9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

M aura did not remember laying down in her bed. She had been so anxious about Anatolius returning to share her room with her, but her exhaustion must have won out. She rolled onto her side and stretched before lifting up onto an elbow to survey her surroundings.

No sign of her siren anywhere. The pile of cushions lay undisturbed on the other side.

Maura stood and made her way over to the window, letting herself truly appreciate the view for the first time since arriving. It really was a beautiful sight. The city stretched out below in dreamy shades of white, green, and blue, sirens swimming through the pathways between the buildings, their song drifting through the deep.

She took it all in and—despite the harrowing nature of her visit here—she could admit she was grateful to see this beautiful place. She had left Beitar to see the world; now here she was, gazing upon a sight that no human had seen for hundreds of years. She wondered how long she would be able to to explore before Anatolius was able to sneak her out.

Her musings were interrupted by a flash of teal off to the right of her peripheral vision. Maura's eyes locked on the languid, distant movements of a massive blue-green tail, scales shimmering in the glowing lights. Slowly, she realized she was looking at Anatolius. She hadn't really had time to fully take him in after her fall; everything had happened so fast.

He was…ethereal. Truly a creature worthy of legend. His tail was long and graceful, and an array of fins danced in the water as he moved. His long hair caught the current around him as he glided through the water above the city. He was about a hundred feet away, out in the open water. He carried a satchel under one of his muscled arms.

She studied the graceful curves of his body, and found herself wondering what it would feel like to be close to him. He had held her in her otter form, but she wanted to know what it would feel like for her body to be flush with his like this. She'd had partners back in Beitar, but it had been a long time since she had been that close to someone. She wanted to explore every inch of him with her fingers, with her mouth.

Would he ever want her like that? Not that it mattered. She would be leaving soon enough. Gods, she had to pull it together. Enjoying the view was one thing, but fantasizing about a siren prince was entirely another.

As she did battle with herself internally, she noticed another siren swimming toward Anatolius. There weren't many so high above the city, so Maura assumed they must have some business at the palace. When they got closer to Anatolius though, they waved in greeting. He smiled at them in return, and they both slowed, clearly conversing.

The other siren was lovely; a long green braid trailed behind them, and their tale shimmered in shades of deep purple. The way their smile lit up their face was beautiful, too, even from this distance. The body language of both sirens made Maura think they were friends; they seemed easy, familiar.

An emotion Maura couldn't name settled behind her sternum. She sat with it, following the thread of her thoughts that had led to this feeling. She was…jealous? She wanted to have that same familiarity and ease with Anatolius. How she had managed to become this curious about her siren rescuer in such a short time was beyond her. She only knew that, somewhere at the back of her mind, he felt…safe.

***

Galana came in a short while later carrying a bundle of clothing in her arms, while Maura soaked in the massive steaming tub.

"Good morning, princess! You'll have the royal receiving line today, as I'm sure the prince explained."

He most certainly had not explained, but Maura wasn't about to admit that.

"Would you like to choose which dress to wear? Or will you be going without today?"

"Oh I will definitely not be going without," Maura said, climbing out of the pool and quickly wrapping herself in a towel. "That deep blue one is lovely. I'll wear that, thank you Galana."

After a great deal of fussing from Galana, Maura was dressed and ready for whatever the day would hold. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Just then, the door slid open, and Anatolius stepped in. She still couldn't believe everyone walked around here naked; his thick torso was incredibly distracting.

He gave her an absolutely decadent smile as his eyes raked over her. His gaze was so searing that she felt slightly less guilty for ogling him out the window this morning.

Today's dress was a similar wrapping situation to yesterday's, but this one went almost to the floor, silky fabric clinging to her body and leaving little to the imagination. Maura had always been told she was beautiful, but she didn't think about it much. She was thinking about it now. Rather, she was thinking about how he was obviously thinking about it.

She needed to keep her head on straight.

"You look ravishing, Maura," Anatolius said, his voice just as startlingly pleasant as the first time she heard it. A trail of tingles ran down her spine.

She ran her eyes over his naked form before answering, "Thank you. You do, too." She gave him a knowing smirk, and was rewarded with the most incredible, robust, joyful laugh she had ever heard. She would do anything to hear that laugh every day; the mirth was contagious, and it sat in her chest feeling warm and bright.

"Are you ready? We'll be standing with my family to greet all the nobles that are arriving at the palace for the rites."

Maura had never been great with meeting new people. Back at her bakery, people definitely only came because her bread was amazing, not for her company. Suddenly, pretending to be engaged to a prince seemed like the easiest part of this ruse.

"Alright, lead the way." Maura looked up at him as he offered his hand. She took it, and a wave of heat washed through Maura's whole body. She knew her eyes must be wide with surprise. The expression she read on Anatolius' face was not surprise but…sadness?

She didn't have time to examine that before he whisked her away to the throne room.