“Alright, siren. You certainly didn’t dress for the occasion, but you have your chance now. Present your gift.” Uma’s irritation was evident in her tone.
“My gift?”Oh, shit!Her gift was still waiting down in the tunnel.
Uma latched onto her hesitation and said, “We don’t have time for this! Do you have a gift or not?”
“Kai, I…I have a gift for you, but I don’t have it with me.”
Hands thrown in the air, Uma shouted, “Without a gift, you are disqualified, which means this has all been a waste of time.”
“But I do have a gift! I have a great one for Kai!”
Kai stepped toward her, his hand outstretched for hers. His touch was reassuring even as he asked, “Then, where is it?”
“It’s right here. I…am…the father.”
The booming voice of Poseidon filled the arena as he stood at the head of one of the tunnels. Everyone’s attention zeroed in on the huge being, including Uma’s.
The crowd began to jeer and boo at the unwanted visitor. They clearly didn’t like Poseidon, and they weren’t afraid to show it.
“Silence!” His deep-voice command shook the arena, and everyone went instantly quiet. Poseidon turned his attention toward Kai’s mother. “Uma, why did you not tell me we had a son?”
The entire crowd gasped as one and everyone’s focus returned to Uma. She squirmed in her seat but held her chin high as she answered, “You left us!”
“You left me! You were the one who fled my palace. When I came after you, you said you wanted nothing to do with me.”
She leaped from her chair. “That’s not true. My father said he sent a message to you from me. I swallowed every bit of my pride and begged you to come to me. But you never showed.”
“I never received a message, Uma. I would have been here in a heartbeat.”
Silence filled the packed arena as Uma and Poseidon stared at each other, likely replaying the events of the past.
Uma broke the silence as she said, “All that time wasted thinking you’d abandoned me and our son.”
She sat down heavily in her seat, staring at her hands. “My father had thought you weren’t good for me. He thought he knew best and had taken the choice out of my hands.” Her gaze soughtKai’s, who had wrapped an arm around Hollyn. “You should get the chance to choose who you want by your side. I’m sorry I put you through all of this.”
Kai took a deep breath and addressed his mother, “I choose Hollyn.”
The whole crowd erupted with cheers and applause, and Hollyn was surprised by the level of support she, a lowly siren, received. It was heartening, but what really made her happy was that Kai had chosen her.
He wasn’t finished though. With a determined tone in his voice, he shouted for the entire crowd, “I renounce the crown. I am not the one meant to rule Hanupali City.” The crowd chattered amongst themselves, confused and dismayed. But Kai continued, “The one who cares most about the people, the one who should take the throne, the one who will rule with grace and rationality is none other than my sister, Queen Oleen.”
Once again, the crowd raised their voices in cheers, louder than ever for the one person fit to rule. They began to chant,Queen Oleen! Long live Queen Oleen!And Hollyn caught the watery gaze of the other woman, her friend. She gave her a reassuring smile as Oleen stood and waved at her people.
Kai stepped away from Hollyn and turned to his sister, wrapping her in a hug. He pulled back and looked at her for a few seconds before he asked, “What do you say? Do you want to be the Queen?”
She nodded vigorously and shouted, “Yes! I have so many ideas! I will be the Queen.” She turned thoughtful for a moment. “What about Makoa?”
Hollyn stepped forward. “I think we leave him as Queen consort. I think you’ll find he’s open to all of your ideas and always will be.”
Poseidon had crossed to where the family were, and he pulled Uma into his arms. She giggled like a young woman and stared up at him like she was still in love.
Poseidon turned to look at Kai, their eyes so similar. “I have a son! And what an amazing one at that!”
They talked for a little while, Kai catching Poseidon up on his childhood and all the adventures he’d recently had with Hollyn.
Once they settled into a budding relationship and promised to find time to really get to know each other, Uma interrupted to ask, “Kai, can you ever forgive me? I thought I was doing what was best.”
Kai reached out a hand to his mother and said, “All we can do is use the information we’re given and make the best decisions in the moment. If you hadn’t done what you had, I might never have met Hollyn.” He squeezed her against his side and kissed her on the cheek. Hollyn’s heart soared at his words, but she couldn’t help but feel the anxiety of her own situation.
