A Kingdom by the Sea

1

The waves gently splashed upon the small black boulders that bordered the coast on the edge of the kingdom. The twilight air held a slight chill, though it never got very cold in Progodia. Nonetheless, Alesana shivered ever so slightly as the breeze caressed her skin through the enormous open window of the castle. She wasn't originally from Progodia but she had practically grown up there, and soon she'd be part of it's royal family; the prince would soon be her husband.

The climate in Progodia was so mild that the castle had several open sections where the salty sea air was allowed to flow through the halls and penetrate the stone walls with balmy tenacity. The warm weather and the smell of the sea was what Alesana loved most about Progodia. That, and her fiancé, the prince, Kalmir.

Alesana had been shipped off to Progodia at the brink of adolescence. Her parents had been eager to betroth her to the prince and gain the alliance between their homeland of Tireem and Progodia, the King city. Alesana's father was the lord of Tireem, a town that had fallen into uncharted lands after the last realm war many ages ago. While the lordship was passed down through the family, the area remained unprotected by any kingdom and had been considered an outlying city which fell under no kingdom's jurisdiction. Over the past generation, Tireem's resources had been dwindling and Lord Migan knew that he was in need of an alliance of the most powerful kind.

The King of Progodia had a young son, the same age as Lord Migan's fair daughter, Alesana. Lord Migan knew that there may be many prospects for the young prince far more qualified than a girl from an outlier city, but Lord Migan had offered the king an opportunity that other lords of the realm would not agree to. He had promised that his daughter may be shipped off to the King city at once, to live in the king's own castle from her young age as a ward of the king, who could easily have her shaped into the kind of princess that was desired for his kingdom. Because the other lords would not part with their young daughters so early, Lord Migan was able to make the trade of a lifetime. His daughter for protection and resources from joining the kingdomship of Progodia.

Alesana's parents had always treated her with a cold indifference, and in fact she was never sure if they even loved her. She was often attended to by a nanny and was in her company quite more than that of her parents. The nanny wasn't much warmer than her parents, however. In fact most of the people Alesana had met in her homeland of Tireem were quite gruff and brutish. It wasn't until she arrived in Progodia that she was shown warmth and affection. 

She and her parents had arrived at the shores of Progodia on a sunny afternoon to be greeted by the royal family. Alesana's parents had had a maid come onboard with them to primp and prime their daughter for the arrival. After all, they wanted her to look her best as the prince's betrothed. In truth the maid needn't have applied much effort. Alesana, even young as she was, was the rare sort that was effortlessly beautiful.

In Progodia most marriages did not take place until around the age of 19 or 20. It was believed by their culture that one should enjoy youth before the attachment of marriage. Lord Migan would have seen his daughter married even at her young age, but the king insisted the marriage wait until the children were older. However, he did promise that Alesana would henceforth be Prince Kalmir's betrothed and that no other prospects would be considered for him. He also declared that the alliance with Tireem would commence immediately, a factor that immensely pleased Lord Migan.

Alesana often remembered the joy she felt on their voyage to Progodia. Her joy wasn't because she'd been promised to the prince and would one day become a princess, however. Instead her joy came from the adventure of the sea and journey of the like she'd never experienced before. It had been her first time aboard a ship and she had never felt more enthralled in her young life. She adored the whipping wind that made her dark satin hair fly around her in thick tendrils. She loved the sound of the crashing waves and the taste of salt that lingered in the air on her tongue.