Red

Chapter 1

It began like this. The place: just out of the Tasani Harbour in the land of Larilia. The time: 3 years into the Arandell War. I was 16 years of age, practically a woman in society's eyes, but now, looking back, I realise I didn't act like one. I wasn't expecting what I am about to account to happen, yet I should have foreseen it. It was bound to occur one way or another. There have been many rumours of what happened that week, but now, it seems, is the appropriate time for the truth to be told.

I laughed as the wind blew onto my face and through my hair. The ocean spray hit me every once and a while, stinging my face, and I could taste the salt water on my lips. My vision was partially blocked by my fiery locks which had escaped from my braid, but I still had a view of the ocean in front of me. The blue-green water was choppy due to the wind, and waves rocked the boat from side to side often enough to make most people queasy.

I glanced down at the deck below and I felt my smile grow. A boy a few years older than myself tugged on the ropes and adjusted the sails. He would occasionally flick his chocolate-brown hair away from his amber eyes, and droplets of sweat mixed with the ocean spray. As he tied a length of rope into a tight knot, his gaze met my own. My heart melted as he returned my smile with a lopsided grin, and then resumed his work. I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts on track but they buzzed around my mind incoherently.

"Will!" I called, gesturing for him to come closer. He came to the foot of the stairs, his ever-smiling face looking up into mine.

"How is she handling?" I queried.

"Very well, much better than we anticipated. She should be able to make it further than we planned, at least until we find shelter" His deep voice was almost carried away by the gale-force wind, but the sound drifted faintly to my ears. I nodded once in response and that was all he needed.

I was standing at the wheel on the quarterdeck, steering the vessel out from the harbour and away from the white-sand beach. It wasn't an overly large boat, and it would have been missed if it was an average ship, but it wasn't. It was a patrol vessel, one of the best in the nation's navy, and we had stolen it.

It was risky, taking this ship out with only Will to assist me. Usually it would take a crew of up to ten men to sail, and here I was with only one other, trying to sail into rough water. Yet we had to do this. And we were good, really good. Will had grown up around sailing, his father being both a carpenter and a boat maker. Sailing a ship was second nature to him. As for me, it was different. I hadn't grown up sailing, but the ocean had always fascinated me. It would lure me in with its soothing voice and its promise of making things better. However, it could be deceiving. It would mask its deadliness with beauty, which led to many a man drowning in its depths. Yet there I was.

I was surprised no one had seen us as we snuck from the palace gates and down the harbour, hurrying down the row of ship's until we came to this one navy vessel. I had chosen the time specifically for when there was a 5 minute window gap when the man stationed in the watch tower from the morning shift traded with the one in the afternoon It seemed slightly foolish of them, that they had not doubled the guard since the commencement of the Arandell war, but most of the soldiers must have been deployed over in Arandell. I felt slightly ashamed that we had taken advantage of their absence for our own gain, but I pushed it away every time it threatened to surface.

It was a beautifully crafted vessel that we had stolen, with Elizabeth's Pride written along the side in red, cursive script. It changed direction with ease, even in these conditions, and the sails picked up the wind, carrying the ship along. It almost felt like it was not making contact with the water at all.

I pulled my spyglass from my pants pocket and held it to my eye, gazing around me. There were no other ships in sight, and for that I let out a sigh of relief. All I needed now was for my father to realise I was gone and then our plan would be ruined. But then, what if I wanted him to find me? What if I wanted him to take notice of what I was doing and yell until his face was as purple as a beetroot? What if i wanted him to thwart our plans of sailing away from this horrible place? What if I wanted his attention?

My father is not like the other ones you may have met. He is the King of Larilia, and so I guess had no time for me in his busy schedule. But why was it me cursed with this? Even if I pass him in the hall, he will not give me a single glance, or a single greeting. And there was another thing. He would never approve of Will and I. It surprised me that we had not been caught before. Every Thursday afternoon we would meet in an abandoned garden, and when the sun set we would return again. We had not been caught yet, but there were many false alarms, too many that I couldn't bear to think about it. This was the only chance we had. If my father caught us, he would never let us be together. Will was only a stable-hand, and nobody took more notice of the Larillian hierarchy than my father.

An abrupt sound blasted me out of my thoughts, and my head jerked up suddenly. It sounded like-Oh no, it couldn't be. My eyes darted to Will, who had immediately clambered up the ladder to the crow's nest. I turned around, keeping a hand resting slightly on the steering wheel and groaned as my green eyes fell on a larger ship pursuing our own. It was too far away for me to clearly make it out, but Will's gloomy expression said it all. My father's navy had found us.

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Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading this. I know it has changed dramatically, but this more to my original idea.I hope you guys enjoy it, and please vote and comment.