Day 3 on the Cicala------------------------------------------------
We are almost on the docks of Linburg, and I can thankfully say nothing unexpected has happened. The crew says this must be a good omen when I meet my fiancee. While I don't believe in anything dealing with luck or omens, I'll accept anything that will favor me.
With reports of pirate activity spiking in the Caribians, a similar rise of debauchery is affecting the Mediterranean. Despite the Cicala having one of the best fighting forces my father's money could buy, I was still afraid we would be bombarded by attacks, given my mother and father were also on the ship.
My father had lost faith in the government's ability to protect his trade goods, so he arranged for me to marry the daughter of the Switzer company.
"By ourselves, we are vulnerable," he would say, "but with the Switzers, we could afford an army."
This would be a simple task for my family's business. All we have to do is get to Linburg.
-Syan Vispond
I lifted my pen from my journal page and inspected my penmanship. It was my private account of my day-to-day life, so it didn't have to be perfect. I woke up today feeling stressed and tired, so I hoped writing some of my thoughts down would calm my nerves. Despite not having anything else to write, I was still nervous. Even rubbing my blue pearl necklace didn't help.
We were so close to the port that no pirate in their right mind would attack us. There wasn't a storm cloud in sight since the first day of travel. So, what was I nervous about?
I closed my notebook and left my private quarters. Every sailor not pulling ropes or climbing up the mast greeted me when I was on deck. I inspected every knot and cannon until I could remember the details of their wear and tear. I took a spare rope and practiced every knot I knew, from the ones I couldn't remember right away to the ones I could do in my sleep.
Nothing eased my stress.
Suddenly, I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. My mother stood over me in her elegant dress and strangely perfect, natural hair.
"You've been moving around the ship as if you have somewhere to be," she said with concern in her voice. "What's bothering my beloved son?"
I threw the rope with four knots on it on a barrel. "I can't seem to calm down since this morning," I replied. "The trip has been nothing less than perfect, yet I still find myself on edge."
My mother smiled. "Have you considered that you are nervous about meeting your betrothed?"
"Why would that bother me?"
"Syan, this is the first time you will officially meet the person you will spend the rest of your life with."
"And I will make a great first impression."
"Leave him be, Barbera." My father's strong voice came from behind my mother.
My father didn't hide his wealth. From his neatly trimmed beard on his sharp face to the gold rings he wore, my father was proud of what he had built and the fruits of his works. He was the greatest man I knew.
"I'm sure Syan will get over it, whatever it is."
My mother wasn't convinced and I wasn't doing a good job of convincing myself. I considered the potential of my mother being right, but as I thought deeply about where my stress was coming from, I almost couldn't believe it.
Last night, I was on the deck to look at the moon reflecting on the water's surface. Even then, I felt drained, like I was ending the day after working on the ship. Regardless, I had never seen the sea so calm around a ship so far from the coast, and the view was enough to revitalize me.
I returned to my room once I had my fill of tranquil scenery. Before I went below deck, something caught my eye, and I looked up towards the mast. Bright as the moon and perched just below the crow's nest were two piercing, gold predatory eyes of a falcon staring back at me.
No. This "thing" was too big to be a falcon. It was too dark to see anything else about the creature, but if it wasn't the size of a human, it could have easily been mistaken for a falcon. What's worse, this creature had a look of intelligence that was difficult to describe. It made me think of the monsters I read about as part of my education in sea travel.
A harpy.
Before I could alert anyone, the creature flew off into the night, avoiding the gaze of the watchmen in the crow's nest.
Thinking back on that event confirmed in my quacking heart that the creature's gaze robbed me of my peace, yet I still thought it ridiculous. We were almost on dry land and surrounded by other humans. No beast would be foolhardy enough to follow someone like me into a place like Linburg.
I swallowed my irrational fear and stood beside my parents. Together, we watched the port of Linburg welcome our arrival. We passed other vessels coming in and out of the port city, carrying merchants and soldiers. Dockworkers supported the Cicala crew dock and unloaded cargo on the ship. My family didn't have to wait long to get off the ship and place our feet on steady ground.
Waiting for us on the docks was Sully Averill Switzer, my fiancee's father and current head of the Switzer's Shipping Company. He wore peach-colored clothing topped with a powdered wig. His smile was adorned with a needle-thin mustache that glistened off the morning sunlight. He was flanked by four guards with muskets in a clasped low-ready position.
Once we could get onto the docks properly, my father embraced the man like old friends.
"Sully Averill Switzer!" said my father joyfully. "It has been too long."
"Good to see the waters were kind to you on your journey, Clemit," replied Sully.
"A miracle is what it was. I've never seen the waters so still before."
My father then reintroduced my mother, followed by my introduction. This was the first time I had met Mr. Switzer face to face. My father met him during one of the few social gatherings that I didn't attend with him. It was the only time the two had met in person, and they continued to keep in close contact through letters.
He didn't have the same strong presence my father had, but he spoke with such kindness and intelligence that it was hard not to respect him. It was rare to find high-status people with both traits.
Mr. Switzer led us to his home, chatting with my father as they shared life events.
"I'm almost jealous," my mother whispered. "He almost never talks to me like that."
I tried to hold back my laugh, but it was impossible to hide my smile. "He always gets to see you."
"Well, take my advice. Never tire of talking to your wife no matter how long you're together."
As I considered my mother's words, we finally arrived at the Switzer's estate. It was a three-story stone building surrounded by greenery on one of the highest points in Linburg. Even the walls had well-trimmed vines growing on them. The back of the building faced the sea, where a large garden was. While all kinds of servants were working in front of the building, the majority looked to be gardeners.
"When you said you had a prized garden, I must admit I underestimated its size," said my father to Mr. Switzer.
"It was my wife's idea," replied Mr. Switzer. "It helps that my daughter enjoys it as well." Mr. Switzer did not hide the fact he was looking at me when he said that. Another hint to help me with my first impression.
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Mr. Switzer led us inside the mansion. It was as pristine as I expected. However, to someone who wasn't used to my standard of living, they would have mistaken the place for the halls of Heaven. Waiting patiently were two women: a young one and an older one. They wore similar colors of red to Mr. Switzer, which made me think they were the daughter and the missus, respectively. Mr. Switzer introduced them as Azurea and Carry. They bowed when their names were called.
Azurea.
While everyone grew acquainted with each other, my gaze was on Azurea the majority of the time. According to my father, she was younger than me by three years—eighteen, to be exact. Her smile was forced. Perhaps she was struggling to stir up joy for the occasion. When we were properly greeted, she gave nothing away about her opinions of me, telling me she was well-trained in hiding her thoughts via facial control.
I liked that about her. I wouldn't know what she was thinking about if it wasn't for her half-smile.
She was pretty, but I felt like that was a given. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, and her face was dirt-free and healthy. Her posture was standard for a lady of her status, but clearly, she needed more practice. Her eyes were a seaweed green and surrounded by makeup that accentuated her natural colors.
It was all… expected.
Was I looking for something more? Perhaps the problem was that I wasn't looking for anything more. I was as indifferent to her as I would be to the dock workers or the crew of the Cicala, and it felt wrong.
Regardless, there wasn't any way I could change how I felt, so I decided to make it up to her by giving her my undivided attention.
After exchanging formal greetings, Mr. Switzer said, "Azurea, dear. Why not show Syan the town while I talk with Mr. and Mrs. Vispond."
Azurea simply nodded and made her way to the door. I looked at my father, then followed Azurea with two guards close behind me.
Azurea led me into the town where commerce was most active. She expertly explained each building's purpose and who ran the business inside. For some, she gave a detailed history of businesses' rise and individuals' downfall.
As we got closer to the docks, Azurea showed me the shipwrights and inspectors of trade goods. I scanned each person, looking for ways they could improve efficiency without increasing stress. Some workers noticed my staring and looked back at me, likely wondering who I was. I was about to turn around and let Azurea direct me to the next location, but in the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the workers wasn't looking directly at me.
I followed his eyes and realized he was looking at my pearl necklace. I tucked the necklace under my clothes, and he returned to work. I was left feeling uncomfortable, but I shrugged it off as quickly as it came over me. I was used to strangers looking at my jewelry, and the blue pearls stood out. I discovered the pearls almost 16 years ago on a coast and have always worn them. It was a lucky find since jewelers said the color of the pearls was a scarce find. Though this gave me more reason to wear them proudly, sometimes it was nice to remove attention from myself by tucking the pearls under my clothes.
Azurea continued to explain the sites and landmarks, and I took note of her mannerisms. She was knowledgeable about her town, but she lacked excitement or pride. Her half-effort smile remained on her face throughout the tour. When she wasn't pointing to something, she kept her arms crossed in front of her and low to her legs.
I had heard from my mother that some men or women enter arranged marriages with "a downcast face." This was not literally true for Azurea, but I wondered if she had reservations about the marriage. I figured I would ask for her thoughts after the tour.
As I promised myself, my attention was completely on my bride-to-be, with a few exceptions. One such exception happened when we were making our way back to her home. A bird's shadow passed me, unintentionally causing me to look up and stop in my tracks.
The sun made it difficult to identify any details, but I could count three winged silhouettes.
"Is something wrong, sir," asked one of the guards with an accent. Azurea looked at me with concern as well.
"No," I lied. "Let's keep going."
I tried to hide my panic to the best of my ability by keeping a straight face and taking deep, slow breaths. For the limited time I saw the silhouettes, they only looked like birds and nothing else. Although it wouldn't have been wrong to stay on my guard due to a lack of certainty, I also didn't want to be unreasonable. The harpy, or whatever that thing was, wouldn't attack me now that I was safe in civilization.
Why would it attack me?
The thought rang in my head for a while, and I almost laughed, realizing that I was getting worked up for nothing. I had nothing the harpy wanted that it would risk its life to get. With that realization, my steps became lighter, and for the rest of the way, I walked beside Azurea.
When we reached the mansion, my parents were still talking with the Swizters. The guards who followed us dispersed since we were in a secure place. I thanked Azurea for taking me to see the town with a bow, but her response was not what I expected. After I thanked her, Azurea was silent for a time as she kept her eyes on the ground.
Suddenly, she asked, "Would you like to sit with me in the garden?"
"Of course," I replied.
I followed Azurea through the black iron gate covered in vines. She led me through rows of flower bushes twice as tall as I was, ranging in colors and shapes. Our path was paved with segmented stones as smooth as sandstone. Small animals ran or flew past us, causing me to jump in fright. My cheeks heated when I heard Azurea laughing at the embarrassing display, but I was wise to the humor of the situation.
We finally reached the end of the garden, from which we had an excellent view of the town and the Mediterranean Sea. The edge of the hill was barbed by a white-painted wooden fence high enough to keep children from climbing over. A bench was set perpendicular to the sea, shaded by a roof, and flanked by short trees. Although I stopped to take in the view, Azurea continued walking until she sat on the bench.
I looked back at the mansion. The building was still taller than any plant in the garden, giving the second and third floors a view of the town. I scanned each window, wondering if my parents were in one of them. On the roof of the mansion, a man with a rifle stood next to a standing torch.
I turned back to Azurea and made my way to stand by her. She was still smiling while she looked at the scenery, but it was more relaxed than forced.
"Have you ever thought about traveling the seas?" she asked suddenly.
"Is that what you want to do?" I asked in turn. She looked up at me with annoyance, and I quickly tried to fix my mistake. "I have, but not as something I would be doing much of."
"If you could travel as much as you want and go wherever you want, where would you go?"
I bit my tongue before I could answer the question with another question. I wanted to know the purpose of her inquiries, but I kept my mother's words in my mind.
"I don't have an adventurer's heart. I like where I am, what I am and will be doing, and I don't need to travel much." When Azurea didn't respond, I asked, "Permission to revisit my question?"
Azurea laughed. "I apologize for my side glance. I must have looked entitled. The truth is, I don't know what I want."
"Are you saying that you don't want to go through with the marriage?" If she answered yes, while it wouldn't bother me, it was still something I prayed wouldn't be a hurdle for her.
"No, that's not it!" she said passionately, standing up from her seat. "I want to go through with this… At least, I'm half sure of that. I, like you, want to keep my family business going. I want to be the best wife I can be. Hopefully, to a loving husband. I want to bear him a son so that he doesn’t worry about his family name dying with him like my father." As she spoke, she paced the shaded area. "But I want to pursue my selfish desires, too. I want to travel to lands I have only read about like Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, or beyond. I want to have adventures that only exist in books, dance with legends, and bear witness to the unbelievable."
Azurea was light on her feet as she daydreamed before me. She danced like a fairy with her arms stretched, pointing at nothing, but for a moment, I could see what she was describing. I could see the River Nile flowing through the impossible desert forest. I could see the faceless heroes of legends and the villains he would bring low. Although these things didn't appeal to me, I was happy watching for the first time Azurea smiling wide.
And then she stopped dancing and smiling.
She continued. "But, like I said, they are selfish desires. It doesn't help that we live in troubled times." Azurea walked to the fence and placed her hands on the top while leaning forward. "The days of monsters threatening the seas might be long past, but the age of pirates has just begun. This marriage is a way to secure our family's futures and keep society as we know it afloat." She turned to me with determination in her eyes. "I must put my selfishness aside for the betterment of all… no matter how much it hurts."
I allowed her words to sit heavily on my heart before I spoke. "You've been thinking about this for a while."
"Yes, and I must admit, sir, I am still conflicted. I know what I must do, but should that always overrule what I want to do?"
I did not have an answer. What I wanted and needed to do was the same for me. There wasn't a day I could remember when I wasn't sure of my path in life. I was a merchant's son, so I was destined to become a merchant. It was my birthright and what I was trained to become since I could walk. I toiled over books and shed tears from staring at minute details of plans and work patterns. After all of that and more, what else was I good for?
It would've been easier if Azurea felt the same way I did. Although the marriage would happen regardless of how we felt about each other, I was hoping we could say we were on the same page about the importance of the marriage, and there was no doubt between us.
Azurea's eyes drifted up to the top of her house. We were silent for a long time, making the air between us awkward. I should have said something. Even if it was a lie, wasn't there anything better than making my future wife feel uncomfortable?
But then, Azurea stopped at a point on the roof and progressively formed a look of confusion. My back was towards the building at the time, so I turned to see what was wrong. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the scene. I didn't see anything that could have been amiss or out of place from the last time I saw the roof.
That was until I realized I didn't see a guard make his rounds. I didn't know the rotation pattern of the roof guards, but Azurea's confusion told me we should be seeing someone up there.
My heart sank when, in the corner of my eye, I saw a bird's shadow pass me and flying towards the Mediterranean. I swiftly turned on my heels with an outstretched arm as I tried to reach Azurea. For only the briefest of moments. I considered what had happened. However, I disregard everything except the drive to keep Azurea close and out of the open.
To my horror, when I fully turned to my future wife, I saw a harpy behind her with wings spread out to manage its speed and claws fully opened to snatch Azurea off the ground. Time slowed as I realized it was the same harpy whose intelligent eyes watched me the night before.