Of Siren and Men

Prologue

The smell of salt and the murmur of the waves indicated that I was only a few meters away from my destination. The wind was blowing strong and the song of the sirens could be heard in the distance, penetrating, disturbing, fascinating. Duchess, my mare and only companion, shivered as she listened to the melodies of the sea creatures, but my firm hands on the reins prevented her from slowing her pace. It was no longer time for regrets.

The ship was ready to sail. The Marquis, imposing under the starry sky, was rocking to the rhythm of the waves. It looked as if it had a life of its own, with the Beckwith house crest gleaming under the full moon. I remember as a child when my father, the Duke of Beckwith, bought the ship from King Balthazar for a few gold coins. My mother cursed the purchase and grumbled every time she saw that "piece of junk" anchored in the Bay of Bengal, where the Duchy of Beckwith's fleet was stationed. Sadly, the Duchess of Beckwith died before she knew the luster and brilliance of the Marquis, the most imposing vessel in the Duke's entire fleet. It is in her honor that tomorrow I set sail before dawn to restore to the Kingdom of Thalia the splendor it has lost since the death of King Balthazar and the ascension to the throne of Ragnar of Milos, Balthazar's bastard son.

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- James, are you sure this is what you want? - my father looked at me with unsettling eyes. 

- Father. It is my duty. I cannot leave your legacy in the hands of the bastard. The stone of Hades is our only hope to overthrow Ragnar and restore our position in the kingdom of Thalia.

- Son, if the legend turns out to be true, then we can rejoice once you bring the Stone home. But if it doesn't... James, I've already lost your mother, I can't lose anyone else. In whose hands will the Duchy of Beckwith be left? - I stared at my father. His eyes showed sadness and uncertainty but also a glimmer of hope. I could not disappoint him. Not after everything that had happened.

- Father, it won't happen. I will return home alive. I promise you. For my mother. 

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- Today is the big day Jimmy. We're going straight to our deaths.

- You call me that again and I swear I'll cut your head off - I looked at Edward sideways but I couldn't help but laugh. His round face, flushed cheeks and flat nose looked like something out of a Greek comedy. Edward was the youngest son of the Duke of Bavlova, younger brother of my mother Lyanna, and a great friend of my father. He had been living half his life at the Castle as a special guest of the Duke so I considered him a brother. My only consolation was knowing that if I died on my journey, at least I would see a familiar face before I left for hell. 

- Well James. Stop your temper. To the important thing: the plan is to leave for Myras, look for one of those witches to tell us how the hell we get the stone of Hades, capture a demonic siren, force her to sing to open the stone in two, bring the stone back and...? What is the stone supposed to do?

I really didn't know. I was risking 7 men, including my cousin, and the future of the kingdom for a legend that no one knew was true. But this was no time to regret it. I had already given hope to my father to regain his duchy and independence from Ragnar and I had given back to my people a reason to continue. Everyone had their faith in me and if I did not believe in the power of the stone of Hades, no one else would.

- The plan is for you to stay quiet, follow instructions and not get us killed. Understood? 

- Yes my captain- Ed let out a chuckle and went back to his bacon and boiled eggs. Maybe the last decent breakfast he would have for a long time.

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  - Fair Winds and Following Seas, Son. - My father, with the crimson crest of House Beckwith on his right side and my younger sister on his left, looked insignificant standing in front of the Marquis. She was truly an exceptional vessel.

- I'm going to miss you brother. Or not so much. - Elizabeth looked at me with her piercing blue eyes, avoiding tears so as not to worry my father. Despite her young age, Liz was aware of the magnitude of the problem we faced. Since my mother's death, she had had to grow up and leave afternoon tea parties behind. From the age of 14 she took care of the castle staff and was always present at the Duke's Council meetings. In fact, she was the only one who initially supported me in going to look for the stone of Hades. I can't let her down.

- Bye, sis. Take care of the old man for me. - I gave her a short kiss on the cheek and immediately motioned for my men to board the Marquis. There was no more time to waste. If we didn't set sail soon, bad weather could delay us. 

- Little James wants to cry. - Edward was teasing me as the Marquis pulled away from the Bay of Bengal. Liz and my father were getting smaller and smaller and the ocean was getting bigger and bigger. To tell the truth, my heart was pounding and my head was only spinning at the stupid plan I had hatched a few weeks ago in the library of Beckwith Castle. But I could not show weakness before the 7 men who accompanied me on the ship. If I showed weakness, the plan would be ruined.

- Stop it Edward. Better go and help Clark operate the ship. This monster does not sail alone.

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