- 2 days ago
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00:01That pearl is inside her! Split her open and take it!
00:08Here, deliver this to the queen and be done with it.
00:11Look! There's still one that got away!
00:14I watched my own sister be killed right before my eyes.
00:19Since you can't bear to leave, then stay forever!
00:23Arrows, shoot her down! Wipe out every last trace!
00:27A sky-blotting volley of arrows tore through the air.
00:31I plunged into the water, swimming for my life.
00:33I hid beneath a dark reef.
00:36Blood stung my eyes as my tears hardened into Siren's grief pearls,
00:41each one deep red with blood.
00:43Nerissa's last words echoed in my head.
00:46Live, Serena. Whatever it takes, live.
00:51Legend has it that deep in the abyss of light live the Sirens,
00:56and within their queen resides a flawless Tide Pearl.
01:00Whoever possessed it would gain eternal beauty and youth.
01:05Isolde grew obsessed.
01:07To please him, King Aldrich sent his men and wizards to cut open Nerissa's body and take her Tidal Pearl.
01:14That day, the sea ran red.
01:17My people floated everywhere, their bellies split open.
01:22They knew the Siren Queen carried a legendary Tide Pearl.
01:25They had no idea there were two of us.
01:28Twin-born queens.
01:30The other queen was born with the Siren's allure.
01:33Her blood could sustain a thousand shadow familiars.
01:36That queen was me.
01:38I dragged myself onto the shore.
01:41The pain ate at my bones.
01:44I gritted my teeth and sang the old Siren curse.
01:47My tail turned into two human legs with a sickening crunch.
01:51I sliced my wrists open.
01:54Let the writhing shadows drink.
02:01I mastered blood sorcery in three months.
02:04A magic most humans never master in a lifetime.
02:08I clawed my way to the capital, Aurelia.
02:11I slipped into the ivory palace disguised as a court dancer.
02:15I handed a greedy servant a bag of my Siren's grief pearls.
02:21Soon, I had eyes on King Aldrich's every move.
02:30At night, the moonlight spread across the shore as I danced over the waters of Mirror Lake.
02:38You dance like no one I've ever seen.
02:41Who are you?
02:43It's a dance from my homeland.
02:46Few ever get to see it.
02:56The queen loves to dance too.
02:58The midsummer court is coming up.
03:00Perhaps you shall dance for her at the feast.
03:02Your majesty.
03:04I didn't realize who you were.
03:06Please forgive me.
03:08No need to apologize, my lady.
03:10Just don't disappoint me.
03:12Or the queen.
03:13I accepted.
03:15As Aldrich turned his back, I stirred my fingers.
03:19A tiny shadow familiar burrowed silently into his skin.
03:24By noon the next day, all of Ivory Palace was talking about the king meeting a beautiful dancer by the
03:30lake.
03:31By sunset, even the stable boys had their own version of the story.
03:36A sharp knock came at my door.
03:39It was Queen Isolde's mistress of the household.
03:42They marched me right to Queen Isolde.
03:44That was her.
03:46The woman who slaughtered my people and killed Nerissa.
03:49All for a single tide pearl.
03:52This is what my husband sends me?
03:54A scarred little creature from the gutter?
03:57Before stepping inside, I used a glamour weaver to hide my face under a grotesque mask of fake whip scars
04:04and pockmarks.
04:06Isolde was deadly jealous.
04:08If she saw my real face, I'd never survive the night.
04:16Rest assured your grace.
04:19I shall wear a veil.
04:20You won't have to endure my face for long.
04:22Very well.
04:24Looking like that, you couldn't cause a ripple in a bathtub.
04:27I'll accept Aldrich's gift.
04:29Isolde waved her hand.
04:31The mistress of the household dragged me out.
04:33Right outside the doors, I ran straight into Aldrich.
04:37He took one look at me.
04:38This scarred, ruined face looked nothing like the girl from the lake.
04:44But my scent gave me away.
04:46He instantly knew I was fighting for my life.
04:48If Isolde had seen the real me, there'd be a corpse on the floor right now.
04:53What did it matter if she held all the king's favor now?
04:57The higher they rise, the harder they fall.
05:01Back in my room, I shed the glamour weaver.
05:04The face in the mirror was flawless, luminous as moonlight.
05:10Isolde, didn't you want the siren's allure?
05:14Didn't you crave eternal youth?
05:16Hmm.
05:18I was going to make sure everything you ever wanted slipped through your fingers.
05:30Soon, Nerita. Soon.
05:33She will be the first I send screaming into the dark to answer for what she's done to you.
05:39The Midsummer Court.
05:40Three days of feasts, fights, and dancing.
05:43And no sleep.
05:45White water lilies covered Mirror Lake overnight.
05:48The Lords whispered.
05:49Some called it a blessing from the stars.
05:52Others, a dark omen.
05:54Where is the gift you promised, Your Majesty?
06:02Ooooooh.
06:07Ooooooh.
06:08Ooooooh.
06:09Ooooooh.
06:10Ooooooh.
06:11Ooooooh.
06:11Oooo.
06:13Everybody get by,
06:15and don't you look at a lie,
06:16and don't you look at the lie,
06:17I want, I want, I want...
06:18her grace's honor may the king and his queen know joy unending may the kingdom of valton prospering
06:24glory rise you were extraordinary how delightful you like it good the whispering hex was working
06:36the shadow familiar was already inside his mind tugging at his thoughts i didn't want to push it
06:42too far i flicked a finger ready to call the shadow back give her to me king aldrich in return
06:48my
06:49father's armies will never cross your borders who speaks sire is norberg's crown prince
07:00king aldrich i'm noram's crown prince kasvar a hundred years of peace for one woman i'd say
07:09you're getting the better deal a century of peace trading a mere dancer to stop a war not a single
07:17lord here would say no to that deal a crown prince offers a crown for a dancer any woman in
07:24this
07:24kingdom would weep with gratitude the council of lords traded looks politically it was the perfect
07:31bargain aldrich went dead silent he knew exactly what he should say so why did his chest suddenly
07:39tighten i looked up i stared right at him you come too late prince kasvar she belongs to the crown
07:53your majesty kasvar stared aldrich down a slow smirk spread across his face then he turned and vanished
08:02into the crowd cold sweat drenched my back thankfully i hadn't called the whispering hex back yet
08:10without that shadow in his mind aldrich would never have claimed me aloud a century of peace without
08:17drawing a single sword no king turns that down aldrich claimed me in broad daylight by nightfall a royal
08:28decree awaited me a sealed writ i was officially named the crown's grace moved to dawnlight hall and placed
08:38under the king's personal protection as i left the dancers quarters i stopped at the end of the hall and
08:44stared out into the dark narissa are you watching i was going to make them pay a thousand fold for
08:54what they did to you
08:55when i got to moon veil tower is old was already waiting she stared at my bare face in the
09:01moonlight
09:03the veil was gone you lied to me
09:09had i shown you this face that day i wouldn't have lived long enough to bore you with it
09:14you read me well but guess what parade around as the king's new favorite all you want crown's grace or
09:20not i will kill you just the same so you've already decided how i die is that so a tragic
09:26palace fire
09:26the lovely crown's grace saraya reduced to ash aldrich and i were wed before he wore the crown
09:33my father and brother bleed for his kingdom do you truly think you'll mourn a dancer
09:41her guards grabbed me they bound my hands and feet and threw me to the stone floor
09:49they doused the room in whale oil a spark dropped flames erupted
09:56aldrich is insensible with drink tonight no one is coming to save me
10:03i watched her disappear through the tower door i didn't even flinch
10:07as the fire roared the guards at the door suddenly grabbed their throats blood poured out of their
10:14eyes and mouths they dropped dead one by one
10:19i walked through the flames with nix a shadow spinner spider scuttled across the floor
10:26leading the way i sprinted after it suddenly i slammed into a solid chest
10:32i jerked my head up wide-eyed tears pooled in my eyes but i bit my lip hard to hold
10:39them back
10:40who dared set fire inside my palace find them now i pressed my face into his chest i didn't say
10:48a word
10:48he knew exactly who did it that was pure theater for the court he and his old had a history
10:54that went
10:54back to their childhood those roots ran deep moreover she had house ashford and half the council of lords
11:01backing her he wasn't going to lay a finger on his queen for a dancer he barely knew aldrich
11:07i'm frightened he was definitely drunk his face was flushed and his breath reeked of heavy wine
11:14the sweet scent of my allure coiled around him deep inside him my shadow familiar tugged his darkest
11:20desires his eyes quickly clouded over they burned dangerously hot he scooped me up in his arms and
11:27carried me straight to the king's chamber word would reach his old fast she wasn't going to take this
11:34lying down sure enough i hadn't been in the chamber long before a guard called out from the door
11:40your majesty the queen is unwell she requests your presence at once
11:47shall i release you to your queen i would hate to keep you from your duties when you're beside me
11:55i forget there is anyone else in this castle i let out a soft laugh we were the only two
12:00left in
12:00the chamber he leaned in close his hot breath brushing my neck then he went limp a fleshy pink dream
12:08spinner burrowed slowly into his forehead i shoved him back onto the four poster bed and pulled the
12:15covers up i wove you a beautiful dream enjoy it i bit my lip until blood welled up then leaned
12:25over as
12:25if to kiss him instead i let exactly three drops of cursed blood fall past his parted lips
12:33he swallowed it in his sleep three drops tonight three tomorrow three the night after soon the poison
12:43would seep into his bones so deeply that no healer could purge it no one except me i wiped the
12:51blood
12:52off my mouth with the back of my hand i stared at the dark red smear on my skin this
12:58is what your mercy
12:59left you with king aldrich a monster in your bed a tiny scratching sound came from the windowsill
13:07a shadow spinner spider no bigger than a fingernail one of my many eyes inside the palace
13:14isold was coming isolda was standing right outside the chamber doors she was backed by her ladies-in-waiting
13:23two sworn guards and her personal healer this wasn't just a jealous wife complaining it was a siege
13:31i stood at the top of the stairs i purposely swept my hair to the side i let the moonlight
13:37hit the fresh
13:38red mark on my neck the king is asleep your grace perhaps come back tomorrow you gutter-born nobody i
13:47will
13:47kill you careful your grace all that fury it'll age you faster than time and from what i hear time
13:56has not been kind to your efforts that one sentence froze her in her tracks five years of marriage
14:05still no heir the council of lords was whispering her father's letters were getting shorter even the
14:12servants looked at her differently now she had begged every street healer in the kingdom still
14:18no heir rumor had it she was cursed guards seize her i want her flogged until there's there's nothing
14:28left to flog i had just struck at the rawest wound she had right in front of her entire retinue
14:36i calmly
14:37shook off the guards reaching hands then i spoke the words that shocked the hallway into dead silence
14:44if i'm harmed your grace say goodbye to the child growing in your belly
14:52well am i with child or not your grace there is a life force you are undoubtedly carrying a child
15:03truly even someone that arrogant could break down like this then she looked at me remembering my
15:11threat she snapped at the healers the child is it stable your grace the life force is strong and
15:16steady everything is perfect is older smiled when she turned back to me the pure murderous hate returned
15:24to her eyes i finally have an heir we should be celebrating but you are a stain on this room
15:35the very sight of you makes me sick isolda gave a flick of her eyes her guards lunged forward digging
15:42their fingers into my arms to drag me out i just twitched my finger a split second later isolda grabbed
15:50her belly and let out a blood-curdling scream the healers rushed into the diagnostic scan
15:58forgive us your grace the child's strength is failing the pregnancy cannot be saved
16:06panic swallowed isolda whole she had waited five years for a child only to lose it seconds after
16:14finding out pale as a corpse she locked eyes with me she hissed through her teeth you fix it
16:26if i lose this child i will burn everything you love to ash every person every place every single
16:35memory i looked down at her vicious desperate face burn everything i loved to ash she had no idea
16:42my people were already wiped out i was the only one left i crawled out of the deep sea hell
16:49for one
16:50reason only to collect what she owed i stepped forward and pulled out a silver ritual blade i sliced
16:57shallow cuts into isolda's wrists and her belly then i let my own blood drip right into the open wounds
17:04as the cuts healed one by one color slowly returned to his oldest face the healers rushed
17:10back for a scan the gold light was steady again the truth was i knew nothing of healing magic and
17:17there
17:17was no child in isolda's womb the night she tried to burn me alive in moonvale tower i quietly planted
17:24a
17:24phantom womb hex inside her the shadow perfectly mimicked every sign of being with child the morning nausea
17:32the swelling womb and later even the illusion of a child stirring within but day and night it would
17:39be eating the mother from the inside out draining her life force to feed itself the shadow obeyed my
17:46will if i wished it she'd be dead in an instant but taking isolda's life wasn't going to satisfy me
17:54the men who butchered my entire people were isolda's father and brother i still remember her brother
18:01sir victor ashford his thick greasy hands tearing the scales from nerissa's tail fin
18:08nerissa had been drenched in cold sweat from the agony but she clenched her jaw and never made a sound
18:15she died in unimaginable pain i looked at isolda's relieved joyful face a dark smile crept onto my lips
18:25are you watching nerissa for every ounce of pain they put you through i'll make them pay a thousand
18:31fold when i slipped back into the king's chamber aldrich was still fast asleep i dropped my robe and
18:37slid into bed beside him i couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he woke up and
18:42heard the news
18:43his wife was pregnant after all he was the one paying the crown alchemist to slip a barrenness draft
18:50into her daily tea she was never going to have a child house ashford already held half the seats
18:56in the council of lords they commanded the entire southern march army if isold actually bore an heir
19:02her family would use the child to turn aldrich into a puppet king sure aldrich might have loved her
19:08once but love is a cheap joke next to a crown aldrich woke up and stared at me the days
19:15of the dream
19:16spinner still lingered in his eyes it looked like he enjoyed the fantasy i spun for him
19:23your majesty word has just arrived from the queen's attendance her grace is with child
19:29did the news get out sire has already sent a rider to lord general ashfield
19:35the air in the room snapped tight i knew when to take my leave
19:40you had a shock last night stay here and rest i'll find you a better place to stay
19:47queen isold was pregnant house ashford was smelling blood in the water aldrich was fighting a war on
19:54two fronts he had to crush the plotting in the council of lords and he had to find a way
19:59to kill
20:00the thing growing inside his wife right now no one was looking twice at a nameless crown's grace it was
20:07the perfect blind spot for my revenge kazvar crown prince of norheim from the midsummer court would be
20:15my blade i didn't just want a few dead royals they butchered my people i was going to burn their
20:22kingdom
20:22to the ground i rolled up a coded note and shoved it into nyx's mouth the little snake tracked kazvar
20:31down following the invisible scent of our soul tether i settled into dawnlight hall and waited
20:38a few days later someone pounded on my door my lady the queen is in agony please you have to
20:46come
20:48aldrich had made his move he must have ordered the crown alchemist to strengthen the dose too bad
20:54there was no child to lose the deadly potion was just eating isold alive for nothing no one had leaked
21:01a word about me saving her pregnancy the other night aldrich was completely in the dark i stood over
21:06isold's bed watching her face twist in pure miserable agony slowly i drew my silver ritual blade the shadow
21:15from the phantom womb hex remained untouched thriving and multiplying inside is old my child can you
21:23save it i can but it's going to hurt saraya if you dare deceive me my father and brother will
21:30not let
21:31you walk away alive i took out my silver ritual blade and cut fresh slashes into her wrists and belly
21:37then i let my own blood drip in one cut then another until there were ten she just lay there
21:44shooting pure venom at me through bloodshot eyes i actually wondered how exactly her father and
21:51brother were planning to deal with me i had handed kasvar a few of my shadow familiars i told him
21:56to
21:56slip them right into the ashford's food the father and son commanded the entire southern march army
22:02without them the moment a general falls the army breaks house ashford's massive military threat would
22:09vanish overnight once the tenth cut sealed i drew back isolda was completely drained i waved a hand
22:16toward the heavy chamber doors send for the healers let them check but the healers didn't arrive
22:21alone aldrich entered right behind them i didn't know you had this particular talent
22:29just an old remedy from the deep waters older than your kingdom
22:34i had just ruined his perfect assassination plot he wasn't going to let this go the queen's child is
22:42safe sire
22:50isolaid you've suffered for you and our child it was no suffering at all
22:55i stood in the corner biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud
22:59did the king look remotely happy to her he looked like he couldn't even stomach the sight of her
23:07we owe lady sirea our thanks
23:14do you know what you've done i understand my error i acted recklessly i am no trained healer
23:22if anything had happened to the queen the consequences would have been unthinkable
23:27reckless is an understatement you are confined to your quarters for three months you do not set one
23:32foot outside dawn white hall aldrich please i begged her to do it don't punish her she wasn't
23:39trying to help me she was just terrified your grace i overstepped i accept my punishment
23:46this is our first child is a lead we cannot be too careful do not plead for her isold opened
23:52her
23:52mouth then swallowed her words deep down she was thrilled i was getting locked away i was escorted
23:58back to dawn light hall that very night aldrich showed up at my door he sat by candlelight his
24:04thumb tracing soft circles over my hand the flame danced in his pupils there was something buried in
24:10his eyes i couldn't quite read i hadn't fed him a shadow familiar tonight sirea give me a child
24:17i almost laughed in his face we had shared a bed before a shadow could mimic touch for a while
24:25but not forever keep it up long enough and he would notice besides sirens are creatures built for
24:33addiction aldrich couldn't get enough he spent night after night in my chambers is older really thought
24:40aldrich put me under house arrest because he was sick of me she figured she could deal with me the
24:46second she popped out her heir instead of watching me rot in exile she was met with very different
24:52news i was pregnant too when aldrich heard isold was pregnant he panicked but when he heard the news
24:59about me the joy on his face was real he had sat on the throne for years without a single
25:06heir
25:07since isold couldn't bear one she quietly paid off the alchemists to spike the tea of every other
25:14mistress in the castle i stared into his eyes they were soft with tenderness did he actually love me
25:21a siren's body is built for survival bearing young is practically effortless compared to humans if i wanted
25:28a child it was easy the tragedy was this child was never meant to be born every drop of blood
25:35in my body
25:36fed my shadow familiars siren magic is born of the living sea blood sorcery feeds on death those two
25:44forces ripped at each other inside my veins leaving too little life in me to carry a child i swear
25:51i felt
25:51it move you're imagining things it's barely two months how could it move i felt it i'm sure of it
25:58i'm probably just hungry we both burst into laughter tangled up together in bed that was the exact scene
26:06isold walked in on isolda was finally showing but the rest of her body was wasting away hollow cheeks
26:14dark bruised circles under her eyes her skin looked as thin as stretched parchment not even three layers of
26:23heavy powder could hide the decay the shadow from the phantom womb hex was relentlessly feeding on her
26:30vitality the second i saw isolda i went to pull away but aldrich just wrapped his arms around me tighter
26:39why are you here
26:43i heard the wonderful news about serea
26:46i came to offer my congratulations
26:49i just didn't expect to find you here aldrich hadn't stepped foot inside golden rose hall in weeks
26:56he made every excuse in the book he just refused to see her desperate she had written to her father
27:03and brother still no reply today upon hearing that dawnlight hall was expecting a child she could endure it no
27:13longer
27:14thank you how have you been feeling your grace isolda didn't even look at me her eyes were fixed on
27:22aldrich
27:22have you grown tired of me aldrich
27:25they shared a bond forged since childhood for a fleeting moment aldrich's grip on me loosened
27:32honestly if isold's pregnancy wasn't stressing him out of his mind
27:37i probably wouldn't have kept him in my bed this easily don't overthink it i'll come see you later
27:42tonight
27:45your majesty urgent dispatch from the southern march the council of lords is already waiting in the council
27:50chamber
27:57was there anything else my queen i wish to rest i underestimated you but in this palace
28:04carrying the king's heir means absolute nothing if you don't survive the birth i could say the same
28:09though i suspect you already know you canizing little wretch don't push your luck i still have
28:14my bloodline i have my father and my brother you're just a dancer you are nothing beside me is that
28:20so
28:20if i had to guess that urgent dispatch was all about the ashford men i had learned of it days
28:27ago my
28:28splinter familiar was shadowing kasvar the tiny shadow carried the news straight into my mind through
28:34our soul tether it reached me a full month before the king's fastest riders could house ashford had
28:41always hungered for war they had long been eager to march on norheim but the royal vault was bleeding
28:47dry and aldrich had zero interest in starting a war so the eldest son sir victor crossed the border and
28:55provoked them again and again i had thought he could fight but it only took a few clashes for
29:02kasvar to knock him off his horse and shatter his leg kasvar didn't want a full-blown war so he
29:11let the
29:11fool live but the very next day lord general ashford marched his army south he swore to wash away the
29:20insult and avenge the humiliation of his son the southern march was miles away even the fastest
29:27horse took a month to reach the capital haltrick had no idea the old general had already been crushed
29:36and captured
29:39my lady his majesty is in the middle of a council let her in
29:43i've had these headaches for days now but when you're near me they ease i don't know why
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