The Sole Prince

It all fits together. [part 2]

As the ocean breeze brushes across his face, James puts one edge of the jacket underneath the other, keeping his arms slightly crossed so that the coat stays closed, and his chest isn't revealed to the world. And now it's time for the processing. The tale of his life has progressed in strides and bounds within the past twenty-four hours. James went from thinking he was going to be going home on a foreign ship without ever telling Sage how he truly felt, to the foreign ship wanting to sell James for a profit, to having to heal Sage after he fought to defend James, to his own secret identity being exposed, to Sage revealing his own secret identity, to having the opportunity to tell Sage what he has been wanting to and seizing the chance, to Sage kissing him, to him kissing Sage, to the doctor walking in on Sage doingthat.

All within the last twenty-four hours.

James needs a breather. That's not to say that if Sage was in front of him right now, and they were in private, James wouldn't pull him closer to kiss him. It's just that with everything happening, James needs the time to let the happening catch up in his mind.

Late morning air flows into his face, pushing a few strands of hair that were on his head off to the side. Did he— did he really just admit that he likes men in the way that he was supposed to like women? And did he just prove that was true within the span of the night?

Yes. Yes he did.

The other major topic of conversation continuing to circle in the depths of James's mind is the story Sage told him yesterday. The story of Sage being a prince. It's unbelievable. But it's not like James doesn't trust Sage, it's not that at all. If anything, James has too much trust in Sage. How much does a ship trust a lighthouse?

Yet, anxiety is the natural rival to trust, and so, James seeks some other confirmation to ease the meandering thoughts that possess his mind.

There's only one other person named in the story yesterday that he can feasibly talk to, so all James has to do is find her. That shouldn't be too difficult, right? He did the same yesterday, in more dire circumstances. Doing it today should be a walk in the park. Well, a walk along the beach.

Sand flicks up under his shoes after each step James makes, barely any defined paths on the entire island other than a few stone ones. The tavern he found Celine in yesterday is off a little in the distance, and he figures that's the first place he should try. Then again, it's the late morning. Then again, she's a pirate. His stride doesn't falter as he continues walking towards the establishment.

When he steps inside, he realizes the place is as busy as it was yesterday night. Pirates really do love to drink, it seems. James walks through the restaurant, scanning for a familiar face yet unable to find a single one. Even the bartender is different from yesterday.

And just like that, James now has an entire island to search. Better get moving. He exits out of the establishment quickly, thinking about where else to go. He can always go to the ship, but why would she be there? Simply for the sake of convenience, James decides to try the closest building to the pub. The only discerning thing about the place is a wooden emblem hanging on the outside, depicting four different symbols placed in separate quadrants. There's a staff, or maybe a wand, a cup or chalice, a sword or dagger or something, and some sort of coin all carved into the wood, yet none of them help James understand what the shop provides. Regardless, the door is propped open with a large stone, and James at least knows that means open, so he finds himself walking into the entrance of the shop.

Yet, once inside, the shop's purpose doesn't become much clearer. All there is in there is two women sitting on either side of a table, one wearing a flowy dress, countless scarves, and a wrap around her head, with limitless pieces of jewelry on every exposed part of her body. The other, James recognizes, instantly feeling a sense of relief. James walks closer to the two ladies, the table being on the other edge of the shop than the entrance. Some sort of incense burns, creating a thin layer of smoke and a strong scent that lingers throughout the establishment. Though with every step James takes towards the table, the more he feels as if he's intruding on something. Well, that is until Celine rotates her head to address whoever is walking in.