Heart of the Sea

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It has been a fortnight since Mr. Pierce had left. Thalassa, who hadn’t had the courage to talk to anyone, dwelled alone on the thought of Mr. Pierce. She wanted so much to talk to him that night at the ball. Ask him what had happened to make him change like the way he did. To tell him her name.

But- she also couldn’t forgive him for almost destroying her sister’s happiness.

They were at the palace for Aeras was planning her wedding with their mother and the queen. Thalassa, with the excuse of not feeling well, had requested for a room to sleep.

“Thalassa?” her sister called from the other side of the closed door.

Thalassa sat up from her bed. “Come in, Aeras,”

Aeras sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand down Thalassa’s hair. She was worried for her sister who spent majority of her time in bed; not even coming out to visit the well behind their abode.

“Thalassa, I know how you feel about Mr. Sinclair. I can see it in the way you look at him, dear sister,” she started and felt her sister tense.

With a sigh, Thalassa looked out her window where a rain was threatening to fall. “Then I must suffer, dear sister, for he and I can never be together,” there were so much that had change. He was not the Pierce she knew before.

“Why? Is it because of what he did to separate me and Prince Nicholas?”

Shocked that her sister knew, Thalassa rose from the bed. Aeras smiled at her sister and pulled her down to the bed again. “At the night of the engagement ball, Mr. Sinclair admitted everything to me. All his thoughts about me before and how he mistook my shyness as indifference. And he sincerely apologized,”

“He did?”

“Yes, Thalassa. He did. There is nothing for you to worry about. I have forgiven him,”

Aeras might have. But- Thalassa was not sure Pierce would forgive her for she was partly in fault for the death of his father.

“Thalassa? Aeras? Are you both in there?” their mother’s voice sounded out the room. “The queen had called for us,”

Aeras stood up; pulling her sister with her as they followed their mother towards the drawing room where the queen, the prince, and Mr. Haskell were waiting. Mr. Sinclair, who was missing at the crowd, was still in the middle of a war with the bandits.

The queen asked the ladies to seat down for they had received a letter from her nephew.

“My dearest aunt,

The bandits have been exceptionally careful with their course of action. They have already destroyed two of our town’s bridges even before I could understand them. And now, we are solely focused on protecting the last bridge. For, undoubtedly, they are planning to enter the city through it. I have remained uncertain of their objectives.

But- I am planning to put a stop to this war before it has the chance to reach the town. At first light, I will initiate an attack on the bandits’ refuge.

I hope you will remain calm. I will do everything in my ability to keep the city safe.

Your nephew,

Pierce Sinclair.”

Thalassa sucked in a deep breath as memories of Pierce saying goodbye flashed in her mind. There was a sudden feeling inside of her that told her she would never see him again. She watched him walk away. No matter how much she tried reaching for him, she could never get ahold of his hands- until he vanished from her sight.

The room was silent as the queen finished reading the letter. Thalassa knew that the attack he was planning would be made alone, for a man like him always avoid official and civilian damage. He would ask no help from the soldiers he commanded.

And the situation had not boded well with her for what she saw earlier in her mind seemed like a premonition. Something she does not even like to think of.

“My queen, please allow me to assist Mr. Pierce in his plan,” she suddenly spoke, standing on her feet.

“You, Ms. Thalassa?” the queen asked uncertain if she had heard right. She looked at the faces of the people in the room who looked as shock as she was.

“Yes, my queen. I am certain you have already heard of my skills as a warrior,” she answered confidently.

The queen smiled gently at her. “I do not doubt your skills, Ms. Thalassa. I am merely thinking about your family. We cannot decide on this alone,”

Thalassa looked at the worried face of her family. There was understanding in Aeras’ eye but she could also see the worry. Her mother looked like if the queen was not in the room with them, she would have screamed at Thalassa to sit down. But- when her eyes landed on her father, a smile graced her lips.

“I give her my blessing, my queen,” he interjected; looking directly at his daughter’s thankful eyes.

“How can I send my daughter to a war?” Mrs. Haskell cried; she was not keen on giving her blessing to her daughter. “How can you be so cold, Mr. Haskell?”

He caressed his wife’s shoulder as he seemed to tell Thalassa it was alright with his eyes. “I am not cold, my dear wife. I am merely granting our daughter’s wish,”

“A wish that could lead to her death! I refuse!” she cried; pushing her husband away and running to hug her daughter.

“Mamma, please!” Thalassa pleaded. Allow me this one wish, and I promise I will never ask for anything again,”

Everyone heard Thalassa’s pleading and the meaning behind it. The queen, despite of the circumstances, couldn’t help but smile a little at the idea that someone loved her nephew despite his unlikeable attitude and she was even willing to send herself in the middle of a war.

“You have to promise me that you will return,” her mother pleaded.

With a smile, she returned her mother’s hug. “I will, mother. You know I will,”

Her mother, unable to answer, nodded her head to give her blessing. Aeras also stood up and waited her turn to give her sister a hug. But- it was Mr. Haskell who seemed to not want to let her go. The queen stood up from her chair and approached Thalassa.

“I thank you, Ms. Thalassa,”

“Are you sure about this, Ms. Thalassa?” the prince asked as he gathered his tearful fiancée in his arms. Thalassa nodded in reply. Her mind was mind up.

“Very well then, you shall leave at first light tomorrow. I will have someone prepare a horse for you,”

Thalassa shook her head. “No, my queen. I must depart immediately for Mr. Sinclair stated that he shall begin the attack tomorrow, and I shall arrive before then,”

“But Thalassa! You do not have your clothes!” her sister protested.

Thalassa smiled at her. “I have my parasol, dear sister,”

“You have set your mind most stubbornly, Ms. Thalassa. Very well then, you shall leave once the sun starts to set so you would not have trouble at your journey,”

Thalassa changed to riding clothes the queen had prepared for her. She took her white parasol before going out to the front door where everyone was waiting. A horse was prepared for her and a satchel full of bottled waters.

“Please, be safe,”

“I will,” Thalassa placed her parasol on the horse’ saddle, besides the satchel.