A day at the beach should help ease a stressed mind, but when you are newly a queen, there is much to think about.
Bright Skies and Cool Waters
"Isolde, my love, come in. The water is beautiful."
From the shore, I watch as Viego falls backwards into the waves. He floats up looking perfectly, completely, content in the ocean. And shouldn't he be? The water does look beautiful.
Here in this little cove, kept private for the royal family only, the water is still and welcoming. The clear cerulean color of it puts the vibrancy of most jewels to shame, and the pale cliffs that surround the cove keep away prying eyes. The quiet that comes with that privacy is such a welcome relief from the near constant bustle of the palace. Right now, the only sounds to listen to are rhythmic push of the surf, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the laughing calls of seabirds, and the splash of my husband enjoying himself. In a sense, this place is paradise.
"In a little while, my dear," I call back.
I wish I could say that here on the shore I am as perfectly content as he is in the water, but that would not be true. There is only one thing preventing this place from being perfect paradise. It is hot. Even under the shade, I'm sweating. The early afternoon sun is brazenly blazing down on the beach, scorching the sand and waiting to do the same to my skin. It makes me terribly reluctant to leave the safety of our umbrella and blanket.
Still, a thought crosses my mind that makes me smirk.
"If I mentioned that the sun was bothering me, I have no doubt that Viego would promise to find some way to enshroud it for my sake. He never hesitates to promise me the world."
The sound of shifting metal behind me interrupts my thoughts and I turn to look over my shoulder. One of the guards watching over us pours some water onto a cloth and dabs it across his tanned forehead.
"There's someone who needs the shade far more than I do."
No matter how hot I feel, I know these guards are feeling worse, all suited up in their layers of armor. They have been standing, ready to defend us, since we arrived over an hour ago. What limited shade the short trees around the beach provide, they have been seeking shelter in, but on a day like today, the shade only does so much.
"Do they hate me for making them stay outside like this? Protecting us is their whole position, but do they ever resent us?"
I hope not. When I had noticed that their waterskins were running low, I had ordered one of them away to refill everyone's and bring back a few extra beyond that. I may not be able to block out the sun for them, but I can at least make sure they stay hydrated.
I must admit that I still find it odd to be guarded at all. I understand that, as the queen, my safety is important to the kingdom, but having eyes on me at almost all hours of the day, even though I know those eyes are looking to protect me, is unnerving. It doesn't seem to bother Viego though. He's acting as though they aren't even here. Maybe constant guards are just something you get used to if you are raised in the palace. I don't know if I will ever get used to it though.
"One thing I do know though, guard or royalty, we are all going to have pink cheeks and ears tomorrow."
"Isolde," Viego calls again, "you will feel much better in the water with me."
He's right, and, if we are all to get sunburned, I see no reason to keep hiding in the shade.
"Alright," I call back, "I'm coming."
Sand falls from my legs as I stand, stretch, and adjust how my swimming suit sits on me. I run my fingers over the fabric and find myself staring down at it. For all my years as a seamstress, I have never made one of these. They are a luxury, only worn by the upper class, not the common people.
"We just swim in nothing or a simple shirt or – Oh. No, they swim in that. Not me anymore. I'm the queen. I'm the upper class. Why is that still difficult to remember?"
That is something I decide that I can worry about later. Right now, I just want to enjoy today. Not as a queen, not as a seamstress, but as a wife. I run towards the water.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
The sand feels like a bed of hot coals. My feet refuse to stand on the blistering sand for more than a second and I practically fly across the beach and into the ocean. Cool, instant relief soothes my soles as I splash into the water. It is not until I am up to my knees that I feel its chill and, in an instant, my pace drops from a sprint to a hesitant creep. And then before the water reaches my waist, I stop completely. The next few steps are always the most unpleasant.
Viego, already up to his neck, is past this uncomfortable spot, looks back at me.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," I answer, "I'm just adjusting. The water is cooler than I was expecting, that is all."
"That's why we came to the beach," he says with a soft chuckle, "to cool off."
"I know. Still, it's going to take some time to get used to it."
Though it would be just as easy to stand and walk, he instead swims over to me. A mischievous grin descends on his face and suddenly, he stands up. Soaking, dripping wet, he trudges the last few steps though the water towards me.
"What are you doing?" I ask, though I feel like I already know the answer.
"Helping you adjust."
Before I can do or say anything, he throws his arms around me in an exaggerated hug.
"COLD!"
"Viego!"
I let out a small cry of shock. He makes a small contented chuckle. I can feel the vibrations of it against my skin as he holds me close.
"Is this helping?" he asks.
The soft skin of his lips presses against my cheek. The water is still cool, but against his body, I feel no chill.
"It's helping."
I lean further into him. Warmth. It is not the burning heat of the sand. It is soft and comforting and soothing; the warmth of blankets when you wake up to next to someone you love.
His wet hair sticks to my skin. He smells of the ocean, salt and fresh air, but at the base of his neck, the faint aroma of his cologne still clings to him. It smells like woods, citrus, and the promise of long summer days. I lean into him further still. As one, we both inhale and sigh in bliss.
As strangely feeling as Viego's damp hug is, I would be content to stay like this, but he has other ideas.
"Now," he says, "let's get you in."
He wraps one arm around my back and places the other behind my knees and sweeps me off my feet. A quick blur of motion, and he has me cradled to his chest and begins walking towards deeper water. My arms fly around him reflexively. They do not drape around him in a romantic, sensual fashion, rather my hands clutch his shoulders in a death grip.
"Ah! Viego, wait! Don't toss me in! No, no, don't!"
"What? No! Isolde, I'm not going to throw you."
"Oh."
"Relax, my love. I have you. I won't let you go."
"Ah."
Heat, not from the sun, flushes my cheeks. I release his shoulders and move my arms to rest over him in that more romantic way, though my grip on him remains strong.
"That was quite the reaction you had," he says.
"I was startled," I admit, "I'm not a fantastic swimmer so-"
"What?" he cuts in, "you don't know how to swim?"
"I do," I correct, "just not as well as you."
He stops wading forward and such a look of incredulity and pity descends on his face as he looks down at me.
"He loves the beach, being on boats, and just being near the water in general. I hope he doesn't think that I've been bored every time we have done something like this. I may not love it as much as him, but I don't loathe it."
"That's alright," I say as I brush my fingers over his cheeks, "so long as I am spending time with you, I am happy."
He leans down and kisses me. I can taste the salt on his lips.
"I am still going to make this better," he says, "I'll help you practice. We will come here every day if need be."
"My dear," I say with a chuckle, "there is still a kingdom to rule."
He huffs.
"No, no, my love. I know court life is stressful, but you cannot use me as an excuse to escape to the beach every day."
"But we still have today," I offer.
"We do."
Onward into the ocean we go. The waves reach up and tickle my heels and I kick them up in surprise. Mentally, I prepare the rest of myself for the same chill to cover the rest of me as Viego crouches down to submerge me. The temperature is not even half as bad as I thought it would be.
"This is better than standing, I will admit. Oh, if only I could stay like this in his arms for a bit, I would be so content."
Warm, peaceful, safe.
My hair fans out behind me and I can feel the waves gently tugging on it, like fingers combing through my hair. It's so soothing, I could almost fall asleep if not for Viego speaking to me.
"Do you know how to float?"
"A little."
"Shall we try? I won't let you sink."
"Yes."
"Take a deep breath."
I inhale deeply, filling my lungs with the aroma of the ocean. He eases his grip on me. Patches of cold bloom across my skin where his touch once was.
"Breathe slowly and steadily," he says.
As he says, I focus on my breathing, feeling the steady rise and fall of my chest. For several moments, I am able to keep myself above the water, but then a wave washes over my shoulder. I try to adjust myself. This however, only succeeded in disrupting my balance further and I begin to sink. The sting of saltwater fills my nose. But I do not go under. Viego keeps me afloat.
"I have you," he reassures.
I sneeze.
"Cute," he comments, although the sensation of sneezing out salt water doesn't feel terribly cute.
"Thank you," I sigh and relax in his arms once more.
I can breathe normally again. I can close my eyes. Ripples against my skin let me know that Viego has moved. The heat of his breath stirs across my cheeks and a moment later, I feel a kiss placed upon my brow. When I open my eyes, I see his, bright blue like the ocean, staring deeply into mine, like I am the only thing in the world that matters.
"Hello," I say.
"Hello," he responds, "you look awfully content."
"There is nothing awful about being content."
"Well, would like to continue practicing, or remain on content in my arms?"
"I should keep practicing."
His shoulders slump, ever so slightly, as if my response disappointed him. I think I understand why.
"I could fall asleep right now if I let myself. I would like that, he would like that, but I shouldn't."
"We may not have time to swim every day, but we can take advantage of the time we have now."
As I speak, I reach over and run my fingers along the shell of his ear and down the curve of his jaw.
"And next time," I continue, "I won't be as hesitant to jump right into the water with you."
I lean up to give him a kiss and he meets me in the middle.
"If that is what you want," he says.
"It is."
"I want to be able to enjoy our time together, and if that means I'm going to have to learn to be a better swimmer, that's not too much."
Gently, he lowers me back into the water.
"Breathe slowly," he reminds.
His grip loosens and the weightless sensation of the water envelops me once more. Murky words reach my submerged ears.
"Relax my love, I have you. I have you."
I think of sleep, of laying on silken sheets beside him in our room, away from the eyes of guards, stresses of court life, and the whispering words of jealous and scheming nobility. I think of the place where my class doesn't matter, where I am not Isolde the seamstress or Isolde the queen. I only need to be Isolde the wife. I only need to breathe and I can float.
For a while longer, we float and swim and cuddle, until finally, we retire to the shore to watch the sun paint the water orange and pink with its evening light. In the dimming light, the shadows have grown long enough to comfortably fit everyone. Still, my skin feels like the midday heat is upon it. Midday heat and drying salt, I know what this combination means.
"As I predicted, sunburns for everyone."
I look down at Viego and his pink cheeks, asleep with his head in my lap. Careful not to wake him, I delicately run my fingers across his warm, chestnut hair.
"I need, we need, more moments like this."
More moments of peace and quiet, where we can try to be content with who is in our arms and the kind of person they are. More moments for love. If we can do that, I think I can survive this courtly lifestyle. I just need time. I'm just adjusting.