The Siren

~Two~

Leopold's face burned when he thought about last night and how gentle the Siren had been with him. He felt ashamed that he let his father do this to him. But he also felt powerless to stop it once he was inside the king's chambers and that awful woman was smiling at him.
He balled his hands to fists. He hated his father and he hated that woman. He wished his king had died instead of king William's father.
He sighed and then just breathed for a few minutes. He knew he was alone in bed and he missed the Siren's body next to him.
He wondered if it was really true that the Siren had come back for him.

"I know you're awake," the Siren said, gently.

"They will bring breakfast soon," Leopold replied.

"That awful woman again?"

"No, it's not always her," he answered. It was her often enough and he dreaded not knowing when she would come, but father knew he had to heal at least a bit first.

"I assume I'll have to hide in the closet again," the Siren said.

Leopold smiled. "Like an illicit affair in a novel."

"I won't be your lady, prince," the Siren said with a grin.

"You don't look like a lady, you don't look like a woman at all. But you're still easily one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen."

"Thank you," the Siren replied.

He wasn't ever going to tell the Siren that he had been dreaming about him, had been touching himself while thinking about the Siren's eyes or hands or lips on him during his long and awkward teenage years. It was a secret he couldn't let slip, because father would not be amused about it at all. As a prince and as a man he had a duty. What made his shame worse was of course that he had always played the submissive part in his fantasies. He had wanted the Siren to take him and possess him.

"You are welcome. But how long do you plan on staying here? Not that I want you to go, god knows I don't, but the longer you're hiding here the more dangerous it's going to be for you. I don't want them to capture you again. Besides what will happen to you if they do? You've been gifted to a king from another country. A country we've been at war with not so long ago. A country my father still wants to see brought down to its knees-" he shut his mouth with a snap. He hadn't wanted to tell the Siren that.

"I know he wants to kill king William. He wanted me to do it. I considered briefly. Your father wasn't thinking clearly when he gave me away to king William."

"He hardly does these days," Leopold said. "Maybe he hoped you would be killed on sight. Tibin is famous for murdering magical creatures, for hunting them to extension. He should have known that no one who saw you would kill you on sight."

"And why's that?" The Siren asked.

"Because you're beautiful. Most people don't want to destroy something beautiful, or they want to take their time doing it."

"Like your father?" The Siren asked.

Leopold laughed. "I'm hardly beautiful."

"I beg to differ," the Siren said. "When you were a little boy I fell in love with you. Your golden hair and pretty eyes, the color of your skin. I was waiting for the day you were old enough so I could take you away from here."

"I-"

"It's true. I really wanted to kidnap you."

"I wished you had done it," Leopold said. He meant it too.

"When did he start to hurt you?" The Siren asked.

Leopold got out of bed and stretched. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have while lying in bed. "Now that I think about it a few months before you disappeared."