Chapter 9 #2
Watching them through the glass, I tried to piece together the puzzle that Kye was.
I’d collected many pieces of him already.
The mocking, ruthless fae who intimidated even a cruel, unfeeling man like Leslo.
The hesitant siren who was afraid of water at the beginning of our swim lessons.
The shameless, seductive flirt whose naughty words and smoldering gazes made me weak at the knees.
And now, the bold, unruly kid from Elina’s story.
And also, the tempestuous, indignant king who was pacing the great hall right now.
Which one of them was his true self?
And if he was all of them, how did they all fit together?
“He was my first kiss,” Elina said unexpectedly, snapping my attention back to her reflection in the mirror in front of me.
Her fingers stilled in my hair. Her eyes peered at Kye through the layers of glass. A soft smile playing on her lips.
“He was?” Was the only thing I could utter, momentarily shocked by her admission.
She met my gaze in the mirror.
“We were both sixteen at the time. I just started feeling some interest in boys and hadn’t even had my first kiss yet.
But I knew that the prince...well, the rumor was that he’d already had all his firsts with girls and even some seconds and thirds too.
” She giggled like the little girl she once was.
“I asked him to kiss me, curious to know what it felt like. And he did.”
“And? How was it?” The question came out slightly out of breath. I found myself waiting for her answer with far more attention and impatience than I should feel.
She glanced up, scrunching her nose in concentration, as if trying to recall the sensations from so long ago.
“It was soft. Gentle, because he knew it was my first kiss. Wet.” She laughed. “A bit awkward, especially from my side. But sweet. It certainly woke the desire in me to do more.”
I swallowed something tight and sour that had lodged in my throat.
“And did you do more?” I asked with exaggerated indifference.
I’d never been a jealous person, so I didn’t immediately recognize the highly unpleasant feeling that seemed to suck all joy from my heart, replacing it with anxious insecurity, when I imagined Kye with Elina.
Was that jealousy? If so, I truly hated it.
Also, why on earth did I even care about what happened between them more than a century ago? Or that Elina had something I would never share with Kye? A kiss.
“I did,” Elina replied lightly. “I’ve done a lot more than kissing since.
Not with King Kye, of course. No girl could ever hold his attention for long.
A kiss was all I got from him. But it gave me the confidence to finally approach the boy I really liked, Talios.
He was training to become a palace guard.
We’ve been married for over seventy years now. ”
“Seventy? Wow,” I exhaled with a sense of relief I had no business feeling.
“Yes. He’s one of the royal guards in Prince Arnon’s palace now.”
“Where is Prince Arnon’s palace?”
“His actual estate is on Mysmei Reef. But he’s mostly residing in Lyrei now, a few islands over from here. Well...” Elina stood back and lifted a handheld mirror for me to see the back of my head. “What do you think?”
Elina had masterfully used the ribbons to compensate for the insufficient length of my hair.
She swept my hair into intricate braids on the sides, then made a rose-like bow on the back of my head, leaving the gauzy ends of the ribbons to trail down my back.
She had also decorated the whole thing with tiny pearl pins, making the back of my head look like some fantasy ocean landscape.
“That is actually very pretty,” I gasped with genuine appreciation. “Thank you. My hair never looked more beautiful, Elina.”
“No it didn’t, did it?” She sighed sympathetically, clearly still distraught about my “crooked” haircut.
The prince and the king were still arguing. Their raised voices had become impossible to ignore. Elina glanced their way, looking uncomfortable.
“I should go.” She collected all her brushes along with the remaining pins and ribbons back into the basket before closing its lid.
“Thank you again,” I said, fingering the end of the light, soft ribbon that fluttered over my shoulder.
“I’ll leave through the back door. I don’t want to interrupt them,” Elina said with a wave of a hand toward the great hall before heading out to the patio.
“I’ll walk with you.” I caught up with her outside.
She paused, glancing at me with concern. “Are you allowed to be out here?”
Her question came as a reminder that as far as freedom was concerned, I had less privileges than a servant. I wasn’t a guest, or a visitor, or even a swimming instructor. I was a hostage. The king’s “little pet.” An indoor pet.
“Please, Elina.” I wasn’t above begging at this point. “I just need to stretch my legs a little. I’ll walk to the front entrance with you, then go back inside.”
Finally, she nodded reluctantly, hanging the basket on her arm. “Alright, but just to the front entrance.”
Kye didn’t even need to keep a close eye on me himself. Everyone around here was playing the part of my jailer, even Elina.
“It’s not like I can run away or something,” I said, matching Elina’s pace as we walked along the glass wall of the palace outside.
“True. There’s nowhere to run, unless you can swim like a siren,” Elina agreed matter-of-factly.
And that was another reason why Kye didn’t need to put me under a lock. The ocean guarded me more effectively than any guards or chains ever could.
“Where do you live?” I asked as we strolled along the curved glass wall of the palace.
“On the next island over.” She waved to the right, behind the palace somewhere. “It’s just two bridges to cross from here.”
It astounded me that here in Olathana, these magical people had lived, loved, and went about their day for thousands of years, and no one in my world had any idea about their existence.
“Why do you even have bridges if sirens are so good at swimming and spend lots of their time in water anyway?” I asked.
“Walking is more convenient, especially when you have things to carry." She pointed at her basket. “Not all things fare well in water.”
We rounded the corner, coming to the front entrance of the glass palace.
The plaza and the gardens around it were just as busy as the last time I was here, several days ago.
However, people stared at me less this time.
Maybe it was because they already knew who I was.
Or maybe because I stood out less in my siren dress and my mermaid hairdo.
This time, I also noticed the tall, dense hedge that grew right in front of the palace’s outer wall on this side, obscuring the view of the interior from outsiders and giving the king a modicum of privacy inside.
“Well, goodbye, Maren. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Elina said, then added softly, “Stay safe.”
She didn’t leave, waiting for me to go inside first, but I lingered at the entrance, wondering what lay beyond all those gardens and bridges. How far did the stone paths lead? What did sirens do in their day-to-day lives when they weren’t confined to a glass palace?
The guards at the entrance opened the doors for me, and I had no choice but to drag my feet back into my glasshouse prison.
From here, only one wall separated me from the great hall, and I could see both Prince Arnon and King Kye well. I could hear them too.
“Her name is Maren!” Kye boomed.
At the sound of my name, I froze in my dark corner. In the heat of their argument, neither of them noticed me, and I wasn’t sure if it’d be wise to reveal my presence now while they were talking about me.
“I order you to refer to her by her name from now on,” Kye raged.
“Yes, Your Majesty, but—”
Kye wouldn’t let his uncle voice his objection. “Her safety is paramount. I won’t let some ancient monstrosity from the Abyss drag her away from me one fine night. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the prince spoke louder this time, not letting the king shut him up again. “However, no matter what you do, she isn’t safe here, and you know it. If you want to protect her, you should send her elsewhere. I can find a room for her in my palace—”
“No,” Kye cut him off again. “I said I’m not giving her up. I only just got her, and I’m not letting her go for as long as I can help it.”
“Very well, but you have to understand, my king, most guards won’t spend a night in here for any riches in the world.”
Kye spread his fingers, curled them in a gesture of irritation before raking them through his hair.
“And it’s not the monsters they’re afraid of,” the prince added, a little softer this time.
“But me,” Kye finished for him, dropping his shoulders. “They’re afraid of me. I know.” He covered his eyes with his hand, drawing in a long, heavy breath. “It took you forever to show up here too,” he muttered, not looking at his uncle. “I sent for you three days ago.”
“Please don’t take that as a sign of fear or disrespect,” Prince Argon’s voice gentled even further. “I came as soon as I could. Tending to the kingdom’s affairs occupies all my time. I’m doing everything physically possible to do what’s required to maintain Olathana’s prosperity.”
Kye dropped his hand away from his face and nodded. “Thank you for stepping up and doing everything I no longer can.”
“It is not a burden, Your Majesty. To serve Olathana is the highest honor. We all do what’s best for the ocean.”
“Do we all?” Kye gave the prince his signature smirk. “You’re out there, ensuring the greatness of our nation. And I’m in here, trying not to touch anything that isn’t already made of glass. It’s not exactly the same, is it?”
With a shake of his head, the prince took a step closer to Kye, then thought better of it and retreated to a safe distance again.