ciao-bella-ciao-bella

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

"Captain!" Bella called as Alex left her, but it was no use. He had left her. She cursed, and hurried off to find Teddy to inform him instead of her discovery. A storm was brewing to the east.

"Sorry, Captain!" said Marco. "We're not cutting the sails, just the ropes! See, my foot is stuck and Angelo thought-" with that, Marco was hauled into the air upsidedown by the rope wrapped around his right ankle.

Alexander was moreso thrust into the role of captain of his family’s ship than handed it; to be clear, it had belonged to a distant relative, his immediate family would never be caught on such a death trap.

Although he had experience with overseas travel and management, a brief stint in the King’s guard rendering him with various awards but limbs that creaked like he was 10 years older, he was far from prepared.

Nevertheless, he tried to command with an iron fist and perfect posture, ignoring the the fact that the crew were-and it made him shudder-pirates

Teddy liked to think of himself as the captain in his own secret mind. He strutted about like a peacock, giving orders when Alex wasn't looking. As first mate he had a little weight to throw around but he carried himself as if he had much more. He shrunk back into his own space, however, when Alex was present.

Isabella would never be caught dead heeding Alex's orders. She was more capable than him and she knew it. She had more experience at sea than he did, and she was a good deal tougher than he was. She wasn't cruel, though, and although she refused to take orders from Alex she did not sabotage him in the slightest. She did her best to keep the others -including Teddy- in line for him.

Marco, Angelo, and Destiny were inseparable. The three musketeers could not function apart from one another. Of course, they hardly functioned together either.

Dario and Matteo were quieter than the rest. Dario was friendly but he did not like to talk about his past and would become defensive when prodded. Matteo was simply... not personable.

All in all, Alex had his work cut out for him.

@quilliander

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

One evening, Alex entered the house just as everyone was waking up and getting into the swing of things. Marco and Bella were dancing around the living room, singing and playing their instruments while Alberto dashed back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room. When he saw Alex, his eyes lit up.

"You're early! Supper is almost ready. I'm sorry. I hoped it would be done before you got here!"

Alberto was the only one who was sensitive to Alex's position as caretaker of the household. He was the only one who noticed that Alex did all the work.

The smell of holy water and smoke tended to follow Alexander no matter where he stepped; however, whenever anybody asked what cologne he used or what he did to smell like that, he’d give some non-committal answer before changing the subject or walking off.

It wasn’t that he hated conversation or talking about himself, he just loved a separation between church and state…with church being his job as a hunter and state his civilian life.

Furthermore, he loved his civilian life too much to mess it up, surrounded by those who loved him and living practically rent free in a gigantic estate.

Those who loved him, a nest of vampires who had all been around since the late 20th century, liked to think of Alex as their little pet human. Of course, they would never call him that to his face.

They would also never tell him they were vampires.

They hoped, and were for the most part correct, that their eccentric personalities could be explained by their artistic and non-descript professions. Isabella sang, Marco played the violin, Alberto and Destiny wrote low-effort adult romance novels together, Dario made silverware, Alberto coded, Matteo seemed to do Sudoku puzzles for a living, and Teddy was proudly unemployed. Together, they were a clusterfuck of a living situation amd Alex was their glue.

@quilliander

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

"But what?" Isabella raised an eyebrow and elbowed Alex in the side. "I'm good at what I do, no? Don't lookna gift horse in the mouth, Captain."

Bella patted Alex on the shoulder and resumed what she aas doing. She pulled out her telescope and looked through it. She sighed, and passed it to Alex. "What do you see out there? To the east?"

Alexander was moreso thrust into the role of captain of his family’s ship than handed it; to be clear, it had belonged to a distant relative, his immediate family would never be caught on such a death trap.

Although he had experience with overseas travel and management, a brief stint in the King’s guard rendering him with various awards but limbs that creaked like he was 10 years older, he was far from prepared.

Nevertheless, he tried to command with an iron fist and perfect posture, ignoring the the fact that the crew were-and it made him shudder-pirates

Teddy liked to think of himself as the captain in his own secret mind. He strutted about like a peacock, giving orders when Alex wasn't looking. As first mate he had a little weight to throw around but he carried himself as if he had much more. He shrunk back into his own space, however, when Alex was present.

Isabella would never be caught dead heeding Alex's orders. She was more capable than him and she knew it. She had more experience at sea than he did, and she was a good deal tougher than he was. She wasn't cruel, though, and although she refused to take orders from Alex she did not sabotage him in the slightest. She did her best to keep the others -including Teddy- in line for him.

Marco, Angelo, and Destiny were inseparable. The three musketeers could not function apart from one another. Of course, they hardly functioned together either.

Dario and Matteo were quieter than the rest. Dario was friendly but he did not like to talk about his past and would become defensive when prodded. Matteo was simply... not personable.

All in all, Alex had his work cut out for him.

@quilliander

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Teddy stuck his tongue out. "Are you going to share that with the class, or did you just bring enough for yourself? I haven't had breakfast, you know."

He put down his hood and began fixing his hair.

Bella snorted.

"Lots of people have scars," she said. "No, I'm talking about something more personal. I'll give you one more guess before I just tell you. You can also guess how my romantic life is going. You're good at extrapolating from evidence."

Someone was out to kill the crown prince. Of course, nobody in the kingdom was quite sure who, otherwise he wouldn’t be lead out of the tunnels below the sprawling city at midnight.

However, what everyone was sure of was that his guide wouldn’t be a trained mercenary nor guard but rather a man the same age as the prince. Even if he were trained in any sort of way, he didn’t look it. In fact, when he met the prince for the first time that night, his now protector started biting his nails and tapping his foot impatiently rather than bowing or acknowledging the royal.

Now holding a torch in his free hand, he turned to look at the prince with a light, “it’s crazy that someone’s after you. I mean, you don’t look like you’d be able to fight back, so I’m not sure why they’re being secretive about it.”

Teddy had been rudely awoken and had been shoved into a disguise before he could even really open his eyes. He had been steered down to the tunnel network and was still blinking the sleep out of his eyes when he murmured a bewildered, "Could say the same about you. Who are you?"

He steadied himself, grasping at the backpack that had been shoved into his hands. "Where are we going?" he added.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Bella chuckled softly. "I wouldn't be surprised if no one is home now," she said. "You'll have time to meet people when they arrive. For now, I'll take you to the kitchen."

Bella extended an arm to Beverly and began leading her down the hall.

Bella grabbed an especially heavy box out of Beverly's trunk, assuring her for the millionth time that day that she could handle it. She tried again and again to explain her vampiric strength to her girlfriend and even though Beverly still protested Bella knew she understood better than most.

Bella carried the box in through the entryway, up the stairs, and down the hall to where the bedrooms were in the house. She had explained to Beverly the layout already but that didn’t make it any less confusing to actually be inside. The house was old and it was strangely built and organized but Bella's bedroom was homey.

It wasn't very cluttered, although that could change very soon. The only part of it that was full was the closet. Bella had moved all her own clothes to one side and had already finished unpacking Beverly's into the other. Now all that was left was to unpack the rest of her belongings and introduce her to the others.

"Remember," said Bella as she set down her box and took a step back, gingerly dodging Beverly's cat. "If you decide I snore too loud or squirm too much in my sleep you can always ask for your own room."

Beverly, shaking her head as she removed one of the numerous boxes from Isabella’s arms, didn’t have it in her to reassure her girlfriend with words again.

Knowing the six times she did so before didn’t stick, Beverly instead leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek with a warm, “I love you” and smile. Then, understanding that Isabella liked arranging things herself, she excused herself and Blossom from the room. Wandering back over to her car to shut the trunk, she leaned against the flood and looked up at the crumbling facade.

Biting her lip in the same way another member of the house did, Beverly then ran her fingers through her unruly hair before climbing the stairs again into the house and back to her new room.

“…this house looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in years, Bella! Come on, tell me you at least have some cleaning supplies laying around somewhere….do your roommates not clean?”

She didn’t even wait for an answer as she began working alongside Isabella,suddenly too nervous to remember how the other woman liked…no needed, to organise alone.

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Bella put out a hand slowly to stop her.

"Bev," she said softly. "We'll take care of that later, alright? We do clean. We've been busy lately so I will conceed the house is a mess right now but let's not worry about that right now."

Isabella moved her hand up and down Beverly's arm. "You're safe here, okay? Is that what this is? Are you shaken up from what happened before? I promise, Bev, as long as you're living here no one will come to harm you. You're under Teddy's protection now. More importantly, you're under mine."

Bella grabbed an especially heavy box out of Beverly's trunk, assuring her for the millionth time that day that she could handle it. She tried again and again to explain her vampiric strength to her girlfriend and even though Beverly still protested Bella knew she understood better than most.

Bella carried the box in through the entryway, up the stairs, and down the hall to where the bedrooms were in the house. She had explained to Beverly the layout already but that didn’t make it any less confusing to actually be inside. The house was old and it was strangely built and organized but Bella's bedroom was homey.

It wasn't very cluttered, although that could change very soon. The only part of it that was full was the closet. Bella had moved all her own clothes to one side and had already finished unpacking Beverly's into the other. Now all that was left was to unpack the rest of her belongings and introduce her to the others.

"Remember," said Bella as she set down her box and took a step back, gingerly dodging Beverly's cat. "If you decide I snore too loud or squirm too much in my sleep you can always ask for your own room."

Beverly, shaking her head as she removed one of the numerous boxes from Isabella’s arms, didn’t have it in her to reassure her girlfriend with words again.

Knowing the six times she did so before didn’t stick, Beverly instead leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek with a warm, “I love you” and smile. Then, understanding that Isabella liked arranging things herself, she excused herself and Blossom from the room. Wandering back over to her car to shut the trunk, she leaned against the flood and looked up at the crumbling facade.

Biting her lip in the same way another member of the house did, Beverly then ran her fingers through her unruly hair before climbing the stairs again into the house and back to her new room.

“…this house looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in years, Bella! Come on, tell me you at least have some cleaning supplies laying around somewhere….do your roommates not clean?”

She didn’t even wait for an answer as she began working alongside Isabella,suddenly too nervous to remember how the other woman liked…no needed, to organise alone.

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Bella sniffed, fighting back sobs as she spoke.

"They took me in," she said. "Those men. They brought me in to keep me from the storm and to help me because I was unwell. They rescued me tonight out on the rocks past the coast. I have been here mere hours. Now, I think I was brought here for more than food and a warm bed. Fate brought me to this lighthouse, as it did you."

Beverly hadn’t been a captain for long, and frankly, it happened through a series of events chalked up to, ‘massive accident’ by those who knew her. She didn’t even want to sail the seas, thinking boat life too dirty and the warnings against it all the more real as each day passed.

However, she was also determined which is why she was still onboard and when not panicking by herself in a broom closet, ruling with a set of commandments and iron fist.

Her crew didn’t quite fear her, she was too generous, but understood that doing their jobs was important lest they face a perfectly timed and devastating, “I’m not mad, just disappointed…”

Isabella was also determined and ill-suited for the expectations set before her. As a siren her life's purpose was to catch and kill sailors but she hated everything about sailors. They were rough men with liquor on their breaths and calloused hands. When she sang to them they grabbed her in ways she didn't care for.

Technically she was supposed to use her thrall to reproduce but she always chickened out before she got there. Instead she simply robbed them and left them to drown.

Her undersea cave was littered with trinkets and cold, hard, gold.

She wanted more.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Isabella, it seemed, could see right through him.

"My husband has persuaded me to do one thing," she said. "He taught me to stop holding you to human standards. You're not human, you're a different beast altogether.

I will stop getting cross with you when you ask questions or poke or prod. I will be more patient with you when you behave like a siren.

In return, stop boring yourself half to death. Talk to me frankly. Animals and human children both always tell the truth, so let's be honest with each other."

Alexander knew the costs of being a siren, needing to constantly be on the move without any place to call home. In fact, he’d tried regular life for a while, blending in with the town folk and ignoring questions about his eyes that glowed at night.

However, incapable of escaping his nature, he was soon enough running from pitchforks back into the water after depleting the cattle and then moving onto the farmers themselves.

That evening was no different, spotting a ship on the horizon and rushing towards it. Within minutes, he was catching sight of the people onboard, smiling with sharp teeth and an aim to seduce and kill.

When Isabella first heard the haunting melody of the siren's song she didn't realize what it was.

It was only after she saw a handful of the crew piling to one side, her own husband included, that she clued in.

Alberto, meanwhile, had been manning the helm when the song caught his ear. Thankfully, he had had enough sense to abandon the wheel and run to the edge.

Isabella seized Alberto by the collar of his shirt and thrust him away from the edge of the ship. She stared out over the inky black sea, lips pursed.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Bella, however, did not seem put out for once. Actually leaning in and listening attentively, even cracking a smile now and again, she protested when Alex appeared to back down.

"No no," she said. "That was just getting interesting! I know first hand what animals sailors can be, please let me know how this story ends siren."

On the other hand, Alberto's face was pink. He was staring intently into his supper, playing with his potatos with his fork.

Alexander knew the costs of being a siren, needing to constantly be on the move without any place to call home. In fact, he’d tried regular life for a while, blending in with the town folk and ignoring questions about his eyes that glowed at night.

However, incapable of escaping his nature, he was soon enough running from pitchforks back into the water after depleting the cattle and then moving onto the farmers themselves.

That evening was no different, spotting a ship on the horizon and rushing towards it. Within minutes, he was catching sight of the people onboard, smiling with sharp teeth and an aim to seduce and kill.

When Isabella first heard the haunting melody of the siren's song she didn't realize what it was.

It was only after she saw a handful of the crew piling to one side, her own husband included, that she clued in.

Alberto, meanwhile, had been manning the helm when the song caught his ear. Thankfully, he had had enough sense to abandon the wheel and run to the edge.

Isabella seized Alberto by the collar of his shirt and thrust him away from the edge of the ship. She stared out over the inky black sea, lips pursed.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

As Judas stared up at Jesus, tears in her eyes, she grasped at her and tried desperately to meet her gaze. As she stumbled to her feet, she reached for Beverly's hands and drew close to her.

"It's you that I want," she said. "And I don't just want you. I don't understand it but I want to be near you until the day I die. I wish I knew more than that and I promise I will learn."

Bella had eyes only for Beverly in that moment. There was no one else.

Beverly hadn’t been a captain for long, and frankly, it happened through a series of events chalked up to, ‘massive accident’ by those who knew her. She didn’t even want to sail the seas, thinking boat life too dirty and the warnings against it all the more real as each day passed.

However, she was also determined which is why she was still onboard and when not panicking by herself in a broom closet, ruling with a set of commandments and iron fist.

Her crew didn’t quite fear her, she was too generous, but understood that doing their jobs was important lest they face a perfectly timed and devastating, “I’m not mad, just disappointed…”

Isabella was also determined and ill-suited for the expectations set before her. As a siren her life's purpose was to catch and kill sailors but she hated everything about sailors. They were rough men with liquor on their breaths and calloused hands. When she sang to them they grabbed her in ways she didn't care for.

Technically she was supposed to use her thrall to reproduce but she always chickened out before she got there. Instead she simply robbed them and left them to drown.

Her undersea cave was littered with trinkets and cold, hard, gold.

She wanted more.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

"I wasn't!" her voice trembled. "I swear! I left because I thought I would hurt you if I stayed! I thought you were under my spell. I thought I was manipulating you. But I should have said this. I should have told you. I should not have decided for you!"

She threw herself at Beverly's feet, hands grasping at the hem of her skirt. She looked up with tears in her eyes but her face showed a stronger resolve underneath. She begged not for forgiveness. She only wanted to tell Beverly.

Beverly hadn’t been a captain for long, and frankly, it happened through a series of events chalked up to, ‘massive accident’ by those who knew her. She didn’t even want to sail the seas, thinking boat life too dirty and the warnings against it all the more real as each day passed.

However, she was also determined which is why she was still onboard and when not panicking by herself in a broom closet, ruling with a set of commandments and iron fist.

Her crew didn’t quite fear her, she was too generous, but understood that doing their jobs was important lest they face a perfectly timed and devastating, “I’m not mad, just disappointed…”

Isabella was also determined and ill-suited for the expectations set before her. As a siren her life's purpose was to catch and kill sailors but she hated everything about sailors. They were rough men with liquor on their breaths and calloused hands. When she sang to them they grabbed her in ways she didn't care for.

Technically she was supposed to use her thrall to reproduce but she always chickened out before she got there. Instead she simply robbed them and left them to drown.

Her undersea cave was littered with trinkets and cold, hard, gold.

She wanted more.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Isabella's lips formed a terse smile. At least he was trying. Her shoulders relaxed as she pulled out a chair for Alex and sat down herself.

"You're looking well," she said. "Alberto tells me that you had some trouble in town today."

Alexander knew the costs of being a siren, needing to constantly be on the move without any place to call home. In fact, he’d tried regular life for a while, blending in with the town folk and ignoring questions about his eyes that glowed at night.

However, incapable of escaping his nature, he was soon enough running from pitchforks back into the water after depleting the cattle and then moving onto the farmers themselves.

That evening was no different, spotting a ship on the horizon and rushing towards it. Within minutes, he was catching sight of the people onboard, smiling with sharp teeth and an aim to seduce and kill.

When Isabella first heard the haunting melody of the siren's song she didn't realize what it was.

It was only after she saw a handful of the crew piling to one side, her own husband included, that she clued in.

Alberto, meanwhile, had been manning the helm when the song caught his ear. Thankfully, he had had enough sense to abandon the wheel and run to the edge.

Isabella seized Alberto by the collar of his shirt and thrust him away from the edge of the ship. She stared out over the inky black sea, lips pursed.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Isabella shoved past Alex and ran after her.

"Beverly, wait!" she called, voice just barely able to combat the gale surrounding them. "Stop! Don't go! Let me explain!"

Beverly hadn’t been a captain for long, and frankly, it happened through a series of events chalked up to, ‘massive accident’ by those who knew her. She didn’t even want to sail the seas, thinking boat life too dirty and the warnings against it all the more real as each day passed.

However, she was also determined which is why she was still onboard and when not panicking by herself in a broom closet, ruling with a set of commandments and iron fist.

Her crew didn’t quite fear her, she was too generous, but understood that doing their jobs was important lest they face a perfectly timed and devastating, “I’m not mad, just disappointed…”

Isabella was also determined and ill-suited for the expectations set before her. As a siren her life's purpose was to catch and kill sailors but she hated everything about sailors. They were rough men with liquor on their breaths and calloused hands. When she sang to them they grabbed her in ways she didn't care for.

Technically she was supposed to use her thrall to reproduce but she always chickened out before she got there. Instead she simply robbed them and left them to drown.

Her undersea cave was littered with trinkets and cold, hard, gold.

She wanted more.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Alexander had never enjoyed formal events, usually forced into an outfit he didn’t like and paraded around as if to say, ‘our kingdom is better than yours because our prince can read, write, and use a soup spoon’. However, what he did enjoy was meeting other people his age, terribly bored of tutors and adults everywhere.

Even his siblings didn’t pay much attention to him, everybody busy with learning, dealing with magic unknown to him, or trying to carve their own paths. He had the docks, able to slip away at night every so often and learn words he’d get his mouth washed out with soap for, but that wasn’t enough for him.

Isabella was a wicked and ungrateful little girl. That's what her tutors would tell you, anyway. Once, she was a fragile thing, born with a weak heart and not long for this world. The best doctors in the kingdom agreed, she would not reach her first birthday. Then, she did. And she reached her second, and third, and fifth, and eighth, and then tenth. As the years went on, miraculously, she grew stronger. At the age of eleven, she was as well as any child her age should be.

Some, her parents included, could not see her as anything but a fragile young girl. Her strengthening had been so sudden and unprecedented that it simply didn't make sense. It must have been a gift of mercy from the heavens above. But Bella wasn't satisfied with that gift. Now that she had her strength, she wanted her freedom. She began to make that her tutors' problems. She spent most days escaping the castle, fleeing her lessons.

Today, however, she was in a neighbouring kingdom with her mother and father. This was one royal duty she could not wriggle out of.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

Isabella snorted.

"Bread is bread," she said. "But fine. Let's go, if you insist it is special."

As they walked, Bella ventured conversation again. Food seemed an easy topic.

"Have you ever had pasta? It's practically all we eat back home." Ah, her old fallback. Lying.

Alexander had never enjoyed formal events, usually forced into an outfit he didn’t like and paraded around as if to say, ‘our kingdom is better than yours because our prince can read, write, and use a soup spoon’. However, what he did enjoy was meeting other people his age, terribly bored of tutors and adults everywhere.

Even his siblings didn’t pay much attention to him, everybody busy with learning, dealing with magic unknown to him, or trying to carve their own paths. He had the docks, able to slip away at night every so often and learn words he’d get his mouth washed out with soap for, but that wasn’t enough for him.

Isabella was a wicked and ungrateful little girl. That's what her tutors would tell you, anyway. Once, she was a fragile thing, born with a weak heart and not long for this world. The best doctors in the kingdom agreed, she would not reach her first birthday. Then, she did. And she reached her second, and third, and fifth, and eighth, and then tenth. As the years went on, miraculously, she grew stronger. At the age of eleven, she was as well as any child her age should be.

Some, her parents included, could not see her as anything but a fragile young girl. Her strengthening had been so sudden and unprecedented that it simply didn't make sense. It must have been a gift of mercy from the heavens above. But Bella wasn't satisfied with that gift. Now that she had her strength, she wanted her freedom. She began to make that her tutors' problems. She spent most days escaping the castle, fleeing her lessons.

Today, however, she was in a neighbouring kingdom with her mother and father. This was one royal duty she could not wriggle out of.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

"I'm not allowed outside. I'm not allowed to do anything. I was sick as a baby, but I got better. Now everyone treats me like a strong breeze would blow me over and I have to sneak everywhere I go. Meanwhile, you don't look like a prince either. You're filthy and my father said you were poorly-behaved and constantly vying for attention. Is that true? If so, I think we'll be good friends."

Alexander had never enjoyed formal events, usually forced into an outfit he didn’t like and paraded around as if to say, ‘our kingdom is better than yours because our prince can read, write, and use a soup spoon’. However, what he did enjoy was meeting other people his age, terribly bored of tutors and adults everywhere.

Even his siblings didn’t pay much attention to him, everybody busy with learning, dealing with magic unknown to him, or trying to carve their own paths. He had the docks, able to slip away at night every so often and learn words he’d get his mouth washed out with soap for, but that wasn’t enough for him.

Isabella was a wicked and ungrateful little girl. That's what her tutors would tell you, anyway. Once, she was a fragile thing, born with a weak heart and not long for this world. The best doctors in the kingdom agreed, she would not reach her first birthday. Then, she did. And she reached her second, and third, and fifth, and eighth, and then tenth. As the years went on, miraculously, she grew stronger. At the age of eleven, she was as well as any child her age should be.

Some, her parents included, could not see her as anything but a fragile young girl. Her strengthening had been so sudden and unprecedented that it simply didn't make sense. It must have been a gift of mercy from the heavens above. But Bella wasn't satisfied with that gift. Now that she had her strength, she wanted her freedom. She began to make that her tutors' problems. She spent most days escaping the castle, fleeing her lessons.

Today, however, she was in a neighbouring kingdom with her mother and father. This was one royal duty she could not wriggle out of.

@sword-and-sorrow

[ciao-bella-ciao-bella]

"Pffft. Of course we can still be friends. I lie all the time, usually when people ask me where I've been. You're kind of a coward, aren't you? You're awfully afraid of screwing up for someone who suggested we ditch our parents' meeting."

Alexander had never enjoyed formal events, usually forced into an outfit he didn’t like and paraded around as if to say, ‘our kingdom is better than yours because our prince can read, write, and use a soup spoon’. However, what he did enjoy was meeting other people his age, terribly bored of tutors and adults everywhere.

Even his siblings didn’t pay much attention to him, everybody busy with learning, dealing with magic unknown to him, or trying to carve their own paths. He had the docks, able to slip away at night every so often and learn words he’d get his mouth washed out with soap for, but that wasn’t enough for him.

Isabella was a wicked and ungrateful little girl. That's what her tutors would tell you, anyway. Once, she was a fragile thing, born with a weak heart and not long for this world. The best doctors in the kingdom agreed, she would not reach her first birthday. Then, she did. And she reached her second, and third, and fifth, and eighth, and then tenth. As the years went on, miraculously, she grew stronger. At the age of eleven, she was as well as any child her age should be.

Some, her parents included, could not see her as anything but a fragile young girl. Her strengthening had been so sudden and unprecedented that it simply didn't make sense. It must have been a gift of mercy from the heavens above. But Bella wasn't satisfied with that gift. Now that she had her strength, she wanted her freedom. She began to make that her tutors' problems. She spent most days escaping the castle, fleeing her lessons.

Today, however, she was in a neighbouring kingdom with her mother and father. This was one royal duty she could not wriggle out of.

@sword-and-sorrow