Heart of the Sea

CHAPTER FIVE

“My dear prince,” Mrs. Haskell started. “You must have been shaken up by the affair.”

“Yes, Mrs. Haskell. I cannot deny that I was. But thankfully, Pierce was with me. And your brave daughters as well.”

The prince had received nothing but a warm welcome at the house of the Haskells. The father had stopped his reading to keep the prince company as the mother brewed him some hot cocoa to calm his nervousness.

“Speaking of daughters, I wonder when Thalassa and Mr. Sinclair will arrive,” Mr. Haskell interjected.

And then, they heard the sound of the horse as it stopped in front of their house. Without waiting for them to knock, every one of them was outside even before Thalassa could dismount the horse.

Her mother, seeing as she was riding with a fine, young man, couldn’t stop smiling at the sight. Her father was glad to see his daughter doing well, and Aeras ran towards her and hugged her as soon as her feet were on the ground.

She had felt terrible at the thought of her sister fighting alongside someone who she does not know well. She felt terrible at letting her younger sister to fight while she had run. She had felt so guilty that she could barely look at the prince as she paced the room to wait for her sister.

“I shouldn’t have left you there!” she cried. “I should have fought with you! What a terrible sister I am.”

Laughing, Thalassa removed her sister’s hand and reassured her that she was fine. “Mr. Sinclair was every bit as the rumor said, my dear sister. Your worries have been in vain. And don’t tell me you have forgotten my skills as a warrior.” Thalassa had left the other part of the rumors that had proven true; it was talk amongst warriors that Pierce Sinclair was a prideful young man. Aeras must see it for herself before she believes; it was one of her traits that sometimes hurt her.

Mr. Pierce was closely listening to their talks. And Thalassa swore that she saw a ghost of a smile on Mr. Pierce lips when she acknowledged his skills in front of her sister.

But before she could have studied him closely, their father asked them to continue their talk inside the house. The prince and Mr. Pierce only stayed long enough for the latter to rest. And with the kindness of the Haskells, they had let the prince use one of their horses.

Aeras had quickly realized that not once had she talked to the prince because of her worry for her sister. But- there was no use beating herself over it. For the prince was already leaving. Surely, he must have understood the dire situation and do not judge her for it.

The longing stare Aeras had given the prince whenever she thought no one was looking or the glances the prince were giving her whenever Aeras smiles and laugh were not lost to Thalassa. But- she could not understand why the two had never spoken unless spoken to.

“We bid you a safe journey,” Mr. Haskell said as they went outside to see the men off.

“Oh!” Aeras cried as Thalassa closed the door behind her. They were in Aeras’s room for the younger one had seen how her sister tortured herself with feelings Thalassa could not comprehend. “Thalassa, I am hopeless. What shall I do?”

“I cannot say I completely understand your dilemma,” Thalassa answered as she sat beside her sister on the bed.

She took a brush off Aeras’s bedside table and brushed her sister’s golden, soft hair like she always does to calm and comfort the older Haskell. Thalassa could feel the worry radiating off her sister and she vowed to help her through whatever she was going through.

Out of the two sisters, Aeras has always been the soft-spoken. She was a kind, gentle soul that judges no one. She was the very perfect lady for a family of their standing. There was power in her voice that makes it hard to disobey whatever she had ordered.

Thalassa felt a smile on her lips. It was not like her sister would order anyone. Aeras would rather do anything herself. But- when she needed assistance, she would always ask for help and not demand.

And Thalassa- despite being isolated ever since she was born was the extrovert between the two of them. Not that everyone would notice for the young woman had no clue of how to mix in with the crowd. She was a daredevil and an adventurist. Aeras perfectly understood that her sister feels safer at the dangerous wild than in a crowd of watching eyes.

She understood perfectly if Thalassa cannot comprehend the dilemma running through her mind at the moment. Thalassa- despite reading several books that could match of those in a library and all the stories Aeras told her, was still as innocent as a child.

“I was so worried about your wellbeing. I was so mad at myself for leaving you out there alone,” Aeras explained.

Thalassa cocked her head to the side, not understanding what her sister’s point was. “My dear Aeras, I have told you, I was perfectly safe,”

Aeras nodded. “I know that now. I know I should have never doubted your warrior ability for you even bested me. But- when I realized that, it was too late. I have not uttered a word to the prince. What if he misunderstood me, Thalassa?”

Thalassa smiled at her sister’s innocence. She knew that there was not a way the prince would misunderstood her for she witnessed how the two would steal glances when they thought no one was looking. There was something between the two of them that Thalassa felt they were connected deeper than just meeting at the palace.

“Do not worry, my dearest Aeras,” Thalassa answered with a smile. “I am sure the prince is a wise enough man than to misunderstood a woman worried,”

Aeras turned and gave her sister a thankful smile as she took the brush from Thalassa’s hand. Aeras delicately removed the laces that held her sister’s hair and Thalassa’s faded gold hair cascaded to her back.

Aeras thought of all the times her sister, despite being more inexperienced than she was, helped her through her dilemmas. She softly brushed her hair, mesmerized by the blue part of it. And despite their difference, Aeras had never felt hate towards her sister. If anything, she wanted to hide her away from the ugliness of the world; the things that Aeras had tried her very best not to see.