. 

Floyd: Ce-chan! I’m stuck!

She rushed to his side and helped him pull but despite both of their efforts, Floyd’s tail wasn't budging at all. Cerule spotted the metal piece Floyd had tossed and picked it up to cut the net finally freeing his tail.

Cerule: See, what did I tell you? If you can use it then it isn’t junk!

She stuck her tongue at him to tease him, Floyd just rolled his eyes and was about to retort until he felt the beam behind them was about to collapse due to cutting the net that was supporting it. He grabs her in time to avoid being crushed by the debris.

The sound alerted the shark in the area and it started to swim around the ship, looking through the windows until it spotted the two mermaids. Cerule noticed it was getting dark and as she looked at the window, she could feel herself freeze when she spotted the shark charging the ship.

Cerule: FLOYD, SHARK!

(CHOMP!)

Immediately they swam up to the deck to narrowly avoid the onslaught of teeth about to chomp down on them. The shark started to struggle trying to spit out debris wedged in his teeth, giving them more time to escape the ship and into open water. 

They started to swim towards the way they came, Cerule looked back to see the shark was zooming in towards them at great speed, she pushed Floyd away into some seaweed.

But that left her open to the shark’s tackle that sent her flying towards some rocks, she hits her back hard, knocking the breath out of her. She could barely pull herself to swim away when she sees the shark swimming towards her slowly, as if to mock her helplessness. Floyd comes out of the seaweed to see what is about to happen, he throws a rock at the shark to keep its attention away from her.

Floyd: Hey! Catch me if you can, you beast!

He mocks the shark to follow him away from Cerule. While he was busy leading the shark away, Jade and Azul managed to arrive in time to see Floyd being chased by a shark.

Jade: Floyd!? What on earth-!!!

Jade and Azul didn’t have time to process what they were seeing when they began to split up because Floyd was heading over to their direction.

Jade: He’s not going to keep up the speed! What can we do?!

Jade was starting to panic for the safety of his brother and Azul doesn’t have anything on him other than maybe trying to ink the shark, but with how fast it was swimming he can’t guarantee that he’ll get a clean shot.

Floyd was starting to get tired from all the fleeing that he failed to notice that he was swimming near a bed of sea kelp which got his tail tangled. He struggled as hard as he could but his tail wouldn’t budge. 

It was hopeless as the shark was gaining speed and closing the distance, he closed his eyes and waited for the shark to gobble him up. But when nothing happened and he didn’t feel any pain, he peaked for a bit to see that a large pointed rock had pierced the shark’s side. 

Cerule: Floyd! Over here!

He looked up to see Cerule with her tail wrapped around a broken rock. She swam down and cut the kelp with a sharp stone nearby. She was struggling for a bit since the kelp was a bit tougher to cut and the stone was fairly dull. 

She needed to get him free because the shark was slowly shaking itself out of its shock. Suddenly, a cloud of ink covered the shark and Azul and Jade started to tear the kelp quickly. Managing to free Floyd from the sea kelp’s grasp.

Azul: You two are such a pain in my ass!

Azul yelled as he used his tentacles to hold onto Floyd and Cerule while he held Jade’s hand to swim towards safety. When they were back at the Coral Sea, Azul was about to give a verbal beatdown to Floyd and Cerule but before he could get a word out, Cerule beat him to it by bowing and profusely apologizing. 

Cerule: I am so sorry! I know after what happened I can’t take it back with an apology but… This was the first time I’ve ever been able to go out like this! I was so caught up with doing something exciting that I forgot about the consequences!

Azul blinked as he processed what she just said before she added more to her apology.

Cerule: I won’t tell my father what happened today but if you need to yell at someone then please don’t yell at Floyd, I should have refused but I didn’t!

She almost had a convincing stone face if it weren’t for the tears leaking out of her eyes. For a few minutes there was an awkward silence between them, until Azul couldn’t help himself as he laughed at the sight, she was far different from the royals he had seen.

Azul: Ahahahaha! Out of everything that I thought you would say, I never expected you to say something like that! But this situation is clearly both of your faults so don’t expect me to deny that it was your-

Floyd: OWWW!

They stopped and looked to Floyd to see that he had a cut on his tail. The cut wasn’t too serious but it was quite large and it was stinging because of the salty seawater seeping into the wound.

Cerule: You’re hurt!

Floyd: I just realized it now, after my adrenaline wore off… the seawater is making it sting

Floyd held his tail between his hands and tried to put pressure onto the wound but it ended up hurting more.

Cerule: Wait, I can heal it!

Cerule swam over to him and started to cry, they were confused at what she was doing at first until they heard her mumble an incantation.

Cerule: Mother of the sea… Hear my voice… Tears into shiny luster… Healing gems that glimmer… Tears of the Sea!

As soon as her incantation was over, her teardrops turned into a handful of white, shiny pearls. She took the pearls and crushed them into powder then rubbed it all over the wound, shock was evident on their faces as the damaged tissue began to heal until not a trace of the wound was visible.

Floyd: Woah! It doesn’t hurt anymore? I didn’t know Ce-chan could use healing magic!

Floyd wiggles his tail around still in a daze of what he witnessed.

Cerule: It’s my unique magic, Tears of the Sea! I can turn my tears into pearls and use them to heal injuries! Although I had to use a lot of it because of how large the cut was…

Cerule explained while rubbing her eyes that were a bit swollen from crying. Azul’s gaze darted from Cerule to Floyd’s tail. It was rare to encounter people who had powerful healing magic as there were not many who possessed the ability to heal. All of Azul’s annoyance and frustration with the situation turned into realization.

Perhaps this encounter was fate for him, after all he did want to study to become the best magic user like the sea witch. He wondered to what capabilities could those pearls possess and if he could use them to make a very rare potion that no one ever heard of. This was a golden opportunity.

Azul: Princess… I thought of a way you could remedy the events that you caused today… If you promise me to give a bottle of those healing pearls in exchange, me and Jade will allow you to explore exciting places.

Cerule: You will? T-thank you-

But Azul raises his hand to stop her.

Azul: But… as long as we all go as a group so that this incident won’t be repeated

He says sternly, earning an enthusiastic nod from her.

Cerule: Of course!

At the proposal, Jade and Floyd looked at Azul as if he had grown two heads, what came over him? Wasn’t he upset just a moment ago? But with the way he had this calculating gaze meant that he saw an opportunity. However, for the first time this didn’t sit well with Floyd.

While Floyd was thankful that he wasn’t getting scolded, he was a bit conflicted because as much as he would have wanted to see the merfolk getting tricked, Cerule has made her spot in his friend circle and if he was going to make her sign a contract then he might just try to talk him out of it.

Floyd: Azul! What are you saying?

Azul: I’ve given it some thought; we should have listened to Floyd from the start so that we may never have gotten into this mess. So, I propose that if you provide me with a bottle full of those pearls, we will accompany you to plenty of exciting places in exchange. It’s a fair deal, no?

If it was only for the pearls then Floyd might have not needed to worry, he relaxes a bit at this.

Cerule: Sounds fair! We have a deal, Azul! Thank you!

She rushed over to hug him, which he was one thing that he wasn’t expecting. He felt a small tingling emotion that he couldn’t exactly describe, part of him felt that she was violating his personal space but at the same time he could feel her gratitude and it was very uplifting for a second. Just for a second… With a beet-red face he pushes her away and reminded her of keeping distance.

Azul: Y-Yes well… Now that we have an agreement, let’s head back to the school, it's getting late

Cerule happily swam alongside him, Azul heard snickering behind him and he saw the twins looking at him with an amused grin on their faces. He knew exactly what they were thinking and they couldn’t be more wrong. 

He sent them a warning glare, but they ignored it and whispered among themselves on how Azul was getting soft for the princess. He convinced himself that he wasn’t getting soft! Azul saw an opportunity and didn’t want to waste it, that was all it was.

Yes… just an opportunity…

Once they arrived back at the school, Azul managed to convince the teacher that the princess was given a tour around the city and how grateful she was to enjoy sightseeing. The teacher thankfully bought it and didn’t question him on what actually transpired.

Soon enough, the day ends and Cerule had to go back home with her father. The teacher and the entire class were lined up when the Serpent King arrived at the school to pick her up. 

She snuck behind Azul and slipped a bottle of the pearls into his hands that were folded behind his back before quickly swimming to her father’s side. She gave him a bright smile before turning to her father.

Serpent King: I thank you for the courtesy you’ve shown and for looking after my daughter. But for now, we must bid you all farewell…

His thunderous voice rumbled in the surrounding area that left some of the merchildren in shock while some were in awe.

As the king and the princess left, Azul stared at the bottle of pearls in his hand. The pearls were sparkling brighter than the pearls made by oysters, it could very well be compared to stars.

When he got home, he swam to his room towards his desk and hid them in his drawer, his thoughts drifting back to Cerule and the odd events that transpired which led to him becoming ‘friends’ with her. He thought to himself that she was the one who said they were friends but she was just an opportunity he took advantage of.

Just an opportunity… or so he thought.

Timeskip to the Atlantica museum where Azul was offering to tour the Ramshackle duo and their friends as an ‘apology’ for the overblot incident. He places the edited picture on the wall, his eyes catch another photo. 

It was of a familiar serpent with red and white hair, smiling happily as she held hands with an octopus who was shying away from being in the front. Azul sighs as he walks away to join Yuu and the others.

Azul: (Come to think of it, she’ll be visiting Octavinelle to send me another bottle of pearls again…)

Azul interjected; it was terrible enough that he has been burdened to look after the princess. Floyd’s need for excitement is something that they will have to ignore for the meantime. 

Floyd pouts at the two childishly as they continue on their way, Cerule noticed that he stopped following his companions so she stopped near him.

Cerule: Is something wrong?

Floyd usually doesn’t stray away from his brother but he doesn’t want to go to the museum that he’s visited at least a dozen times already. And almost every royal visitor goes there and frankly, he thinks it won’t hurt to go somewhere exciting for once. So, he turned to Cerule with a mischievous glint in his eye and whispered to her.

Floyd: Okay, I don’t usually like to be away from Jade and Azul… but let’s sneak off to the shipwreck zone!

Cerule: Won’t your friends notice we’re gone?

She nervously said, hesitant to cause trouble to the other two who are now nearly gone from their line of sight. As much as she wants to do something thrilling, she would hate to burden others. Floyd pats her shoulder and takes her hand to swim towards the other direction.

Floyd: It’ll be fine! I know the way back… but if you want to go with them to the museum then you might miss out on the sunken treasure!

The moment he said the word ‘treasure’ Cerule immediately swam to keep up with him. 

Cerule: Treasure?! Human treasure!? Alright I’m convinced, let’s go!

Floyd swerved around the crowd farther from Azul and Jade until they were out of the city and into the direction of the shipwreck zone. Soon enough, they reached the area where there are several sunken ships, some ships had sea moss and barnacles covering its wooden structure while others showed signs where the ship recently sank. 

The two couldn’t contain their excitement as they entered the nearest ship and started to roam about within its cabins. Cerule was prying open cabinets and barrels to see what was inside, Floyd thought it was funny.

Floyd: You look like a crab trying to dig around!

He chuckled watching her dig around on the floor and walls. Cerule’s face went pink as she realized that she lost her composure, so she tried to play it off which didn’t work.

Cerule: Well, it's just that I never got to go out and explore much so… I can’t help myself when I get excited

Floyd raised a brow at that statement, now this was an interesting fact to know about the supposed pampered princess.

Floyd: Don’t you have at least any semblance of freedom to explore near your home sea?

She just shook her head at him with a disappointed look on her face.

Cerule: My father is overprotective of me so I can’t go out much. Not even a meter outside, I usually have a servant find me something interesting somewhere in the sea. I always liked the stories they’d tell me about the places they went to but… I just wished I could see what they meant

The atmosphere was awkward and Floyd didn’t like that, he didn’t bring her out here just to feel sad, he had to fix this. His hand went to a treasure chest and immediately got an idea.

Floyd: Hey, princess! There’s this old treasure chest, do you think it’s got a prized jewel inside it?

She stopped looking upset and her curiosity took over as she swam to his side. The chest looked old but sturdy enough not to be pried open. Floyd tried to pull at the top but it wouldn’t budge, Cerule asked him to move away so that she could try opening it, he complied and gave her space.

In a quick motion, she used her tail to smack the lock causing it to break and finally allowed the chest to be opened. Floyd was a bit wide-eyed at her strength, she might even be stronger than him, he assumed that she might not be very strong due to her being pampered in a life of royalty but it seems that he was wrong. There were stars in his eyes as he felt giddy and swam up to her with a curious expression.

Floyd: That was so cool! Where’d you learn to do that, princess?

Cerule: I’ve always had this habit of wrapping my tail around rocks whenever I get anxious back home. It didn’t break at first but after doing it for a while I could crush rocks with ease. Oh, and you can stop calling me ‘princess’, you can call me whatever you want, Floyd

Floyd: Okay then, Ce-chan!

She sends him a cheeky grin which prompts him to grin back at her. The two of them pried the chest open hoping to find gold and jewelry but it just happened to be documents and a sack of rusty coins. They were frustrated that they went through all this trouble for nothing.

Cerule: Nothing but junk in here, and these papers are too soggy to read! Why put them here when none of this stuff’s valuable?

Cerule tosses a soaked document away with disinterest. Floyd sighs in slight frustration.

Floyd: Humans are weird, let’s see if there’s anything good elsewhere

Azul scoffed at that, what was so great about royals visiting when they have had a few visits in the past years? What was so great about this one?

Azul: That’s it? Another royal merprince or princess visiting isn’t news, Jade…

Floyd: But this one is special, Azul! I’ve heard the royal is from the Serpent Sea

Floyd’s eyes twinkled with intrigue as he said this. Now that is definitely something worth listening to. Azul has read books about the Serpent Sea from the local library, and they were all interesting. 

How they live in a section of caves that are spacious enough to maneuver their long bodies, yet the maze-like tunnels will get you lost if you aren’t familiar with the area. And how it was so dark that sunlight could barely shine through the waters but with their bioluminescent bodies it was no problem navigating.

But what he was interested in the most was the theory that the Sea Witch’s lair was rumored to be the body of a deceased serpent. No one has solidified this claim but with the uncanny resemblance the lair had with the serpent folk it was a shocking theory to discuss to those who read about it. 

Before he could inquire anything else from the twins the teacher came rushing in. Their teacher swam in the classroom and clapped her hands to signal the children to go to their seats.

Teacher: Class, I have a special announcement to make! As you all know, the Serpent King is currently visiting the Coral Sea for a political discussion. 

However, this time we received some special news from our king! The Serpent King has brought his daughter along for a visit! We are given the opportunity to meet the princess of the Serpent Sea! Please treat her nicely, okay?

Most of the students were excited at the news and some were even speechless. Azul heard snickering; he recognized those two merkids who weren’t paying attention to the teacher. They were the ones who picked on him for being a slow swimmer and called his tentacles gross. He could hear their hushed conversations from his seat.

Merchild A: Princess… Pfft! I bet she’ll look like those ugly anglerfish. So creepy with large jaws!

Merchild B:I bet they’re more like those blobfish! People tell her she’s pretty only because she's a royal, I doubt they actually mean it!

As the two kids gossiped among themselves, Azul’s expression hardened into a scowl, he always hated how they thought so highly of themselves; that they weren’t ashamed of openly bad-mouthing someone they assumed would be different.

The merchildren started to go quiet as soon as the teacher motioned someone to come in, the majority of them were in awe as Cerule slowly and carefully swam into the classroom. 

Azul had to admit that he wasn’t expecting the princess to look so radiant.

Her oarfish tail was glittering in the water, almost like a jewel, and the red fins looked like lace decorating the tail. Her red and white hair was styled neatly into a braid with a golden shell clipped to one side of her head. 

For someone who was supposed to be the daughter of the intimidating Serpent King, she looked like the complete opposite. She had such a gentle face that would make anyone stop and admire. Azul could see that the two who were bad-mouthing her earlier had wide eyes and their jaws open, even the leech twins looked intrigued.

Cerule looked around the classroom, the eyes of all the people staring at her made her feel nervous but she kept her head high and made sure that she didn’t look the least bit bothered by their staring.

Teacher: Class, this is Princess Cerule! The Serpent King’s daughter, please say hello to our visitor

The students rose from their seats and greets her as they bowed.

Students: Nice to meet you!

Cerule: I-it’s nice to meet you too…

She greets the students with a graceful bow. The teacher urged her to sit at the available seat which just so happens to be next to Floyd. She carefully swam to sit next to the boy and made sure her tail wasn’t getting in the way.

The twins glanced at Cerule who was fidgeting on her seat, her tail was definitely too long and she looked like a group of canned sardines.

Jade: Are you alright?

Jade asked, seeing how uncomfortable the princess looked. Cerule faced the twins and wore a nervous smile, embarrassed to have to admit that she felt the space was too small for her long tail.

Cerule: Ah, I’m sorry… I’m not used to small spaces…

She looked away, as if she was ashamed to look quite foolish in front of strangers. Azul has never seen any royal act like this, she’s acting like a scared guppy in a room full of sharks. He had to admit, it was quite amusing to see someone of royal status act this way.

Teacher: Alright, let’s begin… instead of a lesson, for today we have a discussion about what the Serpent Sea is like 

Princess, would you care to share with us what your home is like? We don’t hear much from the Serpent Sea

Cerule: O-of course!

The entire class hour, the teacher and students inquired about what the Serpent Sea is really like and Cerule was starting to feel like she would have a small chat with her father about how other kingdoms perceive them. 

There were so many questions that were outrageous and it clearly doesn’t sound like her home at all. She has a feeling it was because of his unintentional wrong impressions; she is very aware that her father looks like he’s about to murder someone. 

As soon as the class hours were up, the teacher instructed the students that they were drawing lots on who was going to be the tour guide for Cerule and show her around the Coral Sea. The students were excitedly writing down their names on pieces of paper and passing it to the teacher.

Azul went back to his studies as the teacher rummaged through the papers. He couldn’t care less about being a tour guide to a royal, it’ll just take him away from his precious study time. The teacher pulls out a paper and calls out the name of the student.

Teacher: Azul! Seems like you get to be Cerule’s tour guide! Congrats!

At that announcement, the octopus dropped his writing pen in shock, he looked to see everyone looking at him. Some with envy while the twins were mouthing to him with a teasing look.

Floyd: Lucky you! We’re tagging along anyway, there’s no way me and Jade would leave you alone

He felt uncomfortable with the way the merchildren were staring at him, but it was partially worth it since the two bullies were eyeing him with such envy, just now weren’t they making fun of her before she showed up? 

It was satisfactory that he managed to snatch away a golden opportunity from them but then there is the princess… who was still struggling to keep her tail from wriggling too much.

He hasn’t formally talked to any of the visiting royals but he assumes that they would be the same. Know-it-all kids who think they’re better than everyone, despite his growing interest to know more about the serpents, he still feels like he should keep his distance.

As soon as class was over and Cerule was slowly getting out of her seat the other students who didn’t leave started to swarm around her. Cerule recoiled a bit at the bombardment of faces that got too close to her personal space. 

They were trying to persuade her to join them instead, but before Cerule could get a word out she felt someone’s hand pull her away from the crowd.

Jade: Hey! Don’t go against what the teacher said. It’s rude you know!

Jade had a glint in his eye that warned them not to intervene as he swam alongside his twin. Floyd held Cerule’s wrist as he swam towards Azul with a grin on his face.

Floyd: Azul~! Try to keep the princess near you, wouldn't want anyone else to snatch her away, right?

Floyd has this cheeky grin as he ushers the princess towards him. Azul gathers his things and looks at Cerule and introduces himself, showing curtsey before the royal.

Azul: Pleasure to meet you, princess. I’m Azul Ashengrotto. The twins are Jade and Floyd Leech, they’re my friends, you could say…

Cerule: Nice to meet you! Umm… where do we go exactly?

She asked nervously, twiddling her fingers.

Azul: We’re going to the Atlantica museum. It’s the best place to start the tour

The Serpent King uses one of his fins to nudge his daughter closer to him as he talks to her 

Serpent King: Now remember, always stay close to papa and he’ll scare away anyone who dares to harm you. Your papa has quite the reputation as the mighty serpent, you know!

He pulls his daughter close to his side as they swim along the ocean floor. The corals and seaweed thrashing wildly from his large fins.

Cerule: Yeah, mighty scary…

Cerule rolls her eyes at her father who looked proud of himself.

Cerule mumbled, remembering the time that she brought her soon-to-be-friends to her home only to have them swim away when her dad tried to ‘smile’ at them. Hopefully this time she would be able to sneak away for a while when he’s not looking so that she could at least explore a portion of the Coral Sea.

They arrived at the magic mirror that was showing a reflection of the Coral Sea through the glass. They went through the glass along with their soldiers accompanying them, the Serpent King’s massive leviathan form was then changed into that of a merman once they reached the other side.

They continued on their way to their destination until they arrived at the building where they were supposed to hold their meeting in. Upon entering, they were greeted with a rather snobbish merman who was yelling at two other mermen who looked like they did something wrong. 

Servant: That’s the wrong color for the tablecloth! And I told you to get me ocean blossoms not sea kelp! The Serpent King could be here any minute and if he sees this mess then I’ll be-

Serpent Guard: Ahem!

One of the Serpent King’s guards coughed to catch his attention, the snobby merman turned around and was about to yell at whoever had interrupted him but he bit his tongue when he saw the Serpent King and his bodyguards. He quickly shooed the two mermen away and put on a polite façade.

Servant: Your excellency, it is an honor! I do apologize for the indecent display

Cerule could tell he was trying to cover up the fact that he was yelling at his employees, it looked awkward and the silence that followed wasn’t helping. The Serpent King just looked at him and nodded.

Serpent King: No need for apologies, we are delighted to be invited to discuss politics with your leader so I understand the rush.

He meant for it to be a signal that he finds no offense but his thundering voice made it seem like he was irritated. The snobby merman flinched at the tone and quickly distanced himself from the royal. The king nudged Cerule to do curtsey and she gracefully did a bow.

Serpent King: My daughter is accompanying me today to sightsee for a bit while I’m in a meeting, we would like someone to show her around. This is Cerule, my pride and joy.

The merman was surprised to see that the Serpent King even brought his daughter along, not much was known about his personal life outside of his kingdom. You can imagine the surprise when he introduces her, nevertheless, the merman shakes his off his dazed expression and straightens his back.

Servant: Oh! She is quite the gem… Anyway, let me show you where you where the meeting room is!

They were led to a large hall with the King of the Coral Sea already sitting on one of the chairs. The two monarchs greet each other formally and he notices Cerule behind her father. 

Coral Sea King: My word, is this your daughter? She is quite the beauty, I heard from my advisor that you wish to have her sightsee? Perhaps she would like to meet with the elementary school children, I’m sure they’d like to get to know your daughter!

The monarch said with an amused tone, the king was a bit hesitant but then he spotted his guard making the gesture of how the queen would probably find out that he let her sit around and learn nothing, so he relented and agreed to arrange a schedule for her meet with the school children.

The monarch called for the school principal and delivered the news, within half an hour the principal and a teacher were guided to the room they were in. The two bowed respectfully before the royals when they arrived.

Principal: Your excellency, we are here to chaperon the princess to our humble school! Where is she?

The principal looked around the room until his eyes landed on the small merchild next to the Serpent King, Cerule swam up to him and bowed elegantly.

Cerule: That’s me s-sir! It’s a pleasure to meet you

Teacher: Oh my, she is just radiant! You should definitely meet the students of my class, I’m sure they’ll welcome you warmly!

Both the principal and the teacher were enamored with the princess, admiring the way Cerule’s tail shimmers under the light. 

The king watched as his daughter’s figure disappeared from his sight, he could already feel his overprotectiveness sink in. But he steeled himself and remembered that he shouldn’t go against what his wife told him, not unless he wants to face her wrath when they get home. He went back to discussing politics with the monarch.

Cerule could feel the stares of the other merfolk as she swam next to the principal and the teacher, they were talking to each other about how it is an honor to have another royal visit their school. Cerule tuned them out since she didn’t want to hear them ramble about how great it is that she’s going to visit, she feels like they are more thankful for the fact that she’s royalty and nothing else. 

As they neared the school, she felt a bit anxious because she was going somewhere without her father for a change. Though she may want to get away from him for a bit, having to actually be away from him when she has spent years staying close to him was moving a bit too fast for her liking. But she tries to keep those thoughts in the back of her mind because this could be a great opportunity to make new friends, ones that won’t flee at her father’s ‘smile’. 

She cringes at the memory of the other serpent kids who fled the palace all because her father smiled, her father didn’t like any boys so she tried to bring girls but as her father tried to be friendly, the opposite happened.