"Oh" she said. She started looking around like she was trying to avoid looking me in the eyes. "I didn't know"
"It's okay. Most people don't"
"But I don't get it. If she… you know-"
"-drowned"
"Yeah, that. If she did that, why do you want to live by the ocean?"
"It was my mother's dream" I smiled. "She talked about it every night. She described our life there. We would sail to the end of the world and find this perfect island where we would build everything from scratch. I want to fulfill that. My mother died doing what she loved. I think she found peace in her last moments" Elizabeth looked at me.
"That's… actually very beautiful" she said. I smiled.
"I think so too" She washed her hands. I still remembered the day my father had come home from his trip with my mother. They had sailed all the way to the Bahamas, to a small island. They sailed away together, but my father had returned alone.
"So, you've gone down to the docks by now, haven't you?"
"No" She turned to me.
"What? Why?"
"Prince Charming has been by my side at all moments since I arrived!" I sighed. "It's exhausting"
"It's right next to us"
"Really?"
"Yeah, come I'll show you!" she laughed, took my hand, and dragged me out to the gathering again. Just outside the bathroom, I saw something on the ground. It was a necklace. I hurried to pick it up, without Elizabeth noticing. It was some kind of coin. Made of gold. It seemed old. Elizabeth pulled my arm, and I put it away.
.....
"Ok, now close your eyes" she told me, and so I did. She put her hands over my eyes to make sure I wasn't looking and began leading me forward. The salty smell was stronger than ever. Now it wasn't just salt. It was so much I couldn't put my finger on. I'd smelled this for sure a long time ago. She stopped, and so did I. For a moment we just stood there, her hands over my eyes. I felt the breeze in my face and hair. I could hear the waves against the rocks. It was underneath me. I smiled. We were standing on a cliff.
"Are you ready?" she asked me. I was nervous. I didn't remember last time I'd felt like this. I felt excited. I felt happy. I felt free. I felt like I just started this big, dangerous adventure.
"I don't know anymore" I repeated what she had said earlier.
"You are" she told me.
"I am"
"One...two...three" she removed her hands from my eyes. They were still closed. I felt the sun through my eyelids. I took a deep breath. I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the sun. It was strong. Then I looked down, and I knew I would remember this moment forever. It was even more beautiful than I remembered. It was the prettiest, most majestic thing I had ever seen. Blue. everywhere. The prettiest blue of them all, The color of my eyes, as far as the eye goes. The sun got reflected. These seconds felt like hours. I completely forgot to breathe.
"Breathe" Elizabeth said. I forgot all about the corset. I was free. All my worries just...disappeared. I took one more step closer to the edge. We were higher than I suspected.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen" She laughed. We just stood there in silence. The sound of the waves filled it.
"There you are, I've been looking for you" I recognized the voice.
"Prince Felipe" I said uninterested, without removing my eyes from the ocean.
"I got worried" he got closer. Out of nowhere he grabbed my waist. I got taken by surprise, and suddenly, the corset was back. I looked up, meeting his eyes. His lips were twisted into a smile.
"I think it's time for you, miss Swann, to leave now" he demanded. She looked at me, then nodded.
"Goodbye Felice." Inside I begged her to stay. Screamed. Just seconds ago I'd felt like I could do anything, but now, I felt small and helpless again.
"I wrote a poem for you" he told me. I looked at him.
"When did you write it? We just met"
"But sweety, I've been looking forward to meeting you. I've heard a lot about you"
"You have?" He coughed.
"You my lady, with eyes as blue as the deepest ocean,
You, with skin as fair as the snow at the highest mountain,
You, with hair dark as the night sky,
You my lady, will be mine" He smirked. I didn't know how to react. I moved my glance back to the ocean. How more boring was it possible to get.
"That was good"
Definitely a lie.
Silence.
"Seems like you and your family are staying here for a while" he said.
"We are?"
He pressed me closer to him, bent down placing his mouth against my ear, and whispered:
"Fancy sharing a room?" Out of nowhere, my corset got tighter. It made it hard to breathe. "We can have some fun" he continued. I felt sick. I felt like I was about to throw up. I started getting feverish, trying to loosen my corset. He laughed.
"Oh, you can't wait, now can you?" I shook my head, gasping for air, trying to tell him I didn't want to. "But before all this, I think it's only right I ask you to marry me, beautiful lady" I started breathing heavier. No no no. I should just run away. Why didn't I? He got down on one knee, holding my hand.
"Felice Bonny, will you be my wife?" At this moment I couldn't breathe at all, and black dots appeared in my vision. What was happening to me?
"I can't br-"
"You can't wait? Me neither".
Then, I was flying. Weightless. Wind in my face. I was flying free in the air. Next, I was cold. I wasn't flying anymore, it was like the gravity wasn't affecting me anymore. I was just...sinking. I couldn't breathe either. It was quiet. And dark. And empty. And cold. My fears kicked in.