The journey to the king's throne chamber took them through the highest parts of the palace. Prince Nereon led the way, cutting through the water with barely a sound, while Princess Naia swam beside Nova and Anny.

The passages here were different from the rest of the palace. Where the lower levels had been works of art, these corridors spoke of ancient powers. The walls were carved from living rock that pulsed with a deep, rhythmic glow, like the heartbeat of some massive creature. Veins of what looked like molten gold ran through the stone, creating patterns that tore through the carvings.

"Father carved these passages himself during his grief," Princess Naia whispered. Her voice was barely audible through the water. "After mother died, he... changed. The palace itself reflects his pain."

Nova could feel the weight of sorrow pressing down on them as they swam higher. 'They're not skilled carvings, but I can sense the grief…'

(I assume the death of their mother has something to do with their hatred for the king?) Anny projected, studying the reliefs with a heavy expression.

(I think that's quite likely. And if so, it won't be easy to convince them to love him again. But we will see.)

They passed through a series of chambers filled with monuments. In one alcove, a statue of a mermaid woman stood surrounded by dying flowers. Her face was covered by a white sheet, drifting peacefully around her features.

"Mother," Prince Nereon said simply as he noticed Nova's gaze. "Father cannot bear to look at her image, yet he cannot bear to remove it either."

The final approach to the throne chamber was guarded by two massive doors. Each one was carved from a single piece of black coral. They stood easily eight meters tall, with detailed reliefs showing the history of the mermaid kingdom. But these weren't the celebratory scenes from the lower palace—these depicted war, loss, and the slow decay of a once-great civilization.

'...These paint a grim image of the king's mental state. I can only assume these were made after this place turned into a dungeon floor.'

Prince Nereon placed his hands against the doors and pushed. They opened without sound, as if the water itself parted to make way.

The throne chamber beyond was a cathedral of the deep. The ceiling arched impossibly high, disappearing into darkness that even Nova's enhanced vision couldn't penetrate. Pillars of living coral twisted upward like the ribs of some primordial beast. Each one was thick enough that it would take twenty men holding hands to encircle it.

But it was the throne itself that commanded attention.

Carved from a single piece of what looked like crystallized starlight, it rose from the chamber floor like a frozen wave. The material seemed to shift and flow even as it remained solid. It created the illusion of water frozen at the moment of crashing.

And upon that throne sat the Mermaid King.

The king was enormous—easily twice the size of his son. He had a frame that spoke of both incredible power and terrible weariness. His lower body was that of some ancient sea serpent. Scales black as the deepest trench were shot through with veins of silver that pulsed like lightning.

But it was his face that truly showed the weight of his grief. A face carved with lines of sorrow. His blue eyes held depths that spoke of loss beyond measure. His hair, once golden like his daughter's, had turned white as seafoam, flowing around his shoulders like silk.

In his right hand, he held a grand trident, taller than the king himself. Where his fingers gripped the shaft, the water around it swirled in tiny whirlpools.

'I can recognize a true king when I see one—but I don't see one here. This king seems unfit for his crown. He certainly deserved it at some point in time, but not today.'

"Father, we greet you."

The king looked at his children. For just a moment, something like warmth flickered in those glacial depths. But it was quickly buried beneath layers of suspicion.

"Hmph, what matter could be so important that my children would come visit me? I can hardly imagine anything moving you two here." The king's voice was like the sound of waves crashing against stone, carrying undertones that held great authority.

"...We are here to present our friends to you," Princess Naia said, hesitating slightly as she gestured toward them. "I have traveled with them for several days now, getting here from the mansion."

The king's expression darkened as he tightened his grip on the trident. The weapon responded with a pulse of energy that made the water around them glow. "That should hardly take days. At your speed, an hour would be enough."

"If I were alone, yes. But not everyone is allowed to travel peacefully through the roads."

"Hmph... Well, who are these friends, then?"

Princess Naia straightened defiantly in front of the old king. "I present to you Nova and Anny, two surface dwellers who have come here to speak to you."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The king turned his attention to them. Nova felt the full weight of that ancient gaze. It was like being examined by the ocean itself—vast, implacable, and utterly without mercy for those found wanting.

'I have stared down gods, little king. You need more than that to make me nervous.'

"Greetings, your majesty," Nova said through his Mermaid's Echo. The sphere floated beside him and cast its own gentle light.

The king studied the magical device. He narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here? And why does your speak-thingy sound just like my daughter?"

"I am unable to talk underwater, so I created this spell to record and speak for me. Your daughter was kind enough to help me, telling me the tales of your people."

For the briefest moment, the king's expression softened as he looked at Princess Naia. Pride flickered in his eyes—pride in her kindness, her willingness to help strangers. But the moment passed quickly, buried beneath his endless suspicion.

"And your purpose?"

"To figure out how I can leave this place happier than we found it. I'm not sure how yet, but I believe we can figure it out together."

The king laughed, but more in a ridiculing way than a merry one. "Happier? I am perfectly happy. In fact, why don't you leave this place and let us live our lives in peace instead?"

The moment the words left the king's lips, Nova's new trait flared to life. The lie hit him like a physical blow—so obvious, so desperate, that it was almost painful to perceive. This was not a king content with his lot. This was a being drowning in his own sorrow, clinging to denial as his only refuge from the truth.

"You're not perfectly happy, your majesty. And neither are your children. They are so miserable that they prefer dying over continuing to live in this way."

"Nova!" Princess Naia's voice carried panic and warning in equal measure.

The king rose from his throne, holding his trident ready. "If you're here to deceive me, surface worm, you can instead show me what your insides look like."

The water around the trident began to churn. Violent currents spiraled outward from the weapon. Nova could feel the raw power building—enough force to tear him apart in seconds if he let it.

"Father, please!" Princess Naia swam between them with desperation in her voice. "He's telling you the truth!"

"They are enemies!" The king's voice boomed through the chamber, sending shockwaves through the water. "Tell me yourself if you have anything you wish to say to me!"

"It's true! I do wish to die!" Princess Naia's confession erupted from her like a dam bursting. "And you would know that if you ever listened to either one of us!"

The king recoiled as if struck. His massive frame seemed to shrink. "Nonsense! There is no reason for you to want that."

"This world isn't real!" Princess Naia gestured wildly at the ornate chamber around them. "The people around us aren't real! They're just puppets acting like people! How can you not see it!"

Prince Nereon floated beside his sister. His face was grim with shared understanding. The two siblings had clearly discussed this many times before.

"This dungeon nonsense again?" The king's voice cracked with pain and fury. "I know you took your mother's death hard. That doesn't mean the world suddenly turned into some kind of hollow shell! Wake up!"

"I know that!" Princess Naia's voice rose to match her father's volume. "But that's not what happened! And she never would have died if you had just asked the surface dwellers for help!"

The accusation hung in the water between them. Nova could see the king's face contort with rage and guilt. Old wounds were being torn open. Secrets that had festered for years were finally being exposed.

(Do we need to step in here?) Anny asked through their ring connection. She looked nervous at the heated exchange.

(I'm not sure.) Nova studied the family drama unfolding before them. (This seems to be turning ugly. But at least we're still using words.)

The king's trident pulsed with increasing power. The weapon seemed to feed on his emotional turmoil. "I protected our kingdom! As is my duty! I would do the same all over again!"

The declaration rang hollow. Even without his lie detection, Nova could hear the doubt in the king's voice. This was a man trying to convince himself as much as his children.

"Naia, let me speak for a bit," Nova said through his Echo. He moved closer to the king. The water grew heavier with each stroke, as if the king's presence itself was a crushing weight.

Princess Naia turned to him. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "...Okay, Nova."

"Your highness, this is all quite simple." Nova kept his voice calm and steady. "All you have to do is lay down your stubbornness and be honest."

The king's eyes blazed with fury. He raised his trident higher. "The fact that you can speak does not give you the right to lecture me! Get out of my sight!"

But Nova pressed forward. He had seen this pattern before—a ruler drowning in denial, clinging to false narratives to avoid facing painful truths. "I know you regret your actions. I know you would change it all if you could go back. And I know you're aware of this being inside a dungeon. Denying it will only make things worse."

Prince Nereon looked between his father and Nova. Hope flickered in his eyes for the first time. "...Father?"

"What would you know about anything?!" The king's voice was raw with anguish. The careful control he had maintained was cracking. "You know nothing of loss! Nothing of responsibility! Nothing of the choices that haunt a king's dreams!"

Nova had to fight his instincts not to scoff at the king's words. He knew nothing of loss, responsibility, or the tough choices of a king?

"Look into my eyes."

Nova's voice carried a quiet authority. Something in his tone made it impossible to ignore.

The king's furious expression wavered. His ancient eyes met Nova's young ones, and for a moment, the chamber held its breath.

"Do you see a reflection? Or do you see the depths, far deeper than you've ever imagined?"

The king's face went pale. In Nova's eyes, he saw not the innocence of youth, but the weight of several lifetimes. The burden of decisions that had shaped worlds. The ache of losing everyone he ever knew, over and over again.

"I… I didn't…"

"I can tell, your highness, that you're aware of all these things. And I'm sure you know that denying it won't change anything for the better."

The king's grip on his trident wavered. For a moment, he looked less like a ruler and more like a broken father.

"Won't you put it all aside for the sake of your children?" Nova's voice softened. "Be honest with them—and with yourself. You all deserve that much."

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