“Wake up, you useless boy! I should have made you ride a horse like the rest of them! You fool!”

Alaric woke up with a pain in his head, a consequence of the blow his father had just given him. He would have wanted to ride too, but Barthra had told the Count that it was too soon for his son's body. He had to take things slowly if he hoped to be able to hold a sword someday.

The boy had always been sick during the winter, but that one in particular had been worse. They had thought he would not survive. His father had even searched for names of young noblewomen to marry and produce another heir. If he hadn't already done so it was because, if Alaric ended up living, he wanted to save himself future fights between successors.

There was very little Alaric could do to annoy his father, like that time he had fallen asleep inside the carriage again.

“When this trip is over, and we return to the castle, you will begin your training once and for all! I'd rather you die fighting and leave me without an heir than have a weak one like you!”

As soon as he jumped to the ground, Alaric felt dizzy, but, if he didn't want to receive another punch, he had to keep his composure and follow with his head held high behind his father, who began to descend towards the shore of the lake, where some of the chiefs were waiting for them before the ceremony.

The previous days they had visited Serenity Glade to introduce him to the Lady of the Whispering Forest who received the future Count very kindly, and even allowed him to walk through the interior of the Great Blue Willow up to the highest treetops.

“He is a very handsome little man, Your Excellency,” the beautiful elf had said. “I have no doubt that he will grow up healthy and strong to become a great Guardian of the Circle, as you have been.”

Alaric had always been told that elves were noble creatures who never exaggerated in their words, so when the elf spoke that way about him he felt very proud. Even his father had put a hand on his shoulder, as he thanked the lady's words and behaved like the father he was far from being.

They were now visiting the lake to participate in the Return of the Sirenians, which was a tradition for the Guardian of the Circle. When that was over, they would continue west to introduce him to the twin elves, brothers of Daephennya, both rulers of the Memory Forest and the Mirror Forest. After that, they would continue their tour visiting castles of other nobles until they arrived to the capital and participate in the celebrations of the anniversary of the king's coronation.

Barthra had warned him that it would be a long trip, and had hidden among his luggage some bottles with potions that would help him keep his strength up. The boy didn't like to take them, because he didn't want to depend on them, but the healer had hit the mark. Every time he took them, he felt better, and that meant one less scolding from his father.

“Be patient, young master, someday you will be so strong that you will remember this time as if it had been a dream,” Barthra had comforted him.

But for Alaric time was no longer passing. That year would be his tenth birthday, and he had not yet begun his sword training. Since he was born, he had spent almost his entire existence in bed, comforted by reading his books and the presence of Barthra and his friends Cormac and Leander.

“My Lord, are you all right?” asked Cormac, who had noticed the paleness of his face. The young red-haired and freckled squire was barely a year older than him, and the Count had requested his family to become his companion. They got along well, but Alaric sometimes found him tedious, because he was so formal with him and followed the Count's rules to the letter. It would have been more fun to have gone with Leander, but as an Initiate of the Order he was forbidden to leave the castle, unless Eldrin allowed him to, and the old wizard would never do so even to please his young master.

Alaric gestured for Cormac to leave him alone. He hadn't meant to be abrupt, but if he opened his mouth he would vomit up the lunch the elves had served him that day.

He distracted himself by watching his father, who was chatting with the chiefs in a way he was rarely seen. Outside the castle, the Count was known as a jovial person who went out of his way to ensure the safety of everyone in the Circle. Inside the castle was a different story. Everyone feared him, and even Eldrin was careful not to arouse his anger.

Now he laughed and joked with the chiefs just like that, and they patted him on the back as an equal. He turned around to call Alaric with a gesture, and the boy was introduced to the chiefs who were quick to shake his short black hair saying that he and the Count were like two peas in a pod.

May the Nymph wish that wasn't true, Alaric thought.

One of the chiefs pointed out a group of children from the tribe. His father allowed him to play with them, though not without first giving him a warning look. Cormac accompanied him as usual, and they spent some time with the children although it was the squire who participated in the games of stick fighting and running, while Alaric sat on a rock on the shore watching them. When the rest of the children were far away and no one noticed him, he hid behind the rock and finally threw up everything he had in his stomach. At least that made him feel better, and allowed him to endure the rest of the day, until the night when the Sirenians finally arrived.

Alaric felt happy that night as he watched in wonder at the lights moving across the water. He was sure for the first time that his life was being set in motion.

When the Sirenians arrived at the shore, his father advanced to the newcomers, to pay his respects, especially to the chiefess Thalassa, who was one of the most respected sirenians of the tribe. She was a beautiful woman who could have rivaled Daephenny's beauty, though while the elf emanated a white glow, the sirenian's radiance was of intoxicating warmth.

Behind Thalassa was a sirenian girl hugging her legs and looking at him curiously. He did not pay much attention to her nor did they tell him her name so, as they continued to greet others of the sirenians, he forgot about her until the next day.

Alaric was the first to wake up. After a long and festive sleepless night all the members of the party, including the Count, were snoring inside the tents they had set up near the village. He never had a chance to be alone, so he decided to take advantage of the occasion and very stealthily left the tent he shared with Cormac to go down the hill and back to the shore.

He had found the lake beautiful from the first moment, and the rocky promontory where the dragon's grave was located attracted his attention. He sat on the sand watching it carefully, wondering what it would be like in the depths.

So distracted was he that he didn't notice the same girl from the night before sitting next to him.

“Would you like to go there?”

“Hey!” Alaric jumped at the sound of her voice and the girl giggled. “What did you say?”

“If you'd like to go there.”

“There?”

The girl laughed again.

“The tomb, silly.”

“But I can't...”

“With the help of a sirenian you could.”

“And who...?”

“Well, me, silly!” she patted him on the head, which had nothing to do with his father's punches, although Alaric couldn't help but instinctively back away. “My name is Yaritza, and you?”

“Alaric.”

“Alaric...” the girl said his name slowly as if pondering something. “I like it, Alaric, it suits you.”

“Your name... it's not bad either...”

The girl laughed again and Alaric felt warmth in his cheeks.

“Well then, do you want to go?”

“But... I'll die...”

Actually Alaric had been told that any human could visit the tomb, as long as he was helped by a sirenian, but in his case he wasn't sure, because if he could barely ride a horse he doubted he could last that long underwater.

That thought made him depressed. He was so pathetic.

“How sad you look. I'd better call you Shadow. It's very appropriate, considering where you come from.”

“What did you say...?”

“Come, Shadow, I'll show you,” very determined, she took his hand, and made him rise from the ground, as if Alaric weighed no more than a leaf, which made him feel ridiculous.

They went into the shore until the water reached their knees.

“And your parents let you go to the tomb?” Alaric asked, trying to find an excuse not to look so cowardly.

“If you don't tell them, it won't be a problem.”

So she didn't have permission, but she was going to disobey them anyway!

“Very well,” said the girl, getting ready to dive in. “The first thing is this...”

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Yaritza wrapped her hands around Alaric's face and placed her lips on his.

The boy, shocked, jumped back at once, feeling his head burning.

“What are you doing?” asked furious.

“It's part of the dive... Where are you going?”

Alaric didn't wait for her to finish explaining. For the first time in his life his feet felt strong enough to run up the hill, and he didn't stop until he reached the camp. He never quite understood why he did it. When he arrived to the tent he threw himself on his bed in exhaustion. Cormac had already gotten up, and was startled when he saw him come in.

After that he had a hard time getting up, and his impulsive running cost him a few lashes from his father.

He spent a whole year regretting what he had done, but not because of his father's violence, but because he had lost the opportunity to visit the Dragon's tomb for being such a coward. Although in reality the tomb did not matter to him at all. He could not stop thinking about Yaritza and her lips resting on his.

But surely for her it had been nothing. Maybe she'd already done it with too many boys, he thought disheartened.

After that first tour around the kingdom, and once they returned to the castle, he began his training, which was as arduous as his father had promised him, reaching the point of almost dropping dead from exhaustion and having to spend days in bed with pains in every muscle of his body.

Barthra was the only one who was not afraid to reproach the Count for his methods of upbringing, but this time Alaric did not allow her to defend him, and disobeyed the advice of the healer, whom he considered like his own mother. He needed to become stronger or die trying. Only then would he be able to meet Yaritza again and look her in the face.

The following months seemed to last forever, especially the winter, the end of which would mark the departure to the lake to meet the sirenians again. They repeated the same route, first visiting the elf lady, who again invited him to her great home, and even allowed Alaric to study several books from her select library. Although Alaric was no longer as interested as the previous time, because he could not wait to leave for the lake.

“The young Guardian seems very distracted,” the elf thought with a tight smile. “I wonder what or who is occupying his thoughts.”

Alaric wasn't sure, but it seemed to him that she even sounded jealous that she didn't know what he was hiding from her.

A few days later they arrived at the lake. During the ceremony of lights, Alaric did not stop looking for Yaritza in the dark waters. It was impossible to recognize her that way, but he did not give up. When he followed his father to greet the sirenian chiefs, Alaric's heart was pounding so hard that even his chest ached, and he wondered if he wasn't about to die right there. He looked for Yaritza with his eyes, but could not find her. His father spotted Thalassa, and they both went to greet her, but Yaritza was not with her this time.

Alaric's spirits sank as deep as the Dragon's tomb itself.

The next morning, again with everyone asleep, he went down to the shore again in the hope of finding her again. He located the same spot where he had sat the year before, and waited for a while, but without results.

Stupid, stupid, he said to himself, you are pathetic, ridiculous, you missed your chance and now never again...

Driven by anger, Alaric got up, and ran to the water. He needed to cool his head. He dove into the water, and as he came back up, he looked towards the rocky promontory, and swam out to it.

Actually, he didn't know how to swim. Near Shadowrock there was no watercourse where he could practice, so he had never tried it. It wasn't as easy as it looked, he immediately sank like a rock. This was how his life was going to end, brought to ruin by a stupid girl.

Suddenly, something pulled him upwards and so, just as quickly as he had sunk, he rose back to the surface.

His rescuer was none other than Yaritza, who had spotted him from afar just before he sank. Upon contact with the water, her body had taken on her original sirenian form. Her scapes glowed red, like roses, and small gills had opened at the base of her neck.

“What were you doing?” she asked outraged.

Alaric gave her the same angry look.

“I'll take you back to the shore,” said the sirenian dragging him without difficulty.

“No!” Alaric tried to resist.

“You're going to drown!”

“Take me there!” Alaric pointed to the promontory with a nod of his head. “I command you!”

“You command me?” the little sirenian was offended.

Alaric had not wanted to sound so authoritarian, but being the son of a nobleman, it was the only expression he could think of when faced with a person who did not want to obey his will.

“Please?”

The sirenia laughed.

“You're so silly, Shadow, truth be told, but you're also cute.”

With that said, she rested her lips on his again, as she had the previous time, and they both submerged. Alaric had thought he would feel some kind of initial pressure but being underwater felt as natural as being out of it. But he felt something strange at the base of his neck, and, when he reached a hand towards the spot, he discovered that he had grown two gills similar to Yaritza's.

Alaric would never forget what he saw that day. The bottom of the lake was immense, a blue world totally different from the surface. It seemed as if he and Yaritza were floating in the middle of nowhere. The promontory, which had seemed so small to him, continued downward like an infinite underwater tower.

Yaritza took him by the hand and they both rushed to the bottom. They were going so fast that it seemed as if the world had turned upside down, and Alaric could no longer distinguish whether they were really going down or up a path of stones at the end of which they came upon what appeared to be a temple made of rocks from the bottom of the lake. Its size was so impressive that in comparison the two explorers seemed no more than two tiny fish in front of a whale's mouth.

Yaritza told him that they could go no further, because the entrance to the tomb was blocked. Not even the sirenians could enter or else they would be cursed by the dragon itself.

That visit to the grave was repeated over the next few years, and became a tradition. Their time together was minuscule compared to the rest of the days they spent away from each other, but Alaric could not help but look forward to that meeting all year long. Eventually, they also began to write letters to each other that were sent via pigeons. Alaric got Leander to become their intermediary so that his father would not notice.

Apart from that, they had no other contact during the year. Yaritza could not stay far away from the water and, even in the unlikely event that she could appear in Shadowrock, her father would have forbidden her to enter. That was one of the reasons why Alaric never dared to share his true feelings, although he always had thought that it didn't need to be told out loud, and that Yaritza knew perfectly well that his heart belonged to her since that first meeting when he had run off like a coward.

But he was the future Guardian of the Circle. His duty was first to his people. His place was in Shadowrock, while Yaritza could wander as she pleased in the Freedom Sea. Their love was destined to fail from the beginning, and Alaric did not want to hurt her.

So when, at the age of twenty-four, his father informed him that he would not be accompanying him to the lake that year, but would be participating in a mission that His Majesty had entrusted to a group of nobles, Alaric did not complain. It was for the best. They could not continue to deceive themselves. Besides, it was the first real mission in which he would participate. After long and long-suffering years of training, his father was beginning to recognize him as a worthy heir, and he could not miss the opportunity to prove that he was no longer the sickly child of the past.

So he left for the capital, where he embarked with the other nobles on a mission that would take them to some of the most remote islands in the north where it was thought that there would be a confrontation with the pirates after long years of peace. They were supposed to engage in dialogue in order to avoid conflict, but they were heavily armed anyway.

That was the first time Alaric saw the sea, and understood why Yaritza and the sirenians would rather leave every year than remain captive on land. By that time, Yaritza must have already reached the lake and would be feeling very angry with him for not being there. Perhaps her anger would be so great that she would decide to forget him forever. Although the thought of that hurt him, it also reassured him because it was the best thing for her.

So convinced was he of this that his surprise knew no bounds the day he was on deck gazing out on that vast sea that reminded him so much of his lovely sirenian, when suddenly he heard a voice that made his heart leap.

“Hey, Shadow, wake up!”

It couldn't be...

“Yaritza!” the young man discovered her clinging to some ropes hanging from the boat. Her long black hair floated in the breeze, and her red scales glowed like fire.

“Did you think you could stand me up just like that, without suffering the consequences?” she grimaced in disgust though her eyes conveyed mischief.

“But I... we...!” Alaric did not know how to explain. “What consequences?”

She grabbed him by the collar of his clothes, while letting go of the ropes, which caused her to drag him down, and they both plunged into the waves. Alaric felt the sirenia's lips on his, though this time they stayed together longer, unlike all the previous times.

The force of the sea had nothing to do with the calm waters of the lake, so, while Yaritza dragged him through the foam and the waves, Alaric lost sight of the boat. He wondered what his fellow travellers would think when they saw that he was nowhere to be found, but in reality he realized that he did not care.

The sirenian ended up driving him to the beach of a small island that she claimed was uninhabited, and was only visited by pirates and sirenians who never stayed long. There they spent several days, completely alone, enjoying each other’s company, and somehow making up for all those countless days that they have been separated.

Alaric knew no happier days than those.

“Let’s stay here forever,” proposed Yaritza one day while taking a nap in the shade of a palm tree. “Everyone must think you’re dead. Stay here, and let’s forget about the rest of the world.”

Her words hinted at a dangerous seduction: disappearing for the rest of the world, becoming someone else, forgetting all the expectations and obligations that had been imposed on him since he was born.

But Alaric couldn’t help but think of Barthra, as well as his comrades Leander and Cormac. Would they have heard that he was missing by now? Would they really think he was dead? Would they be mourning his death, burying an empty coffin, while he was there in bliss with Yaritza? How long had it been? Days, weeks, months?

“I need to go back, Yaritza,” he stood up, and knelt before her with a very serious face. “Would you become my Countess?”

Yaritza laughed as if that was the most ridiculous idea in the world.

“Me, Countess? Look at me. Do you really think I’m capable of wearing dresses and bossing servants, in the midst of those icy mountains and forests populated with elves? Besides, I can’t survive long away from the water either. Your idea is stupid, mine is much better,” she stroked his hair like a child about to have a tantrum.

“I will build you a home near the lake. You will not have to live far away,” insisted Alaric.

Yaritza’s eyes, so happy during those days, darkened for the first time.

“Elves wouldn’t like it. The Guardian should be neutral. An alliance with a sirenian would be very frowned upon. We would live with conflict after conflict. The royal family would end up taking away your title, and the result would be much worse than if they thought you were dead.”

“For you, any sacrifice.”

“Any sacrifice other than staying here with me,” she laughed. “Besides, every winter I would have to leave. I couldn’t stay with you. You would have to wait for me every year, that would not change,” she took his hand, begging. “But here we can be forever together.”

“What about your family?”

“In our culture, children do not belong to parents. We are free to decide for ourselves. Moreover, they could visit us.”

“But I could not see my own people,” Alaric reproached her.

“You said any sacrifice, but you keep putting obstacles!”

“You are not willing to sacrifice yourself for me either!”

“And you also mention an oath that is for life”, Yaritza's tone of voice made it sound like a joke, and Alaric felt hurt.

“Well, yes, marriage is sacred, it is forever.”

“Sirenians do not get married, we promise each other, every year. Like my parents. Every year my mother comes back, and commits to him again. It’s a choice.”

They remained silent until Alaric spoke again.

“It seems that neither of us is prepared to compromise.”

“It seems not.”

“Then, perhaps, this is not love.”

As soon as he said that, Alaric regretted it, but it was too late. Yaritza’s eyes burned like fire, and with a movement of her hand a giant wave swept across the beach taking Alaric away from her. For a moment he thought she was going to kill him, but the current dragged him out to sea, without drowning him. He remained floating for a while, lost in the middle of the ocean, until a ship from the Royal Navy intercepted him.