Chapter 1: Ship Ride
"Now Merida hold still, I'm almost done. Just a few more pins and it will be perfect." She smiled and wiped away a few tears.
"There." Merida turned around to face her. "You look so beautiful. I am so proud of you. I know you will do a great job for our kingdom. You are a powerful speaker, Merida." She touched her face gently.
"Oh, mum! Are you sure my hair needs to be so tight?" Merida smirked and embraced her mother. She sighed and closed her eyes. What if the queen didn't want to trade with them? Perhaps she thought that their family was barbaric- everyone talked about the bow incident. And the bear fiasco. Her brothers, too, were often the subject of tall tales.
"Gah! Mother, I love you. I need to get some air. I just don't know what I'm going to do! I'm going to mess it all up and I-" Her mother placed a finger on her lips and offered her a parcel.
"I know it's not much, but to protect you on your journey. Perhaps the queen enjoys a bit of sport, too."
Eyes huge and round, she opened the package.
"Oh mum, it's wonderful. I...thank you."
"Time to get on the ship. We will await good word. We all believe in you, Merida. You are ready for this."
"I love you, mum."
"And I love you, Merida."
She waved, slung her bow and arrows over her back, and left to catch her ship to Queen Elsa's castle. When she boarded the ship, a sailor bowed and asked if she was scared to meet the great and powerful master of the ice. He suggested perhaps if she didn't like the trade agreement, her whole family would be frozen or cursed!
"And perhaps the queen is afraid I shall turn her into a great big bear!" Merida ran off to find her room.
I've made a grand mistake. I will never be able to make trades and speak the way my mother does. I'll never be as strong as my father. My brothers could do anything, or be anyone. I'm just that princess with the crazy hair and the bow who turned my mother into a bear. And now I've got a whole month on this ship to worry about it! No horse, no waterfalls.
A knock at the door interrupted the worried thinking.
"Princess? This is the captain I would like to discuss the itinerary with you. If that's alright with you, of course." The door was pulled opened quickly.
"Itinerary?"
"Well, yes. Your father and myself felt that perhaps you could learn a thing or two aboard this ship."
"Oh, yes! Come right in, here have a seat at the desk. What did my father plan for me? Did he say anything else? I was so worried that I would just run in circles around this boat! It's seems so tiny. I mean it's a great ship, but I am just so used to the open air."
"Yes, I set up a schedule for that very reason. You will learn how to navigate in the morning, and in the afternoons you will be with different sailor to learn all the different jobs on the ship. Perhaps some of what you learn will be beneficial to you in your dealings with the queen. They do trade some fish, after all."
She smiled and straightened herself up.
"When can I begin?"
"Right this way, princess. You can learn from me. I also assumed you would like to eat with us, instead of alone in your room. You can sit beside me during meals. Don't worry, this trip will go easily and you will be home quick as you know it."
He was right, the month did pass easily. Merida learned to navigate the wide ocean, the basics of fishing, the ropes and sails, and all of the stories and tales that the crew had to tell. She kept herself busy, so as to have as little time as possible to worry about the upcoming trade talk. It was her first real royal duty all by herself, without her mother or father there to guide and help her. She needed to prepare so she could take over the throne once she was ready. But in her heart, Merida wasn't sure she would ever be ready to rule a country. There were so many things to explore and see and learn, what if she was never really ready to rule? Or what if she was forced into it the way Elsa had been? Oh, poor Elsa. How hard it must have been for her, to be the heir and have a secret gift. No parents to help her prepare to rule, no one around to guide her the way Merida had her family. No wonder all the rumors were so bad. There was no way she could judge Elsa. Merida wasn't sure she could have done any better in the situation either. With her luck, the whole kingdom would have been turned into woodland animals. No, there was no time to worry about all of this. She would meet the mysterious queen soon enough, seal the agreement, explore the kingdom, and return to her parents and make them proud. Or so she hoped.