Faltering a bit, the guard glanced back at her with eyebrow raised. "Executed?"
"Yeah. She said-" Joan stopped herself from saying "the king is a mad dictator" to what was clearly one of his men. "Well, that's what she said."
The guard let out a barking laugh before regaining his composure. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss. It's just- You really aren't from around here, are you."
"Uh, no."
"I have to inform you that you've been the victim of a prank, if you will. What do you young ones call it? You've been punked."
"What?"
"Punked," the guard repeated. "I think it comes from a surface dweller broadcast hosted by someone called Ashton Kutcher. It's supposed to mean-"
Joan gritted her teeth. "No, I know what punked is. I mean, are you saying that I just swam all the way out here as part of some sort of elaborate joke?"
Detecting her outrage, the guard quickly explained. "Well, not exactly. We really were arresting Urma. She's wanted for breaking several of our laws, and she'll probably be punished severely. No doubt she told you she was to be executed just so you'd help her escape. That girl is notorious for saying anything to get out of trouble. Really, of all the princesses, she is the most irresponsible."
Joan felt her anger replaced by surprise. "P-princess?"
"Yes. Urma is one of our princesses."
"You mean the king is her father!?"
"Oh no, certainly not, though he does have two daughters of his own. No, Urma is merely a member of the royal caste. Altogether, we have two hundred and thirty-eight princesses."
Joan could tell that her questions would only lead to more questions. So she decided to save them for later, focusing instead on keeping up with the merman.
Misinterpreting her silence as worry, the guard added, "Don't worry, miss. Once this is straightened out, I'm sure you'll be released in no time."
Joan's lips tightened, her mind occupied with one last all-encompassing question. Is is 4:00, yet?
