The Siren and the Singer

VII. In which the siren gets vengeance

Alyna failed miserably in her quest not to feel any resentment towards her twin sister as she started to sing. She had told herself that this was all for the best. That was why they were doing it, after all. Alysse had the more powerful voice, so she was doing the powerful voice mandated quest for Alyna.

Yet sitting there, on Alyna's rock, the one that nobody but the current crown princess had ever sat on for the history of sirens, wearing Alyna's jewelry, made up in Alyna's cosmetics, wearing Alyna's tiara... Well, Alyna couldn't help but feel resentment. It was certainly true that Alysse had the best voice. Her notes cut clearly, even through the water, sending a melody so sweet that every human sailor who heard it would be rendered useless to her twin's command.

That was what hurt. Alyna was the one with all the responsibilities, all the duties, all the work, the burden of the whole kingdom on her shoulders. She was the one who had to be perfect, yet was she? No, her sister, her curséd twin was gifted with the sweeter voice. And everyone knew it.

Well not everyone. She had seen to it that the general public knew nothing of Alysse's accomplishments. But... her sisters knew, and they wanted something done on it. Even her youngest sister had said that Alysse should be queen, that Alyna should be the nothing. And a nothing guard had agreed, said that Alyna shouldn't be queen. Well, shouldn't she? She had worked for it. She had worked hard. Done her best to do everything thrown at her. And what did she get in return? Nothing. Nobody's gratitude.

So there she was, grinding her sharp teeth together and trying to keep herself from biting something as her younger sister's melodious peals filled the air, and the water too. She really shouldn't be this mad. After all, this was what she wanted. She had wanted Alysse to be perfect, to use her amazing incredible voice to charm everyone, to bring down the ship. To do what Alyna couldn't. This was what she wanted. So what justification could she have for being so mad?

That was when she heard it. It was slight, so slight that had she not been meticulously trained and primped to perfection she would never have caught it. Even Father, and all the others who were watching or listening probably did not hear it. But there it was, clear to her. Right on the high note, Alysse had faltered.

How? Alysse never faltered. She had the perfect voice, the one that everyone, Alyna included, strived for. She recovered quickly, busting the next note out with twice as much power as its predecessor in such an enticing way that no one could resist being drawn to the singer. But to Alyna, it was still clear, that one missed note ringing in her head.

And then, if she'd thought the mistake was bad, it was nothing on what happened next. To Alyna, and probably everyone else there's utmost surprise, another clear, loud, beautiful note filled the air. But this time, it wasn't Alysse's. It was most certainly not from a voice, any voice. Not even the magical siren voice.

Alyna was shocked. Who would be, who could be, making that noise? Sirens didn't use musical instruments; their powerful voices were the only instruments necessary. That left only one option: a human. But a human couldn't possibly making that noise, not when Alysse had every human for miles around under her spell. Yet...

And then another. And another. And before Alyna could grasp what was happening, Alysse's voice was accompanied by another melody in the air, from an instrument. Shocked, Alyna turned her eyes to the ship, but from her low vantage point under the water's surface she couldn't see anyone on it, just the enormous wooden body that looked innocent enough. She swung her eyes back to her twin who seemed as surprised as she, perhaps more so.

To her credit, Alysse continued to sing. But not in the same way as before, nowhere near. It was plain to Alyna, and probably to everyone else watching including Father that the magical singer lacked the emotion and allure that she'd previously had. She almost sounded frantic, as if terrified of the ship and it's strange music. Her notes felt more forced, as though trying and failing miserably to overpower the melody emiting from the ship that her predatory eyes were fixed on, murder brewing in their blue depths.