The summer breeze felt amazing on my skin as the boat sailed gently across the sea. The moon was shining high in the sky and the salty sea air was refreshing after working in the boat for hours. It also felt relaxing to take a break before doing night watch. I had been working on the boat since before sunrise, and it was probably around 9:00 P.M. I took a deep breath, gathering the fresh air in my lungs and finally taking the chance to slow down. I was leaning against the mast that was connected to the Crow's Nest, watching in interest as land approached us. I was holding a gently used violin and the bow, considering if I should play it or not. Sighing silently, I placed the instrument under my chin and tuned it quietly. A few minutes passed, and soon I was drawing the bow across the strings, improving a song. I moved slightly faster, increasing the volume as well as the tempo. I found myself gently moving with the music; it had a soothing effect on me as well as the rest of the crew. My communicator on my wrist crackled softly, and Victor's voice came from it, asking for me to play louder. Nodding, I pressed the bow harder against the strings and continued to play, its soft music echoing through the open air to the other crew members. The wind took the music far below me, and I played for a few minutes before closing the small piece. He thanked me, and everything was silent again. I looked out to the sea, the instrument still in my hands. At this rate, we should arrive there by tomorrow morning, tonight if we were lucky. I felt a smile form on my face and a flutter in my heart, realizing that the place we were going to was the place I wanted to be the most: the Kingdom of Beanbean. Slowly, I pulled out the Prince Peasley doll I got for Christmas (my violin bow was propped against the mast), and held it against my heart for a short time, closing my eyes and sighing. Soon, I would be with him again. I could see the happiness in his eyes and that great smile in my imagination. Even for a strong Prince, he has a soft side to him…and that's the part I love about him the most.
I gently placed the doll back in my pocket and looked out to the sea again. Victor came up into the Nest and saluted to me. I saluted back, and we spoke about how Syrup had decided that we were staying for the night since we were ahead of schedule. I felt a smile on my face. Victor rolled his eyes, and warned me to be cautious about my happiness; that she is still thinking about skipping over the Kingdom completely like last time. She was fully aware that I had a relationship with someone in the Kingdom, and she didn't want to lose her Right Hand Man like she lost Brian. I thanked him for the warning, and he asked if I could help out on deck. So for the rest of the night, I was helping out in any way that I could while keeping a watch of the seas…anything to keep my mind off of him. The night was no longer pleasant; it was freezing. The wind had died, so there was no spray from the sea to soothe the icy burn. Some of the men grabbed hats to prevent getting their ears frostbitten, but I denied getting one. Hat hair looks absolutely terrible on me. I kept a pair of earmuffs that wrapped around the back of my head on me, however, and I put them on as well as a light coat (since I was wearing a V-neck).
I was helping a few men carry crates of supplies down into the interior when we got the note that we had arrived at the Beanbean Docks. I told the others that they were dismissed, and that I could get the rest on my own. They thanked me and filed out, thankful for a pit stop for the first time in a few months. Sighing, I turned to the pile of crates that needed to be organized, and that sigh turned into a groan of frustration. Man, this will take forever.
As I slid the last crate in the lower brig I sighed of relief, thankful that all of the work was over. It took me about three hours to complete, but I was grateful that it was over. I walked up the stairs, making sure to turn off the oil lamps that hung against the walls. Locking the door and setting the keys in the Captain's Quarters, I told Syrup that I was done. She said that she wanted to see me before dawn the next morning. I realized that I would only have a few hours to myself before I had to come back due to the work I had tonight. Even though I wasn't too happy, I nodded and thanked her. She dismissed me, and I walked out of the Quarters and off the deck.
I slowly weaved my way through the city, recognizing a few faces here and there. The bar was busy, telling me that's where the men were right now. When I got to the heart of the city, it was ablaze with celebration. There were lights flashing in happiness and music blaring from small speakers that were all over the city. Ribbons and balloons decorated everything in sight. There was an odd mix of different kinds of food being prepared. I remember Brian explaining to me about the Mushroom Kingdom Star Festival that happens in October, and based on his description, it looked about the same. I slowly walked through the heart of the city, taking everything in. Vendors were selling different odds and ends all over the place. I approached one of them when he was not busy, and asked him what this certain celebration was about.
"The Ceremony of Awakening is about to begin." The man answered. "Our Prince has come of age to take on The Trial of Kings."
Panic filled me. "Trial…of Kings? I don't seem to understand. I just sailed into port this evening. Can you fill me in?"
The gentleman nodded, and excused himself as a customer appeared. He continued talking to me as he was working. "The Trial of Kings is a very hard quest. The Princes and Princesses of Beanbean go on this sacred journey to not only reestablish alliances with the surrounding Kingdoms, but to establish faith into their own Kingdom as well as themselves. They can only take the few items of basic survival, and are allowed up to three guardians to help them on their travels. This quest is not for the faint of heart. They will have to abide by the rules of the other Kingdoms and how they live, and can only win the alliance if there is a strong trust placed within that Royal Family. Once the alliance is established, the Prince or Princess goes to the next Kingdom to repeat the entire process until all alliances are made, reestablished or broken. The previous King was rushed to the Throne due to the assassination of his brother, so this is the first Ceremony of Awakening we have had in a long time. If the Prince returns with all alliance contracts, he will be highly praised and become King when his time comes. If he fails, however, he will be banished from the Kingdom and will lose everything he had once held dear to him."
The thought of Peasley failing was a thought I wouldn't tolerate. I suddenly turned serious. "Why is it called 'Ceremony of Awakening'? Is he waking up as a King?"
The man laughed. "One could look at it that way. It's more for the people to realize that they could either lose their Prince or get a noble King. Personally, I don't think he is fit; he's going to take it on with no guardians. He is a strong man, yes; but I think he has too much faith in himself…either that or underestimates the Trial."
The panic that filled me had turned into raw fear. I thanked the vendor by buying a small souvenir from him and tipped him. He thanked me for my business, and I walked into the heart of the city again. No matter what I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that Peasley was in danger…anything could happen to him. I knew that Syrup wanted me back on the boat before dawn, but the thought of my Prince going on this mission on his own frightened me more than I have ever felt. I held the doll tight for a brief second, making a dead-set decision. The intercoms that surrounded the city stopped playing music, and announced that the Ceremony was about to begin. Knowing what this meant, I left the heart of the city and walked around it, finding Peasley at the gates. I knew that he was about to leave…alone. As fast as I could, I sprinted through the town and returned to the Teacup. I stopped for a few seconds to catch my breath, and walked on quietly. Slipping through the door and getting down the steps to where the equipment was, I found Angelica, and held her in my hands. Strapping on my quiver and my small knife, I exited the equipment room and slowly approached the sleeping quarters. Opening my trunk, I threw some spare clothing and other odds and ends on my mattress. I used my pillowcase to put all of them in, and gently placed my violin in its case and tore off the wrist communicator, resting it on the mattress. Carrying the violin case in my hand and the other stuff, I left the boat as quietly as I had gotten on. I bought a few more items from where we docked like bread and water, and I dashed alongside the outskirts of the city. When I got to the gate, Peasley was nowhere to be seen. I sprinted out of the city, knowing that I would really piss off Syrup for vanishing unexpectedly. Oh well; Victor can take my place.
I ran through the fields, noticing that the moon was almost under the land. The terrain changed from open land to a thin forested area. I slowed down to a fast walk, catching my breath in the process. I saw a faint glow of a small fire, and I approached it slowly and cautiously. I peeked through the branches, and Peasley's face was illuminated by the flames. He was curled into a ball, just blankly staring at them. He sighed, and my heartstring tugged in longing when he gently fingered the ring on his necklace. He took it off the chain, and removed his glove putting the ring on. The silver danced with the light of the flames as Peasley closed his eyes. Sighing softly, I emerged from my shelter, and Peasley bolted upright. His eyes softened when he recognized me.
"May I join you, My Prince?" I asked softly.
He nodded, and stood up. I didn't move; I just set down my equipment and only opened my arms to him. He ran into them and held me tightly, leaning his head against my chest. I held him back with the same strength, reassuring him silently that I was here.
"Why are you doing this on your own?" I questioned strictly. "You could die!"
"I didn't want royal guards to follow me." He answered softly. "It would make me appear vain. I was going to ask the Mushroom Kingdom or Sarasaland to loan me a few after I have established alliances with them so I could show off to the other Kingdoms that they can trust me."
"…you really thought about this. People think that you just left because you thought you could do this all on your own. It startled me a little."
"No. I've heard tales of previous Kings, and decided that I was going to start alone, and use my alliances to help me get through it. It seemed to be the best option out of the ones I had available." I felt him clench his jaw, fighting not to cry. "I tried so hard to not look scared at the Ceremony…and I just know that I am, and there is no way I can ever believe in myself! No matter how hard I trained, how hard I studied…I just feel overwhelmed and scared!"
"Shh…It's okay to be scared. You don't need to wear that ugly "prince" armor around me. It's okay to cry; I'll hold you together when you are breaking apart. I'll protect you as your lover and your guardian. I promise."
The prince nodded, giving in to his tears. I moved my things, and sat down, leaning against a nearby tree. Peasley rested on my lap, no longer fighting his fears and just crying softly. I reached for my violin case, and opened it. Slowly, I positioned it and played lightly.
"Why did you bring the violin?" he asked softly.
"Well, I knew I was going to be with you, and I wanted to show my teacher how much I've improved. Besides, I knew better than to leave a perfectly good violin in a pirate ship."
"Thank you, Fi…for everything. You're the best boyfriend a Prince could ask for."