“I really am sad to see you go, Lauren.” Mrs. Abella said to me from sitting behind her teacher desk at the front of the empty one-room classroom we all shared, grades kindergarten through 12th grade. “Between you and me, Lauren,” Mrs. Abella quickly checked the room behind me to be sure it was empty of her other students, which-it was. “You are one of the brightest students I have.” She wore an expression of pure sympathy, “Please, keep up with your studies. You, I truly believe,” Her soft blue eyes shimmered with the words, “you have a bright future ahead of you.” I wished I shared her optimism.

I forced a small smile, “Thank you. My parents said that I should be able to attend your school next year, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, of course!” she replied, looking shocked I’d even ask, “You are always welcome in my classroom, Lauren- not many of your classmates are as genuinely interested in learning as you.”

She reached under her desk and pulled out an old-looking book. “Here,” she said, offering it out to me, “for you.”

It was maroon colored and hardcover; but faded in both its dark red covering and its pages; them having turned a yellowish color. The embossed title read ‘A History of Ocean Empire Monarchs. Newly Updated Edition’.

I frowned as I looked at it, thanking her, “Thank you so much,” Mrs. Abella was super nice, she knew my most intense area of curiosity was the Ocean Empire’s history, “but I don’t know when I’ll be by to return this. I probably shouldn’t take it.”

I was sure, sorrowfully, that I wouldn’t have much free time, between deliveries and filling orders and taking orders and my at home schoolwork, which I swore to myself I would try and make a priority.

“Not a rental.” Mrs. Abella reassured with a sweet, pressed lip smile, “A gift.”

I blinked widely to her in shock, before glancing at the book again. It looked well-worn, but old, and therefore, probably rare.

“I can’t accept this.” I said quickly.

She chuckled and waved off my refusal, refusing to take the book I held out back to her. “Please do. For my favorite student.” Her eyes looked just a tad bit emotional, “And if you really insist, maybe you can give it back to me next year, when you come back to class. But please take it, I want you to have it. I’ve read it plenty of times, anyway, know all the contents practically by heart.”

I glanced between her genuine heart-shaped face and the hefty book in my hands. I let my fingers tightened around it gratefully. “Okay.” I agreed, nodding, “I’ll take it, a-at least until next year, t-then I can return it.”

She smiled at me hopefully, “Yes, or at least next year you can let me borrow it back.”

I grinned a little wider.

Amy and Damian were waiting for me outside the schoolhouse.

“That a present from Mrs. Abella?” Dame asked. I nodded and Amy blew air through her lips, saying matter-a-factly, “You’re the only person I know who would be HAPPY with a boring, old history book as a gift.”

I chuckled lightly and looked down to the book with a sad smile. A parting gift it really seemed like. Who was I to refuse it? I still felt a little bad. Mrs. Abella was so nice to me, I didn’t want her giving me her stuff, but at the same time- I was pretty sure I would need all the help learning I could get.

“I still can’t believe you’re really leaving.” Amy said aloud. I glanced over to her and she was staring, depressed, down to her feet as we walked, languidly, down the dirt path that lead down the big grassy hill which Mrs. Abella’s schoolhouse sat atop of.

Amy had been giving me the cold shoulder when I first arrived at school today, but once Damian asked me what was wrong and I started crying, all was forgiven. That’s also who Amy was, her temper did burn icy cold and fiery hot, but her love and loyalty to her friends burned even fiercer than her anger did. So, I was forgiven for ditching her, and she was right with Dame, demanding to know if I was okay and if she needed to challenge somebody to a fight on my behalf. I don’t think she was very happy or proud of me when I told her that I was going to do what my parents wanted, but she seemed to see how upset I was and chose, very wisely, not to say anything, or fight about it. I just needed my friends to support me right now, and she was, and I was super grateful for that.

The grassy fields on either side of the dirt path were full mostly unruly long grass stalks, which had an explosive sprinkling of daffodils throughout in full blown. The yellow and white flowers blew wistfully in the wind.

I frowned as Dame remarked, looking up the schoolhouse, fading into the distance behind us, “We’ve all been going here together since we were like five.” He looked wistful too.

I let myself wallow in self-pity a moment as we walked in silence; the wind moving the bright petals the only sound.

Then, I forced a smile and said to my friends, “Only for a semester. Then, I’ll be back in class with all of you. I’m going to miss you guys so much.” I gave Aims an apologetic look, “I’m sorry, Amy, for bailing on you yesterday, and-all the other times, I-“

She held up a flat hand, and gave me a small smile, “It’s all forgiven, baby.” She looked up mournfully at the path in front of us, “It’s not like I’ve never bailed on a plan before either. Work keeps me pretty busy and. . .” She hesitated before looking over at me sheepishly, “I’m. . .sorry, about what I said last night. I should have never said your parents were burdens.” Her bright emerald green eyes looked genuinely remorseful.

“Yeah, what the heck, Amy!” Damian, who had been unaware of the details of what was exchanged shot from my left side.

“You stay out of this!” she shot back defensively, some red blush on her fair cheeks.

I waved Damian off and said reassuringly to Amy, “It’s okay. You were just mad. I forgive you, and like I said, I’m sorry for leaving you hanging.”

Amy smiled at me hopefully, “So we’re all good?”

“Yeah.” I smiled back, “We are.”

“And we’ll make it work somehow.” Amy added, raising a hopeful finger up, “I was thinking, I never put any thought into the times YOU’RE available when I make plans for us-which is like not good-and is probably the reason you can never make it.” She grinned at me and explained excitedly, “Dame was telling me that you’re always available after the shop closes for the night, except when you do homework, so maybe we can hang out more then.”

I smiled hopefully and nodded, saying genuinely, “I’d really like that.” I glanced to Damian and felt my heart warm. That was so sweet of him, relaying information like that to Amy. He had been my messenger to bail on her plenty of times and I knew he, maybe second only to us, wanted us to patch things up. It meant a lot to me that he did stuff like that.

“You’re invited too, Damian,” Amy said before smirking evilly and saying, “If we make a dress, you can be our model and try it on!”

He scowled at her, complaining, “No way!”

I laughed aloud as we went down the hill, further and further away from the schoolhouse, I had spent eleven school years of my life in. I cast it a forlorn look as Damian and Amy bickered playfully, but I forced myself to look forward eventually, jumping in to their good-spirited debate; adding that I thought maybe Dame could be bribed by two blueberry muffins AND a bag of kettle corn to do it instead of just the two muffins that Amy thought could convince him. Dame said that he’d do it for a baker’s dozen and eight bags of kettle corn, which we thought of highway robbery.

Life wasn’t going exactly the way I planned it, but I told myself to look on the bright side, at least I still had a lot of blessings; my two crazy best friends here-proof of that fact.

“Well, I’m off to the Slave Mine!” Amy saluted us and we saluted back in jest as she waved eagerly goodbye and then ran off. She had the evening shift at RHAY-RC, where she worked as a Junior Security Guard and she had to go home to get ready and then make the trek up Mt. Regiis.

We waved her goodbye and Damian smiled to me as he said, “I’m really happy you two made up.”

I smiled warmly to him and said, “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I didn’t do much.”

“You’re too humble.”

“You flatter me too much, Laurey.”

I giggled before asking, “You heading home?” We were at the street junction where my way and his way home parted.

He sighed, answering, “Yes, unfortunately. Mom is making me help write out the wedding invitations for Anthon’s and Sara’s wedding. She’ll kill me if I skip out on it.”

“Will Sara be there?”

He groaned softly, “I hope not.”

Damian didn’t hate his soon to be sister-in-law or anything but I wasn’t sure he always liked her. I had met her a few times and she was just like Anthon, his older brother; bubbly, excitement, and impulsive, and Damian always felt like he had to clean up Anthon’s messes, I think he was just worried, he was going to start having to clean up Sara’s too.

“But she probably will be.” he admitted, sounding slightly defeated. “It’s her wedding after all, even though Mom is so obsessed you would think it was HER WEDDING 2.0.”

I giggled and saluted him, “Well, I wish you good luck, Lord Dame!”

He chuckled huskily and laughed a little. “As if either of us would ever be ‘Lords’.” He waved me off, still smiling, and asked, “See you later?”

“Yeah.” I agreed with a warm smile, “Later.”

He gave me a warm smile and headed off.    

Alone, I felt reality creep in a little colder. My friends always seemed to keep it away. I tried to fight it but my shoulders sagged a little and my demeanor became downcast. The idea of not seeing Mrs. Abella every school day, of not seeing Aims and Dame every school day was unfathomable to me. It had been my reality for so long, I was scared I would start to feel as if I was in another dimension. I tried to shake the fear and sullenness off. Just for a semester, Laurels! I told myself, you can do this!

With a push of determination in my step, I headed quickly for home.

As I encroached closer upon Smithharrow’s Flowers and Buds, I saw both neighbors I did recognize, and ones I didn’t, gossiping quietly to one another. They were saying in quiet voices.

“Did you see that?”

“Yeah, what’s happening?”

“Is that the royal seal?”

“Surely not,. . .right?”

I heard bits of conversation here and there but I was mostly just confused. When a few of the neighbors, pointed to me as I passed, I just got even more lost. Until I saw the source of the gossip.

Outside of OUR shop, was a parked- my eyes bugged open- carriage?

It was huge and dark blue, with white large wheels, the spokes inside the wheels being gold. Four huge, dapple gray, Dutch Draft horses, whinnied and neighed but were otherwise idle outside of our shop. There harnesses were bright white and were adorned with beautiful coral pieces and gleaming sea shells. All of this alone was enough to make my eyes bug out of my head. Mind reeling- what on earth were four MASSIVE horses and this GLITZY carriage doing parked outside our INKY-DINKY, always struggling to stay afloat flower shop?

My heart rate quickened in my chest and my pupils grew huge as I noticed the seal on the carriage’s side. It really should have been what I noticed first, but the giant horses were quite the eye-catching statement, or perhaps I did see it, but my mind just wasn’t ready yet to accept what it had seen.

On the center of the carriage, was a seal was a leaping dolphin surrounded by three distinct items, a shark’s tooth, a conch shell, and an ocean pearl. The dolphin was leaping towards the conch shell, which was to its right, but for many years my own parents had witnessed the dolphin leaping towards the left; where the shark tooth hung ominously.

It the seal of the Deleen Royal Family, the line of Monarchs that had had ruled the Ocean Empire for the past 2764 years. Pretty much longer than memory itself.

Before last night, I would have only felt awe looking at the seal, or would have a long history of many wars and political events flow through my mind at seeing that seal, but now-I felt a hot rush of fear.

I shoved through the shop’s doors and pulled back in shock as two guards in white and blue uniforms turned to look at me, one was a man with pale skin and the other a woman with dark skin. They both narrowed their eyes at me.

I quickly heard voices from the back of the shop, through the swinging door which led to our kitchen. I could hear Mom, Dad, and another deep booming voice. I took a quick step forward before realizing I should probably ask for permission.

“Can I go in the back?” I asked nervously, my heart thump-thump-thumping in my chest.

I knew what this was about.

It was about me tackling that sea dwelling man last night at the King’s Speech! That sea-dwelling attendant of the king had misinterpreted my STUPID act as something sinister! And now, I was being investigated! Maybe even charged with a crime! I was sure my parents were being briefed in the back right now. I had to go explain myself! Before they locked me away for physical assault or something!

The pale man nodded sharply and said, “Please do, Lauren Smithharrow.” He didn’t look friendly saying it. He-he probably thought I was racist! Racist against sea-dwellers! Probably thought I was scum! I rushed past him, flushing with shame! I could explain this away, couldn’t I?! Fear rushed through me, I wasn’t going to jail-was I?!

Rushing across the swept clean wooden floor of the shop, I shoved back into the kitchen area; trepidation making my stomach do somersaults at what it feared we would find.

Our kitchen was humble. Simple. We had an electric stove, which was super old, and the left back burner hadn’t worked in years. We had a microwave above that that needed to be cleaned. We had a small amount of pale-yellow laminate countertop, which shoved every coffee ring and burnt mark from uncarefully set hot pans on its surface. The wallpaper was once a friendly bright pattern of roses, lilies, and carnations flowers, but with time, was faded to look more frumpy than friendly. Displayed proudly on the floral wallpaper was a askew family portrait taken years ago of Mom, Dad, Timmy, and I. I was wearing one of only two dresses I had owned, one being the monstrosity me and Amy had made ourselves. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing that one in the picture. Then I would be even more embarrassed of our humble abode, because sitting at our worn, scratched and stained wooden round table, was Mom, Dad, and. . .The King of the Ocean.