Cicely and Vitalis looked over at the large ships out in the distance. Surrounding the large ships were several smaller boats escorting the men to the beach. Cicely reached out and grabbed for Vitalis and held his hand tightly. He was her rock at this nerve-wracking time.
Vitalis looked over at Cicely, her eyes watching intently as the hordes of men came to the shore. When he placed his fingers on her wrist he could feel her rapidly beating heart. "It's okay." He whispered to her afraid to scare startle her.
Cicely could feel his eyes on her and when he spoke she moved her face from the men in the boats towards her lover. "I'm scared. There has never been this many men to wash upon our shores. No, actually, I'm terrified, for the men and my family."
Vitalis pulled her in close and squeezed her tightly. "We'll make it through." He glanced over her, straightening her head covering. "I promise you. Nothing will happen to you, to us."
She nodded and let her cares float away while she was safely enveloped in his embrace. For the most part her fears and anxieties did float away with the wind, but there still was a slight lingering feeling of apprehension, like something bad was going to happen. She watched him as he turned to look at the men and it appeared as if he were thinking, forming some kind of plan.
It had been several minutes that he had been staring at the boats and they had just landed on the shore when he spoke suddenly, "let us go back to the grotto, I will grab my things and we'll meet them on the beach, it is probably better that we approach them than them approaching us?"
Cicely nodded again, "of course." With their fingers linked she took him through the dense forest to her secret garden. When she approached the area a smile formed on her face as she recalled the previous night and a red hue illuminated her cheeks. She turned her attention to Vitalis and watched as he went and picked up his sword and leather satchel. They were the only things he had with him, other than the clothes on his back as everything else had fallen to the bottom of the sea.
"Ready?" He turned around and asked the gorgon whose gaze wandered between the grotto and him. "Is there anything you'll need to bring when we leave?"
Cicely moved her eyes, focusing back on Vitalis, somewhat shocked by this question. "We are really doing this? Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly almost afraid he would change his mind.
"I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I need you by my side and I can't imagine leaving this island without you."
Cicely eagerly nodded and scanned the area, was there anything that she needed? No, she wanted to start anew, she needed to start fresh. However, the thought of leaving the island still swam in the back of her mind along with all of the fears associated with leaving. This was a good thing, right? Yes, so she turned to the man nearby, "there is nothing I need, I'm ready."
Vitalis nodded and they made there way back to the beach, even though he had been this way several times, he still couldn't find his way around the thick foliage and allowed himself to be taken by Cicely. When they made it to the beach, he turned to Cicely and in barely a whisper said, "you'll let me speak?"
She nodded because she knew she couldn't trust herself to speak. This time he guided her on the beach towards the men. Her heart beat wildly as they held their swords, spears, and arrows at Vitalis and herself. She gulped. Would they discover the monster that she truly was? She prayed to the gods, maybe this time they would listen to her? Maybe this time, they wouldn't shun her...Cicely could only hope.
Vitalis lifted his hands in the air and away from the sword and dropped Cicely's hand at the same time, "I mean you no harm. My wife and I have been stranded on this island after out ship crashed upon the rocks. Will you provide us safe passage off of this island and to whatever city you are headed to?"
Cicely ears perked up and her head shot over to Vitalis when he mentioned wife. Her heart was no longer beating wildly out of fear but rather love.
...Wife...
The only thing she could focus on and therefore the exchange of the men slipped past her. Wife, that was all she cared about and the only thing floating around her mind. She could feel Vitalis pull her in close and wrap his arm around her shoulder. Was she really this lucky?
Unfortunately her luck wouldn't hold.