It was in the dark night when nobody could see clearly that Gilmore and his sister secretly swam to the surface to check up on their friend - Mira.
They made sure that everyone had retired for the day and that nobody would neither see them nor harm them as they were two before they left for the surface.
They swam for a really long time before they got there.
When they got to the surface, they went directly to her favorite spot but they didn't see Mira.
They were all worried at that point but they suppressed their fears and decided to search for her, first.
So they called out for her.
"Mira!!" Bella called out in a little low tone that would not be able to create an alarm.
"Where are you?" She added.
Within a while, they heard some noise from behind.
They trembled in fear only to see Mira come up from a little distance away from them.
This time, it was no longer from her usual spot.
"Hey…." she said, swimming towards their direction.
"How are you?" Asked Gilmore who was happy to see her again.
He went a little bit closer to her and held her hands while Bella stood by the corner smiling.
They were all happy to see themselves again after a while.
"Here, we got this for you," Bella said, stretching her right hand to hand her over the garnished worms that were wrapped in sunflower leaves.
"I am so grateful for this, '' she said whilst collecting the wrapp.
She smelled it and smiled with her shoulders raised in a way that showed that she was happy.
At this point, Gilmore and his sister looked at each other in their faces and smiled mildly.
"It smells nice, thank you so much," she said, putting some in her mouth.
"I have been longing to have a taste of a different dish since I came up here, Bella."
"But what have you been feeding on?" Asked Gilmore who was curious at that point.
"On the sea veggies, my dear. I found some growing beyond that very rock behind you. So, I pluck and eat them since I have no other choice," Mira answered.
"Thank you so much once again for coming along with this." She added, smiling mildly.
"My joy can't be defined now that I have seen that you are alright even over here," Gilmore said looking at her and then facing her sister.
"Of course my dear," Bella added.
"And truly, we have really missed you so much." She continued.
"It's the same here," Mira responded while putting the last scoop in her mouth.
"So…tell me, how are things going on over there in the Empress's abode?" Asked Mira.
"There is nothing much but I guess that they have known your essence in that place." Answered Bella who was adjusting herself in such a way that she could feel more comfortable.
"…..and I hope that they will decide to bring you out from the prison soon enough" Gilmore cut in.
Definitely! Bella said with a confident note.
They really talked at length before they realized that they had spent a lot of time and they decided to go back to Crums.
"We have to be on our way now", Bella said, looking at his brother in a way to make him agree with her.
"Exactly!" He said without hesitating.
This is because we wouldn't want to be caught or be questioned unnecessarily by any being," he continued.
"Alright guys. Thanks for coming to check on me like you promised, you really got my back and I'm so happy that I have you two," she said, dragging Bella's nose jokingly.
"Oh my! Mira…." she tried to adjust amidst laughter.
"You're welcome, '' the two siblings responded in unison.
"Do stay well and strong," Bella added.
"Alright, bye!" She said, waving at them while watching them swim till they got out of her sight.
Their journey back to Crums was smooth and quiet though Bella got tired on their way after they had swam for a long time.
It was Gilmore who kept encouraging her to hasten up as there was a need to get to their bosom quickly just so no being could see them.
They kept going until they got back to Crums.
Everywhere was just so quiet as all were still in their abode sleeping.
They quietly entered their abode and rested from their journey as they had really swam for a long time before getting back to their abode.
°°°°°°
It was past seventy two hours that Sibraa heard from his friend - Liamb.
He became really worried as he started having a feeling that something bad must have happened to him.
The feelings really made him so uncomfortable even after he tried to fight it. So, this gave him a reason to go and visit him in his abode just so he could check up on him.
He set out to Liamb's abode.
On his way, he stumbled into Gilmore who was gathering some sea veggies that they would use to garnish some worms that they had harvested from their farm.
They greeted each other warmly and he quickly continued to where he was going while Gilmore faced back what he was doing.
He hurried to his abode only to meet absolute silence.
The serene nature of his abode was unusual.
This got him worried.
He called out for Liamb but not even a single response was heard.
He called out for the second time but yet, nothing was heard. This made him enter his chamber to look out for his friend.
He searched every nook and cranny of his chamber but he still didn't find him.
He decided to walk around his surroundings to look out for him perhaps, he may be doing something out there.
He walked around everywhere but he didn't see him.
He got so worried that something bad must have happened to him.
He quickly made his way to the Empress's abode to report the issue of his missing friend.
°°°°°°
In the Empress's abode was the Empress in front of her daughter's chamber asking that she come out.
She had waited for a while without hearing even a thing from her daughter.
It was all silence all over.
She went ahead to beg her again to unlock herself but all were to no avail.
She then decided to tell her about her change of mind.
"My one and only Princess, my dearest darling" she called out, sweetly.
"I have had a change of mind." She said this and paused for a while to see if she could say even a word to her but yet, it was still silence that covered the whole place within that moment she was waiting to hear her daughter say something.
She could not help the scene but to continue talking to her in a manner that would at least melt her heart.
"Ok…..I have decided finally that Mira will be brought out of the prison, I am doing this not because I want her to be released but because of you." She continued.
"The initial plan I had for her was for her to rot in there but you decided to be her saviour," she then paused for a while.
She still didn't hear any word from her daughter. This then got her angry to the point that she had to scream.
"Princess Bellina, I am talking to you!!
I need a response from you right now!!"
She screamed, held her breath for a while and as she was wanting to say some more words, Princess Bellina cut in….
"Your majesty, I don't care about your change of mind, initial plans and your recent decisions or whatever. All I want to hear is that the Mira girl had been brought out of the prison and that's all.
Again I want to see that what you made me believe is true when I come out of this place to check it out by myself."
These were the few words she said with an angry tone to her mother who was already getting furious because of her silence all the while she was talking to her.
After Princess Bellina had finished saying her mind, she kept shut without uttering any more words.
This got her more upset but she was unable to do anything to her as she was enclosed in her chambers. So she banged her tail in such a way that caused a little noise and left with anger.
She went straight to her throne and sat down. She exchanged the silver staff to her left hand and started thinking on the next step to take just so everything would be resolved.
It was at this point that ma'am Eva entered with tears dripping like raindrops from her plump cheeks.
She cried pitifully while she was trying to hail the Empress.
"Long live your majesty!!" She said, crying deeper.
"My granddaughter! My granddaughter!!" She cried.
The Empress at this point was even more flustered than she was after she spoke with her daughter.
"And what happened to your granddaughter?" She asked in a confused manner coming out from her supposed position towards ma'am Eva who was crying bitterly.
"My granddaughter is missing! She's missing! My only hope of which I am living for. She's missing, your majesty!" She cried the most.
"And what could be the cause of her disappearance?" Asked the empress without knowing how and where to start tackling that very problem.
She was still trying to calm ma'am Eva who was still crying harder when her informant - Sibraa bounced in with a long face that portrayed that all were not well.
He was surprised to see ma'am Eva lying on the floor with her face covered in her own tears.
"What exactly is going on here, Ma'am Eva?" he asked but no answer came from her instead she screamed louder than she was screaming earlier before he came in.
"Your Majesty, talk to me," he said, facing the empress immediately.
"Sibraa", her majesty called out in a cold tone.
She ran in here just a while ago complaining that her one and only granddaughter of which is her hope for living is missing….
Is that what happened? It is because of this same issue that brought me here, he cut in without wasting much time and not even allowing her to finish what she was saying.
"And what does that supposed to mean?" The Empress asked in a more confused state this time.
"My friend - Liamb is missing. I am coming straight from his abode.
I went to visit him as it was past seventy two hours since we saw each other but what I saw marvelled me, your majesty.
His chambers were enveloped in absolute silence that left it so cold in a way that portrayed danger.
I searched for him in every nook and cranny of his house but I didn't find him.
I went further to browse his surroundings calling out for him but all were to no avail.
I ended up not finding him.
My only Liamb is now, nowhere to be found, your majesty." He then bursted into tears.
At this point, the Empress was already feeling so bad. She was almost at the verge of crying painful tears but she managed to suppress them from dropping off her eyes.
Princess Bellina who was in her chamber felt a little bad inside too but she didn't want to show her face as the matter at hand was none of her business.
The Empress after putting her voice together cleared her throat and began to address them.
"You all should go back to your chambers, keep searching and looking out for them in the little way you all can, do put yourselves together, I will see what we can do about this issue in no distant time and I will get back to you two.
Just hold on to your faith because everything will soon be alright," she concluded and then, stretched out her left hand that contained the silver staff in a way that directed them to the exit so that they would get going.
She wanted them to leave her alone for the moment so that she could be able to think straight and devise a means of getting to search for the missing ones and then handle Mira's release also.