Alaniana woke from a fitful sleep just as the sun was kissing the horizon. Her nightgown clung to her body, her sweat acting as a glue. When she finally pulled her nightgown off, she donned a floor length blue gown. Leyna shook her hair loose from its braid. She took an apple from a bowl on her dresser and lowered a rope stashed below the dresser out of the window. Her window looked out beyond the castle walls, into a commoner's garden. In the distance, the harbor glittered in the distance.

The ship, called the Avenger, was easy to identify, with all royal banners hanging from it.

"That's a big ship." the young princess breathed.

"Yep, we're setting out this morning." a sailor overheard and responded.

"Are you one of the crew?"

"First mate, Zack, and proud of it."

"So what will you do with this ship?"

"We'll escort the princess, then we'll come back to bring the family to Freedonia to celebrate the wedding."

"So do you think the princess deserves to be given as a peace prize?"

"It's none o' my busyness. I just take the royal family from 'ere to 'are."

A bell tolled in the distance. "That be the eight o clock bell"

"I have to go." the twelve year old ran.

Leyna clambered up the rope just in time to open the door for her nurse.

"Hello Nurse!" she chirped

"Alaniana Rouge, open the door sooner for your nurse."

"Sorry, Nurse."

"No more of that, let's get you ready to go to Freedonia." the nurse sorted through Leyna's closet and pulled out a blue veil to match the princess' dress, which was miraculously neither wet nor stained. The nurse then began twisting Leyna's hair into a bun.

"I never want to make it to Freedonia."

"Would you..." the look of sheer terror on her nurse's face finished her sentence.

"No, no, of course not." Leyna quickly placated."I 'd like to join the sailors or run off with pirates."

"The last option is certain death" the nurse said,tucking the veil into the bun.

"Maybe, Maybe not." the girl mused "I could survive."

"You are ready to meet your husband, well in two months."

"I don't feel ready" Leyna mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I don't feel old enough to marry. I want to sail!"

"You will sail."

"Not like that, like by myself. I want to live my own life, choose my own husband."

"This is part of being the High Princess."

"What if I don't want to be a princess? What if I want to be a sailor?"

"The pirates you speak of would have to attack for that to happen."

" I wish they would."

"Stop moping, let's get to the harbor."