Note: I'm glad to see that there is some interest in this story! I'm excited to continue writing it, and I'm having a fun time with my first foray into writing a fantasy-esque story. These first two chapters sort of set up Quinn and Rachel in the world of this story, and after this things will probably start to take off. I appreciate the comments I've received so far and more are always appreciated!


"We will be reaching our destination shortly, milady. Then you may rest easy."

A magnificent ship churned in uneasy waters and the only female onboard turned away from a small window she stood next to and carefully made her way back to a small, ornate chair by a table in the middle of the cabin. The girl sat up gracefully and glanced around the nearly empty space, letting her eyes linger on the man who stood by the doorway.

"Thank you, Will," the girl said with a frown. As much as her trusted bodyguard and friend attempted to console her, though, she would remain uneasy until they reached land. She was upset that her father, the king of a powerful kingdom, had essentially forced her to travel by ship so much when he and much of the kingdom knew of her uneasiness at sea. Perhaps this would be her last trip across the ocean. The girl could only hope.

After a moment of silent meditation, trying desperately to quell her persistent seasickness, the girl reached towards the table in front of her and picked up a letter that had been lying there. Unfolding it carefully, the girl bit her lip and read the letter she had received only about a week ago.

Dearest Rachel,

I am so very honored to be your betrothed. Although it has been years since we last met—I believe we were both small children—I anxiously await your arrival. The castle has been preparing for your approach, and we shall welcome you as soon as you step foot in our glorious kingdom. As soon as you disembark, I shall give you a tour of the land to reacquaint you with your new home. In this way I hope that we will also become reacquainted with each other.

Forever yours,

Jesse

He a prince and she a princess. To any other girl, this would seem like a dream come true. But for Rachel, an arranged marriage was not her dream. Although Rachel surmised from their correspondence that Jesse was a charming and good man, she did not find herself attracted to him in such a way that she wanted to be his wife. Their marriage was more or less to be carried out for the good of both kingdoms, not for the good of the children, and the idea of sitting in a castle as the wife of a future king was not something she liked to think about.

Rachel sighed and tossed the letter listlessly back onto the table. She closed her eyes as her seasickness attempted to return. Not long after her eyelids shut, a muffled, sweet voice drifted into the cabin from the outside.

"What is that enchanting melody?" Rachel's guard spoke as if awestruck, and with her eyes still closed she heard him carefully unlatch the lock on the wooden door. "Princess, I will only be gone a moment…" Rachel heard his footsteps fade and the voice become clearer and she continued to sit with her eyes closed, listening intently to the song. The voice was beautiful and low, and as it continued to resonate through the cabin Rachel became curious as to where exactly it was coming from. As far as she knew, she was the only woman aboard the ship. Did the captain bring along a performer for entertainment?

Rachel slowly opened her eyes and noticed that the door to her cabin was ajar. Carefully she made her way to it and stepped onto the deck of the ship. The whole crew had abandoned their posts and was staring straight ahead, as if entranced. The voice was louder here and the fog was thick, and Rachel walked slowly to each of the crewmen, attempting to wake at least one of them from their stupor. Even Will, her most trusted guard was unresponsive, and Rachel stamped her foot down in frustration.

What is happening? Rachel became afraid as the fog intensified and the singing became clearer. She felt that something was not right, but as she continued to listen to the voice, she began to feel her body relaxing. Maybe she was overreacting—perhaps there really wasn't anything to worry about.

And then the ship was ripped apart, and everything went black.