The Unblessed Child

Chapter Ten - Expectations

The rest of the time spent before boarding the royal fleet was bittersweet. Sonas didn't need to know the danger her sister was in or the curse that seemed to be manifesting within but keeping the truth from her made Aardriyah feel sick. Sonas deserved to be happy and safe, to continue living life as best she could blissfully unaware of the danger her sister was in or the tainted magic growing within her. So Aardriyah resolved to enjoy their last moments together, impart as much wisdom she could and truly enjoy being in her presence one last time. It was hard to leave her and Pateras, to say goodbye to the two people who made her life worth living, but the thought of putting them at risk made Aardriyah sure that one way or another she needed to be as far from them as possible. With that in mind, she made her way to the docks just before peak sun and found the ship and room she had been assigned to.

The four large galleons that made the United Water Kingdoms Royal Fleet stood proudly in the volcanic soil covered bay. Magnificent flags flew from the top of the mast, while banners of each of the four united water kingdoms were tacked to the sides of each galleon, making them a brilliantly colourful fleet. Aardriyah noticed the banner of Mizu, a blue circle with eight lines stemming out from the centre in a pale blue hue on a white background. The patron animal of Mizu was an octopus, wise and generally docile but strong and fierce enough to ward off any potential threat. The banner of Veros nestled beside it, bearing the underside of a breaching whale in navy blue upon a white backdrop, with light blue waves lapping the base of the banner. Sia's banner was simpler with two strips of white triangular shapes across the top and bottom upon a deep blue backdrop, representing the often-deadly stalactites and stalagmites found in the western ice wastes. The last banner, and Aardriyah's personal favourite, was of Hala. Six lines fell from the top, forming rectangular shapes that peaked in the centre and cascaded to the sides of the uppermost borders. The shapes were coloured in lightening shades of blue, representing the ever-flowing waterfalls spanning the lush green forests of Hala. It was a land that Aardriyah had always wished to visit given the beauty described to her from Chastion's tales.

Aardriyah searched for her ship, number four, and made her way towards it. She recalled Chastion telling her that the Royal Family never travelled on the same ship for fear of ambush wiping out the entire line. Therefore, they were secretly split up and very few knew which family member was on which ship. However, given Aardriyah's cover as Princess Kibo's animal handler she assumed that number four must also be the ship the princess herself travelled on. Kit presently bounced along the docks in front of Aardriyah, chasing the sea gulls from their comfortable perches. His excitedness spurred hope within her, calming the trepidation and fear that was churning away inside.

Placing her trunk down in room sixteen, she took in the scarce surroundings. Two single beds were nestled on either side of the room, a solitary table with two oil lamps sat between the beds while a small wardrobe took up space at the end of the room. Kit's bed was also present at the end of the bed furthest from the door, so Aardriyah supposed this was her designated bed. Given her lack of sleep over the past two days, she plonked herself down and muttered to Kit,

"Just a few minutes, I promise."

However, before she knew it she was lost to a deep sleep that not even Kit's constant nudging could wake her from. The complete exhaustion from two weeks of terrible sleep, meant Aardriyah's mind didn't conjure any dreams or nightmares. Instead her mind fell into an infinite darkness, still and quiet, just as she needed.

She awoke several hours later to a woman's voice and the sensation of being prodded incessantly by a pointy finger. Aardriyah groaned, rolling to her side hoping this would fend off the unwanted disturbance.

"Excuse me, sorry to wake you but I was just wanting to introduce myself." The voice continued, awakening Aardriyah to her present situation and reminding her that she was not asleep in the same bed she had been in for the past eighteen, almost nineteen, years. Her eyes shot open, looking up to the porthole she could see the sun had set and night was blanketing the sky. As she slowly rose from the bed, still too tired to really function, she yawned and held out a hand. A soft warm hand reached back and shook Aardriyah's a little too enthusiastically, she thought.