[ChicletPrime]

• i am back in the hateful palace and no, i don't care what dress you put me in. whatever. its only my coming of age (which makes this reader immediately think of important dates of auspice and sacrificial knives)
  
• oh, the little blue fish is REAL. in a fishbowl even. that's.. new. but i don't remember who gave it to me. ah, it was a previous birthday gift, littered among all the rest, given by a young Lemurian noble, eyes cold yet beautiful. 
  
• yeah that describes our boy pretty well.
  
•  so our princess has read up on the fables of the lost Lemuria, that there was a God of the Sea, they were blessed with beauty, to create beauty, pearls and wonderous voice, blood that could resurrect the dead. once tamed (niiice choice of words) they were the most loyal, powerful servants, even should it cost them their lives.
  
• "as a symbol of luxury, nobles did everything to acquire a Lemurian. to raise an exotic plaything was to flaunt one's wealth and status.'  oh. yeah. for sure. lets all just invite the tiger to lounge on the living room carpet.
  
• oh NO. fucking no way. was the gift not the fish,  but RAFAYEL? a Lemurian boy for the everlasting princess.
  
• the boy won't talk, even when taken to the palace lake.
  
• 'oh, i heard Lemurians can charm anyone with a song. did they cut your tongue?"
  
• . . . 
  
•  go us! we took off his chains! run little lemurian, run! swim. whatever!
  
• okay, that explains why we wanted to escape on the boat. the lake connects to underground rivers that lead... somewhere. more rivers, i guess. maybe there's still a sea somewhere, and the Deep. 
  
• oh. oh, i can't come with you. you, they'll not miss until I tell them to miss you but me? we'll both be right back here.
  
•  /thinking.  was Older Rafayel in the palace lake again having swum back through the river system, only this time he slaughtered a few nobles on the way to find me again? or was he doing something else and i just happened to turn up at the wrong time? he did tell Amund it was too early yet.
  
• aww, the vow of the sea in the form of a little blue fish. 
  
• i am being warned by my ever loyal, possibly closest jailor in the form of maid Natasha that many Lemurians have "snuck" into the city recently and it would be dangerous to approach "him". 
  
• "Aren't Lemurians easy to tame?"   i am SUCH A PRINCESS. 
  
• oops. suspicious arrow on the balcony. away with you, maid Natasha! I must.. nap, or something.
  
• there's a note on the arrow's fletching! with a "fishtail-esque" item attached. awww. "Three days. Dusk." 
  
• oh boy oh boy oh boy escape attempt #101 in the offing! i hope i have something other than party dresses to sneak out with. hang on. when was my coming of age ceremony again? today? four days from now? 
  
• i am a terrible liar. always have been. always will be.
  
• its three days from now. of COURSE.  can i pretend to be bedridden, is the real question here.