Prisoner of the Seas

Chapter 1: Fairmoor

In the late 1600’s, on the Western coast of England, was a town by the name of Fairmoor. It was moderate in size and living conditions, with enough food to go around and enough land for the townspeople. And indeed, the people of the town were happy. It had been many years since the last revolt, which pleased the king greatly.

The king smiled as he entered the dining hall, where he greeted his servants and lady. The lady stood and approached her husband, her blue gown sweeping around her ankles. “Lawrence,” she said quietly, extending a hand toward the man. He took it elegantly and raised it to his lips, bowing a little in the process. A rosy blush sprung to her cheeks. She was a beautiful woman in her early thirties, with thin shoulders and eyes like crystal orbs. Her brunette hair was pulled tightly back into a braided bun, but a thin streak of silver was still visible. The stress of her job had caused the early gray, but it did not mar her lovely appearance.

The king took his place at the head of the table and his wife sat on his right side. Not a minute after they sat down, a young woman strode through the door. The princess, Elsa, was fair and sweet, with long golden hair and eyes just as blue as her mother’s. She wore a simple pink gown with a square neckline. At seventeen, she was as mature and pretty as they came, a sure catch for any suitor. She had her eyes on one particular man, however, and he was seated right across from her father.

As she sat down, a young girl, no older than thirteen, approached her. She was one of the servants, a mousy young girl with black hair. “Bread, madam?” she asked. Elsa looked up and smiled politely, giving a nod. The girl, whom Elsa had earlier learned held the name Anna, placed a generous bit of bread onto Elsa’s plate before scurrying away.

The king finally spoke up in his loud yet friendly voice. “So, Alexander,” he began, “how was your trip? You didn’t have any trouble getting here, I presume.” Alexander sat back in his seat and smiled at the king. He was a fetching man, nearly twenty-eight years old, possessing strong features and vibrant green eyes.

“It was an easy trip, sir. Thank you,” he said, his voice like sweet honey. “We ran into some poor weather along the way, but no harm was done.” He glanced over at Elsa, who was watching him intently. She blushed and looked down at her untouched plate. This was Alexander’s third visit to Fairmoor, but Elsa never got any less nervous when he returned. The arrangements had been made two summers ago for them to be married, and the wedding was only a few weeks away. Her stomach fluttered every time she thought about it.

She stayed quiet throughout most of the meal, only speaking when she was being spoken to. As the servants began to clear the dishes, Elsa’s mother spoke up. “Elsa, why don’t you and Alexander go for a stroll? It’s a lovely evening, and I’m sure he’d love to be shown around a bit more. After all, he will be staying in Fairmoor permanently in a few weeks.” Elsa was about to open her mouth when Alexander spoke up.

“That’s a wonderful idea, madam. A stroll shall do us some good.” He stood and helped Elsa out of her seat. “Come, my dear,” he said softly. She gave a small smile and took his arm. They made their way to the palace gardens, a place where Elsa spent much of her youth. The sun had just fallen, replaced by the moon, which shed a crisp, white light across the gardens. Stars dotted the sky, as numerous as the grains of sand on the shore. “Does it please you?” he asked suddenly.

“Pardon? Does what please me?” Elsa responded, giving him a puzzled look.

“The marriage arrangement,” he replied. “Does it please you?”

Elsa was a bit taken aback. She stopped and gazed up at him. “Of course it does. You know as well as I do that my love for you is strong.” He nodded and fell silent for a moment. He took her hand and kissed it.

“I love you as well,” he uttered softly. “I couldn’t wish for a better bride.”

**********

“Just think, in two weeks you’re going to be happily married. I can’t even imagine it! My dear friend, Elsa, married! I never thought I’d see the day,” giggled sixteen year old Juniper. She skipped alongside Elsa, her red curls bobbing. Her father had been one of the king’s good friends, which allowed them to meet when they were very young. This made Juniper Elsa’s closest friend. She could tell her everything.

“Has it really already been a year since I married Richard? It feels like only a day!” She twirled in the warm sunlight and laughed. “I can’t believe your parents made you wait so long to get married. You turned seventeen during the winter!”

“I’m not complaining,” remarked Elsa. “It allowed me more time to finish my studies. I’ve read so many books-”

Juniper cut her off. “Have you ever thought about having children?” she asked.

“Well, of course,” Elsa laughed, slipping off her shoes and sitting down in the grass. “It’s only proper.”

“No,” Juniper corrected, sitting across from her friend and smoothing the wrinkles in her dress. “I know that it’s proper, but what I mean to ask is if you’ve thought about having children anytime soon. Have you spoken with Alexander about it?”

“Juniper!” Elsa exclaimed, her cheeks growing pink. “Of course I haven’t! We aren’t even married yet!”

“But you’ve been together for two years!” Juniper argued.

Elsa let out a sigh. “It’s not like I ever see him. He only comes to visit once or twice a year. When he’s back home he has a job, which doesn’t permit him much time to write to me.” Juniper nodded in understanding.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes on top of the hill where they often went to relax on sunny days. It overlooked the harbor, where ships were constantly coming and going. It was a lovely sight. “What about you?” Elsa asked. “Have you thought about having children with Richard?”

Juniper let out a heavy sigh. “Of course. We’ve both wanted children for a long time.”

“Then why don’t you have some of your own?”

Juniper opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her face was blanched of its normally rosy color. Elsa watched in horror as Juniper began to sob, her cheeks streaked with tears. It suddenly dawned on her why Juniper always offered to watch the children of the town and why she seemed so happy playing with them, why she would watch the children playing in the town square with envious, sad eyes.

“Oh, Juniper,” she cooed, wrapping her arms around the girl. Juniper continued to cry into her shoulder for a good hour until she tired herself out and fell asleep in Elsa’s arms.