I remember the first time I stepped foot on that large island's ground. The sand was so hot that my feet were as red as cherries. My father and the former coup d'état started barking orders that needed to be met immediately.
Homes were built from the ground up and everyone started to make a living for themselves and their families. For once, I saw everyone smile. Feanel brought peace to everyone on it, but something was still missing.
The island was filled head to toe with tropical plants and strange wildlife; However, my father noticed that there wasn't much in the terms of food. Coconuts and the occasional durian was found on the island. Fish and other wildlife were abundant as well. For a time, this satisfied everyone on the island. After all, it was far better than the scraps we were given in Janah. That was until my sister, and I found something weird in the ground. We brought it back to our parents in hopes that it was some kind of food. It was called a fennel and it was some type of carrot. Everyone on the island became so obsessed with the vegetable, that we named the island Feanel.
Something else that was missing was the lack of a leader. The more days went by, the more arguments started to occur. "(F/N)! You have to help me! This bonehead thinks that I misuse, even though I only use the water for cleaning my laundry and myself."
"That is exactly the problem!" The other yelled, "You don't seem to understand that everyone else who is downstream from you has to use the dirty water that was used to clean your dirty ass. The next time I smell my cloths, I don't want to smell you, you hear?" Arguments like these would ensue more times a day then I had fingers and toes. They weren't really a problem, but it always interrupted our day, especially my father's. The last straw was when two men got into a fist fight in the middle of our house because someone was accused of stealing the other's eggs. That was when my father set up a committee to run our small village; However, this still didn't give my father a break. Almost everyone insisted that he be the head of the council.
"No! I refuse to be put into a position higher than everyone else!!" He would say. That lasted for a month, until he finally caved. It started out as a committee with the head of every house as a member. This established a system where every household had a voice. It stayed that way to two years until my father started to branch Feanel out to the rest of the modern world.
Trade became so fluid that the beaches were soon made into gorgeous boardwalks and markets. Every couple months, my father would set sail with five council members to find more people, countries, and lands. Every time he came back, at least one hundred people would be welcomed to Feanel. New foods, ships, and resources would also be introduced to our once small society. When I was twelve, the island had become a functional, happy kingdom with a free trade and beautiful sights. There were stores, markets, restaurants, attractions, and a large Church. Feanel became a beautiful society with everything it could ever need. But Feanel would be destined to fall apart if there wasn't a leader to guild the subjects.
The system my father set up started to lose its ability to function. The meetings of the council quickly became an unintentional screaming competition. With a vote, Feanel was turned into a Constitutional Monarchy, where a King and a parliament would foresee foreign and internal affairs. In the spring, (F/N) (L/N), my father, was crowned the King of Feanel. He was the man of the people, and he lead his people through the storm of salvation. Therefore, a popular man who took charge when no one else did was crowned not only a King, but a symbol of peace and prosperity.
The Kingdom of Feanel slowly grew as years passed on. By the time I was fifteen, Feanel had a population of eight hundred people; However, there was still so much island that could be filled. Houses lined the beaches and Feanel itself covered about twenty-five percent of the actual island. I believed my father wanted to keep it this way to preserve all the wildlife and natural growth of the island's eco-system. I still believed that Feanel could grow bigger. As I spaced out during my lessons, I felt a sudden smack on my hand.
"Princess, are you even listening?" My teacher asked, huffing at my incompetence. Amira was considered the most skilled teacher to ever grace Feanel; However, she always had the hardest time with myself. She was around twenty three at the time and she was quite beautiful. I looked away from her harsh gaze, which gave her everything she wanted to know, "Seriously, your like a cat. You never learn anything I want you to. I doubt you even study."
"No offense, but I find most of these subjects to be completely useless. I already know basic arithmetic, language, world history, science, and politics. Why would I need to know something as tedious as advanced mathematics and... the history of Feanel?! It's useless I tell you. Why would I need to know about the history I witnessed? It is a waste of time, for the both of us." I scoffed, looking upon my books with great disgust.
"Well, what would you rather be doing with your time then? I usually find you sleeping in a tree or playing one of your many instruments. For goodness sake, I once found you dressing up as one of the locals so you could avoid a mathematics test!" I felt kind of bad, but sometimes the brain just doesn't click. As I pouted at the work in front of me, my teacher crouched down near me, "Princess, what would you rather be doing with your time? This obviously isn't working for either of us, so I ask you this. What would you rather be learning?"
"To be curt, Amira..." I sighed, looking out to the beautiful blue ocean, "I'd rather be traveling the world. Seeing new places and foreign cultures sounds like an experience to behold. Every day, I look out to the ocean and ask myself, 'What is beyond the horizon?' What a life it would be to live like a pirate... Vast seas, treasures to be found, a plethora of adventure right at your fingertips! It's the only thing that has been on my mind recently. It's like the horizon is beckoning me to follow it, till the end." Amira gazed at me with shock written in her eyes. In all fairness, she was expecting an undeveloped answer, but she got the truth out of me.
After a couple days, I started my new curriculum that was more fitting for my interests. Classic arithmetic and language was still a part of it, but everything else was replaced with sailing techniques, astrology, foreign language, and the art of trade. Once everything was learned and slammed into my head, I met with my father for a proposal. "Father, I have a request on behave of myself involving the annual Ship Send Off Festival." My father looked up from the paperwork with a small smile drawn on his wrinkled features.
"No need to speak anymore. Amira had already told me everything." He spoke, as shock flooded over my emotions, "So, you wish to take my place as the overseer for our crusade and to start sailing wherever you see fit, is that correct?" I nodded, "I would say that I do not see any problems with that, but there is one thing that concerns me. That being the 'what-ifs.' You are going to be on ship with a crew of single, promiscuous men, on a sea filled with pirates who wouldn't hesitate to take you as ransom. With this in mind, are you sure you want to go through with it?" I nodded confidently, before he smiled at me again. "Alright, first order of business is your generals. We haven't established them yet, but I have a couple of people in mind. Give me till tomorrow to round them up."
"Thank you, father." My joyous attitude uplifting the whole room. I kissed my father on the cheek before walking out of his office. The next day, I was introduce to five people around my age. From left right stood three women and two men, each with varying characteristics.
First was a man with long, crimson red hair with brown eyes. He was much taller than me and gave off a mature aura. He adorned Feanel's navy uniform and multiple badges of honor. "This is Octavius. He is thirty three, married, and has been on the sea for twenty years. At the age of thirteen, he was already sailing with his father in the Kou Empire." Next to him was another man with snake like man with slicked back hair and violet eyes. He adorned the garb of the royal advisors which fit him well. "You already know Mitsuko. My youngest advisor and strategist. He's twenty one and is engaged, so he shouldn't give you trouble." After Mitsuko was a beautiful woman with curly blond hair and cyan colored eyes. She smiled at me truthfully. "This is Verity. She is an expert navigator, so with her on the ship, there is no chance of you getting lost. Verity also has the most experience when it comes to swordplay and fighting technique. She is twenty, four year older than you." After her was a woman with her black hair wrapped into a neat bun. Her smile was faint, but present, "This is Meliora. She is fluent in eleven languages. So you have time to learn whatever you need to know, since she will be there with you." Amira stood next to Meliora with a faint grin on her features. "And since you are already acquainted with Amira, I thought you would appreciate her company."
"Thank you for agreeing to be my generals. It is an honor to meet you and I hope we can grow together as one." I bowed out of respect as they surrounded my figure. My father disappeared, before I had the chance to thank him. The day of the Ship Send Off Festival quicker than I anticipated. By then, I became acquainted with all of my generals, but I still didn't know too much about them; However, that wasn't the only thing on my mind. I was ecstatic to be on the sea. All was calm and surreal. I didn't ever want this feeling to end.