The Past

The Ship

I originally shipped Kinheal and Teirr but don't worry I have good plans for both characters
(And by that I mean I'm flying by the seat of my pants)

"Come." It must have been two in the morning when Remor appeared in my room to tell me the ship was ready.

I jolted out of bed as though struck by lightning, only half disregarding the way his eyes glanced up and down my nightgown. Quickly, I snatched a light cloak and the small piece of luggage I had hidden under my bed for this very occasion, filled with all necessary belongings and as much gold as I had. Remor took it and waited as I threw on the cloak for the sake of decency.

Then we went.

Running barefoot through the palace in Orion in the middle of the night felt rather childish, though also somehow poetic. After a series of corridors, passes through plazas, and several staircases, we reached the docks.

I immediately regretted forgetting my slippers. The wood I stood on was rough, cold, and it would most certainly give me splinters.

The ship was in a worse state.

Even though the half moon was blanketed by a curtain of clouds, I could still make out the details of the looming mass in front of me as we approached it. The wood, weathered by years on the water, creaked as the waves hit it. Its sails had been patched dozens of times.

It was not much smaller than the one I arrived on, though significantly more plain. A sudden breeze had me wish I had worn a thicker cloak.

"Here." Remor, who had noticed my shudder, draped his own cloak over my shoulders.

"Thank you," I told him, "for everything. You've been kind, and if I were to stay and get married, I would've liked for it to be you." I quickly pressed my lips to his for a brief moment, overcome with a wave of stupidity.

"Likewise, Princess," he said.

"I am sorry for my distance. I was jealous of Laerin, is the truth." I shook my head at myself for being such a foolish child. "I wish you the best here at court."

"And my mother said you were smart." Remor's laugh sent a shiver through me. "Sweet Kinheal, did you really think I'd send you off alone on a ship full of men I only trust as far as my gold goes?"

I widened my eyes, unfurrowing my eyebrows as I realised what he meant. He was coming with me, and I was a complete idiot.

"And he's not the only one."

Two silhouettes approached from the shadows of the dock behind us.

"Thank you for joining us, Prince Teirr." Remor bowed his head at my old friend as the moonlight hit his face.

Beside him was Athern, though I couldn't deduce why in the Realms Remor would invite him.

"I know I wasn't invited, but Prince Teirr here did me the favour of informing me about your little escapade."

I shot Teirr a murderous glance.

Stupid bloody prick, I thought.

I turned my eyes back to the boat, then followed Remor across planks and onto its worn out deck.
He briefly introduced me to the captain, a grey haired human man in a surprisingly nice outfit considering the state of his ship.

He showed us to four small cabins -I was granted the largest one- and bid us all a good rest.

The cabin was minimal, and had a low roof. The cramped space was filled with a small desk, a bed, a washbasin, a chamber pot, and a wardrobe that would fit the few clothes I had brought. I soon realised it would be a different sort of life than what I was used to, what with no bathing chamber and reusing all of my clothing with no wash.

There was a knock at my door some time later, and I opened it to find Teirr.

"Kinheal. May I come in?"

"Of course," I told him and watched as he shut the door behind him.

"I apologise for bringing Athern, I did not know there was bad blood."

"It's okay." I sat on the bed and patted beside me, so he would seat himself as well.

I missed my brothers right then. Sometimes Seno would come and cuddle into bed with me, when the night was particularly cold, and Jes would follow not long after.

"Our parents were the closest of friends," he said abruptly.

"...yes." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "We were close once, too."

"And we have become so again. I love you very much, Alura, you are like a sister to me."

"Would you like to sleep here? I have realised that I am the only woman on this ship, and the crew men may not be as trustworthy as Remor and yourself."

"Of course."

I snuggled myself into the right side of the bed, and he laid there beside me.

The children of Zalta and Doran would always be close and would always be family, in one way or another. Teirr would always be my brother.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I whispered, and drifted off into a deep slumber.