Elvira
I had forgotten what was happening, my whole focus was on the huge blue expanse that I was gradually being pulled down towards, I begin to wonder whether I could disappear into those blue folds.
The sound of hurried voices cut through my thoughts as I realise we've reached the wooden dock shooting out from the sandstone of the Palace, its littered with ships.
The smallest ship seems to be the busiest, people bringing new barrels aboard, restocking old ones, shouting orders and generally being raucous.
"Its a beauty isnt it?" The strange man asks, staring at the ship "its been in my family for generations"
I wasn't sure why he would tell me this, I had no frame of judgement for such things, I'd never imagined a ship let alone see one.
"I... um? It is... a ship?" My words are shaky and unsure, I wasn't really used to being asked my opinion or giving answers longer than one or two words. What exactly did he expect from me.
"Really never? This is Palace is surrounded by ocean and you've never seen the ocean? Not even as a child?" His confusion is well. Confusing. Did he not know that the queen kept me locked up? Is he not prepared to do the same?
"Of course not"
The rest of the preparations went by silently, the stranger seems to be confounded by my nature. I'm not sure if I acted inappropriately or if I was out of line, I expect I'll find out soon enough. For now I've been left sat out of the way on a hammock in front of the mast. I find myself watching and listening to every conversation possible, there are so many different voices. I dont realise how overwhelming it all is until it dies down and I feel myself relax a little. It was nice sitting in the sun. I shouldn't enjoy being so lost in the day but I do, I'd never had events to get lost in and it was unlikely I'd get more time to sit and enjoy the sun on my own.
"Elvira, we're about to cast off. Would you like me to remove the chains now so you can move more easily?" It was the strange man again. He had asked this when he sat me here and I said no. I'm not sure why he's so insistent on removing the cuffs but im in no position to keep rejecting people so I simply nod.
His breath becomes sharp and sudden when the shackles release my wrists, the skin is raw and red, bruised and whethered. The constant adjustment and whipping of my wrists from the Queen didn't let them heal fully in the 3 years she'd deemed them necessary.
They weren't pretty but I was accustomed to the sour pain and sting of the air on the wounds, I was not used to the tender touch of the man stood in front of me as he asks a ridiculous question
"Does it hurt?"
