Shout out to my old readers! It makes me happy to see you guys following my new story! Helloooo :D This story is definitely different from the rest I've written. I'm a big kid at heart, love sappy fairytale romances and such. I intended to post this story quite some time ago, after finishing "I'm Not Okay" but I became a bit sidetracked. This story may be about the same length give or take, as I intend to it be short and sweet. I don't know if my updates will be as fast as you may have been used to, but I will try to do about two updates a week if I can.
This story was also inspired by one of my favorite songs, Walking in the Air by Nightwish. (even though it's a cover song) I just love Tarja's voice! There will be a later chapter dedicated to this song as it helped inspire a scene I just can't wait to write! And... maybe this chapter was slightly influenced by another song of their's.
Chapter 2: The Siren
The small coach had come to a halt in front of the castle. Michelle gazed up at the wondrous building. In front of the main doors is a beautiful courtyard filled with statues of the royal steeds; few of the statues are adorned with wings. The center piece for the courtyard are small bushes that remain unharmed by the cold weather. Two giant towers stood on either side of the castle.
Michelle's observations were cut short when the door to the coach opened and the driver offered his hand to her. Once out of the coach she continued to gaze at the marvel in front of her. Sure, she had passed by the castle numerous times, but to be this close felt almost magical.
"Please, follow me." The driver interrupted her train of thoughts once more. He had retrieved the case that held her violin and offered his arm to her, which she gladly accepted.
The stones that made the walkway to the castle were completely void of snow and ice. Something the servants kept up with on a daily basis. As the two made their way to giant doors her nerves finally caught up with her. For only a moment a shock wave of excitement paired with nervousness shot through her body.
"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived." A man dressed in an elegant suit addressed Michelle at the doors.
Guest of honor? Michelle hid her blush from the man by turning her attention to something on the ground for a moment. "It is my honor to be here." She finally looked back to the greeter and smiled.
He nodded and pushed the doors open. The inside of the castle is even more beautiful than she had ever imagined. Everything is so ornate and elegant. Gorgeous golden colored rugs cover the marble flooring. The chandelier is perhaps the most exquisite decoration within this room. The span of the chandelier has to be about ten feet wide, and the most noticeable aspect are the snowflake shaped crystals that hung beneath it.
"This way." The man that had greeted her now took her by the lead. He led her down a few hallways. Michelle constantly found herself amazed by the intricate designs of the castle as she was led through them. They had finally arrived in an enormous room, the ball room. "Please don't hesitate to ask for anything you need to prepare." The man spoke kindly and motioned for a servant to assist Michelle.
"Thank you once again." Michelle nodded to the man.
"Greetings, m'lady." The servant bowed slightly in her direction. Even the servants wore elegant outfits Michelle noticed. The girl was perhaps no older than sixteen or seventeen. She is a petite little thing with curly brunette hair and lovely smile.
"My name is Michelle." She greeted the servant.
"Alice." She answered, a bit nervous.
Alice continued to remain silent for the most part. Michelle could sense something tense from the girl and inquired. The girl slowly opened and spoke of how excited she had been when she heard rumors of Michelle's performance, she even volunteered to be her help. And once she had opened up to Michelle, continued to talk nonstop.
While Michelle set up for her performance many people had slowly began to gather. Most were nobles and a few even came to greet her, telling her they had heard her play a couple times in the past. She knew she was known throughout her village and the areas around the castle, but to have people even further away took her by surprise. Some had only heard of her from friends or family and each looked forward to hearing her music.
As the time for the ball to start became closer the crowd had began to settle. Michelle wondered what the occasion may be for. The royal family was known to have a gathering like this once a month. Perhaps it was just a social gathering, she mused.
Then the room grew silent and everyone seemed to focus on one particular side of the room. The king and queen had finally emerged. Both wore beautiful outfits matching in color and design. Dark navy blue and gold are the most noticeable colors in their outfits. The guests all bowed to show their respect to the couple. Despite keeping calm the entire day, now seeing the king and queen made her nervous. She watched the couple make their way to some rather large and ornate chairs, four of them to be precise. They sat down quietly in the two center chairs.
Michelle wondered if the prince and princess would be coming as well. She had never met either of them but had heard rumors of the handsome prince and his beautiful twin sister. Once again the crowd turned and took a second bow. Michelle's eyes finally settled on the prince that had just entered. The rumors were true, he was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen. For just a moment she tried to tear her eyes away from him but failed.
"Greetings honored guests." He had made his way to his parents and addressed the audience.
Michelle continued to further take in his appearance. His sandy blonde hair seemed to be a bit untamed but manageable. He wears a splendid silver breastplate trimmed with golden edges and an equally beautiful cape that comes just to the back of his knees. Beneath the breastplate a long sleeved navy blue tunic can be noticed. His boots are comprised of the same beautiful silver and gold metal as his breastplate. His trousers are a dark navy blue with a single line of gold embroidered on either side of his legs. His outfit is complete with a rapier by his side, more for decoration than anything. The hilt of the sword is made of gold and jeweled with various colored gems.
"I am honored you have all come to attend this ball and also honored to have a very talented musician with us." He continued.
Michelle could feel her cheeks flare a bright red, she had never imagined she would be addressed by royalty or a man as handsome as the prince. The entire crowd had now focused on her. She choked back a bit of emotion and managed to hide her blushing cheeks.
"I look forward to hearing your music." The prince smiled in her direction with a twinkle in his eyes. Unsure of how to speak to him, she simply bowed. "Please, enjoy yourselves."
The mass of people began to socialize once the prince had settled into his chair. But Michelle noticed the fourth chair was empty, would the princess make her appearance soon? she wondered.
The chatter from the crowd had grown a bit noisy and this was when Michelle decided to play. She remembered the piece she had played for her grandmother a few days ago while she sat on the edge of the kingdom overlooking the oceans below. The music was something the people had never heard before and it instantly drew their attention to her. The entire room was silent all except the enchanting music being played by Michelle.
Everyone had become so enthralled in the music being played they had ignored the rest of the party. At the end of each song they would applaud and beg for more, something she had become accustomed to over the years. After what was probably an hour of playing she decided to take a short rest.
She had finally managed to slip awayand found herself standing outside on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. Small snow flurries had began to fall lightly all around her. She had been standing outside for a few minutes until another presence startled her.
"Oh, your highness." She bowed to the prince.
"Amar." He introduced himself with the same smile and sparkle in his eyes as before.
"Prince Amar." She bowed again, unsure of how to interact with royalty.
He rested his arms on the balcony next to her and gazed into the courtyard as well. After a moment he broke the silence. "You know, they are calling you 'The Siren'." He chuckled.
"I-I don't know if I should be honored with that name or not." Michelle attempted to return the small bit of humor to the prince with a light chuckle herself.
"They say your music is so enchanting the only thing that compares is that of a siren." He chuckled once more, showing his sense of humor. "So long as you don't lead sailors to their death, I'd like for you to play here more often."
"I can make that promise then."
"Well, I don't think sirens are as bad as they say." He turned his full attention onto her. "Not if all are as beautiful and talented as you."
She instantly became flushed. She could feel her cheeks burning a bright red and knew he had noticed from the reaction she received. "Thank you." She finally managed to say with a squeak.
"I know my sister would have loved to hear you play as well. Unfortunately, she is not a fan of these types of gatherings. She can be a bit of a rebel." He closed his eyes and shook his head at the mention of his sister.
The entire time the prince spoke to her she could not peel her eyes away from him. He spoke with such ease. Each time his emerald eyes met hers they seemed to penetrate into her very own being. At times she had completely zoned out while he spoke and felt guilty to ask him to repeat himself, which he did gladly.
"I have some things to attend to before tomorrow, if you will excuse me now." He took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. "I look forward to seeing you again." His eyes sparkled with mystery once more when they met hers. He smiled at her and disappeared back into the ball room.
Michelle took a moment to gather her bearings. She had never expected the prince to be so upfront with her. A small spark seemed to be igniting inside of her chest, something she had never experienced before. She held her hand over her chest and questioned this feeling for a moment. No one had ever made her feel like that before. He was kind and humorous and had a sparkle inside of his eyes unmatched by anything else.
Eventually she made her way back and played a few more songs, captivating the crowd once more and drawing all attention to herself. Soon the night had began to settle in and she knew she would have to return home to prepare dinner for her grandmother. She had hoped she may see the prince one last time before leaving but was unable to find the man. A small band had gathered to take her place as she left.
Alice, the servant that had been tending to her was upset she was leaving, but Michelle assured her she would be back. Michelle gathered the few items she had brought with her and began to head out of the castle. As she entered the massive room that served as the entrance her attention was focused on the beautiful chandelier once more. Her eyes had become so fixated on the chandelier she had not noticed the other person in the room and smacked right into her.
"Is it normal where you come from to run into people?" The woman's voice was cold and harsh.
"Pardon me." Michelle regained her bearings and then realized whom she had bumped into. It was no doubt the princess as she had resembled the prince perfectly. The princess seemed a bit shorter than her twin brother but the resemblance is remarkable. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She apologized further, bowing several times.
The princess stood silently, arms crossed over her chest. Another difference between the two is the way she carries herself. Where as her brother seems way more relaxed and outgoing, she gives off a completely different attitude; snarky, and a bit stuck up. "Be more mindful of where you are going next time." The princess spoke with a deep voice, although not as deep as her brother's.
Michelle had expected the princess to be adorned in a beautiful gown but she wasn't. Her expectations of the princess seemed to be shot down in the second she met her. The woman wore an outfit similar to her brother, minus the breastplate, metal boots and rapier. Her outfit was a bit more slimming and feminine to say the least. She does, however, style her hair much better than her brother.
The princess eyed Michelle up and down for a moment. Michelle wondered what the woman could be thinking in her silence. A slight smirk tugged at the side of the princess' lips. "Don't make a habit of it." She turned instantly, cape flailing around her, and made her way out of the room in the opposite direction of the party.
Michelle was left stunned. Often she had imagined twins to have a similar personality, but the princess had just proved her wrong. She felt a bit angered from the princess' attitude but in the end figured royalty played well into her attitude. With a huff Michelle left as well. The coach had already been waiting for her outside when she exited.
The trip home was just as fast as the trip to the castle. At home her grandmother kept asking about the ball nonstop. Michelle spoke of the prince, something about this man was so genuine it left her wanting to go back every day in hopes to see him again. Her grandmother noticed the sparkle in her eyes while she spoke of him.
"And then I bumped into the princess, literally." The tone Michelle had been using when describing the prince changed dramatically as she spoke of the princess. "She was so different from him."
"Well, she is royalty. I'm sure she's not used to people bumping into her because they didn't notice her. She expects to be noticed, no doubt." Her grandmother sat at the table eagerly awaiting dinner to be finished.
"I didn't expect for her to be standing in the middle of the room either." Michelle sighed. "I'm sure she will have me banned from the castle just because of that encounter."
"Oh, hush. I doubt the prince would allow that from the way you spoke of him." Her grandmother wore a wide smile. "So the prince... do you think there is anything there?"
"Wha? I... no..." Michelle stumbled over her words in attempt to hide the gushing feeling inside of her. "He's royalty and probably flirts with every girl he meets."
"He seems nice from how you speak of him."
"A lot nicer than his sister for sure." Michelle always wanted to make a point on how different the two were when she spoke of them. "The guests at the party seemed to have given me a stage name, 'The Siren'."
"It suits you well. Sirens play music so beautiful it lures men away. Music so enchanting, they will often forget the world around them as they become so engrossed in hearing it and only want more."
"Aren't sirens just old sea witches?"
"I hear they are beautiful. Did I ever tell you the story of King Caspian and the time he escaped the sirens?" Her grandmother loved telling stories and was filled with many.
"You've never told me that one before."
"Well, King Caspian – the king of Aquarius, was once lured away by the music of the sirens. They say he was sailing on one of his ships when his eyes settled on a beautiful woman in the ocean. She sang to him and led him astray. The entire crew had become so engulfed with the woman's singing that she led them into a trap. The king was the only man to survive the encounter. This is why many people fear King Caspian, he's the only person known to escape from the clutches of the deadly sirens.
"So, I think it's an honor that the people find your music so enchanting that they compare it to the music of the sirens." Her grandmother's smile never faded as she spoke.
"The Siren, huh?" Michelle pondered on the name a bit more. "I like it."
