COMPLETED
Nereida has always been shackled to her royal duties as princess of Triteria, and when her kingdom becomes involved in a series of mysterious vanishings and deaths she begins to seek answers. Rebels soon shatter her world, and she finds he...
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I awoke later than usual, opened my eyes, looked out the window, and saw the bright lights of day. As my feet touched the floor my head felt a bit heavier than normal, a result of ale, last night's fight, and the one-on-one in my quarters with Captain Shelley. I stepped over the dress that I had worn yesterday, now stained red with the blood of the man I killed. While that thought should have tormented me, I was surprised by how quickly I was able to accept it. I chose my life over his and had no time to deal with the pangs of remorse, instead, I accepted what happened and moved forward. I could not let the guilt overpower me, not if I wanted to survive.
I kicked it underneath the bed; while I accepted what I did I also chose not to be constantly reminded of my actions. I walked over to the window and looked outside. To my surprise, Monsieur Lamoy shouted animatedly from the docks. He seemed to be having some issues with what looked like another crew member. I ran and grabbed the jacket Mr. Gibbs had given me, put it over the white nightdress, and then put on my boots.
Locking the door, I climbed the stairs to the deck, which was packed with crewmen, all moving in different directions and carrying different objects. Men pushed past, holding barrels, crates filled with food, ropes, and nets. Many quickly peeked at me, glancing as they continued about their business but none so much as uttered a hello, choosing to remain silent in fear of the captain's threat. Lamoy looked up from the bottom of the plank, then smiled and waved both hands.
"Niri! Oh Niri, thank the gods and goddesses you are here! This terribly wretched ogre of a man will not allow me to pass," Monsieur Lamoy yelled while also glaring at the man who blocked his entrance.
"Hello Monsieur Lamoy, and good morning. I appreciate your kindness in bringing my things. You there, move aside." The crewman looked up at me, then turned to look back at Lamoy.
"Tis' no trouble sweet child. My servants will bring the luggage aboard," he walked in front of the considerably taller man. "You heard the lady, move out of my damn way."
"Yes sir," the man grumbled.
"Does this weather not affect you, my dear?" Lamoy's eyes were fixed on the ratty coat that I wore, his face displaying judgment. I touched my side uncomfortably; I couldn't tell him that the dress he gave me just yesterday was ruined, so instead, I kept my mouth closed and shook my head.
"Well, that's fortunate. When the air is this thick in the morning, I feel positively aghast but I'll have to put that aside. Adventure is just in front of me, and I dare not be late." Monsieur Lamoy's attitude was admirable. While he was excited, I alternatively, felt uneasy about stepping into the unknown. "Sweet child, why don't you escort my servants to your room so that they may finish delivering your trunk? Excuse me, you there!"
Monsieur turned and chased after a crewman, as I led the servants down into the belly of the ship. Once we reached my quarters, they dropped the trunk inside and left without a word. I immediately fell to the floor and rummaged through it, wanting to get out of the warm coat. I felt the familiar movement of the ship's rocking and ran to the window once again. The captain had said we were off to find Asherah, but why leave now before we had a plan? Unless the business he went to handle this morning provided him with more information that I wasn't privy to. I curiously watched as the dock slowly moved further and further away from us.
