Ocean's Secret |on hold|

19 | Over the Horizon

Hey everyone! so this chapter is going to be a little different ;) Remember Jace and Emily from book 1, and of course handsome king Haemon - the bad guy, turned good guy? Well, we're going to be catching up with them and seeing how they're all doing ^^ Enjoy :)

Song by Adam Young - On The Ground. The title is a bit ironic, considering the setting of the chapter....you'll see what I mean soon :)

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The ocean rolled and the swell picked up the sturdy vessel before dropping it into the trough. The swarthy sailors on board the large frigate paid no mind to the up and down motion that accompanied every journey by sea, calling it fair weather and calm sailing compared to many a storm they'd been through. The passengers, however, were not so appreciative of this 'calmness'.

"How long until we get there?" Emily asked her husband for the tenth time that day. She sat on the hammock in the sleeping quarters below deck, and held a wooden bucket tightly in her hands.

Jace rubbed small circles on her back in a comforting motion, "Just one more day, Darling, then we can step foot on dry land again. I hope the accommodation in Tiritia is nicer than this."

"It better be," Emily said before quickly leaning forward as sea sickness tried to empty her stomach again.

"I know Haemon means well, but he at least could've furnished this place a little more," Jace held back his wife's long blonde hair away from her face. "I'm guessing the Conqueror has seen better days."

"Are you saying you're not tough enough to handle a bit of dirt and grime?" Emily sat back up straight and had a drink of water. Sure, their quarters weren't the cleanest or nicest, but they could hardly expect a five-star cruise as they crossed the rough Azurian Sea to Tiritia. Haemon's old wooden ship would have to do, and it wasn't his fault the roll of the ocean taunted Emily's stomach. "Jace, where is the outdoorsy adventurer I married?" she laughed, never passing up the opportunity to tease the love of her life even when she was feeling sick.

"I'm afraid that rascal had to take a hike when rumours of another war reached our peaceful shores," Jace replied with a wry laugh. He squeezed his wife's shoulders affectionately and placed a kiss on her soft hair. She leaned into his embrace and sobered as she remembered the reason for this trip.

During the weeks after Haemon relinquished his throne and rule as king, most of his soldiers and loyal followers adopted his new respect for Cyrus and faith in Jehovah, the one true God of all dimensions.

But there were those who said they would never bow to the creator, and their grumblings and mutterings spilled out into the streets, causing riots in Tiritia that disrupted the new trade deals. The peaceful Cyrians were in danger in the fortified cities and towns of Tiritia, and Haemon was outraged that his people would still want to hurt the foreigners from across the seas. True, he had been the worst of them, plotting and fighting for years to kill Cyrus, but he was a changed man now. He had stayed in Sen Cyrus, getting to know the gentle elderly man and his wise governors. He learnt about their Father Jehovah and came to love this powerful yet merciful, loving yet just deity Who was the Master Designer of everything that is and ever existed.

He had become good friends with Jace and Emily, but was still struggling to comprehend the selflessness behind Jace's bravery in saving Cyrus' life. Why would a man give up his own life to save another's? Jace said he was only following Jesus Christ's example of perfect love. The son of Jehovah had come to Earth and died in the place of every man, woman, and child; for every sin, every wrong thing they had done and would do. The concept was so strange and amazing to Haemon, and he wondered if this mercy and forgiveness extended to the inhabitants of Cyrus' universe. Jace wasn't sure, but he knew that God loved each and every person in all the universes and dimensions He ultimately had created.

Haemon mused over this as he stood on the deck of his sturdy vessel, the Conqueror, the ocean rolling under his strong legs like the thoughts that churned in his head. How could he get his fellow Tiritans to see Cyrians like he now did? The waves splashed against the port side and a cool salty spray blew into his face and wavy brown curls. How could he get them to love their God Jehovah and give up the deep-rooted hatred and contempt for the land of Sen Cyrus?