Chapter 10: A Siren's Name

"I didn’t know you were-" I begin, then stop and clear my throat.

I don’t like how my voice quivers.

It’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t care. I don’t care.

"I’ve been promised to her since I was five," he says. "I’ve never actually met her."

"I’m… confused. Aren’t you supposed to love each other? Or is marriage different for humans?"

"It’s different when you’re a prince…"

"So why do we need…" I trail off. I don’t know what to call her.

I don’t like calling her his betrothed. It just seems… wrong.

"Claire. Her name is Claire," he says.

"Claire." I try it out. I like calling her Claire. It’s so much better than ‘your future wife’.

"So why do we need her, Claire, exactly?"

"Because she’s the princess of Côte Dorée"

I look at him. He could have told me she’s the princess of Germknödel. That would’ve made just as much sense to me.

" Côte Dorée? " he repeats. "The golden coast? The capital city?"

I raise my brows. "Marina is the capital city."

"Marina?"

"Yes, with a population of about 120 Million."

"Millions?" He gasps. "You're messing with me, right?"

"No," I say earnestly and shoot him a questioning look. "How many live on your so called ‘golden coast’?"

He looks down. "Ehm… I’m not sure… " He begins rubbing his neck. "Millions?" He shakes his head. "How come so few people have caught even a glimpse of a siren?"

"Because most don’t bother coming to the surface," I explain. "The depths of the ocean are so much vaster."

He nods. "I can only imagine…"

His eyes gloss over as he tries to picture it. How could he imagine the huge, sprawling cities, larger than anything he has ever seen, hidden in depths he could never hope to reach?

It must be impossible for him to wrap his mind around it.

I feel a pang of homesickness. Will I ever be able to return?

"Why did you come to the surface?" he asks suddenly.

I shrug. "It's different, an interesting thing to do."

It’s not a complete lie. But I leave out the part where I go there to practice. Practice my singing, far away from most aquatic ears.

Not that it ever did any good.

"And I wanted to show it to my sister," I add.

I did. I know she wants to hear me sing. I won't do that.

But I thought that I could at least share the surface with her.

And my treasured spot.

"So you did it for your sister," he says. "You’re an older sibling, I take it?"

I nod.

"It’s a lot, isn’t it?" He muses. "Being an example..."

He isn’t talking about me and Pia. I wonder what his story is. I want to know. I want him to confide in me. To tell me about-

And then I remember.

"Claire," I remind him and it snaps him out of his head.

"Oh, right," he says. "Sorry, I got a bit distracted."

So did I.

"As the princess of the capital… well the human capital," he corrects himself. "She is the keeper of the Azure pendant."

I simply look at him. Those words mean nothing to me. She might as well be the keeper of the turquoise apple for all I care.

I realize now that the last thing I ate before leaving the ship was apple pie. My first ever apple pie. What a marvelous invention!

And now my stomach is grumbling and I can think of little else.

"The Azure pendant?" He repeats as I think about eating a whole apple pie for dinner.

I shake my head. I’m still confused. And hungry.

He sighs. "She has the key to Atlantis."

"Wait, WHAT?" I stare at him. "Are you telling me that a HUMAN has the KEY to ATLANTIS?"

He flinches at my tone.

"Ehm… yes?"

I stand up. He is quite a bit taller than me but I puff myself up. It feels like I am eclipsing him as he shrinks back.

"TAKE ME TO HER!"

"Y… yes. That’s what I was trying to do…"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!" I start marching off, trip and fall flat on my face.

Ludwig rushes to my side. "Are you alright?"

"Wretched pants!" I curse and he rushes to help me up. Our eyes meet.

I quickly put some distance between us.

"I have an idea," he says. "Are you open to trying something new?"

"Something other than pants?" I ask. "Yes, anything!"

***

I angrily munch on apple pie. I have to admit, it’s comforting, as is the skirt that Ludwig got me. My legs no longer feel quite as divided. It’s almost like they’re glued back together.

Almost.

I sigh. How did humans of all creatures manage to acquire the key to Atlantis? The key to the greatest city ever known, the hub of our history, where so much knowledge was lost…

I angrily lick my plate clean. They can’t even breathe underwater! How is it possible that-

Suddenly, there’s a woman standing in front of me. She smirks, hands on her hips.

I lick the plate one more time then set it down.

"You’re her, aren’t you?" she asks. "The fearsome predator of the deep?"

I look at her, confused.

"Oh, don’t try to play coy with me," she says and her smirk grows into a grin that shows teeth. "I know who you are."

"And who would that be?"

She begins to laugh.

What’s up with her?

"You’re the greatest creature this planet has ever seen, of course!" She beams.

All right. Don’t know what I expected but that wasn’t it.

"You’re the apex predator of the deep. The very pinnacle of evolution! You are…" She points at me. "A siren!"

"Yup," I say and go back to licking the plate.

She shrieks. "I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I’m actually meeting a real live siren!"

"You can’t believe it? But didn’t you just say-"

She rushes over and pokes my face, my arms and even bellybutton!

"Hey, stop that!"

"Oh, I’m sorry! Just wanted to make sure you’re real!" she says and sits down next to me, her feet whipping with excitement. "I have so many questions…" she says and takes a deep breath before rattling them all off.

"Do you have electricity? What about pets? What’s your favorite food? Have you ever fought a shark? Is a siren ever born upside down? With the head of a fish and the legs of a human? Do you have to pay taxes?"

She gasps for air. That poor woman can’t even breathe on the surface.

"What was that first one again?"

Instead of answering me, she squeals. "Ah, I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it! I’m actually talking with a siren!"

I chuckle. Talking at one seems more accurate...

"What about your tail?" she asks suddenly. "How does it work? Do you transform when you touch water? Does it have to be salt water, or-"

I stand up, turn.

And begin to walk away.

I know it’s rude. But so was she.

Why do I have to explain myself? I don’t want to talk about it.

She rushes after me.

"Wait! Leia! Wait!"

I freeze.

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, eh Ludwig told me," she says. "Shouldn’t he have?"

I sigh and start walking again.

This time, she doesn’t follow me.

Instead, she screams after me: "I’m Konstanze! Nice to meet you! I hope you like the skirt!"

Konstanze, huh? So she’s the cook. I lick my lips. I would’ve thanked her for the meal. I run my hands over the skirt’s soft fabric. And the clothes.

But instead I just keep walking. I don’t know where to.

But anywhere is better than here.