The Hidden Jewels

Chapter 2

Sapphires POV

This is crazy and I'm not really sure how I feel right now. I went from having one sister to twelve and seven brothers. How do you handle that. I wasn't raised with them. What if they are awful or make fun of me or something. This is weird also because how do I remember who is who. It is cool to see that some of them actually look like me some. I was tired of people thinking me and Emerald weren't related.

Emerald has always been more daring than me. She's up for every party and adventure. When we were told to pack, she didn't even ask questions. I did, and I was told not to bother with packing cloths because they would be provided. which made me more concerned but helped with packing. I keep looking around, and I lock eyes with one of my sisters. I think her name is Ruby, and she seems to be worried like me. I put my purses next to me as the food is brought in, and I decide to enjoy it.

I'm not sure how I feel about my parents giving me away, but I was raised really well. I never wanted for anything that was never miss, treated, I had a really good life and was taught everything I needed to know. I have good manners, and I was taught how to be the best version of me. I always wondered how we were able to pay for things while I was growing up. It was like the money just appeared, and now I understand. They knew who each of us was, and I'd be willing to bet they know a lot about each of us, too.

I'd assume they couldn't tell us because of the threat and wanted us brought up by people they trusted. I wonder who my parents are to them, but either way, they'd be my family, so it's good, I guess. I hope they still help them with money because I don't know if they could make it without the help. I sigh and pile my plate high with food. We all eat in relative silence, and then the spell is broken as we all finish.

Emeralds POV

Someone brings in a lot of cots and tells us all to get as much sleep as we can. I'd usually be kind of mad about this kind of thing. Tonight, though, I think has given me a different perspective. I may now understand why Sapphire is the way she is. Life could end for us at any time, and the fact that we are here and safe is a lot. This is one of the palaces, if merman are able to attack here. No one is safe, and I don't want to find out what they want us for.

I'm still shocked that I have so many sisters and brothers. They are all so beautiful and handsome it must be our jeans. The queen, our mom, is a stunner she definitely gave us good jeans. The same goes for the king our dad. I still can't believe we are royalty it explains how jobless parents kept us so well cared for. Our dad had back issues and couldn't work, and mom was in a wheelchair. The weird part is we never wanted for anything they took, such good care of us. I'm going to miss them a lot, but maybe with us gone, they will stay safe.

Diamond POV

I look around the room and wonder how we never meant everyone before. Amethyst and I were very popular. We went everywhere and meant so many people. We had friends everywhere, but somehow, we never even knew that there were royal twins. None the less that they lived this close to us and were our age. I look around us and see the similarities in us, and I wonder if I'd still see them if I didn't know that we were related. We ate a lot, and then it was time to sleep, and I've never used a cot before, but it's not as awful as I expected.

Amethyst POV

I'm laying in this cot and about to go to sleep. It's barely five pm, but we will be woken around midnight to go with our dad, so we need the sleep. It's so weird that the king of our part of the ocean is our dad. I didn't even think I'd ever meet him in my life even though we lived near ish to the castle. I just assumed it wasn't possible to meet the king, and now he's my biological dad. I mean, he always was. I just never knew, but still, it's so crazy this morning that I was just Amethyst, a fun girl who loves to party and hang out with her twin sister Diamond. Now I find out I'm not a twin. I'm part of an eicosuplets which is weird. Just one of twenty that's crazy. At least we aren't all identical. That would be awful. Just imagine the fun we could have had as kids if we d all know about each other. I doubt we could have switched places, but tricks could have been fun, so many of us and so little time. I giggled because I thought that was funny. I should get some rest.

Pearl POV

I'm woken up at midnight by our dad, the king. There are kings for all of the five oceans. Then there's a high king over all five. He is barely ever involved in anything it's just that if things get too bad, he comes in and handles it. Our dad rules the Pacific Ocean, and to think we never knew. I get up and start grabbing stuff, as do all my siblings. We grabbed the bags we were given. I looked in mine it's full of weird green paper that looks strange in plastic bags. I know they must be important because we were told to hold them tight, so I'm doing just that.

We are rushed to a small room we all squeeze in, and the room starts to slide slowly down. It's like a secret elevator. We get to a weird room that's like a bunker for war or something. Our dad grabs a few huge bags, then mom copies him, and they walk toward a wall in the back corner he pushes some buttons in the wall and opens up. We swim through to a room.thats like an underground garage. In oceans, we don't really need vehicles, but we knew we'd need these because we have to get closer to shore.

We pile into four separate sub like cars and then take off they float so they can move pretty much anywhere, and we are almost moving too fast. We speed to our destination and get there before the clock even hits half past. We quickly get out and swim up towards the shoreline. My nerves are getting the best of me right now, and I'm wondering what to expect.

They start setting things up guards are everywhere. There are even guards on the land they all face away from. It's weird to see all these people here. Our parents must have good contacts on land for this kind of treatment. I sigh and decide to ask questions to try to stay calm. Feeling nervous, I ask, " Umm, sir, can you explain what all the paper is that came in our purses?" He looks at me and says," Amethyst, you can call me Dad unless it's weird. I know you've been calling my cousin's dad, so that would make sense. That green paper is what the humans use as money. I asked your mother to give you all as much as she could. There will also be a bank account in all of your names. It's been set up since you were born for this type of emergency. I have no idea how much in each account I had money funneled in directly from different ventures. I had it all stopped a few years ago to avoid tracking. I have all these papers here to prove your identities, and you keep your name, except we changed the last name to Palmer, which is what's on the ids and accounts. The people here will help you learn they are also taking you to a hotel for a while so you can get used to things and figure out what you want to do next."

He hands mom some papers, and she rushes around, passing them out. It has our names on them. I'm about to open mine when a lady shows up she's in a long flowing robe, and she stands in the water about up to her knees. My parents have us get closer, and they swim back some as she starts to chant.

Opal POV

I hear the chanting. I see her moving, but I'm frozen in my spot, staring, unable to decide what I should do. My brain says leave quickly, but where would I go? The only home I ever knew was fake, and now I'm just here and unsure what to do to make it better. I sigh and try to pay attention. I guess it's neat that I have so much human money on me and a bank account with who knows what in it. I'm not sure how much I like that I have so many siblings.

Pearl and I got along ok, so maybe it will be good. I'd never had time to make many friends, and I guess that's good now because we are leaving, but I now have a bunch of siblings. If we decide to stick together or stay near each other, at least we could maybe become friends. You're not always friends with your siblings. Some siblings hate each other, and it shows they'd do anything to get rid of you.

I heard about a kid who actually shoved her sister off a bridge. I guess I have no proof that's true. It's just something I'd heard. None of these girls or guys seem upset about the change, and I feel like we could get along for the most part. Oh well, we will just have to see. I had zoned out for a few, but the chanting gets louder, and I'm pulled back. She's circling our group and says," All of you focus on the moon." we all turn to look at the moon.

The water starts to glow and sparkle brighter. We were kind of laying with our tails keeping up slightly above the sandy bittin. As the water gets brighter, I feel like I'm getting taller. I see my tail start to shine. I no longer feel like I'm moving. I'm just here, and I realize I have legs. I look around and see my sisters and brothers noticing, too.

The legs aren't as pretty as our tails were there, just plain, but I am nervous to see if I can walk or swim with them. Swimming was easy before, but I don't know how to use these legs. The chanting stops, and the woman walks over to our parents, who came back up enough to be seen. She smiles and bows at them, and they have a short convo. I can't really hear.

She walks by and bows to us before she leaves for a second. The woman walks away for them and comes back towards us she is carrying two bags. One has some fluffy things in it, and the other holds weird clothes. The women get long things that look like shirts but really long. The men are handed a shirt and some weird second piece of clothes. In the ocean, we didn't wear much but for the women to cover our chests. There were some mer-women who even skipped that, but mom always said that it wasn't ok. To only share all of you with the person you're meant to be with.

The woman tells us to stay facing the moon and to take off our tops if we have one. Then, to use the fluffy thing, she calls a towel to dry some and put on the thing she calls a dress for the women but to bunch it up. Then, to leave slowly lowering it as we dry and leave the water are parents come hug us before we start the process. The men are told to wait a few. As we dry off, they have the girl explain that the wind can make us cold outside of the water. The girls go on land and wait, facing in land as the guys are instructed to dry. Then, put on a shirt and exit the water, walking backward. Then, when on land, they can finish drying and put on the things she called pants. she says one leg at a time and to go slow and balance so they don't fall.

Then dad explains that while we are still his daughters, technically, we are humans right now and could get sick from being wet and out in the wind.

I nod and think I understand what they are saying. I try to follow the instructions, and I do OK as I'm helped to put on this thing they bring us. It's something warm to put on over the dresses it was white and fluffy like the towels but I think they said it was a robe like the fancy one the witch was wearing she was very nice she stopped to hug us each as we got out of the water and tell us it was an honor to help before she left. We were given some things that they called slippers for our feet, and they led us to a few cars hidden in some trees. Our mer-guards waved goodbye as the land guards followed us and split up into cars. we took off a guard in each car with a driver and guards in a front car and back car.