(Chapter 11) Encounter on the Seas

My name is Gracelynn Helix the 5th Child of the Helix clan. The helix clan is the family that rules over Helia, a small coastline country in the Kingdom of Sarok.

Due to the peace-treaty 50 years ago between the kingdom of Rorak and Sarok, my country has flourished and prospered under the rule of my family and the absence of war.

I have four older sisters and one younger brother. My younger brother is the heir to the throne and will one day rule over the kingdom in my father’s place when he reaches the age of succession.

All my older sisters were married off or engaged to other princes around the world to better the relations between our countries and increase trade. Currently I am the only princess who isn’t engaged to anyone…A few months ago on my 11th birthday, my father invited potential suitors from all around the world to see if there was anyone who wanted my hand in marriage….

I know that eventually I would have to marry someone but………….my birthday had ended up as a disaster………..

The prince of a wealthy country called Harlax began pressuring my father……..for my hand in marriage.

There were a lot of problems though…………..the prince………….is a 34 year old man named Boris.

I didn’t…………..I didn’t wanna marry a geezer like him!

But he started pressuring my father……….and even managed to drive away all the other people who had come seeking for my hand in marriage…………………

I would have to marry him as soon as I reached adulthood at 16 years old………..and he would be 39 years old!

He was also super gross…… A shifty personality and an ugly face…………I would rather die than marry him!

My father tried to politley decline him but then he began to threaten my father and he was just the ruler of a small country…… so reluctantly…………..daddy agreed to him!

I………..I……………………………..I couldn’t go through with the marriage! So I told daddy that I would rather die than marry him but………..He didn’t take me seriously.

So I……………on the eve of my engagement party I………………I ran away!

After I was found and captured by the guards…………….everything………..everything that happened after……….was a disaster.

Boris was furious at my dad and demanded justice for the insult he had been given……………and then…………………..

My father had to publicly disown me!

I was exiled from the clan and stripped of my last name……..

I suppose I am just Gracelynn now……..

Then……..then my father put me on a ship and gave me funds to pay for school tuition and live well for 10 years. I was then accepted in an academy for magicians in the north-eastern kingdom. The academy was so far away from home.................

I was free from my family’s obligations but I would never………I would never see them again…….

All because of Boris!

I…….I hate him!

Just because I was pretty he made all those terrible things happen…….

I had very fair skin and blue eyes. I also had glossy silver hair that was very rare. Just because I looked this way…….I had………….I had lost everything!

First I had cried because I would never see my family again but………………I………………I wouldn’t let this stop me!

Just you see Boris! I am going to become a strong magician and one day I’ll make you pay for ruining my life!

Wait, why has the shipped stopped? What’s going on?

“Madam Gracelynn, The captain sen't me ta get ya, he told me to tell ya that we got a complication"

“What? What complication?”

I looked towards the door of my cabin, thinking about what the sailor had just said, complication?

“Very well, lead me to where he is.”

I got up from my bed and opened the door, the smell of the sea hit me.

Then, I followed the sailor as he led me to the upper deck. There, at the stern of the ship was the ship’s captain.

“Hello Jeffery, I was told that there was a complication?”

“Madam, we’ve found a………..boy………..stranded on a raft a few meters away from us. My look-out has reported that he’s about 7 years old and is carrying a spear. Do you wish to rescue him?

“A boy? On a raft? Yes, quickly bring him up, what harm could a boy possibly be? Also where are my hand-maidens, Haiden and Felberta?”

“They are currently in the kitchen preparing dinner with the ships cook”

“Bring them to the dining gallery, I and my maidens will meet the boy there after you bring him up to the ship.”

“Very well madam”

I walked quickly back to my cabin to wash my face. Then I began heading towards the dining gallery.

As soon as I entered the dining gallery I found my maids were waiting for me. My maids had taken care of me since I was born and very important to me. I then proceeded to tell them that the look-out had found a boy and we had rescued him.

After a short while……..

The doors to the dining hall opened and in came a boy…………………..a very very thin boy……..

His black hair was overgrown and unkempt, he didn’t have a shirt on and besides a dirty pair of trousers had no other clothes……his entire body was filthy from the sea.

His eyes were so peculiar, they were hazel and there was an orange ring around his pupils…..but there was something even more interesting about his eyes……..They seemed to be screaming something………..he looked so………………….

Hungry

“Jeffery! Can’t you see how hungry and thin this boy is? Good heavens he’s starved! Quick get him some food!”

After berating the ship’s captain I turned around towards the boy.

“My name is Gracelynn and I am currently leading this voyage”

“It’s okay, you’re safe now. You’ve probably had a very difficult journey…………….we’ll get you fed immediately………umm may I ask what your name is?”

“Muzumi”

A very quiet raspy voice replied.

“What a strange name, I’ve never heard of anything like it before, what does it mean?”

A faint smile played on the boys features and he replied

“I was named after the color grey in an old and forgotten language. I had two older brothers Kuro and Shiro. Kuro means black and Shiro means white. My father named me after the color grey.”

“Your father seems like a very interesting man, it would be wonderful to meet him.”

Suddenly the smile faded from the boy and a bitter expression covered his face.

“I am sorry M”lady but due to some….unfortunate circumstances………..My father is currently in an unreachable place.”

Suddenly I felt guilty and stupid for not being sensitive

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that……….it’s clear that you’ve been through a lot. You don’t have to worry about that anymore, we’ll take care of you on this ship.”

The boy strangely spoke like a prince……..I had been under strict education when I was young so it was understandable that as a former princess I would be eloquent but this boy…….Maybe his father was a noble?

“I wouldn’t want to trouble my saviours like that M”lady. If you would drop me off at the closest village or city that would be enough for me.”

With an inquisitive expression upon my features I asked

“Closet city? Why would you want to be left there? You’re just a small boy without any family. How would you survive?

The boy was silent for a moment before carefully responding with…

“ I have…………certain talents………….I am confident that I would be able to seek employment….Also, its very kind of you to worry about me but like I said, I don’t want to trouble you.”

“I……..I understand. Very well, it seems as if your food has arrived. Please enjoy it and under my decree everyone on this ship is to treat you as a guest. I will now retire to my cabin, if you wish to discuss anything with me just ask someone on the ship to deliver a message. Good day.”

As I got up to leave the dining gallery, I glanced at the boy behind me…….he looked so thin........what sort of horrible circumstances must he have suffered to look like that?

-15 days later-

I had talked a few times with Muzumi in the dining gallery, oddly he spent a lot of his time there.

At first we simply discussed affairs of state and he had a lot of questions regarding territories and recent changes in the kingdoms. He seemed very out of touch with the world, I thought I had been right with my assumption that he had noble blood in him but………….His understanding was even lower than that of a commoner.

I suppose he must have not been taught world geography or history by his parents, many nobles did find those subjects to be less important than others.

I thought I would be able to be-friend him but he seemed to keep…..some distance between himself and others. He wasn’t trusting at all.

Probably because of his harsh past, it’s truly sad that someone as young as him had already suffered through some sort of calamity in his life.

Although I had been exiled from my own country I still had luxuries and a small fortune to rely on. The child had nothing and his family was dead…….My misery paled in comparison to his…..He was even about four years younger than me. Also, he wasn’t the only child who had suffered through so much. What about all the countless child slaves that nobles and royalty kept for their own petty amusement?

My self-anguish seemed childish now that I reflect on it……I truly was being selfish and short-minded.

That’s right…. I need to be firm in my resolve to become a great magician and study hard at the academy. Not for some petty revenge but for my own sake. I would become someone strong and admirable and earn back my right as a princess of helix with my own power.

Just you wait father, I will come back stronger than ever one day.

“Madam Gracelynn! We have a situation!”

I was roused out of my thoughts from the loud rapping and voice at my door.

“What is it?”

“We…….we are being followed by pirates! Their ship is as fast as lighting! ……they will catch up ta us in minutes!”

-Yuzu here, so my sleep schedule was all messed up and I’m in the process of resetting it. I was being very unproductive and wasting time and for that I am sorry. Hopefully my brain can just shut-up and let me sleep……Anyways, thanks for reading! <3