The way the sun sat over the edge of the sea, its glory mirrored in my eyes. It spoke to me in a way that the rolling seas never would. Like, we had something in common. Maybe the need to rest after enjoying our time wide-awake. It’s honestly hard to say exactly why I felt like a celestial body could reflect my personal feelings or that we could even be compatible. Maybe–it was the growing dread that I began to feel the closer we got to land. I didn’t even need the Captain to inform me. I could just feel it.

Turning from the sunset, I looked upon Alaine resting on a purple, silk fabric with her ladies-in-waiting and I couldn’t help but ponder. Like, really deep down, wondering if this is really what I wanted. Not that I could afford to run away from my duties as a Holy Knight or a devout follower of her Excellency. Yet–deep down, I wondered why I must be the one to devout myself as a loyal, loving husband. Why must I focus on the balance between our relationship?

True, I didn’t want to be cuck in my own home. Nor did I really want to establish a decorum of loving work more than her but the issue is–I don’t love her.

“What are you thinking about,” Alaine reached out to grab my hand and I met her, allowing her to pull me down beside her.

“Just imagining what we are bound to expect when reaching the port,” I said, stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. “What are you ladies discussing?”

Lady Allison held up the book with a red-dyed leather and silver words etch into the spine. “A lover tale about a Knight and a Baroness who lost her husband in a war.” She paused and then shook her head. “It’s quite a sad tale depending on your point of view. She is looked down upon for having an affair with this knight who was her childhood friend but he was right there during the period of mourning. He held her up when enemies besieged the castle and even fought bravely on the front lines. Yet, her peers degraded her beyond words for falling to her heart.”

“Ugh, say no more. They were just jealous that their husbands were sleeping around with other women and not even trying to hide it. Let’s not even get into the fact that some of them had true loves but couldn’t even openly love them.” A crow-faced lady in a blue gown said. The lady leaned forward and plucked a green grape, biting only half it while holding the other half in hand.

“But it is a good story that ends in a happy-ever-after. Compared to the last book we read, it could have been a far worse ending.” Alaine placed her copy on my lap. “You should read it. I’m sure you will find it delightful. Even enlightening as some of the Baroness tendencies can be found in many women.”

Was she suggesting that I wasn’t good enough already? Already finding flaws with me? Oh, Goddess, how I need your strength and wisdom!

I took my hand back from hers, leaning against the railing, and pulling up my knees. A quick flip through the book allowed me to know that there were eleven chapters and the script was definitely written by a woman. The T’s and S’s curl in a way that men wouldn’t do. Flipping back to the first chapter, I dove into it to avoid the follow-up conversation that began without me.

***

A white bird the size of a large carriage flew over the ship, casting down a shadow that made it slightly hard for me to read. I glanced up and realized that the church symbol rested upon the forehead of the bird. Clicking my teeth, I shot up, bouncing from mast column to column while climbing higher into the air. It took me a few seconds to land upon the crow nest, scaring the poor soldier in the nest, who raised up his shield and hoist his sword.

“Calm down,” I said, and released my aura.

Upon seeing the golden glow around me, the bird sweeped low and landed on the edge of the crow nest. My eyes twitched at the satchel attached to its leg and I opened it to pull out a few scrolls along with a map poorly rolled up. When I straightened up, the bird shot into the air, sending both me and the soldier sliding back into the wall of the crow nest dangerously.

“Holy—” the soldier snatched up the safety rope, which kept him in the crow nest.

Me, I watched him looking down at me with a hand out after I fell over as if he could save me. I sighed, and reached out to grab onto one of the sails ropes, slapping my heels into a column. Then I worked my way down like I was born for this life instead of showing that my heart was two seconds from fleeing.

“Can you not do that again?” Alaine held her fair hand to her chest while looking at me with a bead of sweat that captured a strand of her hair and glued it to her forehead. “I don’t think my heart can stand being a widow before I even walk up the aisle.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, and began unfurling the scrolls to see what the situation was.

Just as expected, something was wrong with the land up ahead. Church spies have indicated that demonic envoys have infiltrated the city. Which wasn’t hard when the church temple was barely run by a Bishop and that Bishop might have been distracted by personal ambition. After all, if you had the choice to fight everyday or compromise and earn a living. Both ways were under the guidance of the Goddess, wouldn’t you choose the latter?

That being said, the envoys weren’t after the Princess but the Holy son, which was me. Oddly enough, I felt a little excited at the prospects of being considered a threat. I wasn’t really much of anything and just barely grown. In fact, I could very well be considered a non-factor as I didn’t have much of a foundation and at most—would be under another figure.

“Is there a problem,” Alaine asked while lifting up a tea cup and taking a sip.

“For you, no. Well, other than the fact that you aren’t going to really be enjoying your stay, I think you won’t mind being busy.” I burnt the scrolls and then moved up to the cabin. After all, I had to prepare for landfall.

Ugh, I might as well jump into the sea and escape to some island nobody ever heard of. If only the Goddess could whisper the coordinates into my ear.

Looking up, the sky was still as peaceful as before. The clouds were still dispersing and the sun was still sitting just below the sea’s nose.