While Rosaleen, Soolena and Izavelle talk, I quietly ask, “Ashlea, do you know what Rosaleen is talking about?” Ashlea shrugs and in a whisper says, “Not a clue.” Rosaleen, Izavelle and Soolena each laugh obnoxiously and their eyes hint of something fond and they sit back in their chairs and seem to relish in our anticipation.

Rosaleen stands from the table and still laughing, “You two are a dream, so trusting, come let’s get you out of those dresses and into something more suitable for the afternoon’s lesson. Izavelle, Soolena, take the afternoon off, you are both dismissed until the evening, thank you for your work, ladies.” Soolena and Izavelle are still sitting at the table. They gently nod as a thank you to the Princess. Ashlea and I tuck our chairs in, Rosaleen hooks her right arm into my left, and her left arm into my sister’s right and leads us down the hall to a door on the left. We enter and go up a couple of flights of stairs and enter one large open concept room, full of skylights and equipment. The floors and walls are a pale grey. The room is full of suits, I see some diving suits that have compressed oxygen compartments within and breathing tubes to allow for the person to not have to come up for air. I see flippers, some look to be for the feet and others seem to be for the hands. What catches my eye is that Rosaleen is leading us to this row of suits that reflect. She picks out two, handing us each one. I study the strange fabric, rubbing my fingers on the smooth surface. It is a stretchy material so that it is skin-tight, and the material has a soft feeling to it. The entire suit looks like it is made of mirrors. From the arms to the ankles of the suit, there is a piece of material that looks to be like a sail that extends past the length of the arms, like wings on a bird. Rosaleen smiles and asks, “Do you have any idea what we are doing now?”

I smile, “Is this for flying?”

“Precisely” She answers, glancing at me through her grey bangs.

“How, Princess?” Ashlea asks confused.

“The shiny material on the suit captures the sun’s rays to help you become weightless. There are no engines, or built in propellers, it is more like, when you try to push together two magnets with the same ends facing each other, they repel. The suit kind of acts like that, but its repelling itself from the ground, helping you become weightless.”

I ask, “Well how come these suits aren’t floating around this room?”

Her head tilts back and her bangs fall away from her eyes as she giggles, “So many questions! The suits are inside out and are in a state of charging. Remember that. If you take the suit off, flip it inside out, or else you risk it floating away.”

Ashlea and I start to giggle, and it is the first real giggle since last night. Go figure, what a silly concept. Rosaleen gives us instruction. “Okay girls please follow my lead and watch what I am doing.” She first slips out of her dress so that she is in nothing, but underwear; she turns her suit so that it is no longer inside out and lays it on the floor in front of her, she spreads the wings out and opens the bodice up. She climbs into it on the floor as you would a jumper and carefully, puts her legs and arms through the pants and sleeves of the suit and fastens it. Rosaleen is still on the floor to my amazement.

I ask, “Rosaleen why are you not floating?”

She can’t help, but laugh and give me a wink, like she is silently saying to me with her eyes, watch this and just like that she gets on to her feet, knees bent, so that her bum is just inches from the floor and then does a sort of bunny hop into the air. She is floating three feet off the ground and opens her wings and just like swimming, she glides around the room as if she is under water only, she is in the air. Ashlea and I are frozen in amazement. We have never seen anything like this. We didn’t realize that these suits even existed.

Rosaleen puts on an act to pretend as though she is bored; somehow crossing her legs in mid-air, as if she is resting on an invisible couch. “Ladies we haven’t got all day, hurry up!”

Ash and I both take our suits and copy what Rosaleen had done to get into them and we are ready for flight, or floating. I don’t know what to call it.

“Taylan, a gentle push into the air is all you need, remember you are in an enclosed room, if you push off to hard you will hit the ceiling.” I follow Rosaleen’s instructions and just as her, I find myself floating a few feet off the ground.

“That is very good Taylan!” Rosaleen complements, “Okay, Ashlea your turn.” Ash, just like me, has managed to float around the room. “Girls, this is the hardest part, judging the force of launching yourself, you’re weightless now, just like swimming in the reef you steer and propel yourself in the air. The only difference between the water and air is the air has less resistance, so that means that the stronger and more forceful movements will take you farther and faster.”

I realize that this is the first time that I forgot of the loss with having to leave Mom, Saydira and our home. I spread my arms out and flap the sail and I move forward. I flap up to the ceiling then make the motion of diving, and flap back down, moving around the room, smiling from ear to ear.

“Oh my, this is amazing.” I twirl about the room and gently bump into Ashlea.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Ashlea laughs at me and pushes me away from her; only I float into the wall.

“Ouch, Ash I am trying to fly, you don’t need to be so mean about it.”

Rosaleen is patient and allows us to get comfortable with this new feeling of being weightless. “Okay girls, now that you have experienced being pushed by each other, I need you to practice taking control of yourselves after something has happened to you that is out of your control. That push could be a gust of wind. Start with pushing each other gently and work the force up as you get comfortable with being able to quickly adjust to the change.” Ash playful goes at me first, but I push back, and we both back into opposite walls, giggling.

I say, “Okay, okay, Ash come here, push me again, I think I know what to do.”

Ash gives me a push, and I swim into her push, which is the easiest way to describe it.

Rosaleen applauds. “Good!”

I push Ashlea, and she swims into my push and keeps herself from backing into the wall behind her. We continue, back and forth, at different strengths and different angles and trying to throw the other off. We switch gears and race each other around the room and practice diving and soaring in the room. I can easily say that flying is now the most enjoyable thing that I have ever done. It is easy and feels natural, like we were built to have wings and fly. Rosaleen has a look of satisfaction and asks, “Are you two ready to put your skills to the test?”

“Yes,” we answer in unison.

“Okay out to the front deck we go.” We fumble out onto the main deck and both grab hold of the railing as we can feel the light breeze on deck.

“How do you two feel?” Rosaleen asks.

Ashlea answers, “I feel like I could quite seriously blow away.”

“You will feel that don’t panic, it is the same as practice, remember push into the wind. Okay let go of the railing.”

We let go, and instantly I feel myself drifting, my feet are dragging lightly on the deck as though the ship is moving without me.

Rosaleen says, “Taylan, you feel that right. Okay lightly push forward like you are treading water in the ocean.” I do as I’m told, and my feet are no longer drifting, but I am instead feeling a sense of control of my footing and have control on where I’m moving.

Rosaleen encourages, “Taylan you got this. Ash let go of the railing and remember your treading water.” Ashlea lets go; she is a natural. Ashlea seems unsure of herself, but really, in my eyes I know that she has this.

“You are going to follow me, keep up, this will seem hard at first, but it doesn’t take long to get used to, and once we are done you will be so good that it will feel like you have been flying your entire lives.”

We have an audience; Izavelle and Soolena are sitting in loungers on the deck and being loud about it; cheering us on and clapping. Rosaleen runs and leaps into the air, spreads her arms so that the suit’s wings extend, and she flaps into the air to gain speed and height. My heart is in my throat; I can hear my own heart beating; it is pumping so hard with adrenaline. It is a good excitement, and I copy my master and run, spreading my arms to extend my wings and flap them up and into the air. Ashlea follows.

“WHOA” I scream, laugh, and look back at Ashlea; she has the exact same reaction.

“This is so amazing!” I call out at the top of my lungs; we follow Rosaleen into the sky. The height we get is nothing I have ever imagined. The ship looks like a toy now that we have gotten so high. We follow Rosaleen and continue to climb up into the sky. Soaring and learning how to dive, and then slowing ourselves down before hitting the water. We learn to steer, circling, gaining speed and slowing ourselves. We are flying for what feels like such a fleeting time, but really, we have been up in the sky for a couple of hours. Flying does feel like second nature. Rosaleen calls us to follow her, and we go back to the ship. As I am coming in for a landing, I slow my speed by tilting my wings and doing shallow dives to get down to the level of the ship. In a steady motion, just few feet above the deck, I swing my legs down, so that I am in a standing motion, and I do a treading water motion to bring my feet to touch the deck. Izavelle and Soolena come over with a skip in their steps to meet us, clapping eagerly.

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“Very good ladies,” they both say as they come to help us out of the suits. We get out and carry our suits back up with Rosaleen, to the room that housed them.

Rosaleen asks, even though she already knows the answer, “So I take it that you both enjoyed that?” We both smile and nod.

“Very good, flying will help you get out of any weird situations that may come into play, especially where we are going.” She hangs her suit up and there is a bit of seriousness in her voice. She turns to us, “Can I trust you?” Rosaleen looks at us, studying our expressions and eyes for any hint to say otherwise. I thought that was part of her reason for taking us.

Ashlea replies, “Yes, you can trust both my sister and me. We are sad to have left our home and family behind, but having you as our master, we couldn’t have asked for a better alternative. You have been so kind to us, and we would never do anything that would go against your wishes.” There is certainty in her words and Rosaleen seems satisfied with Ashlea’s sentiments.

“That makes me happy to hear this from you.” Rosaleen replies, “Let’s wash up and get dressed for dinner.”

Rosaleen escorts us back down to her bedroom, and we quickly wash up with a damp cloth and then we each slip into light summer dresses and meet Izavelle and Soolena for dinner, but this time the location is in a dining room that is just off the living room area of the ship. The table is large for our group of five; caters to twelve guests, but with the room closed off to the living room area, it gives the space a more intimate and a private feeling. We all sit at the far end, opposite to the door. Rosaleen takes a seat at the head of the table, Ashlea, and I to her right and Izavelle and Soolena to her left. Dinner is served. It is some sort of white fish, served with sugar kelp and a red wine to accompany the meal.

Rosaleen sips her glass of wine, turning her attention to severing the fish on her plate into more manageable bite size portions and says to us, “Your first day has gone very well, and I feel more confident with having picked you.” She takes a bite of her fish and slowly chews, savoring the taste of the meat. “This evening you two will share your own room, and I trust that you won’t do anything that would jeopardize the trust that I have gained in you.” She eyes us both and takes another bite of the fish. “I want you to feel at ease here. This is your home now and even though you are here to serve, you need to think of us like family. We are all here in this room to protect one another.”

Rosaleen raises her glass, “To family!”

Everyone follows her lead and raises their glasses, “To family, cheers.”

We all sip our wine, Soolena says, “Enough of all this serious discussion lets enjoy ourselves.”

For the rest of the dinner, it is all lighthearted conversation of the day’s events, and I can’t help, but wonder why me, why us? What does Rosaleen want with us? I can sense that she is holding back. My gut is telling me that she has a specific plan for us and has yet to reveal it. What I don’t understand is why they haven’t asked more of our backgrounds. They feel that they know enough but then again, trust seems important. I have lived a safe and sheltered life before Rosaleen walked into it and plucked Ashlea and me out. When you hear the word servant the first thing that comes to mind, is someone that serves another in the form of work, so far Ashlea and I have been given lessons about their lives and, we are being groomed and treated as equals to the Princess. I know that, once Ashlea and I are alone, we can talk, like really talk without the pressure of Rosaleen, Izavelle and Soolena around to listen in.

Ashlea and I continue to engage in the dinner conversations. We smile and are polite, showing off our newly learned manners from this morning’s lesson and showing our appreciation for how well we are being treated, which is like honored guests.

Rosaleen finally dismisses us for the night, “Soolena please show them to their room.” We rise from our seats, thank Rosaleen for the lovely meal, and follow Soolena to our chamber.

“Ladies, sleep well, you have another busy day tomorrow.” Soolena exits the room, closing our door behind her. I don’t hear the lock being turned on our door to keep us contained. It is kind of weird because the princess seems to emphasize trust with us, and to me it seems that her trust in us hasn’t been fully developed, which I understand because she has only known us for a couple of days. Still odd considering her actions lead me to believe that she is still a little guarded when it comes to Ashlea and me. The room is lavish and like Rosaleen’s room, there is a step down into the room and the bed is on the opposite wall, it is a step up to the bed. We also have floor to ceiling windows to our left and a bathroom and closet on the right. It is the exact same layout, but on a smaller scale. The door to our room is a single door and the closet is smaller. The washroom has only a stand-up shower, toilet, and sink. I go to the bed and sit, watching Ashlea’s reaction to our newly given privacy. She circles the room and drinks it all in with her eyes looking up and down and walking slowly, completing a full circle.

Ashlea motions to the door and whispers, “She didn’t lock it.”

“I know, but don’t even think about it. This is a test, to affirm her trust in us.” I sit back on the bed, leaning on my hands and take in all the details, the white trim and light grey walls, the closet door is open part way and from the little bit I can see it seems to be full of dresses, cloaks and light tops made of flowing fabrics. Ashlea decides to come and sit cross-legged on the bed next to me, she is clearly in deep thought, as am I.

I murmur, “Now is the time to talk.” I look over to her sitting beside me and ask, “What do you think about all of this?” I catch myself asking the same question as Izavelle had just asked me this morning.

She inhales and exhales, “I have no idea and was hoping you had some thought about all of this.”

“Well for being servants the last day hasn’t really shown us just how exactly we will be serving our Master. I think she may be carefully grooming us for something that we can’t even begin to imagine. Flying, why, is all I have to say; I have never seen anyone fly before, it’s almost like we need to learn the skill to get away from something, or someone, or the opposite, move in, get something, and get out. We will be groomed to steal, or spy?”

Ashlea doesn’t reveal what is on her mind right away and is carefully absorbing my words with an agreeing look in her eyes, “Yes, but for what exactly?” She asks.

“Well so far we have had a lesson in etiquette and a flying lesson.” I shrug, my head hurts with this entire pent-up curiosity and no answers, just ideas, or a better word would be suspicions.

Ashlea looks at me as if waiting for me to say more and then realizes that that is all that I have and then she jumps in to encourage me to continue along this train of thought, “How do these two lessons connect?”

I sigh, “Back to square one, no clue. What do you want to do?”

Ashlea states the obvious, thinking aloud, sharing her thoughts with me, she whispers, “Well the door is unlocked, do we make a run for it? Grab the flying suits and go?”

“Well, it’s a clever idea if we knew all the pieces that are in play here. Neither of us knows if those suits work at night.” I pause, “Let’s stay put and wait this out. I don’t feel like she is going to bring harm to us if she is taking the time to teach us, and besides, we must think about Mom and Saydira and if we leave then what happens to them?”

Ashlea looks to me quizzically, “Why do you suppose she just didn’t take all of us, Mom and Saydira too?”

I shrug, “It’s just another unanswered question only Rosaleen can tell us.”

“Yah, I guess, anyway this whole room to our self-bit, we know that the door isn’t locked from the outside should we at least lock the door from the inside?”

I roll the idea around in my head and conclude, “trust is a two-way street. They are giving us this much, lets show her by leaving it unlocked. She is treating us like guests, let’s act like trusting guests.”

Ashlea nods, “For sleeping arrangements I am not sure about you, but I still feel like there is something else in play here. I just have a feeling that I can’t ignore. Do you think we should rest in different parts of the room?”

Tilting my head sideways I whisper, “What did you have in mind?”

Before she replies, she opens a dresser drawer that is in a corner, pulling out two nightshirts and tosses one over to me. It lands on the bed. “Well, I think we should have one of us sleep in the bed and the other, can take some of the extra cushions and lay them out in the closet for the other to rest on. Should something happen then the chances to defend ourselves are better because we are spread out.

“I think you are on to something” I stretch my arms out and yawn. “I have a feeling that I can’t ignore; a feeling of being watched.” I remove my dress over my head, toss it, missing the hamper and slip on the nightshirt.

“Yah me to Taylan, we should get ready for bed, you are yawning, and you are making me yawn.” Ashlea yawns, stretches, and smiles back at me.

We take the cushions off the bed and lay them out on the floor of the closet. A spare blanket is folded up part way to be pulled up if one is cold in the night. We use it as the blanket for our makeshift closet bed.

Ashlea quietly whispers, “I will take the closet, and you take the bed. If we have problems, what do I use as a defense?”

I look around the room, “That small stone sculpture over there, looks like it could do some damage.” Motioning in the direction of the bedside table where a small stone sculpture of dolphins is placed.

“Yes, good idea Taylan.” She walks over, picks it up, and weighs it in her hand. “Yes, this is a good size.” Smiling wearily, but she does look a bit more relaxed with knowing that we have put together a bit of a defense in case something should happen.

Ashlea whispers to me again and looking a bit amused, “You understand I really feel better about sleeping, but you know with all this strategizing we have done, nothing will likely happen.”

I return her smile and murmur, “Well that would be good, right?”

She chuckles and holds her hand to her mouth to quiet herself, she finally breathes and lets her hand down, “Yes that would be good, but Taylan, when they see that I have been sleeping in the closet what do I say?” She raises her eyebrows and wrinkles her forehead, her eyes wide making a silly expression on her face.

“Just tell them that you got tired of me kicking you in my sleep.”

We both laugh quietly, “Okay will do. Let’s get some sleep.” Ashlea gives me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. We crawl into our beds. I must have fallen asleep immediately. A day of training and flying and with all my nerves and excitement at their peak, allow me to drift off into sleep quickly.

I have been asleep for some time when suddenly, I wake. Why, am I awake? The room is dark. I haven’t had any unsettling dreams, come to think about it I haven’t dreamt at all. I lie there in bed and listen. Ashlea was making noise. I listen in the silence. If I concentrate hard enough, I can hear the soft rhythmic breathing of my sister sleeping, but there is something or someone else in here. I lay still and listen trying to figure out if this is my mind running wild or if there is someone else here. There it is I see someone standing at the foot of the bed, a dark silhouette.