The Kingdom To Kill For

Chapter 6 - The Blue Lake

It was early in the morning when Persis was still sleepy and didn't get breakfast in time.

"Damn it! I overslept last night, and I feel so exhausted for the class today," It's seven o'clock in the morning, and here she is, complaining and feeling hungry.

The halls were crowded with creatures. Some are just scrambles in and out of their classrooms as if their lives depend on it. Both of them follow along with the students into the locker-lined hallway.

Sekhmet opens her locker, shoving her backpack and notes inside. Persis was waiting for her when she saw someone coming into their way. "Oh my goodness," she squealed and giggled to herself, biting her nails, and grabbing Sekhmet's jacket at the same time.

"What the--" Sekhmet seems pissed off by what her friend is screaming about, shoving her hand off to her uniform. She shut the door of her locker and turned to where Persis was looking.

Morpheus stood out from the crowd with a grim expression. He was an impressive sight with his school uniform. He was exquisitely handsome, and it took only a glance to know what he was - a prince of the water kingdom - all swoon to his pretty face and a cupid lips that are rosy, but no one dares to mess with him since he is just become the new stern vice president of the academy after the former one has fallen ill. 

"So, who's the president of the academy?" wondered Sekhmet.

"Who cares about the president if the vice is the only one I've ever wanted to be with," she squealed at the sight of the young prince. She bounced on her shoes.

Sekhmet doesn't seem to care and just watched along with Persis as he passed by. She could hear the swooning murmuring of the girls along the hallway, the guy didn't give a glance at them, and he just left.

"I don't care if Morpheus was living under the deep ocean, you think I can arrange a marriage with him?"

Sekhmet curled her lips, eyebrow arched at the words spilled out from Persis' mouth, "Are you okay? A princess who wanted to arrange a marriage instead of the prince?" her brow raised.

Persis grimaced, "I just wanted you to support me!"

She rolled her eyes and gave a defeated sigh. She doesn't want to argue with her, "Right. You're the princess." she slightly shrugged, "do whatever you want, just let's go, I bet the class will about to start," she grabbed her hand and jerked her across the hallway.

***

"So, where are we headed?" Persis asked one of her classmates by tapping its shoulder. They were led by their class president to gather at the front gate. When her classmate turned to meet her gaze, she was taken-aback from meeting her. Again.

"You?" she remembers her in the garden, the curly brown-haired girl who was asking about the stupid question.

"Oh, I'm so glad you remember me, princess," she smiled, showing the perfect white set of teeth, and she looks eager to talk to her.

"Stop calling me that, and it’s actually not you I remember,” and if I did, I am not going to ask you!

"But it's suitable for you to be called a princess, princess,"she said in a coy, batting her eyelashes repeatedly.

Persis almost puke at her actions. Now, she's getting annoyed by this creature. "I'm not the only princess here, you know," and she can’t guess what kind of creature she is, no fluffy tail, no big ears and no other distinct features from her body to tell what she is, thus, she looks like an innocent young girl but an annoying one.

"I know," and she's still smiling. Wide. "The class president said that we need to wait here at the front gate. The bus will be coming here soon,"

“Bus?"

A sleek, luxurious black tour bus pulled in, everyone gathered a line and climbed inside. Upon the bus, upon the chariot of black, they sat shoulder to shoulder.

"Do you have any idea where the bus is going?" one of their classmates asked the class president.

"Well, our professor for this subject didn't say anything, but we are heading to the lake," he announced, "So, please, that's all I know," it was meant for his classmates not to bother him with any further questions. He sat on the leather seat beside the bus' entrance. Inside they were a curious mixture of cozy and bored, and most of them are itching for the destination that will come eventually.

***

To their first peek over the place and see nature without a haze of discontent, their amazement comes.

The sun rays fall like a blanket of white upon the greenery, and the lake of blue water is crystal clear and beautiful in color. The air has the gentle heat of the season, and on the lakeside, it was pungent, with the fragrance of jasmine. It lay silver in the bright light of the morning sun, and it was a perfect mirror for the mountains that surrounded it.

Everyone felt their lips stretch wider into a gaping grin and eyebrows arched for the sky.

"But, isn't it dangerous for us beginners to learn here on the lake?" asked the girl with braided hair and large rims of eyeglasses, her voice seems to tremble just by the sight of the lake.

"This lake has a long nearshore and a well-lit area for beginners before reaching depth parts, and not to worry, we can manage to look after you," he gave an assuring smile.

Standing beside Morpheus, another senior clapped his hand twice loudly. And in a matter of  seconds, everyone's uniform glimmered and changed into their classic wetsuit instantly. Everyone was surprised and astonished about the sudden change, as some of them felt shy and looked away from embarrassment.

"Well, I much prefer this one," Sekhmet said in satisfaction as if she was smiling that their exchange mentors decided to let them wear this suit covering and protecting their whole body from stones and sand in the lake.

"But, I want the classic swimsuit, you know?" Persis whimpered like a puppy. She wished it was an open back swimwear, at least, she could spread her wings if she fell drowning at the lake.

"Maybe you can ask them to change it,"

"Right," but she paused and stopped the moment Morpheus picked up one of those students and called them. Almost half of them gathered in front of the tall lad.

"What is it this time, why didn't he pick me, too?" another disappointing sigh released from Persis.

"Just you wait, okay?" hushed Sekhmet.

"I will be handling this first group I picked, and the rest, my colleagues, will accompany you,"

That announcement made Persis blink blankly, staring at him with her mouth open. Her brain formulated no thoughts other than to register that she was shocked. She wanted to be in their group, and she knew that Morpheus knew about her, but why didn't he pick her?

And she heard Sekhmet give out a heavy sigh, shaking her head with a 'tsk' sound in her mouth. "Oh, well, maybe we should take a deep breath, and let's eat, okay?" Sekhmet tapped her shoulder, pushing her to walk into the cabin.

As she felt devastated, she allowed Sekhmet to push her and lead the way.

Stepping inside the cabin, instead of a house to what they are expecting, it was a humble restaurant. The small square tables and dining chairs are all made in logs. The lighting was dim, and the air was thick with the scents of so many different foods. 

"Hello there, what can I get you?" smiled the cashier, came and stood in front of what looked like a mini touch screen computer ready to take their order.

Persis turned to Sekhmet before deciding what to take to eat. Her face looks worried, turned to Sekhmet, and asked, "Are you sure the mentors are okay that we are here?"

Sekhmet didn't glance at her friend as her eyes were scanning at the menu board above the cashier. "Well, I did ask one of the mentors, and I told him that you didn't take your breakfast, so he said yes. But only, we can't let others know."

"Fine," and she joins with Sekhmet looking for something nice to eat for breakfast. "I'll have bacon and egg, and hot matcha, please," she ordered.

"Right away, princess,"

Persis slowly turned at the cashier with a questionable look. "How did you know I'm a princess?" she asked. There's too much to feel about this morning and might not know what to think at all. First, she didn't take her breakfast, and she's starving. Second, Morpheus just ignored her. Third, some stranger knows about her, a princess.

The cashier chuckled, "Oh, you are? I don't know that, every girl I meet I call them princess, dear,"

Of course, she was thinking much this morning, though she hadn't meant to think about it, she could tell of mild surprise on her face and by her cheeks that flushed pink.

The way Persis reacted, the cashier gets it, "But," the cashier said, "Little I know that most students who come here are nobles, right?" she queried.  And she glanced at Sekhmet, "If she is a princess, who might you be?" she asked Sekhmet.

"I am no one," Sekhmet answered. "Can we just have done with the order, please? We are not staying too long here, since we have an ongoing class at the lake,"

"Of course, sorry about that," and she punched their final order.