What Lies Beyond the Ocean

Chapter 16

Water dripped from the tips of the leaves that covered an archaic tree that stood in front of my window. The sky was now just a pale grey, and the sun was hidden behind its grey film. I opened the window and inhaled the mossy yet refreshing scent.

I heard a timid knock emerge from the door. A small, wiry girl with mousy brown hair padded her way towards me. In her frail arms, she held a light red dress and a medium-sized chest. Her light blue hues met mine.

"Hello, Lady Erline," she said, at last, awkwardly curtsying. "I am Tatiana, and I will be tending to your needs in the duration of your stay."

"Thank you, Tatiana. No need to address me as 'lady' and to curtsy, call me Erline!" I assured her.

She gave a shy smile, bringing out her rosy cheeks. She sat the chest onto the chestnut dresser. She held up the beautiful red dress, which was luxurious silk.

"I thought I would you bring some fresh apparel," she elucidated as she scanned my tattered garbs that were on the ground. I chuckled and nodded in agreement.

Tatiana handed me the ruby red dress. Upon its grasp, I felt its smooth, rich silk. I have never touched something so expensive, as I usually wore Casa's hand-me-downs. Tatiana gracefully bowed and scurried her way out of the room into the corridor, allowing me privacy to change.

I slipped off my beige nightgown, feeling the coldness of the air creep onto my skin. I slid into the exquisite dress, feeling the silk rub against my skin. I felt extremely out of place wearing it, but at least I looked more put together.

I opened the door to find Tatiana- who spun around, and her eyes grew wide with excitement. "Wow, you look beautiful in that dress!"

I gave a twirl in the dress, feeling like a princess- beautiful, confident, renewed.

The sun was peeping behind the clouds as I walked down to the dining hall. The smell of freshly baked bread greeted me, making my stomach growl. I laid a hand on it to help it calm down. I wanted to see Alyard, as I have not seen him since the previous evening.

Voices chattered as I finally made it to the hall. There was a vast bowl of freshly baked bread in the centre of the table. There was a rainbow of assorted fruits scattered in a delicate silver bowl, rimmed with gold.

Alyard emerged his way into the room, looking like a prince. His chocolate tresses were smoothed back, his skin radiated, as did his eyes. He wore a vibrant white shirt complemented by a long, thin black coat with knee-high boots.

He analyzed me back and smiled, portraying a genuine Alyard smile, a warm and delightful one I have not seen in a long time. I flashed back a smile and threw my arms around him. He held me back, holding me at my waist. I leaned my head onto his chest, his heart beating like ballroom music. He smelled of lavender and sage. He gingerly stroke my freshly-washed hair- which was now smooth and silky, as it was so tangled and matted after running place-to-place on end for several weeks.

Reluctantly, I drew myself away from Alyard's arms but remaining in our embrace still. I spotted Dasniz sneaking up behind Alyard, his light blue eyes twinkling mischievously. Uli trailed along behind him, met my eyes, and gave a smile.

"Okay, prince charming," Dasniz smirked as he placed a large hand onto Alyard's shoulder, gazing up at Alyard, who rolled his eyes in response.

"That is enough romantic gestures for now, as we have a long day ahead of us, so let's all be sure to break our fast!"

After rapidly devouring buttery bread and decadent fruits, Dasniz requested that we all stroll about in the courtyard. As we transitioned our way out the royal courtyard, the sun greeted us, nearly blinding us. The clouds that covered it in the early morning were evaporated, leaving behind a vibrant, clean slate. The plants of the royal garden were abundant of delicate jasmine, elegant rose, and sweet peony. The shrubs and bushes were neatly kept, were a robust green, and framed the exterior of the courtyard and the paths around the yard itself. Laughter and chatter were heard from a few noblemen and their mistresses, also strolling around the magnificent garden.

Dasniz led us on a trail that led to a majestic pond that shone like crystals underneath the beaming sun. A timid breeze rushed through my hair, which had grown down to my bosom!

We halted in front of the ponds. Dasniz spun around, facing us, and cleared his throat (presumably from season allergies).

"This is where I wander off to in need of a serious pick-me-up, or just to sort out my scattered thoughts." he bellowed a hearty chuckle.

Uli stood next to the minuscule king, hovering over him. He was holding the familiar folder underneath his arm, which is brought along with him when we conversed about my father the previous night.

"Uli has discovered some rather ground-breaking information regarding your father, my dear Erline," Dasniz looked over from Uli to me. My heart nearly skipped a beat. Alyard brushed his arm against mine and placed it around me, perhaps to prevent me from possibly fainting.

Uli squinted in the sunlight and affirmingly nodded his head. "I have gathered information from my men from last night's training session. Edouard, one of my best men, has claimed he could have encountered, or a rather a gentleman who had a striking resemblance to Gael in a tiny village, Sileves, about where Ferto is. We came here to meet Edouard, so he himself can provide his own accounts."

A man, who had thick, lustrous chestnut hair, drooping amber eyes, and a heavily freckled face popped up from behind Uli and lent out his hand, in which I shook.

"Nice to meet you, Erline," he said. His voice was deep and rather luxurious, which reminded me of thick honey.

"You must be Edouard," I inquired.

He gave a brief nod and smiled, revealing a fairly crooked yet pleasant smile.

"Your father and I were not extremely close," he reminisced. "But he was always so kind towards me. He definitely was the best knight I have encountered, no doubt about that."

"I was in the sleepy village of Sileves to visit my ill mother. I made my way over to the alchemist's to obtain medicine and remedies for my mother, and I could not have noticed the man in front of me talking with the alchemist. I definitely recognized him- he had Gael's stature and figure. He also had Gael's unique golden brown hair. Once he turned around after talking with the alchemist, I felt my jaw drop to the floor. He had the same face as Gael; a distinctive pointy chin, light green eyes, high cheekbones, and square jaw. Once he briefly met my eyes, I swear I saw a glimmer of recognition. He, however, quickly averted his gaze towards the ground and rushed his way out."

"Now, I can't ultimately conclude he was Gael, but something tells me there is a high possibility that he is. I also find it likely since Sileves is fairly near to Ferto, where he is initially from."

I was flabbergasted. I felt a beam of emotions exploding into fireworks in my head- my father, possibly, was just a few miles away from me. I was even closer to finding him, the reason for my whole embarkment to Zalfa. Speechless, I looked over at Uli, wondering what his insight was on Edouard's story. Reading my mind, he nodded his head, confirming that Edouard's story is most likely credible. I geared my attention to the others- all plastering enlightened smiles on their face.

Dasniz proceeded to pat Edouard's back. "I am sending you, Alyard, Uli, and Edouard to go seek out this mysterious man."