Chapter 16

A LOVELY SIREN

Linden was truly grateful the Queen had accompanied them to the baths. She organized things as they went to their rooms to get towels and fresh robes. At least the baths were as luxurious and as invigorating as she remembered from their last visit. Brit, Veralee, and Kirsta did some very unladylike yelling, shoving, and splashing about as they took their first refreshing dip after their exhausting trip.

The rawhide tough Princess did her best to avoid comparing her own athletic frame with the full-bodied Lorelei. She told herself that Lorelei was a mature woman, while she herself had only reached puberty two summers ago. As she washed Camden's shapely back and shampooed her hair, soothingly massaging her scalp, she was vicariously proud of her Mother's still young body that didn't need any Magical Spells or excuses.

Queen Camden was watching the stunning Siren as she swam like a fish under the clear water of the baths. She confided in Linden, "Darling, I came with you, just now, to keep you from thoroughly thrashing her. You don't have to do that; you've got years of love on your side. There are hundreds of harlots who've thrown themselves at Wildar over the years, but you see whose bed his muddy boots are under. All you must do is to keep doing what you have always done and our Vandar is yours!" The Siren rose to the surface to see the loving smiles of all the women.

The women did their best on Lorelei's hair, they rapidly groomed out the snarls and all the loose foreign objects, and they used perfumed soaps and oils to replace those she'd lost from exposure to the sun and sea. After Camden trimmed the split ends and they curled it, the Siren's hair shone with a beautiful luster.

Linden gave generously of her jewels and finery. She disdained any artificial advantage these would have given her over Lorelei. She would keep her man by using her own wits and talents, or not at all!

When they reentered the hall, Linden saw all eyes were on the gorgeous Lorelei, but Queen Camden, Princess Linden, and their retinue were all visions of loveliness. This, of course, was no surprise to any of the men. What was a surprise was that Lorelei was also elegant beyond belief. Linden wisely knew that most of the attention given to Lorelei was due to the vast contrast she made with her earlier appearance.

The Siren's jet-black tresses had been washed and curled, then captured up in gleaming silver filagree. She was adorned with a matching tiara, necklace, and bracelets with gleaming emeralds that accented the unique color of her eyes. The women had hastily adjusted a green gown of Linden's to fit Lorelei's more mature figure.

Though the Siren was awesomely beautiful, she still seemed ill at ease in the attractive clothing. The women had gotten the Siren into the gown but it was as if her body had a mind of it's own. It was threatening to come out of the gown in several different directions at once!

Linden came straight to Vandar. "You must do something for poor Lorelei, my Darling! Mother and I can barely keep that gown on her and the Siren's Curse is suffocating her, with her being among company, but unable to speak."

Linden bent over Vandar and kissed him with her sweet, soft lips. He smelled the freshly bathed woman smell of her, lightly accented with bath oils and rare aromatic spices. "Dearest." He said. "I had meant to wait until I was more practiced in the Art of Magic before I attempted to undo her ancient Curse, but I have managed some modest successes so far. Besides, I find I can refuse you nothing! Please be seated next to me, Cousin Lorelei."

The exotic Siren sat where Vandar directed her, in a chair he pulled around so she would face him directly. He took both of her small, strong hands in his, then he closed his eyes. "Close your eyes and relax." He instructed her.

The determined Princess had quickly inveigled Vandar into the attempt to do away with the Siren's Curse. She wanted Lorelei to be judged on her own merits as soon as possible. She had to clench her teeth in an effort to control her own feelings of jealousy when she saw Vandar take and hold Lorelei's hands in his.

Vandar looked closely at her with his mind's eye. Of a sudden, he felt a terrible gnawing hunger and insatiable drive for sexual gratification coming from Lorelei. Vandar thought, this was even worse than the frustration suffered by teen-aged men, living night and day with these emotions would be enough to drive anyone insane!

He instinctively knew to draw cooling Power from deep in the depths of the cold spring under the Castle, to first dampen, then to quench the burning fires of lust down to a more normal level.