Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • F O U R T E E N ♚

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"Aurora had but the newly chased the night, and purpled o'er the sky with blushing light." John Dryden
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Their ship traveled north through the Tuath Sea, passing by the mainland of Fabula and towards the alpine kingdom of Arendelle. They had long since passed by the ports of Agrabah when they began to see two separate islands far in the distance.

The farther north their boat sailed, the cooler the air got, isolating the four to their quarters below the deck increasingly often. Aura ventured up into the air a few times a day in the week it took to travel to Arendelle. She looked overboard, watching the choppy waves as they crashed against the keel. I will never get used to this. The blonde found herself lost in her thoughts too often, for the remoteness and lack of activity of sailing left her no choice but to rehash recent events again and again.

Bailey met her on deck, perching her folded arms on the ship's rounded mahogany railing. "How are you holding up?" she inquired casually.

"I'm alright," Aura answered, her blue eyes still fixated on the steely grey waves. "Just overwhelmed, I guess. I'm still not sure what to think of...everything. I mean, just a few weeks ago, these stories were just childhood fiction. Now they're real—and my mother could be alive—"

Bailey nodded in understanding as Aura let out a sigh. The blonde looked at her friend now, her eyes analytical.

"What are you doing up here? I thought you and Robin were making a plan for Arendelle," Aura asked, speaking the last word in an uncomfortable stumble when two crew members passed by them.

Bailey chuckled softly. "Your sister kept challenging his suggestions, I decided to leave and let them finish bickering."

Aura smiled to herself. "Sounds like Cora."

They stood in silence, watching the tide turn in the water while clouds formed overhead, casting them in a pale grey.

"Hey, Bailes?" Aura started, catching her friend's attention once more. "With everything that's happening, do you think maybe you could teach Cora and me some magic? Just so we can protect ourselves if we need to."

Bailey's face twisted in discomfort, her posture tense. "I don't know, Aura. I wouldn't want to give you two even more to deal with, plus magic is so complicated and I wouldn't really know where to start." She picked at her fingernails. "I barely know any myself. I think Silvia should teach you when she's ready."

Aura nodded solemnly, her head then cocking up at the sound of Robin stomping onto the deck. He approached them; frustration evident on his chiseled features.

"I can't deal with her anymore," he spoke, pointing an accusatory finger back at Carolyn who marched out of the living quarters.

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't be such a child."

Aura and Bailey examined their friends' serious expressions before turning back to each other and giggling.

They chatted on through dinner, although Robin and Carolyn were still cautiously avoiding conversing with one another as they swallowed down their bland rations. The sun set to the south but was hardly visible through the thick array of clouds.

A couple more days went by until they neared Arendelle's fjord, the night sky dark above them as rocky, green cliffs towered around them. Their conversations came to a rapid halt as stripes of vibrant colors blanketed the sky, their luminescence outshining that of the two moons.

"The light in the north high above the snow," Aura recalled breathlessly, her teary eyes gazing at the vivid shades of pink, red, purple, and green.