Song of Crowns

Episode 3: Grief

I guess there will be only one season underneath the waters. The whole place is so cold and dark that I can't seem to adjust my body to it. 

The Kingdom of Sarkis is a summer country and we rarely experience rains even during Christmastime. My father, the King, would hold a feast for the whole month if the rain would come. He believes that the gods and goddesses gave us glory with the rain and that it should be celebrated. 

Of course, I thought that was ridiculous. Our Kingdom is advanced like so many other countries, but my father still believes in superstitions like gods and goddesses. 

I hold myself as I shudder in the cold. The dark room is empty but I don't dare to keep myself warm with the lampshade. My pride won't let me. 

I don't know how many days I have been in and I stopped counting the minutes I spent sulking in this room. 

My parents are gone and my brothers drowned before they could get to me. I sigh at that. At least they didn't have to experience such horrendous things I am about to experience here. 

My mother always tells me that someday, I will be alone without them. She didn't mean that literally of course. I knew she meant that they will be gone and I will be starting my own life with a family of my own - therefore alone without their guidance. 

However, this is not what I envisioned my life to become. 

The few hours before the apocalypse seemed to happen so fast. I was in my study room learning about trade and stocks when suddenly a guard rushed to my doors. He had a stricken and pained face in him. 

The next thing that happened, I was pushed into an aerocar. My mother and brothers are with me. My father didn't make it because he was so much in love with the people that he couldn't leave them. 

We were sent to the ports hours later on a speed drive. The aerocar could not withstand the load and crashed at the sandy beaches of Hawaii. Hawaii was very far from our country, yet I commended our pilot for his speedy delivery. 

My mother was supposed to come with me. At this point, we were briefed by the submarine captain about the situation. He told us that the moon suddenly went off its original axis and started pulling the waves in tremendous heights. 

Of course, that I can understand. 

Now the world is in chaos and everything is being flooded. We later found out before entering the submarines that the cooling systems of the nuclear plants near Hawaii had been flooded, therefore rendering the whole thing useless. From what I can imagine, nuclear plants being flooded can result in mayhem. 

My mother didn't think twice and stopped falling in line. I think she knew that the sooner that I got in the submarine, the better. She pushed me in before I could even stop her and then the doors of the submarine closed, proving to me that she did not make the cut. 

Mothers and children were priorities. My brothers didn't make it as well. When I saw the skies become engulfed with a strong light of green, the submarine I was in submerged in the water. I saw countless men jump into the water, trying to catch up to us. 

My brothers, Aaron and Kyle. They didn't make it and drowned in front of me. 

My eyes welled up in tears thinking about it. I couldn't believe that in a span of a day, I will lose my country. In a span of a day, I lost my family. 

I immediately wiped my tears away when my door propped open. By the frame, a familiar figure entered with a tray. 

"Mr. Adrian wanted me to deliver this to you." He said as he placed the tray beside the unlit lampshade. "You ought to turn on the lights. It will give you warmth." 

"You're that person right?" I told him as I shifted through the bed and beside the table. I still can't make out his face under the dark room. "The one that unshackled me?" 

"I am." He answered while he stood upright. I guess he's going to watch me finish my food. "Please eat. You have a long day tomorrow." 

"Why did you do that?" I asked, taking the fork and playing with the mushy food in front of me. "Was it pity that made you unshackle my chains?" 

"Oh no." He answered softly. "I figured, if they tried to put a hand on you, you can save yourself by knocking them out." 

"Oh." That was all I could say. I thought he was helping me escape. 

"Did you think I was going to help you escape?" He asked. I can feel a grin forming on his face while he said those. 

I shook my head and took a bite. Surprisingly, the mushy food does not taste bland. "I realize you think I can not go elsewhere with us being stuck in an underwater dome. I was born royal. I don't have the skills to blend in with the commoners just to get away from them." 

"Your intuitions are sharp. It’s no wonder with a kind of girl like you." He bowed and proceeded to the door. I guess he felt satisfied with me taking a bite and wanted me to eat alone. 

"Wait," I stopped him. "I'm sorry. I don't even know your name?" 

Even under the dark, I can feel his eyes trained on me. After a few seconds of silence, he muttered words to me. "I'm just an ordinary citizen of your country, Princess Adeline. I'm Evos." He said and left the room. 

Evos. That sounds familiar. I think I heard it somewhere. 

I stopped eating the mushy food and went back to my seat. The windows are wide enough to let me see the open street. There, people are still packing them. Tents are surrounding the other side of the street with children running around seemingly fond of the new place. 

Before I could realize it, I found myself turning on the light from the lampshade and tucking myself to sleep. 

I'm going to dream of my family. I thought to myself. 

But then I dreamt of a boy named Evos instead. 

- End -