DEEP END // Harry Styles

Duet

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"Mother, Aunt Nerissa is here."

As soon as Queen Asherah heard her sister's name, she sat straight up on her throne, her fingers tightened around her gold trident as if she was ready to fight. Koa waited by the door until her mother flicked her long fingers, ordering Koa to present their guest. Koa didn't know what had happened between them in the past, but the Queen and her sister hadn't been in contact for over a decade. It probably had something to do with the fact that Nerissa was the firstborn, but it was Queen Asherah who had inherited the queendom.

Nerissa swam into the throne room, escorted by two siren soldiers, both of whom were dismissed by Queen Asherah. Koa was about to leave as well, but her aunt grabbed her before she could even move.

"Look at you, Koa!" exclaimed Nerissa. "You've grown so much!" Koa was speechless, too distracted by the purple curls bouncing around her aunt's round head. Nerissa resembled Queen Asherah in every way except for that long scar snaking from behind her left ear down to the centre of her chest. Some said she'd been bitten by a shark when she was small, but no one had dared to ask her about what had really happened. The last siren who'd questioned Nerissa about the history of the scar had been found torn in half in a cave somewhere. Nerissa was known for her madness, so usually, people would just avoid her at all costs.

"Nerissa," Queen Asherah said, her voice booming.

Nerissa let out a sigh and released Koa as she faced the Queen. "Sister."

"Where were all your manners?" Queen Asherah asked, looking proud and mighty on her throne. Koa liked watching her mother interact with her subjects. The Queen was everything Koa wanted to be. "You came in here and didn't even--"

"My apologies, Your Majesty," Nerissa said. Koa feared for her safety, but it seemed like she couldn't care less about disrespecting the Sea Queen. She folded her arms across her chest and looked around, her thin purple brows pulled together. "Where's the Queen-to-be? I came all the way here for her twentieth birthday to attend the coronation."

Koa flicked her gaze to her mother, who wasn't looking at her. The Queen's expression remained stone cold as she said, "Who told you about the coronation?"

Nerissa laughed, shaking like a dancing skeleton. "I'm family, Sister. I don't need an invitation, do I? Besides, you were crowned at twentieth, so it's Ezili's time to shine now." A corner of her lips curled condescendingly. "Or do you want to keep the trident to yourself until you turn into seafoam?"

Koa looked at her mother again. She had no idea why the Queen seemed unbothered by Nerissa's jabbing. If Koa had said those words, she would've lost a fin before she'd even finished her sentence.

But Queen Asherah only sucked in a breath. "There won't be a coronation."

"What?" Narissa breathed, still smiling, but this time in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"She's not ready. You know Ezili."

"Oh my," Narissa gasped, and Koa could tell the astonishment was fake. "Finally! Someone said it! I've been trying to tell you that Ezili wasn't ready! She was the weakest link in our family, Sister." Quickly, she caught Koa's face between her palms and squeezed. "So this is our new queen, I see. Well deserved!"

"No."

Both Koa and Narissa whipped their heads back to the Queen. Koa hated how unfaltering that 'No' was, as if her mother hadn't considered making her Queen before. She clenched her fists yet said nothing since it wasn't her turn.