Winglet : Isolation

Rainbow's eyes darted around the hallway as she carrying huge bundles of seaweeds toward the prince's sleeping quarter. She was tasked to swap the old worn seaweeds bed with a fresh set of green. It was a simple job but she couldn't help herself to feel somewhat anxious about it. For every servant swam by her, she felt as if new pairs of eyes were staring at her. Judging her every action she made.

However, whenever she tried to steal a glance back at them. They were just chattering along or doing their own things. Nothing of her concern.

It's alright. You're just doing your job. There are rules, laws, and justices here. No one would do anything in the board daylight.

She did not feel so sure about it. After the time when she heard how the councils was plotting against each other like that. It put an extra stir into her worried mind that already had been filled by her grandfather's health, the little prince's punishment and her own safety.

Rainbow moved herself into the sleeping quarter and began tidying the old seaweed and placing the new ones. A task so routine that her talons grew a mind of their own. All these muscle memories were probably only possible only due to the numerous amounts of children that Queen Coral had. A rare skill of accomplishment, she amused.

It was only a school of SeaWings swam passed the hallway that broke her trance. Something was amiss. Scent of curiosity and anxiety loom in the atmosphere. Down the corridors of the hallway, flashes of light boomed out from the doorway where the servant was gathered. Chattering among themselves as they peek through the doorway.

It's the audience chamber, one that usually nobles and other council members gathered and attended matter with the royalties. At the centre of the room, a small group of SeaWing was flashing bright as the sun against the other. Pattern of flashes seem to repeat themselves with various degree of intensity. Some were so intense as if someone was shouting right in her face. She felt sorry for the dragon on the receiving end of that flashes.

"WHERE IS IT?" flashed the foremost SeaWing of the group.

She flared her gill so wide they might as well allowed water flowed back into it. Her deep navy scales shimmering with rage that almost could boil the water around her. The SeaWing on other receiving end, who had aquamarine in his scales, planted his foots firmly against the onslaught of flashing lights. He shook his head apologetically.

"I have no idea what is it. We have returned everything we know of Snapper's possession."

"All but the only precious thing she had! You Liar!" she retorted.

Snapper?

A name that had been a while since she last heard and it still gave her a jolt. And wasn't that... Butler Tidal. The only dragon on the receiving end. Trying calmed the angry SeaWings. If it was her, she would have collapsed right there for the sheer amount of pressure those angry SeaWing were exerting.

"All of you saw it with your own eyes. There was no treasure in them. I have shown you all her belonging were. Her chests and her room. Nothing's there."

"You could have hidden them!"

"One of servants stole it!"

"They stole it!"

And on and on. The rage of the SeaWings mob seem to reignite themselves again to a new blaze. Tidal seem gradually grew helpless for every moment passed.

Snapper's Treasure.

Rainbow clasped her talons against her satchel. Her heart did a loop as she felt it around her chest. It was still there. The shape of long rectangular bulge in her satchel. Snapper's memorial. The piece of jewellery she found Snapper's cold body the day when she followed Prince Turtle out in the sea. The horrible scene of Snapper clutching it in her talon as last flow of sea past through her gill.