Initially when Amara had moved to the US after convincing her father, the king, for months, she used to travel by commercial planes. A little disguise here and there and staying a bit low-key did the job for her. Unlike her brother, her face was not as highly publicized by the royal family so that helped too.
But once her brother was declared the crown prince last year, the royal protocols stretched their claws to her as well. As the next in line to the throne if something happened to the crown prince, she was supposed to be safeguarded too.
However, she had stood her ground on the fact that she did not need a horde of security following her around when people here didn't really know her in the first place.
All this effort she put to idle away her life. Wouldn't it go to vain if she stayed under such tight surveillance? What freedom would she be left with by then?
Under her strong insistence, they let her be. James was non-negotiable but since the man has been by her side since she was young, he was family at this point and Amara was also comfortable with him so she had no complaints.
To stay low-key, the royal family did not assign her a private plane or yacht permanently for her travel but James was required to ask for it a day in advance so that they could make necessary arrangements.
''Princess… there are no available flights because of vacations….'' James quickly checked and informed after realizing his blunder, ''But even if it was, it would not have been completely safe. Shall I make arrangements for tomorrow?"
Amara fell silent. If they set out tomorrow after making arrangements for the private plane or even the yacht, then they would probably reach there the day after.
''No, change the plans.'' She had to be there tomorrow.
James was about to question her further when his eyes widened in realization.
…
The evening sun dipped low, casting a warm golden glow over the bustling harbor as Amara stood at the dock, staring at the magnificent cruise ship.
After some security checks and considerations, they decided to opt for the cruise and she was relieved that they were not late for the booking, which meant they will be able to reach Monteluna tomorrow.
Leah was already snapping pictures on her phone, her excitement palpable. "This is unreal! Look at it!" Her current state almost made it look like the person in shambles yesterday wasn't her.
"I know, right?" came a gentle voice from behind and Amara turned to their other friend, Sybella who walked to stand beside them, one of her hands on her face as she rubbed her eyes.
''You seem so tired. You didn't catch up on any sleep, did you?" Amara asked.
"It's a new job. Initially, I was supposed to work overtime but they were short on staff so I ended up doing a night shift there…'' Sybella yawned softly as she massaged her wrists.
"I don't understand your toxic schedules at all,'' Leah rolled her eyes.
''Right back at you. I don't understand your fondness for that toxic man either,'' Sybella said in a soft voice.
"_"
Leah hooked her arm around Sybella's, almost crushing the woman in a half hug, ''Did anyone tell you that you are a real bitch when you don't get your beauty sleep?"
"You always tell me. Except, I am not being a bitch right now. I am sincere. After all is said and done, you are not going back to that thing again. Let him rot in regrets over losing you,'' Sybella paused for a moment. In the setting sun, her sleep-deprived skin looked pale in contrast to her striking black hair, giving her a goth vibe, ''Now that we are going to Monteluna, you might as well find yourself a duke or prince or whatever better than that thing.''
"You are commodifying him,'' Amara said
''Your face says you don't necessarily dislike it,'' Sybella shrugged.
Leah forced a shaky smile, ''You guys… I am still here, you know…''
Sybella flashed her a 'so what' look.
As they approached the entrance to the ship, their suitcases were swiftly taken by the cruise staff. James handled the matters with their tickets and when he saw the ladies moving in the opposite direction, he quickly informed the staff that they would go back to their rooms later on before he followed them quickly, keeping an appropriate distance in between.
The three women stepped onto the grand deck, the soft hum of music drifting through the air, mixing with the sound of gentle waves lapping against the hull.
Amara relished in the fresh air of the ocean. Only after a few 'shutter' sounds from Leah's camera that she had taken out at some point did she turn to them.
''Did you at least get to practice these days amidst your new job?" Amara asked Sybella.
Sybella fell silent for the briefest moment before she smiled and said, ''I will get onto it after vacation.''
Amara and Leah both knew that there was some mystery behind that momentary silence but seeing that she did not want to talk about it, they did not push.
The three of them were completely different from each other, which is why it was quite a wonder how their paths ended up merging one their first day in the prestigious Hudson Crest University of New York.
While Amara was a literature student, Leah studied business and Sybella was majoring in ballet. On the very first day in college, Sybella had been cornered by two of the seniors. Sybella had a very petite stature and delicate appearance hence no matter how one saw it from a distance, it gave the impression that she was being bullied.
When Amara witnessed it, she had motioned for James to make a move but before James could take action, one of the seniors was punched in the face by Leah. The other senior was unfortunately not as gullible as the previous one and as a professional, James recognized one when he saw one.
Before things could go awry, James had taken action and the situation was stabilized after those two men were sent to the dean for disciplinary action. And that had been their first encounter.