EMBER

Welcome Home

My heart is pounding in my chest. I stop. I'm tired of swimming. I don't really care though. I take off again and then I feel it. The reason I came back. I see the palace. The sun has just risen here. It is morning. My home looks beautiful in this light. The place I grew up in. It is just as I left it three months ago. I can't go through the front door. I swim lower down and find my secret passage. It's dark and gloomy and that's why I kinda like it. I reach a wall. I knock in three places and the wall spilts into two. I'm in my room. Nothing is touched. Everything is as I left it and there I see my purple iris cristata. Surrounded by a bubble letting air surround it. It's glowing more than ever. I rush to it but I can't touch it. But I feel it. Whatever "IT" was. The flower is beautiful. It's one of the reasons and the most important reason why I love the water so much. It feels like home. Iris cristata meaning faith, hope, wisdom, courage and admiration. All the things I had hoped to be when I chose it to be my flower. I was six. I don't know why but I just liked it. The reason it's in a bubble it so it can survive since it's underwater. That's one of the reason I kinda left. I felt like I couldn't survive underwater. Even though a meramaid I felt like I was drowning. Melodramatic I know but everything was just c-

"Ember?" I heard the familiar voice a little sad. I turn around. 

"Father?" I say. His eyes are sad. He watches me. I want to rush and hug him but he's the King and I know he won't approv-

"Ember, you are back,'' he says sternly now. And there it is.

"Yes father," I respond in a similar tone as his.

"And what are you doing here?"

"My flower...." I say and then I realized that's not what he wanted to hear, "Sorry, I should have come to you as soon as I arrived."

"Yes you should have!" he says.

"Sir, I was going to escort her but she swam off," Kai said joining my father at his side.

"Ember? What is this about?" my father asks. 

"Nothing I was just-"

"Your Highness the people are gathering," one of my father soldiers announced.

"Yes of course," he says. He looks at me and Kai. Did I miss something or has alot happened in three months.

"Come then we have to welcome home the Queen."

Yeah... Queen. He leads the way to the balcony of the palace. We move through the long corridor. I get some smiles from those in the palace and all the bows. Oh, how I hate the bows. The doors open and my father goes first. He welcomes the people but I'm too nervous to even listen to what he's saying. 

"You okay?" Kai asks.

"No, not really, what are people going to say, 'The King's daughter after three months above comes back just because her flower bloomed, To be Queen. What has she done to deserved to be queen,' " I babbled.

He holds my shoulder and locks eyes with me.

"No, they are not, you are going to be Queen because of who you are faithful, hopeful, wise, courageous and admirable," he says. I smile and then I shake him off.

"Or maybe what you said, probably the whole she doesn't deserve it thing," he adds. My smile disappears. Ugh. And that's ONE of the reasons I left.

"You know what Kai-"

"......my daughter Ember," I hear and I'm pushed to the balcony. I look at the crowd before me. I feel my cheeks turn red. They begin to clap and then father says something else. They clap again louder and I feel a hand take mine. I look down and look up at the person who came beside me. Kai? I have to breathe. What was going on?

"...........and I know they would make a wonderful King and Queen," I hear the words but my mind is taking long to process. What? The crowd applauds again and then my father dismisses everyone. 

I swim back inside with Kai still holding my hand. I pull away from him. My head is pounding.

"Guess you're marrying me after all," he says. My head jerks upward.

"What?"

"Yeah, your father just announced it to the entire kingdom."

"What?"

"CONGRATULATIONS!" my father said embracing me and Kai. 

I am marrying Kai? I...AM.....MARRYING...........KAI! I feel my heart rate increasing. I find myself gasping for air. I push away from my father and Kai.

"Ember! Ember! Are you okay?" I hear someone shout, "EMBER!"

My name is a faint call. My eyes are heavy and I feel my body light.

I

AM

MARRYING

KAI.