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The prince looked over his shoulder one last time before turning back to the sea. He took a deep breath, singing out seven simple notes. The wind carried his voice out towards the crashing waves.
All that was heard was the soft sounds of the water and the seagulls flying overhead.
“You came.” A voice suddenly spoke up near him.
The prince turned, his dark cloak fanning around him. His eyes landed on the creature perched on a large boulder.
The siren’s tail flicked back and forth in the water, the bright blue scales shimmering in the moonlight.
“Jaskier.” The prince breathed, walking towards the creature.
“Radovid.” The siren smiled, stretching his arms out towards the approaching prince. The blond haired man took the siren's face in his hands as he pulled him into a passionate kiss. The prince could taste the salt from the sea on his lips. The siren tangled his fingers in the golden curls, tugging gently.
“I missed you.” Jaskier whispered against his lips.
“As did I.” Radovid brushed his thumb over the siren's cheek, looking into his cornflower blue eyes. They were blue enough to rival the oceans he came from.
“Are you alright darling?”
Jaskier raised his eyebrows, a worried look on his face. Radovid sighed, looking down at the sea rather than into his lover's eyes.
The siren’s worry only grew further.
“Radovid-”
“My brother, he found out about us. Says you've enchanted me with your singing. He's put a contract out to have your head brought to him. You don't have much time.” The prince felt tears well up in his eyes at the confession.
“M-my head?” The siren whimpered, his hand going to the base of his neck.
Radovid nodded, the tears slipping down his cheeks at the mere thought.
“I wanted nothing more than to warn you. More than anything I just wanted to see you one last time.”
“See me one last…no! I don't want to say goodbye! Radovid-”
“And I don't want to see you dead!” The prince exclaimed, pushing himself away from the siren's gentle touch.
Jaskier gulped, his eyes never leaving the form of his lover.
“There has to be another way surely.” The brunet whispered, suddenly at a loss for words.
“You-you're able to walk on land, are you not?” The prince breathed, wiping his tears away, his voice having a hysterical edge even to his own ears. “we can pass you off as a noble or even a bard-”
“I can, but not for long and I would be in excruciating pain the entire time.”
Radovid clenched his hands in fists in frustration.
“You could come with me.” Jaskier suggested.
“I can't breathe under water.” He sighed, running a hand through his golden curls, messing them up.
“Fuck.” The siren groaned, tugging at his own soaked hair.
“I'll think of something, I swear. We still have time, a witcher has yet to take the contract. I just….I don't want to lose you.” Radovid said, sounding almost defeated.
“We'll find a way darling.”
“I know.”
The sun started to peak over the horizon, shades of pink, orange, and red starting to light up the sky.
“I need to get going.” Jaskier gave him a gentle kiss before diving back into the ocean.
The prince watched as the shimmering blue tail sprayed water into the air as his siren swam away.
He himself needed to start heading back. Lest his brother grow suspicious.
“And with this-”
“Your siren will be able to walk on land, free of pain, so long as it stays around his neck.” The mage placed the golden tuning fork in his hand. He handed her the coin purse before turning on his heel to leave.
“You may want to give it to him sooner rather than later.” She spoke up.
Radovid turned, looking into her violet eyes.
“And why is that?”
“A witcher came by here, not long before you showed up. I've seen the contract, won't be long before your siren’s head is taken to the king. So I suggest you hurry.”
“I'm going to retire for the night.” Radovid stood, nodding towards Vizimir and Hedwig.
“Wait, before you leave….”
The prince turned at the sound of his brother's voice.
“Yes?”
“The white wolf has brought your siren’s head to me, while you were gone doing who knows what….”
Everything sounded muffled, as if there were cotton stuffed in his ears. He saw Vizimir's mouth moving but couldn't really hear what he was saying.
His feet started to move on their own accord, taking him out of the castle. His chest heaved as he pushed himself further.
The prince trudged through the sand, his heart beating wildly. He stood where the sand met the sea, the water wrapping itself around his ankles. The salty coastal air hit his face, tiny droplets mixing with his tears.
Radovid opened his mouth, seven shaky notes coming out.
There was no sound.
The seagulls weren't flying overhead.
The waves weren't crashing to the shore.
Even the wind seemed to just stop.
The prince fell to his knees, a strangled sob escaping his chest. It felt like his heart had been ripped right out and crushed by destiny’s fine hand. His tears fell down his face, becoming one with the ocean.
“Darling?”
Radovid's head shot up at the sound of his beloved's voice. The siren sat in front of him, half in the sand and half in the water, with a worried look on his face.
“J-Jaskier! You're alive!” The prince exclaimed, pulling him out of the water and onto his lap. He placed desperate kisses all over his face, making sure he was real.
“Oh gods, of course I'm alive! Geralt came by and said that Yen had told him about the contract.” He managed to say between kisses.
Radovid pulled back, his brows furrowed together.
“Wait, so a witcher did come by?”
“Yes, it was rather anticlimactic really. We made a ball of seaweed and he put something or another that Yen had given him on it, made it look like my head, and took it to your brother. It was quite a scary sight actually, seeing my head like that.” Jaskier shuddered at the memory.
Radovid felt a laugh start the bubble it's way up before escaping his mouth. Thank the gods his brother could be so incredibly dense at times.
He buried his face in the siren’s shoulder, running one hand up and down his slick back, the other tightly gripping his tail.
Gentle fingers brushed through the prince's golden hair and a sweet voice sang softly into his ear.
“The Prince did sit aside the sea
Blushing with his Siren….” His voice trailed off into a quiet hum.
“I thought I'd lost you.” Radovid mumbled.
“Fret not dear heart. I'm right here.”
The pair sat tangled together for some time, enough for the tide having time to go low and for the sand to dry beneath them.
“I should get going….” Jaskier whispered into the prince's neck.
“Wait….” Radovid reached into his doublet, pulling out the golden tuning fork, “I went to see a mage, had her enchant it so you'd be able to walk on land without being in pain.”
The siren took the tuning fork in his hands, the rising sunlight glinting off its polished surface.
He smiled at his prince before slipping it over his head.
It was late morning when the royal security detail had finally located the prince. He was helping a man dressed in a shimmering blue doublet and matching trousers walk away from the rising tide.
The king was just content that his brother had forgotten the siren entirely. Even if he did seem rather enamored with the familiar looking bard that had appeared out of nowhere.