Chapter 585
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
Hildegard gently adjusted the bottom of the dress. “Here let me help you out of it.”
I let her finally undress me and was sad to see the beautiful red dress go.
I was handed my dress and Nanny Nia helped to fix me up while Hildegard seemed to add some finishing touches on the dress.
Dangerous?
I could hardly believe it.
I thought of pearl and nothing I had seen or felt about her made me even think she was dangerous.
“When the princess fell inside the sea on the fishing trip, we never found her body.” Hildegard began. “We searched everywhere but nothing. The Queen asked for the king of all Sirens to find her daughter. He claimed that his kind had been searching for her since the very night it happened. They found nothing.”
“And that’s impossible.” Nanny Nia joined. “Because the Sirens own the sea. How could a little girl just fall in and not even have her body found? No clothes, nothing.”
“Well, we did actually find something.” Hildegard chipped in.
Nanny Nia looked at her sharply. “You did?”
“Yes.” Hildegard nodded in agreement. “But it was kept private and only within members of the royal family. People outside don’t know.”
Then Hildegard turned back to me. “Only a piece of broken jewelry from her necklace was found. The princess had it from the moment she was born. It’s a sort of special heirloom that can only be passed in birth and death. The Queen has it. That’s the only thing that we ever found. The Queen was furious. She saw it as betrayal because it made absolutely no sense. There were tensions for a while. She accused him of having a hand in her death and he accused her of trying to set him up to take over the sea. There were rumors of war. But it never came to that. Rather they cut off ties. We were banned from ever seeing or being with them. They too were banned from seeing us. It’s been like that ever since. They don’t come out, we don’t go near the sea.”
“At all?” I asked surprised. “You mean since that happened not even one has had any encounter with a wolf?”
“Yes. It’s strictly forbidden.” Hildegard said as she struggled to put a thread in her needle. “Especially in the royal pack.”
“Why?”
“Well dear, it’s because the sea here is we’re Princess Scarlett vanished.” Hildegard explained.
“But Princess Auburn has been found.”
I said further confused. “Then that must mean that the princess didn’t die. At least not in the hands of the Sirens. And everything can be back to normal.”
“You would say so. The Queen went to apologize but it only further made him angry. He now despises the rest of us and has sworn to kill anyone who comes to the sea. I don’t blame him. He had been accused for over thirty years.” Then Hildegard muttered more to herself. “Well that’s even if Auburn is truly the princess.”
I rose a brow to that.
Hildegard didn’t believe Auburn was the actual princess?
Was that why she disliked her?
And then my thoughts went back to the restrictions on the sea.
I could hardly believe it.
But pearl had come out to meet me.
Even though things were seemingly worse than they had been a while ago.
“Why are you asking?” Nanny Nia asked. “I hope you don’t have any plans on trying something silly.”
I smiled tightly. “No of course not. Was just really curious reading books. Ever since I started reading I read anything I can get my hands on and the story fascinated me.”
I hated to lie to Nanny Nia.
But I had no choice.
“Well if that’s the case,” Hildegard said. “And it’s just for your own knowledge and nothing more, then I’ll advise you to meet Otto. He knows more about these things.”
And it hit me.
Why didn’t I think of that?!
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I’ll do that when I see him at the debut ball.”
“Ball?”
Hildegard looked at me like I was insane. “Otto hates things like this. The Elites, he despises them. He barely comes out of his home, what makes you think he will come out for something like this?”
That was absolutely true.
“Well I’ll try to see if I can find him now.” I said as I adjusted my dress and headed towards the door.
“Jasmine you can not be running around.” Nanny Nia warned. “The ceremony would be happening in only a few hours. Can’t this wait till later?”
It could.
But I was already overwhelmed with everything.
The death song.
The siren.
The ban on the sea.
Anxiety and excitement wouldn’t let me hold it till after.
“Don’t worry I’ll be back as soon as I promise.” I said and headed out of the room before they succeeded in stopping me
“Make sure you get back on time.” Nanny Nia shouted to Jasmine.
But she doubted she even heard.
Jasmine was already gone.
Nanny Nia sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Very stubborn sometimes.” Nanny Nia said.
Hildegard was quiet.
“What’s wrong?” Nanny Nia asked as she went over to the bed and sat. “Is this about the dress? I’m sure she is going to wear it.”
Hildegard sighed. “No it’s not that. It’s just. I asked the Queen if she saw Auburn’s necklace had a broke part as expected. But she didn’t respond. She brushed it off.”
“Oh?” Nanny Nia mumbled.
Hildegard sighed heavily. “I’m worried she isn’t the one. That stone was supposed to be the one confirmation and yet somehow she passed the test. Something feels very off.”
Nanny Nia sighed. “You think Cherry had a hand in it?”
“I won’t put it far from her. But Rose thinks she has changed and she is now a good person.” An exhausted Hildegard said.
And the Nanny Nia randomly remembered Jasmine had a chipped emerald pendant.
“You said it’s chipped?” Nanny Nia asked.
“Yes.”
“What stone is it?” Nanny Nia asked.
“Well it’s a-
The doors opened and a servant came in.
“Lady Hildegard I apologize for the interruption but we need your help with the event.” The servant said.
Hildegard sighed. “I have to go. I’ll see you later. Make sure she wears the dress.”
“I will.” Nanny Nia replied as Hildegard walked out of the room.
By the time Hildegard was gone and Nanny Nia began checking the dress, she completely forgot about the chipped emerald pendant.