"I believe there is a traitor on the mer council," she said. "My mother is almost certain of it, but as a human with no solid proof no-one will listen to her. It started with..." she wiped a tear away. "They told us my father died in an accident, that his boat was caught in a storm, but the sea was calm and..." A sad smile crossed her face. "My mother likes to tell me in another life he could've been an Olympic swimmer. The point is, the story we were told...it makes no sense. And then you realize who he was." She took a golden ring out of her pocket. "My father wasn't merely a Mer prince, he was the next in line to the throne, and he...he wanted the council to evolve. But my mother still believed maybe it was a misunderstanding, until...until what happened to Sam." She had to stop, burying her face in her hands as her body shook.