Marella woke up, it was bright behind the shutters who were made from seems driftwood. The bed was a waterbed, it was comfortable. She looked around her, and saw Acale sitting in a chair. Also made from driftwood, his head rested on his bare chest. He was wearing ripped pants, so that was a relief. She remembered his words of yesterday, he had claimed that he had not raped her. But that he would explain what had happened, she hoped that he kept true to his word. She again started to look around the room, the walls were purple and had the same structure as dead coral. Maybe because it was dead coral. She slipped from under the sheets, who were made from some kind of fabric she did not recognize. She walked past Acale and slipped to the door. The house was abandoned, except for her and Acale, she wanted to look around and explore. But the call of nature was too hard to ignore.

"Where in Dragon Lord's name is the bathroom." She said, to herself.

"You come back and go to the other door." Acale said, she could hear the smirk in his voice. "And please do not say such a thing, the sirens do not recognize their rule." She nodded.

"Noted, so now if you want to excuse me." She said and went in a speed walk towards the toilet. His laughter followed her, until she came out of the bedroom. 

"I shall ask my sister for some clothes." He said. She looked at her clothes. It was her favorite short, and a wide hoodie, that fit her growing belly. So she couldn't see what was wrong with it. " Those you are wearing are dirty, and too heavy." Alright she could understand the dirty part, but heavy. No, that was a bridge too far. Did they have bridges underwater? "For swimming, they are too heavy for swimming." He said. She nodded slowly, trying to understand what he was saying. She knew from her brief period outside, yesterday. That they were in some kind of air bubble. The sea was on the other side of that invisible bubble. Was she still permitted to swim, in the sea? Otherwise, why would he menace it? She did not know, maybe to distract her. That made sense. There was a knock on the door. "That would be my mother." He went to the door, who still looked damaged.

"O good you are awake, and you look so much better than yesterday." Elana said as she entered. "I have taken the liberty of making you breakfast." Elana placed a bowl of unknown food, on the driftwood table. "This is kelp, with some cooked salmon." Marella smiled at the woman, the woman who had become a mother figure in her life. Even though she didn't know her that long. "Acale, this is a list with all the food she pis not allowed to eat. It is your responsibility that she eats healthy." Acale took the three sheets of dried seaweed, and looked at it.

"Alright, I get the raw fish. But that is really a lot." He said and he looked at it in horror. "Well out of respect, I will suffer with you." He said and sighed. "And I was so looking forward to dads salmon tartare." His mother rolled with her eyes.

"Well you better get over it and fast, her condition is partially your fault." Elana snapped at him. "But if you wanted to impress her, that would have been the recipe to do it. I need to give you that." Marella took a bit, and smiled at their bantering. It looked so normal, so natural. Something she was not used to, she and her mother didn't have that kind of relationship. Maybe if her father was in her life back then, maybe then she could have had that with her. But that was wishing for a life she might never know, but she wished that for her child. Among other things of course. "Well now that we reached the topic of your condition, let's discuss it a bit further. Acale told me that you believed to be raped by him, is this true?" Marella nodded.

"But I do not really know it for sure, I can recall the moment that I heard Ruby and Cynta scream. And the next thing I know I woke up in a bed, naked." She explained. "But the folded clothing made me doubt it." He laughed, and Elana looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"There is nothing funny about it. She clearly suffered from a blackout, so I do not find it strange that she thought that she was raped. Why in the sea's name did you leave her alone?" Elana snapped at him.

"I only left to get her something to eat. But Kalama grabbed me and pulled me off the yacht. Later I found out that he had seen another ship. I didn't leave the side, after she did." Acale explained, his cheeks were burning bright red, even through his purple scales. "I wanted to attack that bastard that hurt you, but Kalama held me back. He of course didn't know what had happened between use." He had talked about it before.

"Let me explain." Elana said. "You have most likely heard the stories about the siren song, how it attracts others to them and most likely to their doom. This however couldn't be further from the truth. Yes the sirens are born singers, but the siren song is not something vile. The siren song is something that is shared between true mates, soul mates. And only between them, the pair can sing the song out loud. But only they can sing it, it can not be taught to another siren. Or recorded, the song dies when one of the couple dies." Marella looked at the bowl, so that meant that their song was about to die too. "There are some that never hear this song, your father is one of the unlucky once. I think it is why he found his comfort in your mother." Marella nodded slowly, her mother has a wonderful singing voice.

"But I do not hear a song." She said. Elana didn't look faced by it.

"That is because you are not raised to be a siren, you are raised to be a naiad. That is, I think also the reason that you blacked out. The point that your siren took over." Elana said, she sighed. "Close your eyes." Marella did. "And listen to the beating of your own heart, focus on that beat." Again Marella did, and there it was. Feint and somewhere in the distance a soft melody. There were words in it as well, only she couldn't hear them. Instead, she started humming it.

"That is it." Acale said and he started to sing the words. It was so beautiful, and magical. Tears started to stream over her cheeks, this all made sense. Her whole life made sense, she had now found a part of herself that was missing.

*******

"So now tell use a little bit about yourself?" Acale said, when he grabbed the empty bowl. Marella started to shift on her seat, why did she need to tell him about herself? She didn't like talking about herself.

"Like what?" She then asked. 

"Like, what is your favorite food, color. What are your hobbies, small stuff." He said and Elana stood up. 

"I need to go, the council is gathering soon and there is a lot to discuss." Elana said and then looked at her. "Nothing that you need to know about dear." But somehow Marella knew what the topic would be, the events of last night. "This evening you two will join me and the other's of the family for dinner." It was not a question, it was a statement.

"We will be their mother." Acale replied. Marella nodded, this was her chance to meet the rest of her baby's family. Elana smiled and left the house. "Mom also invite Anika, Kalama and Aouli. They are part of her family after all." Elana nodded, as a reply and left the house. Acala sighed and shook his head.

"This world becomes crazier by the day. There has not being a war between the families for over two thousand years." He said. 

"There has not being a war at all inside the Nine kingdoms, for over two thousand years. But Fantaseria attacked Spegikhio. The Elementel coven in Achua attacked the Necromancers. The vampires attacked a village with werewolves, and that is just stuff I know. There is so much going on without being public news." She said. She had not looked at him, while she spoke but saw his confusion when she did. "Come on, you do know about the other living creatures on this world?" He nodded. 

"I do, but I do not know much about those Kingdoms, are they all ruled by the dragons?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yes according to the history books, the dragons stepped in when everybody was at war. But they don't see themselves as rulers, more governors trying to keep everybody safe." She explained. He frowned. "They of course have a final say in matters, but most often they just sit there and watch." 

"Then who makes the decisions?" He asked.

"There is a council, and most of the time all species inside that kingdom are represented." She explained. He nodded, and smiled.

"You are very smart." He said, this made her blush. It was not a compliment about her appearance, still it meant a lot. She never heard anybody say that to her before. "So what is your favorite color?" and they were back to getting to know each other.

"Violet." She replied. "And yours." Two can play that game, and she needed to confess she wanted to get to know him. He was her soulmate after all.

"Turquoise." He said with a smile. And they started to talk about themselves. About their favorite food, she was not surprised that he liked salmon tartare. Their hobbies and about their lives before all of this. She didn't know how long they have being talking, but she jumped up when she heard a knock on the door. Acale looked at the window and jumped up. "That is probably my sister, sent to get use." Marella followed his gaze, it started to get dark outside. They have talked the day away. Her stomach started to growl. Acale had heard it and started to laugh. "Alright let use be off. Before that shark comes out and starts to fest on use." She laughed too.