Legacy of The Enchanted

Sea Sickening

(Alex's P.O.V.)

The ship creaked and groaned as it cut through the waves, the salty sea air whipping around us. I leaned against the railing, trying to keep my balance as the boat rocked back and forth. The rhythmic rise and fall of the vessel made my stomach churn, but I was determined not to show any weakness. I couldn't afford to—especially not now. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the sound of the waves crashing against the hull rather than the nausea threatening to overtake me.

Roan stood nearby, his eyes trained on me with a mixture of concern and frustration. I could feel his gaze, but I didn't turn to meet it. He had been worried about me ever since we left the inn, and it was starting to wear on me. I knew he meant well, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was seeing me as weak, as someone who needed protecting. I hated that feeling.

"Alex, you need to sit down," Roan said, his voice firm but gentle. "You're going to make yourself worse."

"I'm fine, Ro," I replied, forcing a smile as I opened my eyes and looked at him. "I've been on ships before. This is nothing."

He didn't look convinced. "This isn't like before. You're pale as a ghost."

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it off. "It's just the sunlight. You know how my skin is."

Roan didn't smile. Instead, he moved closer, his brow furrowed with worry. "It's not just the seasickness, is it?" he asked, his voice low. "You've been off ever since we left the inn."

My forced smile faltered as memories of the innkeeper's leering face flashed through my mind. His creepy smile, the way his eyes had lingered on me, and the dark, unsettling feeling that had crawled up my spine as he had spoken to me—all of it had been too reminiscent of Lord Zephyrus. I tried to push the memories away, but they clung to me like a shadow I couldn't escape.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, my voice a little sharper than I intended. "It's in the past."

Roan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alex, you can't just pretend like nothing happened. You were shaking when we left."

I turned away from him, gripping the railing tightly as another wave of nausea hit me. "I'm not pretending. I'm dealing with it in my own way. Just drop it, Roan."

There was a long silence between us, filled only by the sound of the waves and the creaking of the ship. I could feel Roan's frustration radiating off him, but I knew he wouldn't push me any further. He knew when to back off, and I appreciated that.

But he wasn't entirely wrong. The encounter at the inn had shaken me more than I wanted to admit. The innkeeper had given me the same feeling Lord Zephyrus had—a feeling of being trapped, of being nothing more than a prize to be won or a plaything to be used. I shuddered at the memory of Zephyrus's cold, slimy lips pressing against mine, his hands gripping me too tightly as he forced me to kiss him again and again. I had been terrified, but I had never shown it, not even when I had managed to escape.

"Do you think he's like Zephyrus?" Roan's voice broke through my thoughts, startling me.

I turned to look at him, my eyes narrowing. "Who?"

"The innkeeper. Do you think he's like Zephyrus?" Roan repeated, his expression serious.

I hesitated, the question making my stomach twist even more than the seasickness. "No," I said slowly. "Not exactly. But he... he reminded me of him. The way he looked at me like I was something he could control. It was the same feeling."

Roan clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists. "If I had known... If I had known that bastard was anything like Zephyrus—"

"You didn't know, Roan," I interrupted my voice firm. "And it wouldn't have changed anything. We needed a place to stay, and we got out of there in one piece. That's all that matters."

"But it's not," Roan muttered, his eyes darkening. "I promised I'd protect you, Alex. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"And you haven't," I insisted, my voice softening. "You're always there for me, Ro. But sometimes, things happen that we can't control. You can't protect me from everything."

Roan shook his head, his expression filled with guilt. "I should have done something. I should have killed the fucking bastard!"

I reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "You can't blame yourself for this. I handled it, didn't I? I'm not some helpless damsel who needs saving."

"I know you're not," he said, his voice low. "But I still worry."

"I know you do," I replied, my voice soft. "But I'm stronger than you think, Roan. I've survived worse."

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine as if trying to find the truth in my words. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Just... promise me you'll be careful. I don't want anything happening to you."

"I promise," I said, offering him a small smile. "Now, can we please talk about something else? I'm already feeling like death, and talking about this isn't helping."

Roan managed a chuckle, though it was tinged with sadness. "Alright. But you're sitting down. That's not negotiable."

I rolled my eyes but didn't argue as I let him lead me to a bench on the deck. As I sat down, I could still feel the lingering unease in my chest, the shadow of fear that the innkeeper and Zephyrus had left behind. But as I looked at Roan, his concern for me so evident in his eyes, I knew I wasn't alone