Chapter 108: Nereida’s Voyage
Nereida’s head was full of cotton, her vision blurred and her heart ached. She felt Aella’s warmth, a lingering magic in her body and could feel tears on her own cheeks.
“Love?” she managed to croak. Aella’s worried expression lifted slightly, and the Admiral kissed her forehead gently. Nereida realized she was on a stretcher. She tried to sit up, and a wave of nausea swept over her. She blinked in the darkness of the cabin. Something was wrong. She could not feel the magic of her mother’s bracelet, and she could smell cinnamon. Their cabin didn’t smell of cinnamon.
“Can you be still, love, a few minutes more?” Aella’s voice was low, and full of an emotion that Nereida could not place.
“Where are we?”
“Caleb’s ship, Ner. We’ve almost made it to port.”
The fog burned from her mind as she bolted upright. Her skin pulled tight on her chest as she did, and she remembered the burning, the fire and the pain. She felt tears leak down her face. It was only when she brought her hands up to her face that she noticed her hands were blue and clawed. She began to panic in earnest then, her heart speeding, her breathing escaping her control. Her father would see her. Her people would see her. She would be banished. She would be killed!
“Ner!” Aella’s voice cut through the flood. “Ner, breathe with me.” She was suddenly in Aella’s arms, held tight. She could feel her wife’s body pressed into her own, the fabric of her starched uniform stiff and unforgiving.
She let her wife’s warmth and steady presence sooth her, though she was not sure how long she fought panic, fear and rage. As she held Nereida, Aella whispered soothing nonsense.
“Let the ruffles hide your steel, love,” Aella said, stroking her hair.
“Why are we here?” Nereida asked, hating how small and frightened she sounded. And so, haltingly, Aella told her everything; the poisoned food, the fight between her brother and brother-in-law, the fire, the Dragon of Stars. She assured Nereida that their children were safe. They slept nearby, and Epelda was guarding Damara.
A knock interrupted their talk, and Caleb stepped in. Nereida noted that he had a black eye, that he flinched when she looked at him. Her heart shattered seeing his fear.
“We will be at port within the hour,” he reported, as if Aella was his commander. His tone was all business, and he looked above them, not at them, when he spoke.
“Why?” Nereida demanded, all her anguish spilling out in one singular word. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, as if he were about to cry.
“Orders from the king.” His words were quiet, full of pain. “I’m sorry, Nerry.”
“Princess,” Aella hissed. “Or your Grace. You don’t get to speak to her like you are friends.” The colour ran from his face and his expression shifted into a carefully blank expression.
“Princess, I formally apologize that my actions brought you to harm.” There was no warmth or sincerity in his tone and Nereida felt her heart break again. Caleb was her oldest friend. And now, he wasn’t.
She would never forgive her father.
She wanted to forgive Caleb, to tell him it would all be alright, that they would manage, she would manage, as she always had. But a whistle sounded above, and Caleb turned to leave. Nereida watched him go, helplessness crashing over her. She sank back into Aella’s arms.
“Help me get dressed, love,” she whispered. “I can’t have them seeing me like this.”
“I brought our matching gear, darling. Together, yeah?”
“Moon and Ocean.” She entwined their hands, and kissed Aella’s cheek tenderly. “Did you give Caleb a black eye?” Aella chuckled, before the humour flew from her again.
“Your brother did, once he was back in control. Then the Dragon took over again, calling your brother “uncivilized.” Still, the traitor won’t look at him without fear ever again.”
Once she was dressed, and on her feet once more, she woke the boys and dressed them as well.
“Courtly manners,” she warned them softly. “We will be well behaved, well spoken, and you must hold your questions in your mind until you can ask me in private, alright?”
“Yes mommy,” they answered in unison. They glanced at each other, and pulled out their little black caps.
“No, darlings,” Nereida said softly. “There’s no need. If I am a siren, so are you. I won’t have you be… I won’t have you be less.” She kissed them each on their heads. “Be brave, and stay together.”
“I’m sorry,” Egaz whispered. “I told Uncle Basi you were in trouble. You got hurt cause I blabbed!”
“I got hurt because two grown men could not discuss their issues without fire. That’s not your failing, little love.” She pulled both her sons into her arms. She would, however, have words with her brother, when she could trust that it was her brother she spoke to. “Come now, let’s go above deck. I’ll tell you the sites as we travel.”
They were greeted on deck by an “honour guard” of ten men, all with fiery red or auburn hair. The boys pressed into her, frightened, making it difficult to walk. Basiano lumbered up, holding his daughter in his arms. He turned to look down at Caleb, who stood just outside the circle of soldiers.
“I will need a wetnurse for each of the infants,” he commanded. “See it done.”
“Yes, your highness.”
“Come, Caleb, let us return to the castle together,” Basiano said, a jovial note in his voice. But Nereida shivered. It was not her brother speaking. This was theatre for the troops. “I’d have you at my side.” Caleb swallowed but stepped into the ring of guardsmen. He looked small next to Basiano, his shoulders hunched and his posture defensive. Basiano held out a hand to Nereida.
“Sister, hold my hand. I know you are unsteady since your injury.” She nodded, stepping slightly ahead. Together, the strange group of them disembarked the ship, and made their way to solid ground.
The city was nearly silent. The heavy rains earlier had driven most folks inside, and the late hour meant that there were few left to brave the muddy streets. There was no announcement of her return home, just a deathly silence. They walked down mainstreet, the cobblestone road still full of puddles that Basiano deftly avoided. The boys looked around at the stone houses and stores, their eyes bright and full of questions, but their fear locked their words away. Little Damara slept, full and content in Aella’s arms. The moon shone down on them, the only light except the occasional lantern that left the streets smelling of oil. It was her home, but it was so strange, so surreal, that she felt, for a moment, like she had stepped into another world.
They marched along in silence, the footfalls of the soldiers the only sound besides the occasional cricket or owl. Then, without warning, Basiano bellowed, shocking the soldiers as much as the others.
“We are HOME!” His words carried far more than they should have in the stillness, and Nereida did her best not to glance back at Epelda. His voice carried too well, and she had likely helped it along. The soldiers jumped, readying to attack him, before they realized that they could not, in fact, attack the Crown Prince in public. And with his loud shout, they were very much in public now. Shutters were opening, people appearing in doorways. All it took was one well-to-do merchant to recognize Basiano, to shout that the Crown Prince had returned, and then the streets were full of people. Most were in their night-clothing, celebrating. It wasn’t until Basiano came up behind her that she felt nervous. He lifted her up onto his shoulder like he had when they were small.
“Princess Nereida, born of the Ocean, Raised in the Stars, has returned!” Basiano boomed out. There was a shift in the crowd, as the echoes of the words “the Princess has returned” moved through them like a ripple through a pond. She heard people marvel at her blue skin, heard bickering as some worried the Crown Prince was being controlled by a siren, and heard a few voices claim that a siren’s magic did not work on land. When Basiano finally put her down, and placed a protective arm around her, that did the trick, and the voices of discontent faded away as people roared in delight.
They became a make-shift parade, the energy of the crowd full of laughter and cheering. Both infants wailed, unaccustomed to this amount of noise. Her sons, however, were almost giddy with the same, almost infectious energy. Two of the soldiers meant to guard them tried to break off, likely to dart ahead and warn the king, but the crowd pressed in, and they were not able to break free. Aella pressed closer to Nereida, holding their infant and looking nervous. There were too many people, dozens if not a hundred, and there was nowhere to go, no way to escape. Basiano played the crowd, telling someone to “wake the King and Queen, so we can have a proper welcome home!” Nereida felt her stomach twist. What if her mother was too ill?
It took nearly an hour to get to the castle gates, moving at the speed of the crowd. The soldiers who had been sent for them looked harried, exhausted and worried. They had kept their charges alive and safe, had returned them to the castle, but not, exactly, as ordered. Caleb was sweating and shaking.
“He’s going to be displeased,” Caleb hissed to her. “This was a terrible plan!”
“Do you want to gainsay a god?” she replied sharply. He flushed. “This isn’t my brother right now. You know that.”
“We have to tell your father,” Caleb said, his tone desperate. “We can’t let a god just… take Basi.”
“I will deal with it,” she replied coldly. “This would not be the first time.” Caleb tripped over his feet, falling slightly behind. He was sputtering in concern, but she ignored him. He poisoned her, planned to force her home when she was already coming home. He did not deserve her friendship. Except, she couldn’t help but still see the young boy who had been the only one to believe her, her friend, and her confidant.
The huge castle was protected by a wall, though the gates were open wide. The outer wall protected the city, the inner wall was mostly for privacy. The gate guards were well dressed and looked alert despite the late hour. Nereida caught a glimpse of the garden she had played in as a child, the peach trees were full of fruit that would soon be ripe. Mother loved peaches, and those trees were where Basiano had broken his arm, where her world had changed. More guards were coming, wearing suits of chainmail and carrying pikes. They were prepared to deal with a threat. Basiano moved through the crowd to the front, holding his hand up and out. The contingent of guards, at least twenty men and women, halted.
A hush settled over the crowd, and no one moved or spoke. It was as if everyone was holding their breath. Nereida’s sons pressed into her, suddenly nervous.
“I present,” Basiano boomed, his voice carrying in the stillness. Epelda was humming quietly next to Nereida, her magic moving his voice so all could hear. “My sister, Princess Nereida, Ocean’s Daughter and Dolphin’s Revenge. She returns home after an eventful, frightful time away, but she does not return alone. She comes with her wife, Admiral Aella D’Igna, formerly Kyverna, of Seliniakos, and their children, Countess Epelda Kyverna, Aeljo, Egaz and Damara. I do not return alone either! In peaceful accord with the Nations of Sirens, I bring home an infant siren. She is my daughter, Iria, and a living peace treaty with the people of the Water.”
As he spoke, the crowd parted, allowing them to walk forward. Caleb trailed after them like a lost pup, wringing his hands but not speaking. Nereida limped to her wife, took her hand, raised it to her mouth and kissed it. Someone in the crowd cheered again. Aella flushed a brilliant red, clearly hating the attention. Nereida flashed her an apologetic smile, but she also knew the crowd needed to see. That way, Aella could not be made to disappear. The boys waved awkwardly, not quite sure what they were supposed to do. Damara’s cries settled when the crowd was quiet, nestling sleepily into Aella. The guards stepped forward, surrounding them in a wall of steel, cutting them off from the disappointed crowd.
They were marched into the gardens, and one of the soldiers demanded the gates be closed. Nereida felt her heart speed up. If the gates were closed, trying to leave would be impossible. She stepped in closer to Aella, tightening her grip on her wife’s hand. They walked through the garden at a gentle pace, as if they were out for an evening stroll. That is when Nereida saw them: her father, dressed as if he were expecting to hold court in his fine velvets and silks. His face was set in a neutral mask, but even from this distance, Nereida was certain she could feel his anger. His hand was on her mother’s shoulder protectively. The Queen was in a dressing gown over her sleeping clothing. She looked pale, too pale, and she was sitting in a chair that was full of pillows. The chair had wheels, and she had an attendant nearby to push it. Nereida felt her heart leap at the sight of her mother. It was only when they got closer that Nereida saw why her mother sat in a chair. The Queen now had only one leg.
“Basiano, my son, I am glad to see you return from your ill-conceived adventure.” The old king’s voice carried, though not nearly so well as Basiano’s. The sound of her father’s voice made Nereida step closer to her wife, seeking strength. “Nereida, my daughter, is that truly you?”
“Yes, father,” she replied, bowing her head a little. “I am sorry I was away so very long.”
“Nerry!” her mother called out. Nereida looked to her wife, smiling tearfully, before she pushed past the guards to rush to her mother. The king made a strangled noise, but did not stop her. Nereida hugged her mother for the first time in nearly twenty years, as tears poured down her face.
“Oh Nerry, you’re home.”