Fit to be Queen [Sinbad x OC]

part fourteen

Iris watched the waves as the familiar island country came into view. It spouted from the Western ocean unnaturally, surrounded by cliffs that darted deep into the water, unlike the beaches and gradual sloping of Sindria. White-capped waves crashed into the red-tone rocks that surrounded the land that peaked into a mountainous terrain. The mountains had hats of snow on their tips, but near the bottoms they were littered with trees growing leaves ranging in color from bright yellows to dull oranges and browns.

Itraitha Kingdom was much further North than Sindria, so they experienced four seasons a year and yielded appropriate crop and resources each time the weather changed.

She wore a cloak around her shoulders to keep herself warm in the autumn chill. Sinbad stubbornly refused to wear something to counter the cooler weather as he rubbed his arms and stood embarrassingly close to the girl for heat.

But she was too anxious to pay him more mind after arguing with him to get him to wear a cloak or something for warmth. Ja'far even tried, too, but if there was anything to be said about their King, it was that he was more stubborn than anyone they had ever met.

However, like he had months earlier as they prepared to face the danger that posed a threat to Sindria, he saw her nerves and insecurity, and grabbed her hand to assure her. She squeezed his fingers as they drew closer to the rocky island. He stood there as her strength as the boat docked.

Several Itraithan deckhands came to help them tie the boat to one of the piers. Upon news of their arrival, soldiers descended from the central hill where the palace stood, protectively surrounding three men riding horses with ornate headgear.

In the center of squadron was an older man sitting taller than the rest and wore a gold headdress. Once they reached the docks where Iris, Sinbad, and Ja'far arrived, the man was quick to get off his horse and rush to the front of his soldiers. He was short-statured, standing just as tall as the girl with wide, surprised brown eyes, though his beard made him appear larger than his actual size.

"Irisiah." He gasped, trying to keep his tears from overflowing.

Upon seeing him she couldn't keep a stern face. She slowly leaned forward, then bent her knees and ran to the older man, wrapping him in a hug as he embraced her. He sobbed, trembling in her grasp.

The parted and he cupped her cheek. She didn't cry but was surely overcome with strong emotion upon the reunion. "You look more and more like your mother as you get older." He said in a raspy voice. "Thank you for coming home."

Iris looked down and stepped away from him. She had no intention of returning to Itraitha and was merely forced to come back by Sinbad who claimed she needed to face her past.

The older man took a few paces forward, then dropped to his knees in front of Sinbad. He bowed his head and proclaimed, "Thank you, King Sinbad, for bringing my daughter home safely. How can I thank you?"

"Please, stand, King." Sinbad said warmly, offering his hand to help this man - Iris's father - back to his feet. "She has certainly managed to keep herself safe." He met the said girl's silver eyes. "And I have her to thank for coming to Sindria."

The soldiers suddenly consumed Iris, taking her by the wrists and pushing along her back. After a moment of being startled, she pried herself free and jumped away from them, baring her claws as if to threaten, 'don't take a step closer to me.'

"No, no, no. We are not doing this, father." She glared at him, all warmness fading from her silver eyes as the circumstances almost immediately reverted to as it was seven years prior, trying to keep her inside, isolated, and protected from any questionable event.