Chapter 2
Niklas unlocked the finely carved oak door with a golden key, then pressed it into Halsten's palm.
“I’ll wait in the hall for you. When you’re ready, I will escort you back to the engagement party.” Niklas began slowly closing the door, but then it swung back open quickly. “Not that there is any rush, of course! I didn’t meant to imply—”
“You’re a worry-wart, aren’t you, Niklas?” Kaid chuckled. “We will come out once we’ve cleaned up.”
Niklas bowed, once again catching his glasses, and then backed out of the door and closed it behind him.
Halsten nodded a head toward the entrance of the washroom and made his way there, closing the door behind him.
Kaid looked around his common room, taking in the fluffy sofas and chairs, lush fur rugs, and paintings of the coast. He ran his hand over the cherry oak bar, which was set in front of a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the beach below.
It was similar in decor to his home, aside from the oceanside location, so Kaid immediately found the room comfortable.
The young lord peered out the large window and watched the waves crash against the sand, seaweed and driftwood floating about.
The shores were lined with evergreens and large boulders, aside from the stretch of sandy beach directly in front of the castle, which was likely finely groomed for the royals to enjoy.
At the edge of the castle, there were multiple terraces with stairs that led directly down into the water below, and he made a mental note to steer clear of those particular entryways.
He wasn’t going to touch the water. His father had warned against it his entire life.
Kaid had never known where his father’s fear of the sea originated from, but it was severe enough that he took it seriously.
Haalberg, the territory of Salendron where Kaid’s father was duke, was landlocked, so throughout his entire life, Kaid had never actually seen the ocean—until today.
Kaid ran his fingers through his dark hair as he considered the warnings his father had repeated during his last weeks in Haalberg.
The sea is filled with dangerous creatures. Things you can’t imagine. Don’t touch them.
The sea will lure you in, call to you. You must not answer it.
The sea will swallow you alive and it will be as though you never lived at all. Don’t let it.
The sea will know and crave you once you touch it. You must resist.
The advice was eerie and vague enough that Kaid didn’t desire learning if any of it was true. Even though he would be living here in Orntali for the rest of his existence, he would never touch the mysterious waters of the ocean. Never.
But even now, watching the waves, he understood what his father meant by the calling. It was as though the settling waves seductively whispered his name, beckoning him to caress them, even just once.
Kaid pried himself away from the window and walked over to the other open door, discovering his bedroom.
It was exquisitely decorated in blacks and silvers, all glistening from the sunlight streaming in from the massive wall of windows.
Kaid sat on the fluffy bed and ran his manicured fingernail along the headboard carved with seashells and coral.
The crackling fireplace warmed a small sofa in front of it, and a bookshelf crammed with texts of various colors and sizes sat in the far corner.
“Grand, isn’t it?” Kaid startled at the sudden sound of Halsten’s voice. “The washroom is insane. I’m coming to your suite for all my baths.”
Kaid huffed a laugh. “Like you ever planned on leaving my suite anyway? You can’t get enough of me. Sixteen years later and you still seek me out daily.”
“True. If Maren turns you down, I might propose.” Halsten sauntered over to the bed and threw himself onto the thick, dark comforter, landing facedown. A crisp, clean scent wafted up around them. “Sweet Knud, any woman you bring to this bed is the luckiest female alive.”
“Don’t mention the god of love in this sacred space. There’s no room for that emotion here.” Kaid smirked.
Love wasn’t one of Kaid’s interests. Though he’d been sent to Orntali for marriage, it was arranged.
And it was only orchestrated to save the people of Haalberg.
Their crops had been less abundant over the last few years and the farming territory was on the brink of poverty.
Though Kaid’s father didn’t want to accept King Botmar’s offer, Kaid urged his father to embrace it for their people.
Kaid would move to Orntali and marry the king’s eldest daughter, Princess Maren.
Begrudgingly, his father ended up agreeing to the terms.
Kaid wasn’t one to get involved in politics and didn’t care much about what was happening around him, but he did care about his father and could see how heavily the future of his territory sat on his shoulders.
He didn’t cherish much in life, but he cherished his father.
It had only been the two of them since his mother died when he’d been too young to remember.
Everything Kaid’s father did was for him, to ensure his future was steady and bright.
This sacrifice was the only way to begin returning the favor.
Halsten sighed. “The love bug will bite one of us someday, unfortunately. Speaking of, ready to attend your engagement party?”
Kaid’s face tightened into a begrudging expression, but he nodded, staring out the window, his gaze instinctively drawn back toward the ocean once more.
Kaid felt much better after freshening himself up from traveling.
He donned his finest formal wear to the party—a white tunic accented in silver seams with a thick, forest green sash over it to represent the colors of Haalberg.
Halsten wore a similar style, except his tunic was gray and his sash much thinner.
Niklas guided them down the halls of the Orntali castle, his golden curls bouncing from his springy steps.
They passed a large tapestry in immaculate condition and Kaid paused to observe it.
Depicted was a finned woman, nearly identical to the strange statues built into the castle’s structure.
What strange obsession did Orntali have with replacing legs for fins?
Niklas stepped beside Kaid and folded his hands. “Ah, yes. Queen Else’s beloved siren tapestry. Beautiful.”
Kaid side-eyed the courtier and noted the sparkle in his eye as he became lost in the tapestry. He shot Halsten an Are you hearing this? glance. “You’re saying this is a siren?” Kaid asked skeptically. “As in the mythical creatures that are half-human, half-fish?”
“Well, my lord, she is certainly too humanoid to be finfolk, so obviously she is a siren!” Niklas snorted as though Kaid’s confusion was the most amusing joke he’d ever heard.
What the hell were finfolk? Did Niklas believe these beasts were real? “So I suppose the statues scattered throughout the castle are also sirens? Why such fascination?” Kaid asked.
“Great question, my lord!” Niklas’s voice was filled with joy, which made Kaid feel guilty for being so doubtful.
“The royals who built the castle thought that displaying images of sirens would make it seem as though we worshiped them, deterring them from preying on our people. According to the history texts in the south wing library, each addition to the castle was outfitted with the same busts to continue to discourage the sea folk from coming ashore. Looks like it’s worked so far.
I’ve never seen a siren attack recorded within the castle grounds. ”
Kaid’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t you mean never seen one recorded at all?”
The appointed courtier shook his head. “Oh no, we have stacks of reports. Sailors claiming they heard voices at sea. Women swearing their husbands were lured to the shore. The hard part is picking through them to see which are true, which are exaggerated, and which are a hoax. Most are fake, but I’ve found some very convincing reports with evidence. ”
Kaid stopped walking. “Evidence?”
What possible evidence could someone collect from a siren, even if they were real? A scale? Who was to say it wasn’t from a very large fish?
Niklas wrung his fingers. “A fang, and a lock of hair. We’ve got them in the archives below the castle.”
Kaid barked a laugh and wagged his finger at the man. “You are good, Niklas. Very good. This is a joke, is it not? Are you going to have someone spring out of the water wearing a paper fin to scare me?”
The young lord’s attention turned toward the windows overlooking the coast. Even on such a sunny day, the swell remained merciless.
“It’s no joke, Lord Kaidian. Erm, Lord Kaid.” Niklas’s face reddened. “We take our myths and folklore very seriously here. There is so much about the world that we do not know. Do you believe in air?”
“Air?” Kaid questioned.
“Yes. Do you believe that air is real?”
“Of course I do. But what does that have to do with sirens?”
Niklas smiled. “Just because you cannot see something, does not mean it doesn’t exist. You cannot see air, yet you believe it is present. Who are we, as simple humans, to decide what is real and what is not?”
Kaid couldn’t disagree with that. He was shocked that this argument had come from Niklas. He figured the man was more of a logical being. Clearly, he had read the courtier incorrectly.
The walk down the halls was silent until they were outside the ballroom once more.
Niklas mumbled to one of the heralds flanking the doorway, and the man slammed his large golden staff to the ground.
The crowd quieted as he announced, “Presenting Lord Kaidian Poulson of Haalberg, accompanied by Sir Halsten Seung of Haalberg.”