Princess Amelie Hartmann of Goslar, Cadet of the Longbournian army

14 October, Year 1 of Sebastian VI, Emperor of the Longbournian Nations' reign

Unknown Location

I had experienced better days.

Drifting in a sea of almost pitch darkness, we were accompanied only by the echoes of waves crashing against rocks, the loud ticking of my timepiece that hung around my neck, the hollowness of our bellies, the fires in our throats, the stench of rotting fish and our own piss.

With the abundant amount of time I had on my hands, I had come to the conclusion that we were being held in a corner of the endless stretch of caves lining Amöneburg's coastline.

However, there was nothing I could do about it. We had not seen our captors since the day we had been brought to this wretched place, and those bastards were the only ones who knew the way out.

I drew my knees up against my chest, sighing.

Judging by the faint snores and even breathing I heard around me, it was clear that most of my colleagues who had been kidnapped alongside me had long fallen asleep. They had given in to the hunger, to the thirst, that had been plaguing us all for the past two days.

Sleep was the easiest escape out of this situation, after all.

Drip, drip, drip. Salt water continued to drip from the ceiling, and wetted the ground beneath my bottom.

I was so tempted to place my chapped lips on the cool ground and lick the water, that my whole body trembled with the need. However, I knew to do so would be the fastest way to meet my maker, and I had no wish to make His acquaintance so soon.

I could not afford to. Damn it, I wanted to live.

I was only sixteen. I still had so many dreams I wanted to fulfil, so much more I wanted to achieve. I had not fought to be able to attend the Academy, only to die in this desolate corner of the world.

Even though my mentors at the Academy disliked me, even though I added wood to the fire every day by breaking the rules, and choosing to train and study at my own pace, I still loved learning all about warfare, working hard, and becoming a better warrior under their tutelage.

It had been my dream to become a warrior, to be able to fight for my Emperor and my people for as long as I could remember. I had grown up listening to my nursemaid narrate to me the tales of the infamous Crown Princess Consort Juliette of Monrique, who was her country's first Lady Knight, and the first female Commander General of the Monriquan Armed Forces.

Many a time, I had pleaded with my parents to hire an Arms Master to train me, so that I could become as strong, courageous and skilled as the Lady Knight of Monrique.

But I had always been denied. My mother used to tell me it was a foolish dream, and that I was an even more foolish girl.

I was the youngest of my nine siblings, and the fourth daughter of my parents, the Prince and Princess Consort of Goslar. I was handed over to my nursemaid shortly after my birth, and my parents never met me unless it was for dispensing important information, or disciplinary measures.

It used to bother me at first, but I became accustomed to it over time.

As had all my older sisters, I was expected to make a grand marriage when I came of age, bear my rich husband countless heirs to bestow his riches upon, manage his household and uphold his family honour in front of society.

It was society's expectations, and as always, society's expectations were my parents' expectations.

Warfare and politics were men's work. Indeed, whoever heard of a Princess taking up arms? She did not fight, but was fought for. She did not defend, but was defended. It had always been the way of the world, and society was content in keeping it that way.

I was not.

I did want children of my own someday to raise, a family whom I could love and cherish, but at the same time, I also wished to follow my dreams and become a warrior, just as the Lady Knight had.

Was that too much to ask for?

None of my family members had ever understood this. As a result, I had trained on my own with my brothers' old weapons in secret, and evaded the eagle eyes of all my caretakers for many years.

However, I knew this could not go on forever. I needed formal training.

Thus, even before my parents had arranged my marriage to a man twenty years my senior without my consent, I had applied for a position at the then newly-founded Academy.

The moment my parents had found out about it, they tried to do everything to dissuade me. Blackmail, bribery, threats, and even corporal punishment. It was the first time they paid any attention to me in all of my sixteen years, and it was satisfying, as much as it was painful.

When none of that worked, they had me imprisoned in my own chambers without food and water, and told me that they would release me only if I rescinded my application, and agreed to the wedding.

Mayhap they had underestimated how much I wanted to go. It took me several days to plot and scheme, but eventually, I managed to escape my chambers, and I ran away, hard and fast, from Goslar.

I did not look back. Not even once. Shortly after I reached the Academy, I heard that my parents had disowned me, but I barely felt the sting. It was hard to miss people who were never truly mine to miss in the first place.

In these few months alone, the Academy had become the only home I had ever truly known and loved, the one place I truly was happy, and I intended to return to it in one way or another.

Preferably alive.

With that thought, I summoned the little energy I had left. "Psst. Psst."

After what felt like an eternity, I heard a faint disruption in breathing, and a slight creaking of bones, as someone turned on their back. "Who is it?"

Hope flared in my chest. "'Tis me, Amelie," I whispered, "Amelie Hartmann. Can you see in the dark? Could you come closer so that I can speak to you?"

"A little. I can see your outline, but that is all," the same voice answered, heavy with sleep, "hold on, I will come."

A few moments later, I felt the warmth of another human, as I vaguely made out the figure of a young girl slouching next to me.

"I am here, Amelie," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly, "and I am Louisa Eichmann, by the way."

I nodded. I had known Cadet Eichmann even before she had joined the Academy. Before she became Cadet Eichmann, she had been Princess Louisa of Quedlinburg, the only daughter of the Prince and Princess Consort of Quedlinburg. I had met her many a time at the social gatherings my parents had dragged me to against my will.

She was one of the fortunate ones. While many of us had to go against our families and friends to attend the Academy, the Prince and Princess Consort of Quedlinburg had been more than happy to allow Louisa to apply for it. Encouraged it, even.

They did not share society's opinion on many things.

At the Academy, Louisa and I had only spoken once or twice whenever we met in the hallways, because she and I were in different squads due to differences in our age and skills.

"Greetings, Louisa," I nodded in her direction, before raising my voice slightly, "are there any others who are awake?"

I received no answer.

"Nay, I do not think so," Louisa answered tiredly, "why, is something the matter?"

A bitter smile crossed my lips. "You do not think our imprisonment is something to worry about?"

"I barely have the energy to worry about myself, Amelie."

"Which is why it is essential to act now," I pointed out, "I have wasted two days waiting for our captors to return, so that I can wheedle some information out of them on how to get out of these caves – but no more. If we wait any longer, we are certain to die."

I heard her take in a sharp breath. "Are you suggesting that we escape on our own?" she sounded frightened, "Amelie, we can barely see two steps ahead of us. And – "

" – we do not have light, map or the energy to do so, I know," I finished for her, my voice fierce, "but we have to try. We are the only ones who can." I gestured to the sleeping bodies all around us.

"If we stay here, there is a slight possibility that our captors might return soon, and bring us back to the Academy," she argued, "but if we try to escape ourselves, and get lost along the way, no one will ever find us. In that case, we will definitely perish."

I agreed with her earlier statement. I did not think those bastards went through all that trouble to capture us, only for us to die. I suspected that they were using us as leverage to get what they wanted from the Academy.

But we were running out of time to wait.

"Louisa, we may not be alive by the time they return," I reasoned with her, "you know we cannot survive without water for more than a few days. And it has already been two days since we were brought here."

Louisa remained silent.

"If we are going to die either way, I would rather we die trying to escape, instead of die giving up on ourselves," I continued softly, "but imagine this: if we do succeed, we can find our way to the Academy, and then lead the Corporals here. After that, all of us can put this nightmare behind us."

She leaned her head against my shoulder, defeated. "Amelie, I am so tired," she mumbled, "I want to go home."

Home. The Academy was, and would always be, our home.

"As do I," I admitted, "and we owe it to ourselves to at least try and find our way back. There is no one else here to help us, except ourselves. Will you come with me?"

After a long time, she sighed, and pushed herself upright with great effort, nodding in agreement. "Do you have a plan?"

I placed a hand into my pockets, and pulled out a small, drawstring purse full of coins. "I must tell you that I have not thought this through," I confessed sheepishly, "but it is a start."

***

Four hours later, as Louisa had feared, we were lost.

"Mayhap we should follow the coins back to the intersection, and take the other trail," she suggested anxiously.

I stared hard at the rocky dead end in front of me, feeling my eyes prick with frustrated tears.

We had been dragging ourselves on our knees in a single file in the complete darkness, and following the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks, for hours now. Moreover, we had marked our trail with my coins along the way, so that we could retrace our steps if necessary.

And it had been necessary. We had retraced our steps so many times, that I was close to pulling my hair out of its roots. Every step we took towards the end of this wretched cave seemed to demand two steps in regression, and it was absolutely maddening.

Where was our progress? Why did it feel like all of this was for nothing?

I was exhausted, I was dizzy, I was hungry, I was thirsty, and I wanted to give up already.

Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Amelie, have faith," Louisa mumbled, "we are very close to the end."

"You are just saying that to make me feel better," I shook my head heavily, "damn it, I am so sorry for putting you through this."

"Nay, I am telling you the truth," she insisted, "listen - the waves are much louder now, compared to when we had first started. I truly do think we are nearing the end. Come now, let us get back to the intersection." She squeezed my shoulder, and I heard her turn away.

Sighing, I turned around, and let her lead the way this time. We felt for the coins on the ground to find our way back to last intersection, and picked each one of them up until we reached there. Once we were at the intersection, we began to lay the coins along the second trail, as we moved along.

Halfway along, for the first time in four hours, I felt the beads of perspiration on my neck cool slightly. While Louisa continued to crawl ahead in front of me, I paused.

If I stayed very still, I could feel a slight breeze brush against my cheeks. I bit my lip, squashing the hope that was beginning to bloom within me, as I leaned forward to sniff the breeze.

Salt.

"Louisa," I breathed, "Louisa, do you feel that?"

I heard her stop. "I beg your pardon?"

"Stay still," I instructed, "do you feel the sea breeze?"

A few moments passed, before I heard her release a sharp breath. "Holy Mary, Mother of God," she whispered exultantly, "we will not stop now, Amelie. By God, we will not stop." Her voice was filled with fervour, and abundant relief.

And indeed, we did not stop, or even slow down in the slightest after that.

We kept on crawling, until the breeze grew stronger and stronger, until we felt sunlight envelope us with its warmth and almost blind our eyes with its brightness, until the waves grew so loud we could hardly hear ourselves think, until the water level reached our waist.

When we reached the mouth of the cave, we raised ourselves to our feet for the first time in two days. Our joints creaked and our muscles ached, but we stood up straight against the midday sun, with victory singing high and loud in our blood.

We closed our eyes, and breathed in the fresh, albeit a little salty, air.

Finally.

Almost at once, we were doused with sea water from head to toe by a wave.

My eyes flew open. I coughed and spluttered, rubbing my eyes clear, while Louisa clung hard to one of the rocks next to the cave so that she would not be washed away.

We took one look at our sorry selves – our soiled uniforms clinging to our forms, our bodies covered with moss and seaweed, our hair, mahogany and gold, sticking to our pale and drawn faces, our shocked, bloodshot eyes staring at each other – and burst out into laughter, clutching our sides.

I did not know what was so funny. There was nothing amusing about our situation.

Even now, I knew that we still had a long stretch of rocks to scale with our bare hands and feet before we could reach the carriage path. We would still have to wait by the side of the path for hours until a merchant's cart came along, and could bring us to the heart of the town – and we still had to travel on foot to the Academy after that.

But for the moment at least, I could not care less.

We had achieved the impossible. We were free. We laughed so long, and so hard, that the waves carried our voices with them into the ocean.

And in that moment, cradled between the waters below and the skies above, we were infinite.

***