Aquata touched one of the silver hairs. “They're highlights, and did you know your hair had some curl in it? Cutting off all that weight has given it some waves.”
Indeed, when Araxie turned to look at the hair she found that it no longer flowed to the end of her tail, but to her waist.
Amarine and Alea came over next, carrying two black arm braces, as several pieces of gold jewelry on a silver tray.
Amarine spoke first. “I've made some modifications to your armor and sword.”
A knight's armor was a sign of their position, and if her sister ruined it, their plan wouldn't work. Araxie glared at her sister, “What did you do?”
“Wearing your armor and sword is too obvious, it had to be disguised.” Amarine nodded to Alea.
Her two sisters picked up the jewelry and braces and started putting them on Araxie. The ring Amarine placed on Araxie’s middle finger looked like coral that had been dipped in gold. The black arm braces had enough dips and divots to be an old sea turtle shell, but they’d been polished to the point of looking like some outlandish fashion statement Aquata had thought up. Alea subtly fit hair combs just behind Araxie's ears, while Amarine looped two golden chains around Araxie's neck.
“I'm going on a mission, not a ball.” Araxie looked at Amarine. “Where are my things?”
Shrugging Amarine flicked a small magnifying glass over her left eye up. “You're wearing it. Tap your braces together.”
Skeptical, Araxie did what her sister instructed. Gold began to spread up her arms from the braces. Her throat felt warm, as gold poured from the necklace down Araxie's chest and back. Her ears tickled as the combs in her hair morph into a helmet to protect her head. In less than a minute Araxie found herself dressed in full armor, from helm to fin.
An etching of a seahorse was now over her heart. Araxie bit back the surge of emotion, her sisters knew without her saying a thing that she wanted to protect them. They’d used the seahorse as a symbol of their mother, and their bond as sisters. When they’d seen the sword hilt they must have known. She looked at her hip, but the sword wasn’t there.
“And my sword?” Araxie asked.
Aaralyn, took Araxie's hand with the ring and tapped it to Araxie's now golden arm brace twice. The ring broke into two, one part the golden coral and the other the band. Out of the coral, a blade, clear as diamond grew, while the gold morphed into the familiar gold sword hilt with the seahorse engraving. A strand of the gold band stretched like a ribbon and swirled around and through as it grew into a sword scabbard. Araxie gripped her sword and swished it through the water once before returning it smoothly into the scabbard.
Amarine nodded in satisfaction. “Tap the braces again to the sword hilt or together and it will return to what it was.”
“When did you learn to do all this?” Araxie asked. As far as she knew the eldest triplet had never shown an interest in tinkering.
Flicking her brown hair over a shoulder, Amarine gave another shrug. “Being stuck on a boat is boring, I had to learn to do something with my time.”
Alea snorted, “More like you were avoiding Prince Yuran.”
Araxie knew that there was more to this story, when Amarine glared at Alea. The two of them had always giggled about love and romance before Alea had found her love. Yuran was the best friend of Alea's betrothed, and their companion on the ship father had given them.
The knock on Aquata's outer door hushed any further questions Araxie wished to ask. Theia went to answer it and after a few hushed words returned to them.
“Calder says that Proteus will be leaving within the next half hour. We have to get you down there.”
Tapping her braces together Araxie was grateful for how swiftly the armor and sword returned to the unassuming jewelry. Aaralyn, brought a small pouch on a belt to Araxie.
“Snacks for the journey, and the map.” Aaralyn held out the precious paper. “The belt won't interfere with your armor. Amarine and I tested it earlier.”
Taking it gently Araxie put the instructions inside a secret pocket under one of the large scales on her hip. She put the belt on quickly.
Her embraces with her sisters were swift, but no less important to her. Each one was harder than the last as Araxie didn't know if she'd be able to hold them again. If the curse didn't get her, the danger of the journey might. Both of those options while unpleasant didn't account for how her Father would react when he found she was gone.
Theia was the last to hug her, and said. “Don't worry about Father, I have news that will distract him.”
Araxie lifted a brow in question when they pulled back, Theia smiled before placing a hand on her stomach. “I haven't told Calder yet.”
All of her sisters let out squeals of excitement. Even Aaralyn laughed with joy as they all hugged Theia in a group.
Aquata spoke to the unborn merchild. “Aunt Aquata is going to make you the prettiest clothes Princess”
Amarine scoffed, “The baby could be a prince. And I'm going to make him the best toys.”
With her sisters distracted and bickering, Araxie slipped out of the room.
She'd memorized the routes of the knights months ago, so she had no issue making it to the large bay where Proteus would be preparing for his journey. She tapped her braces together and when her armor was formed she pulled the face shield of her helm down before entering the room.
Without pause she picked up one of the supply bags and loaded it onto one of the three megalodons near where Proteus was giving orders to four knights. He quickly glanced at Araxie before finishing up his instructions to his team. The knights saluted him and then began their preparations in loading the other sharks.
Araxie had just lifted the pack on the sharks back, when Proteus placed a hand on hers.
His voice was commanding, but quiet so as not to attract the attention of the others. “Princess, what are you doing here?”
“I'm coming with you.”
He shook his head, “The King won't allow it.”
“Do you know where to start your mission?” Araxie asked.
Proteus narrowed his eyes. “You know something.”
“It's my life Proteus. If I don’t go with you, I'll go on my own.”
A commotion by the door distracted them, and Araxie looked over the shark's fin to see the king and a team of six knights enter.
“Your Highness.” Proteus moved around the shark and bowed.
Araxie hid behind the shark while the other members of Proteus's team also moved forward to bow.
“Is Princess Araxie here?” Triton asked Proteus.
Araxie didn't dare breathe as she waited for Proteus to answer. The long pause before he answered had her chewing her lip in an effort to calm her nerves.
“No your highness, only my team. Have you checked with the other Princesses?”
Triton nodded. “They don't know where she is. Be swift Proteus. I can't lose another daughter. Knights!”
Her father left the room, knights in tow.
Proteus returned to her. “Please tell me I didn't lie to the King without good reason.”
“There's a person named Duxor who knows about curses.”
“Riva's ex-lover?” Proteus's eyebrows rose.
She hadn't known about Duxor's relationship with Riva. But the feeling that this was the right choice grew stronger. If Duxor knew Riva perhaps he knew how she made the curse.