The news we received the morning of the baby shower overwhelmed me. Thankfully, it wasn’t bad news when I forced Delmare to get out of bed and run with me to the medical wing where Claire had spent the last three days. When we arrived, Claire was upright in bed, flowers sat on her bedside table and her husband and son stood beside her as she turned to look at us.
“Hi dear.”
I couldn’t control myself as I ran towards her, pulling her into a tight hug as I began to cry. “I’m so happy you’re alright!”
She laughed, pulling away from me before handing me a box of tissues, which I gladly took, “I’m better than alright,” she paused, “Don’t you have a baby shower this afternoon?”
“Yes,” I nodded, taking a seat in the arm chair near her bed, as I wiped the tears from my eyes and looking over at her expectantly, “What did the doctor say?”
“Well, they have to run a few tests but I should be cleared to go home.” She smiled, “I may not be able to make it to your baby shower but I would like to visit sometime soon.”
“Of course.” I grinned, looking back at Delmare who smiled, “We’d love to have you and your family come to visit.”
“Great,” she smiled before grabbing Daniel’s hand, “Now, run along before you miss your party!”
With a nod I stood, grabbing Delmare’s hand as we made our way out of the castle doors and towards our home in Arcania
*
By the time we had arrived home, I was exhausted; it had taken us nearly three hours to get there. As soon as we entered the castle we were overwhelmed with pink, blue, and purple balloons and streamers lining the castle’s walls. Letting go of Delmare’s arm, I made my way through the halls and towards our room, hoping I could get some sleep before the guests arrived.
Shutting our bedroom door behind me, I kicked my shoes off, practically ripping my clothes off before I crawled into bed. Just as I was about to close my eyes to fall asleep, our door opened again as Delmare walked into the room, shutting the door behind him before he too kicked his shoes off and crawled in beside me. Shuffling onto my back, I couldn’t help but run my fingers through his hair, smiling to myself as he fell swiftly to sleep. Once he did, the exhaustion overtook me, pulling me into my dreamscape.
The sound of the waves crashing onto shore pulled me along as I walked barefoot across the white powdery sand of the beach. The world seemed so real to me, as if I wasn’t dreaming at all, as I continued towards the approaching waves. Breathing in the deep salty air, enjoying the lull of the sea as I walked but when my toes finally touched the water the world around me seemed to slow as someone rose from the water before me. I stared in disbelief as the blue-skinned woman rose above the water, the waves brushing against her toes while her midnight blue hair floated around her as if she was still underwater. Her eyes shone a bright silver when she smiled at me, the waves clinging to her skin, barely covering her naked body as I looked away, a blush creeping across my skin as I heard the mysterious woman laugh. She seemed so familiar, as if I had seen her before.
“There is no need to be embarrassed Anna.” She spoke, her voice sounding so beautiful I couldn’t help but gasp as I turned to look at her, wondering if I was imagining things, “My, I see what my great-grandson sees in you.”
“How do you-“ I paused, taking a step towards her before thinking better of it, and jumping back, “Why am I here? Where am I?”
“You’re in Achera, my daughter. You were here before, with your mother. I didn’t want to visit you then as I wasn’t sure if you were ready.” She explained, taking a step towards me as the waves still danced slowly around her, “You are here because I want to warn you about a danger that should have been taken care of a long time ago.”
“Do you mean the Syrens?”
“There are far worse dangers than those creatures and far more secrets my people have yet to uncover. You see Anna, I had two daughters.” She smiled, her smile somewhat sad as she looked off into the distance, “Sedna looked like me but unlike her siblings, she did not possess a tail and because of this she was taunted by her younger sister Avisa. Although, I didn’t know my youngest daughter was so full of hate until the War and by then she was too far gone.”
“What happened?” I asked as she suddenly looked over at me.
“I killed her,” She said simply a hint of sadness in her tone, “She was a threat to the safety of the world I created. My children believed she was the last of her line but they are wrong.”
“Wait she had a child?” I asked, bewildered as she only nodded.
“Find my granddaughter or else I fear more harm will come to our family and the Symari.”
With that final sentence, the waves engulfed her, leaving me alone as the waves pulled me under forcing me awake. Clawing at the bed sheets as I awoke, drenched in sweat, I screamed.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Delmare asked, suddenly awake beside me, his face contorted in worry as he tried to calm me.
“It was just a dream,” I mumbled, “I was on the beach, talking to your great-grandmother, Keilani.”
“You talked to Keilani in your dream?” He asked, sitting up in bed.
“Yes, and she was talking about the War and about Sedna and Avisa. She said that we-“ I paused, trying to think, “She said that Avisa had a child, a daughter, and that we needed to find her. She says the ocean and it’s people are in danger and if we don’t find her more death will follow.”
Suddenly he got out of bed, getting dressed quickly as a determined look played across his features “The party will have to wait Anna, if what you say is true there is something much bigger and more pressing going on here. Here, get dressed, we’re going to speak to my cousins about what we can do to find our long lost aunt.”
“What if she’s as dangerous as Avisa was?” I asked as I got dressed.
“Let’s hope not. I want out children to grow up in a world of peace, not one of fear.” He said, his voice entirely serious as he took my hand and walked with me out of our bedroom as we made our way towards the loudest room in the palace.
*
I sat at one of the large tables at the front of the entertainment room, there sat a large cake that would reveal to our family what we would be having. We had told them a few days ago that we were having twins and had yet to tell them the genders. Sedna seemed to enjoy party planning and from what I could tell was the complete opposite of her girlfriend Emilia.
“Queen Anna, how are you enjoying married life?” Emilia asked as she came up to me.
“I’m enjoying it very much, and please you don’t have to call me by my title, Anna is just fine.” I smiled, “How are things with you and Sedna?”
“Things are going great! Apart from the fact that my parents hate the idea of us being together but I am glad your family has welcomed me with open arms. I’m also glad Delmare didn’t marry me. No offense your grace, but I believed we would have been miserable together.”
“I’m sorry your family isn’t as accepting as ours but I think I can consider you a member of this family, that is, if you would like to be. I know you and Sedna are very happy together and I just want you both to be happy. There is no offense taken, I am also glad you and Delmare didn’t marry then I wouldn’t have met the greatest man on earth.”
“What are you two talking about?” Delmare asked as he came towards us, two plates in his hands that were overflowing with food.
“Oh nothing you need to worry about.” I grinned, taking the plate from his outstretched hand and set it down in front of me as Delmare sat down beside me.
“Ah, I see.” He cocked an eyebrow at me as he popped a cherry in his mouth, “It’s nice to see you again Emilia. Have you seen my sister?”
“Oh, I think she’s around here somewhere.”
“When you find her let her know I will have an announcement before we start with the celebrations.”
“Of course.” She nodded, curtseying quickly before disappearing into the crowd.
“What are we going to do about your aunt and the Syrens?” I asked, not touching my food, “Ondina is still missing.”
“We will send a party out to find them both. I plan to go with them.”
“What? No, Delmare, It’s too dangerous. You don’t even know how many of those things exist!”
“Anna,” he paused, his tone entirely serious, “There is a threat to this kingdom. They have already killed my father I will not let our children live in a world with those creatures and I cannot sit idly by when I know they’re still out there. You will stay here with the children, where it’s safe.”
I shook my head, “No.”
“Anna, this is not up for discussion.”
Biting my lip, I looked away, “When are you planning to leave?”
“Two weeks.” He said, “I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. We will send scouts out and all of the able bodied men will go out with us. We will defeat the Syrens, find Ondina and my aunt before any more harm can befall the kingdoms.”
“And what will you do if you find your aunt and she is behind the Syren attacks?”
“We will imprison her and she will stand before us to receive judgement for her crimes.”
“But what happens if-“ I paused, unable to say the words but noticed the sad blue color across his irises as I knew he read my mind.
“If, somehow I find my death, my mother will help raise our children.” He said, touching my cheek as I touched his.
“Try not to die, okay?”
“Okay.” He said, kissing my forehead before making the announcement that would let the leaders know of the predicament our world was in.
With a shaky sigh, everyone stood, placing their fists on their hearts and bowed low, a signal I knew meant they would fight by our side in the coming war. And I only hoped there would be no bloodshed and that our world could find peace again. It seemed forever ago I was starting my new life as a Marine Biologist and now I was a Queen to a kingdom that was threatened. I missed Ondina and wondered where she was. If she knew that the Syrens were so dangerous, why would she disappear or did she have an agenda greater than what we know. After all, she did say her mother was killed by one maybe she wanted to avenge her death.
I felt a hand lightly touch my wrist, pulling me from my thoughts as I stared beside me. Delmare’s eyes swirled, changing colors so many times I couldn’t comprehend what it meant.
“Anna, are you okay?”
“Yeah, um, I’m fine.” I smiled but I knew he could tell I was lying.
_No, I’m not okay. _I wanted to say.
Delmare would be leaving in two weeks he didn’t know how long he would be gone and even if it took him two weeks to find Ondina, his aunt, and kill all of the Syrens it would take him two weeks to come back. He would be gone for a month and he would miss the birth of his children. I wanted him there. I wanted him to see our children being born and help me through the pain I would be feeling. I wanted my mom and dad. I wished my life was different than the reality but it wasn’t and I needed to come to terms with it.
“I love you.” I whispered, looking over at him as everyone waited for us to cut the cake.
I watched him smile, a knowing look on his face as if he had just read my mind, “I will love you forever. And I will try to be there for their birth.” He promised, but apart of me knew he probably wouldn’t make it in time.