The Chronicles of Ilani the Elf Queen

Chapter Three

y this time I realized that the boat was moving slowly out of the harbor.

"What? No!" I cried, dashing to the side of the boat and looking over the side, instantly turning green. I dry heaved a few times (I hadn't yet eaten anything that day) then slid down to sit on the deck. I had horrible seasickness, every time I stepped onto a boat. Even the gentle waters of the harbor got my stomach rolling. "Lord Harper is going to kill me..."

"Elizabeth's father?" Oliver looked confused. "Why would he be mad at you?"

"I work for him," I said.

"Wait," Oliver grinned." You're a servant?" He started laughing. "Ilani, the nobleman's daughter, brought down to the lowly status of a servant!" He was bent over double, clutching his stomach.

"I don't see what's so funny," I said, slightly miffed. "You were also of noble birth, but now all you have is this pirate ship."

"Touché, Ilani dear," he straightened and once again was serious. "I want to hear what has happened to you since the last time we parted."

"After o- my parents were k- I mean died, I went into the nearest town and found work an apothecary's shop. I only worked there for a few months before a nobleman walked, seeking a cure for his sick daughter. I offered my services, and ended up working for him as a servant. That was two years ago, and I've been working for him ever since." I paused. "What of you?"

"When I ran away from our childhood home, I went to the nearest harbor town and sought work on a ship. I worked for years until I had enough money to buy my own, but I didn't have enough money to pay for a crew, so right now it's just my first mate and me."

"What first mate?" I asked, slightly suspicious.

"Oh, he's working below deck; I can call him up if you want to meet him."

"I want to meet him!" Elizabeth said. Oliver walked over to a trap door in the deck and opened it.

"Jackson! Come on up for a moment! We have guests!" He yelled down the hole. A moment later a young man with platinum blonde hair gently floated up out of the hole and landed softly on the deck.

"This better be good," he said not noticing me and Elizabeth. "I was working."

"Just look before you get grumpy," Oliver gestured towards me and Elizabeth. "See?"

Jackson turned around and his eyes widened when he saw me. "Ilani!" He rushed forward and captured my face in his hands. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd never see you again!"

"Get off of me you oaf!" I cried, shoving him away from me. He stumbled back a few steps, looking hurt. "In what fantasy land are you living in would make you think that I'd be happy to see you?!"

"But, Ilani, I thought," he stammered. "Before you left, I thought maybe..."

Blush rose to my cheek when I thought of the last time I saw him. "Whatever you thought, you were wrong." Jackson hung his head with dejection and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"Ilani, what's going on?" Elizabeth asked.

"I know Jackson too, milady."

"Well why are you being so mean to him?"

"Because he, well, we're... betrothed."

"Do you not want to marry him?"

"No! It was something arranged by our parents. I want the freedom to make my own decisions."

"My decision was made 2 years ago," Jackson said sadly. "It still is."

"Nobody asked you," I spat back venomously, perversely enjoying the way he flinched.

"Would you stop it!" Elizabeth yelled, trying to hit me but missing. "He didn't do anything to you. Like you said, it was your parent's choice, not his. Now apologize"

"Of course, milady," I curtsied to Jackson. "I am sorry good sir, will you please forgive me?" I had managed not to grimace while I was speaking. Oliver and Jackson stood looking at me, mouths gaping. They starting whispering to each other, and I picked up bits like: "besotted", "she apologized" and "what do you do now?".

"Are you done yet?" I asked, annoyed.

"Um, yes," Jackson straightened his coat and bowed to me. "Apology accepted Lady Ilani."

"I am no lady," I despised the title. "Just a humble servant for the Harper family."

Jackson frowned. "Of course."

"So where are we going?" I asked, looking at the calm ocean surrounding the boat, trying not to retch.

"To the mermaids!" Elizabeth crowed.

"Why?"

Oliver nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I, uh, might need to marry one."

I slapped my forehead with my hand. "How did you manage that?!"

"Well, there are these puffballs that you eat that temporarily turn you into a mermaid if you eat one," Jackson started to explain.

"And I ate one and went down to the underwater kingdom and destroyed a bunch of stuff." Oliver finished. "So in redress, the sea king is going to make me marry his daughter, Amariel."

"Wow." I said, not really all that surprised. Leave it to Oliver to pull a stupid stunt like that. "When's the wedding?"

"In two days. That's how long it will take to get there. You guys will come and try to stop it, won't you?"  Oliver looked so hopeful, I couldn't refuse.

"Yes," I sighed. "I'll come."

"I'll be there too!" Elizabeth smiled. "There's no way that I'm going to let you live the rest of your life under the ocean."

Oliver smiled, and looked for a moment it thought I saw the little kid I used to know, before he turned into a young man and left me, after our parents died.

Yes. Our parents. Oliver was my brother.