WHEN THE SEA CALLS
Chapter 63: A Bit of Truth

Chapter 63: A Bit of Truth

Rhea was happy that Aquamarine was finally back. She will be able to ask her some questions that have been bothering her. She would also have someone to talk to aside from Leslie and Reece.

Reece flicked his finger across her face, and she blinked. "What... What?"

"I asked who is Aquamarine? You made mention of her name."

"I just remembered the name from a book I read," Rhea lied.

She isn’t going to tell Reece the truth.

"What book is that?" Reece asked.

He does not believe what Rhea just said. He can tell that she might be lying about it.

"I can’t remember the name of the book," Rhea answered.

"That is strange. How long has it been since you last read the book?"

"A year? Or maybe more..."

Reece sighed. Rhea doesn’t want to tell him who Aquamarine is. The name sounds a bit familiar to him; like a name he had heard about before.

He tried to recall where he heard the name from but he couldn’t.

"So..." Reece began. "When do you plan to leave this place?"

"In a few hours. Celia is not home and I do not want to be home alone. You can leave though. I will be fine."

Rhea wished Reece would leave so she could spend time with Aquamarine. Reece on the other hand, could tell Rhea wanted to stay back for a reason.

He could feel the presence of a third party with them. Though he doesn’t know who or what it is, he knows that it must have something to do with the name Rhea called.

"Do you want me to stay with you? I can..."

Rhea shook her head quickly. "That will not be necessary. I can stay here alone. I do not want to keep you away from your own business."

Reece smiled. Rhea is determined to send him away.

"Fine," he mumbled. "I will leave. I have a few things to do though. Do you have any questions for me? Before I leave?"

Rhea shook her head. She doesn’t have any questions for him, and even if she does, she will not be asking them that today.

Reece nodded. "If there are no questions, then I will take my leave. Thank you for the milk and cookies. And also the water."

"Do you still want some cookies? You can go with the rest," Rhea said. "And the milk too."

Reece smiled. "That is so nice of you, Rhea." He said out loud. "And a good way to send me away," he mumbled.

"What did you say?" Rhea furrowed her brows.

Reece shook his head. "I said nothing. I should get going." He picked up the pack of cookies on the bench and his bottle of milk. "Thanks for these though."

Reece left and Rhea breathed a sigh of relief. She had had a lot of thoughts.

What if Reece changes his mind and stays back? What if he keeps on asking her who Aquamarine is and she has no choice but to tell him? What if he sees Aquamarine? What will his reaction be?

Rhea looked around for Aquamarine but she did not see her.

"Aquamarine?" She called. She stood up. "Are you there?"

"I am," Aquamarine answered.

Rhea turned around to see Aquamarine. She moved closer to her and wanted to hug her but when she remembered that Aquamarine is a water figure, she decided against it.

"I have missed you," she said instead.

"Tell me. How have you been?" Aquamarine said. "I can see you are merging with Sapphire already."

Rhea furrowed her brows. "You know Sapphire?"

"Am I not supposed to know her? I gave you the bluestone. Remember?"

Rhea nodded. Of course, she remembered. And she shouldn’t have asked that question but she asked anyway.

"I know. But I am just shocked you called her Sapphire and not the bluestone."

" Because I am taking a human form," Sapphire answered.

"I wasn’t talking to you," Rhea mumbled.

"Are you having a conversation with Sapphire?" Aquamarine asked.

Rhea shook her head. "I am not having a conversation with it. It’s so annoying."

" Why do you call me it? I am a she. I am Sapphire," Sapphire whined.

It felt hurt being referred to as a thing and not she since it is now taking a female form due to its merging with Rhea.

"I do not mean to hurt your feelings... That is if you have one. But you are a stone," Rhea said.

"Don’t you think you are being rude to me?" Sapphire said.

Rhea rolled her eyes. "Then you should have kept shut when I asked you to."

"Rhea, you shouldn’t speak to Sapphire like that," Aquamarine said. "She is you."

Rhea shook her head. Sapphire is not her. It’s a stone and nothing more.

"Sapphire is not a stone, Rhea. The bluestone is. But Sapphire, she is a part of you. It’s like a personality you have always wanted to portray but you can’t. The bluestone is only building on that."

Rhea furrowed her brows. "You mean Sapphire is not the bluestone?"

"She is not. She is one of your personalities the bluestone is feeding on. She has feelings just like you do."

Rhea sighed. She has always wanted to be courageous and to be able to stand up for herself at all times. She has always wanted to fight back those that bully her but she had no courage to do that.

The personality she thinks she lacks is courage. Is that the reason Sapphire tends to speak out courageously and not let her trample upon her?

"I am sorry, Sapphire," Rhea mumbled.

"Fine," Sapphire answered. "You don’t want to speak to me. I won’t speak to you either."

Rhea sighed. Now she feels bad, speaking to Sapphire that way.

She had mistaken her for the bluestone. And since the stone had been playing pranks on her, Rhea had been angry with it.

"Rhea?" Aquamarine called. "Are you okay?"

Reha nodded. "I am fine. Thank you. Are you finally back or..."

"I am back. I can see you made friends with the boy."

Rhea nodded. "He knows I am the Aqua."

"You must know he is the bearer of the seal, then?" Aquamarine asked.

"What does it mean to be that? I mean the bearer of a seal?"

"Let me explain it in a simple term. You know when you need a key to open up a door?"

Rhea nodded. She knows that.

"He is like a key to open up a door. When the time comes you will know why."

"I saw a girl," Rhea said. "I have seen her twice now. She looks so much like me. The first time, she called my name and the second time, she waved at me. Do you know who she is?"

"I do not."

"You do not have any idea?"

"I don’t."

Rhea sighed. Then who is the girl? Why does she look like her?

"Do you have any more questions?" Aquamarine said. "It’s getting late."

"Do you know Leslie?" Rhea asked.

"Leslie?... That name sounds so familiar... I think I remember now. She was the best friend of the last Queen. Queen Imani."

Rhea furrowed her brows. Leslie is a friend of Queen Imani, who died a long time ago. That can’t be.

"You don’t know any other Leslie?"

"I don’t. Why do you ask?"

Leslie can’t be that old. Is she? Rhea wondered.

"There should be another," she mumbled.

Why does the last Aqua know Leslie? Could she really be the best friend of Queen Imani? Why is she not old yet? Rhea shook her head. She wasn’t going to accept that.

"Do you think Queen Imani’s best friend is still alive?"

Rhea knew her question sounded odd. But she had no option.

"She should be dead now, Rhea. Why did you ask."

"I met Leslie... The last Aqua knows her too. But I do not want to believe she is the Queen’s best friend."

"She isn’t, Rhea," Aquamarine answered. "I do not know any other Leslie aside from the Queen’s best friend."

Rhea blinked. Then who is Leslie? How does the first Aqua know her?

"Is there a problem?" Aquamarine asked.

"Aquamarine," Rhea called. "How many families were able to escape before the Queen sealed up the sea?"

"I think a few families did. I can only remember two of them though."

"Do you have any information about them?"

"I should," Aquamarine answered. "Queen Imani’s best friend, Leslie, and her maid Serena."

"Do you think Leslie has a daughter who has a daughter who has a... How long has it been since the extinction of the mermen?"

"Five centuries," Aquamarine answered.

That is five hundred years right? Rhea thought. How long does a mermaid live?

"How long do mermaids live?"

"About five centuries or more," Aquamarine answered.

Rhea’s eyes brightened up. "What if Leslie is not dead yet?"

"I think she is. I can’t feel her light anymore."

Rhea was sad. She had thought that Leslie she knew could be the same as Queen Imani’s best friend.

"Do you think she has a daughter she named after her?"

"That is possible," Aquamarine answered.

Rhea smiled. Maybe Leslie is the daughter of Leslie, Queen Imani’s best friend.