Voyage of Discovery

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Betrayal, rescue and a surprising twist of fate.
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rachlou
rachlou
557 Followers

The sun tipped over the horizon in a pool of blood, colouring the sea with a rose tinted stain. Arielle stood towards the bow of the huge ship, her long dress trailing out behind her in the cool salty breeze. The deck of The Desdemona was deserted; the sailors were blessedly below deck eating and drinking their way into oblivion.

It had been a long and interminable voyage so far. Ever since she agreed to take this arduous journey to meet her betrothed in the distant city of Corinnia, she had felt the pangs of homesickness and fatigue almost daily. She desperately missed her family; her sisters and parents were never far from her heart. If she closed her eyes tightly, she could still see their faces, laughing and giggling at jokes and silliness.

It didn't help that the crew and captain of this vessel were consistently taciturn and rude to her. They seemed to care little that she was a lady and made few allowances in their daily behaviour and language. Several times she had seen some of the men staring at her, openly ogling her lithe form in her simple silk dresses. It made her deeply uncomfortable and she longed for the journey to end.

Surely it couldn't be too much longer before they reached the distant coast of Grazia? She thought she had seen landfall earlier on that afternoon, but when she had peered more closely, the horizon shimmered confusingly and her mirage appeared to be wishful thinking. There was certainly no point in questioning the Captain -- he seemed incapable of making an intelligent response to her polite questions.

Sighing heavily, she stared into the inky blackness. An old folk song popped into her head and she began to sing softly, the pure sweet notes floating across the gently rolling waves. As the song unfolded, her voice grew stronger and she allowed all the longing and homesickness to imbue the lyrics with her sorrow and pain.

Far out amongst the waves, a pod of dolphins heard her song. They circled round and swam towards the ship, hypnotised by the haunting beauty of her voice. Her lilting words carried far out to sea, drifting on the gentle wind.

A rough hand grabbed her shoulder causing Arielle to abruptly cease her singing. She spun round, a sudden pang of fear injecting her veins with ice-cold premonition. The toothless first mate, Blackie, leered at her, his rheumy eyes dropping into her cleavage with a lustful grin.

"Captain wants to see ye," he grunted after a few moments.

Arielle shivered and tried desperately to show no fear. "What does he want with me?" she demanded haughtily, crossing her arms across her chest protectively.

"How would I know?" the man snarled. "I'm only the monkey, not the organ grinder."

He grudgingly stepped aside and allowed her to walk down the deck towards the Captains Quarters. A sudden wind whipped up and sent a dark chill down Arielle's spine. Despite her misgivings, she tried to reassure herself that the Captain wouldn't mean her any harm. Not when she was betrothed to the King of Corinnia. He wouldn't dare hurt her...

* * *

The cabin was lit with oily candles and wreaked of stale sweat and ale. Arielle struggled to contain her nausea and holding her head up disdainfully, she stood in the doorway.

"Come in my dear," said the Captain silkily. "I hope Blackie treated you with the respect you deserve?"

She heard the first mate stifle a loud guffaw from behind her and she inwardly seethed. How dare he openly mock her!

"What exactly do you want with me, Captain?" she said with an icy glare, her breasts heaving within the tight bodice of her dress. She saw his leering eyes stare at them hungrily before he looked up at her face again.

"Well my dear, it seems we have a little problem." The captain took a slug of his ale and belched loudly while Arielle cringed in disgust. "A certain 'lady' has paid me handsomely to make sure you never reach your destination..." his words trailed off ominously.

It took a few seconds for the meaning to sink in. When she realised her perilous plight, Arielle felt fear spike through her and she broke out in an icy sweat. Surely she was in no real danger! These oafs would be sentenced to death if they harmed her - unless the person who lined their pockets thought that they were beyond the law of the King...

The stark reality of her fate washed over her. There seemed no way out of this dire situation. She was doomed to perish on this godforsaken ship. Tears seeped unbidden from the corners of her eyes, but she steadfastly refused to break down in hysterics.

"How dare you threaten me!" she hissed in a low voice dripping with venom. "Have you any idea what the King will do to you if he finds out about this?"

The captain fell about laughing, his huge bloated belly rippling with mirth. "Sorry to disappoint you my dear -- but he won't find out. I've been paid enough gold to disappear off the face of humanity for a very long time."

Arielle stared at the despicable man and wondered just who had paid him. Who on earth would benefit from preventing her marriage to the King? There was only one person whom it could be...

"Anyway, I'm tired of this conversation. Blackie, take the bitch and get rid of her. When you've done that, throw all her belongings over the side. She won't need those pretty frocks where she's going!" He broke out into another guffaw, the mug of ale shaking in his meaty hand.

Suddenly the large sparkling diamond on the third finger of her left hand caught his beady little eye.

"Now that's a pretty little bauble, Blackie," he mused softly. "Seems a crying shame to let Davy Jones locker have it, don't you think?"

Arielle shrank back and bumped into the sold mass of Blackie's chest. He reached round and grabbed hold of her left hand, briefly admiring the huge jewel the King had sent as a gift. Seconds later the ring was pulled cruelly from her finger and thrown across the room towards the Captain.

"Nice..." he commented, holding the gem up to the light and admiring the way it sparkled brightly. Arielle felt like screaming. Was nothing sacred to these animals?

"You thief!" she spat. "I hope you rot in HELL for this!"

The Captain just laughed in genuine amusement. "That's a given my dear!" he chuckled as she was removed from his cabin forcefully.

* * *

Blackie dragged her down the passageway, his fingers dug painfully into her wrist. "Let go of me!" she snarled and spat at him. But it was no use; he was oblivious to her struggles.

"Shut up wench," he advised sagely. "If you make a fuss, I might have to throw you to the crew for their amusement first."

The dark horror of his words sank in and Arielle immediately stopped fighting her captor. She had seen the way the men looked at her, their eyes drawn to her shapely breasts and white skin. She could only imagine what they would do to her should they be allowed to have their wicked way.

Blackie hauled her up to the bow of the ship and briefly slackened his hold on her wrist to grasp a coil of rope from the deck. Arielle saw her chance and when he turned away for a moment, she tore herself from his grasp. Before the odious man could react, she flung herself over the railing and into the cold sea. At least if her wrists were not tied, she could try and swim for freedom.

She sank beneath the waves, the water enveloping her completely. For a moment she allowed the futility of her situation to wrest hope from her. What chance did she have of escaping this? She was stranded in the middle of the ocean, miles from any land. The chance of being rescued was so small it was infinitesimal.

Her lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen and she forced herself to break the surface, gasping for air. Another wave washed over her and she coughed when the salty water went up her nose. The cold slowly began to seep into her bones as moonlight cast silver ribbons across the calm sea.

She looked over towards the dark hull of the ship, but the moon disappeared behind a cloud and pitched the sea into inky darkness once more. The ship was already moving away. Blackie could be seen in the light from a lamp, staring out over the water, obviously searching for her body. Dropping beneath the waves again, Arielle shut her eyes and floated weightlessly in the black depths.

The cold was almost soporific. It invaded her body like a drug, inducing thoughts of a dreamy death deep down in the darkness before her buoyant body bobbed to the surface once again, her lungs sucking in essential oxygen. Soon the dim lights of the ship were almost out of sight and she watched hopelessly as they faded away, leaving her helplessly alone in the endless sea.

She was utterly alone - cast out to die amongst the elements. Salty tears slid helplessly down her cheeks, the warm essence of her misery streaking her pale cheeks as the moon reappeared from behind the clouds.

Suddenly something nudged her body beneath the surface and Arielle screamed. Images of sharks and other ravenous sea creatures leapt through her mind in panicky flashes. Drowning was bad enough, but to be torn limb from limb would be horrific!

A low whistle and a plume of spray calmed her immediately. It was a dolphin! The grey creature swam round her, occasionally touching her gently with its bottle shaped nose. Arielle felt strangely reassured by its presence and suddenly her fate did not seem quite so hopeless.

More dolphins appeared in the sea surrounding her. They dived and circled in the water as she floated within their circle. Eventually one of the dolphins nudged her hand firmly with its nose.

"What do you want from me?" she asked in puzzlement. She wished they could talk to her -- she felt like they were trying to communicate but she didn't understand what they were saying.

Once again the dolphin pushed its nose beneath her arm. It stared at her with its intelligent eyes, nodding its head fiercely. Arielle tried to comprehend what it wanted and grasped hold of its fin hesitantly. The dolphin shook its head up and down again and almost grinned at her.

It began to swim slowly, pulling her along easily. The other dolphins jumped and dived with joyful splashes, circling round Arielle in an exuberant dance of life. She clung tightly on to the slippery fin and felt an amazing serenity steal over her. Above her, the stars twinkled and unearthly silver light glowed across the gently rolling waves.

It seemed that the gods were watching over her this miraculous night.

* * *

Lady Miranda stared out across the dark ocean from her turret window high up in the castle tower. The moon was full tonight and the stars shone down upon the gently lilting sea. The water appeared calm and glassy, but she knew it could still be treacherous in the right circumstances.

Now her plan had been put into action there was no way on earth that Arielle would ever reach the city of Corinnia. Lady Miranda was not about to let the King marry that commoner. Oh no, her own niece, Imogen, was the rightful bride and Queen to be.

Once Arielle was declared lost at sea, Imogen would be there to provide consolation for the broken hearted King. Through Imogen, Miranda would then have a way of controlling the King. Like most men he was easily manipulated with the right feminine wiles.

She had had no problem convincing the greedy captain to assist with her evil scheme. Several chests of gold sweetened any doubts he had initially expressed. He and his contemptible crew of murderers and thieves would never darken these shores again. The amount of gold she had paid him assured her of this. No doubt they would be whoring and drinking themselves to an early death on the proceeds of this dastardly crime.

The dark haired witch smiled serenely to herself. Her plan was foolproof -- what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

On and on Arielle swam with the dolphins across the ocean. Every time she felt tiredness threatening to overwhelm her, another dolphin edged beneath her exhausted body, propping her up until she recovered sufficiently. Many hours must have passed, but time ceased to have any meaning in this strange watery world.

Eventually the stars began to fade and a slow pink glow lit up the horizon with delicate streaks of vermillion. The dawn light crept slowly into the sky filling Arielle with renewed hope. All was not lost; she was still alive despite everything the god's had thrown at her!

Suddenly she realised she could make out a distant coastline. Land! As the sun crept higher in the sky, the white sliver of a beach grew ever closer. Eventually the dolphins slowed and when Arielle dropped her feet down, she realised she could touch the sandy seabed. Shallow waves tugged her towards the white gold shore and she reluctantly released the fin of her saviour and friend.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered in a broken voice, her lips dry and cracked from the salty water.

The dolphin tossed its nose in the air and stared back at her for a moment. Then, with a flick of its tail, it dived beneath the waves and vanished into the ocean once more. As she watched, she could see the creatures heading back out to sea, diving and playing in the waves.

Soon they were out of sight and Arielle hauled her weary body up into the dunes. She flopped down beneath a huge palm tree and closed her eyes against the glare of the hot sun, feeling the subtle warmth stealing through her aching body.

* * *

A gentle shaking eventually woke her from the deep dreamless slumber she had fallen into. She opened her eyes blearily to see a young boy with tanned features and jet-black hair staring down at her curiously. He scratched his head and smiled when she tried to sit up.

Arielle attempted to speak, but nothing came out of her mouth. Her throat was as dry as the sand on which she lay. Only a hoarse croak found its way through her parched lips. She desperately needed a drink; her thirst was as intense as the sun that now reigned high in the azure sky.

The boy spoke to her in a foreign tongue and when Arielle looked at him blankly, unable to understand the strange dialect, he frowned slightly. She coughed and held her sore throat, wishing she could have a small drink of water just to ease the dryness. He seemed to understand this gesture for he reached into his shoulder bag and produced a leather bound flask.

He pushed it towards her and smiled hopefully.

Gratefully Arielle took the flask and drank thirstily. Tepid water flowed out and ran down her throat in a blissful stream. It tasted better than even the most exotic wine and she gulped the precious liquid down eagerly. Eventually she was sated and she handed back the flask to the boy.

"Thank you," she managed to say with great effort. The boy seemed pleased with her response and he spoke again. Once more Arielle had no real idea what he was saying, but he appeared to be trying to tell her his name.

"You are Nico?" she said hopefully.

"Si!" he grinned manically. "Nico!" He pointed to her with a quizzical expression.

"I am Arielle," she enunciated carefully.

"A-r-i-e-l-l-e," the boy repeated slowly. "Arielle!"

They both grinned happily at each other. At least now she knew the boys name. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Now all she had to do was figure out how to reach Corinnia in one piece.

It took a lot of trial and error, but after a while the boy understood where she wanted to go. He shook his head doubtfully when repeated the King's name and Corinnia to him endlessly.

"Corinnia?" he said for the umpteenth time.

"Yes!" she said hopefully. "C-O-R-I-N-N-I-A! I'm betrothed to the King -- we are meant to getting married in a week. You have to help me!" she pleaded slightly desperately, knowing that the boy would not understand a word she was saying. If she failed to reach the city in time, all was lost. The King and her family would think she had died at sea. It was too horrific to contemplate.

"Si, andiamo a...Corinnia!" grinned the boy eventually. Arielle stared at him praying that the unfamiliar words meant what she hoped they meant.

His donkey looked less than amused at the prospect of a long journey and brayed loudly in protest. Arielle brushed the sand off her filthy dress and glanced with despair at her bare feet. How on earth was she going to walk what could possibly be hundreds of miles, in bare feet?

Nico saw her pitiful expression and gestured at the donkey. "Giro!" he smiled.

The clouds of incomprehension lifted and Arielle saw that he meant she could ride on the donkey rather than walk. Well it was hardly elegant, but it beat walking. Unfortunately the recalcitrant beast was none too happy about having a passenger. After dancing about for several minutes at the end of his rope, he eventually stood in resignation and allowed Arielle to climb up.

Nico passed her a hunk of bread and cheese from his pannier and they set off down the winding track towards civilisation.

* * *

It took two days to reach Corinnia - two long, hard, dusty and tiring days. By the time the donkey plodded in through the city gates, Arielle thought she would never feel her bottom again. She had blisters on her blisters and her once beautiful silk dress hung in rags. She looked like a peasant with her filthy matted blonde hair and she seriously doubted that the King would even recognise her any more.

As they plodded along, the boy kept up a steady stream of conversation, although much of it was meaningless. Arielle did wonder why he seemed to be alone in the world, but she guessed that his family were poor peasants. The unlikely pair stopped at several villages along their arduous route and Nico was always greeted with smiles as well as food and drink. He was clearly much loved amongst these poor people.

It was late evening on the third day when they were stopped at the first checkpoint into the city. The bored soldier looked up in surprise when Arielle stated her full name and the reason she was there. His face suddenly became animated and he called his colleague out to see her. For long minutes they chattered excitedly between themselves.

Arielle was just beginning to worry that maybe they thought she was insane, when another, obviously higher ranking official, appeared from a hidden doorway. He spoke in broken English and asked her to repeat her name again.

Patiently Arielle told him who she was. The small man looked her up and down and gestured for her to follow him. Nico stayed behind and waved cheerfully at her as he stood next to a water trough. The donkey lifted his muzzle from the clean water and brayed mournfully as if he had suddenly realised he actually liked Arielle.

The official led Arielle through narrow streets and into the depths of the ancient castle. The endless corridors became increasingly lavishly decorated until she found herself in a huge room overlooking the azure blue sea.

The little man melted away and Arielle was alone once more. She stared out across the sparkling water and wondered what would have become of her if the dolphins hadn't saved her. She shuddered. It didn't bear thinking about

"Arielle?" She spun round at the softly spoken question uttered from behind.

It was the King -- the man she had been betrothed to for the last six months. He was just as handsome in the flesh as he had been in the painting she had seen. Her heart fluttered within her breast and she felt her cheeks grow warm and pink. What must he think of her looking as she did now? All her finery was gone -- no doubt adorning the coral reefs at the bottom of the sea by now.

"I thought you were dead," he said in astonishment.

"No Sire," she whispered, her eyes cast reverently to the floor.

"When your ship failed to arrive on time, we sent boats out to search for it. But there was no trace of you. You were feared lost to the sea..."

rachlou
rachlou
557 Followers
12