Songs of the Siren

by Silver Inkwell

The Mare of the Sea

Chapter Four: The Mare of the Sea

The rest of her was as follows: Her body was the most brilliant white that you have ever seen before, she was wearing nothing on her.

This was not uncommon to do, but in front of royalty it seemed rather indecent since I was wearing a suit.

And yet, I was not any more regal than she was, in fact, I actually started to criticize myself when I first saw her.

Yes, sir, you did. And to the best of my knowledge, you acted exactly how I expected you to, which was you panicking.

I did not overreact and panic. I was just simply taking a very careful calculated measure of the whole entire situation, after all, it’s not every day that you say a naked mare at the beach all alone… unprotected… vulnerable… beautiful… incredible… amazing…

Sir, I think that you’re going to start worrying the audience that you’re some kind of creep and predator who takes advantage of these mares, or at the very least has thought of that, really sir you should try to control yourself first.

Alright, fine, very well, anyhow the mare, well she was just standing there in the water silent and still, and she didn’t even react to seeing us there right then.

She seemed startled at first to see us, but she still did not yet react despite her great surprise and shock. She still stood there silent and still just staring at us with curiosity until finally, I decided to speak so that I could get to know her.

“Well hello there,” I said slowly approaching her as not to startle her anymore, “Are you new here to the kingdom? I’m Forrest, the current ruler of this land, if you are new then you’re free and welcome to stay however long you wish to if you’re just visiting, if you plan on staying then I’m sure that you or I could work something out, right?” I said. She still said nothing as she continued to stare at us still unmoved and fixed in her current spot and location, almost like she didn’t want to move out of her natural area to startle us or something like that.

“Can you please tell me what’s your name exactly?” I said.

She still didn’t say anything. “Okay then, let me try guessing then, is it Mary?”

She still didn’t move. “No? Okay then, Ariel? No? Natalie? No? Stephanie? No? Okay then, you clearly obviously won’t tell me your name yet, but can you tell me why you’re here at the very least, please?” I said trying to reason with her.

She still didn’t say anything. “Look, as the current ruler of this land since my father is very old I can make you tell me though I really don’t want to, do you-,”

“Your father, sick? No, that’s not possible, he just needs water, that’s all.”

She interrupted my question, but I was more surprised at her very first words to me that I had to stop and start all over again. “You spoke to me,” I said.

“Yes, so what of it? I can speak all the time as much as I want to, but only when others wish it of me will I speak as needed, but no more, and no less either.”

Huh, these were very odd strange things to be saying, it was just so unusual.

“What’s your name and why are you here for exactly?”

“My purpose is only merely just a message, the sea king sends his greeting, and he wishes to meet with you very soon to work out some official royal matters.

He wishes for peace, and he also wants to talk of the past too as well.”

“So, there is such a thing as Seaponies,” Forrest said trying to contain his short burst and gasp of air as he reacted with great shock and surprise.

The mare smiled as she raised her… well… that certainly wasn’t a hoof.

Instead it was just a flipper. Well not exactly, she had four legs, or at least I guess that’s what you could call them, but past where her knee began a scaly, shiny, beautiful flipper thing. And where there was supposed to be a hoof was an elongated, white scale thing that clacked against the stone. Look, I don’t really know how to describe it.

“The sea king shall come visit you whenever you wish, after all, he has all the time in the world, and compared to him you have almost none.”

“Tell him to come meet me tomorrow at dinner time, we shall talk then, but first may I know your name please?”

She smiled, “No, you may not. Nor will I show you my tail or any other part of me. But perhaps, I’ll be able to walk on land with you soon."

And with that said she smiled and then suddenly dived into the ocean waves below as Forrest suddenly collapsed on the sand reciting poetry.

“Thou blind fool love, what hast thou done to mine eyes that they behold and see not what they see? They know what beauty is, see where it lies, yet what the best is take the worst to be,” he said gazing longingly out at the sea.

“Ah, Number 137, a sonnet from Sir William Hoofsphere then?”

“Yes, indeed, but I have so many more poems to tell her when she finally manages to get back to us, or, rather, me. So many great things to tell her and show her, but ah, if only I were not constrained by just my words!!!”

“But perhaps maybe it is far better that way, sir.”

“Yes, perhaps, but I think that I’m already in love with her!!!”

“How can you ever possibly say that sir? You only just met the poor mare.”

“I know that I am in love with her because I can feel it in my heart, I know that the words of my parents before me were true and real, they all married Seaponies and so shall I as well, and nothing in the whole entire world can stop me no matter how hard they try do so or whatever they might put in my way to stop me. She’s the one for me, I just know that she is, I can feel it in my bones.”

“Well then sir, if you’re sure, but I never thought that I would see the day come that you fall in love with a mare, you’ve always seemed to be the loner type,”

(My statement was true then just as it still is right now.)

“Hey, I could have gotten a mare anytime, it’s just that none were perfect for me, and now I know why, I was waiting for her,” he said.

“Yeah, sure thing, right, anyhow I’ll leave you to yourself sir if you don’t mind now,” he said starting to leave before Forrest quickly stopped me.

“Tell me this honestly and truthfully, do you really think that I could ever stand a chance with her, that I even have a shot with her?”

Sebastian took a quick deep breath of air in before responding, and it was a delay that Forrest knew all too well. “Well, that would depend, sir.”

Dammit, it was the same exact response that he always gave to a very difficult question that he would rather not answer just in case he upset his lord and master. “Sebastian, how many times do I have to tell you not to say that?”

“Until I die, sir, you know that I’ll always try to cheer you up first.”

“Yeah, I know that, and I thank you a whole lot for that small little kindness.”

“Well sir, here’s my real true thoughts, yes, you do stand a chance since you’re a prince and are of noble blood, you could ask for marriage, but I don’t know if it would be granted because you would have to pay a very great price for her, or do a very brave act showing and displaying your bravery, it’s what your fathers did before you, and they all succeeded, every single one of them.”

“Well, so far at least but don’t worry, I don’t plan on failing.”

“I hope not, where else would I get a job quite so satisfying to me?”

“Nowhere else, your position is here fixed with me and my family forever.”

“Yes, indeed it is, and you have no idea just how much, though…”

“Wait, what was that last part again?”

“Uh nothing sir,” he said coughing, “Let’s go back to the castle now, shall we?”

“Yes, I suppose so, I think it would be best for me to reflect upon my thoughts and ideas while I wait for the sea king to come to me tomorrow.”

And with that said they both left to the castle walking very slowly.

When they finally eventually got there Forrest went down to rest, but Sebastian stayed up to write some stuff down in his journal.

When he was done, he put down his ink and quill and then decided to retire to bed himself after making sure that everything was quite safe, sound, and secure within the whole entire castle, and then all was well.