I opened my eyes because of a very bright white light. Then, I blinked to adjust my eyesight. I thought I had died. Am I in heaven? I sat up and noticed I was in a very large and luxurious bedroom. Everything seemed to be glowing white and gold.

"How are you feeling?" A male voice asked me. I was hoping it was Jacob but I knew Jacob's voice all too well so I quickly turned to see who it was.

The man sat on a high chair by the window. He appeared regal. His royal robes were white and gold. His countenance was very dignified. His grey eyes stared at me with a very keen interest, studying my every movement. I stood up right away and that was when I realized that my clothes were different. In place of my shirt and breeches was a beautiful flowy sea green dress with white lace and white pearls… the tiniest pearls I had ever seen!

"Ah! What you were wearing did not suit you. This…" he said and pointed at my dress. "... suits you better."

I quickly turned to him and glared, "Did… did you undress me?!"

He smirked and leaned back. Then, he placed his chin on his clenched fist that was resting on the arm chair. "Hn… what would you do if I did?"

I narrowed my eyes in response. I clenched my fists and was about to show my distaste by reprimanding him but he chuckled and added right away, "I am not a scoundrel. The palace maidens did it."

I sighed in relief. The man stood up and walked towards me. I scrunched my forehead and backed away. When he saw that, he stopped and grinned.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

"I do not fear you. I am just not comfortable with strange men heading towards me," I sassed.

He laughed as if what I said was the most amusing thing he had ever heard, "Understandable. My name is Boyt. Prime Minister Boyt. I am the ruler of Palavana, the city under the sea."

"City under the sea?" I asked and headed for the window. I looked up but instead of the sky, I saw sea water. I turned back at him confused. "How did I get here?"

"It looked like Ezekra took an interest in you. She might have thought you were special or something. Someone worth taking," he answered.

"Ezekra? The legendary sea creature?!" True! The last thing I recalled was her swallowing me in one gulp.

He laughed again, "Legendary? Please… she's not that legendary. She is, however , the honorable guardian and sole portal to Palavana. Let's just say she's immortal rather than legendary."

I sighed in relief. Portal. That means I am not dead!

I looked outside the window once again then remembered, "City under the sea? Are you merfolks?" I asked.

"Merfolks? No, those are completely different species than us. We are not half-fish. You see, we live under the sea but as you can see…." he pointed up, "there is a dimensional barrier between the sea and the city. If you are thinking of comparison, it is more like your land but under the sea. Therefore, we are more human… than fish. Merfolks, on the other hand, are more fish than human. Make sense?"

I rolled my eyes. He explained things very confusingly, "So, if this city is under the sea, isn't it supposed to be dark? Considering that sunlight really does not hit the bottom of the sea?"

He beamed, "And that my dear is the miracle of this place. Would you care for a tour so I can explain it further?" he said and held out his hand.

I looked at his hand suspiciously, "I'm not sure. You seem to be very untrustworthy to me."

He chuckled again, "But, we should begin becoming familiar with each other..."

"And why is that?"

"We are getting married tomorrow. You should trust your husband to be, shouldn't you?" he said and grinned.

I gawked, "I beg your pardon?! Marriage?! Why in God's name would I marry you?"

"Because you are beautiful and you are wearing my engagement ring," he said and pointed at my ring finger.

I looked at my finger and saw what he meant. The ring was beautiful. The gem in the center was very delicate and clear. Intricate carvings were designed on the golden metal. I gasped in awe.

"Beautiful, isn't she? The only blue sea diamond you'll ever find," Boyt said that brought me back to reality.

"I'm sorry. I could not accept this. I do NOT wish to marry you!" I replied. I am already spoken for!

"Too bad. As long as the ring is in your finger, the wedding will proceed," he answered nonchalantly. He did not even take my refusal seriously. Instead, he looked at me mischievously.

He smirked, "Well?"

"It won't come off!" I complained.

"Shall we go on the tour then?" He held out his hand once more.

"I want to go back where I belong," I insisted as I crossed my arms.

He sighed, "Tour first and then we'll talk about it later. Fair enough?"

I glared at him but he wouldn't budge. I sighed, "Fine." I had to agree. After all, I needed to be familiar with the place if I am planning to escape. But, I did not accept his hand. "Lead the way."

He chuckled and led me to the door. A floating type of transportation awaited us. It was a carriage made of shells and corals. The seat was cushioned and it did not need any animal nor any person to drive it. Once we were seated, it moved right away.

Palavana was a beautiful and peaceful city to begin with. It was no different than any other cities on land except that it has more of an ocean-y theme in it. The sidewalks were designed with shells, corals, and pearls. Prime Minister Boyt explained to me that they crush the shells and pearls and mix it with sticky sand. The mixture hardens to shpricks which are blocks that they used for building -- comparable to bricks on land.

It seemed to me that each of the citizens of Palavana knew what their roles were. I could not help but to admire their system! They were so orderly, so unified, so systematic. Even though, I was impressed, I was still discreetly looking for a way to escape. I had to escape! How? That I do not know just yet!