Zilva’s sun barely made it up from the horizon and Bri could tell by the swift breeze that there were storms ahead. Dryads’ meddling was starting to take effect.
Pulling her coat around her she waited for Dorcas to prepare to leave. She felt sad at having to say goodbye to her newfound friend. She had grown so close to her so quickly, something she rarely did with women. The company of men always felt safer.
'I can't believe you're not going to stay with us.'
'I am needed in Zolar. I have a kingdom to protect. Surrial says Xander has mastered water and fire, so there is no need for me to stay and you have a good crew and a special guardian,' Dorcas replied and Bri found herself smiling at her intended meaning.
'Are you sure you will get there safe?' Bri asked.
Dorcas held out her hand to show a ring that looked like tanzanite.
'This is wood from my birth tree. Wherever I am in Celestia, I will always get home.'
The princesses hugged each other warmly. 'It was a pleasure to meet you, my Queen,' Dorcas said bowing respectively.
Bri followed suit. 'As it was you my lady.'
They both smiled with a mutual understanding of where the other would stand in their lives and with a flash Dorcas disappeared in a wave of gold dust. Soon the crew began to arrive and she noticed with an exasperated sigh the battered and bruised state of the Trio.
'Should I even bother asking?' she asked Decks who was leading him to the ship.
'Not really. You've heard the story,' he mumbled.
Behind them Surrial and Xander followed. Though Xander looked exhausted, he had developed a confident glow that was so different to the vain one he usually wore. She presumed this was due to him tapping into his newfound power.
'Has Dorcas gone already?' Xander asked.
'Can't you tell by the dust?' she replied, laughing and waving some of the remaining flecks away from her face. 'She told me you have mastered water and fire.'
'Within the safety of spheres,' Surrial added with a proud smile.
Bri had not ever seen him smile and seeing it she began to see another warmer, softer side to him, which she could quite like.
Turning towards the ship she saw the sails fill quickly as Clues let them drop. This ride was going to be rough and they needed to go soon. She watched the figure of Eyes climbing his way to the nest, it was then she realised someone was missing.
'Where is Orlson?' she shouted as she boarded the ship.
'Isn't that him coming with Croenda?' Clues said standing beside her.
She felt her heart start to sink as she saw them walking arm in arm. Just like any other couple who were in love and judging by the smile on her face, Croenda was coming with news she was not going to like.
'I smell wedding bells,' the Second said, now separated from his brothers coming to see.
'Shut up you prat,' the First snarled.
'Princess doesn't like Miss Croenda. You know that,' the Third added.
Orlson could tell by the thunderous look on Bri's face she was not in the mood to hear his news as he and Croenda approached. This was something he was not looking forward to doing, but Croenda had insisted.
‘This is the only way I am ever going to believe that you want to be with me,’ she had said.
He had lain beside her that night and while she slept he could not shake the impending sense of doom that was sitting inside his stomach. He was damned no matter which path he chose.
'Finally, I thought you were never coming,' Bri said trying to keep her tone light.
'Well you see that is why we are here,' Croenda said.
Bri ignored her and purposefully looked at Orlson. 'We need to get going, a storm is brewing,' she said.
'Orlson tell her,' Croenda pushed, her hands folding across her chest.
Bri turned toward her, unable to ignore her any longer. 'Look, Croenda, why don't you just mind your own business and leave Orlson to do his duty.'
The two women were now facing each other and an uneasy silence fell behind them as the crew stopped to watch something that had been brewing for many years. Orlson knew he needed to step in and do what he and Croenda had discussed; however, now he was here in front of Bri he could not bring himself to do it. In fact all he wanted was to get on that damn ship and get away from them both.
'That's the thing princess. He has done his duty. You have chosen to postpone your wedding, not Orlson. Your prince is with you. So there is no need for Orlson to be with you at all,' Croenda challenged.
'He stays with me until his band breaks,' Bri threw.
'He stays with you. What is he, a possession?' Croenda cried out almost laughing.
'I never said that, what I meant is...'
'What you mean is, is because you can't have him no-one else can.'
The slap happened before Bri realised she had moved her hand. She instantly regretted it, she could see by the smirk it was exactly what Croenda was hoping for.
'Now that was out of order Bri,' Orlson said stepping in between them, the attack springing him into action.
'Oh come on Orlson, she has been begging for it since we landed,' Bri said.
'No, she was telling you the way it is. We have come here to tell you we are getting married today so I'm staying here.'
'You can't,' Bri whispered, her voice catching in her throat.
'I think you'll find he can,' Croenda said linking arms with Orlson.
Orlson removed her hand and took Bri by the shoulders and looked into the now water-green eyes. He had to do this. He had to save himself from her.
'When this is over you and Prince Xander will marry and live happily ever after. My job is done. I swore to protect you and I have done that, please let me live my life.'
'But Croenda? Marriage?'
'I love her.' It was as though he had raised his fist and punched her deep in the heart with those three words. 'So will you let me go, Bri?' he asked.
'It is Your Highness.'
'What?' he asked unsure he had heard her correctly, though seeing the crew behind her begin to huddle together told him he had not.
'I said, it is Your Highness,' she repeated.
She looked at him coldly, her head held high.
Orlson began to laugh. 'You are kidding?'
'You made a promise to your king that you would stay with me until I wed and since I clearly have not, you will board the ship and that is an order.'
Xander moved towards them both. 'Briganti is it really that important? Why don't you just let...’
His sentence trailed off as he was met with the coldest stare he had ever encountered. He quickly shuffled back amongst the crew.
'You can't make him do anything,' Croenda started to scream.
Bri smiled at her smartly. 'You'll find I can,' she said. 'In fact, I command it.'
Orlson felt his insides turn, he was hurt and humiliated and this was by someone he thought he loved.
'Are you pulling rank on me?' he asked.
'I am merely ordering you to board the ship as your queen,' Bri answered steadily.
He looked at her with different eyes, before pushing past her and boarding the ship. The rest of the crew would not meet his eye and he could feel the shock emanating from them.
'I always knew you were a spiteful bitch,' Croenda hissed in her face. 'This time though, everyone else sees it now.'
Bri looked back at her crew and the prince and saw shock and disgust in their eyes. But she did not care. If they were going to succeed in beating Dryad they would need everyone and it meant everyone.
Chapter Eighteen
Celestia's Tales: The Lybiria Scales Page 21