The wind blew. The boat rocked. It was a calm and peaceful moment. It was one in few. The three travelers sat quietly as the boat trekked on toward Albion.
The old one, Walter, sat lazily against a wall. He was weakened by his last battle and could not find the courage to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see little red eyes peering at him. They never blinked. And no matter how hard he tried to ignore them, they never went away. They were watching him. But Walter was determined to force this thing out of his head. He had faith that someday the eyes would retreat and leave him be.
Next to Walter, Ben sat studying over maps of Albion. They weren't that interesting to look at, but he found little enjoyment elsewhere. What was there to look at? The ocean waves? The beating sun over their heads? The sail billowing in the wind? Hardly. But the princess. Now that… that was something to look at.
Rebel Princess Eleanor stood at the front of the boat. Her eyes were fixed on the destination ahead. It was not visible to the human eye. But she could picture it clearly in her mind. She could see her people. She could see flames. She could see victory and death. Her heart was slowly breaking. She had no idea how much worse it was going to get. She let the calming wind take away her worries with a deep sigh. It wasn't much, but it relieved the tension in her chest.
Ben, hearing the sigh of a damsel in distress, glanced over at her. He watched as she brushed her hair away from her cheek. His eyes examined her for the next few minutes. He bit his lip, almost wanting to break the silence. Should he speak aloud? Should he sit next to her? If he did, would Walter see it? To make sure the old man was asleep, he looked over his shoulder.
Unfortunately, not. Walter was grinning and even took a teasing glance over to Eleanor.
"How are those maps, Ben? Memorized them yet?"
"Shut it, Walter."
Walter chuckled. For some time, Walter had picked up that Ben was attracted to Elle. And he made Ben promise in secret he would be no distraction. The last thing she needed was heartbreak. But the young soldier couldn't help his want to become closer to her. If he wasn't allowed to be affectionate, he would tease her. Border-line flirtatious remarks were his specialty. She played along well, but she was always innocent. She was always sweet. Something he hadn't had in a long time.
"You should talk to her," Walter suddenly said.
"But I-"
"You may not have another opportunity."
In truth, they really didn't have much time. With Walter's permission, Ben gathered up his courage to get out of his seat. He was nervous. Especially from the night before. But that never stopped him before. Ben was an excellent speaker. Women crumbled in the palm of his hands when he whispered to them. Then again, Eleanor was unlike most women. She was intelligent. Classy. Bold.
As he began to make his way over to her, she turned to meet his gaze. His heart stopped, but he kept going until he was beside her. He looked to the horizon.
"Something on your mind?" she asked.
Ben shook his head. "No, no. I just wanted some company."
"Ah. Walter isn't exciting enough for you?"
They both looked over at old man. He appeared to be napping in the corner. Ben thought otherwise. But Eleanor was convinced.
"Do you enjoy sailing?" Ben asked.
"Sailing? I suppose. The breeze is nice."
"Nice? Don't you find it intoxicating? There is nothing greater than the ocean breeze."
"Oh, I don't know about that. There are many things I can think of other than an ocean breeze."
"Is that so? Like what?"
"A hot bath, for one." she grinned.
Ben had to take a moment to pause. The princess in a steaming hot bath. That wouldn't be so bad.
"But I guess," she interrupted, "considering our circumstances, a nice cooling ocean breeze is the best thing we have."
"Next to you, of course," Ben winked.
Eleanor couldn't hold back the smile forming on her face. Ben's remarks were something she was used to. She always imagined he was teasing her. There was always some innocence in what he said. Sure, Ben was a dashing young lad. But Eleanor had a hard time finding him serious. She wasn't the only pretty thing he flirted with. Ben loved women. That was no secret.
"You know, Ben… I'm glad you're here," she smiled. "You are the greatest companion that anyone could ask for."
Ben chuckled. "I'm glad to be of service to you."
"I really mean it! Next to Walter, you're the only one who can bring a smile to my face in these hard times."
Ben felt his heart grow warm. The smirk on his face blossomed into a great smile. "Anytime, Elle. Any time."
She touched him lightly on the shoulder. Her face was irresistible with that kind smile. Ben wondered if it was the last time he was going to see that smile.