Chapter 12: The Chance (I)

The big day has come for the Sirens to finally crown their princess according to the siren's tradition, the rite is performed to test the strength of the future ruler of the sirens, she is to gain their trust and win the siren's heart as the crown princess that would be next in line after the reign of the queen, she would be crowned princess in witness of every Siren as the next true leader of Riveria. With that title, no ruler would go against her nor take over her place illegally as the Sirens would fight for her.

One of the rites would be a test of survival which she will be thrown underneath the river with a heavy stone tied to her tail and then she will strive to free herself from it with the little time giving to her, she will also be trapped and asked to escape from the trap without making use of any weapon.

The second rite will be to test her skills when she faces a war in future, she will be chased by Riveria warriors in the river who are ready to give her injuries if she was caught; She must escape it.

The third rite will be for her to swore an oath to always do what's best for the Sirens, to never associate herself with any evil that will put Riveria into trouble of any sort. She must pass one out of the first and second rite before continuing to the third. If she doesn't pass the first and second test then she is not worthy and ready to rule Riveria.

Princess Adunni took a deep breath before looking at her mother who was smiling at her

" I won't fail mother if that's what you are thinking" she assured her

" Of course, I know you have been practicing secretly; Do you think I don't know about that?" She questioned surprising princess Adunni

" Is there anything you don't know mother?" She asked her not even ready to hear her response

" This rite favors both of us, if you win; you have the right to fight me for your throne and I have the right to not worry about any siren outside Riveria converting my throne " the queen said to her with a creepy smile on her face

" I feel like crying mother, it almost seems like you have a heart " Princess Adunni icily said

" And if you don't win...You will be the only one at disadvantage because you won't be able to fight for this throne as you are already a looser and a weak mermaid like your father. All I have to do is find a suitable heir to replace you" She fired at her causing Princess Adunni to be quite for few seconds

Princess Adunni burst out laughing and her mum joined her too, she cleared her throat as she starred straight into her mother's eye

" You mean call Erica that you sent to die on the human world back to life to be your heir? Oh, wait a minute; I think Vashi is not too old to run the throne, right? Let me think... You can't be thinking of the two princes, right? because they might merge Riveria and their kingdom into one and there will be no Riveria that you had fought so hard for " she said with a smirk

" I think I should fail and see who has the most disadvantage" she said again as she saw the queen's face turn dark

" You look better when you smile mother, you should always keep that face" she said before swimming out to prepare for her first rite

(Bellaire high school)

Oma's heart almost dropped when she felt a hand hang around her shoulders from the back while she was about to enter the classroom

"Geez! Erica, I thought we agreed you should sta.... " She stopped when she had turned her head and saw Lava

" So, Erica is not coming today to pick you up I guess?" He spoke

" N…no, I mean yeah; you scared the shit out of me lava " she said frowning her face

" I am sorry, you are not the only one Erica has been creeping out. Truth be told; She kissed me and we almost made out the other day and then she left me horny" he said and Oma almost choked on her own saliva

" What?" She shouted drawing her classmate's attention towards them. " Let's go find some place to talk" she told lava quickly leaving the class

" Sure" he said joining her

" When did they get close?" Some of the students questioned each other in surprise after seeing the two people who had never talked to each other now hanging out.

" So, Erica was right about everything?" Oma questioned in disbelief after they had found a calm spot to stay

" I so much love Erica. I have never felt something for someone like I did towards her; It is so painful that she doesn't want to give me a chance to get to know her and she keeps disappearing on me, she gives me hope and then crash that hope immediately" he said silently looking all emotional

" Erica doesn't give anybody a chance, I don't even know her" she quickly said " um...I mean she is my sister and I even feel like I don't know she is my sister" she rephrased to get the confused Lava back on track.

" I probably thought she would drop you in school today but am guessing she is busy been a marine biologist" he said

" Marine biologist? What!" Oma shouted in shock. Lava looked at her as she sounded surprised

" I guess that's why she is so interested in marine ecosystem. She never told me that" she said between her teeth only to her own hearing.

" Yes, she has been busy lately been a marine biologist; she so much love sea creatures" she told him batting her eye at him

" Wow, that means we are a perfect match made from heaven" he said smiling and Oma faked smiling as part of her begs her to tell Lava one thousand reasons why he should rethink that idea of been a match from heaven with Erica.

" Please can I go to your place after school to see her" he pleaded why making a puppy eye at her.

Gosh! Oma almost chooses him over Mk.

" Yes, maybe you can talk sense into her about leaving whoever that is murdering fishes alone and face her marine biology because I didn't sleep at all last night" she said

" Murdering fishes?" Lava curiously asked " Please elaborate" he said again

" I thought you knew about it too since you both are into the marine eco system?" She asked dumbfoundly as she saw that Lava wasn't following

" She thinks someone is intentionally causing harms to the fishes. Maybe to get back at your father and that's not the first time" she told him

" No one ever told me about that, this is huge" Lava said looking dazed

* * *

Princess Adunni struggled hard to set herself free from the prison trap that was made of sharp bones, she had managed to escape from the giant stone she has been thrown down with hours ago which almost drowned her beneath the river. Now she is struggling to free herself from the pointy bones which kept coming closer to her every 10 minutes. She has been there for thirty minutes; she tried every possible way until she was able to come up with the idea of climbing the bone like cage which was going to be difficult for her especially with the fact that she has only hands to climb.

(Bellaire high school)

" Are you waiting for anyone?" The security man asked as soon as he approached the man on a black jeep who has been there for two hours doing nothing but smoking.

" Yeah" he said bluntly

" Okay, why not come inside the school then? There are plenty of chairs " the Security man said

" No thank you, I will rather wait here" he said bluntly again

" Okay" the security man said waving his head in disgust of the man's ill behavior.

The fair skin punk guy puffed his cigarette out of the window. He goes by the name Kelvin and works for Mr. Hansel for almost three years. His job is to handle the CCTV room and watch anyone coming in and out of the fish industry and sometimes he run little errands for Mr. Hansel like stalking people as he is doing now. He had come to the school to get more information about Erica as ordered by Mr. Hansel.

(Riveria)

The Sirens hailed princess Adunni once she had completed her first test which was a bloody one, she was badly injured on her tail when she was climbing those bones, she almost didn't make it but the strong determination to win kept her going

" Do you know that your mother never won the first rite" king George whispered into her ears which triggered her to smile

The two princes just stared at her smiling at her without saying a word.

" I must say, I am impressed" the queen told her

" You should be mother; I might be the only mermaid that made it in her first rite" she said sarcastically and the queen smiled in between her teeth.

"The princess will continue with her second rites" said the oldest mermaid in Riveria known as the eye of the gods for the Sirens.

(Bellaire city)

Erica stood at the kitchen staring blankly at the kitchen sink where she had dropped the plate of oath meal she had eaten. After a while, she walked closer to the sink reaching out for the knife on top of it. When she had taken the knife, she looked closely at it observing every part of it. She quickly dropped the knife when she heard someone unlocking the door, she hid herself waiting patiently to see who that was, she watches Oma come inside the house followed by Lava

" Hi" lava said nervously when he saw Erica

" You were in tv twenty minutes ago" Erica said looking at him

" That's our restaurant commercial video. I did that days ago" he told her

" What are you doing here?" She asked him

" That's not a way to welcome someone you had shared a kiss with" Oma said grinning between her teeth why making her way upstairs

" Am not sorry for telling her that" Lava said dropping his school bag.

Erica glared at him

" He is here to help you find the fish killer" Oma said.

Erica smiled as she dragged the nervous Lava closer to her.

" Um, I can check the CCTV footage today once I get back home" Lava said nervously

" That's a good start" Erica said

" You will have to give me your number in other to give you feedback" Lava said

" You will take mine because she lost her phone" Oma quickly said before Erica could think of anything.

" Sure" he said heading towards Oma to take her number

Erica walks towards the window when she has sensed a trait, she silently opened the window and saw a strange man enter a black jeep and drove off.

(Riveria)

Princess Adunni groaned in pain from her tail that was bleeding from the sharp bone one of the Mer warriors had stabbed her with when she was caught by one of them. The dead fish bones and animals' bones found inside the river were used as weapons for war in the merworld and its sharpness could penetrate anything.

She was almost closed to escaping when two mermen attacked her from behind, she did everything she could and finally escaped with stabbing one of them on the stomach. It was a hunt to wound with none of them recognizing her as a princess that moment but just an outcast. The Sirens hailed again in joy and excitement when she had made it, the people were really impressed and with this she has won the heart of so many Sirens especially that of Prince Luca.

Amanda quickly rushes to her with some of the Mer nurses to treat her injuries before she resumes for the main and final rites.

" In few hours, the Princess will be engaged to my son" king Ayata silently said to the queen.

The queen briefly smiled as she looks beside her to Olga who was covering herself between the crowd of Sirens and looking back at her.

Princess Adunni was purified and her skin tainted with color from the water plants after which a tattoo of fish was calved into her skin. She was asked to bow before the Sirens ready to take the oath. She agreed to every oath that has been given to her in witness of the Sirens.

" Hail the crown princess!!' Prince Obi shouted and every Sirens hailed her continuously

"I am glad to be in your presence today as a crown princess and future leader of Riveria. I promise to fight evil and fish out any one hiding something that will harm us nor trying to bring down the merworld!" She shouted looking straight to the queen.

The people hailed her in excitement while the queen looked back at princess Adunni's clapping her hands for her.