“Oh, lest we forget I had the Queen of the Water Kingdom? Otherwise known as the mother of sirens, the one that taught them everything they know about seducing males?”
“She is not the most beautiful though, is she?” Vikram grimaced.
“And you have been in love with Takara since you were a babe, it does not count,” I added as I peeled away my wet shirt.
Damaris placed a hand over his heart and gasped, faking a deadly wound. “It doesn't matter if you are in love,” he defended himself.
“Yes, it does,” we both reacted simultaneously.
“Also, you are the heir to the kingdom; it would have been crazy for her to kill you,” Vikram added. “Maybe she should have...drowned you a little more,” he offered.
Damaris frowned.
“Alright, alright, you are here to help me get dressed, yes?” It was my turn to cry for attention.
“Yes, let us undress the young prince and put him into something more fitting.”
“Like a female?” Vikram snickered.
Damaris stopped to look our brother dead in the eye, and they both started laughing hysterically at my expense.
“Fine, fine, I get it, I shall bed someone soon,” I scratched the back of my head, looking away as strands of algae found their way out of my braids.
Both brothers exchanged looks and started laughing harder.
“Bed someone!” Vikram repeated, laughing so hard that his hands grabbed at his stomach.
Damaris fell into one armchair with amusement, still chuckling.
“This one is going to get married a virgin, brother,” Vikram shrieked, caressing his abdomen that probably hurt from bending so much laughter at my expense.
“He’ll have to, as you’re screwing all the kingdom, there’s nothing left for him to bite into,” Damaris replied.
We continued to laugh for a good few minutes, joking about one another and remembering funny stories from our childhood while rummaging through my wardrobe in search of something befitting the celebration. While changing pants, I picked up the parchment I earned earlier in the lake, which I shoved in my pocket before rising to the surface. It was almost dry, just a few stains on one side.
“Is it ready?” Damaris asked, my other brother suddenly silent.
“I think so,” I replied, my voice raspy with excitement.
“What are you waiting for? Open it!” Vikram demanded.
I turned to Damaris. “Open it,” he confirmed.
With shaky hands, I slowly broke the seal from the parchment. The paper was almost dry, and tiny patches of ink shone in the candlelight. I unrolled it slowly, each inch bringing me closer to my mission. There it was, my new location, one of the sacred districts I swore to protect and preserve.
“Evigt Forrest,” I read out loud.
Chapter Three
“Oh...my...god,” was the only thing I thought as I walked through the tall entrance door. Luxury beamed everywhere my vision could stretch, set upon the mansion like a cloud of smog from the nineteenth century that exploded inside. Tall statues and unique vases, historical paintings worth more than I could imagine welcomed me into the entrance hall. I was expecting extravagance, but even I did not envision how eccentric a royal setup could become.
It felt like a visit to the museum and the guard who brought me, sensing my thoughts, started talking about the structure and architecture of the “litet palats”. I felt either too tired or too excited to pay much attention, so I was happy to follow him and nod politely from time to time. He presented family portraits and sculptures, pieces of history left behind by prominent artists to honour the late Queen.
“As per your agreement, you will work in the Queen’s Painting Room and will use the Royal Bedroom for rest. The Sitting Room, kitchen and both the royal bathroom and the servant’s one will also be open, the rest will have to remain sealed as instructed.” He stopped in the hallway to make the announcement. One of his hands pointed towards a door to focus my attention to the royal seal. Two thick pieces of rope joined in a very sophisticated knot and wax dripped over them, on top of which the royal seal of Sweden, I assumed, lay imprinted. I nodded, keeping to myself my plans to rummage around the whole place in hope to find anything that might be connected to my brother. I had to be careful though, if they were able to access my laptop, googling things like ‘how to break a royal seal’ were out of the question. So I faked uninterest and showed gratitude towards the rooms I did have access to, reassuring the guard of my happiness to be there.
“Very well,” Isak continued more joyfully this time, “I am required to inform you that either I or one of my men may organise an unannounced search of the premises to ensure all rules are complied to,” he insisted.
“Of course,” I said.
