The Queen's Pavilion overlooked the palace gardens, where flowering trees swayed gently in the morning breeze. The soft sound of water trickling from a nearby fountain filled the air, lending the place an illusion of peace.
Queen Omuro lifted her porcelain cup and took a measured sip of tea.
Across from her, Sirene sat stiffly, her own cup untouched.
Omuro noticed immediately.
"Nervous?" the queen asked calmly.
Sirene forced a polite smile, "A little, yes."
"You needn't be," Omuro said. "Have some tea before it gets cold."
"Yes, my queen."
Sirene obediently lifted the cup and took a small sip.
Omuro studied her quietly.
"How do you feel?"
Sirene hesitated, then answered honestly. "To me… this still feels like a dream."
She looked around the pavilion as if expecting the walls to vanish.
"I cannot believe that a poor girl like me now lives inside the palace… drinking tea with the queen of the nation as though it were ordinary."
Her voice softened.
"I keep thinking someone might pinch me at any moment and wake me from this dream."
Omuro chuckled. "This is no dream, my dear." She set her cup down. "Tell me about your family."
Sirene brightened slightly, "What would you like to know?"
Omuro's eyes sharpened. "I am particularly curious about your sister. Kharivanpa."
Sirene smiled warmly at the mention of her. "My sister is… extraordinary."
"How so?"
"She is beautiful, as you saw. But that is not what makes her special. She is kind. Honest. Funny. When you speak with her, she gives you the truth—but somehow without wounding your pride."
Her smile deepened. "She is the only person who can truly see through me. I have never understood how she does it."
Omuro nodded thoughtfully. "So she lives up to her name."
Sirene blinked. "To be honest, Your Majesty, I had no idea her name carried such meaning. What she told you yesterday was news to me as well."
Omuro tilted her head. "And what does your name mean, Sirene?"
Sirene shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid my name is simply a name."
Omuro's gaze drifted toward the garden beyond.
"Deep beneath the sea," she said slowly, "there are creatures who lure sailors to their deaths."
Sirene stiffened.
"They possess the most enchanting voices imaginable. No man who hears their song can resist them. Yet in truth, these creatures are hideous. They transform themselves into beautiful women in order to deceive their victims."
Sirene's eyes widened.
"Their voices are their power. If they desire something… they simply ask. And no man refuses."
Sirene swallowed. "Is that truly the meaning of my name, Your Majesty?"
Omuro shrugged lightly. "I cannot say whether that was your parents' intention. But if it was… one wonders why they chose such a name."
Sirene's face flushed, "If my name carries such… dangerous meaning, then I would gladly change it. I would never wish to bring shame upon the royal family."
Omuro shook her head immediately. "No." Her voice grew firm. "You must embrace it. Become it."
Sirene looked startled.
Omuro leaned forward.
"Life inside the palace is not glamorous. It is treacherous. Especially among the women."
Sirene listened carefully.
"Speak less," Omuro continued, "Listen more. Trust no one. Study every word spoken around you."
She paused.
"Do you know the saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"
Sirene nodded, "Yes."
Omuro shook her head. "That rule does not apply here. The life of royal women," Omuro continued quietly, "is a life of profound loneliness. Queens, consorts, concubines—we share everything, even our husband. And we are forbidden from complaining."
Sirene's fingers tightened around her cup.
"The men seek heirs," Omuro said. "But we…We seek allies. Our children are the only things that truly belong to us. So tell me."
Her eyes met Sirene's directly.
"What will you do the day you learn Prince Avana is entertaining other women?"
Sirene lowered her gaze. "I will accept my place in his life."
Omuro nodded approvingly. "Good."
Her voice softened.
"The day I gave birth to my son, Crown Prince Noro, was the happiest day of my life. I received gifts from every corner of the kingdom. The king granted every request I made."
Her eyes dimmed.
"Three years later I gave birth to my daughter, Princess Arasinta." She paused. "That day…There were only two midwives in the room. And me."
Sirene's heart tightened.
"No one came to see us. Not even the king. Two weeks later I was informed that His Majesty had taken a concubine eight years younger than me."
Her lips curved bitterly.
"Two years after that… another."
Sirene's eyes filled with sympathy.
Omuro looked straight ahead. "Today only two titles remain truly mine." She lifted her chin. "I am the queen of this nation. And I am the mother of Crown Prince Noro… and Princess Arasinta. That is all."
Sirene wiped away a tear. "I understand, Your Majesty."
"Then tell me," Omuro said gently.
"What lesson have you learned?"
Sirene sniffled. "I must know where to invest my love."
Omuro smiled.
"Clever girl."
...
Later That Afternoon
Lady Gema's chambers smelled faintly of spices and roasted meat.
Sirene sat at the dining table, quietly eating. Across from her, Lady Gema watched with unsettling focus.
Every movement Sirene made was observed.
The way she lifted her spoon.
The way she chewed.
The way her lips moved.
Sirene could feel the scrutiny.
Finally Gema spoke.
"I hear your sister was not pleased with your coming here."
Sirene froze slightly. "I… I don't know what you mean."
Gema smiled thinly. "Do not pretend. Nothing escapes us in this palace." She leaned forward. "I simply wish to avoid… future complications. Why did your sister oppose the marriage?"
Sirene slowly set down her spoon. "She has always protected me." Her voice steadied. "To her, I am still a child. She warned me all my life about strangers. I believe that is why she was cautious."
Gema studied her carefully.
"She is not married?"
"No."
"How old?"
"Twenty-seven."
Gema raised an eyebrow. "There is bitterness in her heart."
Sirene shook her head firmly. "My sister is not like that."
Gema's smile returned. "A woman of twenty-seven who remains unmarried…" She shrugged, "That is rarely a good sign."
Sirene felt her stomach tighten.
"I hope it reflects only on her," Gema continued casually, "And not your family."
Sirene lifted her chin. "My family is honorable. I am proof of that."
Gema's eyes remained unconvinced. "You live here now." She leaned back. "We will see how honorable your family truly is."
Her smile grew sharper.
"No one can pretend forever."
Sirene swallowed. Her bright mood kept getting dimmer with each passing hour.
…