A Siren's Crown (Book Two in the APK Trilogy)

(22) Preperations

Hey Guys, here is the next chapter!! Hope you all like it :) xx
Love Daisy 

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(Circe’s P.O.V)

Over the next few days, more and more people arrived, pending the ceremony that would join the three pendants and unite the Kingdoms once more. These days, for me had been spent exploring the castle, with Amaryllis, Lacy and Nathaniel. I had not seen Cobalt since Obsidian had been thrown into the dungeons, but the word was, that he was back with his ship, re-stocking and preparing to leave, although he hadn’t done so yet. I desperately wanted to see him and I hoped that he would not leave without saying goodbye.

Our favourite place to sit, was on the balcony that over looked the courtyard, so that we could see everyone arriving and all of the bustling activity that was going on down below as preparations for my ceremony were also underway.

On one such day, the trumpets sounded, indicating the arrival of someone important. We looked down eagerly, wondering if it was Airocei, the Air Queen, she had been expected to arrive any day now, but instead there stood a ferocious looking man.

 He was, massive, physically, with broad shoulders and a stern face. He swept through the gates and up to where my Mother stood, waiting to welcome him and I wondered why I had not been called to come and greet this guest. My Mother had been teaching me some of the duties that I would be preforming once I was officially Princess, and welcoming people was one of them.

He nodded to my Mother and her to him, before they exchanged quiet words. The man seemed to radiate a power that I could feel from up here, and as though he could sense me, his eyes lifted upwards and locked onto mine. He held my gaze for a moment before looking back to my Mother and swiftly following her inside. There was no one else with him.

I let out a breath that I didn’t know I had been holding and beside me, the other three did the same.

“Who was that?” Lacy asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” I whispered back in hushed tones.

“That was King Darius, I think,” Lis said tentatively.

“Who, the Elven King?” Nathaniel asked his voice surprised. “I thought he would look a bit different.”

Lis shook her head. “No, no, Darius Greyson is King of the Lycans” She whispered.

“Lycans?” I asked, shocked. “You mean, like Were-wolves?”

“Not, exactly,” Lis frowned. “Were-wolves can only shift on the full moon, it’s a curse, and one that I am not sure actually exists. It is what Humans believe Lycans to be, there is a lot of exaggeration behind it. For example, the killing with silver, that is false.” She shuddered. “The only way to kill a Lycan is by disconnecting the spine from the body.”

Lacy stuck out her tongue. “Ew well that’s nasty.”

I agreed with her, turning around to watch my Mother lead the Lycan King up the stairs and away to the guest rooms. He did not look at me again.

“So how come he is here then?” Nathaniel asked curiously.

“I would say that it would be on behalf of the Elven King,” Amaryllis answered. “Lycans are a lot hardier than Elves, if the Elven King came, he would have to bring a whole consort with him. Also, I suspect from what you have told me Circe that he would be here to also escort Obsidian to back to the Elven Kingdom.”

Obsidian. I had been thinking about him in these past couple of days. The hurt was still there, but much of the initial mind numbing pain had softened now, allowing me to think back over his words without wanting to burst into tears. I wondered how he was doing, and in spite of myself, I hoped that he was okay.