War of the Ocean

Chapter 14

A maid woke Arelena before the sun rose the next morning in order to prepare for the King's arrival. She was shoved into a merciless piece of lavender fabric these people liked to believe was actually a dress. The maid also squeezed her feet into a pair of elegant white slippers to match and started on her hair. Once the golden strands were brushed and curled, a seashell clip was used to hold back her hair, preventing it from slipping forward and onto her face. A light coat of powder was applied to her face as a finishing touch.

As she was escorted through the halls down to the docks by a servant, she managed to glance outside through the cracks between the curtains and the walls. It was still dark out, the waning crescent of a moon was well above the horizon and the stars still shone brightly. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, ensuring that there would be moonlight on the docks until the sun rose. She felt a wave of relief as she realised this, there was no chance that any creature of the sea could slip up from the dark water and steal her away while there was light because the humans would be there to see.

Upon reaching the grand oak doors which were the main entrance of the palace she was met by Prince Kaiser. She refrained from shying away as she approached the doors, remembering how dangerous he had become during lunch the previous day. That dagger had been thrown with such deadly precision it made her afraid that he would suddenly throw one at her. It did not matter that he had missed his brother's head with the exception of his ear, the dagger had been thrown without the intent to kill, it had been a warning. In fact, it had hit its mark without any trouble whatsoever and it scared her. What if she were to accidentally anger him? But her worries drifted away as the chocolate-haired prince smiled at her.

'I apologise for yesterday,' he began. 'I did not mean to frighten you in anyway. I just...' He allowed his voice to trail off. 'It doesn't matter now, what is done is done and I'm sorry.' That murderous look was well and truly gone, there was only warmth and kindness today, just as there had been before. Although she could not properly accept his apology without words, Arelena smiled back and bowed her head to show how she felt. It made his face light up like she had never seen it before, even when he had been telling her about the things he loved.

'My lady,' the servant who had escorted her down spoke it again now. He held out a coat for her, one that would protect her small body from the cold morning air of early spring but not look strange with that gown she wore. She accepted it from him gratefully and allowed him to help her put it on. Almost immediately, she felt it's warmth and began wished they had such things under the sea. She waited as the servant helped Kaiser with his coat and took his arm when the prince offered it to her.

'Shall we?' He asked as the servant then opened the grand doors for them to exit through. Falling into step with one another, the pair made their way down the path to docks on which more people awaited them. The frost on the ground beneath their feet crunched with every step all the way up to their destination where the gravel turned to wooden planks. Amongst the group already on the docks, Arelena could see Reidan speaking with a couple of other men. She knew Kaiser had seen him too when his entire body stiffened all of a sudden but he forced himself to keep walking. He lead them towards the place where another pair stood apart from the rest.

The first of the pair was a young man with short, sandy hair and stunning turquoise eyes. He towered over Arelena as she drew near with Kaiser and she was intimidated at first, until he shot them a big grin. 'Kaiser!' He called, stepping forward to give the prince a massive bear-hug. She took the opportunity to glance over at the woman who had been standing beside him. The woman was also a great deal taller than she, almost as tall as the man. She was gorgeous with big, blue eyes and light brown hair which fell in soft waves down to her waist, just shorter than Arelena's. The woman sent a small smile her way before turning to where the man and Kaiser were stepping apart.

'You remember Rowen, don't you?' The other man asked the younger prince who nodded in reply as the woman stepped forward.

'How could I forget?' Kaiser grinned. 'I haven't seen you two in so long!' At that moment, Arelena began to shuffle her feet on the wooden dock a little nervously, catching the attention of the three of them. 'I apologise. This is Arelena, Arelena this is Lady Rowen and Lord Landon, my childhood friends.'

She bowed her head respectfully at the two as they watched her, eyes scanning her carefully. Once she has lifted her head, Rowen sent another small smile her way while Landon grinned again and told her what a pleasure it was to meet her. Glancing at Kaiser, Arelena smiled back a little awkwardly, clearly unsure about how to respond.

'Oh,' Kaiser said, mentally face palming himself. 'I forgot, Arelena can't speak.'

'Can't speak? Well, that makes communication a little difficult,' Landon attempted to joke while Rowen beside him remained silent. He cleared with throat, the conversation taking an awkward turn. He opened his mouth to try change the topic when someone to their left called out.

'His Majesty is almost here!'

The four of them turned to look at the rapidly approaching ship, all secretly grateful for the excuse to not make conversation. Everyone on the docks stood still, watching as the ship continued to move towards them. Once the ship was alongside the dock, ropes were thrown overboard and several people scurried forward to help tie them and assist with lowering ramps for people to alight the ship. The first figure appeared the top of the ramp and when he stepped onto it, everyone of the docks dropped into either a curtsy or a bow. It was the King.

Arelena tried her best to copy Rowen's position but felt more like a clownfish trying to fly. Still she persisted, understanding that the man atop the ramp was royalty and would most likely prefer to be treated at her brother did, with the upmost respect. She held her curtsy as the King made his way down the ramp and his features became clear to her. He was taller than most of the humans she had met so far, with ageing, sun-kissed skin, silvery hair and the same brown eyes as Reidan, only much colder. Everything about him screamed power and wealth so much you could tell that he was a king, even though he didn't wear a crown upon his head.

Walking down the ramp, the King stopped before his oldest son who was a few metres away from the bottom of the ramp, bowing to his father. Once the older prince was spoken to, he rose to his full height, although his head remained bowed. 'Welcome home, father.' Reidan's voice wasn't filled with any of the love or adoration a son would typically have in his tone when welcoming home a father after so long. No, his was filled with restrained anger and pain, buried beneath courtly manners and a fake smile. 'The people and I are glad you have returned at last.'

The King gave no reply, only scanned the crowd on the docks until his eyes at last came to rest of Arelena. They watched her for a moment, before moving on to Kaiser at her side. The young prince tensed as his father's gaze rested on him before he rose and gradually made his way through the rows of people still holding their bows or curtsies. She could feel her legs beginning to tremble, she was gong to topple over any moment now but pushed the thought away, keeping her eyes on the young prince.

'Father,' Kaiser gave a stiff bow, keeping his head bowed when he rose as his older brother did. 'It is wonderful to have you back in Korin.'

'Follow me my sons,' the King commanded, striding past them and picking his way through the crowd until he left the docks. His sons hurried after him, following their father like little puppies all the way back to the palace. Once the royal family had departed, the people on the docks let out a sigh of relief and rose again, stretching their legs out. While Landon walked away to speak with someone, Arelena looked to Rowen with so many questions on her mind but without a way to communicate even one of them.

'Yes, it's always like that with the King,' Rowen informed her, as if she knew what was on her mind. 'Once, the entire court had to hold their bows and curtsies for more than an hour while he spoke with Prince Reidan.' Arelena's brows rose; an entire hour? Why would a King do such a thing? Perhaps the rulers of the human world weren't much better than the ruler of the sea. Perhaps she was on a hopeless quest.

'Come on now, let's return to the castle,' Landon told them upon returning. 'I heard one of the sailors talking about a massive storm they saw heading this way. It should be here within the day.'

What do you think of the king?