Sea of Lies Part 19

Sea of Lies Part 19

Melody could feel  Sebastian squirm in her pocket. "I—I have no idea what...Mermaid??" She stammered.
Amelia gritted her teeth. "You can't fool me. We're barley a thousand feet up! Any normal person would've been fine with the oxygen supply. You weren't the only explanation is that you live below sea level!" She growled.
"So? Maybe I just--!"
"True.  Maybe you're not used to this altitude because you've never traveled. I considered that. What really tipped me off was that little trinket around your neck!" She pointed, a scowl on her face.
Melody looked. The pendent from her grandfather. It must've fallen out of her shirt as she fell.
"It bears the crest of Atlantica, does it not? Atlantican royalty, I might add."
Melody was speechless. Airbreathers weren't supposed to know about the crest. No one.
"How did you--?"
"I was aboard the same ship that took an ambassador to negotiate the treaty with Agrabah." She interrupted yet again.
Melody lost her balance. That 'ambassador' happened to be her father. She remembered when he was picked to represent Atlantica, since no others could do it.  Ever since, they'd imported different goods from the nearby planet and became good allys.
Melody swallowed. "So what do you seek? Steal our cargo? Drown our crew?" Amelia demanded.
Tears were welling up in Melody's eyes. "I swear... I mean no harm. I just..." She sniffed. "Don't make me go back.  I've gone to far to head back now. I'm not here to hurt anyone." She sniffed.
Amelia's face softened. She sighed and sat at her desk. "What have you gotten yourself into, lass?" She asked, rubbing her forehead.
"I wish I could tell you. I need to go on this voyage. I swear, I'll work harder than anyone on this ship. I'll...I'll scrub the decks, tie the ropes, wash the laundry. Please." She begged.
Amelia looked up. She stared at the young girl. She was suddenly hit with a memory.

A thirteen year old Amelia crouched behind some crates. She was panting. What a rush! Sneaking aboard the ship had been easy. She was very fast.
She smiled. "Finally, I'm going to see the universe!" She whispered to herself.
She yawned. Al this had left her very...sleepy...
Next thing she knew she sat in a seat in front of the captain. Some crew members had found her asleep. She had tears streaming down her face. The captain's gaze hit her like a weight.
He was a tall man. He had a long beard. He wore a red jacket and a black cap. He had a scowl on his face. He was the king of a nearby planet. His teenage son sat next to him.
"How dare you stowaway on my ship?!" He bellowed.
Amelia sniffed. "I'm sorry! I've never been three feet off the ground! I want to see the universe! You don't know how hard it is always being told 'NO!' I'll work! I'll work harder than anyone!" She was sobbing now.
He looked at her. "Father," His son whispered. "let her stay. We can get some free labor out of her. She's got the drive."
The captain sighed. "Stand up, girl."
Amelia did as she was told. The captain looked her up and down. "You're obviously in good physical shape." He observed.
He sighed. "You can stay. But don't think I'll be going easy on you because you're a child. You'll have to do some real work."
Amelia couldn't hide her excitement. She smiled so big her cheeks burned.
The son laughed. "Welcome to the crew! I'm Eric."

Amelia sighed and looked at Melody. "Fine. But one slip-up, and I'll personally toss you off the side."