The Grand Ballroom occupied the entire four-story building on the far side of the massive courtyard that stretched behind the High Court. Its construction was almost identical, with oversized golden doors guarded by statues of Neptune and Poseidon, towering white marble walls, huge pillars and everything accented in gold. Stone Syreni warriors were scattered across the grounds as they were in front of every city building, holding the phosphorous lanterns that lit our way.
My royal guard led our procession up the marble pathway to the open doors, with myself and Aristos following close behind. For the first time in a while I was decked out in all the queen’s jewels, including the fifty carat diamond rope earrings that hung from my lobes, my four inch diamond and ruby crown and the dozens of layered chains that were secured with locks at the base of my neck and between my shoulders to form my chastity belt. I’d forgotten how heavy the jewel-studded cuff bracelets were that sat at my wrists, my forearms and above my elbows. My arms felt like they’d been turned to lead. But as always the garish rings that adorned each of my fingers bothered me the most. I was determined to ditch them permanently before my daughter ever took the throne.
Naome and Serienne anxiously took in the massive crowd that lined the entire walkway as they kept pace with us. They’d hounded everyone they could think of for details on the ball from the moment they awoke from their procedures but had been told blessedly little other than to let their handmaidens pamper them beforehand and come prepared to have a good time. In addition to their regular jewelry they each wore elaborate diamond and ruby web necklaces that spilled down between their breasts, a gorgeous matching bracelet and a tastefully designed ring which I’d told them I’d loaned to them for the occasion. In truth they were part of the jewels we’d had crafted for them as princesses along with their crowns. Our handmaidens formed the end of our royal procession, with Sophia and Wenderie in front of Armiele and Ellieandra, followed only by Taleoek and his three Lieutenants as our rear guard.
When we reached the entrance I slid my compar’s ceremonial red robe aside and took hold of his hand. Chancellor Venerack waited for us just inside the doorway dressed in the steel colored robes he wore for our council meetings. He gracefully dropped into a formal bow before us. You look absolutely lovely this evening, my queen. As you look dashing, my prince. Thank you both for allowing me to serve you during tonight’s festivities. I am truly honored to be a part of such a momentous occasion.
Thank you Chancellor, you may rise and announce us, I cut in, hoping to stop him before he gave away any more of the surprise we’d so closely guarded ever since we started planning this event.
Ladies and gentlemen of the six regions of Teresolee, it is my distinct honor to present Queen Camithia, a creation of the gods, daughter of Neptune and Poseidon, mate to Prince Aristos, Consort to our Goddess Athena, Priestess and soon-to-be mother to Princess Vanessa.
Much as they’d done during my mating ceremony, the capacity crowd erupted in a deafening symphony of approving chirps and shrieks complemented by the deep base sound of swords being beaten against shields. The acoustics of the open floor plan in the massive hall caused the sound to echo and reverberate throughout the enclosed building. I was thankful to still be positioned just inside the doorway waiting for my mate where I still had open sea behind me.
When Aristos nodded for Venerack to continue he turned back toward the crowd. Ladies and gentlemen of the six regions of Teresolee, it is my distinct honor to present Prince Aristos, General of the Central Region, mate to Queen Camithia, soon-to-be father to Princess Vanessa and our future king.
The entire battalion of soldiers stationed outside the building beat their swords against their shields along with those inside loud enough to wake the dead, drowning out the boisterous shrieks and chirps from the crowd. After acknowledging the crowd and his troops he took his place beside me, greeting me with a gentle caress of his silky emerald lips and a beaming smile. We both eagerly spun around so we could see Naome’s and Serienne’s reactions when they were announced as my sisters and became princesses of Teresolee. They both had a look of sheer panic on their faces as they took in the hundreds of people staring at them from inside the ballroom, all of whom knew they were the belles of the ball.
Venerack took hold of one of each of their shaking hands and guided them forward so they were treading water directly at his sides. Ladies and gentlemen of the six regions of Teresolee, it is my distinct honor to present the featured guests for tonight’s festivities. The beloved sisters of our Queen Camithia, Princess Naome of the Ceraspian Mountain Region, the daughter of Neptune, healer apprentice, and surrogate mother for General Bulrigaard’s children, and Princess Serienne of the South Central Region, the daughter of Poseidon, student of applied sciences at the Palace of Poseidon, and surrogate mother for General Lanipas’s children. Please join me in welcoming our new princesses of Teresolee.
The moment their handmaidens finished securing their diamond and ruby crowns Naome and Serienne raced into my waiting arms, smothering me in a three way hug. Watching them both take hold of one of my hands and press it firmly against their cheek the moment we separated made my face light up in an elated smile. No part of Tara and Gentry remained. They even cried as Syreni females now.
So we’re legally your sisters now? Naome asked, her hopeful green eyes gazing at me through the thick band of navy that covered almost half her face.
With my hands still held to their cheeks, I leaned in and kissed them both on the forehead, letting the tip of my tongue make contact with their skin to add a small electrical jolt to the embrace. You are my sisters just as much as Caylee, legally and in my heart. I love you both the same way I do her.
After they echoed my thoughts with tear-jerking sentiments of their own Serienne felt the crown on her head, trying her best to get a feel for what it looked like without having access to a mirror. And we’re really princesses?
You are, my beautiful sisters, Aristos responded. Your handmaidens are waiting to tattoo the glyphs that will forever mark you as royalty onto your chest and shoulder, as well as dress you in the ceremonial robes you will wear to all formal functions going forward, but as of this moment you are both princesses of Teresolee. The Syreni have no foolish in-law designation like they do on earth. As Cami’s sisters I am now your brother. I can’t promise you’ll always appreciate my overprotective nature—as Cami I’m sure can attest—but I would lay down my life for either of you or your children.
Hearing his heartfelt declaration, Naome and Serienne immediately opened up our circle to include my compar, pulling him into a suffocating hug of his own as they told him how proud they were to have him as a brother and how much they were looking forward to spoiling our little Vanessa.
While Wenderie and Sophia set to work tattooing the same elaborate set of glyphs on Naome and Serienne’s left shoulders and their chests as the ones Aristos had received but in their corresponding fish-aspect coloring, Aristos and I headed off to greet our most esteemed guests huddled in the private fourth story balcony. A spacious marble floor—where the choreographed swimming I was eagerly awaiting would take place—occupied the entire center of the grand ball room, with nothing above it but open water all the way up to the breathtaking stained glass mural dome depicting Neptune and Poseidon looking down upon us all as if from their thrones on Mt. Olympus.
The longest buffet I’d ever laid eyes upon was setup along the entire back wall of the first floor. Servants positioned beside each delicacy were already busy serving a long line of guests carrying golden platters I’d studied earlier which had vented compartments for live entrees—with tubes to connect to the serving dish so nothing could escape—and other sections for prepared items with clamps and tightly-webbed netting.
A golden marble stage sat off to the right topped with three gigantic, spiral-shaped shells so tall their bulbous openings were mounted to the third floor railing. Smaller, mouth-sized holes were positioned a few feet above the stage, forming nat
ural megaphones from snails that must have weighed thousands of pounds. Three Syreni females with their entire bodies painted gold and their heads shrouded behind thick golden veils entertained the massive crowd, emitting an enthralling harmony of vocalizations like those of humpback whales, only with far more sophisticated layering and a depth of sound that instantly captured your soul. The moment I heard their captivating voices I was drawn to the stage like a helpless child following the Pied Piper, causing the females to pause and bow down to their queen. Even though I’d made Aristos circle back to find me, he was elated to discover I was so enraptured by the music. He let me enjoy the eerie medley for several more minutes before he indicated that we should continue up to greet our honored guests. After hearing them sing, I was certain Syreni performers like these women had given rise to the legend about sailors being led to their graves, the men enchanted by such beautiful music they were compelled to follow until their ships crashed upon the rocks and sank.
The top three floors of the ballroom each contained a horseshoe-shaped ring of seven palatial balconies—all large enough to accommodate at least fifty people with several private restrooms—named after various gods and goddesses of the roman and Greek pantheons. They were decorated with finely sculptured walls, true-to-life statues and vivid murals on the ceiling and floor showcasing that particular deity’s symbols, what attributes they had sovereignty over and their most memorable achievements. All of the balconies were filled to capacity.
By the time we reached the fourth floor balcony Naome and Serienne had joined us, allowing us to introduce them while we greeted our guests. Not having to make a second trip around the sprawling room made me grateful I’d taken the time to enjoy the music. The flowing, crème colored robes my sisters now wore obviously hadn’t been designed for modesty. The wide neck and plunging neckline left most of their new glyph tattoos visible along with all but the outer third of their breasts. And with only a single clasp at the naval, each swish of their tails caused their robes to cascade out behind them, providing an alluring glimpse of their sex. It seemed odd I’d find their skimpy princess outfits so revealing when we typically wore nothing at all. Although I guess it was no different from how wearing risqué lingerie always made me feel far more erotic than being nude.
I wasn’t the only one to take notice. Even with the king and the entire ruling council standing close by—including both generals my sisters had been bartered out to in order to give birth to their young—several of the male delegates checked out Naome and Serienne during their introductions with varying degrees of subtlety, adding credence to the fears I’d discussed with Damille. I’d have to speak with them soon. Perhaps I could convince High Priestess Deannie to bring them to Mt. Olympus the next time I was summoned and allow my fellow priestesses to familiarize them with the pleasures of female companionship. Gods know they’d altered my sexual orientation quickly enough. And now that Naome and Serienne were my sisters, I was looking forward to having them meet Zoey and Ghertrude and the rest of the priestesses I’d accepted as siblings along with Deannie who had adopted me as her daughter.
When the lengthy introductions finally ended we decided to hit the buffet so we’d have enough time for our food to settle before the dancing began. I was determined to start making good on the promise I’d made to Damille, and loaded up my platter with enough tiger fish rolls, widow crab legs and honeytails to feed all four of us. Assured that I had that to fall back on, I was more daring with the rest of my selections, choosing several live fish Aristos recommended that you were supposed to eat whole like honeytails along with some squid pudding—which sounded gross, but my compar insisted I try—and tuna, shark and swordfish sushi rolls. Our food in hand, Naome, Serienne and I grabbed covered goblets of our usual creamy eggnog drink and swam up to an open marble countertop in the hidden dining area behind the buffet. We were soon joined by Aristos, our handmaidens, Taleoek and his two lieutenants, all of whom had their own heaping platters. My royal guard remained at attention, spread out around our dining party with their hands on the hilt of their swords.
Before I’d taken the first bite of the tiger fish roll I’d already lifted halfway to my mouth, the angelic music I’d been able to casually enjoy for hours while we introduced my sisters once again took on an enthralling undertone like it had when I’d first crossed the dance floor, only this time a distinctly feminine voice emerged from the hypnotic sound, seizing complete control of my mind. In an instant the immense joy I’d felt only a moment before from spending such a magical evening with Aristos and my sisters vanished as if all trace of the memories had been purged, as did the unbound excitement I’d struggled to contain for weeks as I dreamed about dancing with my compar for the first time, the ball being the closest thing we’d had to a wedding reception.
The roll fell to my plate as I was compelled to excuse myself and visit the public bathroom in the back of the dining area. My insatiable desire to immediately comply with her every command left me unable to think or question what I was doing. I found myself kissing a very surprised Aristos, assuring him my sisters and I would be right back once they had a chance to check out their princess makeovers in the mirror. He recovered from the unexpected embrace—he’d still been chewing a tigerfish roll when my tongue had forced its way inside his mouth—just in time to smack me playfully on the rear, earning him a genuine sounding shriek of laughter as I hurried off to catch my sisters.
Once we were inside the public bath, Naome and Serienne, who were clearly just as enchanted by the female’s alluring call as I was, played along with my cover story until we were alone, gawking at themselves in the mirror while we exchanged lighthearted banter. As soon as the last Syreni female exited the washroom we all hurried into the small utility closet across from the last flower balneo stall. Behind the sponges and large leather flasks of shealing oil was a false wall opened by pressing a small indentation in one of the marble tiles Serienne would have never found if she wasn’t being guided.
After I secured the wall back into place—taking great care to ensure nothing was disturbed—we swam down a freshly dug, unlit tunnel filled with water so murky I couldn’t see five feet in front of me even with my enhanced goddess sight. The hastily dug tunnel continued for close to a mile beneath the sea floor supported only with rocks, misshaped pieces of metal and a few planks of wood. All of us knew it could collapse at any moment, and yet we kept swimming, the compulsion constantly urging us to go faster. The patched together tunnel emerged into a dizzying maze of endless underwater caves and deep sea trenches we never would’ve been able to navigate on our own without getting hopelessly lost. By the time we reached the end of the narrow, twisting caves and emerged into the open sea—at least ten miles from where we’d started—we were all breathing through gaping mouths, trying desperately to catch our breath.
Halon’s Gate was nowhere in sight. An eerily beautiful fairy with an iridescent coal colored body ending in a Syreni shaped tail, bright red eyes, free flowing crimson hair and breathtaking scarlet wings spread out behind her like a fallen angel was waiting for us with a triumphant smile. At her command we dropped into submissive bows before her, our faces only inches from the loose sediment covering the sea floor, holding the position until she gave us permission to rise.
I watched on in envy as she called Naome forward and cradled my gleeful sister against her body. Stepping back from their tight embrace, she unclasped Naome’s robe and let it slide over her shoulders. The silky fabric drifted off into the night like a manta ray gliding through the inky water. The fairy took possession of her trembling mouth with a hungry, savage kiss, her clawed hands pressing Naome’s body hard against her as she drained her life-force away. When my sister’s arms fell limp at her sides her unconscious body was gently lowered to the sea floor, her sky blue and purple lips now a glistening midnight black. After the fairy placed Naome’s crown and the rest of her jewels into a large satchel secured to her waist, she loaded her body into one of three metal c
ages resting in the back of her crimson chariot. The sleigh shaped, ski bottomed cart had a large rudder and a ship style wheel with reins running up to the eight harnessed manatees providing the propulsion.
With Naome secured, she turned her attention to Serienne. My sister freed herself from her robes as she all but skipped like a giddy schoolgirl into the fairy’s outstretched arms, earning her a wide smile as they hugged. Their kiss was remarkably brief compared to the drawn out embrace Naome had gotten to enjoy before passing out, but it was no less intimate. Once she’d lost consciousness—her lips now the same dark shade as Naome’s—she was stripped of all her elaborate piercings, her crown and the rest of her jewels and loaded into the cage next to her sister.
Finally I heard the glorious dark fairy call my name, making my heart skip a beat with excitement. Her alluring voice enchanted me as it urged me to give myself to her, heart, mind, body and soul, to let go my former life and allow her embrace to wash away all remnants of the person I’d been before she’d chosen me. With only a fleeting thought about Aristos and Vanessa I rushed forward, anxious to become her servant. As soon as I tucked myself inside her welcoming speckled black arms—her dark skin refracted light as if the dust from every color of precious jewel ever discovered had been embedded within it—she cocooned us within her scarlet wings, her clawed hands dropping down to settle against my hips as if we were slow dancing as she twirled us around in exuberant celebration, letting out a victorious shriek that echoed through the water for miles.
The magical power in her kiss was like nothing I’d ever felt before. Even as I grew weak I slid my tongue deeper inside her mouth, yearning to be closer to her. When she finally broke our embrace I was floating on a cloud. I could vaguely feel her removing my jewelry and loading me into my cage but I was filled with such euphoria it didn’t concern me. I belonged to the Water Fae queen now, which was all I’d wanted since the moment I’d heard her alluring call on the dance floor, a call I’d mistakenly believed to be coming from the Syreni females on stage because it had initially led me in their direction.
Kerrigan's Race (The Syreni Book 1) Page 32
