"We always forget that everything is temporary."
The sun shone down on my face as Calliste and I walked down the worn stone paths of the market.
Calliste had picked up accessories for the both of us before I came, and we were rushing to get to the apple stand before the last one was taken.
I got on my tip toes to look over the crowd of people surrounding the sweet fruit. "I can hardly see them."
"While we're waiting." Calliste crossed her arms, "is there something you need to tell me?"
I turned to her and smiled, "No," I looked to the side at the vendor for a moment before looking back at her, "What would I be hiding?"
Calliste shrugged before dropping her hands in front of her. She looked forward nonchalantly, "I just heard through the grapevine vine a certain Prince went into the fitting room normal, and left all blushy and flustered." She side eyed me, "I also happen to know a certain siren was getting fitted before she joined me."
"How did you hear about that so fast?" I couldn't help but smile at her, "You we're in the market already!"
"Well, I make sure I know everything of interest. It pays to be informed." She turned to me, "Now talk. What happened?"
I turned forward and tried to keep a straight face. (I'll forever deny that I was failing.) "Nothing really, I just asked him to help me out of the dress I was being fitted in so I wouldn't be late."
Calliste's jaw dropped, "You. Did. Not."
I nodded, "I wasn't aware that it was improper."
My cheeks unwillingly blushed.
"Astrid! That's awful!" She laughed. "Tell me exactly what happened."
I started feeling self conscious, "I honestly had no idea. The seamstress had run off somewhere and I didn't want to wait on her. I just asked him to unlace the back of the dress. Nothing crazy or anything."
Calliste grabbed her stomach from laughing too hard. I smiled uncomfortably as those around us looked at her laughing uncomfortably.
When she settled down, people went back to their conversations and she placed her hand on my shoulder, "Astrid, I clearly need to have a discussion with you on what's proper and what is most definitely not."
I moved forward in line as she started listing off things quietly, "First, undressing in front of a man you are not wed is most definitely not."
I tilted my head, "Wed?"
"Married to."
I gave a hop less expression.
"You don't have marriage in the sea?"
I shook my head.
"Well, marriage is when two people come together and tell everyone that they want to spend the rest of their life with one person. It's an extremely romantic commitment most of the time."
"What do you commit to?"
She looked up and sighed, "Not lusting after another person outside of the marriage. Starting a family together, living with one another. A bunch of things." She smiled at me.
I nodded contemplatively.
"Back to what I was saying. Propriety." She tapped her finger to her palm.
I reached forward quickly and grabbed her hands, "Perhaps later," I looked to the vendor, "It's our turn."
She smiled and walked up to the man running the stall, "Please tell me you still have apples left."
He gave a deep chuckle and pulled a fresh crate from beneath the stand, "How many'd you like?"
"I'd like half a dozen," Calliste pointed to me, "and she'd like two please."
The vendor bagged the orders and we payed separately for our apples.
I grabbed one of my red treats from the bag, "If I could plant an apple tree in the ocean, I would." I took a bite from the apple and leaned forward so the juice didn't dribble down my chin.
Calliste smiled and pulled me over to the fountain in the center of the market.
I finished my apple as we say and watched the people in the market rush around between vendors.
I threw the core into the street to be eaten by dogs or other animals before I ran my hands under the fountain.
"Where to next?"
Calliste suddenly broke out into a grin before she stood, "Nixie!" She waved her hand above her head, "Nixie!"
I followed her eyes to where she was looking and found Nixie standing in front of a fabric vendor.
I pointed to the person standing next to Nixie, "Who's that next to her? The guy she's talking to?"
Calliste pursed her lips, "I'm not sure." She grabbed her basket and my wrist and started leading me over to the fabric shop.
I stopped walking, "Hold on!" I laughed and pulled her behind a carriage, "We can watch her and see what she is doing."
Calliste's eyebrows came together, "What do you mean? Why don't we just ask her?" She tried to pull me but I pulled her back.
"Because, she's been so busy lately. What's she been doing?"
Calliste gave me a dry look, "I'm sure it's nothing, come on!"
I sighed, "You're taking all the fun out of it."
She groaned, "Fine. We'll watch her for a few minutes, but when all is normal and you're proven wrong, we're going to talk to her like real people."
I beamed.
We looked around the carriage and saw Nixie laughing at something the guy said.
The guy looked around Calliste's age, dark hair, casually dressed.
"Why is she talking to this guy?" I asked Calliste.
She shrugged, "Maybe she's interested in him."
A sour taste filled my mouth, "Absolutely not. Nixie is a siren. And sirens don't 'like' people."
"But you like me don't you? And Caspian."
"No, not like that, I meant romantically. Sirens don't fall in love."
"Ah, but that doesn't mean they can't."
I looked up at her, "And how would you know? It's never-"
Rorie.
I couldn't say 'It's never happened'.
Suddenly the floor looked more interesting. I shook my head. "It shouldn't happen."
Calliste looked at me with interest. "What was that?"
I looked up at her.
She briefly looked at Nixie, still conversing with the man, before she pulled me aside and looked me in the eye, "You said 'it's never' then changed your mind." I shook my head, "No, Astrid, don't look at me like that." A curious spark shone in her eyes, "Who was it?"
I was still shaking my head, "No. No. That was a fluke. Rorie was-"
"Rorie?"
I rubbed my hands over my face, "Rorie was...tricked somehow. Nobody knows what happened."
Calliste smirked, "So she fell in love with a human?"
"No, no!" I huffed in frustration, "No! Rorie went on patrol and found a stray boat. She, she went up and all we know is that she didn't come back."
"That sounds more creepy than like a love story."
"You have to remember she was a siren. Siren's are capable of handling themselves."
"So Rorie just up and left?"
"Months later rumours started spreading that someone saw her on the beach. With children."
Calliste covered her mouth, "She had kids?"
"But the thing is, sirens can only be above the water for so long. And none of us ever saw Rorie in the water again."
"Well how do you know you can't?"
"That's just what we were always told."
"So how do you know it's true?"
I didn't respond.
Calliste smiled, "Have you gone swimming today?"
I shook my head.
"Then test it out. If something bad happens, like your skin dries up, then you can go."
I looked down, "Let's just focus on Nixie. Bottom line is: Siren's do not fall in love."
"Then how do you make baby sirens?" She teased.
I glared at her, "That's not-" I sighed, "Whatever."
I walked back to the edge of the carriage and looked to the fabric store, only for there to be no sign of her anywhere. I turned to Calliste, "Now we've lost her."
"Lost who?"
I turned to see Nixie and the man standing right in front of us with a small basket of fabric on her arm.
Calliste walked over to me, "Sorry."
"We saw you," I started putting a smile on, "and we wanted to talk to you, but then Callie asked me a question and we lost you."
Nixie nodded and turned to the man, "Oh, Tony, these are my friends, Calliste and Astrid. Girls, this is Tony."
Calliste and I glanced at each other before nodding at him, "Nice to meet you."
Nixie smiled and waved before letting Tony lead her away.
Calliste and I faced each other when they were out of hearing range, "Tony?" We said together.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
It was late. The moon hung high in the sky, and I had spent a few hours counting the stars.
I decided to test Calliste's theory. I hadn't been in the ocean all day.
So after I got home from the market I sat on the beach.
And I felt...fine.
I hated to admit it, but as I sat in the sand listening to the waves I felt just as fine as I did in the water.
This should be a good thing.
But I was bummed not to be able to test the new outfit I'd had the seamstress make me; a two piece dress that fit the bare minimum of the standards of 'proper dress'.
Oh, and also the crushing fact that I'd been lied to by who I thought to be family.
"Why would they lie?" I asked the night air.
"Why would who lie?"
I jumped and spun around, but relaxed when it was only Caspian. "Nothing," I looked back at the sea, "why are you here?"
I heard the crush of sand as he walked closer, "I couldn't sleep, and when I looked out my window, I noticed a line figure sitting on the beach."
I smiled, "Hard to believe a siren would spend her free time near the sea?"
"It's past midnight. This can't be your only free time."
I paused to watch the water creep up the sand, coming just short of my legs. "I've just been here a while."
Caspian sat next to me. And for a moment, we sat in silence. Watching the water move.
"What's bothering you?" Caspian asked.
"What makes you think some things bothering me?"
"You've been sitting on the beach for hours. Something is bothering you."
"If something was bothering me, why would you think I would tell you?"
"Maybe you just need someone to listen."
I looked at him. The moon bore down, exposing only part of his face. He looked sincere.
"Why do people lie?"
"Because the truth would have consequences?"
I looked back to the sea.
What repercussions could come from telling sirens they couldn't live on land?
I sighed, "You should get some sleep."
Caspian looked over to me, "So should you."
A breathy chuckle left my lips. "Fine. I have dance class in the morning anyway."
•••
A/N: On the 20th chapter, we hit (a little over) 20k words.
Thank you for reading <3.