Lark turned his attention back to the waters. He looked beneath him to check that there were no lurking dangers. He noticed lights. He realized what it was. It was the pink and blue lights of a Baika. The Palimora Sea was teaming with aquatic life that could be dangerous. The soldiers were layered from the top down. The soldiers of the last row were the protectors of the convoy. Ready to destroy any large water mammals that they encountered. And a large glowing whale known as a Baika, swam beneath them.
It was massive, at 29 meters and moved slowly in the water. The animal illuminated beautifully, lighting the waters below. The soldiers alerted one another and pointed. Baika’s would attack. Especially if it were a female and her young was near. The soldiers looked around. The lone animal had no reason to attack. And it looked to be on a mission and not interested in the foreign travelers. The soldiers kept an eye on it but otherwise, deemed it safe. There was no need to kill it. It would take twenty of them to kill a Baika. And they had limited soldiers. It would not be good to lose so many men on a journey that should be pleasant and joyous.
Lark looked back at Finora. His anxiety mounting. He always liked her even though she was like family. Like a little sister. But things had changed. And he noticed. She was not his sister. And she was not little. She was a woman. And she was gorgeous. But the king would never hear of it. So, he kept his eyes to himself admiring her beauty from a distance. She usually smelled of flowers and he wondered how she was able to make herself smell so sweet. Finora had a lot of talents. She knew how to make polish, perfume, oils and body balms. She was the only one. Nermein women didn’t typically use such items. And after Aterra discovered her daughter’s hidden gifts, she prohibited her from speaking or sharing her talents with anyone. She told her daughter citizens would consider her wild. A reputation she would not want. Wild meant mentally deranged and unstable. She needed to be like everyone else. Not stand out. After Finora ignored her mother’s request, she was banned from making the items altogether.
T
he large group neared the shore. Finora got nervous. She looked at Lark. He looked back at her. She turned her head swiftly away. She didn’t want him to see her sadness. She swam closer to shore as her tail turned back to legs. She stood and walked the rest of the way. The water up to her chest. The waves crashing into her. She looked down into the water. The guards were beginning to change their tails to legs. She could see men standing on the shore. They looked intimidating. Prince Andreus stood amongst them.
He smiled at Finora. She looked away and over at her mother. Queen Aterra smiled. Finora looked back to Andreus. He was thrilled. He looked pleased. She did not share the sentiment of the moment. “Princess,” he said, as he stared into her eyes. “Prince Andreus,” she replied. She looked intensely at him. He was excited. Smitten. And elated that she had finally arrived.
Her eyes did not deceive. They were pure of her thoughts. She looked at him with contempt. And she wondered why he didn’t feel her sting. Her visual cues were hard to miss. It was their second encounter. He should have felt the first one. That day in the water. The day she rendered a harsh judgment of him. He was The Trout. The self-absorbed, egocentric, entitled man who wouldn’t know the way to her heart if he had a personal tour guide.
“This way,” he said, as he stepped to the side. A chariot awaited her. One adorned in gold, rubies and pearls. A gift from Queen Rasbora. Finora walked to it. She looked around at his massive army. They outnumbered her men by ten to one. It was intimidating. He should have known better. She would have appreciated a much more intimate introduction. Maybe himself and a few guards. She couldn’t figure why he felt it necessary to protect himself. Was he at war. Were there assassins hunting him.
Finora stepped to the chariot. A guard in leg wraps and a black vest adorned with gold medallions opened the door. It was an impressive soldiers’ uniform. All his men wore it. The outfits were expensive and time consuming to create. Fin noticed the detailing. Her father had taught her the value of each jewel. The value in craftmanship. She was impressed. “I must meet your dressmaker,” she said, to break the ice. “You will. She is at the castle,” Andreus replied.
Finora entered the carriage. She glanced around the land. She didn’t like the view. Eulachon lacked luster. The land was covered in tall straw like grass that went on for miles. There were a few scattered trees and other shrubs. The most enchanting part of their land were the mountains. They looked like perfectly shaped rocks sitting side by side in a neat row. Fin hoped there were more scenic parts elsewhere. It would be depressing if the whole city looked that way. There was a shortage of colorful plants. The ground lacked the beautiful green and blue moss that covered the ground in Mojarro. It would be hard to trade her home for this place.
“Do you not trade for plants from Panga?” she asked. “Yes. But nothing will grow. Only near the lakes,” Andreus replied. He could sense she was displeased. His immediate fix would be to find a way to make the area around the castle more visually appealing. Eulachon was not as beautiful. But it was a land plentiful in material and goods.
The land was surrounded by mountains and water. Their water was filled with the best tasting fish in the world. Their mountains and the grounds around it spewed some of the best metals. Andreus would agree that Eulachon was not pretty. But it was abundant in what their world needed to survive. Jewels and gold were one thing. Heavy metals and great food were another. Mojarro had gold. Gold was a soft metal. Not good for making the best tools. Andreus was aware of the value his city brought to Madaka. But Fin was unimpressed. She didn’t see herself comfortable in Eulachon.
Guards bent down and grabbed the poles that extended from the chariot. Finora looked behind her. There was a separate chariot for her parents. They walked up and got in. “Your Highness,” the guard said, as he opened the door to the King and Queens chariot. The men bowed as Queen Aterra entered and sat down. King Zander got in and sat next to her. “This place looks desolate,” she said in a low voice. King Zander chuckled. His wife could be opinionated. Eulachon was nothing like Mojarro. Not even close.
Prince Andreus was himself, nervous. He got in and sat next to her. She looked briefly at him then out the window. It was an uncomfortable moment. “Are you as nervous as I am,” he asked. Fin sighed. She wanted to meet and get it over with. “No. I’m fine,” she said. He cleared his throat. She was more beautiful than when he saw her in the water. She was breathtaking. He had heard rumors that she was difficult. Weird. Strange even. But he saw nothing of the sort. She was hard to get through to. Feisty. Ice cold when nervous or unsure. But she was wonderful. Unique. He liked her.
“You smell, um… like flowers,” he commented. It was the balm. The water had not rinsed all of its contents off of her skin. Finora smiled. His compliments helped ease the tension. It was a start. “Thank you.”
The large convoy of soldiers and chariots approached the Pearl Palace. King Orfe walked from the window. He wished his wife, Queen Inga, had lived to see the day. There was a grand party awaiting them. A buffet, filled with the best sea life and plants available. Queen Rasbora sent the chariot as well as sea kelp from her clean and healthy waters. She had kelp only native to her waters. King Nephrus, although disappointed that Finora would not be marrying his son, sent a buffet of shellfish and sweet tasting plants from his land.
He also sent, as a gift to Prince Andreus, a solid gold crown made of rubies and emeralds. Jewels he received from King Zander himself. It was a grand gesture. King Zander did not share his emeralds and rubies. He gave King Nephrus just a few, as a thank you. King Nephrus had sent him soil in exchange for Finora’s hand. And the jewels were a way to apologize for not being able to give his daughters hand in marriage to his son. King Zander wanted no bad blood. He had only one daughter. He could not make all the princes within Madaka happy.
Pretty Fin Page 8
