I had never appreciated a bed and a bath as much as I did that night. I gorged myself on all of the food that was brought into my private quarters for me, excited to be eating anything other than bland beans and stale bread. After that I was ushered into the steaming water of a bath while maids tended to me, then tucked into a heavenly bed with thick blankets that chased away any threat of the cold.

Though Archer and Willow offered several forms of entertainment for the evening, I opt to sleep until I couldn't feel the chill in my bones or the aches in my muscles. The last thing I wanted to do was go for a trail ride through their forests or go to their local markets.

When the morning came, it was Willow that greeted me, carrying a tray of steam cups into my bedroom. The maids that had helped me into my gown and with my hair earlier stepped away, curtseying to their monarch before leaving.

"I thought we could start our morning with rose tea," she said, her cheeks reddening slightly. "The men aren't awake yet and it might be best if we get some normal chatter in before the two of them go at each others throats."

I smiled at her from my place, sitting by the fire place. I never thought that I would appreciate a fire and tea first thing on a summer morning, but I greedily grabbed at the porcelain. While it warmed my hands, Willow smiled on, always looking so kind. 

"How did you know I needed a hot drink?" I wondered with a little giggle. "Do werewolves have the ability to read minds?"

"I saw you yesterday. You were practically shivering in the sunlight and its no surprise. Those mountains can be brutal, so cold even in the warmest of months. I can't imagine falling in that river. It's ice-fed, isn't it?"

"It is, but I have to tell you the worst part was not the water. You see, I was warned that my horse would not like water and yet, I pushed him on, trying to prove something to someone. When I got thrown, it hurt my pride more than anything. I felt like a complete fool."

"Oh please, we all have our stories. There's something about being surrounded by all of these confident, self-assured men that can bring out the worst in us. I still have moments when I think I have something to prove, which is absurd. But, I do think that men's pants would be a good call for your trip home. I brought a pair of my own and was thinking that we might be able to fashion them with some flowy material. Maybe we could make it look like a dress when you're standing, but have the legs be separate."

We spent the morning trying to figure out a new design. Willow was right in saying that the pant legs needed to be wide, not fitted to the calf like men's breeches if we wanted it to replicate a dress. I also needed a soft material that would move and plume like a grand gown would as sway in the wind. 

We ended up in Willow's gorgeous dressing room where dozens upon dozens of gowns were hung up, perfectly on display. I touched a maroon dress that shimmered in the light and envied an emerald green gown made from velvet. She had every style in every colour with a crown and a pair of slippers to match. But, before we could get too deep in our clothing creation, a guard came and escorted us to the royal gardens, where King Archer and Prince Leo were waiting for us. On the walk, I noticed the easy banter that Willow had with the man and wondered if all queens knew their staff so well or if her kindness made her an oddity.

I didn't have a chance to ask. Before we even entered the garden, weaving through groomed shrubs, we heard two male voice tangled in a heated debate. When they came into view, it was almost like they were sparring, stepping around each other as if one of them might lunge.

"Excuse me, my garden is a sacred place, we don't argue here." Willow's voice was light and teasing, but Archer immediately blushed and took a step back from Leo, as if putting space between them somehow stopped the argument. 

"Good morning ladies. I trust that you had a good night, Princess Ember," Archer murmured, clasping his hands behind his back as he bowed his head.

"I slept very well, thank you."

We began walking together, roaming through the aromatic blooms. Archer fell in step beside Willow and Leo was beside me, almost like the women were keeping the warring parties at a distance. I tried not to think too hard about this and instead focused on the flowers. Surely Willow wouldn't keep all of these flowers if they were useless, she was so realistic and logical. It would be a waste of space if they didn't feed anyone or provide medicine.

"Princess Ember, can I be frank with you?" Archer asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yes of course," I said with a grin, thought my gut tightened.

"I'm afraid that I'm not familiar with you at all. Where are you from?"

Immediately, I thought back to my queen telling me that I was only supposed to be a harmless human here until many years later. I was supposed to keep the peace, and through doing that, I needed to keep my secret.

"I come from a small island, inconsequential really. You wouldn't have heard of it," I lied.

"Yet you will be partnering with one of the most successful human kingdoms. Surely, you have to have some lineage, some value. Humans don't have predestined mates. You pick partners based on political and economic factors, right?"

"Archer," Willow hissed. "Don't badger her."

"No, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I come from a very small kingdom, miniscule in comparison to Leo's or yours."

"I have a hard time believing that."

"Are you interrogating my future wife? Are you calling her a liar?" Leo demanded from around me.

 I would have rolled my eyes at his stupid accusation- we both knew that someone could drag me through the mud and he would not blink- if Archer hadn't leapt at the bait. Willow sensed this as well and placed her hands on her husband's chest and tried to ease him back.

"I'm amazed that you could even find a woman willing to take you on. Though I image it was skillful work on your parents' part, not you charm that enticed her in." Archer grunted.

"How dare you-"

"I'm a siren," I announced.

Everyone paused, myself included as we all tried to assess what just happened. Willow and Archer attempted to wrap their minds around it while I was trying to gauge how angry I had just made Leo. 

"I knew that you weren't human, I could smell it on you. But sirens haven't been seen for at least twenty years," Archer said. "To be honest, I thought they were a myth."

"No, not a myth. I lived my life entirely on a small island with my sisters, doing our best to survive for as long as I can remember. We have chosen to be isolated from the rest of the world."

"But, why would a species as powerful as the siren need to live in isolation? Is it some kind of ritual?"

I wished I could stop my mouth from moving. I wished that I could look to Leo for help, but freeing the burden just felt too good. "No, we were being hunted. Apparently, the human world was swirling with rumors that we were coaxing men and their ships into unsafe situations, that we were killing men and sinking their vessels. They came after us, whether these claims were true or not. After a while, it was safer to flee."

"Ah, humans," Archer spat, narrowing his eyes on Leo. "Always pillaging that which they don't understand. If it doesn't line up with their maths and sciences, then it must not be true and must be destroyed."

"I knew that you were too beautiful to be human," Willow jumped in.

This straightened Archer out again, as if she had some kind of calming effect over him. "Yes, and your voice is too melodic as well. Now it all seems so obvious. But I am still curious, how did you two become matched if you never leave your island?"

"I suppose my queen made the choice. She must have received a message from mainland or gone there herself. All I know is that I was the one chosen to board the ship and to marry Leo. But please, this is all a grand secret to keep me and my sisters safe."

"That must have been so romantic. A young prince coming to rescue you from your island after years of being alone," Willow sighed.

"Yes, my sisters viewed it the same way."

And it would have been romantic if I hadn't been trapped into a marriage with a man who hated me.

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Do you have an e-reader?