𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 1

~ 𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐔, 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄~

Marceline PoV

"Princess Marceline, your night bath is ready," chirped Amelia while entering.

I ceased my piano practice for the day and closed the grand piano.

Amelia was my favoured maid in the palace and I had given her permission to enter the music room without knocking. I thanked her for informing me as I stood up from the piano stool and dusted my gown. She held my change of clothes in a basket and accompanied me to the female bath on the terrace.

As I entered, the scent of pink lotuses made me feel at ease. The calming smell enveloped me and I fell into a trance of tranquillity. I realised that the pool wasn't sprayed with the scent of salt like the vast oceans. I never really paid so much attention to the bath. The only thing I ever cared about was to make sure it looked pretty.

Amelia undid my clothes and I dived into the bath. I swam a little, tempted by its magnificent depth. I resurfaced and I was greeted by the dim stars which I could see through the one-way mirror ceiling. I internally thanked Nerina for commissioning the building of this specific bath. Oh, how I missed her company and merry laughter. She seemed to have taken my feminine joy with her after departing for marriage.

When I was admiring the night sky while sitting on the deeper stairs on the edge of the pool, a small floating lotus caressed my forearm. It pulled me back from my absentminded thoughts.

When I looked down at the water, I was staring at the unpreferred version of myself. My skin had turned into a shade of pale blue, it seemed like I had been moulded from sea foam. My scales looked like the glittery natural armour of the freshwater fishes. My eyes reflected the dark blue sky on a day of thunderstorms. The distorted reflection formed in the water seemed to round-off my pointed siren ears, probably knowing how much I liked them rounded. The water seemed to show me the altered and prettier look of my siren form.

When I pulled my hand out of the water, I looked at my unhealthy pale blue-green skin. My nails now pointier and black unlike the light blue shade Amelia had painted on my hand nails. I could hear the crash of waves on the dock rocks quite far away from the castle. Somewhere, I could hear a faint sound of a man crying. I clasped my palms on my ears to stop the brain from reminding me of my father's last cursed wail on the day he was murdered.

"Your royal highness, please calm down. You are turning the water cold. Even the lotuses are starting to droop," Amelia said. I just noticed how chilly the water had turned due to my desolation. The lotuses hung their heads in disappointment. I closed my eyes and focused on turning the water back to its warm and calming nature. And in a few seconds time, the lotuses regained their colour and the water returned to its soothing temperature. I guess I got a bit too distracted.

Quickly, I washed myself with the help of another maid. She seemed shy and hesitant and kept her eyes anywhere except me. It was sweet of her to not glance at my siren form - people usually didn't get enough of it.

I realised, this is the last day I have spent relaxing in this palace. Next time I visit, it won't be quite peaceful. Maybe, I'd return as a tyrant. Maybe, I'd return as a victor. Only time can tell.

Tomorrow I shall return to the Kingdom of Dionne Dynasty. It wasn't a particularly good nation - magic is only for nobelity, gowns are tremendously heavy, the poor are treated as rats and the Imperial family, except the king and the queen, do not even bother about their citizens. This trade of silva was getting tedious. I wish my fallen apart life could get back together like the silva stones that instantly grow into new stones from the broken pieces.