The People We Are

Chapter XXII; Arlie

"If not Queen Anastasia and Beau, let it be us. I know she taught us all, but teach just me." Xayah told her as she drugged her outside into the courtyard. Arlie taught her the dance, and they went back in, knowing what they were about to do. "Oh, there you are." Beau said solemnly to Arlie when she returned. "Oh, hello Beau." she said, not really paying attention to him. "I wish Anastasia I could've danced once more. We always shut everyone up. Well, no more." he said even more somberly. "No worries, Xayah had me teach her the dance." she said as the band quieted down. "Arlie? May I have this dance?" Xayah asked as she walked back to her from the band. "Yes." she said the beautiful girl in front of her. She hoped they would've made Anastasia proud, as this was always her thing. However, with Ideus, that was likely to never be the case again.

That was so long ago.
But for Arlie it felt like only a month or so ago.
Arlie remembered it so vividly.
And her teen years were gaining that vividness.

      The seven sat around the beach as the rest packed what little things they had in preparation for returning. They looked out to the sea, seeing the boat that had been their home for so long. It was decided that it would stay there, as a symbol of unity between the two kingdoms.

"We've been through so much together." Arlie started, her head on Xayah's shoulder.

"We have." Xayah continued, grabbing Arlie's hand.

"I never thought we could all grow so close." Ideus added on, looking around at the others.

"Me either." Anastasia said, looking to Ideus.

"I'm glad, in a way, that this happened. It gave us a chance to see the real us." Soleil added, scooting closer to Luna.

"It did. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad we're all going to rule together." Luna said, scooting closer to Soleil.

"Me too." Ryaxleb added.

"And now it's all over." Arlie continued.

"Not over, just different. You're all going to get to rule together, and I'll be there cheering you all on." Xayah added, putting her arm around Arlie.

"Oh come on, you know I won't be able to do anything without your advice." Ideus said to Xayah, who smiled at his words.

"I think we've grown close enough to revoke titles around each other, right?" Anastasia asked.

"I'd think so." Soleil said, looking to Luna who they all knew would have the most trouble with that notion.

"I agree with you, Anastasia. We're all going to be in the same boat, no pun intended." Luna answered, laughing at her choice of words seeing as they were so close to their ship.

"We'll see eachother all together again, right?" Ryaxleb asked.

They all nodded in agreement, and they went back to the camp. "What Ideus said may be true," Arlie started once her and Xayah were alone. "But you'll also be a minor Queen of Zellarid one day." she said, and Xayah smiled. Arlie loved her so much, and hated that they couldn't stay together in the same kingdom. Arlie had to stay, and Xayah had to help her mother with the children that were to be born any day now. However, they had planned to meet when they could and send letters to each other. Arlie was already thinking of her first letter, as she said she'd send one first. She wrote it out before she started packing.

My dear Xayah,
          Though I write this before we have even parted ways, I already miss you. This time with you has been wonderful, despite all that we've had to go through as a group. The time we spent apart after returning to Iphica was unbearable, and when I saw you again I was overwhelmed with joy. I know that by the time you read this we will only be a few weeks away from when you are scheduled to come to Zellarid, so know that I will be thinking of you even more in the next few weeks. This has been such a long journey, but these eight months have been the best and worst of my life. I know the only reason I got through it all was because of you. Stay strong, my love, for we shall be reunited in a very short time. And when we are older, we will never leave each other's sides as Queens of Zellarid. I'll see you soon!
All my love,
       Arlie

She stuffed the letter in her satchel and began to pack what little things she had. She hummed Anastasia's tune, thinking of her and her wound. She had received actual medical attention when they returned to Iphica, and was much better now. When Beau hugged her in the return he had made the wound worse, but she was better now. Her dance, like the boat and on which it was first performed, had become a symbol of unity between Zellarid and Mirirejar. Arlie, Xayah, Luna and Soleil had also promoted the new ideal, that though their grandparents had bad blood they no longer had to now that they were dead.
Arlie left the tent, being the last of the royals to finish packing. Some of them were still bringing items off the boat, clearing it out so that it could sit proud on the bank, waiting to be used again. Luna and Soleil sat in the crow's nest, Ryaxleb showed Calxyan the ropes and wheel, Anastasia, Ideus and Xayah looked over the edge towards the sea. Arlie climbed the plank and joined them, grabbing onto Xayah's hand. At some point, Anastasia and Ideus left, but Arlie and Xayah stayed together. "Arlie?" she heard a voice behind them ask. She turned around to see Beau, who was nervously fidgeting with his hands. "Yes?" she asked after turning around. "Do you know where Anastasia is?" he asked, getting more nervous after saying her name. "She and Ideus went to the lower deck, to pack I assume." Xayah answered him. "Thank you, Princess Xayah. I'll go help them." he ran to the lower deck door, flinging the trapdoor open that lowered into the small room before the lower deck. Arlie and Xayah turned to face the sea again, looking out to the endless blue void they had traveled across, together.