Obstacle is removed

"Let's see if she can sing or not." Queen Xobaria came to stand before Aurora. She gestured to her to sit down and then sat right before her as she commanded her to start singing once again.

Jelena and the other girls stood there baffled as they saw Aurora hesitating and the Queen encouraging her. It was one in a million days' sight to witness. Kiara, who was coming through the window as usual, halted as she saw Xobaria in the room. She cursed under her breath slowly. Mother Xobaria had to visit the same day she was late, what great luck she got! Slowly she sneaked her way in, trying not to alert anyone of her presence.

"Don't consider anyone else's presence here. Just you and me. Now go on," Xobaria whispered and placed a hand on Aurora's chest right above her heart.

Twisting her fingers, Aurora pulled a deep breath in and started repeating the lines of the same first song that she hasn't been able to master yet.

"Can you hear me?"

"I am your reward."

Everyone appeared bored as they have heard this thousands of times from her mouth before and nothing had changed. No difference this time as well.

"So come to me,"

"I'll never give up on you."

"I'll serve you with love,"

Xobaria pressed her hand harder into her chest and Aurora stuttered slightly.

"a-and keep you awake."

Xobaria was chanting something slowly in her mouth and only her lips could be seen moving. Suddenly her hand started illuminating slightly as if it had started absorbing the light out of Aurora's chest.

"Make my knees…g-go weak."

Aurora was starting to feel breathless and her chest stung a little but she carried on for the sake of her mother's honor. She couldn't embarrass her in front of everyone by giving up.

"I shall succumb to y-ahhhhh!" She groaned as a sudden pain shot through her heart. She snapped her eyes open and saw Xobaria's face right before hers. She was looking straight into her eyes. The red in her iris was swirling around, visibly hypnotizing her.

"Keep going," Xobaria demanded. Her voice came out heavy and low.

"I s-shall succumb to your d-desires."

"y-your… you…"

She couldn't do it anymore despite trying her hardest. Her breath was almost gone and the pain in her chest whipped like a lash every two seconds that caused her to grab Xobaria's wrist.

At first the glow beneath Xobaria's hand was subtle but now her hand was fully illuminated. With her other hand she tilted Aurora's face up, forcing her to look in her eyes.

With half closed eyes Aurora looked into hers, the red swirls in them making her nauseous. As she couldn't see her own face at the moment, she was unaware of the fact that her once warm hazel, almost green eyes were turning pitch black.

'What is she doing to her?' Petrified, Kiara tried to step in but was stopped by Ms Jelena who held her forearm and pulled her back. They all knew it was strictly prohibited to meddle in Queen Xobaria's business but Kiara was blinded by the affection of her little sister at the moment.

When Aurora was on the verge of passing out from breathlessness, Xobaria pulled her hand back and immediately clenched it into a fist. She brought it closer to her stomach and pressed it against her own skin but suddenly she was thrown backwards with an electrified jerk. Instinctively Jelena and others came forward to see her while Kiara ran over to her sister who had fallen on the ground. She took her head in her lap and started patting her face which had paled immensely.

"Are you alright, mother Xobaria?" Jelena pulled her up from her arm.

"Yes yes, I am fine." Although she wasn't fine by any means, she faked it smoothly.

"What did you do to her?" Kiara inquired her, her agitated form screaming disobedience.

"Watch your tone girl!" Xobaria stepped forward and slapped Kiara across the face. "You, yesterday's child will question me about my daughter now, huh?"

Kiara looked up at her with tearing eyes, so many things suddenly broke inside them. 'Who am I then?' She wanted to ask but one slap was enough for today to bring her back to her place.

Moaning, Aurora opened her eyes. First thing she saw was the reddened face of Kiara and then all of them standing around her. She sat up immediately as she spotted Xobaria being one of them.

"What happened to me?" She looked at Kiara.

"Nothing happened, you just fainted." Xobaria replied to her instead.

"Oh," She looked worriedly at Kiara who wasn't saying anything and wasn't looking at her. Deciding to talk to her later, she stood up.

"Let's continue from where it had been interrupted. We have cured the issue you had with your vocals, now try to sing the last lyrics of the song again." Xobaria said as if nothing extraordinary had just happened moments ago.

However, as soon as Aurora started singing once again it was the actual extraordinary thing that had happened.

Her voice was still the same but…but that high note…no one had ever delivered it like she did it just at the moment. The sudden power of temptation in her voice and the immense amount of it, even the Sirens felt goosebumps creeping on the back of their spines. If not for the muscles supporting them, their jaws may have actually dropped to the ground.

How could Aurora…the 'useless' sing like that?!

Xobaria inhaled a deep breath as she smiled in content.

The obstacle has been successfully removed.

A Siren's tempting call originates from the darkness of her heart and that was the only hindrance that Aurora was facing until now.

"That's right, now let's get you ready for your wedding. Everyone else, get ready as well as today our daughter shall be married to the crown-prince of dry lands."

For the third time, their eyes widened and jaws hung lower than they were supposed to…