Arranged Marriages

Aris, Princess of Yililia

We stopped at the border of Yililia and Bryni. I politely asked my mother if I could have some time alone in the woods while we were stopped. She agreed, giving me an hour, providing that I didn’t wander too far. “If you’re a minute late, I’ll have the guards searching for you!” I immediately took to the trees, the carts and wagons disappearing from view. 

Nervousness invaded my thoughts. To calm myself for the upcoming marriage arrangements, I spoke in a hushed whisper to myself, not caring where my feet took me, as long as it was away from the Bryni border.

“Maybe it will be interesting to live in another country. They say that Bryni is full of flat, empty, open spaces with few trees. Bryni has an ocean front, but it’s all but deserted.” At first my voice was filled with enthusiasm, but quickly faded to hopeless sarcasm. “I mean, I’ll have new experiences whichever kingdom I marry into, even if I never live in Yililia again.” My voice wavered and tears clogged my throat. “Draconia is full of towering mountain peaks and is full of ancient dragons. Around its southern border, it does have terrain very similar to Yililia. Harrow is full of sand, like a beach with no ocean.”

My eyes briefly flitted up and caught a flash of blue to my right. Moving closer, a large clear pool appears. I want one last good memory while in Yililia. This is a good a place as any. Kicking off my slippers, my feet dangle in the cool water, a chain reaction of ripples dancing over the surface. The water is so inviting. “Why not?” I voice. “I have enough time.”

I strip off my heavy outer dress and leave it in a heap by the side of the pool, wearing only a paper-thin shift. I dive into the pool, water rushing up and covering me. I open my eyes and stare out of the pool. Deep green leaves accompany droplets of blue sky, twisting and shifting with splatters of sunlight and the ever-changing water. Bubbles fly to the surface when my lungs scream for air, a few weak kicks bringing me to the surface.

I float on my back for a while, staring at the mostly concealed sky, remembering the haunting tones I played on my flute after my fate was decided. I open my mouth, mimicking the gloomy tunes. The sound races over the water, like it did over the ocean, my ocean.

When the song is finished, I am filled with peace. I can accept what will happen with my future, even if I have no say in the matter. Even when I am forced to live with no ocean out my window, I can always sing or play this song and hear the dismal notes echo over the salty waves. I am ready to grow up without my ocean.

Time is running out for me, so I haul myself out of the water. My shift dries quickly and I re-dress. Wringing my hair out, I sigh, square back my shoulders, and dive headfirst into my future, just like I did in the pool.

I arrive back at the jumble of carts and wagons, just ready to leave. Stepping bravely into the carriage, I smile, whisper good-bye to Yililia, and cross the border into Bryni.