The Marquis Who's Wicked (Higher Court II)

XXII. Riding Out to the Capital

Ian was looking at the makeshift tent that was now down and packed to be put into the traveling trunk as Emily was dusting her skirts as she was smiling at him. Ian smiled back as he went to her side and swept Emily off her feet as he kissed the living twilight out of her. His wife giggled before with his acute hearing, Ian heard that their carriage was approaching. He put his wife down before he turned as the coachman was pulling the reins of the carriage horses. He bowed at Ian. "Milord," he said as the footman stepped down from his place and went to put the trunk onto the carriage as the coachman helped him. Emily sighed.

"Well, this is a bit rush for our wedding trip but for three days and two nights, that was something I could never forget about it," his wife said, smiling as Emily turned and put her hand on the crook of his arm as Ian was walking them to be at the edge of the lake for the last time. Emily was staring at the clear water that held so many secrets and another race from Down Under. She sighed again.

"What is it, my love?" Ian asked as his wife turned to look at him, smiling weakly as she was gripping his arm. She shook her head as her ringlets were being swayed by the breeze that was cooling their faces, wishing them the last goodbye as Ian knew that he would never come here again.

Not when he will be risking Emily's life and would be suffering the loss of his mate.

"I think there's more than meets the eye of those... scaly women that we saw last night," she whispered, making sure that their servants will not be hearing them. Ian was squeezing her hand on his elbow as he turned to look at the lake. The wind persisted to make little waves at the edge of the banks. He sighed.

"Well, I guess, we never knew the story behind that. And how they come to be. But I think we can agree that it was best to leave them be," Ian said, turning as he was looking at his beautiful wife before her brown eyes were holding sadness in them.

"But you heard their songs. They wanted someone to love them despite the fact that they were dead and their voices that made others fight for something that holds value in this life," Emily said as she was touching Ian's cheeks with her hands, holding it in her hands as she smiled at him. "Something that we both know as love. I'm sure hope they would forget to be haunting and dangerous and just... find someone that will be making their lives better just having love between them," she said as Ian smiled.

Sometimes, I don't know if you're just naïve, my love, or really don't know how the world works, Ian mused as he heard that the coachman was getting into his seat, waiting for Emily and him to come around and get on inside the carriage before riding their way back to the capital. The sun was rising slowly as the dawn was shining the dews that were filling the air as well as Ngis Forest that gave them the most scenic view before their departure. Ian sighed.

"Well, time to say goodbye to this place then. I will not be stepping here again," Ian said as he was looking at his wife, "not until I know that you're safe to come here with me, my love," he said before he was turning Emily in his arms, ushering her to get to the carriage by putting his hand on her lower back and walked away from Ngis Lake where the sirens dwelled in the Down Under.

The footman was opening the door of the carriage as Ian helped Emily to get inside. She was picking up her skirts in one hand as she took his offered hand and climbed in. Ian turned to look at the lake as he felt like someone was watching him. Then, he saw some red scales that were glistening in the early sunlight as her vibrant auburn hair was coming off the surface of the water. Ian smirked as he nodded at the red scaly woman then climbed inside the carriage before the footman closed the door. Then, the servant settled in his place on the carriage before the coachman drove them out of Lake Ngis's camping site.

*****

The red siren was looking at the carriage that rolled out from Lake Ngis. She was sitting on the banks of the lake before her red scales that were covering her from the waist down, forming the tail of a fish was disappearing as the sunlight dried the enchanted water from Lake Ngis. It has not been known that the water was what kept the sirens in their ethereal looks; glossy hair, smooth, dewy skin, vibrant scales, and flippers for them to swim easier underwater. Once the enchanted water was dried up from their bodies, the sirens will be changing into full-grown, adult young ladies that will be distracting the lords from the Gentry to the highest degree.