Eredon's Conquest: Voyages to a Hidden Utopia

*

"Good morning, Princess Yvienne."

Yvienne's eyes shot open, and she rolled out of her bunk. The creaking of the ship's wood and the ocean waves splashing against the hull was drowned out by the sound of her heavy breathing. She had been trapped in this cabin for three days now, but now, a man's voice. Not just any man - she knew that voice. Eredon. Her heart pounded in her chest and she looked around wildly at the simple room, searching for a way out. There were no windows or doors; just a dresser and a chamber pot.

"What? Where are you?" she whispered, clutching her silk nightgown to her body as if it might protect her.

"Just outside your door," he said with that same deep chuckle she remembered from the ballroom so many years ago, when he had taken her hand and led her to this ship bound for who-knew-where. "I'd love to come in and join you for some breakfast, but I can't do that yet." He rattled something loudly on the wooden door. "You'll have to open up."

She whirled around to face the door, wondering what he could possibly be doing that required such a racket. After a few seconds, she heard him grunt with exertion and there was a sudden creak as he pushed his way into the cabin through a tiny gap between the door frame and the door itself. His grin was wolfish as he stood over her, so close that his breath brushed across her cheek as he spoke softly. "There we go. It's amazing what one can learn about lock picking by watching other people try it." He held up a large key ring and jingled it for effect before stowing it away in his jacket again.

"Eredon," Yvienne said quietly after a moment, "what is going on? Have you lost your mind?" Her voice rose slightly as she finished speaking, betraying her own panic despite trying to appear coolheaded in front of him. He laughed then, stepping back from her and folding his arms across his chest. He was dressed from head to toe in black leather armor with silver trimming, his sword hilt peeking out from the top of his waistcoat in the fashion of an old-world pirate captain. She couldn't help but notice how dashingly handsome he looked; how his red hair was longer than before, falling below his shoulders instead of being tied back tightly at the nape of his neck like it used to be; how those green eyes glinted with mischief instead of cold malice as they once did... He brought up one hand and swiped at an errant lock of hair that had fallen into his face before answering her question with another question: "Have I lost my mind? I don't know... How long did they say it takes to sail across the North Atlantic Ocean?"

She blinked at him slowly in confusion for a moment before realizing what he meant by that question -- suddenly making sense of everything in one fell swoop -- then turned away from him sharply as tears sprung into her eyes for reasons she didn't dare examine too closely right now. Eredon exhaled heavily and ran one hand through his hair before kneeling down beside her on one knee and resting both hands lightly on her shoulders; not grabbing or restraining or anything else that might make her fear him anymore than she already did. Instead he simply stayed silent beside her until finally Yvienne silently nodded towards the table beneath their porthole window where they had eaten their meals every day since leaving shore -- yes, they were still heading west towards America -- then stood up wordlessly and headed towards it without looking at him again. She waited until Eredon settled himself into one chair before sitting down herself in another; waiting another few moments until she felt brave enough to ask him why he came here in the first place if he wasn't planning on harming or raping - or worse - here; why he was taking such care not to frighten or hurt her when that was exactly what he promised would happen when they were alone together on this journey; why...?

"I'm tired," Eredon said suddenly after several minutes passed in silence between them while Yvienne ate quietly with only occasional glances up at him from under lowered eyelashes to gauge his reaction every time she happened to look at him sideways or out of the corner of her eye - always fearful that he would suddenly lash out at her unexpectedly - thinking about all that had happened since last winter when she had run away from home because life had become unbearable under Mother's rule; when she stumbled upon Eredon singing drunkenly outside Aretino's Inn and thought he might be able to show her some kindness given all that had happened between them last summer... Thinking about how excited Aretino was when she returned home after stealing Eredon's heart - and how crushed Mother was when it became clear Yvienne wasn't going anywhere anytime soon... Thinking about how cruel Eredon eventually became once they arrived here aboard this ship; how cruel everyone seemed these days...

"Yes," Eredon answered after a moment, glancing up at Yvienne thoughtfully while holding one finger up so she would wait until he finished talking before starting again herself. "It's been almost two months since we left port -- assuming we're still headed west towards America like we set out for when I signed on this voyage -- which means we should be reaching our destination sometime tomorrow afternoon." His expression darkened slightly at this realization as though something unpleasant had occurred to him all of a sudden but then shook off whatever it was quickly enough before continuing: "That being said... It appears as though I won't have any choice but to leave you behind after all..." His voice trailed off as he watched Yvienne carefully while biting down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood; waiting patiently while slowly shaking his head back and forth ever so slightly as though trying desperately not to laugh now despite earlier promising otherwise earlier when teasing about joining Yvienne for breakfast here aboard this ship...

Yvienne blinked at him slowly once more before realization dawned on her; putting two-and-two together even though logic told her there couldn't possibly be any way such an outlandish idea could possibly be true! And yet... And yet... She looked around wildly at their cabin again - thinking about how massive this ship appeared from shore even though it barely held twenty people including herself; thinking about how small their meal portions were each day despite having several courses (including dessert); thinking about how windy it always seemed outside even though their porthole faced dead west... A shiver ran down through her spine as cold dread filled every part of her body -- dread so overwhelming that even though she wanted nothing more than to scream bloody murder right now... To run screaming up above deck where everyone else aboard was sleeping off hangovers probably caused by drinking themselves stupid while they were ashore yesterday evening like unruly children who hadn't learned proper manners yet! Like pirates! -- even though there wasn't really any point in doing so because there wasn't anyone else onboard except them anyway... Even then she couldn't find words strong enough inside herself at that moment to express just how furious (and more importantly scared) she felt because everything made sense now! Everything! Suddenly everything made sense now! Slowly but surely over time leading up to today! All along during this entire journey! From start-to-finish! One course after another! One day after another! One thing after another! Until finally arriving here today! On this island near Iceland where there weren't any people or buildings or roads or cities or houses or farms or animals or anything else whatsoever inside its perimeter besides grassy hills dotted with trees covered entirely with snow! Nothing but trees just like back home which meant there wasn't anyone else within miles of them aside from themselves which meant Eredon must have known all along where they were heading all along which meant somehow -- someway -- they weren't sailing west towards America anymore which meant they weren't actually sailing anywhere anymore which meant somehow -- someway -- this entire journey had been nothing more than an elaborate charade designed solely for Yvienne's benefit... Designed solely by Eredon himself who must have known all along just what lay beyond Iceland because he came from here originally long ago many centuries ago back during the Dark Ages when Vikings ruled Europe everywhere save for Britain itself which wasn't nearly far enough away from Iceland for Vikings not to occasionally raid mainland Europe for booty especially once Christianity began spreading throughout Scandinavia during those same Dark Ages which lasted roughly five hundred years beginning roughly five hundred years after Rome fell which is why King Arthur's knights captured most Viking kings which is also why most Vikings fled eastward to Russia where they settled alongside other Vikings who raided British shores regularly (which is also why King Arthur rode off northward into Scotland!) which is also why most Britons banned women from writing because most Viking women wrote poetry (and therefore history!) which is also why most Vikings left Iceland behind during those same Dark Ages because Christianity grew stronger there among other reasons so most Vikings headed eastward again seeking new lands elsewhere during those same Dark Ages thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely thanks largely