Narrator's POV
1704

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

Psalm 8:3-4

A young girl sat on a stool, at the sacred docks of Madya, gazing thoughtfully out to the majestic ocean in front of her. The ocean gave her a gift of the horizon, symbolizing endless possibilities and adventure around every corner that she could only dream of.

In a world of strict orders and manners, Idina may have been young but had always felt confined and trapped in her privileged life. She lived a restrictive life due to the rigid formality of the royal court. She often dreamed of leaving her country to travel the world, but for now, she can only escape by painting.

Just like her siblings, she was born in the palace by the sea. Idina was rather unique compared to her brothers and sisters. She was quite outgoing, she adored the outdoors, and she loved being active. However, the rest of her family were not too keen on these traits. They did not believe that was how a proper princess should act.

Idina was painting before she learned how to write. It was her artistic way to escape her reality and hide in her imagination, and create a world where she can do whatever her little heart desired. Here, she is safe to run away. With her gaze to the sea, she held a palette that held blobs of all the colors she would need to create a shimmering ocean upon her canvas, and emulate the breeze through her oil paintings.

The young princess closed one of her innocent amber eyes and used the other to dart back and forth between her palette of colors and the turquoise water in front of her. Idina eyed a warm white shade with three different hues of teal, as well as a light and a dark shade of ocean blue. She dipped her brush in the white and began stroking her canvas with the prominent color to emulate sea foam.

Her parents, King Victor and Queen Narissa, were insistent that Idina learn how to play the piano, to give her a passion that would inspire and draw others to her with the beautiful instrument, just like her older brothers and sisters. Idina just so happened to be a lovely pianist with delicate fingers, however, she adored painting far more than playing the piano.

Continuing up the canvas, Idina included her lighter blue paint as well as one of her teal shades to express the wave turning at the bottom. Then, she stacked some of her dark teal to show the deep shadows of the wave. The thinnest part of the wave was painted with the lightest tone of teal to express how light passes through the water, giving her painting some dimension.

The foamy parts of the wave that were crashing down was created through the warm white paint she had on her palette, and she mixed it with a darker blue to create the sea foam that's in a shadow.

Playing around with dark colors and white to create shadows and highlights, Idina wiped her forehead with her hand and continued to paint. She was quite cautious to ensure that no paint would get on her serene dress of seashell white made of the finest silk, lace, and satin. She constantly looked out to the waves in front of her, with a little smile picking up her lips. She was very proud of her canvas.

Narissa was not lenient on any of her children adventuring around the kingdom without an escort, and the only child who wouldn't listen was Idina. So, when Narissa went into her chambers to bring Idina down for supper and couldn't find her, she knew exactly where to look for her.

A rich velvet cloak was draped over her lovely gown, where it was tied together around her slender neck so it wouldn't slip off. She strapped the thick hood over her face to remain anonymous while she was searching for her daughter. Narissa was a noble queen, beloved by all her people, although mysterious. However, her priority was to find Idina and bring her back home.

Queen Narissa was born in France as a princess, and was sent to marry Victor as a young woman. She was famed for her striking beauty, and known for being firm yet elegant. She ruled with an iron fist in a velvet glove. She had piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair, making her look ethereal, like a siren.

Narissa walked down to the dock, where she saw her little princess exactly where she has been scolded for going to multiple times. Narissa sighed softly, and slowly strolled down the dock.

Narissa had walked up right behind Idina just as she was brushing over the bottom of her painting, casting a thoughtful shadow upon the water. As she got closer, Narissa's shadow casted over the canvas, as if a real wave was coming to swallow Idina and pull her into the ocean.

Idina jumped when her focus was faltered. She promptly retracted her paintbrush in fear of accidentally destroying her favorite painting that she was so close to completing. She looked over her shoulder and up at her mother, who was looking down at her. She gulped softly, knowing the lecture to come.

"Idina, what is it that you are doing down here?" Narissa asked with her eyes focused on Idina like daggers. She stood over the young girl, who was intimidated by her tall stature.

"Just painting," Idina responded in a small voice. She thought her mom was a siren in a past life. Her ethereal beauty was enough to entice the strongest of sailors to their death. Her beauty terrified her daughter, because it made her look cruel.

"So close to supper time?" Her eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry."

Narissa squinted softly and noticed a patch of blue that stained Idina's round cheek. "Oh, dear. You have gotten paint on your face. You must take a bath before supper."

"Yes, mother. But, look at my painting!" Idina said excitedly. She carefully picked the canvas up and stood beside her mother so she could see.

Narissa barely glanced at the impressive painting and said, "it is nice dear, but why must you paint the ocean? Why not of animals, or your chambers?"

Idina lowered her canvas down glumly. "Because I like the ocean."

"I know you do, but you know how your father and I feel about you being down here by yourself. You are too young, and when you leave it scares us to death."

When the King was a young man, his younger brother, Henry, ventured out to the water. He was a teenager, and an avid swimmer. The currants around Madya are hazardous, but despite this the three royal brothers jumped into the ocean together after a hot day. Victor and his brother Charles survived, but Henry didn't. Victor and Charles had to run back to the palace and alert their family. A search party went looking for the young prince, but his body never recovered. Victor never stepped foot back into the water, and forbid all of his children from doing the same.

Idina sighed softly. She always attempted to find an escort for her journey down to the docks or the beaches of her kingdom, but not even her older siblings want to accompany her. "I am sorry, I won't do it again."

Narissa looked to Idina, who was staring at her own feet. She truly did believe her painting was remarkable, but her anger over Idina escaping the palace had overpowered her joy for the exquisite masterpiece. Not only was Idina disobeying, but she was displaying characteristics that the royal family cannot tolerate. This including Idina's wish to travel the world. She wanted something different, but her entire life was decided for her the moment she was born. Idina wasn't going to get different. She was going to be confined for the rest of her life. She needed to learn to accept that.

"There will come a day when you will find that our kingdom of Madya is all that you need to find happiness. We need you here to help build the future."

"When will I learn?" Idina asked softly.

"In time. I need you to stay on the ground. Can you do that for me?"

The young princess nodded softly.

"Come on, Pearl. Let's go home and get you cleaned up for supper," Narissa offered in a much kinder tone.

Pearl had been Idina's nickname ever since she was an infant. Used for its meaning of precious, Narissa and Idina both nearly lost their lives during Idina's birth. That day forward, Narissa has always seen Idina as her Precious Pearl.

Idina gathered her various paints and dirty brushes and placed them in her basket. Narissa offered to carry the painting, so Idina gave her explicit instructions to not smudge the paint en route to the palace.

Narissa walked slowly and with great poise, while Idina struggled to keep everything in her basket to avoid anything falling out. Narissa noted that this will be a lesson for Idina to learn in hopes that she won't do it again. This is when she noticed that Idina was barefoot, walking carefully along the hot stones to get back home.

Narissa did feel guilty for limiting Idina in something she truly adores. She held out the canvas and smiled gently as she admired the great detail her seven year old daughter accomplished in such a limited amount of time.

"Pearl, this truly is magnificent. The exquisite color, the elegant detail... I am impressed."

Idina looked up hopefully at her mother. "Do you like it?"

Narissa stopped walking and Idina did too. She turned to face her and she said, "like it? Darling, I love it. I can see that this is something that you are passionate about, and it warms my heart. However, it makes me quite nervous when you are down in the kingdom alone. Would you mind painting the unique decor of your bedroom, or the dog, perhaps?"

Idina nodded softly, knowing that her throat was too tight to say anything. It did not matter how old she became, she knew that her parents would always frown upon her request to go down to the water. And now, she had to accept that.

"Thank you, darling." She kissed Idina's forehead. "Let's head home. I'm famished."

Once they reached the palace, there were a few maids who were waiting for their ladies to return. One fetched the queens cloak while another swept Idina's basket from her arms.

Idina glanced down and noticed specks of various shades of blue and green paint on her dress of pristine white. She prayed that her mother wouldn't notice, but when she looked up, her eyes met with Narissa's. The flare in her nostrils showed that she already knew, and it made Idina gulp.

"I will see to it that you get dressed properly." Was all that she said.

Idina sighed softly and followed Narissa up the stairs. This was one reason why the king and queen favored the piano over painting, because the piano doesn't produce a mess.

"If you are going to paint, you must cover your garments. I don't want them to get ruined, because then you will have nothing to wear."

Idina stayed silent as they walked into her bedroom, where a maid had followed them in. She closed the drapes and she fetched a clean dress for Idina to wear for supper.

"I'll see to it that your dress is cleaned, your highness," the young maid promised.

"You shall see to it that Idina learns how to clean it herself," Narissa corrected. Despite having the staff who can accomplish these tasks for them, Narissa was certain to teach all of her children how to care for themselves, and to stay humble despite being royalty. She had successfully continued this for all of her children.

The young maid carefully handed a freshly pressed and folded dress to Idina and said to the queen, "yes, your majesty."

"Thank you," Narissa said.

Idina took the dress and walked behind a folding shoji, which is just a screen made of wood and lace to keep herself modest while she undressed. She shimmied the paint covered dress off her body and replaced it with a fresh one made of a soft pink fabric. As she put her arms through the sleeves, she noticed marks of paint that stained her hands and she could feel it drying against her pale skin.

Idina stepped out from the cover and the maid came around to lace the dress up from the back. Idina used her palm to try to rub the paint off of her cheek, but it wasn't coming off.

The young child could hear the distant lively music from the center of town fill her room. Almost entrancing her, she always loved this time of night when the towns people come together to dance. They dance like they are the happiest people in the world, and Idina can usually see them if she's sitting on her balcony. She loves to watch the party just beyond the trees, and always wishes one day she can join them.

"You will need water to wash that off. I expect it to be off before you come down for supper. I am quite unfounded with the mess you have made of yourself. Foolery should be done on your days of rest," Narissa stated.

"Painting is not foolery," Idina mumbled just as a bow was made in her laces to avoid them loosening throughout the dinner.

"A princess shouldn't mumble," Narissa scolded.

"Yes, mother," Idina replied loudly. She slipped on a small pair of ivory satin and leather shoes. 

Narissa inspected Idina's appearance and said, "as soon as you wash the paint off her cheek, you will be ready."

"For supper?" Idina asked. The maid came up beside her with a wet washcloth and began rubbing the stubborn paint away.

"With Krozar."

"Who is that?"

"Lutetia and Krozar are our neighboring countries, and your father is king of all three of them. We are part of the Paraiso Empire, and your father has people appointed to watch over Krozar and Lutetia while we are here, in Madya."

"So, we are having supper with the king of Krozar?"

"Something like that. He is the Grand Prince of Krozar. We have invited him and his family to join us for supper, and my wish is for you to become acquainted with their son, Frederick."

Idina's eyebrows stitched together, and the maid was just finishing cleaning her face. "Why?"

"Why must you ask every question? We shall meet them for our meal. Come along."

Idina and Narissa walked out of the bedroom and began their elegant stride down the endless hall. Idina was inspecting the way her mother walked to try to copy her every move. She straightened up her posture and kept her arms by her sides, letting them move with a slight sway. She took short strides, and felt confident in walking as if she had a stack of books on top of her head. Her big eyes gravitated to the multitude of portraits and numerous paintings that have hung on the walls of the castle for centuries. She has a connection with every single one of them, and could comfortingly feel all of her ancestors watching over her.

In the dining room, every chair at the table had the entire royal family seated and waiting for the queen and the princess, including the Grand Prince and Princess of Krozar and their family.

"There is my lovely daughter and my beautiful queen," Victor greeted with a fatherly smile.

Narissa smiled at everyone in greeting. She had lived by the phrase, 'a queen is never late. Everybody else is simply early". For this, she did not apologize for making everyone wait for their arrival. Instead she gave them a gracious smile, and took her seat beside her husband, the king.

Idina took her spot beside her brothers and sisters, where they all gave her a look of annoyance. They loved her, but wished she would learn. She looked down at her plate, and saw that they had begun the appetizers of veal stock soup, with bowls of fruit at the center of the table.

Idina tried to reach forward to grab a banana, but her older brother grabbed it for her instead since he is taller. She thanked him, and began peeling it.

"Idina, we do not peel our banana's like a primate," Narissa scolded her quietly.

Idina set the half peeled banana on the table and restrained from groaning. She did not understand how doing extra work just to eat a simple banana was acceptable, so instead she gripped her fork in one hand and a knife in the other, and cut into her banana.

Beside her sat Frederick, the son of the Grand Prince. His official title is Hereditary Grand Prince of Krozar. He was a quiet kid, and very obedient to his parents. His short black hair was styled perfectly out of his face, and his clothes didn't have a speck of dirt on the fabric. He is just a couple years older than Idina, but it was enough for him to want to just go home.

"Victor, we are so pleased that you invited us to spend supper with you all. It has been a while," the Grand Prince said while taking a sip of his wine.

"It has been far too long," Victor agreed.

Victor became king fifteen years prior. He inherited a country that was politically unstable to begin with, but he believed that he was appointed by God to rule his people. The family seemed out of touch with the population, which was why their people adored Princess Idina, because she actually spent time with them.

"Thank you for accepting our invitation," Narissa added.

"I was actually hoping I could run some matters by you, since we are already here."

"After supper. No business talk at the dinner table," Victor said.

"Oh, of course, sire."

Idina tended to ignore her father whenever he began discussing political agendas within the Paraiso Empire. She was too young to understand, and too young to care. Instead, she put her focus on Frederick, a boy her mother wanted her to get along with.

"After dinner do you want to go down to the docks? The water is still warm. We can sneak out through the garden, I know a way," Idina asked excitedly.

Frederick glanced at her and stuck up his nose. "No."

Idina frowned. "Why not?"

"It is because I don't want to. And the water is dangerous."

Idina giggled. "No, it's not."

"I still don't want to go."

Idina huffed and took a sip of her soup in thought. Then, she asked, "then would you want to play in the garden? There are lots of great hiding spots in there, my siblings and I play in there all the time!"

"Then ask one of them to play with you," he replied coldly.

Idina dolefully looked down at her bowl and sipped on another spoonful of the soup. She couldn't say that she didn't try to be friendly with Frederick, so she assumed that he was just shy. It was his first time visiting, and it was slightly awkward for everyone.

Idina tuned out all the conversations that were occurring around the table, because everyone had a talking partner besides her. However, once she heard her father say, "that's absurd," she decided to listen in on their conversation.

The Grand Prince responded, "I am aware. That's why I implore that you instill more power to me to take care of Krozar's needs."

"Are you implying that I am not capable of caring for Krozar?" Victor's eyebrow shot up.

"No, no, sire. I am not saying that at all. I am saying that you are the king of the Parasio Empire, and I am appointed to Krozar. You already have enough on your plate. Give me more power, give me more responsibility, and I will govern Krozar to the best of my ability."

Victor patted his lips with his napkin while in deep thought. Victor has never thought of the Grand Prince very highly, so he had a great fear if he gave him more power in Krozar, he may create a rebellion. The Grand Duke wishes to be king, emperor... and Victor knew that.

"We have time. Let's discuss this another time, shall we?"

The Grand Prince set his spoon down glumly. "Yes, we shall."

Idina stopped eavesdropping and went back to her soup. However, her eyes were drawn to her fathers. She could see the anxiety in his eyes that he refused to show anyone else. She didn't want to ask, but it wasn't a look she wanted to see again.

Thank you for reading the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed ❤️

Cover by icythoteveryday 🥰
And a big thank you to her for helping me out during the early stages of writing!!