Ocean-Water Broken [Open]

[Deleted]

This was the brother of the beauty of it all, right? The sky hairy with clouds, Mona watched an angry sea roll wave after ruthless wave towards the Peddle. Taggert had taken to hiding, the coward -- but really, what was he to do? Elbows nearly pureed against the milky wood railing that hugged the porch of the shop, she braced herself for the worse. Strangely enough, it wasn't the moonless sky or the restless water that frightened her the most, it was the intermittent sound of glass bottles hanging from strings, chimes tangling, the door creaking that kept her hair on end.

"Oh, come and get it you ... you .. dirty old bastard!" Her voice was swallowed -- one gulping gust of sea wrath. Snap, clatter. Funny how voiceless she was against the storm yet the sound of hard-work flying into the ocean rang out like angles singing. She moved for the first time in what felt like hours and bent down to inspect the damage. Splintered, two nubs stood erect where bracers once were. It was nothing devastating, only tedious. Sand and rain stung her cheeks as she stood and her elbows ached from leaning so long. Lightning stretched like spider webs across the sky and Mona, for the first time, realized how dark it really was.

"Wish my feet were made of wood.." She mumbled, stretching her head back to look upwards. It was a night of discovery. (She had a lot of those. Most people do when they have so much time floating around their bodies.) An ancient, dust-covered thought crawled from the dank corners of her mind -- loneliness. The backlash of solitude slapped her across the knees and she almost buckled. It wasn't the fact that she was alone that rattled in her, oh no, she had accepted her wayward soul long ago --- it was the fact that she was so apathetic to it that stung a little. Resounding thunder .. and all that jazz. It wasn't going to stop any time soon. She would wait it out. One of them had to get tired eventually and Mona was betting on Mother Nature. Back to her perch, elbows against the railing, eyes back out into the maritime pitch -- she, as usual, was ready for anything.

[Aric Demarais]

The weather had not been on their side...but it wasn't enough to make Aric remain in Tresteria for any longer than needed. Despite Edward's constant argument, Aric knew his true intentions...he could just feel the sick pride his brother had inside at knowing Elysium would be his to command once the crown was set upon Aric's brow. Whatever he said, he was always at fault...Edward always had something in response to say to him, even throwing the memory of Isabelle at him.
No, he wasn't staying there any longer.

It wasn't until days into the journey home did the storm really hit. At first it was bearable, the ship sailing across the choppy waves, straight through the pounding rain...but soon enough the waves had grown bigger, washing up and over the deck, dragging men back into the see like a lover's awaiting arms. They couldn't see through the haze, the thick sheet of rain as the rolling clouds above flashed their anger down upon them. They were blind to the sea, unable to do anything but hold on and brace themselves, attempt to continue on in the right direction.
"M'lord! Elysium is but a couple of miles north! We should be there in-" started the captain, yelling over the storm to Aric before the crackling of thunder and lightening struck the sky...hitting the mast of the ship and igniting it slowly in flames, despite the downpour.
Eyes open wide, Aric turned towards the crew to shout his orders, "Gather anything salvageable and get in the boats! Now!" They would have no time to waste, and it would already be difficult in the darkness of the storm.

Helping the crew gather whatever they could, placing them in the rowboats, he helped every man in first before climbing down into the second boat himself. It was a difficult feat to fight against the storm, the overwhelming waves that threatened to dump them out of their only safety now. He tried to urge them on with commands, with those hopeful words, but the men were tiring...and yet, in the distance they would see, through the gloom and haze, the darker form that was slowly coming into view. The island.
Sounds of joy and relief, practically drowned out, rowed faster, desperate to get to land where it would be safer. Yet the closer they got to their destination, just miles before them, the more devastating the waves became, rising and dipping enough to begin filling the two boats with water...and they were sinking. They wouldn't have time to abandon them and leap to sea as the ocean already chose for them.
With a thundering crash and a heavy wave, the rowboats were tipped, violently throwing out all that they had been carrying...and the men struggled to make it to shore. Right there...seeming so close...closer by the minute. But roughly a mile away, the storm wasn't as strong, such an odd comfort compared to the chaos of out at sea.

Aric's body already ached as he fought against the waves, struggling and making his way to the shore, relieved by the calmer waves but the rain was just as heavy. Body met wet sand as he'd collapse there; dark eyes faintly looking at his side to find the figures that had done the same, those who had been strong enough to brave the swim. Looking the opposite way, he'd find Charles making it out of the water...and then something caught his attention not too far off- A house...a shop?

[Deleted]

Mona was a sea loon. She goggled at it like a clock, waiting. (That cranky night, especially.) Thus, when Taggert took into a trot from beneath the porch, towards the foamy beast, Mona was on his heels. As big as he was, Taggert was terrorized by the ghosts of everything. There must have been a reason for his sudden burst towards the sea, and Mona knew it. Rain turned her eyes to slits and her skirts into an overbearing umbrella, collecting sand at the hems until she was almost immobile. Quickly, daftly, she began to unbutton her dress and in one step, was free from its constraints. She felt her cold legs upswing into a run, tingling against the stinging pellets of salt and brine. she saw them. Like logs, the men of the lost ships. It congealed her in place and she turned to look at the Peddle, then back to the men, then to the Peddle again. Her mind churned for an expletive, but deemed nothing appropriate. Heads were down, some were still bobbing against the waters, obviously fatigued and defeated. She felt so frail there ... watching man after man roll to shore, some gasping others not. 

Taggert had taken to dragging a man to shore and the sight of it provoked Mona into moving again. Shards of wood spun in the waters like boundless, angry splinters -- it was a whirlpool massacre. "Take pity! ...Take pity!" Her voice croaked as she doubled at the knees to wrap her arms about the broad forearms of one of the noodle-like bodies. She dug her toes deep and started dragging. The dead weight was lumpish against the wet sand and she willed her spine keep from shattering. The man lay fish-faced away from the water and she tore away from him, towards yet another mortal soul dangling on the beach.

He was already sitting, staring up at the Peddle as if it were a phantom against the gloomy sky. She fell, really, urchin hair in her eyes -- she looked almost to be a creature of the deep that followed him ashore. "Listen.." She screamed through the sandy strands, hands deep in the sand as she caught her breath. "We are going to need all of the manpower we can muster..." One of the small open boats materialized from the deep and turned head over tails until it impaled the sand like a harpoon. Mona pulled her dripping slip away from her hunched frame only to have it suck to her again. She leaned forward, smearing the hair from her face, "Can you get up? .. Please say you can get up." Brackish water burned in her nostrils as the sight of another (Charles, as it were) rising, caught her eye. Mona turned back to the man (Aric) at her side and leaned forward to grab his shoulders. "I am going to go grab that fellow and see if he can help me with the less fortunate." A stern nod, as if they both should understand, before she was up and sprawling towards Charles with itches that he could help, stark white against the blackness.

Her beloved open water was wrathful that night. Tomorrow, it would probably be as smooth as glass. It was the way of the deep and she both respected and feared it. (She suspected these men did as well.)

[Deleted]

Sebastion was glad that the village library had undergone its repairs. He had spent most of the rainy night there, studying and researching various projects and knowledge. Once the kingdom was back on its way, he wad thinking of teaching the youth of the island. They needed someone to do it. And he strangely felt connected to this place. Thomas joked about this being the longest they've ever spent in one place. But it had been the war, he supposed. And wanting to help out. The fact that they had taken some of his inventions and used them in outsmarting the enemy and whatnot. He felt prideful that they had helped. And now he felt somewhat obligated to stay back and help in the rebuilding as well.
The queen seemed dedicated to her land, and didn't overpower the land. It was a refreshing notion that he enjoyed. The people were nice and very dedicated to the land. And Thom, although he didn't admit it out loudly, Sebastion knew that he had his eye on a lady and didn't want to leave.

He needed to get back to the citizen manor, now. And the storm hadn't let off. He'd have to brave it and take the walk back. Or perhaps run. But he couldn't spend the night in the library.
So he took off, walking swiftly through the village and decided to take the path along the shore. The crashing waves intrigued him.
And it was then he saw the men swimming ashore, trying to save their lives. And the woman frantically trying to help them. He only watched for a moment, confused by the scene, until he realized the urgency of it all. He was quick to spring into action.
Running towards the lady and the few men that seemed to be standing. "I can help!" He quickly grabbed the arms of a man that was alive but struggling to get out of the tide. And he dragged him onto the shore, away from the possibility of the tide dragging him back in.
He moved to Aric, offering him his hand. "Sir, are you alright?"

[Deleted]

The sea was steadily drumming the shore. The night was buttery with rhythm. It felt as if neither she nor the driftwood men could control their bodies, rain smiting their eyes, sand pricking their ankles. Somehow she managed to continue dragging bodies to the safety of the pillowy dunes, propping their backs upright and keeping their heads down to avoid drowning in the downpour. After the initial shock of it all, it became evident that more men were shaken than dead. 

Mona took a moment to breathe and it made her lungs ache. "I will never be dry again ..", she prattled to a particular chap.He was young and chock full to the brim with spirit. The boy sat with his knees to his chest, leaning forward as if ready to pounce at any moment. Suddenly, she had an epiphany. "Son! ..I need you to do something for me." His eyes were lost at sea. "Listen now, this is important." She lowered herself to a kneel and he shifted his stare to her face as if seeing her for the first time. "Hello there, welcome back. I need your undivided attention for a just a moment, alright? The queen has to know about this." Mona's head reeled towards the black water, foaming like a rabid dog towards them. "I assume that is ... ah .. was .. one of her ships. And I am sure that those are some of her men .. so, I need for you to run .. as fast as you can, to tell her. I know you are tired, I know .. but if you come with me, I will give you some bread and water." As the latter half of that sentence passed through her lips, she cringed. Water. It had been an evening of water, indeed, and quite frankly she was feeling somewhat waterlogged.

The boy rose on wobbly legs, yellow hair fused to his face and followed Mona back to the Peddle where they would prepare for his journey to tell the Queen. Minutes later and he was off, running to share the bad news, praying that there would be no desire to shoot the messenger.

[Aric Demarais]

There was fire in his lungs; the sea water burning every time he tried to breathe in, to gain back his breath. His head swarmed and blurred his vision; eyes blinking fiercely against the harshness of the pounding rain, trying to focus on what was around him and use what little strength he had to try and get up to his feet. With hissing air through clenched teeth, he managed to climb to his knees, sinking into the sodden sand before he saw her...a ghost against the gloom with her wild red hair. For a moment he thought her to be nothing but an illusion, his head too dizzy to decipher the real from the delusions. But as she spoke to him the dire situation grew even more dreadful. Perhaps he had been hoping this was just a horrible nightmare he'd wake up from at any moment.
Try as he might, her voice was nothing but a rush of words that he could hardly comprehend, at least not all of it. Steadying himself, however, he'd nod in response to her before he tried to move again and she was off to help the others.

It was during his second attempt, a heavy pain jolting up his side and bringing him back down to his knees, came another's a voice but this time male. Aric looked up through the rain to see the extended hand, and he took it graciously. He'd nod once more, "Aye, I believe so." But he was winded, he was tired, his whole body ached from the struggle, and that sharp pain seemed to only get worse. He could not see the blood against his dark, soaken tunic that coated his left side, but he felt the pain. It was minor, as far as he could tell- a scrape. He had gotten far worse before.
"Thank you," he spoke once more before forcing himself forward to begin aiding the others up. Nothing had gone to plan. Nothing good had come of visiting his brother and trying to make him understand. Nothing. And what the prince feared most was not some arranged marriage, not this storm...but having to face Alexandria again with that look in her eyes.

It would be so much easier to just not care.

[Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais]

Nearly a week had gone by since Aric left Elysium, and only a day since she had sent Orin off to find his cousin. And she had yet to hear from either one of them. It left her on edge and kept her nervous.
What if Aric was to return before Cassandra was found? She honestly had no idea how she could even tell him this news.
She also hoped that Orin, and whomever went along with him, would be able to rescue Cassandra without having to deal with ransom. It would look horrifically suspitious for the money being used to rebuild Elysium, to go missing like that. And Alexandria didn't want to lie.
She didn't know Aric well enough to know how he would respond about her coming right out and telling him that she had gone missing and was abducted by the bandits that were causing trouble around the isle.
He wouldn't even know about the bandits, since he left shortly before the situation started.

She was pacing the floors outside of her office. Back and forth, anxious to hear something about Cassandra's return. And waiting in her chambers or her office, just wasn't helping any. Though what she wasn't expecting, was the guard along with the young man who came up the stairs, the boy drenched from the rain, and out of breath.

Brows furrowed as she watched the young man. "Are you alright?" The guard's face was grave, as if he had already heard the news. And now she felt her heart leap into her throat. "What is it? What has happened?"

The man tried catching his breath and he spoke as steadily as he could. "Your majesty. Our ship has been wrecked on the shore, from the storm. Prince Aric..."

He didn't need to say anymore. Alexandria's eyes widened with shock and fear to hear the worst. She didn't want to hear it. So she interupted. "Thank you. Guard, please see to it that he is given warmth by the fire, some food and warm clothes for the evening."
She quickly rushed down the stairs, leaving both men alone. This was the final straw. What else could possibly go wrong now? It was Aric's ship returning back, and it wrecked from the storm. Was he alright? Did the sea claim him? What was she being so punished for? Why couldn't a damned thing go right anymore?

Without putting on any sort of jacket, Alexandria rushed outside, the guards calling after her. "Please do not try to stop me. One of you can join me if you see it fit." And of course they did. They knew the bandits were out, and the Queen of Elysium would be far more worth the soon-to-be King's cousin.

The rain instantly soaked through her fabrics she wore, and the coldness stung at her skin. But it didn't stop her. Despite the weight of her dress, she ran down the shore, until one of the guards, on horse, stopped her and offered her a seat behind him. "My queen, it will be much faster by horse. The port is on the other side of the island..."

"I know it's on the other side of the island!" She shouted, loudly over the pouring rain. She was frustrated. But the guard was right. She took his hand and climbed up onto the horse behind him, and they were off, quickly towards the port, following along the length of the shores of the island, incase the ship had wrecked at a different spot.

Once they reached the village port side of Elysium, she could start to see the pieces of ship floating around in the dark ocean. It was dark, and she could only see figures stumbling about.
When the horse stopped, she quickly jumped down, rushing towards the angry sea. Her sapphire colored eyes squinted against the rain, as if trying to find something.
She called out loudly. "Please! What has happened? Are there any casualties?" She searched mainly for Aric's face through the stormy weather, now ignoring the fact, completely, that she was cold and soaking wet. Did it really matter?

[Deleted]

It was a romantic concept, really. Mona's brain had been swallowed in Davy dark, but she swore she saw phantoms that night -- rogue spirits bleeding from bodies and dancing with diamonds in the crests of the waves. Dragging shells on her petticoat, Mona was in the Peddle when the Queen arrived and was lugging exotic rugs from the storage cavern below. Some of the men were too damaged to be moved any further than her shop and she was preparing for the brutally unexpected guests. She had to stoke the tired embers in the hearth to wake them and started boiling some water, ready to clean wounds and wash faces. 

Scuffed feet drove her towards the door and she snatched her mossy-olive cloak on the way out, hoping to embrace any modesty she had left. Men freckled the beach and all at once Mona whirled on her heals and began to vomit over the railing of the porch. Her stomach lay doubled across the burly wood, one arm holding her aloft, the other keeping her hair out of the mayhem. Knees like noodles, she pulled away from the post and bound back towards the ruins on the beach.

A freckle against the blackness, Mona caught a glimpse of the horse that had arrived but could not find amongst Queen in the blinding murk. When she came upon the man closest to the Peddle, she motioned for one of the other fellows to help her and she began to haul him indoors. The night was dying, hours were creeping and this was the start of one of the longest processes Mona could remember. Soon, the routine became apparent and those that were able would help carry those who weren't inside ..and lay them upon the rugs. A few of the younger, more feeble boys kept inside to tend to lacerations while Mona helped muscle bodies that needed aid.

She felt the sickness creeping up her spine again, and she knew that if she didn't collapse from exhaustion she would die from dehydration. Her unfortunate pig-headed mind would not shatter against the fatigue, though ... and she kept going through the night. 

[Aric Demarais]

If it were not for the adrenaline that still pumped through him, helping him to ignore the uncomfortable sting of pain at his side, Aric may not have been quick to help the others. He tried not to think about it, tried not to think of the storm and their ship, to ignore his brother's face plaguing his mind. All it did was anger him and it would do nothing but slow him down.
Requesting help from Sebastion with another man who seemed to be favoring his leg, he'd quickly look around through the raging mist of rain, seeking the fiery-haired girl who seemed to have disappeared a few moments ago. She must live or work nearby if she had been able to get to them through this downpour. Or perhaps she had been caught in it herself. Regardless, he hoped for either of the first so that they might ask for some shelter from the dangerous storm...unknowing to the fact that it was exactly what the girl was in the process of doing. He saw the faint figures moving, but he couldn't make out much more.
Then he heard a voice.

A very familiar voice by now and it turned his attention to the side, squinting against the beating rain along the shore. Slowly a lone figure began to come into view against the darkness, calling out to know what had happened. Perhaps another who had seen the burning ship, risking the wrath of the storm to come help them.
No, it wasn't entirely that.
Assured Sebastion was able to hold the injured man up, Aric slipped from their side to take those few, slow steps forward; a hand rising up to try and shield his eyes from the raging drops. It was within a few moments did he come to recognize the figure's shape, the way she rushed towards the scene, those matted, wet locks as they framed that porcelain face...It was hard to mask the surprise from his features as he took a few more steps in her direction, calling out to her, "Alexandria?" Trying to look passed her to see if there had been anyone with her, to make sure she remained safe, he glanced back to her again, "M'lady, what are you doing here?" he asked, the surprise seeping into his voice.

[Deleted]

:: It was an awful mess, really. And what was worse, was the only bit of light was the faint glow of the moon, which was covered by the clouds, and then the fire that had blazed on what was left of the sinking ship.
Yes, it felt as if ghosts were swarming around them. And a very proper thought. So many figures had fallen to death with the war that had just passed. The island was littered with the memory of the souls of whom had passed. Was this their doing? Surely, in any other circumstances, a ship could have sunk in the middle of no where with no land to swim safely to. Had those ghosts helped carry them just a bit closer?
It was a thought that played around in Sebastion's mind. These men, though beaten and battered by what had just happened, they were very lucky.

Sebastion had helped Aric up and began assisting in helping the other men get up. A few times, he had stepped foot into the woman's shoppe, carrying or dragging a man into the warm dryness of the shelter.
In a moment, he caught sight of the firey-haired woman and offered her a smile and a nod of acknowledgement. "How kind of you to offer these men your place for shelter from the storm."

He'd give her another nod before rushing back out into the rain again.
He had come back to Aric's side just in time to help him with the man who seemed to have some sort of leg injury. He was quick to lean down and offer his shoulder to the man. Until, of course, the woman's voice was heard. Sebastion turned to glance at the soaked woman he hadn't seen before. The weight of the man was transferred fully to him, as Aric helped steady the man before going to the woman who looked rather frantic.
And it wasn't until Aric spoke the woman's name that he realized what was going on. It was the queen. What in all damned hell was she doing out of the castle and in the pouring rain like this?
The red-haired woman had sent the messenger, but he hadn't expected her to come herself. And so quickly.
He stood quietly, watching Aric as he addressed the queen as if the two were friends. Brows furrowed slightly. He realized he had been standing there for a few moments, just staring. The man he had leaning against him, nor himself, were not getting any dryer.
"Come. Can you use that other leg of yours? Lean against me, and we'll get you inside."
And Sebastion helped the hobbling man away from the scene and towards the woman's shoppe. ::

[Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais]

This was helpless. It was so dark, and the rain was stinging her eyes, making it difficult to see anything. She wanted to cry. Everything around her was a giant blur. A sea of struggles. And all she kept thinking was Aric was there, floating in the midst of wreckage. Elysium would be over with. Another man come and gone from her life. Her hands had raised up, fingers combing through the wet strands of hair that clung to the sides of her face.

Her guards had remained close by, but they had moved to assist several of the men struggling to break free from the harsh ocean's tide.

She continued to search frantically in the darkness until she heard her name called out. Sapphire eyes darted towards the direction of the familiar voice.
And there he was, standing right in front of her. She stood motionless in the pouring rain, staring at him as if he were a ghost. She wanted to throw her arms around him. The relief that suddenly washed over her was stronger than the rain that was currently attacking her.

She stood there, silently, even after he asked her what she was doing there. The question replayed in her mind. And she suddenly felt very foolish, rushing out into a storm, without even thinking, really.

Her arms quickly moved around her torso, hugging her shivering frame. Lips parted and she spoke, loudly against the clattering rain. "I received word there was a ship wreck... I..." She honestly didn't know what to say. Except for what suddenly spilled out. "I was worried... " She was worried about him. But she couldn't say it. "Are you alright... Is everyone alright?" She finally glanced away from him, glancing around to try and see what was going on around them. All she could see were darkened figures, running, or hobbling about the shore, making their way to what looked like a small house/shop, in the distance.

Eyes fell back onto Aric as she awaited his answers. The rain had phased her now, no longer recognizing it as she stood there, allowing it to continue to soak her, as if it were not raining at all. She stared at Aric, unknowing of what to do... To embrace him. To bow to him. To tell him she was happy he had returned. To look disappointed that he had returned. To kiss him. It was a whirlwind of emotion that spun through her head, and instead, she just stood there like a foolish, crazy woman.

[Deleted]

Taggert, the old mongrel, had taken residence back under the stoop where the sand was somewhat dry and no one could reach him. Mona yearned to do the same. She was an aloof woman, with an inclination towards ending the day with the company of herself and a good book. In passing her eyes locked with those of Sebastian and he offered kind words that soothed the clamor in her head for a brief moment before a man with a fragmented jaw was helped through the door. She felt her teeth gnash before calling out, "What was I to do?" as Sebastian dissolved into the rain as if he were made of ash.

She guided the man towards one of the few raining rugs, this one closest to the fire. "That's what you get for getting into a punching match with Titan, eh?" A feeble attempt to lift his spirits as she lowered him to the ground. He was bent and gray, far too old to be at sea anyway. Molting her cloak from her shoulders she propped him against a shelf lined with expensive brooches and turned to wet a rag. All of the other men had seemed a blur but for some reason, this one held a luster. She rocked back from the hearth, wringing the steaming cloth. The sight of him made her stomach churn once more. He looked like a shell, a carcass -- wrinkly and waterlogged with a bad jaw. He couldn't speak and Mona knew that an injury such as this would probably send him on his way towards the golden chariot. So, and the God's only knew why, she started to sing:


"A long, long time and a long time ago

To me way, hey, O- hio

A long, long time and a long time ago

A long time ago

A smart Yankee packet lay out in the bay

To me way, hey, O- hio

A waitin for a fair wind to get under way

A long time ago

With all her poor sailors all sick and all sad

To me way, hey, O- hio

Oh they'd drunk all their whiskey no more could be had

A long time ago

She was waiting for a fair wind to get underway

To me way, hey, O- hio

If she hasn't a fair wind she's laying there still

A long time ago ..."



He was gone by the time she'd finished and Mona lay the rag over his face to respect the modesty of the dead. Nostrils swelled and before she could protest, fat, hot, crocodile tears were rippling down her cold cheeks, making clean paths against the sand and debris. Her ribcage branched and she fell into the dead man's lap, sobbing -- sobbing for him, for her, for the whole blasted situation. Sobbing for exhaustion. Sobbing because she knew that the old man would have rather died in the ocean where the old sea dog belonged. Sobbing for the survivors that would have to re-live this night over and over again. Sobbing for her dog who had to lay beneath the porch to escape the carnage. Sobbing for the Queen who always seemed to lose more than she gained. Tears strangled her but were lost in the dankness that surrounded them.

[Aric Demarais]

Aric had only taken his eyes away from Alexandria momentarily to notice the guards that had followed up from behind her, moving through the heavy rain to help assist the injured men who could not get to the shoppe by themselves. But he'd look to her in wonder, questioning and concerned about her being out here...most of all, why she felt she needed to travel all this way, in this weather, to the scene at hand. For a moment...for just a brief moment...he found himself wallowing in a selfish thought, that perhaps, she had been worried. Worried over this all, but also...for him.

But then it became difficult to look at her- that frail form, soaken from the rain, chilling her to the bone and he could do little to change that. All he could remember was the last time he really spoke to her, that time in the library where he nearly did perhaps one of the most foolish things he ever could have. Why would she worry about him? What could she possibly think of him now after all of that?
And now, there he was, after a failed attempt at trying to convince his brother to change his mind, knowing there was not another chance to wipe away that sadness and sorrow from her eyes, he wanted to embrace her, to pull away all of that worry and allow her to smile. From the moment he saw her, it was all he had ever wanted to do.
And he couldn't even manage to do that.

It was hard to mask the faint grin that etched his lips from her response, however, at how lost and confused she seemed...perhaps realizing how silly she might have made herself appear with charging into the rain like she had. He didn't much see it as foolish, even if he wished she hadn't.
Nodding, he'd step forward to close the distance between them; speaking over the noise, "I'm alright..." And the sound of his voice made it clear that he wasn't sure about anyone else. He was still too much distraught by the mess to figure out all that had happened, to have the strength to make sure all were alright. At least he hardly felt the pain at his side now.
Extending a hand out to her, he waited for her to take it, having noticed the man, Sebastion, taking people inside the shoppe. The queen would be safer and dryer in there.

[Alexandria Eveleigh- Demarais]

Alexandria wondered what ran through Aric's mind in that moment. Did he think her foolish for coming out into the rain, when sending her guards could have perhaps been enough? And what was worse, was she was just standing there, staring back at him, as if that would solve everything.

When Aric had left, she only thought he was going to inform his brother, the King of Tresteria, about the progress they were making in Elysium, and what else was needed. She did not know that Aric had gone to try and convince him to call off the engagement. And in doing so, he had risked his life. For what? To give her a freedom that she felt she most likely never would have had anyway.

The last time they had spoken longer than in passing, was that night at the library. What had happened that night between them? She had wanted nothing to do with him weeks before then. But she felt some strange connection with him. And in the time he had been away, she actually found herself missing his presence. Did he feel the same way? Or was he standing there wishing he had never come back?

She had wanted nothing to do with this arranged marriage, except for the fact that it would help her people and bring the land back out of the wreckage. But with Aric, she felt it had changed. She felt a bit more at ease to have him assisting her. She knew that she couldn't continue to rule her land on her own. It was getting too much for her. And so, in that very moment, she felt relieved that he was standing there in front of her, admitting that he was alright.

Her eyes finally looked away from him and she glanced around. Most of the men had already been brought into the small shoppe. Sapphire eyes fell back onto Aric as he extended his hand out to her. How would she be able to tell him about his cousin?
She felt so helpless, then. And the rain felt like it was punishing her. Her feet were sinking into the muddy sand, and the rain was trying to push her deeper into the ground. She felt like she had failed at so much lately.

Alexandria slowly placed her hand within Aric's, but she hesitated, and shouted out over the loud rain. "I need to help them..." She pulled away from Aric and started off towards the ocean, a hand shielding over her eyes to glance out into the waters for any other bodies. There was such a mess in the ocean before them, now. The blaze of the sinking ship, floating debris...
The waves were strong, and Alexandria had already gone knee deep into the water. She felt the current attack at her legs and weigh her down, trying so desperately to drag her down into the waters. But she fought it and pressed forward. There was a body floating and she moved quicker. Her desperate attempts of wanting to help. Wanting to do something. Lately, she had felt so helpless. The bandits were causing trouble. Cassandra had gone missing. So many lives had been taken by the war, and she felt there was nothing she could do, herself, except to stand and watch and let her people pick up the mess.
She needed to help. She needed to do something.

[Aric Demarais]

He hadn't wanted to come back. In some cases that might be far too obvious. But he stood there now, wishing he hadn't returned for far different reasons than what she might have been thinking. The whole situation they had been placed in was beginning to sink deeper and deeper and he was unsure on whether he'd be able to pull himself out when it got too far.
Aric knew what he was getting into...but he was neglecting a small but important detail.

The prince seemed to exhale in relief when he felt her small hand in his, turning to take the agonizing steps towards the shoppe before she pulled away. He hadn't thought her daft for coming here, at least not completely...but as she ran towards the raging waters, he was rethinking his ideas. It was not hard to see the sadness and twist of desperation on her features...but he was afraid, now, that these emotions of hers would drag her towards the edge of madness if she did not get a hold of herself.
"Alexandria!" he called out after her, watching as her figure disappeared into the dark mist. The sea was relentless, having nearly devoured him with all his strength...she was too frail to withstand its anger, and soon the waves would tug at her skirts and suck her into the black abyss below.

Rushing forward, squinting against the pelting rain, he'd find her there within the water, a dark figure against the black, and her struggle against the waves as she began to try and help the lone figure that had floated towards shore. Aric knew, without having to really check, that the man was gone...afloat there face down. Too many minutes had gone by to hope that he could be revived.
Aric called out her name again over the crashing waters, urging himself back into the coldness to move after her.