Forever, You Are My Star

Chapter 1: The Calling

The morning sun peaked through the large, red curtains making Mey slowly wake from her slumber. She slowly sat up and stretched before kicking away the sheets and rising from her bed. Her long, wavy, black hair, that was once in a neat braid was now freely falling past her waist. Mey made her way over to one of her windows and opened the giant curtains. A bright smile gleamed across her face as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As soon as she opened the window, the scent of the sea filled her nostrils. She opened her eyes and quickly dashed for her clothes that were still in a messy pile on a nearby chair. After putting on a pair of black trousers and a ruffled ivory, long-sleeve top, she put on a pair of black knee high boots then finished dressing by tightening a brown leather belt around her waist. She tied her hair back in a beautiful braid and threw it behind her before she placed a sheathed dagger on her belt. But before Mey could make it out of her bedroom, a knock came form her door.

    "Come in." She called out. The door opened, and her maid Giyah entered the room.

    "Good morning, Your Highness." She said sweetly while bowing.

    "Good morning." Mey mumbled back knowing full well what she would say next.

    "Your father has requested that you meet him in the garden." And there it was. Every morning he would do this. Mey tried everything to hold back her sigh and closed her eyes to prevent her from rolling them.

    "Thank you, Giyah. You may return to your duties." Giyah bowed then quietly left the room leaving Mey to herself once again. She finally grabbed the rest of her things then headed out to the garden. The sun streamed through the ceiling to floor windows and illuminated the ivory and gold walls as she walked along the corridor. Looking out the windows, she could see the waves crashing along the tall cliffs. She would be riding through the hills and beaches by now if her father didn't call for her like he always did. Mey finally reached the beautiful stained glass doors that lead out into the garden. And to the right of those doors was a beautiful painted portrait of the late queen, Mey's mother. Some even thought that Mey and her mother were twins with how similar they looked. With the long black hair, pale skin, and emerald green eyes, it was no surprise that people would mistake her for her mother. She sweetly smiled at the painting then walked out the doors. Unfortunately, that smile disappeared when she saw who her father was sitting with. Once the king saw his daughter, he motioned for the middle aged man who was sitting with him to leave. The man stood, bowed and walked into the direction of Mey.

    "Good morning, Your Highness." He said with a cunning smile and a bow.

    "Good morning, Commander Penn." Mey forced a smile then walked towards her father. He was sitting on a bench by a large fountain that was surrounded by beautiful flowers of all kinds. He smiled and stood from his seat, but when Mey drew closer, his smile quickly faded.

    "And just where do you think you are going?" His voice was deep and calm but stern.

    "And a good morning to you too, father."

    "That didn't answer my question, Mey." Mey let out a sigh and walked up to the fountain.

    "I was going to take Onyx out for his morning run like always." The king walked up to his daughter and placed an arm around her.

    "Mey, you are a princess with duties that need to be performed. You can't keep doing this." Mey turned to her father.

    "I can't just lock myself up in the palace and command people for the rest of my life. I've told you this many times before that this is not the life I want."

    "So you are going to let your brother take on all the responsibilities." Mey paused to turn at the fountain. Now she felt guilty. The king sighed. "Take Onyx out for today, but tomorrow you will resume your responsibilities and duties."

    "Yes, father." The king then developed her into a hug.

    "I love you, Mey." 

    "I love you too, father." With that, the king released her from his hold and watched her walk back into the castle. Once she was out of sight, he looked up into the morning sky with his soft blue eyes and sighed.

    "Raya, what am I going to do with her?"

    The sun was now hiding behind a clump of trees near the stables when Mey arrived. When she entered the yard she gave a whistle, and right on cue, a whinny was heard after. She smiled and made her way to the second to last stall at the end of the row and opened the door. There stood a beautiful, tall, black Arabian stallion that was now pacing his stall and talking with his head.

    "Looks like someone is ready for their morning ride." She quickly took the blanket and saddle off the rack and placed it on his back. Once it was all buckled and tightened, she took the bridle and placed it over his head. Finally, she climbed on his back and readied herself. "Alright, Onyx, you know where to go." Onyx gave one last small whinny and took off out of his stall and into town towards a road leading up to the cliff side. The wind blew gently as the two made their way up watching the waves crash on the beach below. The tall grass grazed Onyx's legs as he galloped on and the sun made his cote shimmer. Mey closed her eyes as she felt the wind in her face, the smell of the sea on her nostrils.. She felt calm. She felt free. And before she knew it, Onyx had arrived at her regular spot on the cliff side, right on the edge looking over the sea. She dismounted Onyx ad began to take off his bridle and saddle so he could run around freely. Once he was free, he nudged Mey as his way of making sure she was alright before he took off down a small pathway leading to the ocean. Mey giggles to herself then sat down putting her bag to her side. She made herself comfortable then took out a book to read. She would always loose herself in books about the sea with its legends and myths. The wind softly began to blow again causing strands of her hair to flow with it. As she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she heard a beautiful voice on the air, one that she always heard since she was a small girl.

    "Child of the sea, come and find me."