Prison of Tides

Chapter 1 - Engagement

Jasmine's Point of View

     I sat at the desk in my home office, typing up a proposal for a set of high-end homeless shelters, in which the homeless would have their own rooms and an updated kitchen. My recently obtained bachelor's degree had paid off, and with the assistance of Queen Elenor, we'd made great strides in helping the less fortunate in our society.

     As I forwarded the layout of my plan to her, my cell phone buzzed against the white desk. I saw Caspian's name pop across the screen. Behind it, a photo of him kissing my cheek appeared, and I smiled at the memory.

     "Hello, handsome."

     "Hey, Jasmine," I could practically hear the smile in his voice. "What are you doing this afternoon?"

     "I finished my work early, so I was going to go for a walk before getting ready for the dinner tonight. Why? Did you have something in mind?"

     "I do have something in mind. Wear your bathing suit under your clothes."

     "Aren't you going to tell me where we're going?" I inquired.

     "It's a surprise, love. I'll pick you up in half an hour."

     "Okay, dear. Sounds like a plan."

     I ran into my bedroom, rummaging through the closet for something to wear. I finally decided on a short blue dress, and I pulled my wavy dark hair into a braid on the side of my neck. I was applying eyeliner when I heard the door open.

     "In here!" I knew it was Caspian. "I'll be out in just a minute."

     "Take your time, love." I saw his sun kissed face and his curly dirty blonde hair peek into my room. His blue-green eyes looked me up and down. "You look stunning. What more is there to do?"

     I stood on my toes and kissed him, his soft lips like velvet against mine. "Thank you. I'm ready now."

     He escorted me to the car, and he drove us to the palace, walking the grounds with me til we reached the private beach. A small wooden boat waited for us on the shore, with a basket of food and a bottle of wine.

     He rowed us out to sea where we ate, laughing as we watched the birds circling us, eyeing our sandwiches. I broke off a piece of bread and threw it at them, watching them scramble for it.

     "That was just downright cruel, Jasmine." Caspian teased, flecks of red showing in his hair from the sunshine.

     "What? They wanted food, so I gave them food!" I swallowed the bite that was in my mouth as I spoke before taking a sip of the riesling.

     "Fair enough," He laughed, wiping some mayonnaise off my face. "Care to take a dive with me?"

     We stripped our clothes and dove into the clear water. I floated on the gentle ocean waves for a minute before realizing that Caspian was nowhere in sight.

     I dipped back under the water in search of him. I spotted him laying on the seabed, holding a radiant red shell in his hand. He motioned me to him and I obliged. Nothing beat being a mermaid - able to breathe both the air and the sea, to live in both of the wondrous worlds. As I made my way to the ocean floor, I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and sat beside him.

     "Yes, your majesty?"

     He laughed, as always, taking my chin in his fingers and turning my head to give me a longer kiss. Prince Caspian's kind smile always warmed my heart.

     "I have something for you, my love." He showed me the shell. Inside it lay a ring; white sapphire surrounded by blue topaz and emeralds set into white gold. I gasped; could this be what I thought?

     "Jasmine, will you marry me and rule both the land and sea here by my side, for as long as we live?"

     Tears welled up in my eyes. "I wouldn't dream of saying no. Of course I'll marry you."

      He slipped the ring onto my finger before pulling me into another kiss. "I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together."

     "The rest of our lives," I nodded and smiled, returning the kiss. His hands cupped my face and I found that my own hands slipped from his cheeks to roam his chest, his smooth skin tempting me as his lips teased my neck. His fingers lowered to dance across my belly, giving me butterflies.

     His kisses sent electricity through my body, every touch setting me on fire as he traced the curve of my spine with the pads of his fingers.

     After a few minutes, we pulled back, gasping for air. We had agreed to wait until marriage before moving into the next level of things physically, and seeing it so close made me want him even more.

     "I suppose we should be getting back. The banquet is tonight, and I can't wait to officially announce our engagement. Not that everyone didn't already see it coming; my mother has been harassing me about it for about a year now." His eyes smiled as he took my hand and dragged me up to the surface.

     "Of course she has. She's Elenor!" We laughed; his easily excitable mother had practically taken me in when my parents passed, had taken me under her wing in my efforts to better our kingdom.

     He dropped me off at my home on land, and I began to prepare myself for the royal dinner that evening.

     After my shower, I applied makeup. Dark red lipstick that bordered on purple, making my green eyes pop. A smokey eye that was not too much, but provided enough drama for the big announcement. I styled my long, dark hair into curls and pulled some away from my face. Exiting the bathroom, I found two boxes on my bed, one with a card attached.

     For tonight.

     I opened the box and gasped. A gorgeous emerald green dress shimmered within. I pulled it out and immediately put it on. It fit like a glove, hugging me in all the right places. I loved it, and the best part was that it complemented the engagement ring perfectly.

     The second box was much smaller and held a flower clip for my hair. I did not recognize the flower, but it looked beautiful. I pinned it in my hair as my phone dinged. Caspian.

     Like your surprise?

      I debated sending him a picture, but decided that I wanted to see the look on his face in person.

     Guess you'll have to wait and see, your highness.

     I chuckled as the driver arrived and I climbed into the car.

     Jasmine, you're a tease. I smirked at the incoming message.

     Louis, the driver, laughed at the look on my face. "Something funny, Miss Jasmine?"

     "Just messing with Caspian," I said with a friendly wink. "Someone has to keep that man on his toes."

     Louis's cap covered his balding head, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement underneath. "You are absolutely correct, Miss. No one seems to do it better than you." 

     We arrived at the palace quickly. The stone covered castle was as welcoming as always, with warm lights out front and a beautiful brick path leading through the moss gardens. Louis escorted me to the door where Caspian waited. "Have a good evening, Miss Jasmine. Prince Caspian," He nodded before turning back to the car and driving off.

     Caspian's eyes lit up the moment he saw me. "Oh my, that sight certainly was worth the wait, my princess." I tapped his arm with my purse. "And so are you, my love. I trust the dress is the correct size?"

     "You know it is, dear. I love the flower as well. Thank you," I kissed him on the cheek.

     "Yes, the flower is nice with the dress," He wiped the lipstick off his cheek and we started making our way towards the ballroom.

     "What type is it, anyways? I can't recall it's name or where I've seen it before."

     His brows furrowed as though thinking. "I don't know. Why didn't you ask when you bought it?"

     "What do you mean? It was waiting for me in my room along with the dress." He was quiet for a moment.

     "I didn't send you the flower, Jasmine. Did it have a note with it?" I shook my head. "Probably my mom. She has been known to do those things, you know."

    I giggled as we arrived at the ballroom. Music was playing and a grand table was lined up, set for a four course meal. We did our rounds, talking to local and visiting officials, sipping a glass of champagne while we made pleasant chit chat.

     At last, it was time for dinner. We made our way to our seats, and as drinks were served, Caspian stood up. "Hello, friends, family and loved ones! I have an announcement that I would like to make." He took my hand and I stood beside him. "I have asked the lovely Jasmine Belden to be my bride, and she graciously accepted my offer of marriage. Only the gods know why she wants to put up with me for the rest of her life, but I am certainly grateful. Jasmine, I love you and can't wait to marry you." Everyone applauded as his lips met mine.

     When we sat back down, we could see his parents smiling at the head of the table. I was so blessed to have such a wonderful life ahead of me. Surely, the gods had looked favorably upon me on this day.

*

     After we finished eating, another round of drinks were served. Raymond, an advisor to the King, made his way over to me. Tall with brooding features, he had lost his wife in the same accident that had claimed the lives of my mother and father six years ago. We had grieved horrific news together then, and we would celebrate wonderful news together now.

     "Well congratulations, Princess Jasmine," He delivered the line with a bow.

     "Oh hush, you," I giggled. "Or I may go a little mad with power."

     He wiggled his eyebrows. "Where is that Prince of yours? He may need to reign you in..." He trailed off, searching the room for my betrothed.

     "You know, I'm not quite sure. It's entirely possible that his mother has dragged him away to discuss wedding plans." My words were confirmed as soon as they left my mouth, as I spotted Caspian and the Queen at the far end of the room, his eyes looking around for an escape route. I chuckled and shook my head when his eyes landed on me. His beautiful, blue-green eyes could say a thousand words.

     "I'll go save him in a minute. For now, let's let her majesty have her fun."

     "Would you care to dance while you subject him to the whims of the queen?"

     "Of course." I felt Caspian's eyes on me as we set our drinks on the table and Raymond took my hand in his, guiding my steps as the music swelled.

     The song finished and we reached for our drinks. Raymond seemed to stumble, grabbing my shoulder to catch himself. In the process, his drink spilled all over me, dousing my hair and my dress in vodka.

     "Oh, Jasmine, I am so sorry!" He grabbed my hand.

     I shook my head. "Raymond, it's fine. Accidents happen. Let me go to the lady's room to freshen up, then I'll be good as new."

     "You know, as sad as it may sound, I still have some of my wife's old clothes in the back of my car. I believe you are about her size. Why don't you come with me so we can get you a fresh outfit?"

     My brow furrowed. "Are you sure? Your wife's clothes?"

     He smiled, his brown eyes kind. "Yes, I put them in the car and have been meaning to drop them off for donation for months now. Anything that you want is yours."

     "Well, if you're sure..."

     I followed him out of the ballroom and through the parking lot, his black SUV glistening under the lampposts. He stuck his hand in his pocket and the trunk popped open, facing the edge of the parking lot. He must have backed in.

     "Here we go, why don't you look through these and see what it is you'd like to wear? I believe there are some dresses of hers, although I'm sure none of them will be as glamorous as what you are currently wearing."

     I made my way to the trunk. There were no clothes. "Hey Raymond, are you sure you didn't drop those off? Nothing is back here." I turned to see him standing mere inches from me. One hand grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?" He looked down at me. I'd never realized how much bigger he was until this moment. "Raymond, you need to let me go. Let me go!"

     Before I knew what was happening, he spun me around, covering my mouth with his hand.

     "Oh, Jasmine. I have waited so long for this." He ripped my ring off my finger and threw it on the ground. I tried to kick him, but he held me tight against him. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and uncapped a syringe. I whimpered and tried to scream, but his hand held tight against my mouth. The last thing I remember was a pinch in my neck, and his voice whispering, "I'm so glad you liked the flower."