The Selfless Earth Princess, Chloe Liana Damek
Chloe spent the entire trip yearning for earth beneath her feet, yet as land approached her heart sank to her stomach with dread. As the smell of the salty sea air became over powered by grass and earth, she knew her time was quickly running out. The ship rocked gently towards the dock as the waves lapped at its side, and Chloe found herself pushing away from her place near the ramp of the ship to wander further back onto the deck.
Around her, men bustled about drawing the sails and dropping the anchor of the ship. Excitement was in the air as they prepared to dock, a new future was ahead...if only Chloe could share that emotion. She was a princess of earth, and yet the one thing she adored stared back at her with appending heartache. Chloe once said she was not fond of the ocean, yet at this moment, standing on the deck of the ship with the breeze surrounding her...there was no place she wanted to be more. There was no doubt that once she stepped foot on dry land the lie she had been feeding herself would dissipate. A vow to find happiness with her future was easy when it was a distant thought, but now it was becoming all too real.
Glancing to the sky, she weighed her choices up to this point. She always put other first, doing what was good for the kingdom, and now she was doing it again. Perhaps she would have done well following Kristina's footsteps and acting out more. Then, at least she would't be left with so many unanswered wonders...so many
what ifs?
Turning her gaze to the front of the ship where she once stood, a familiar voice caught her attention speaking her name. There stood Rontu and Kristina near the carriage that would lead them to their fate . A smiled grazed Chloe's lips at their forms, and a wave of ease settled over her. She would not be alone in this journey. Her siblings were facing the same future as her, and they would be there beside her. "I'm here, Rontu."
Gliding to where the oldest and youngest Dameks resided, Chloe gently sighed as their conversation drifted to her. Her sister's words did not fall on deaf ears, and she wished more than anything Rontu could tell the girl what she longed to hear. Had this been a party to attend or a speech to be made one of the older two could take away the worry and carry her weight, but this was something each had to do for themselves. She could not marry her sisters chosen no more than Rontu could marry her own. The reason was for the good of their kingdom...something she knew wold not seem fair in the eyes of the young Kristina. How could it? Even Chloe saw it as unjust.