by K. Lyn Hill
She felt a sense of joy from the workers on the boat. That of peace. A feeling she hadn’t felt in a while. As much as she wished that she could feel at peace on a rickety boat, flailing with whatever mood the current was in, she just couldn’t. Most did their jobs while humming or whistling a tune, while others laughed and joked like they had all the time in the world. Granted, they were full in their cups by nine in the morning so who wouldn’t be giddy? But it was something more than that. Something Aerity didn’t realize until now just how much she longed for it. They were pirates. Hunted by any who could distinguish their true flag waving beneath the stolen one. Hated by most for their profession and yet there was a truth to the expression ‘honesty among thieves’ because there was more openness to their lives than anyone else that she had ever met.
They didn’t hide from what they were. They embraced it. Relished in it. It was more genuine than anything she had ever seen in this world.
The lines between right and wrong blurred and grew hazy the moment she realized that. She thought of her father and how he worked for all his life to put criminal behind bars. These people would have been behind bars and yet she witnessed more genuine love and kindness in these people than she ever hoped to have seen. They heeled her, despite claiming to do it for only the money. She knew differently. Aerity could see if when Natalia looked at her son. And how the crew respected their captain. This was real. These people were real.
Her thoughts drifted back to Siel.
The lies. The deceit. Everything that led her up to this point was all fake.
One proof of smoke that vanished as soon as something tangible stepped through it.
It was mist and shadow.
And as fleeting as the weather changes. She couldn’t stop a pang of distress from creeping into her heart. She had been so sure that he would be there for her. She relied on it. Survived off it, only to have it ripped away. It was all the same, she supposed. Like everything else in her life at the moment. All the meaningful things were simply a flash in the timeline. Each moment of joy was a blessing. Every laugh was a privilege and each person she met, the true ones whose names were slowly being etched into her heart...they were everything. Even if some may have let her down. Without a doubt there would be plenty more where they came from, but then there were the ones who would last.
People like Carly. Serenity. Even though serenity left her in this world, she still cradled her heart, whispered to her soul, filled in missing gaps so that the loneliness couldn’t burrow its way in and lay dormant. Those that danced with her, cried with her, smiled true smiles with her. And those like Eli, who now survived with her. She may not have it all and there was a lot that she was lacking but they would make it through. It wasn’t just something she believed. It was something that she had to believe. She would take every single one of those special memories and people and cling to them with all she had in her. And when every hope seemed lost, she would reflect on everything that she had gained.
Because this was her world now. And she was going to set it on fire.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Damien
A woman? So Aerity had been right when she told him that the woman in the woods was real. But why? Why would one woman be so significant to block off such a large part of the forest?
“What woman? Explain.” He demanded. Benjamin was even more pale than he normally was.
“It sounds crazy. You would think me mad.”
“Try me.”
Benjamin took a seat in front of his desk and placed his head in his hands. “All these years she remained docile. Hidden away and didn’t cause any problems.” His head shook in despair. “We thought we could keep things contained.”
“Tell me what you’re talking about.”
“There was a woman. She had your mom’s face.” Benjamin stuttered. “She fooled us all and by the time we found out it was too late.” The man broke down in a sob weighed down by a secret holding him captive for the last twenty-three years. Someone who had his moms face? Was she from Aerity’s world? Had she been the one to bring her here and switch her with the princess? If so, for what reason? What happened with her that was making this seasoned man cry.
“She threatened to unleash an army. We didn’t know what else to do.” Benjamin’s voice wobbled as he tried to get to the point. He was taking far too long and Damien’s patience was wearing thin. “So we gave her a section of the woods and confined her there. No one was to know of her existence.”
He was trying to put everything together but there didn’t seem to be any correlation. “Is there a connection between her and the beasts? Was that the army she threatened?” Damien asked impatiently.
“I..I don’t know. The beasts only became an issue about three years ago. No one knows where they came from. She said her world’s rulership had technology that we didn’t have. More powerful weapons. She said we didn’t stand a chance and we feared what that might mean for this kingdom.”
Damien rubbed his temples. There had to be a connection between all of this. The timing with Aerity couldn’t be a coincidence. His mom had a look alike from another world. Aerity was switched. The princess came around the same time the attacks began. “Tell me everything you know.”
Benjamin paused for a moment and glanced at him with frightened eyes. “Once you know, there is no unknowing it. Some skeletons are better kept in the dark.” He said cryptically.
“Tell me.” Damien crossed his arms over his shoulders as Benjamin let out a heavy sigh.
“She had two…” Benjamins words were cut off by a bang on his office door.
Elias swung it open without waiting for a reply, his eyebrows knitting together when he saw Benjamin and Damien together. “I’m sorry for interrupting your highness.”
“I’m busy Elias. What is it?” Damien huffed, anxious for his long-awaited answers.
“I’m sorry sir but it’s important. The king has returned. He’s waiting for you in the throne room.”
Damien knew better than to make his father wait.
“We aren’t done with this conversation yet.” With one last look at Benjamin he followed Elias out the door. It didn’t even occur to him that he had left the tea to grow cold in his office without ever finding out Carly’s purpose in bringing it.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Aerity
After getting food the night prior, it was a surprise she had fallen to sleep so quickly. Maybe it was the fact that she had finally come to grips with herself that helped her mind calm. Or perhaps it was that they were approaching their new life. Either way, she was ready for anything thrown at her.
The foghorn had been the first thing to jerk her out of bed, followed by the sound of seagulls and sliding rope. It took a minute for her mind to catch up with the sounds and only then did it register that they were by land.
Eli had sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as she jumped to peer out the window. An array of clouds blocked her view before a wind slashed a path through the obstruction. Land peeked out in the distance; a smile spread across her face. She looked back at Eli who gave her a questioning look.
“Almost time to get off the boat.” She expressed and without waiting for his response turned back to the window, dragging in a deep breath. “Are you ready for it?”
“Yeah, we got this.” She caught his smile in the reflection of the glass as she bit her lip, grabbed her clothes and darted into the bathroom to get ready.
∞∞∞
Eli
It was still early morning when they ported.
Aerity was hopping around like she didn’t have a care in the world, placing her face up to meet the sun beaming down. No one would ever assume they were going through any kind of hardship with how bright her eyes shined.
The ship worked effortlessly in order to dock without incident and they approached land without any problems. The pirate sign that had flashed free on the open waters had been pulled back and replaced with a simple mercha
nt one.
He shook his head at the ridiculous position they had found themselves in. They probably had enough money for a few weeks in a tavern but that didn’t change the fact that they needed to make a way of living now. A final foghorn and the steady decline of the ship’s movement informed him that they had successfully stopped. Fisherman on the boat prepared to let the gang pipe down and fasten it securely.
Aerity was busy saying her goodbyes. She got attached to so many people in just one week but that was most likely because she almost died trying to save one of their own. People tended to gravitate towards her. That was simply who she was, and he hoped it never changed.
She sniffled as she approached him, holding their meager supplies in her shaking hands. Even though she had gone shopping before they left, they still lacked a lot of the things they needed but that was just one thing on a list of many that they couldn’t worry about right now.
“So what now?” Aerity glanced up the pier squinting her eyes at the sun.
“I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Carly
After dropping off the teacup to Damien’s office with the hidden note, she rushed back to attend to her normal chores and duty’s. She hoped he understood her clue to check the tea she had brought. The way he watched her said that he had but right before she left, she caught a final glimpse of determination flit across his face and his mask went back up. It made her questioned whether he was too focused on the advisor standing in front of him to notice the subtle hint she was trying to send him.
It was out of her hands now.
Carly sighed. It was now time to get the princess ready for the midday meal, which she was not looking forward to. It should only take so long to help button up a dress and fix a hairdo for the event and yet the princess made it into a drudging affair.
It was eerily silent and still as she entered the princess’ chambers, making Carly wonder if she had the correct time or not. Taking careful steps further inside the room, she stilled when she noticed a form sitting rigid in the chair in front of the mirror. The princess was completely dressed in her grown, buttons and all and she was staring unnervingly at Carly in the reflection of the looking glass. A slight movement caught in her eye as the princess twirled something between her fingers. Carly was mesmerized by the motion for a minute until the princess spun to face her, her face a perfect depiction of calm serenity. But something darker flashed in her eyes and Carly’s hands began to shake.
“Are you aware of how many eyes are around the castle?” The princess asked her. She resisted the urge to rub her sweaty palms on her apron.
“Many, Princess.” She answered, willing her words steady. Carly didn’t know what to make of the situation. The princess refused to look at her, just kept twirling the item in her hands, staring at it blankly. Was she caught? Did the princess know she overheard their conversation earlier?
“Yes. Many. Do you really think a maid that leaves the prince’s corridor can go unnoticed when it is in the opposite direction than she is assigned?”
Carly’s blood ran cold and she swallowed, her tongue and mouth suddenly dry like a crusty old sponge. She clasped her hands together in front of her waist and resisted the urge to wring her fingers together. “I apologize, Your Highness, I don’t know what your referring to.” It was foolish to play dumb, but she needed more time to come up with something, anything to get out of this. Nothing came to mind.
“You mistake stupidity for bravery.” The princess said as she tossed Carly the item in her hand. As soon as she scrambled to catch it, everything in her froze. On the piece of paper in her hand was her handwriting scrawled across the page. The note she had tried to leave for Damien. How had the princess gotten it?
“I see the look of confusion on your face. You’re wondering how I could possibly know about your little warning.” The princess stood slowly and began to saunter over to her, keeping eye contact intense and precise. “What you need to understand is that we know everything going on in the castle. There is nothing you will ever be able to hide or get away with. You cannot win.” A finger reached out and trailed down her cheek and Carly remained unmovable as the princess taunted her. “I implore you to learn that sooner rather than later.” Her eyes flashed red and then became calm again.
“You have enjoyed getting in our way and thinking it will come without consequences. You’re not realizing the seriousness of your actions. I would just hate to see the repercussions when they finally do catch up to you.”
Carly tried to hide her trembling, but she was shaking too fiercely to stop. There was a promise in those words, and it was dark and chilling. What would the princess do to her? What would her punishment be?
“There’s a list of extra chores I need you to do tonight. The list is on the back of your little note.” Carly glanced down and flipped the paper. Sure enough, there was a list that filled up the page. “Make sure you finish it before the night is through.”
Carly watched as the princess sashayed out of the room and a cold dread filled up her stomach. This list of chores was far from her true punishment. No, she had a feeling that the princess had something much worse in store for her.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Aerity
They never got their drink.
They made their way through the crowd, bumping and dodging drunken patrons. The streets were filled with people of all shapes and sizes, dressed in varying degrees of wealth. Food vendors lined the pathway, people calling out appetizing descriptions to sell their wares.
Aerity wondered if the streets were always this busy and took the time to speak to a man on the side of the road selling pastries. The sweet scent of powdered sugar and raspberries filled her nose and she gave Eli a dreamy look.
He chucked as she turned back to the man. “Does it seem to be busier than normal today?” She asked him, trying to word it in a way that didn’t give away how clueless they were of the town.
It apparently didn’t work very well because the guy answered, “You must not be from around here. Its community day. People come from all over to see it and get a taste of equality.” Just then, she glanced behind her and noticed a group of girls spinning around a pole with ribbons attached in the center. Their hair flowed around them in delicate whisks that accentuated their beauty. Men in stilts suddenly came stalking over the heads of the crowd making her glance up in awe.
Everything was so beautiful; she thought it might be easy to make a life here. She smiled at Eli before turning her attention turned back to the man. Just then, she noticed a little hand peeking out from behind his pant leg. A blonde tuff of hair made an appearance next, followed by the crystal blue of an eye. Slowly tilting her head to the side, she caught sight of a boy hiding behind his father’s coat tails and smiled. The second eye peered out, inspecting her and she quickly held in her surprised gasp. One side of his face was completely normal while the other half looked deformed. When she ran her eyes down towards his legs, she noticed he was standing a bit lopsided.
Bending down to one knee so she was eye level with the boy, she smiled. “Hello.”
He shyly ducked his head back behind his father. The voice came from above her and she glanced up to see the father’s face shrouded with worry. “It’s a condition. I promise ye it’s not contagious! And he’s not supposed to come near the table. I’m so sorry!” He spoke anxiously, afraid she might not buy his pastries if she thought his son had a hand in preparing them.
Just then a female voice spoke from behind them and Aerity had to resist standing up and punching her in the face. “That is truly heinous! No one will buy your food with that thing by the cart! Just knowing he was in the same house that prepared the food makes me queasy!” She shouted, making sure everyone around could hear.
Aerity balled her fists from her crouched position as the man tried to reassure her that his son was nowhere near the food, emphasizing again that he isn’t conta
gious. It was just a condition he was born with.
Injustice swarmed in her belly when again the woman went about ranting and raving but all Aerity could only focus on the eye that peeked out again, now swimming with tears.
Slowly, she moved in a bit closer to the boy, careful not to scare him, and held out her hand imploring him to come closer. “Can you tell me your name?”
A tear trailed down the boy’s face and he quickly swiped it away. It made her smile.
“Christopher.”
“Christopher is a very nice name. Sounds tough and strong. Are you tough and strong?” Christopher cautiously nodded but there was reservation in the movement. “I prefer someone tough and strong to make my pastries. I think they taste better that way. Can you whisper in my ear which pastries you made so that I can buy them? I don’t want anyone else hearing and getting all the good ones.”
He glanced down at his feet, wondering if he should say something but then he looked up and scooted in a little closer. “Papa says I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”
Her heart clenched as she took another small step closer to him. “Do you like baking, Christopher?” He was silent a moment and then there was a slight nod.
“Then I don’t think you have anything to be afraid of. You can do anything you want to do. If you want to be a baker, I think you can do it.”
He swallowed and took another step closer to her. He was so close; she could almost reach out and touch him, but she was waiting for him to make the decision and come to her. She didn’t think these people implemented the whole ‘stranger danger’ and she was no threat to him. Still, she didn’t want to cause a scene. These were new people and a new territory except all kids were similar in how they feel when someone tears them down. She couldn’t imagine being born the way he was and if the comments of the woman behind her were anything to go off of, Christopher and his father didn’t lead an easy life.