Chapter 24: Her First Blunder
"Who is she, Father? She looked like a bit Mother." Fourteen-year-old Danella asked.
"She is your elder sister," Ibarra replied.
"Sister? How can she be? I don't have a sister. I only have a brother." Danella said pouting her lips.
"We thought she died in a plane crash fifteen years ago but thanked God she miraculously survived." King Duncan said.
…
At SkyScapes, Marx was busy talking to a lot of people. Amaya was bored. Somehow something caught her attention. She slipped from the crowd and walked into the hotel's garden which was just beside the hall where the press conference was held.
Amaya was welcomed by a scenery of greens. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a pond at the center of the garden. At the center of the pond was a statue of a mermaid spewing water sprays into the air. The pond was beautifully lit creating a myriad of colors reflected on the water's surface.
Amaya gingerly approached the pond. She had seen nothing like it. It was very beautiful with lilies spread randomly on the surface. The water and lights seemed to beckon to her calling her to take a dip.
Amaya took off her sandals. In one fluid motion, she took off her clothes and dived into the water.
The moment Marx heard the splash, he had a bad feeling about it especially when he did not see Amaya. He hurried towards the pond with big strides. He almost had a heart attack when he saw a pair of shoes and Amaya's gown on the edge of the pond.
"On, my gosh! She jumped into the pond." a man who was live streaming exclaimed.
Marx scanned the pond and saw a shadow swimming toward the mermaid. When Amaya emerged, she was gritting her teeth.
"Don't come out of the water." The crowd has formed and Marx didn't want them to see her naked.
He made calculations and he deduced that he can get out Amaya faster from the pond if she swam back to the edge instead of him coming for her.
"Aya, swim back here." He coaxed her gently. Amaya obeyed. The water was bone-chilling and her teeth were clattering. But she managed to reach Marx in no time.
Marx took off his coat. He carefully wrapped her with his coat before pulling her out of the water.
"Cold… the water is so cold." She said trembling.
"It is Autumn. The water is really cold." Marx wrapped her in a towel and the robe that the attendant passed to him. He then carried her to the elevator.
"Make sure no photos or videos of the incident tonight are leaked," Marx said in a loud voice.
Karl cleared his throat.
"Too late Marx. She was caught in a live stream and the internet is exploding."
Marx glared at him.
"Don't worry. She did not appear indecent at all."
Marx looked at the girl in his arms who was still shivering.
"Have the attendant prepare the bath in advance."
"They already did Bro. You know your hotels only offer excellence."
Marx placed Aryana in the bathtub and handed her to the female hotel attendant to be taken care of.
"Be sure that she is kept warm. I'll be back later."
Marx still needed to talk to a lot of people so he went down with Karl.
"Why would she casually take off her clothes and jump in a pond like that?" Karl asked amused.
"It is her nature. She is just a child without the concept of shame."
"You saw her naked bro?" Karl asked his eyes twinkling.
Marx was silent. He remembered the two instances when he saw Amaya naked and he unknowingly blushed.
Karl laughed aloud. "You are blushing. I can't believe it."
"Stop your nonsense." Marx was pissed and Karl stopped laughing.
…
At the Rocas palace, the royal family was still discussing Amaya's rescue when they saw the live streamer follow Amaya as she walked towards the garden and stood beside the edge of the pond.
They saw her remove her shoes and then took off her dress and dived into the water. Everyone was shocked and there was a pin-drop silence in the room. It was a good thing that her hair was long and it covered her back.
"Oh my gosh! Why did she do that? She is shameless!" Danella exclaimed.
Comments under the video exploded. A lot of analyses were shared. Soon a renowned psychologist shared her view.
"She is just like a child who doesn't have a concept of morality and what shame is. Take a five-year-old who would freely undress in front of you without a feeling of guilt or shame. She grew up alone in the wild. She is pure and innocent. Look at how she stood there mesmerized by the water. She must have remembered something from her home and jumped into that pond not knowing that the water is freezing."
"What a beauty to behold. Her hair and back is so beautiful." A netizen commented.
"Father, we have to get her back." Ibarra declared.
"But you have events to attend in the next two days so you can only go there three days from now. Haven't you asked our ambassador in Usturia to meet with the Skylar guy tomorrow?"
"I have Father. A meeting has been arranged." Ibarra paused.
"Marx Skylar informed us that Amaya brought with her the remains of my brother. He died three years ago." Ibarra said sadly.
King Duncan clutched his chest. So his son only died three years ago. He lived to protect his daughter. He regretted not seeing him for the last time and getting his forgiveness. He was however happy that his first granddaughter was alive.
He suddenly remembered something. "Isn't Amaya's eighteenth birthday on October 15?"
"Yes, Father. Indeed."
"Nelida, prepare a banquet for her fitting for the First Princess of Lireya. We have a lot to thank for. Let's celebrate her survival and her coming of age."
"Yes Father," Nelida said obediently but in her heart, she felt resentment.
'Is she going to take away what belongs to Danella? But I will not allow it.'
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Azalea_Belrose
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