Saraiyu

3- Sirena

Eduardo found her dancing in the ocean. She was singing a song of freedom in Itslym. She looked like a mermaid, the ones told in fairy tails about beautiful women luring men to sea. He knew she could make any man crawl into the ocean for her by just a flick of her hand or a look in her eye.

Eduardo didn't like feeling like a creep but he wasn't one of those "noble" men. He wasn't blind like them anyhow. She was dancing for heaven's sakes and her voice did sound like a siren's.

"Eduardo!" She said shocked that someone had been watching her not acting like a Crown Princess.

"Oh deu mío, sorry Princessa. You have a beautiful voice," Eduardo said, not knowing how to cover up his blatant staring.

"Turn around!" Lárima commanded. He complied readily and embarrassed.

Taking advantage of him not looking, Lari quickly wrapped her shawl around herself. It was wide enough to cover herself.

"You may look now," Lárima said sounding more like a queen to be.

Eduardo turned and bowed deeply.

"I'm so sorry for disrespecting you, Reynilha," he apologized.

"You are forgiven now let's pretend this never happened. Got it? This. Never. Happened," she said pointedly. He nodded.

"I brought another horse for you to ride. I was worried because it was nearing night fall and it turns breezy and cool at night."

"Thank you, I need to make myself look presentable though. I will be back," Lari said disappearing and gathering her clothes.

Eduardo stood looking at the setting sun and cursing at himself. She was not his to look at and admire. She was probably more innocent and young than many of the girls her same age. He would not pursue or admire her again. Eduardo chastised himself.

When she returned she had put on all her clothes, and braided all her hair to reduce the chance that she would look unkept. She had gotten a bit sunburned, but she had nothing to fix that at the moment. She also had made a bag out of the leaves of a banana tree and collected shells in it. That could pass as a permissible excuse to not have been present all day.

Lari promised herself she would never break down like that again. She would keep her emotions in check and she would only exude confidence and power. A queen of two nations could not have weaknesses. She decided that when she felt the need to loose to her emotions she would do it in the privacy of this beach and no where else.

With both of them resolute they rode back to the castle.

When they arrived Lárima was whisked off to be worried over while Eduardo was left tending to the horses and alone with his thoughts.

He knew from the moment at the beach and ever since that he was doomed. He should never have seen Lárima in her barest form. Not in the clothing sense, though that was very true, but she was bearing her soul out for the sun and water to see and he had accidentally seen that. Now he was picturing her not as an untouchable being who was beautiful, cold, and above him, but he was seeing her as a person. A person that was once like him until the job of being the heir to two countries was thrust upon her shoulders.

"Aro, come on, are we not going to the village today?" Rinaqu asked Eduardo.

"Nah man. I have work to do," Aro or Eduardo responded.

"Suit yourself," Rinaqu stated.

Aro quickly started performing laborious tasks. He made bows and arrows and chopped trees, he advised the king and Prince on trivial matters and entertained the queen. Anything to distract himself from the open window on the east wing.