Chapter 120: Nereida’s Journey
Nereida made it to the courtyard without letting go of her emotions. She walked to the fountain that was merrily spraying water from a dolphin’s snout. The fountain was from her grandfather’s time, as he had a love of the sea, according to her mother. She put her head into the fountain water and screamed as long and as loud as she could, only coming up when she realized she could not breathe the water. She coughed up the little she had breathed in, spitting it on the ground as she struggled for breath. The icy water stole her heat, and she was shivering. The courtyard was empty, since it was well past super now, except for Caleb, who hovered uncomfortably in an archway, pretending not to watch her. She hissed at him a moment, barring her fangs, before the emotional toll rolled over her like a wave, and she sank to the ground. She wanted to cry, but something had stolen her tears. Caleb scurried across the cold, wet cobblestone to her side. He knelt beside her, his knees in a puddle that hadn’t been there before she had screamed. He did not touch her, but held his arms out, an offering of an embrace. And in her weakness, Nereida took the easy comfort, the familiar arms stronger now than they had been in childhood.
“Can you manage?” he asked softly. “We can save this for tomorrow.”
“No, yes” She wiped her eyes, though they still had not come. The wind whistled merrily around them. “We need to figure this out tonight, we can’t leave Basi like that.” He nodded, and summoned a bit of warmth, using it to dry her hair as he muttered magical nonsense. She relaxed, the warmth comforting. Caleb smiled at her, though it was a sad expression that danced in his eyes.
“Can I help? I know… what I did… it was wrong. But-”
“No,” she stopped him. “I mean, you can help, but I don’t want to hear your whys. I can’t…. Not right now.” She still had to hear her wife’s why’s and she could not manage both.
“Alright.”
“Can we go back?” she asked. “To… to being friends?”
“I hope so.”
“Then as my friend…” she took his hand, and looked up at him. He was startled by the familial contact. “What do you know about Fire’s End?”
Caleb went very still. He looked up at the sky.
“A legend, in my home,” he replied. “My grandfather on my mother’s side told me stories. A great, terrible weapon, made of the blackest stone, so heavy only a few can lift it. Hidden in a place that only one with wind-blood can enter.”
“Your sister,” she began. He flinched from her, breaking contact. She took a step after him, but did not reach for him again. “She’s not powerless, is she? She’s wind blooded. That’s why she stopped coming to court. It can’t be known to outsiders, that wind walks among the fire.”
“Fire dies without air. Sometimes fire dies because of air.” He said the words as if he had been fed them his whole life.
“We need it, Caleb. We need… we need to kill the thing inside of Basiano. Or at least to cut it from him.”
“What about you?” he turned away from her, his voice rough. “Am I just supposed to accept that you are a dragon now?”
“I’m not… I’m just… I’m her tie to this world. I accepted her, Caleb.”
“Why?”
“I… I don't know. Because I understand her? What strength it takes to pull yourself together once someone you cared about shattered you.” She rubbed her ring finger. She had thrown the thin band of silver into the ocean when the sirens had freed her, but sometimes she still felt it, like an anchor to the terrible past. She consciously moved her hand to her wedding bracelets instead, taking solace in the cool metal. The wind was the only sound between them for a long while. “One day I’ll explain all that happened, Caleb. But it hurts too much to do now.” He nodded, but his guard was back up. She turned away to focus on the fountain, the running water sounds relaxing. The moon overhead was hidden by thick clouds, and everything seemed so dark and dreary.
Together, they met up with the rest of her family, save Basiano and Masilee. Masilee had made her stance clear, and had, apparently, screamed at the other two of Basiano’s wives, calling them traitors, before Leevan had escorted her back to her suite. Even her mother had been wheeled in. No one wanted to keep secrets from the old woman now, not when Basiano’s life was at risk. It seemed that they had been catching her mother up, because when Nereida arrived, the former queen stared at her with sad eyes .
“Are you still my girl?”
“Always, mama.” She moved to hug her mother, and felt the woman’s arms pull her in fiercely. But the moment of loving acceptance was soon over. Nereida moved to a chair. She sat at the foot of the table, looking at her family. Their faces, save her mother’s, were all wearing guarded expressions. The firelight flickered over their faces, making their expressions harder to read. With all eyes on her, it felt like an interrogation. She squared her shoulders, so that she would not shrink under their glares.
“I know of a way,” Nereida began. “A sword of legend, that may be in the Sacred Mountains. I… I would need to take Basiano with me; it's almost two weeks out, if the weather is with us, but it’s winter, and I… I can’t risk him …. thawing.”
“You want to take the Crown Prince away before his Coronation?” Leevan’s voice rose over the chattering of the others.
“It can be explained away,” she replied. “Say that he wanted to take our father’s ashes to the Sacred Mountain so that he could sleep with the Kings of Old.”
“Then we’d all have to go,” Leevan protested. “Even mother!”
“I can manage,” she grumbled, but no one paid the old woman any mind.
“You could stay, someone has to remain behind to run things. Caleb could go in your stead; there is precedence.” Leevan looked to his husband. Then two of them stared at each other, as if able to speak with only their eyes. Finally Leevan turned back to her. “Fine. Caleb goes in my stead. Your wife and children stay behind as well. I’ll not have this be a circus.”
“No children, only the spouse or the son, not both,” Nereida repeated, thinking out loud. After a moment she nodded, though she knew Aella would HATE it.
Aella had lost her vote in how to move forward when she had killed Nereida’s father and let her think it was her fault! Nereida tried to shake the anger away, but it clawed at her mind. They discussed more, mostly what to pack, what guards to bring, who could be trusted.
She trudged back into their wing. It was quiet now, the boys in bed, the baby being fed by her nursemaid near the fire. Nereida asked to take her for a few minutes before bed. She sang soft lullabies to her daughter, trying to memorize every detail in the girl’s little face. She kissed her forehead as the girl pulled some of her magic from her. Her little eyes were blue and alert, she kicked about and seemed to be the happiest little baby. Reluctantly she gave her daughter back to the nursemaid to put to bed, and she headed up to check in on the boys. Egaz’s room was empty, but she found him immediately, curled up half-on-top of his brother. Alejo’s arm was cast protectively over the smaller boy. She smiled, creeping in to pull the blankets over them. It was a cool night.
Eventually, she left the sweet scene, and headed to her own room. Aella was on their bed, still dressed, though her feet were bare.
“I…”
“You didn’t trust me,” Nereida said, her voice raw. She hadn’t meant to start with that, but it hurt, and she refused to let that fester. “If you tell me that you were “protecting me”, I might scream.” Aella flushed at that but did not utter the words. They stood in silence, Nereida glaring at her wife.
“I made a mistake,” Aella whispered. She swallowed and then looked up as if she expected Nereida to lash out. “I should have… I should have been honest right from the start.” Nereida waited for the “but”. There was always a “but”.
After a long moment of silence, none came.
“I love you,” Aella’s voice was stronger now, but it wavered as if she fought off tears. “I am sorry.”
“I’m…” Nereida struggled to find the right words. She swallowed the rage and grief that threatened to close her throat. “I just want you to trust me, to respect me enough to not hide things like this.”
“I won’t, never again,” Aella swore. She reached for Nereida’s hand, her movement tentative. Nereida took her wife’s hand. She didn’t squeeze it, just held it tightly, and the two of them sat in silence as the fire crackled.
The princess let the moment stretch as long as possible, but she knew she had to tell Aella the next part of the plan.
“I’m leaving in the morning.”
“Leaving?” Aella eyed her. “Where are we going?”
“I am joining my family to free Basiano. We’ll pull the dragon out. Find the sword.”
“I’m coming with you,” Aella stood.
“Not this time. I need to know the kids are safe.” She looked at the fireplace as she spoke so that she would not see the hurt in her wife’s eyes. The brick was covered in soot, since the maids did not come here as often as they likely should. But she didn’t want them here all the time, flittering about like butterflies.
“Fine.” But the way Aella said the word, it was most assuredly not.
The next morning, Nereida packed a bag with just enough to survive the cold paths through the mountains. Warm layers, extra clothing, especially socks. She kissed each boy on the head, eliciting promises that they’d be well behaved from each of them. The siren placed a chaste kiss on her wife’s cheek, whispering “I’ll be back” instead of goodbye.This was NOT goodbye.
Pack on her back, Nereida hurried down to eat with her siblings, before they headed into the mountains to seek Caleb’s people. She only hoped this wasn’t all for nothing. The sword HAD to be there, or she was endangering her family for nothing…. With that cheerful thought, she climbed into their carriage, and watched her childhood home disappear into the distance.