Alert: Everyone, go on lock down. Octavia has released a wave of scions and she might be coming here next. Lock your doors and stay inside. We do not know is she is coming to Mer, but she might. 

Thank you for the alert, Medicam. We will keep the guards on standby and the people and animals below sea and in the open air on lockdown. 

Laya, the queen requests that we have the colors of the frozen quartz in clear, blue, gold, sliver, and green. Also, because we have two governments, when transporting things such as food from one place to the other, we put a small serum kind of thing that makes sure that the food doesn't spoil. We can send you vegetables and seal off bread and fish with that serum as well.  

I look at the slightly crumpled report in my hands. I almost wring it out and throw it away. But I must show it to mother. She has to know. 

I walk through the castle hallways where there is much bustling here and there among the servants and courtsmen. But they get out of the way when they see the expression on my face. I storm down the corridors until finally I reach the lobby into the throne room.

"May I help you, your highne-," a guard at the entrance to the door begins to ask.

But I shove around him and slam the doors open myself. Mother looks up at me from her meeting with the Lord Marriot, and she waves him away for a second.

"What is it, Harbor?" mother asks me.

"Look at this," I spit, pacing up to her and giving her the paper in my hands.

She reads it, her eyes growing wider by the instant.

"This," she begins, whispering. But then her voice changes to a full-on shout. "IS TREASON!"  

"I know!" I exclaim. "The very thought that Separee would think about joining Catastrophe- this is outrageous!"

"Get your siblings in here now!" mother commands.

I nod, turn around, and briskly walk away, my feet slamming on the cold cobblestone.

How could our very own cousin betray us? 

Would you be interested in trading with anonymous from Kygndom?

I have bubbly beer to trade! (from Bogs & Burrows) 

Of course, just tell uf te goods you would like in return.

"What?!" they all shout.

I nod. "And that's not the worst part. Guess who he joined?"

Shalla grimaces. "Catastrophe?"

I nod. "And the worst is yet to come." 

I feel a slight rumble beneath my feet. 

I look up from the palace courts, along with everybody else. What was that?

I walk carefully over to the science department in the castle. After the twisting of a few hallways, I arrive, and I open the doors.

"What was that?" I ask the bustling scientists.

One walks up to me and bows. "We are working on that at the moment. We do not think it is with us, but we are feeling the resedue of shock from another place. Aslahari, maybe."

I nod. What's happening over at Aslahari? I feel the only thing I can do is send a message.

I head back to my room and take out a frequency radio. If anybody has access to technology, they'll hear it.

I turn on the radio and start writing in morse code. 

W-h-a-t  i-s  g-o-i-n-g  o-n  i-n  A-s-l-a-h-a-r-i?

C-a-t-a-s-t-r-o-ph-e?  O-c-t-a-v-i-a? 

I gasp after recieving the message. We must send troops over there.

All soldiers of Mer and neighbouring cities! 

My army has left in a submarine to one of the underground water pits leading to a huge oasis in Aslahari. We were called to come and reinforce them against Catastrophe and Octavia. If any of you want to come to Aslahari, we could use all of the help we could get.

Thank you!

Harbor Reinedela Mer