resist the siren's call

28

"Maybe if we both lived in a different world..."

Someone knocked on my door and I was tempted to open the door and strangle them.

I was trying so hard to be okay with my friends both being engaged. This life was different from my own, accomplishments we're different up here.

But my stubborn heart was slightly jealous they were making these large steps toward self fulfillment.

I had just gotten back from tea with Nixie and Tony. With the way she looks at him, and the way he looks at her.

Who wouldn't be jealous?

I walked over to the door and took a deep breath before opening the door, expecting one of my friends.

It was Caspian.

"Oh," I opened the door shocked, "It's you."

"Yes," He looked down and smiled at his feet. "It's me."

"No," I breathed a laugh, "I just feel like I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, I just came to let you know my father plans on hosting a large farewell party for you this week."

I groaned and walked away from the door, flopping on an armchair, "Why? You people and your incessant gatherings. Do you not enjoy alone time?"

Caspian stayed in the doorway, "I do, but my father does love social gatherings."

"So when you're king, you'll make sure to limit them?"

He laughed, "For you Astrid? Of course."

I sat up and smiled, "I might have to visit the palace if you keep talking like that."

"Really?"

"No."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"I'm meeting this boy before I go and the farewell dinner is the perfect opportunity to invite him here."

Calliste rolled her eyes and sat down at the edge of the town fountain, "It's not that simple Astrid. Do you know how far Lifwith is?"

I shrugged, "He has a week."

"I'll send a letter, but if he can't make it you'll have to visit at least once to meet him."

"That's the problem Callie, I want to leave this place behind." An idea sprang into my head, "If you want to see me, just get on a boat and sail for a while. I guarantee another siren or I will find you."

"What would I do if a different siren found me?"

"Just ask for me. They won't hurt you if I tell them not to."

She smiled, "Then maybe I will. I hardly ever get to sail these days."

"Mhm." I nodded and watched those around us go about their business. "Callie?"

"What?"

"Do you know where Nixie is?"

"I do actually, she's on a trip to meet Tony's parents."

"Have you met what's-his-name's parents?"

"Of course I have, I've known Lucas and his family for years."

"Lucas is an awful name."

She reached over and whacked me on the arm, "Don't say that!"

"What's his last name? Farmer?" I snickered.

"It's Wright actually."

"Calliste Write. Sounds like a fake name."

"You're just being rude."

"I am not-" A toy ball flew right last my face, bouncing off the fountain and landing in the water.

Calliste and I both turned to six little boys standing like statues, staring at us.

I reached over and grabbed the ball from the water before throwing it to them, as I smiled and waved to them I said just loud enough for Calliste to hear, "Why are there so many children here?" I turned to her, "On land I mean."

She furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?"

"There's a child at every turn, I'm starting to think they outnumber the adults here."

"They probably do."

I looked at her in bewilderment, "Why?"

She shrugged, "People like children, plus children are the future. Most people need to have children to pass in titles and inheritance."

"Oh I forgot." I rolled my eyes, "Humans have pitifully short lives."

"And we have more to do than you do."

"Like what?"

"Farming, hunting, making clothes, washing clothes, construction. All mermaids have to do is kill people."

I scoffed, "That is not true. We have to gather food."

"My bad your Highness." She laughed looked out at the crowd.

"Don't call me that, it's weird."

"Why?"

"Because, I'm not even a human."

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a bout of fabric from her shopping basket, "What's the process for Sirens to have children?" She leaned against a pillar near the fountain and started hemming the fabric.

"Well there's a group of however many Sirens who want to carry the children, and they go to land and reproduce with whoever and then they come back and have the children. And that normally happens every twenty to thirty years depending."

She tilted her head, "So are there just no male Sirens?"

"No, actually. If a Siren somehow gets pregnant with a male, which is very uncommon, the child doesn't get the same genes a girl would. Male siren children can't live underwater."

"So what happens to them?"

"If they don't die after birth and the female gets the baby to land where it can breathe then they give them to the fathers."

Calliste finished hemming one side and stuffed it back in the basket. She leaned forward, "Do you get to choose to have a kid?"

I nodded, "Oh yes. Not like here, where that's your only job." I gave her a look and smiled, "What else are women humans for other than birth?"

"Sewing, cooking, cleaning, dancing, carrying social interactions, education-mostly. Lots of stuff."

I rolled my eyes and stood, "I'd much rather be a siren than a human."

She laughed and stood next to me, "Only if you don't like children."