32. The Deep Blue Sea
Rosella walked onto the beach, looking out over the vast blue ocean. The afternoon sun was already on it’s decent,
and the shine made her squint her sensitive blue eyes. Any number of clues or helpful things could be out there she
thought. Though there was almost certainly an equal amount of danger. Genesta’s island was a healthy swim, but
reachable, that she knew. Just with the glare on the water, she couldn’t quite make it out on the horizon.
With daylight not on her side, Rosella removed her black heels one by one, standing on the damp sand in her sheer
white stockings, which felt cold at first. It was going to be difficult enough to swim in her dress, but it would be impossible
in her heels. For a moment she considered shedding her dress as well, and swimming in just her undergarments as it
would be much more practical, but her face reddened and she quickly dashed the frivolous thought! “You’re a princess,
Rosella! What if someone were to see?” she scolded herself for her naïve thoughts, and utter lack of modesty.
She waded into the initial shallow waters allowing herself to become accustomed to the temperature which she was
delighted to find did not take long. Tamir’s ocean was one of warm and blue waters. Rosella treaded in the water for a
few moments, adjusting her skirt so that the high cut slit opened wide, allowing her legs to kick freely, and avoid the
danger of getting all tangled up in the long gown. Her hair, recently free from the twin braids, floated behind her in a
blonde trail.
Rosella stabbed her arms forward, pumping her slender legs as she swam out into the deep blue sea in search of
anything that might aid her in her quest against Lolotte and her evil goons. The taste of the saltwater was an immediate
nuisance to the young princess, but hardly something she could avoid. She decided to focus her mind on anything else
to distract herself from the disgusting taste. Her mind settled onto Edgar, the tender hearted goblin that was Lolotte’s
son. On her last adventure in Tamir, Edgar had saved her life from the horror of an arranged marriage. Even though
he was smitten at the beautiful young princess, he knew that she had been on a quest to save her father’s life, and that
time was a luxury that she did not have. And so, he allowed her to escape, even if his heart wanted something else. Yet
the tender hearted monster seemed to have given in to his evil mother’s ways and was now helping her carry out an evil
scheme as Rosella had witnessed in the magic mirror. Could he truly have been so bitter by Rosella’s refusal to marry?
How could he have expected that of her? While Rosella liked to think she understood the ways of the world and those of
the heart, she was still a very sheltered and young princess.
Her drifting thoughts had distracted her a little too much and so she stopped a moment to tread water while she made a
decision.
Keep swimming further out
Try a different direction
Nah, better head back (click on back button)