Mera led Azul into the palace hall. The moment he swam inside, he saw all of his siblings already gathered there, his four older brothers and fifteen older sisters.
Without exception, all of them looked incredibly serious and didn't show even the slightest smile when they saw Azul.
"Did I... do something wrong?" he asked hesitantly. "Is this about my engagement? Come on, even Helga told me she doesn't like me, so—"
"Sit down, son." His father, the King of the Aquilian Kingdom, cut him off before he could finish.
Just as Azul had once described, the King truly looked like a kraken. Instead of a fish tail, the lower half of his body was covered in long, powerful tentacles that moved slowly beneath him.
"Let's talk," the King said.
He sounded so serious that even the adult Azul standing beside Roxanna felt nervous.
"What do you think your father wants to talk about?" Roxanna asked.
Azul shook his head. "Who knows. Maybe it has something to do with the invaders."
