The Fallen Princess

Thirty & One Half

Zaria’s thoughts kept her awake, needling restlessly at the edges of her mind until she could no longer lie in darkness and let them plague her. She slipped from the narrow hotel bed and dressed as quietly as she could, moving with the careful silence of someone afraid even her own breathing might wake the world.

The ocean breeze met her the moment she stepped outside. Cool, salty air washed over her, filling her lungs. Below, waves crashed against the rocks in a relentless rhythm that sounded almost like a summons.

She crossed to the ledge and lowered herself onto the cold stone, drawing her knees up as she watched moonlight ripple across the shifting water.

Who would she have to become to survive what was coming? Who did she need to be now that she carried a child. A child who would grow up between two worlds? Zaria pressed a hand gently over her belly.

“We will endure,” she whispered into the wind. “Until the day we’re all together again.” Her throat tightened. “I love you already, my little dragon.” She closed her eyes, letting the roar of the sea drown her fear, and inevitably her thoughts drifted to Callen... his arms around her, the safety of his presence, the heat in his golden eyes.

“Zaria?” She turned at the sound of her name. Zakai approached, cloak rippling in the wind.

“I checked your room and you weren’t there,” he said, lowering himself beside her with a long exhale.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she murmured, eyes back on the moonlit waves. “Nor can I.” He tugged his hood up to shield his hair from the whipping breeze. Zaria huffed a tired little sigh. “Do you ever get tired of following me everywhere?”

“Tired?” Zakai echoed. He let the word hang for a heartbeat before continuing. “I get tired of the trouble you cause... but never of you, sister.” Her lips curved faintly. It was the closest he ever came to saying I love you.

“I’m tired too,” he admitted quietly. “Tired of never being… home.” Zaria nodded, her heart sinking. “It’s hard to find home when you’ve never really had one.”

They sat in silence, shoulders almost touching, listening to the ocean breathe. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For always staying by my side.” “You wouldn’t have gotten this far without me,” he said, a small grin tugging at his mouth.

“I know. We’d both be better off if I actually listened to your advice.” “You wouldn’t be my sister if you did.” She laughed softly.

“Come on,” he said at last, rising and offering his hand. “Let’s get inside before you catch cold.” As they walked back toward the hotel, Zaria asked, “Can I sleep in your room?” “If you take the floor.”

“You’d make your niece or nephew sleep on the floor?” she teased. “I’ll make my sister sleep on the floor. Your child will be perfectly comfortable no matter where you lie.”

Zaria scoffed. “Fine.” He blinked. “I didn’t expect you to say yes.” “You can’t take it back now,” she said, grinning as he groaned.

The next morning, Zaria leaned over the ship’s railing, studying the water below. They had arrived at the harbor before dawn, and she hadn’t realized how vividly blue the ocean would appear in full light. It was deep and endless, glittering like scattered gemstones.

“Is the ship everything you imagined?” River asked as he joined her. “I thought it would be larger,” she admitted. “With sails that touched the sky.” He laughed under his breath. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He leaned down to place a small kiss on top of her head, and Zaria forced herself not to stiffen. She wasn’t sure how to feel about his gentle affection... grateful, guilty, resentful. All of it tangled together.

“How long will the journey take again?” she asked. “Two days.” Deckhands shouted orders as they prepared to cast off. Ropes tightened, sails unfurled, and the great vessel creaked as if waking from sleep.

“Let me escort you to your cabin,” River offered. “May I stay out here a little longer?” she asked, unable to keep the faint hope from her voice. He studied her for a moment, torn, perhaps, between duty and kindness, then nodded. “Of course.”

He remained beside her as the ship pulled away from the dock. The breeze intensified, tugging at her hair until she gathered it into a messy braid just to keep it from her face. River watched with a small, fond smile.

A sudden flutter of canvas drew her eyes to the rising sails. She spotted her brother and called, “Zakai!” He glanced down from his post and began making his way toward them. “Look,” River whispered near her ear, pointing toward the water.

Zaria leaned over the railing and gasped. A pod of spotted dolphins leapt alongside the ship, sleek bodies arcing in the sun. When Zakai reached her, she grabbed his arm and pointed excitedly.

“They’re real,” she whispered, awestruck. “Just like Mother said.” Zakai didn’t seem particularly impressed by the creatures themselves, but the sight of Zaria’s happiness after days of sorrow eased something tight in his chest.

A sudden chill wind swept across the deck and Zaria shivered. River immediately shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She offered him a soft, grateful smile and pulled the fabric tighter. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her belly, her heart swelling as she imagined telling her child this story one day... their first journey across the sea.

Most of Zaria’s time was spent on the deck during the voyage, her gaze roaming the water in search of life below: silver flashes, drifting seaweed, the shifting shadows of creatures she couldn’t quite name. She only retreated to her cabin when hunger or exhaustion forced her inside.

“I knew I’d find you here,” River said one afternoon as he came to stand beside her. His hand settled lightly on her shoulder. A touch she still wasn’t entirely comfortable with, though she had grown more used to it.

“Do you see the land there?” he asked, pointing toward a faint shape on the horizon. “Yes,” she whispered. “That is home,” he said.

She turned to him, startled by how close he’d moved without her noticing. His eyes were bright with something tender, something hopeful. For a moment, it seemed he might lean in and kiss her, but instead he stepped back, giving her space.

“Will we arrive today?” she called over the wind. His chuckle was warm. He nodded.

As the shadowy outline of the Isles grew clearer, mountains rising from the sea, forests dark and dense, River excused himself to prepare for disembarkation.

Zakai appeared in his place, falling into step beside her without a word. Together, the siblings watched the foreign shoreline sharpen into view: jagged cliffs, pale beaches, distant towers catching the afternoon light. Another world waiting for them. Another life.

Zaria rested her hand over her belly once more. Whatever waited in this new land, she would face it. For herself. For her brother. For her child. And for the dragon made of fire and devotion somewhere distant, carving his own path back to her.