Unlike when Cordelia had struck the thick wall, this time around as Elys knocked, the sound that came out didn’t sound as loud. The princess hummed, deep in thought and calculating what to do next.
"Try another spot," Aleksander prompted.
"Pardon me, but what are we doing exactly here, princess?" Cordelia asked as Elys struck another spot after she felt her way around the wall.
This time, a low pitch came out that seemed to satisfy Elys. Aleksander and her exchanged a sort of elated look, as if they were thrilled of what they discovered. The princess turned to Cordelia and Henry to explain.
"This wall," Elys waved with her free hand, "its surface has patterns which can’t be read at first glance."
Henry tilted his head in confusion, "I can’t seem to follow where this is going."
Cordelia rolled her eyes and then whispered, "The princess isn’t done explaining, Henry."
"Then could you hurry it up, your highness? My knees are acting up with the cold water," the attendant complained.
Aleksander glared at Henry, to which made him shut up his mouth. It was as if the prince was siding with the princess now instead of Henry. The old man felt as if he was betrayed.
"You would need to feel the surface with your own hands to ’see’ the patterns," Aleksander added. "These patterns, like a tiny map, would then lead to various similar symbols."
"Right," Elys continued, "Our hunch is that we have to tap certain spots in a certain pattern, and perhaps it would open up a path to the other side."
Henry and Cordelia nodded as they absorbed the explanations the prince and princess said.
"That sounds pretty simple," Henry commented. "Let’s get it going then so we can get out of this blasted cold pool."
Henry reached out for a stone from the side and then swam towards the wall. He did feel the indentions that weren’t visible to the eye. There seemed to be some sort of message inscribed, but the language was unknown to him.
He tried to read them, but couldn’t even get past the first letter – or picture – whatever that symbol meant. Just as he was about to knock on the wall with the rock in his hand, Elys suddenly spoke and scared him.
The attendant lost his grip on the rock, and it plopped into the water, sinking deep into the floor.
"It’s not as easy as it seems, Henry," Elys frowned, "we still need to figure out the right combination."
"I thought his and her highnesses have already figured this thing out?" Henry asked.
"Well, speculated is more like it," Aleksander pouted his lips in a thinking manner. "It’s the best we could come up with. It’s also the most plausible explanation to the echoes and high pitch sound that came soon after Cordelia initially struck a certain part of that wall."
"Stand back, Henry," Princess Elysianne pushed him aside.
The old man almost pointed out he was swimming and was technically incapable of standing at the moment. It was a good thing he caught himself before blurting it out.
Turning his attention to the prince whose eyes were plastered to the princess, Henry knew being sarcastic now would have cost him his head.
Elys focused on the huge wall in front of her. There was a total of eight similar symbols that surrounded the entire patterned wall. She had tried every single one of them, all in different order, but they still don’t seem to have gotten it right.
"One, two, three," the princess counted. "A pattern, there must be something..."
Aleksander swam close to her, touched Elys’ shoulder and then whispered, "Perhaps it works only with the right succession of tones, try doing it in an increasing pattern. If it doesn’t work, do the opposite."
"Maybe we should try this simultaneously," the princess suggested, "this here is the lowest toned part, but as I remember it the next one with a higher tone is a bit further over there," she pointed on the other side.
"Right, that would be better," Aleksander agreed, "Henry, Cordelia, get a piece of rock each and position yourselves here, and then over there."
Their servants immediately did as they were told, swimming to get each a piece of stone and then positioning themselves where Aleksander pointed at. He instructed them where to strike, and then he himself swam across the farthest side of the wall.
"Alright," Elys said as Henry and Cordelia waited for their signal. "Cordelia, you strike the one above and to your right in that sequence after the prince, while you Henry do left, down, and up after Cordelia."
As Aleksander waited for Elys to finish her set of instructions, the prince picked up another sound from above them where the room they barricaded was connected. The Eastern guards were actually trying to pry it open.
It seemed like they have caught up just in time.
"On your mark, Elysianne!" Aleksander called out to his wife. "The Eastern guards are about to destroy our barricade."
The princess nodded, raised her rock and then counted, "On the count of three! One, two, three!"
Elys struck one time, and Aleksander immediately followed. Cordelia was precise and was done with hers, and then it was Henry’s turn. The old man gripped the rock tighter, and then went on to knock the last three spots.
A series of increasing tones blew above them like a horn. Suddenly, they felt the cave shake and several stalactites that hung above the cave threatened to fall down on them.
Thankfully, the trembling of the cave stopped after several seconds.
"That was it?" Elys asked as she stared at the wall that didn’t even budge.
She had expected the wall to move just as how secret passages work in most mansions. The princess looked below her, through the clear waters of the pool, and then saw a tiny bubble rise from the depths.
Eventually, the single bubble turned to hundreds in mere seconds.
"What is happening?!" Henry began to panic, throwing away the rock he held in his hands.
Elys was utterly confused.
Why was she feeling like she was being dragged downwards?