Tales of The Legends and The Lost

12th Saehr, 30 BE

I just spent quite a bit of the day getting to know the Second Prince.  Or, I suppose, my fiancé.  My future mate and husband.

And his adorable baby sister, the First Princess.  The young lady who’s only five and I sincerely hope will be the eventual queen.

Because their older brother is…  Well, in case this diary ever falls into the wrong hands and since I’m not a good enough wizardess yet to lock it in another dimension, I’ll neglect to mention in writing what I think of him.

But the other two…  We had a phenomenal time playing games and getting to know each other.

And to think I have two maids to thank for it…

10th Saehr, 30 BE

Sirena sat on the edge of the bathtub, leaning forward with her face buried in her hands, rocking back and forth.

Sobbing.

“I messed everything up,” she eventually muttered as she pulled herself together.  You’re a wizardess.  Act like it.  “All my father asked was for me to try to make friends with the First Prince.  And, what do you do, Sirena?  Swipe your claws across his face and smack him in the head with whatever you could get your hands on.”

Still.  He deserved it.  Ordering me to strip!  Telling me he was going to “finalize the arrangement” with me on his own before our fathers signed our betrothal agreement.  She frowned, tears welling up again.  “And yet you still managed to disappoint your father with your outburst rather than just walking away.  Like he said, I’m lucky the king doesn’t insist on my execution for injuring the Crown Prince.”

As the tears started freely flowing down her black furred cheeks again, her ears picked up whispers coming from the attached bedroom she’d been given for their stay in Kiserian Castle.

She sucked in a deep breath, tensing up as she suddenly worried that the king had reconsidered her execution…or at least a stay in the dungeon.

As she listened intently, her shoulders sagged in relief.  Only the two maids assigned to look after my needs while we’re here.  Not soldiers coming to shackle me. 

Yeah.  Just the maids packing up my stuff so my disappointed father can take me back home in dishonor.

Through the door, now that she knew they were there, her sensitive hearing eavesdropped on their conversation…at least the pieces of it she could hear.  She shrugged.  It may be a bad habit, but it’s how I even knew the betrothal possibility was a thing two months before we came.  Rather than a tenday before it, when my father told me.

“It is such a shame they tried to betroth her to Adakkar.”  Sirena couldn’t remember their names, but she knew the whispered voice belonged to the petite, short red haired maid.

“I know.  After waiting on her the past few days, I’d say her temperament is better suited to Tamerin.”  That would be the taller one with the long, dark brown hair.

Tamerin…  The Second Prince.  Why do they think I’d want him?  He’s younger than me.  That might not matter when we’re older, but when I get my first heat?

Yikes.

For both of us.

“Maybe.  But, that temperament of hers is pretty…fiery.  Didn’t you hear about their meeting before the betrothal?” the red head questioned.

“Just that it didn’t go well.  Why?  What happened?” the dark haired one’s voice was eager to hear the gossip.

“I talked to the dozen maids who cleaned up the sitting room.  She sliced and diced Adakkar’s face.  There was blood all over.  Torn drapery, a broken chair, shattered vases…it looked to them like when she ran out of things to throw, she started grabbing handfuls of dirt.”

Sirena had sat up straight when she’d started spying.  Now, she guiltily glanced at her hands.  She’s not wrong.  That’s exactly what I did.

“No!  Really!  Maybe she isn’t a match for Tamerin then.  I just thought since she’s always so sweet and complimentary to us that they might hit it off.”

“Oh…I figure the First Prince probably deserved it.  You know how he and his fifteen year old libido are.”  Sirena could almost feel the red heads shudder through the closed door.

“Yeah,” the dark haired one agreed.  “I just figured with how nice Tamerin is to all the maids and castle workers…” she trailed off and paused.  “He’s just a nice kid.  So unlike his older brother.”

“I totally agree.  Please, thank you…he is always polite.  I’ve heard plenty of nobility bad mouth him, but never a single bad word from the castle staff.  Not one,” the red head claimed.

“And the way he takes care of his little sister!” the dark haired one exclaimed.  “I’ve never seen a brother so attentive.  And I have three of them!”

“I only have one, but that’s the truth.”  Sirena heard the red head chuckle.  “You know what?  Maybe you’re right.  They should have introduced Lady Sirena to Tamerin instead.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you remember Lord Whatshisname?  That pompous one that was half carried into the healer’s wing when we were cleaning about a month ago?”

“Oh!  The one that little Tamerin dislocated his knee because the man picked the Crown Princess up from behind without asking!”

“That’s the one.  Seems we have two kids who defend what they hold dear very…forcefully.  Although they’re very well mannered and polite most of the time.  Unless pushed it seems.”

Sirena had heard enough.  She stood up, swiped a hand over the matted fur of her face and took a deep breath.  She opened the door into her room and stepped through.  “Please tell me more about the Second Prince.”

Both the maids jumped, startled that she’d been in the bathroom.  “Your Ladyship!  We didn’t know you were here!  We were charged with packing up your things for your trip back,” the red head quickly began apologizing.

Sirena waved it off.  “It’s fine.  Better than fine actually.  I hate to admit it, but I was snooping on your conversation.”

“You…you heard us?”  The dark haired one’s face went chalk white.

“I did,” Sirena confirmed.  “Don’t worry though, I won’t tell anyone what you said.  I swear it.  But, I think you can help me.”

“Us?  Help you?”

Sirena nodded.  “Yes.  I…my actions disappointed my father.  I need to fix this, but I cannot, will not, ever consent to a betrothal with Adakkar.  But, since I was listening in, I heard your discussion about Tamerin.  While I’m loath to admit it, I don’t know much about him.  I concentrated on trying to learn things about the First Prince when I heard about my possible betrothal.”

“How can we help you then?” the red head looked a few heartbeats away from fleeing.

Sirena gave the maid her award winning smile.  “The two of you can sit down and have some tea and cookies with me while telling me everything you know about Prince Tamerin.”

“That’s it?”

Sirena nodded.  “That’s it.  Just tell whoever is in charge of you that I requested you do something special for me.  I’ll even write a note for you to give them if you need it.  Then we have a snack and you tell me all about him.”

“Why?” the red head’s voice took on a suspicious tone.

Sirena held her arms out to her sides.  “Easy.  A betrothal for an alliance is what both sides were seeking.  If I like what I hear about Tamerin, no one insisted it had to be between me and the First Prince.”

The red head relaxed slightly and tilted her head to the side.  “Really?  You’d be happy not becoming queen?”

Sirena chuckled, then doubled over laughing at the quizzical look the two maids exchanged.  When she could breathe again, she straightened and shook her head.  “I never wanted to be queen.  Just a kick ass wizardess.  And, if I’m not mistaken, the Second Prince or Princess is the one who enters the military.  Seems like this Tamerin would benefit from having a mate who throws around fireballs.”  She held out her right hand, palm up, and a sphere of fire formed above it.”

Both maids’ eyes widened.  “That’s…I think that’s right,” the dark haired one confirmed.

“I’ve been cleaning while your father has been talking.  He wants you to be queen,” the red head argued.

“Life is full of disappointments,” Sirena wryly declared.  “This may be the only way he gets the alliance he’s seeking.  Because, like I said, I will not be Adakkar’s.”

“And you think you can convince him?”

Sirena grinned at them.  “After you tell me everything you know about the boy…absolutely.”

The three ladies smiled at each other.

…and that was that.  Two hours listening to every story and anecdote about Prince Tamerin the two of them had ever heard.  After that, I marched into my father’s temporary study and insisted he set up a meeting between Prince Tamerin and I to see if we were compatible.

And then I wheedled, cried, begged…did whatever it took to convince him.

Now, after meeting the young boy—young gentleman—I can honestly say I believe I did the right thing.

Especially after seeing the shocked looks on the two dragoness’ faces when we came back to the king’s office, Krystal held in one of my arms while I grasped Tamerin’s hand with the other.

Because I don’t intend to ever let either one go.