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Maris hummed and pursed her lips before accepting a menu from Lasmeer. She looked over the names of the plates and let out an anxious sigh. “Yes, but to be honest I am not sure what to get.”

Valda nodded and pulled away, and turned to where she thought Lasmeer was. “Two doubles with cheese and some fried potato strips.”

“Got it.” Lasmeer flashed an all-knowing smile before leaving to the kitchen.

The awkward silence passed between them. Valda pulled the bottle to her lips and drank quietly.

“That sounds like a big meal,” Maris said, taking another sip from her beer.

“It is hearty.”

“Did you come across this place with Sir Kayden?”

Valda nodded. “Yes. When he came to visit, he and I would come here, eat, and have a beer and wreak havoc.” Valda smiled, and Maris rested her cheek on her palm. “I mean, I know I wasn’t supposed to drink—”

“Your secret is safe with me, my Queen.”

“Wait until you have a taste of the food. They really are a mixture of all the different flavors from all the kingdoms.”

“You’ve been to all of them?”

“I’ve been to most kingdoms,” Valda answered, leaning back on the high stool, spreading her legs comfortably.

“Which ones are in your to-be-explored list?”

Valda pursed her lips and tilted her head, thinking. “I haven’t been to the Vulcan Kingdom.”

“Why not?”

“I just haven’t got the chance to go there. Vulcan is filled with active volcanoes ready to erupt at any given moment. They say their god has mercy on them, keeping them at bay and the people safe.”

“What...about the Sea Kingdom?” Maris tried to push down her nervousness with another large gulp of her beer. “Have you ever been there?”

Valda nodded. “Yes. I went there two years ago.”

“How was it?”

Maris knew Valda could read her innocent curiosity. “It’s beautiful. Islands upon islands interlocked by floating bridges. On the largest island, Triton Castle used to stand proud. Around the castle, the soft sounds of the waves soothed even the saddest soul into a warmth of familiarity only the sea could bring. The same sea that protected Triton over millennia. It is a gorgeous place. I can still remember how it looked before… its destruction.” Valda sighed, drinking from her bottle until it was empty.

“There are still people there, last time I checked. I’ve tried to bring them here, to feed them and house them. They claim that they are waiting for their queen.” Valda chuckled and shook her head. “The bridges are down, swallowed by the raging sea. The islands are bare, the ruins of Triton are eroded by waves crashing into it for almost twenty years. What makes them want to stay there, I—”

“Would you have left?” Maris asked, interrupting her.

“I don’t know,” Valda answered truthfully. “I love my people, I love my kingdom, but if it were to be destroyed the way the Sea Kingdom was, with no hope to go back to its splendor, why stay there?”

“Maybe there is still some splendor there. I do believe there will always be hope as long as there are people willing to work. The Sea Kingdom wasn’t built in one day, why should its rebirth?”

Valda frowned and nodded. “I know that you weren’t happy with what you heard in my meeting with Arwin. About the Skylians coming in to rebuild for their gain.”

“They are stealing land…”

“I know, and I will fix it. It is not fair, as you said. Us coming there to take over and then taxing you further for using our resources. It’s not right. I will fix it.”

She believed Valda. She knew deep down she wanted to overturn many of her mother’s decrees and decisions. She had only been a queen for a day and needed time to adjust and think things through.

“I would love to go to the Sea Kingdom,” Maris said, changing the subject but with a distinctive longing in her voice.

“Maybe someday, I will take you there. You deserve to see it.”