175 A Crime I Never Committed

The shock of what she saw made her break her concentration and the image cleared. Her eyes opened immediately.

Isadora was still finding it hard to believe. She didn't get a perfect glimpse of his face, but her guts told her everything was wrong.

Just when she was about to try again, the prison doors opened revealing a mermaid and a merman.

It was none other than the Mer Queen herself and her royal advisor. Both of them swam forward into the dungeon and halted in front of the well-structured prison.

The Mer Queen's eyes held a wave of untold anger as she stared at Isadora from outside the prison bars.

Isadora had her head down as though she was sleeping, completely ignoring the Mer Queen. Queen Marceline, on the other hand, knew she wasn't and it got her angry being ignored.

"Isadora, what is the meaning of this?" She asked with a yell.

Slowly, Isadora raised her head to look at the figures in front of the prison, her eyes met with the clear ocean blue ones of the Queen.

"Where are your manners, Marceline? Do you just barge into someone's abode and ask meaningless, unexplainable questions? Tsk," she shook her head lightly as she ticked her tongue.

"It is no wonder your daughter lack proper manners," Isadora added.

Ouch!

That was a big blow to the Mer queen, being undermined by a fairy, like that.

Her eyes reddened and her blood boiled in anger at Isadora's comment. She felt like opening up the prison and snapping her neck.

In as much as she wanted that, she needed to keep her cool. She was a queen after all.

"Isadora!"

She called out, her voice calm but shaky as she tried her best to get her temper under control.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Marceline?" Isadora asked, trying to get this over with quickly, so she could continue with what she was doing.

"I would be asking the questions, Isadora."

"Okay then, I am not in the mood to play questions and answers with you. You may leave, you have overstayed your welcome and you just disturbed my slumber."

"Isadora…" she called out again, through gritted teeth.

Right from time, Isadora had always been able to successfully getting under her skin and it made her angry.

She raised her head to look Queen Marceline in the eyes and a small smile crept up her lips. Queen Marceline's face looked a bit calm, but on a closer look, one could see her anger through her fist.

She clenched her fist so tight, till her knuckles paled. She wished she could slap the smug look on Isadora's face.

She was vexed beyond words but she didn't want Isadora to see that she won. So, she kept a calm demeanour on her face. Little did she know that Isadora had noticed it.

"I am tired of all these questions and accusations. Hit the nail on the head Marceline. What did I do?"

"You still want to feign ignorance? Zephyr tell her what she did," Queen Marceline said, turning her head to face her royal advisor.

He slightly nodded at his Queen before speaking. "As you wish, Your Majesty. Queen Isadora," he began to address her but was cut shut by the angry glare Queen Marceline gave him.

"Isadora, a moment ago we sense a vibration and energy wave coming from the direction of this dungeon."

"So you concluded that it was me? How stupid of you. Weren't you the ones that locked me here and put this barrier to weaken my powers? So how then do you expect me to create such an energy wave and vibrations?"

"It was you, stop denying it."

"Deny? I see you have an ample amount of time in your hands for you to be concocting such lame excuses to come see me, Marceline. If you are so bored, unlock the prison and I'll play with you."

Unknown to Isadora, the moment she tried reaching out to Astrid, her powers had caused the vibrations and energy wave. To her, she did nothing but Marceline saw it and it scared her that Isadora was about breaking free. This she ran straight to the dungeon to check.

"I do not need an excuse to come and watch you suffer. And in your dreams that I would set you free. I would catch your hybrid and drag her here to the ocean so that I can kill her with you watching. I would make you suffer a hundredfold what I have suffered."

Isadora's eyes darkened at the mention of her daughter. Her gaze was sharp and deadly as she looked at the two merfolks in front of her. If she really had her way, she would rip off the head of anyone who threatened her baby.

'So she has finally found out that it was Astrid and not me who caused the power surge. It took her long enough, but now that doubles the threat on Astrid's back. She should be having a romance now. Where is Nerissa? What is she doing?!' she mentally screamed.

A lot of unknowns plagued her mind and she felt an untold anger towards the mermaid in front of her. If not for her, she would have been with her daughter and protected her.

Not to mention, that she took the third most important person in her life from her, her mother. She could never forgive her for that.

"You still hold a grudge for a crime I never committed?"

"Liar. The only thing that comes out from your mouth is all lies."

"Say whatever you want. I lost the greatest on that day. You took her from me and they took him away. I cannot wait for the day when I break loose from this dungeon. Oh, pray to the heavens, Marceline. I would not hold back and have my revenge a hundredfold."

"Stop pretending to be the victim here, everyone knows you are a vicious witch."

"Never forget what you said. I would make sure you experience how vicious I can be."

"In your wildest dreams, Isadora. This is just a warning. The next time you try anything or play any of such stunts, I …"

"You would do what? Even after eighteen years you still haven't been able to do anything, so what makes you think you would be able to now?"

"Because this time around I have a trump card, your daughter."

"You would drag your granddaughter into this?"

"She is not my granddaughter!" Queen Marceline yelled at Isadora.

"I do not want anything to do with a conniving witch like you. After you got all you wanted, you killed him. He was just blind to fall for your schemes; I should have seen it coming."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Isadora bellowed at her, inching closer to the prison bars. "You should never mention his name since you do not know Eric."

"The only mistake he made in his life, was loving you. You brought his doom," Queen Marceline accused her, pointing a finger in her direction.

"No, Marceline. The only mistake he made in this life, was having you for a mother. Too bad we cannot choose who births us in life."

"Right back at you. Too bad your child was born of you. Now she would go in for it and pay for all her mother's crimes with her LIFE."

Without waiting for Isador to speak, she immediately turned around and swam towards the entrance of the dungeon.

"Marceline!" Isadora called her.

Her tone was commanding and authoritative. She didn't care anymore. She had come too far and suffered so much for her too. Queen Marceline stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around.

"Harm one hair on her head or body and I wouldn't hold back any longer. I would forget that you are Eric's mother and skin you myself," she threatened.

Her breathing came in short and fast as she glared at the Mer queen. It was a threat, but she meant every word of it.

She never made her pay for killing her mother because she knew she was mourning for her son, but if she dared touch Astrid, then that was the end.

"You do not scare me, Isadora. Watch and see," she retorted, clenching her fist again and swam away with Zephyr behind her.

As soon as she heard the prison gates locked, she raised her head once more. Her eyes seemed to be lost in thought as she stared blankly ahead. After some seconds she blinked.

'Good riddance, Marceline," she cursed under her breath. 'Now where was I? Let me try and see if I can connect to my daughter once more.' 

She closed her eyes once more, searching for the connection she once felt with her mind and powers. After some minutes of trying, her eyes fluttered open.