Page 62 of Of Storm and Emerald
“Captain,” Daemon said as he reached the top of the steps.
Raneese stood at the helm, confidently navigating the ship through the tunnels that lead into the city. “Highness.”
Daemon met Raneese when she tried to sneak aboard his ship while he was ported along the region of the Court of Opal. She was originally from the Court of Pearl, but something from her past had sent her running. When she landed in Opal, Lady Aesira took her in and gave her asylum.
Raneese spent five years under Lady Aesira’s tutelage, learning how to defend herself and seeking counsel for ways to work through her past. But when her past seemed to catch up to her in Opal, Raneese decided to run once again–right onto Daemon’s ship.
He found her stowed away below deck, hiding behind barrels of fruit in the kitchen, a few days after they had left the port. When he asked her who she was and why she was on his ship, she tried to fight him right then and there. But when that didn’t work, and he’d assured her that he would do her no harm, she explained she was on the run but would say no more. The look on her face was haunting, and there was pain in her eyes, so Daemon didn’t pry any further. Instead, he extended her the same asylum that she had been offered in the Court of Opal.
Throughout the rest of the journey back to Kalmeera, Daemon discovered her skill when it came to sailing. As it turned out, she grew up working on boats in Pearl, and was an asset when they encountered a storm. She’d managed to steer the ship safely through the tempest, saving both his crew and the vessel in the process. When they made it back to Kalmeera, he made her a permanent member of his crew and named her captain. Not only giving her citizenship in Kalmeera and the safety that it provided, but also a family who accepted her for who she was without prying to things she didn’t want to talk about.
Since then, she had become one of his closest friends and confidants.
As they made their way through the tunnels, Daemon looked over the side of the Nevermore and into the illuminated water below. Smiling as the sound of bells filled the air, welcoming him home.
The city was beautiful.
Full of cottage style homes with beams that crisscrossed the stucco forming the outer walls. There were windows of multi-colored sea glass that cast kaleidoscopes of color when the sunlight shone through at the right angle. Tall stone bridges throughout the city linked different areas together with ease, giving its citizen’s full access to the city that they lived in. And dozens of small, flat skiffs carried boat crews and their goods to the market in the heart of the city, contributing to the health and wealth of Kalmeera’s, and Ixora’s, economy.
He smiled and waved as people came out in droves to welcome him and his crew home. He took in the men, women, and children that walked the streets going about their daily routines and envied the simplicity that their lives held.
“It’s good to be home,” Aiden said as he walked up to stand beside his friend.
“That it is. The question is, what are we coming hometo?”
Daemon hadn’t heard from his father or mother since he left for Lyndaria and had adopted the‘no news is good news’mentality while he was away.
A week before King Evander was to leave for Lyndaria, he had mysteriously fallen ill. None of the doctors in the Sapphire Isles could determine what was causing his illness, or how to cure it. They’d tried everything under the sun, all to no avail. King Evander was bedridden and pale, and unable to keep much of anything down.
With his father wasting away day by day, and with no cure in sight, Daemon was reluctant to leave his side. By the time he was to leave for Lyndaria in his father’s stead, King Evander was no better, but also no worse. Leading the doctors to believe that they had at the very least staved off the illness, but it still left him too weak to travel. So, against his better judgment, Daemon left and headed to see the princess in Lyndaria crowned.
And despite his earlier reservations regarding the trip, he had never been happier to carry out his‘princely duties’as he had been when he was tangled in the sheets with his star.
The closer that the Nevermore got to the castle of Kalmeera, the more anxious he became. The castle was the jewel of the island. Built on the edge of the Seraphine Mountains, it overlooked the ocean beyond. Tall white towers, with ivy draped stairs spiraled along their outer walls shot into the sky. Each tower was topped with a dome of sapphire blue glass that made the space inside look as if it were under water. The front of the castle opened up into a grove of fruit trees, from guava and fig, to avocado and banana.
A long stone bridge connected the grounds to its people, giving them unfettered access to the wealth of produce that was available. There were rows of plumeria trees, whose buds varied from the purest white to vibrant pinks that faded into yellow, giving even the prettiest sunset pause.
Throughout the island, bird-of-paradise and hibiscus grew in abundance, while towering palms provided shade. Birds as bright as the colorful flora flitted from tree to tree, their songs filling the air.
There was color and life everywhere.
By the time the ship finally docked, and he was once again on Kalmeeran soil, Daemon smiled. After four long days away, he was finally home, and it was time to see what had happened in his absence.
When Daemon entered the castle, he was greeted by the glittering smile of Queen Avyanna.
“Oh, my son, welcome home.” The queen wrapped him in a warm embrace, before releasing him and cupping his cheek in her hand.
“Hello, Mother,” he replied, leaning into her touch. “And where is my lovely sister today?” His tone dripped with mirth.
“Oh, she’s around somewhere, you can catch up later.” She waved off his question, clearly more interested in the ones that were tickling the tip of her tongue.
Queen Avyanna stood there looking resplendent in her gown as she gazed lovingly at her son. The clothes in the Court of Sapphire were very different from most of Ixora–the hot and breezy climate of the islands calling for thinner fabrics and fewer layers.
The queen wore a gown of pale blue silk with a chiffon overlay that shifted into darker shades as it fell down the length of the solid underskirt. While geometric panels constructed the bodice, giving structure to the otherwise airy garment. The back was cut low, framing the floral tattoo that stretched down the length of her spine, and white strings of pearls draped across the opening.
Her straight, raven hair had been coiled into a knot at the nape of her neck, and atop her head sat a spired tiara of pearls and sapphires. Her eyes matched the color of the gems in her crown and were framed by arched brows and dark lashes, and her olive skin was golden from frequent time spent in the sun. When her full lips tilted up, showing her bright smile, Daemon smiled one of his own. He hadn’t realized how much he missed his mother until he was once again in her presence.
“How was your trip? And your voyages there and back? How was the coronation? Did Queen Adelina treat you well?” The queen’s bombardment of questions made him chuckle.
