"Ah, this is just what I needed Robin." Signe sighed in content as she breathed in the salty air.

The warm gentle breeze was causing her shoulder length brown hair to flutter around her, her plain blue dress rippling like the water around her.

"I figured a nice boat ride would help get your mind off of your royal duties." Robin, her closest advisor and friend, spoke up as he too enjoyed the fresh air.

The boat they were in was a simple rowboat so no one would notice them gone for too long, Signe seated on one side with Robin seated across from her.

"Have you thought about whose marriage proposal you are going to accept?" Robin queried as he tore his gaze away from the cloudy sky to look at her.

"Who has asked anyway?" Signe asked in a hesitant tone.

"Let's see, there is the King of Vivian-"

"Too dull." Signe interrupted, shuddering as she remembered her first encounter with the rather old royal.

"Okay, there's also the King of Ariam-"

"Too war-crazed."

"The King of Reduar-"

"Definitely not, he killed his first three wives for being smarter than him."

"The King of Bornir-"

"I'm pretty sure he's already married."

"Signe, those are all of the options you have." Robin told in her in an exasperated tone.

"They're all wretched!" Signe argued fiercely.

"Besides, I came out here to ignore all of that. I want to forget about having to marry someone I don't love so my kingdom can prosper." Signe huffed in a terse tone that came out harsher than she intended.

"I see." Robin nodded before falling silent, his gaze returning to the vast ocean around them.

"I'm sorry, I just...why did my mother and father have to die?" Signe whispered, their death still a fresh wound in her heart.

King and Queen Hansen had passed away when Tenebris, the neighboring kingdom, attacked in an attempt to take over.

The only reason why they didn't succeed was because of the help provided by the kingdom's allies.

"Have you drawn or painted anything new my highness?" Robin asked in a gentler tone, deciding to change the subject for the royal's sake.

"You know how I hate when people call me names like that, I'm no queen." Signe protested.

"Not yet at least." Robin countered with a light smile.

"Either way, I haven't found the time for art with all of the pressure about." Signe admitted with a small frown.

"I was merely asking. Anyway, it looks like a storm is rolling in, so I'm turning us back to shore." Robin stated as he picked up the oars off of the floor and began rowing back to the kingdom.

"It's so cloudy." Signe remarked as she looked up at the sky.

The clouds were gray and puffy, occasional rumbles of thunder confirming Robin's prediction.

"Indeed. The waves have risen rather quickly as well, so we must hurry." Robin added with a tinge of worry evident in his voice as he began to paddle harder.

Soon water was flooding into the boat, threatening to sweep them into the ocean with its strong currents that battered against the small boat.

"Damnit!" Robin cursed as one of the oars was torn from his grip by the crashing waves, leaving them with only one.

"I can't even see shore!" Signe yelled over the howling wind and thunder, flinching when lightning cracked in the sky.

"I'll get you there!" Robin yelled back as he fought against the waves so they could forge on, his face a mask of pure concentration and determination.

Before Signe could ask why he didn't mention saving himself, the boat was flipped over by a huge wave, sending the pair plunging into the ocean.

Signe swam towards the surface and quickly broke through, gasping for breath as she looked around for Robin.

"ROBIN!" Signe screamed at the top of her lungs, panic setting in as she realized that she was truly alone.

Since the waves were strong, her arms began to tire quickly as she swam around aimlessly in search of land.

Exhaustion set in as she lost hope, her muscles screaming in pain as she finally let herself be dragged down by the overpowering ocean, her last sight being a male figure floating above her before darkness overtook her.