The last thing I thought I'd be doing in late December is waiting for a ship to arrive. As I know German, King Henry sent Mummy and me to Deal so we could meet the new queen. It's not where I anticipated spending the holidays. The waves violently crash against the stony beach. The wind whips past us, and I rapidly blink to avoid tears. I thought King Henry would want us at Court. While the Privy Council is not in session, there are things we can do to prepare for Anna's arrival. But he ordered us to join the group travelling to Deal, and we complied. I tap the wooden plank below me with my foot. When will the ship get here? When will Anna step on English soil?

Mummy looks at me and smiles. "Anna will be here soon." She takes my arm, so I stop bouncing.
"I know." I look at her, then back out to sea. "I wish history had a better fate for her."
"She'll have kind friends, people who understand here. And her marriage sounds like it will be happy."
I look at Mummy. There's no way she's talking about Anna's marriage to King Henry. I hold out my hand, and she takes it. I close my eyes to stop the tears from falling. Anna will survive the King. I'll make sure of it.

I wish to be out at sea, cruising across the waves, battling the elements. How can anyone expect me to stay on land for much longer? I take a deep, gulping breath. The fresh sea air fills my lungs, the saltiness on the tip of my tongue. This is the life I was meant to lead, not trapped on land. Court might be where I must remain, but that is a temporary future, it won't mean anything to me, other than the friends I gain. No, the sea is my home. It may give, but it can also take in the cruellest way possible. But I cannot dwell on these thoughts, not today. I cannot think about what will happen to my family on that cold April night.

The sea splashes my face. I cannot let my mind drift to that night. Not yet. There's too much to do before then. I have lives to save, countries to explore, and people to meet. My future in Tudor England may be set in stone, but the rest of eternity stretches out before me, endless and full of opportunity. But for this eternity to be worthwhile, I need friends.

"Thinking about the sea again?" Mummy asks. She knows me so well!
"Yeah."

A wooden ship slowly emerges from the fog. Anna of Cleves will be on that ship. I want to make a good impression on my future queen, especially if she'll be one of my best friends. I run through all the German I know. It should be enough to ensure I'm understood. The sooner Anna learns English, the better. I don't want to act as a translator for the entirety of her reign.

Mummy crosses her arms and huffs, her breath rising into the air as a white cloud. "I will be glad when steamships become commonplace. We won't rely on the elements so much."
I cannot wait to start sailing. Why does my career have to start in 1900? Can I start earlier?

That might not be an option. Can I risk disappearance just to pursue my passion?

It is not something I can risk. The Higher Authority said I can change little things after 1900. They never said if I could change that. Can I save Daddy? Henry? William? Could I avoid what happens to me when they die? Can we be happy?

I dry my eyes. Today is a happy day. Anna is arriving! It's the first of many days I will spend with her, and it will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Someone approaches me. "Emma Smith-White?" He asks. He is wearing loose clothing and holds his hat in his hands.
"That's me," I say. I don't recognise him. He's not the sort of person I would've seen around Court. "Can I help you?"
"Can I speak to you? In private?"
I look at Mummy. She nods and lets go of my hand. I lead the man away from the pier, and we find somewhere quiet to talk. "What is it?" I ask.

"I am a messenger from the Higher Authority."
My breath catches in my throat. Is this man an angel? A demon? Why is he here?
"I have something for you. Technically, we are not supposed to bring objects from one time to another, but your father wanted me to bring you this." He holds out a pouch.
My hands shake as I reach towards it. Daddy's sent me something! My fingers touch the leather before I pull my hand back. It must be a trick! This man cannot be a messenger from the Higher Authority! How dare he assume that he has met Daddy!

"I thought you would not believe me." The man says. He opens the pouch and tilts it so I can see inside. Nestled there is a silver locket with an anchor engraved on the outside. I slowly reach inside but pull my hand back out without the locket. The Higher Authority previously said that they cannot involve themselves in the universe until it ends! Did they lie to me? Is this messenger not from the Higher Authority?
"Why are you giving this to me? What happens if I take it?" Can I risk taking it and defying the Higher Authority? Could he punish me for disobedience?

His gaze softens. "Your potential can extend beyond what you were told. You have the power to make a difference, even before the twentieth century." He presses the pouch into my hands. "Start small. Never stop believing you can make a difference."
"But what—"
"If you don't do it, the souls of your friends and family are at stake."

Catalina. Anne. Jane. They already passed on. They are in the Higher Authority's domain. Could the messenger be right? Would they be in danger if I don't take the locket?

The messenger vanishes in a puff of smoke, leaving a black raven feather behind.

I pull the locket out of the pouch. The metal is warm against my hand. What sort of thing is this? Could it help me forge my own path? If my loved ones are in danger, the locket is a risk I must take. I will not let the Higher Authority destroy them! They will regret messing with my family. I prise open the locket.

A hologram appears before me. Despite the man looking decades younger than his film counterpart and having brown hair instead of white, I instantly recognise him. Daddy's blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles. "Emma, if you are watching this, the messenger succeeded." I notice below the hologram is a date, 24th December 1873. It would've been nine months after Daddy returned from his time in the late twentieth century. "He would have told you that the souls of your friends are at stake, and he's correct."
"Correct how?"
"They can cause unimaginable torture to Catalina, Anne, Jane, and Katheryn. They have already suffered so much, and the Higher Authority will fling their souls into hell if you continue following their instructions."
What? No! That can't be right! I knew Catalina, Anne, Jane, and Katheryn in the twenty-first century. There is no way they can be anyone else. Their personalities match up with their sixteenth-century counterparts.
"They will instead replace them with convincing duplicates. Your path means that almost everyone you love will be lost for eternity. You must act now!"

The hologram fizzles out.

I cannot ignore Daddy's warning. I will protect my friends and family. I shut the locket and storm towards the dock.

Mummy turns and smiles when she sees me. Her smile falls fast. "Is everything all right?"
I show her the locket in my hand. "It had a message from Daddy."
Mummy opens the locket. Daddy appears. "Sarah Jane, you need to help Emma. She cannot change history on her own. You know what to do. I love you, and I hope to see you again."
The hologram fizzles out again.

We look out towards the dock. "Where should we start?" I ask.
"I won't let King Henry marry you." Mummy grabs my hand. "Not now, not ever."

The ship arrives, and a gangplank connects it to the dock after the crew moors it.

Anna of Cleves has arrived in England.