Siren's Song: Aridia

The small group of people that gathered clap loudly as I finish singing. I turn to head off of the stage and make eye contact with my mother. I smile gleefully and laugh. I run to my mother and hug her tightly. She smiles brightly at me and hugs me back."That was beautiful, darling! The best performance you have ever done!" "Thank you! I was so nervous I would mess up or sound bad. I had to be perfect for the King, Queen, and the Prince." I blush softly, remembering making direct eye contact with the Prince. His ice-blue eyes stand out greatly against his tanned skin and neatly kept, black as coal hair. His eyes were surprisingly warm and inviting. "If they didn't like your voice, they'd be better off deaf, honey. You have the best voice in all of Aridia. " "I'd like to hope, but with Alina's fame already..." I trail off into my own thoughts. Alina had always been better than me, getting to go everywhere she could dream, singing for all the rulers in the neighboring lands. She was so talented that I could only hope I could be as good and well known as her. Her bright, straight golden waist-length hair contrasted with her emerald green eyes, too big for her angel cut face. She was perfectly curved, tall, and just beautiful. There was no way I could stand to her. I was plain, with wavy brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes. I had no special attributes, other than my voice. During the warm months, my hair would lighten to have natural blonde highlights, but nothing compared to Alina. Mother had told me that one day my voice will control the gods, like a siren. Since mother first told me of sirens and mermaids I had been obsessed with learning everything I could about them. I knew they weren't real, but they had sparked such a huge interest within me that I had started to believe. "Let's get home and rest. Tomorrow we have work once again." Mother says, bringing me out of my thoughts. I smile and nod, hoping to read some more before I sleep. The trip home is short, not but a few minutes walk from the performance stage in the town center. As I lie down in my bed, I turn on the side lamp and open my book. I felt as though as I had so much information left to learn before I even started to really understand the history of sirens and mermaids. Sirens were often confused with mermaids, being thought that they had the tails of fish. Sirens were half-human woman half-bird, some having wings while others had a lower half body of a bird. Sirens lived alongside the mermaids, some mating and interbreeding. The offspring of this mating would have the upper bodies of a human, tails of the mermaid, and the voice control of the siren. The ones that didn't interbreed seemed to die off or become so secluded they were never found again. Their beauty was so beyond that of normal, that humans once used to hunt them. Humans would force them to be mates, sell them on the black market, or, worse, kill them for fun. Oh, my. I never knew that sirens and mermaids were so...wanted. Why would a man want to force a siren to do anything like that? I guess it really is a kill or be killed world. I continue my thoughts about mermaids, and sirens until I drift asleep, dreaming of all the such. I wake to mothers cooking. The smells of fresh eggs, toast, and bacon fill my nose, making me breathe in deeply and sigh happily. I rise slowly, stretching outward. I had a strange dream last night, though I don't think about it for too long. I get out of bed, get dressed for the day, and head into the eating area. Mother has set out our plates, waiting for Alina and I.  I glanced at Mother, "Is she finally back from Provadance today?" I was excited to see my sister once again and hear about her travels. "I believe she is. I heard her come in late after us, I think. I set a dining space out for her, just in case." I nod and smile sadly. We never knew when Alina would be back home next. She was always out singing and performing; she had dad's confidence to do anything she set her mind too. I sit down at the table and wait for my turn to fill my plate. Mother passes me everything as she finishes, and I collect my favorites. "Amelia!" I hear my name called as I turn to see Alina running to me. I stand quickly and hug her tightly. "Oh, Amelia I've missed you dearly!" "I've missed you too, Lina!'" "Alina. What have I said about running in the house? Now, get over here and hug your dear mother." I let go of Alina and she goes over to mother, chuckling, kisses her on the cheek and hugs her.  "I've missed you, Mother!"Alina goes off on the spiel of her travels. She had tons of entertainment and enjoyment. "And to finish up, the Prince of Aridia asked for all three of us to visit the Palace!" "Wow! That's amazing!" Mother exclaims, standing up. "Have they said when they would like us to come?" "Prince Malichi said he would send someone to talk to you, Mother. I explained about our flower shop, to make sure he remembered and he said he would pay us for our visit." Alina squeals loudly and I cover my ears. "Oh, my." Mother sits back down. "We can go as soon as possible. Three days, Lina. Three days at the most. I'll have to see if one of the ladies can come to water the plants..." Mother trails off, making plans already. I finish up my breakfast and excuse myself to finish getting ready for work. The next couple of days went by slow, and I kept having the same dream I had before. I still haven't thought about it, but it was getting more vivid. I wonder if there is more to the dream than what I am realizing. I keep my mind busy, tending to the flowers and customers. "Hey, Amelia!" My closest friend Blanca comes bouncing up to me.  "Hey!" I lean over the counter smiling at her. "What's going on?" "Only the best thing ever! The Prince is coming here tomorrow! Have you not heard?" "I suppose not. Why is it he is coming to our little town?" "Not the town, Am, the shop!" She rolls her eyes at me, as if I should have known already. "He's coming to visit the flower shop!" "Why is that?!" "Someone said it was to talk with your mother, but who knows what that means." She shrugs softly, popping a piece of candy into her mouth. "I know what it means. The Prince invited Lina, Mother, and I to the castle for a visit. He offered to pay us too." All I hear is a high pitched screech from Blanca. "It's not that big of a deal, B." "Amelia! That's the biggest deal ever! The Prince of Aridia has invited you and the family to the castle. The castle!" "I guess that is a big deal..." I think about what it would be like to visit the castle, as Blanca rambles on. The bell on the door chimes, signaling its opening. Mr. Chung had called earlier in the morning, informing me he would be in sometime after lunch. I look up, to smile at him. My smile drops as I notice his ice-blue eyes. I hear Blanca gasp and whisper 'The Prince.' His ice-blue eyes send chills down my back. I watch him walk up to me. "Hello, Amelia, right?" "Y-y-yes, Sir. H-how d-do you know my name, S-sir?" I mentally scold myself for stuttering, never have I stuttered. What is wrong with me? "Alina spoke a lot of you in our discussions. Also, you had just performed for me the other evening, yes? Is your mother around? I'd like to speak with her." "Uh..y-yes. Let me go find her!" I step back and break a small pot behind me. I curse under my breath and go to find mother while Blanca stares at the prince. "Mother! Alina! Where is mother?" "I don't know. What is so important you need mother?" Alina scolds me slightly. "I have been asked to find her," I say sternly back. "And who asked?" "I have, Alina." We both turn to see the prince leaning in the doorway. He looks over at Alina, who stares at him intensely. "What is all the noise?" We find mother coming out of the very back room. "Are you Merci?" "Yes, sir, I am. You are the Prince, correct? It is very hard for an older woman like me to see in this low lighting." "Yes, ma'am, it is I, Prince Malichi." He bows and the chains around his shoulders jingle. The sound makes me smile. Dad loved to make silver objects jingle and ding. The thought of dad made me frown, and I excused myself, sliding past Prince Malichi. He stood up fully as I passed by, his eyes locking onto mine, taking my breath away. I blushed, looked down, and hurried out of the room. "Blanca! Blanca! Are you still here?"We spend the next hour talking about what had just happened. Mother, Alina, and Prince Malichi talk out when we can visit up there. As they re-enter the room, Prince Malichi looks at me and smiles. It was a beautiful smile, full of emotion and I turn the color of the red roses I was cutting. He nods toward Blanca and flashes me another smile that would melt a candle. He turns and walks out of the door. Just like that. I stare blankly at the door, hoping he would return.