Page 65 of When the Wicked Sing (The Leruna Sea #1)
Breathe. Just breathe. Mariana stared at the council, sweat rolling down her spine beneath the stifling dress that had been given to her. It was the color of the sea, and it squeezed her waist so tight, she was sure her ribs were visible through the fabric.
The council room was enormous, at least three times the size of the council room in Salus. It had tall, arching beams of pearly white stone running from the center to the marble walls, all carved with scenes of prosperity and war, as though the two reflected one another.
Halia’s eyes narrowed as she waited.
Mariana cleared her throat. “Council, I come to you today not as the Queen of Sirenia, not as the Queen of the Leruna Sea, but as Mariana, the daughter of Queen Cybele and King Stavros.”
Shocked gasps whispered across the chamber, and Halia sat up straighter in her chair, never taking her searing eyes off Mariana .
“Can she prove that?” she heard one of the council members ask.
“King Stavros was courting Queen Cybele, don’t you remember?” another counselor said in a dramatic whisper that may as well have been a shout.
“Let’s skip over the dramatics, shall we?
” Halia interrupted the clamorous crowd and stood, her large gold crown glittering with untamed power.
“Queen Mariana, I made precious time in my very busy schedule for you today. Please tell me why that wasn’t a mistake.
” Her words were laced with a venomous undertone.
Dropping all pleasantries, Mariana glared at her.
“I want my amulet back. The one you stole from me. It is an heirloom that belongs to the people of Sirenia. My people.” The council erupted with whispers again, and Mariana raised her voice, keeping her eyes solely on Halia.
“I could consider that an act of war. It doesn’t belong to you, and I am willing to make sacrifices to see it returned safely to me. ”
“Sacrifices?” Halia chuckled, and the council laughed alongside her.
“Why are we even listening to this naiad? ” a male with a particularly large nose asked suddenly, and Mariana felt her blood begin to boil.
“I am not a naiad. Call me that again, sir, and I will show you exactly what a siren can do,” she spat out.
“She threatened me! She threatened me!” he shouted hysterically.
Halia rolled her eyes and sat back down. “Oh, hush, Silvester, there isn’t a day that goes by where you aren’t threatened. Queen Mariana, what exactly are you willing to sacrifice for the amulet?”
Standing straighter with her hands firmly locked behind her back to keep from strangling Silvester, Mariana said, “My right to the Aurelian throne and …” She took a steadying breath. “Sirenia’s independence.”
The chamber went silent.
Halia leaned forward. “Excuse me. I must’ve misheard you, Queen Mariana, but are you saying you wish to abdicate to Aurelia?”
Mariana felt every muscle in her body grow taut as the corner of Halia’s mouth lifted.
“In exchange for the amulet, Sirenia will merge with Aurelia, growing it into an empire, and you will become Empress Halia.”
As the council began discussing the proposal’s logistics among themselves, Halia and Mariana stared each other down. The air felt suddenly sticky and warm. The cold spring breeze drifting in through the massive open windows did little to cool the heat radiating from the two queens.
“Council,” Halia interrupted the babbling members so suddenly that they were all startled. “You are all excused.”
Swiftly and without a single word, the council shuffled out of the room, leaving only Mariana and Halia.
“You realize what you’re giving up, don’t you?”
Mariana sighed. “Unfortunately, yes, but I also know what I’m gaining.
I want to maintain my rule as Queen of Sirenia, but under the sovereignty of the Empire of Aurelia.
Your protection, access to trade routes, and aid in rebuilding would all be possible if—” Mariana stopped, realizing how quickly she was about to ask for help.
Swallowing her pride, she lifted her head.
“Queen Halia, the century of hostility between our people can be laid to rest. The war King Stavros started ended with his death. My sisters deserve to have their home back. I know there was a time when sirens and fae lived peacefully side by side, and that’s all I want to give them.
I’ve seen how much you love this kingdom.
With Sirenia as an ally, both our regions will prosper again. Please.”
Mariana’s throat tightened as she thought of all they’d lost. All her sisters, including the cursed, deserved to enjoy their lives basking under the sunshine or the moonlight, not hiding in the darkness of the sea.
Mariana met Halia’s eyes. “Please help both our people understand what it means to be alive again.”
The silence that followed was daunting. Halia’s impassive face inspected Mariana’s like there were secrets hidden beneath, but when she saw there was nothing left, she lifted her hand and snapped her fingers. Immediately, a lankly male servant entered silently and bowed his head to Halia.
“Your Majesty?”
“Give Queen Mariana an invitation to tonight’s Spring Solstice Celebration,” she said firmly as she stood and walked down the steps of her throne toward them.
The servant handed Mariana a gold-foiled invitation, and she took it carefully from his gloved hand.
“My council and I will have a copy of the treaty ready for you to review before the festivities. If everything is acceptable,” Halia said, standing in front of Mariana and looking down at her from tall heels and an even taller crown, “then tonight, we shall make history.”