Siren's Kiss

55: Of All That Has Passed Part Seven

"I'm warning you..."

"You warning me?"

Here was Ciel, caught between his bickering parents. On one side stood his father, who in this timeline wasn't yet the revered king known to all. On the other side was his mother, the young and courageous Nerissa, who had no filters and spoke whatever was on her mind. Ciel couldn't help but feel a mixture of amusement and unease. It was surreal to witness their dynamic firsthand—their sharp exchanges and the fiery tension between them. It gave him a new perspective on their relationship, one that he had only heard about in stories or witnessed through the lens of time.

Ciel felt like an outsider in this moment, a spectator in a scene from a life that had shaped him, but one he had never truly known. He had to remind himself that they were unaware of his true identity, of the deep connection he had to both of them. It was a bizarre experience, to be in the middle of a conversation between his parents when they were still so young, so raw, and so unaware of the future that awaited them.

After everything he had seen, one thing was certain: this was far worse than what he and Drake had gone through. And he meant no disrespect with the comparison.

Lola, the nursemaid, quickly extracted herself from the escalating tension between two people trapped in an engagement neither desired nor requested. Ciel watched with dismay as she skedaddled her way out, leaving him to face the pompous Prince Cyraeni and the headstrong Princess Nerissa on his own.

"Don't you two have something important to discuss?" Ciel gently reminded them, sensing that their argument was spiraling without resolution. Neither seemed willing to back down, and the encounter was heading nowhere. Someone definitely needed to disengage.

Staring back at the squid, Cyraeni finally conceded that he wouldn't win this argument with Nerissa and that continuing was a waste of time. He took a deep breath and pressed, "You mentioned rumors about my mother spreading among the land dwellers?"

Nerissa arched her brow, lifting her chin in defiance, clearly not about to be underestimated. "Yes?" she replied, her tone challenging.

"Well, I haven't set foot on land for weeks now. I need to know what they're saying."

"Why not send your spies? Those loyal cronies of yours, Triton and Merror?"

Cyraeni sighed again. "Nerissa, you know they're not my spies. They're being trained to be my guards. I can't ask anyone but you."

"And why is that?"

"Because, aside from Triton and Merror, there's no one else I trust."

Nerissa stiffened at his words, surprised that Cyraeni would admit he had no one else in the kingdom to confide in but her. Despite their mutual dislike, the tenderness in his statement brought a subtle glow to her face. Watching his young parents flirt in front of him, Ciel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wondered if this memory held anything more cringe-worthy than what he was witnessing now.

On the other hand, Nerissa was unreserved with what she knew. "The land dwellers believe your mother poisoned your father for the throne," she said. "They describe her as obsessed with control, someone who would do anything to influence the siren kingdom."

Cyraeni's face contorted with confusion and anger. "That's illogical! My mother would never do such a thing. She loved my father—"

"I think your mother's attitude toward the land dwellers, especially her treatment of the pirates, only fueled that rumor."

"The pirates? I knew it. Those scum—"

Nerissa's eyes widened at the twist in his words. "I didn't say that! Do you really think pirates would gossip about your mother when she made sure they were too busy escaping the wrath of every land dweller they encountered?"