Chapter 2: A Prince's Book

Back in the present, I fall asleep to the comforting thought of my sister, happy and free.

I hum to myself, off key.

***

In the morning, someone comes to see me.

"Pia?" I ask, blinking sleep from my eyes.

But it isn't her. Of course it isn't.

Instead that human man walks up to me, carrying a plate of fried fish.

"It's Ludwig," he says. "Ludwig Van Lichtenberg."

I sigh.

He clears his throat. "Are you alright? People heard wailing in the night."

I can feel my cheeks redden but play it off. "Would you be alright? Under the ocean? In only a bucket of dirt?"

Ludwig shakes his head. "No. No, I would not."

I nod, pleased with my allegory. "Exactly."

There is a moment of silence. Then he decides to break it.

"I brought you breakfast."

He offers me the grilled fish.

I eye it skeptically. "I don't eat fish."

"Right? That's what I said!" he exclaims. "But Konstanze kept saying that you're an ‘apex predator’ at the ‘top of the food chain’, like us, which means that you'd enjoy…"

"We're nothing like you," I protest coldly.

Ludwig sighs and sits down. "No. You're not. You're better than the best of us."

Now that’s… unexpected.

He shakes his head. "Which is why we need you."

I look at the sliced grilled fish.

"What do you need?" I hiss. "My scales? My gills? My-"

"Your voice."

I blink, flustered. "'My what?'"

"Your voice," he reiterates. "My kingdom, Bergtahl, is dying. My father’s advisor, Lord Heimlich has cast a terrible curse. And I believe that only a siren's voice can break the spell."

"I won't sing."

"I know it's a lot to ask," he says. "I even understand why you tortured my men with false songs."

Right… false songs. Not my actual ability…

"But I can't give up. I’ll try everything I can to get you to sing."

Careful what you wish for…

"I want to show you the beauty of my home. To convince you that my kingdom is worth saving!"

I shoot the dish he brought another disgusted look. "So far, I'm not convinced."

"I'll get Konstanze to make you something different. Perhaps a seaweed salad?"

His eyes widen. "I… If that's something that you might like, of course?"

I cross my hands in front of my chest. "I doubt it."

I have to at least pretend to be hard to please. He can’t make me sing. He won’t!

Ludwig looks down, disheartened.

My stomach grumbles.

"B… but I'll try it. Give it a chance. Why not?"

"Thank you," he says. "That's all I'm asking for, a chance."

He smiles and leaves with the plate of uneaten food.

***

I can hear them. Ludwig is barely out of the door when the cruel man, Richard, confronts him.

"And? Is she going to actually sing? Or keep torturing us?"

Ludwig sighs. "We've just ripped her from her home. It'll take more than a day to convince her to help us."

"There are other ways we could-"

"No. We are not going to hurt her, do you understand?"

"She'll never trust you."

"She doesn’t have to. If she gets to know Bergtahl and it’s people… if I can just show her that-"

"You're putting us all in danger! You’re not a child anymore, your highness. When will you cease being so naïve!"

"When you stop being a cynic."

I can hear footsteps. Then they stop.

"You said you'd do anything for your homeland. Is that still true?"

There is a moment of silence.

Then more footsteps.

And the key turns in the lock.

***

When I see Ludwig again, he has brought me a seaweed salat. And a book.

"I hope you’ll like this one more," he says and hands me the seaweed salad.

I gulp it down. It has a rich flavor, soft yet textured. Spices I have never known dance on my tongue.

It is better than I could have imagined.

And much better than I will ever admit.

"Do you like it? " he asks.

I shrug. "At least I’m not going to starve."

"Would you like more sea salt next time? Was there too much mirin? Too little sesame oil?"

I have no idea what those words mean.

So I just keep quiet. And hope it makes me look regal.

He sighs and turns his attention to the book he brought. "I… I thought you might like to see some of the beauty that awaits you," he says.

I crane my neck. There are symbols on the front. Human letters?

"What does it say?" I ask.

"A merchant’s guide to Bergthal," he says.

"I’m not a merchant," I say. "You can’t buy my voice."

"N… no, of course not," he stammers. "The book is not just for merchants. It’s from a merchant. It details his experiences in the city of Bergthal."

He opens the book and shows me a picture.

In it, people wearing elaborate hats and ridiculous clothes have gathered on a square, surrounded by flowers.

"Why are some standing on one leg?" I ask.

"Because they’re dancing."

I chuckle. "That’s how you dance? By lifting one leg into the air?"

"Well, it does come down again," he says.

"And then what, it goes back up again?"

"Ehm, yes."

I laugh, imagining people standing in a circle, lifting one leg and putting it down, over and over again.

He looks at me, brows raised.

"I think you need a demonstration, " he says and gets up.

"Oh yes!" I stammer through my laughter. "Please. Oh please show me."

He puts his hands on his hips.

And begins to dance.

It’s not as funny as I imagined.

His legs do indeed go up and down, but they switch, twist, turn.

It’s mesmerizing. I did not know that such impractical, unbending limbs were capable of such grace!

How does he manage to not get tangled in them?

How does he not fall over?

He jumps and turns.

I imagine that he takes my hand. And we dance together. In the only place we can.

My mind.

I wind around him. We are not in the sea or on land.

Someplace else. Somewhere in between.

Where he can land on his feet and I can glide with my tail.

His hand is on my shoulder.

Then he places it on my hip and WAIT what am I doing?

I snap back to reality.

He lands in front of me after a jump. And bows.

I nod, smiling.

"Well, that wasn’t quite as funny as I’d imagined."

He smirks. "I hope it was still entertaining."

"Yes," I admit. "It actually was."

I lean over my bucket’s rim.

"So, what else do you have to show me?"