A Siren's Echo

Chapter 6: You've Done Enough

After a short nap I awoke to my stomach growling. I knew I was hungry so I decided to try to navigate myself to the kitchen. On my way down I came across Fiona who was scolding a maid and servant who had been caught doing God knows what. She smiled a tight lip quick smile and then went back to scolding. By the time I finally found the kitchen door, the growls had become so loud that I was shushing my stomach. "Echo" I jumped. Someone was standing right in front of the door. Just like last time." Hello Master Dimitri I trust you slept well." Dimitri gave me a sheepish grin and moved to the stove where it appeared he was checking on chicken. " Yes I slept well thank you." The bags under his eyes told me hadn't. In fact he looked awful. His crowsfeet sunk into his face and he looked exhausted. His brown hair had streaks of grey running through them. " Would you like some chicken Echo?"

"Shouldn't your servants be doing that?" I asked. Dimitri chuckled and said " I'd say so normally but they looked a little busy with Fiona dont you think?" This made me crack a smile and I couldnt help the giggle that slipped past. " Besides I'm hungry,"he continued " and I dont have time to wait around." He quickly scooped two pieces of chicken out and fresh asparagus. After heaping them on the plates he handed them to me. "Even with them out their getting their butts ripped by Fiona, I still would get my chicken. I just feel like cooking my own meal every once in a while. I actually like to cook I just dont often because people get kinda weird about men in my station doing those sorts of things." I stared at him trying to figure out why he was telling me these things. "Thats great." I tried to laugh to make him feel better but it came out sounding so obviously fake I'm sure his cheeks went red. "Do you like to cook?" he asked staring down at his chicken. "Ummm I've never tried." I said. " Well" he said clearing his throat" I could show you some tricks maybe sometime if youre not busy." 

" Actually I am busy" I said as I stood up." And your'e busy too. With my mother."

"Wait E-"

"So maybe you should start focusing on her instead of girls half your age who have no interest in you or your money." I stood up and walked out slamming the door behind me. Unfortunately I didn't realize the kitchen had a swinging door and it swung back out smashing the back of my head. Luckily Fiona ran to my aid. "Oh honey its okay everyone does it." 

"Really?"

"Well no but dont feel bad." she smiled. " So howd it go?" 

"How'd what go?" Her smile faded and her face suddenly became very concerned she stood up from me and rushed into the kitchen. After a couple of minutes it became obvious what was going on. He had made his plans well known to Fiona to ask me on a date and she didn't like that I'd turned him down. My one friend in the house and now I'd lost her too. 

My mother came walking around the corner as I started to walk back to my room. "Echo. I know you're upset with me. I wanted to tell you but we thought it best if he was the one who told you." 

"What are you talking about?" I ask. Dimitri and Fiona walk out of the kitchen. Dimitri's face is red. He looks humiliated. Serves him right. "Echo" Fiona says slowly. " Why dont you and Master Dimitri go take a walk through the gardens." I look at Dimitri a tall strong man who now looks timid as he stares at the floor. "What is going on!?" I shout.

"Just go Echo." my mother says

" What? Why?" my voice still raised is starting to come out in squeaks.

"Go. Now." she says in a quiet voice thats almost chilling. I walk to the glass doors next to us and push them open. Dimitri follows. "I'm so sorry Echo I didn't know they'd react like that." We walk over to a stone bench in the middle of the gardens. They are so large with flowers bursting everywhere. Dimitri sits down next to me trying to regain his poise."Echo I wanted to tell you because we will have to build a relationship" My jaw drops as does my stomach. "Am...am I in an arranged marriage?" I ask. "No! No! Nothing like that" he says. I look back at him and I know I'm failing at hiding my confusion and hurt. Everyone knows whats happening except me.

"Echo a while back I met your mom. I was deeply in love with her. I know that she is a Siren. I know that you are a Siren. You see I didn't fall in love with her because of her powers. In fact she never used her powers on me, so when she started to live with me she became pregnant." he pauses "with you." 

"Your'e my father?" I ask. He nods and continues to look at me sheepishly. Now it makes sense. Staying at such a wealthy mans house, Dimitri outside my door when I was crying, trying to tell me about cooking everything was falling in to place. And yet the only thing that could come out of my mouth was "Oh."

"I thought maybe you might stay here after your mother...left. Fiona would love to see you here. You used to love it here" he said with a dejected look on his face. It was too much information at once and I felt sick. These past few days were just too much. My mother was too selfish to think about telling me before this but then again what else was new. "Excuse me" I said as I stood up and walked back to the house. As I walked past my mother and FIona I could hear them talking.

"Great! Now I have to go talk to her." my mother said.

"No"Fiona cut in." I think you've done enough for a life time dont you think." I was too far gone to hear my mother's reply but I dont think I wanted to.