Beautiful Beast (Chapter 1 part 2)

“Wake up, dear!”

Someone was shaking me from my sleep. My eyes struggled to open, the world around me a blur. Eventually my eyes adjusted to the morning light and Kylin sat there beaming at me. With a groan, I pulled the covers back over my head. I heard Kylin huff, and then the covers were ripped away from me. Cold air covered me and I tried to get the blanket back, but Kylin threw it on the floor. She stared at me as if I were a misbehaving child,

“No nonsense, Sophia. This is a big day.”

All I could do was stare at her and sigh. There was no use fighting. It wasn’t going to make Lord Gill go away. My family needed this money and he had it. With a bitterness settling in my stomach, I removed my nightgown and Kylin helped me get into the bath. After washing, I cleaned my teeth as Kylin brushed through the knots in my hair. She helped me into the red gown after drying my hair as well as she could. Once more did the brush go through my hair, falling into their natural soft red waves, and Kylin dusted my face with makeup. My cheeks became rosier, my eyes more defined, but I didn’t care for any of it. How could I? I was being done up like a doll, and in a sense, that’s all I was going to be to this stupid man.

Could I bring myself to murder him, if I couldn’t learn to love him and the land he lived in? Could I end another human?

The bitterness in my stomach grew bigger. I knew I could never hurt someone, whether I wanted to or not. I simply couldn’t handle taking someone else’s life. Either I learned to love Lord Gill to some extent or I wasted away in that rocky pit of a country. After Kylin finished helping me get ready, I tried to walk smoothly through my room. The dress was a little difficult to move my legs in. I sat at my writing desk looking through my older poetry and stories from when I was a younger girl. Some of it was about Harry. I realized that I had feelings for him when I turned fourteen. Five years later and the feelings were still just as strong. My hair was just about dry by time I made it through all the little scraps of paper that I’d written on. I put them all back in the drawer I kept my work in and dropped my head onto the desk. Lord Gill was bound to be here any moment. Rising from my seat, I did my best to keep my balance and walk in the tight dress. Walking became easier as the dress was broken in. I heard someone running up the stairs and Kylin soon rushed into my room with excitement,

“He’s here! Come, come!”

She took my hand and practically dragged me out of the room. Once I came to the top of the stairs, I saw him talking to my father. He had very short black hair, and beard stubble all over his face. His jaw was hard and strong, and his nose was a little large. Lord Gill’s eyebrows were thick, and as I came down the stairs and closer to him, I saw that his eyes were dark brown. He was a large man, well built, muscular and a good head taller than I. At least he wasn’t a completely ugly man. He looked me over and smiled,

“Pleased t’meet such a lovely lady, Sophia.”

I stopped myself from cringing at his accent. It was so rough and different from what I was used to hearing. I forced a smile,

“Thank you, I’m pleased to meet you too, Lord Gill.”

“She’s so finely mannered. Is she good at cookin’ n’ cleanin’?”

“She’s been taught to hold up a house rather well, I’d say,” my father beamed with pride.

“Good, good. Well, m’lady, the carriage awaits. We’ve got all your belongin’s packed up already.” Lord Gill smiled, “Say your goodbyes, we’ve got us a long trip.”

Kylin pulled me into a tight hug that almost crushed me. I held onto her, not wanting to let go, but when she moved away I had no choice. As I backed away, I saw Henry peering out through the corridor. He looked sad, but when our eyes met, he smiled and waved. I smiled before breaking eye contact and turned to my father. Tears were shining in his eyes despite his big smile. I hugged the little man tightly. Never again would I see that bald head and white moustache, his rosy cheeks or round belly. My father was the picture of a jolly soul, and even now he looked like he was a happy man, tears and all, but I knew he wasn’t. He didn’t want to send me away any more than I wanted to leave.

“Be good, pumpkin.”

“Of course, Father,” I kissed his head before turning to Lord Gill. For a man from such a brutish country, he knew how to be gentle and I appreciated it. He held his arm out and I reluctantly linked mine with his, his smile radiating with happiness. Could this man have genuine feelings? Could I be more than a contract to him?

A feeling of hope that I never expected flooded my heart. Maybe things would be alright with Lord Gill. Maybe he would be a kind and gentle husband. I saw two carriages, one for my things and one for us. We climbed into the carriage in front of the other and I heard the crack of a whip. The horses started moving, jostling us down the path. Lord Gill grinned from the seat across from me,

“So, I heard you like horses.”

“I do, I ride them.”

“You ride?” He looked surprised, “I’d never think a girl like you would do somethin’ like that. Did you have a horse?”

I ignored his comment and kept my manners, “Yes, I had a black mare named Riella. I don’t think she can come with us to Merlanje, can she?”

“I’m afraid not, but I have horses at my home. You can make friends with ‘em, right?”

“I think so.”

The journey took forever. Lord Gill talked on and on about his home in Merlanje, his family, his friends, and the family coal mines. I could only pretend to be interested. Occasionally he would ask me questions,

“D’you like the mountains?”

“I prefer valleys and forests to mountains, sir.”

“Don’t bother with formalities, Sophia. Call me Liam. But I understand; anyone can love such amazin’ Hinderian woods. ‘Tis a beautiful country.”

“I’ll miss it.”

“Ah, but I’m sure you’ll learn to love the mountains in time,” Liam reached out and held my hand, and it was strangely comforting. He coughed a little and dropped his hand from mine, “So tell me ‘bout yourself. I’ve done all the talkin’ so far.”

I smiled, “Well, I love nature. I’m usually outside riding horses and sitting by the lake near our plantation. At night, I’ll come home and read or talk to the maids before going to bed. I like to sleep,” he chuckled and I continued, “and I like to write poetry and stories when I’m not riding horses. I get my inspiration from nature, my home, from troubles back in town…”

“What kind o’ troubles?” Liam seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I was finding it easier to open up,

“I see the beggars, and the children without a home, and I wonder why people need to be so greedy. Why do they need so much, when others have so little? Why can’t we all share our happiness?” My hands flew about as I talked, my voice straining, “I just can’t understand how anyone can be happy with more than they need when there are those with less. I always try to give them whatever I have on me, but it’s never enough. I can’t save the world, I can only hope to feed one suffering man for a day. Why?” I gazed into his eyes, and they reflected myself, “Why is the world like this?”

Silence filled the carriage. Eventually Liam sighed, “Sophia, you’re a passionate thing. I like that. And you know, I see the sufferin’ people out in the alleys of Merlanje, and I wanna help all them poor people too, but you just can’t do it all alone. For the world to change, it needs to come together. Sadly, there’s too many a greedy man that don’t wanna help, and there’s too many a poor man that wants nothin’ but a chance, or worse, a poor man that's too lazy to take his chances. I give too, but what else is there to do besides hope for at least a lil’ somethin’ good? And even though the world is a mess like this, you can’t just let it swallow you, else you’d go batty. Sometimes you need to stop thinkin’ about all the problems that exist where you aren’t, and remember all the good things where you are. Just for a moment.”

I was impressed, to say the least. Wetting my lips, I sighed, “I suppose. But I can’t be happy remembering where I am, here, in this carriage, leaving my home. I know I’m just business to you, to save my own family from being stuck in the alleyways.” My eyes dropped from his and I could hear him swallow,

“You aren’t just business, my dear. I’ve been lookin’ for a wife for a long time now, and I traveled all over this planet lookin’ for the right one. When I came here, when I met with your lil’ father for the first time, I knew this was the right place to look. And when I saw you out in the fields from the window, my heart jumped like a lil’ critter in a tree. For you, this marriage is to help your family and I respect that. But for me, this is a new beginnin’ with a beautiful woman, one that I’d gladly name my wife.”

Despite the smile breaking out on my face, I shook my head, “But you don’t even know how I really am. I’m more than just a dolled up face, Liam, I have a big voice with lots to say.”

“I can tell, and that’s what I think I’ll love the most ‘bout you.”

My face warmed up and I looked away. Liam chuckled. The sun was beginning to set, and a yawn made its way out of my throat. I blushed again and covered my mouth with my hand,

“Excuse me.”

“It’s alright. I think we’ll be settlin’ down in one of the inns soon. We just made it into Kojca. Not long before we reach the coast n’ sail back to the Deep East.”

I nodded and felt my eyelids getting heavier. Despite my efforts, they wouldn’t stay open. I heard Liam chuckle again. He found me so amusing. For the rest of the ride, I sat drifting between strange dreams and the sound of the wheels on the road. The carriage eventually creaked to a halt, shaking me out of my dream a little. Liam gently shook my shoulder.

“We’re at an inn, near the water. We can sail tomorrow n’ get to Merlanje before supper. C’mon, let’s go.”

We climbed out of the carriage together and the man driving the other carriage started taking out our bags. Liam, the man and I carried the bags to the inn, where people quickly took them up the stairs. Liam put his hand on the small of my back and guided me up the stairs. The room we stopped at had a door that was a little larger than the others. When he opened the door, I gasped. The room had one large canopy bed and dark brown nightstand to its left, with beautiful paintings and a crystal chandelier. Bunches of candles in the corners of the room helped light everything up. The carpet was a deep green color, the walls a cream color with dark brown wood borders along them on the floor. A large wooden screen sat towards the other side of the wall, and I wasn’t sure what it was doing there. There was one large set of glass doors that opened to a balcony, with green cushioned chairs sitting in front of them. I immediately ran over and threw them open, standing at the balcony railing and admiring the millions of little lamps lighting the city. I could see the fishing boats and large ships rocking in the water at the docks, the moon’s glow reflecting off the water. This was the first time I’d ever seen the ocean, but all I could make out was the twinkling of the moonlight off the little waves. There weren’t many stars, but the ones that I could see were shining brightly.

“We’re in Oasmir, it’s a common port town. See that big ship there?” Liam stood beside me and pointed to the boat all the way to the right of the other ships, with large masts and a big, sturdy looking body.

“Yes.”

“That’s the one we’ll be takin’ tomorrow. ‘Tis a big thing. Strong, too. It’ll get us to Irrilin quick, n’ then we’ll be travelin’ by carriage to Merlanje. Sound alright?”

“It sounds wonderful! I’ve never been on a boat before.”

“Never?” Liam looked surprised, “I’ve been on all sorts ‘a boats. It gets a lil’ sickenin’ after a while. I’m sure you’ll see what I mean tomorrow.” His look of surprise turned to a grimace and I laughed,

“I hope I can stay well on the trip.”

“Yeah… D’you want a bath, Sophia?”

“A bath?” I thought about my aching shoulders from the sleep in the carriage. I nodded, “That’d be nice.”

Liam smiled and walked over to something I hadn’t noticed. Next to the door was a panel of bells that had different labels on them. He rang one of them, and within moments, maids with buckets of hot water came up the stairs and went behind a wooden screen. I looked behind it and saw a claw foot bathtub. Soon, after many buckets, the bathtub was filled enough. One maid threw a yellow fluffy towel over the wooden screen. I went into one of my bags and found my purple nightgown. Throwing it over the wooden screen so it laid next to the towel, I managed to get myself out of the stupid dress without help. The door opened, I heard Liam thank someone, and then the door closed gain. I laid the dress down and heard a cork pop. Was Liam drinking?

My questions were answered after I got in the bath. He came right behind the screen and I quickly covered myself from him, then shot a pointed look at him and the wine bottle and glasses in his hands.

“Oh, come now, Sophia. We’re goin’ to be married soon. No need to be shy. Care for a drink?” he handed me a glass and I shook my head,

“I don’t like alcohol.”

“Oh,” his face fell with disappointment, “Well, that’s a shame. I can find a sweeter wine for you, if you’d like-”

“No, thank you. I simply don’t like alcohol or what it does to people.”

“I thought you’d be a lil’ more lively than that, Sophia.”

I frowned as he poured himself a glass of the red wine and walked away. I was plenty lively, I didn’t need wine to enjoy myself. Dismissing it, I sunk lower into my bath. My eyes slipped shut as I enjoyed the warmth. I noticed a small cloth hanging over the tub near my ankles when I opened them, and picked it up to dunk in the water. It was a soft towel and felt nice to scrub my skin with. I dunked my head under the water and sighed. Baths were so calming. When my fingers were starting to shrivel, I carefully climbed out of the bath and made sure not to slip on the floor. I took the towel and dried off quickly, attempting to squeeze as much water as possible out of my hair before moving onto the rest of my body. I noticed there was also a basin for relieving oneself in the corner, still hidden from view by the wooden screen. It looked decently clean. I finished preparing for bed and finally came back out from the area. Liam was busy gulping down a glass of wine.

“How many glasses did you drink?”

He looked at me and gave a lazy smile, “Six, maybe?”

I held back a sigh at the slight slur in his words, “That’s far too much at once. Put the bottle down, now. It’s time for bed.”

“Whoa now, woman,” Liam chuckled, “I’m the one who’ll call the shots ‘ere. My bottle, my glass. If you wanted some, you should’a said so earlier.”

“What? This isn’t about me wanting to drink, this is about you drinking too much.” My hands planted themselves firmly on my hips.

“Sophia, I thought you’d be willin’ to have a good time. What’s a man to do with a woman that can’t let loose?”

I stormed over and grabbed the bottle before he poured himself another glass, “I’m not one of your friends. I am your fiancée. It’s my responsibility to watch over you just as much as it’s your responsibility to watch over me. This is nothing but irresponsibility, drinking like this.”

Liam’s smile turned to a frown, “Give that back!”

“No! How often do you drink?”

“I always end the night with a lil’ wine, woman! Calm your fires.”

“Every night?” I was in shock. “Every night you drink like this? You’re going to die!”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You won’t. You’re not drinking anymore tonight.”

Suddenly, Liam got up on slightly unstable feet and came too close to my face for comfort, “Give me that bottle, Sophia. Now.”

“No-”

“Now!”

His voice thundered, his breath reeked, and he reached out for the bottle. I held it as high above my head as I could. Liam only got angrier, and I even more frightened. He gripped a handful of my nightgown at my shoulder and threw me down on the bed, making me bounce on my bottom. Grabbing the bottle, he glared at me and poured himself another glass, then put the cork back in. I just stared at him. Where did the sweet man in the carriage go? The glass came up to his lips, and he gulped the wine down like a thirsty man would water. Liam walked over to the nightstand and firmly set the glass down, then unsteadily dressed for bed. I turned away once he took his shirt off, and eventually heard his body hit the bed and him move the covers onto him. I got up off the bed, my legs shaking, and turned to him. His back was to me, and he seemed to be completely unaware that I was even in the room. Without a sound, I went blowing out the candles until only the glow of the moon and the town lights shone through the windows. I found my way back to the bed, but when I looked at Liam, I felt my stomach twist. Instead of joining him in bed, I went to one of the green chairs by the balcony doors and curled myself into a ball, admiring the outside and trying to ignore the chair’s arm in my back until I was eventually tired enough to drift off. The chair was so hard to get comfortable in that I would wake up from dreams full of nonsense every couple of hours and look back at Liam to see him sprawled over the entire bed. My eyes ached, but I couldn’t stay asleep. The stars faded, the dawn broke, and my last dream had vivid pictures of Henry and Riella in green pastures beside a single tree. There was one black shape that I couldn’t identify some ways behind them, like a man in a long coat and hat. I didn’t know who or what “he” really was, but when my eyes fell on him, he turned to me. I saw a pale white face and a ghoulish smile, and all around him was some kind of swirling black fire. The more he smiled at me, the more frightened I became. When I looked back to Henry and Riella, I couldn’t even let out a cry.

Henry placed a noose around his neck, and Riella laid on the ground with her stomach eaten by some beasts. The green grass was stained completely red. I reached a hand out to Henry as he tied the rope to a tree branch, and tightened it around his neck. No noise came from my throat, even though I tried my hardest to scream. He glanced at me one last time before jumping from the tree, his whole body going limp as his neck cracked. I felt tears sting my eyes, and I started trying to run to him, but I couldn’t move. Something was holding me back. Suddenly, a black gloved hand came up from behind me and covered my eyes so I couldn’t see anything.

And then I jolted awake, to find that something was covering my eyes. I violently ripped it away and tried to press further into the little chair, but when I gathered myself, I saw Liam standing in front of me with a look of concern.

“Are you alright? You looked like you were about to cry. What were you doing sleeping in this chair?” I noticed his voice was soft and he started to grimace.

“I had a nightmare, is all.”

“But why were you here?”

“Did you forget your little tantrum last night?” My voice grew louder and Liam winced, rubbing his temple.

“Please keep your voice down…”

“Your head is hurting, isn’t it? You know why that is, don’t you?” I all but spat, secretly pleased that he was facing the consequences of his own stupidity.

“Yeah, I know… Look, I’m sorry, Sophia. I got carried away with the drinkin’. Usually I never act like that. I didn’t mean to get so angry and make you sleep on a chair.” Liam ran a hand over his short hair and sighed. I noticed his chest heave, the muscles well defined on his torso. He’d put pants on before waking me, thank goodness. I ripped my eyes away from his stomach before he noticed me staring. With a sigh, I looked at him and whispered,

“If you get like that when you drink, even just sometimes, then I don’t want to be around for it.”

Liam swallowed and looked away, “I understand.” There was a pause before he changed the subject, “Well, we best be gettin’ ready to go.”

I nodded and got off the chair, my back cracking as it straightened out. I went to my bags and took out one of my own dresses and its petticoat, my favorite one that was light blue with a high collar, long sleeves and a belled floor length skirt. I didn’t have to wear that horrid Merlanjian one anymore, and that alone made me happy. Going back behind the wooden screen, I dressed myself as always. I never liked having someone help me with my clothes. Independence was too important to me to put small things like dressing in the hands of others. I managed to lace the corset myself as always, along with putting on the petticoat and skirt. When I came out, Liam was fully dressed in a pair of black pants, a button down shirt and a reddish purple vest. He looked at me and gave a small smile,

“Is this a Hinderian dress?”

I nodded and he walked over, giving a close examination of the fabric and the shape of the dress. Eventually he chuckled,

“You almost look like a little doll.”

Unable to hide my blush, I huffed, “Your Merlanjian fashion is too exposing for me!”

“It’s alright, Sophia, I was just pokin’ fun at you,” he smiled and patted my head.

I huffed, but couldn’t help a slight smile. We had breakfast brought to us, bread with fresh strawberry jam and fried eggs with a big glass of water. Liam was watching me eat, I could feel his eyes on me and it made me slightly uncomfortable. However, whenever I looked up, he would look away. He had sausage and eggs, no bread and a glass of milk. After we ate, our bags were brought back downstairs and Liam left the key to the innkeeper. He gently directed me out the door, his hand on my lower back tingling my skin. Yesterday it had been almost a warm feeling, but today it felt like a chill. All I could think about was Liam’s anger the night before. The carriage sat waiting for us, and we climbed into it, settling into the seats to begin the short trip to the ports. As the carriage rode, I watched all the townspeople going to the markets with empty baskets and a satchel full of gold, watched the stalls open up and promote their wares, watched the children find their friends in the street and begin to play while the fishers tried to gently shoo them away from their stalls. Everything seemed so peaceful in the bustling little place.

After riding through the market, the docks came into view. The carriage rolled up to the big ship all the way to the right, and came to a stop. When we got out, I took in how huge the ship really was. It was magnificent. The wood was a rich, reddish brown color, a large golden rod stretching from the front of it. The sails were bunched up at the top of the masts, seagulls floating around them as they shrieked.

“C’mon, Sophia. We’re just in time,” Liam smiled, walking ahead of me as two young boys took our bags, following closely behind Liam and I. We walked up the wooden ramp onto the ship, where other people were standing and looking out at the sea. While Liam was getting the key to our cabin, I took in the full view of the ocean. It seemed to stretch on forever, a never-ending body of blue water with waves curling towards us. The sunlight glittered off the water as if it were made of jewels. It was so beautiful. So free.

“Sophia, this way, dear.” Liam came from behind and snaked his arm around my waist. He led me away from the ocean, into a door below the deck. We glided down a set of stairs before turning right and coming to a room with the number “604” painted in gold. Liam inserted a key into the lock and opened the door to a quaint cabin. In it was two twin sized beds, lamps hanging from each wall, a large dresser with a mirror and a walled off section, which I guessed was where the bath was. The beds were covered in deep red sheets, the floor a plush carpet of the same color. I never liked red, but this was an exception. A small book case stuffed full of richly colored volumes sat in one corner of the room, along with a small chair and side table with a candle.

“What do you think?”

“I love it!” I squealed, “It’s wonderful!” Immediately, I took the bed closer to the wall. When I sat down, I all but sunk into the mattress and knew my bones would be singing in relief for the night.

“The trip’ll take two days. Can’t say I’m lookin’ forward to it.” Liam grimaced and soon two boys arrived with our bags. Once our luggage was sitting near the dresser, they left us to ourselves. Liam sat down on his bed and rubbed his face in his hands.

“Are you feeling well?” I asked more out of politeness than genuine concern.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Just a lil’ tired, is all.”

“How about you rest here for a while? I’ll go up and watch the ocean for a little bit until you wake.” In reality, I simply wanted to be alone by the ocean.

To my surprise, he agreed. Liam gave me the key to the cabin and I tried not to rush off up the stairs. The boat was just beginning to move, and I had to keep my balance near the wall. Crewmen were scurrying around, letting the masts drop down to form giant white squares that caught the slight winds. On top of the sails, I noticed pipes blowing steam behind the captain’s wheel. Crewmen gave me confused looks, but continued scrambling to do their jobs. I found an area with small tables and chairs in its own section by the ship’s railing, where two wealthy looking men sitting at one table and discussing something with one another. Taking a seat closest to the edge, I sat and looked over the rails. The water splashed up against the side of the boat in steady rhythm. Once all the sails were down, and the ship was moving, I watched the docks float farther and farther away. A lump rose in my throat. For a moment, I wanted to throw myself overboard and swim back to shore while I had the chance. I was leaving the Deep East behind for what would most likely be the rest of my life.

“Are you feelin’ okay?”

Looking to my right, I saw a small boy staring up at me with big blue eyes from the other side of the table. I smiled, “I’m quite alright, thank you.”

“You look like you want to toss yourself into the ocean. Please don’t, ma’am.” His accent was different from Liam’s. It was still a little different from the way people spoke in Hinden, but was a little more humorous and light-hearted than the Merlanjian accent. I’d never been to Kiruno before, or heard this sweet little accent of theirs. The sound of it stretched my smile into a grin,

“Of course I won’t, child. Do you work on this boat?”

“Sure do!” The little boy’s eyes sparkled, “I work ‘ere with my pa! Ma works makin’ linens for the older women in town.” The slight roll in his “R’s” made him sound so precious.

“So she’s a seamstress?”

“A what?” I couldn’t help but giggle as he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“A seamstress is a woman who makes clothing.”

“Oh. Yeah, I suppose! Anyways, where are you travelin’, ma’am?”

“Well,” I sighed, “I’m going to Merlanje.”

“Wow,” the boy stared up at me in awe, “Isn’t that the great mountain country? At the heart o’ the Deep West?”

“Indeed, it is.” Looking out towards the shrinking dock, I felt my spirits sink. The sound of a chair sliding on the deck caught my attention and when I turned, I saw the boy climbing into the seat beside me. He huffed,

“I wish I could go to Merlanje! I always wanted to work in the mines, dig up all sorts o’ gems and metal!”

He was so full of life. I chuckled, “I can’t say I feel the same. I’m from Hinden, I grew up with forests and hills.”

“Figured by your accent!” Someone shouted, and the boy whipped his head around. A man was standing by the cabin door in a sailor’s uniform, a scowl on his face. The boy turned to me sheepishly, “That’s my pa. Thanks for your time, ma’am!”

Without letting me reply, he hopped out of his chair and ran to his father, who gave him a slight whack on the shoulder. He was such a sweet boy. I hoped my own children would be like him as well.

As I looked back towards the ocean, the thought of children gave me chills. Children with Liam, I had no wish for. I shuddered at the thought of his hands on me, of him being anywhere near me in an intimate way. I had no love for Liam, no matter how sweet he could be. I wanted Henry, and only Henry, and that would keep me from ever being happy in Merlanje. There I sat, watching the dock drift away until it completely disappeared over the horizon. It took only half an hour, and I let the tears slip from my eyes without restraint. It was gone. The last sign of the Deep East was gone. Strangely, my face never crumpled with emotion, rather, it was emotionless as stone as the tears dripped on my chin and down my neck. The tear tracks left my face uncomfortably sticky. I hated crying for that reason, the aftermath of the tears. They left my face so salty and sticky, and my neck cold and damp. On top of that, they left me feeling completely weak. Bitter and weak. I grabbed handfuls of fabric from my dress, squeezing them with all my might in my frustration. I wanted to go home. I squeezed my eyes shut, but only saw something terrifying.

Burned into my lids was that ghoulish smile from the man in my dreams.

Out of all the nightmares I’d ever had, that one was the most gruesome. My nightmares never meant anything, so I figured I could easily dismiss it, but for some reason I couldn’t shake that smile. That eerie, inhuman smile If I ever saw a man smile like that, I’d leave right away. I’d run as far as I could, as fast as I could. No man who smiled like that could ever be an honest one, or a kind one. That smile wanted something, but I wasn't sure what.

I shivered, feeling the goose bumps raise the hairs on my body. I had to calm down. I’d never meet a man like that, so it didn’t even matter. That man in my dream was just a figment of my imagination. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a part of a sick, twisted dream.

“My, my. What’s such a lovely young girl doing all alone on this ship?”

“Excuse me?” I turned my head to see a blond haired young man, maybe a year or two younger than Liam. His hair was short, and perfectly groomed, his eyes sparkling blue, and his skin lightly tanned. His smirk made me want to vomit all over his overly expensive brown tuxedo. Opening his mouth to speak, he managed to offend me further,

“I know you heard me, darling. Now tell me. What’s your business on this ship?” That accent made me think he, too was from Hinden. I gave him my flattest look,

“That’s none of your business, now is it?”

“You’re a Hinderian girl, are you not? I’d figure you’d have better manners in the presence of a rich man like me.” His awful, slimy expression disgusted me to no end.

“I am a woman, not a child. Get out of my sight, you disgusting slime. I’ll have nothing to do with someone like you.”

Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and jerked me up to face him, his eyes burning, “What did you call me, wench?”

That was the end of my rope. I spat in his face and forced myself free from his grip, pushing him backwards. I was having none of this today. He looked at me wildly, then raised an arm as if to hit me. I didn’t wince, or brace myself. Instead, I just waited to see if he would dare lay a hand on me. Then, someone caught that hand just before it came down.

“What d’you think you’re doin’, kid?”

I never thought that rough accent would bring me some relief.

“Unhand me! This little wench needs to learn the consequences of disrespecting a man!”

“That’s my fiancée, you damned fool. She needs to learn nothin’, seems to me she’s doin’ just fine.”

The sleezy little man paled, and dropped his hand. He turned to face Liam, whose hardened eyes and tense jaw were enough to make me shiver in fear. I almost laughed at the shakiness in his voice, “W-well, I beg your pardon, sir. I simply thought-“

“Thought what, eh?” Liam came dangerously close to the man, his eyes burning like coals.

“I thought she was perhaps alone, I had no idea she was taken.”

This made me raise an eyebrow. I piped up, “So if I weren’t taken, it would excuse your pathetic behavior?”

The man glared at me, but Liam grabbed him by the collar and hissed, “What exactly were you doin’ to my fiancée, bastard?”

“Nothing, I swear! I asked what she was doing on board!”

“Ugh, Liam. He was the most arrogant, slimy creature to ever approach me.” It seemed the sound of my voice alone was enough to get the man completely flustered. I smiled and told Liam, “He has absolutely no respect for women, I was completely offended.”

Liam glared at the man and growled, “If you ever approach her again, or offend any other woman on this ship and I hear ‘bout it, you’re dead meat, boy.”

Gulping, the man nodded and Liam let go of his collar. He scurried away like a scared little dog, and didn’t dare to look back even once. I let out a big breath, glad to see him gone. Liam gently put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes,

“You’re sure you’re alright, Sophia?”

“I’m fine, he was simply an idiot.”

“Yeah, well,” he smiled, “you’re lucky he didn’t hit’cha. I would’a beat the daylights out of him.” Liam’s expression darkened. I patted his shoulder,

“I would’ve been fine, Liam. Are you feeling better now?”

He nodded, “A lot better. Say,” taking a closer look at me, his eyebrows furrowed, “have you been cryin’?”

“What? No.” I hid my face from him, but he took my chin and saw the tear tracks reflect the sunlight. Liam looked at me with guilt. He knew why I’d been crying. With a sigh, he wrapped his arm around my waist and led me back to the door that led down into the ship. I found no reason to protest, I was done looking at the ocean and watching the port float away. He led me down the stairs and back to our room, where he opened the door for me. I drifted inside and sat down on my bed, heaving a sigh. Liam gently closed the door and sat on his bed,

“Would you mind stayin’ down here most o’ the time? So nothin’ like that happens again?”

I let out a groan of frustration, “Why should I be punished for other people’s idiocy?”

“I’m not punishin’ you, Sophia. I just wanna protect you from others like him.” Liam’s voice was gentle, but desperate at the same time. “I don’t trust these folk, especially after that guy almost hit’cha.”

“I’ll be fine. If I want to look at the ocean, I will.”

“Sophia, please, be reasonable.”

“I can’t sit in this little room for two days! It’s bad enough I only have the deck to roam around. I don’t like being cooped up, Liam.”

Liam gave me a long, exhausted look and eventually sighed, “Fine. But I wanna be with you, got it?”

The thought of spending time with Liam didn’t make me jump for joy. Regardless, I agreed. It was better to give him his way rather than watch him mope around, or worse, get angry. Liam got up and sighed,

“I’m gonna speak with the cap’n about that lad. You stay put, alright?”

Nodding, I wandered off to the bookcase without a word. I heard him sigh again and open the door, then close it. I was alone again. My hands drifted over the books, beautiful shades of blue, red and green covers with gold lettering on the bindings. Some were simple leather books, too. I was surprised to find a favorite title of mine, A Mermaid’s Scar. It had been one of my favorite fairy tales since I was a young girl, a story about a mermaid warrior who fell in love with the prince that caught her. I eagerly plucked the blue book from the shelf and opened it, dust falling from the cover. What a shame that no one read these books.

My disappointment evaporated as the familiar words of the first chapter came to me. The story painted itself before my eyes,

"There she is! Shoot her down before-"

It was too late.

With one swift leap from the seas, the mermaid sliced her sword through the net of fish, sending them all back into the ocean. Her armor glinted in the sunlight and blinded the crewmen. She shot the ship's captain a look of pure malice and disappeared back into the depths of the sea, harpoons whistling in every direction.

"You idiots! She's a siren! A water wench! How is it so difficult to bring her down?!"

The captain furiously threw his hands about as he yelled at the crew. The crewmembers meekly stood aside and let him examine the usual damage; a destroyed fish net and a loss of income and food. Murmured apologies sounded out from the crew and the captain covered his face with his hand. He glared out at the deep blue sea,

"I'll catch you yet, sea devil."

A single pair of footsteps sounded out on the ship's deck. When the captain looked back, he saw the prince staring at the net with a look of awe. He hadn't expected the tales of the mermaid warrior to be true at all, and was ready to throw the captain in jail for losing so much food every time they were on the water. The prince tossed his long brown hair out of his eyes and smiled,

"She's real."

Time was lost on me as I got comfortable on my bed and flipped page after page. The little fantasy world gripped me, as if the book were a portal to a real world and I were simply watching from above. Some events made me laugh, others made me cry, just as they had when I was a child. It was all too easy to lose myself in a story, especially one that had a character that was strong in their heart. The passion of a character made the entire story. If a story had flat, bland characters, then the magic in the story withered and died. But if the character was vibrant and raw with their emotions, it made them come alive as if they were real people that made my heart burst with sympathy and understanding. People I could embrace and enjoy.

These were the things that made me love reading, and writing even more.

To create a character was to create a living, breathing person in some distant reality. To pen their details throughout the story, the little flaws that made them human and the virtues they learned in their life, was like raising a child. I could see them in my head. I could hear their voice. I heard every scream, sigh, sob, and laugh. Every whimper, every choked word, they all resonated through my head as if the characters themselves were beside me. A character bogged down by their own sorrows, as painful as it was to write, was something so oddly beautiful and moving. And then, to let them grow and heal their old wounds through the story, was more rewarding than a life of hard labor.

I got around four chapters in when Liam came back, however I hadn’t noticed him. I was too busy re-living the story of the mermaid warrior and her captor. My hands were like lightning, my eyes racing across every page like wild beasts hungry for more. More story, more love, more everything. I stayed oblivious to Liam until I heard a throat clear. My head shot up, and Liam stood by the door with a warm smile.

“What’re you readin’?”

“Um… The Mermaid’s Scar.”

“The Mermaid’s Scar, eh? I remember reading that once.” His smile turned sheepish as he flopped onto his bed, “Can’t say I didn’t enjoy it.”

“It’s been my favorite since I was a young girl.”
“Yeah?” Liam turned to me, “What’s your favorite thing ‘bout it?”

“Honestly,” with a sigh, I bent the corner of the page I was on and set it down, “the mermaid warrior’s personality and the way it shined through the words. That mermaid never stopped being strong, she never gave up on herself for the sake of another and never compromised her beliefs no matter how much grief was coming her way. And in the end, she triumphed over all her hardships and found love. Real love. It’s almost as if when I read it, I can feel how strong she felt, even in the face of danger. She’s a character that fills me with hope and passion of my own, yet makes me wonder if strength like this even truly exists? Are people really like this in the world? If so, where are they? What are they doing? Why are they hiding from the world-”

I realized I was rambling and choked my words off, a blush burning over my face. I was too easily wrapped up in my swirling thoughts when talking about something that made me feel strongly. Liam, however, didn’t seem to mind. He propped himself up on his elbow and grinned,

“Y’know, I thought my old man was crazy when he insisted readin’ women were dangerous, but if they’re all as passionate as you, then the world better watch itself. You’ll be takin’ over countries with that kind o’ energy.”

A quizzical look flew over my face and I laughed, “Women reading is dangerous? I beg to differ, women not reading is dangerous. How are we going to take over the world if not everyone shares this energy?”

We both laughed, and he sighed, “Yeah, huh? But in all seriousness, my dad has a couple o’… ‘outdated’ viewpoints,” Liam grimaced, “I can’t say I’m proud of all his thoughts. What’s worse is that my mum agrees with ‘em. Encourages ‘em, even.”

“More viewpoints like the one about women reading?” My eyebrows shot up and Liam nodded with a pained expression,

“Yeah. I promise, Sophia, I ain’t nothin’ like ‘em.”

“You better not be,” I eyed him with my coldest stare, “I won’t tolerate any of that.”

Liam swallowed hard, “I understand.”

We sat in silence for a few moments before he got off his bed and searched the shelf, finding a book with a deep red cover. I’d never heard of the book before, but it was called Swordsman’s Curse. It didn’t seem like something I would ever read. He sat back on his bed and began to read, and I took it as a sign to pick my book up as well. The rest of the day was spent there, reading in silence yet completely aware of each other’s company and eating a small dinner of chicken, peas and potatoes. I was just starting to grow comfortable with him when the waves of exhaustion crashed down on both of us. The memories of the previous night were still fresh in my mind, and I wondered if he would try to drink again tonight.

To my surprise, Liam simply changed in the washroom and sunk into his bed, murmuring a gentle “goodnight” before fading out of consciousness. I, too, changed for bed and blew out all the lamps, enjoying the darkness and letting my eyes adjust to it before finding my way back to bed. The softness of the bed and pillows took me to sleep in a matter of minutes, into dream that I couldn’t quite remember but gave me a feeling of hope and safety nonetheless.