The following day Alex took his bags with him and was ready to leave. But Jordan came with King Cyrus and Carmen.
"Were you planning to leave without at least saying goodbye?" The King asked.
"Alex always does that. I am used to it now." Said Jordan.
Alex felt guilt creeping in.
"I.."
The King interrupted. Seeing that Alex had no words.
"Do not worry. I understand. I have a canoe you can use for your journey." said the King.
"I appreciate the gesture, but I do not have money to pay you when it becomes damaged as I am bit of a rough paddler." said Alex.
The king chuckled.
"I don't want you to purchase anything. The boat is yours to have." he said.
Alex was in disbelief.
"What!" he shouted, with a wide smile on his face.
Jordan was also surprised.
"Sigh, this is truly an amazing thing." he said. Tears filled in his eyes.
"Come on Jordan. How long have you and I been friends?" The king asked.
Carmen walked closer to Alex and gave him a hug.
Jordan became worried a little at how the king's response would be even as he loved the sight. The king only smiled.
"I will miss you." said Carmen.
"I will miss you too my Queen." Alex teased.
Carmen pinched Alex.
"Ouch!"
Speaking the words "my queen" brought a little worry to the King. He thought about how he could ever explain to Carmen one day that she is not really his blood.
"When will I see you again?" Carmen asked.
"I don't know..But I will visit every once a week."
Jordan felt a slight relief.
Alex observed his father for a while.
King Cyrus led Alex to the boat. The young teenager placed his bags carefully inside the boat. He hugged each one of them. Carmen waved Alex goodbye, with tears in her eyes. It was an emotional moment for everyone.
"If you play with any other boy beside me, I will come back just to take off his hand with my sword!" Alex shouted, teasing Carmen.
Jordan and the king laughed.
"If you hold another girl's hand beside mine, I will come there in Noracia and bite both of your hands off. So that you never touch anyones' hand again!" Carmen replied.
Alex laughed.
Jordan didn't laugh at the last comment as the King looked rather worried. Alex visited as frequently as he could. Carmen also visited Alex as often as she could. They visited each other every single year.
"Ahhhh" Carmen screamed. Shiandra rushed to see what was happening to her.
"What is it?" She asked.
Carmen pointed to her bed, Shiandra opened wide the sheets and she saw blood stains.
"Come with me." Said Shiandra,grabbing Carmen by the hand softly.
Carmen bathed while Shiandra helped her clean up her blankets.
"What is happening with me, am I dying?" Carmen asked.
Shiandra laughed.
"Not at all my dear. You are experiencing a menstrual cycle."
"What is that?"
Shiandra explained the menstrual cycle to Carmen.
"Are you saying that all girls my age go through this?"
"Yes my dear. Which means you will be a woman soon and perhaps somebody's wife."
Carmen giggled.
"As in be matched to a boy?" She asked.
"Yes, but only if you are ready!" Shiandra pressed.
Carmen became worried. She thought about what kind of husband she would be have, how he would treat her once he learned she was not a royal.
"I will never ever get married!" She blurted out.
Shiandra's eyes widened.
"But why?" She asked.
"I am not a.."
Carmen rushed off without finishing her sentence. Tears in her eyes.
Shiadra went to the King, who at the time was in his library doing what king's did. Read letters sent by the citizens with their complaints and come up with solutions to their problems. The king took off his reading glasses and placed them on the table, as Shiandra entered.
"What can I do for you Shiandra?" He asked.
"Sigh! It is about your daughter.."
"What has she done now?"
"Carmen has shed her first blood."
King Cyrus was startled, he did not know how to react just yet.
"Is she alright?"
Shiandra nodded.
"But you know what this means for her."
"That she needs to stay away from all boys."
"Sigh, Carmen is becoming a woman. She has to be matched and bring honor to the family."
King Cyrus was not pleased to hear that suggestion.
"She is too young to concern herself with men, the right time will come as for now she will have to continue with school and then when she finishes she will be matched." The king pressed.
"Sigh, I understand your worry. But Carmen is not just any ordinary girl. She is going to be a queen one day and has to lead the people of Kineti."
The King became furious. He hated the suggestion of marriage.
"Carmen is my daughter! She will be matched only when I allow it." He pressed.
"My Lord please do not be angry. I did not mean to offend you."
"Do not ever mention marriage ever again to me. You are not Carmen's mother. I will not discuss her future with you. Do not forget your position."
"My Lord." Said Shiandra, bowing her head slightly.
"You are excused." Said the King.
Later that day, Shiandra led Carmen to the dining room as she wanted to teach her a few skills she thought she might need in the future. The king was in his library still.
"Where is everyone?" Carmen asked.
"I told them that the dining room will be ours in the afternoons from now on. They wont disturb us. No one will."
"Not even my father?"
"Only he is allowed to disturb us."
Carmen giggled.
"Why are you placing the spoons like that, are we going to eat?" She asked.
"We will eat later, but for now I want to teach how to set a table as you will need this skill when you become married one day."
"I will never marry, unless it is someone I truly love." Carmen protested, with her hands on her waist and her head held high.
Shiandra looked amused.
"If you don't marry. You will then have to stay here with your father until he passes on. Is that the life you really want for yourself?" She asked.
"Well no. I don't want to stay with my father that long. I want to travel with a ship."
Shiandra looked at Carmen with pitiful eyes.
"But even that requires constant training."
"Then I will learn how to sail!"
"And what if someone marries you and you never get the chance to sail or you have no time to go sailing and your children need you at home. Will you still learn to sail?" Shiandra asked .
"I will learn now, then go with them all on my sailing adventures."
"That seems like a wise plan. You are indeed going to be a great queen."
Carmen smiled.