The Prince of Ilios

Thirty-Four

Ellora followed him. Her heart was beating rapidly, excited to see her brother, to be on the water and to be training again. Today was going to be a good day. Her boots clanked on the wooden boards of the boat. She longed to walk barefoot and dip her toes into the salty waves, but it was not the right time. She knew she had to play along. Stay in the running until she could sit down with the King and negotiate this whole mess. Anything outside of that path would not reach her goal.

She felt the water in the air, the water below her. The familiar feeling of her fingers growing cool as she manipulated the water underneath the boat. It splashed happily, lapping gently against the boat. Alyn broke her concentration with a tap, "Alright, let's go. I just got the signal. Let's take the boat out to sea. Nothing to quick, so that they can steer, but quicker than usual." He winked down at her.

Ellora smiled. She felt Alyn's power join hers as they convinced the waves to go in the direction they wished. He could probably do this in his sleep. Water manipulation had always come naturally to him. She couldn't help, but envy his finesse.

When they reached the ocean, Ellora was panting all of her muscles burning, "I haven't done that in a while." Her hand grasped the constrictive corset. It was hard to breathe in it.

Alyn nodded, "I figured. You look a little pale. We should get you something to eat." He left her to find a snack.

Ellora leaned against the railing, trying to catch her breath. The sun had warmed the ocean around them, making the still air stifling.

"What have we here?" Minerva glared down at her. Her fan flitted about, causing a slight breeze through her dark tresses.

"Leave me alone." She said between breaths. Her hands tried to pull at the corset from over her clothing, but it wouldn't loosen or budge. The cage seemed to be clamping more air out of her by the moment.

Gem and Citrine flanked her. She gave Ellora a fake pitied stare, "Poor little, Loraby, you look exhausted."

"Don't call me that." Her temper flared, only Alyn had permission to use that nickname, and she hated hearing it come from Minerva, "Don't you have something better to be doing?"

"We were worried about you."Gem giggled, mocking.

"Using so much of your meager abilities must have taken it out of you." Citrine smiled.

Ellora's jaw tightened, "If you are so worried then move back so I can have some air." She only needed a few more minutes of recovery and she would be able to walk away from them, but if she moved now, she was liable to trip, based on how much energy she had used. Alyn had weighted the training so that she would take on more of the currents as they went and it had really exhausted her

The trio stepped closer. Minerva tilted her head to the side, "You look like you need to cool off. Your face is so red." She grabbed Ellora's shoulders and shoved with all of her weight.

Ellora splashed over the side. She barely managed to get the smallest gasp of air into her lungs before the water was up over her head. She struggle to swim to the surface, but her thoughts were too hazy and her breath too shallow. All of the petticoats and layers were dragging her lower into the water and she did not have the strength to fight it. The ocean swirled around her in gentle ribbons, lulling her to sleep.

Nicola heard the splash. He looked up from Kendall, who was a little bit seasick from the open waves of the ocean. He glanced around the deck, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He strode to the stern of the ship. Leaving Kendall to the care of Nissa and Janel. Minerva, Gem and Citrine stood together, waving their fans and giggling. Hadn't someone just been over here with them. Wasn't this where Ellora and Alyn had been. Ellora, where is she? He grumbled to himself as he approached them, but he couldn't help the concern that filled him. If he lost the princess of the Southern Isles, he knew there would be no peaceful way of them joining the Union, "Where's Ellora?"

Minerva looked him up and down. She wasn't about to play stupid, but she wasn't about to get in trouble either, "She fell overboard. We were just over here checking on her, after all of that energy that she used to get us here, she looked so pale. And then she fainted and fell."

Nicola split them, looking into the water, "Where is Alyn?"

"The man that was with her seems to have disappeared." Gem offered innocently.

Nicola frowned. Although the water was fairly clear, he couldn't see Ellora in the deep blue waves. She wasn't surfacing, which meant she was sinking. Nicola's adrenaline pumped into his ears, "Someone find him and tell him what is happening, Jude!"

The manservant materialized.

"Find Alyn. Show him to this spot. I will need his help." Nicola stripped off his white coat and vest. He pulled his feet out of his shoes and dove over the railing.

Jude shooed the girls away from the Prince's clothes and picked them up, "That's enough from you. There is tea in the stern, please join the others."

Minerva and her duo turned away. Her fists clenched. She would find a way to gain the Prince's favor. She couldn't believe that the little ocean dweller had caught his attention.

Nicola swam as deep as he could on one breath, snapped his fingers near his mouth, creating a small amount of oxygen and took in another breath. He continued deeper, searching, trying to find her. The ocean swirled around him in deep blue satin ribbons. It swept him to the side, and he was unsure of where exactly he was in reference to the boat. He snapped and took another breath. It only took a bit of energy to create enough oxygen for himself. Something drifted at the corner of his eye. Ellora!. He swam to the shadow. It was her, pale and drowning. His adrenalin surged again. He took another breath and swam her up to the surface of the water.

He flipped onto his side, one arm keeping her above water and the other helping him paddle to the boat. Before he could call for a rope, the water was splashing violently underneath him, lifting him up. He stared at it, unsure Alyn. The thought gave him comfort as the young man's terrified face came into view.

Nicola carried Ellora onto the deck. He knelt beside her checking her pulse, faint, but there.

Alyn knelt on her other side, "Please, I know what to do." It was something his mother had showed him, only once before, and it would take almost all of his energy, but he had to try it, "Step back."

The crowd of guards looked to Nicola and he nodded.

Alyn grabbed the knife at his side and sliced up through Ellora's corset. Women on the other side gasped and the guards turned their heads, nervous and unsure of what to do. Although she was not completely undressed, she was over exposed. Alyn rolled his eyes, this would have never been considered indecent on the Island, she wasn't naked, "Someone get a blanket. She will be cold when she wakes." A few of the guards dispersed. Jude rushed to complete the task.

Alyn's hands hovered over Ellora's torso. He focused. Feeling his pulse, feeling her pulse. His power. He found each molecule of water in her lungs and forced it out through her nose and mouth. The feeling made her lurch awake, coughing the last of it out herself. Alyn caught her on one side, Nicola on the other, his face laced with concern.