Chapter 34: Esmeralda Screws Up

Sleep eluded Mia that night. The makeshift walls of her tent rustled ceaselessly in the wind. Every once in a while, leaves would scrape against it, the sound like claws dragging across the fabric. At times, she could almost hear something in the whistling gusts...a low rumble...or perhaps a ghostly moan. It kicked her imagination into an unfortunate overdrive. Thought after frightening thought flashed through her mind, and she spent a good hour tossing and turning in her sleeping bag until finally settling into an uneasy slumber. That, combined with the fact that she’d retired an hour earlier than usual due to fatigue from the day’s activities meant that...she fell asleep at pretty much the same time she always did.

Anyway, she endured a difficult night before waking to the shrill sound of even stronger winds the next morning. The violent creaking of tent poles made her leap to her feet, her eyes wide and alert.

“Wh-What in the moons is going on?!”

A quick survey of her surroundings revealed that Esmeralda and Nina were nowhere to be found. The only person still waiting for her was Anne. For a bit of added context, it bears mentioning that the winds had picked up long before Mia began to stir. In other words, the noise had quickly woken everyone except Mia, who continued to snooze happily through the windy rustling, and none of them had the heart to disturb her slumber.

“Good morning, milady. I’m sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but something seems to be wrong. We should get you changed and join the others as quickly as possible.”

“All right, help me with these then.”

With Anne’s help, she hastily slipped on her outerwear and stepped out of the tent...only to be blown off her feet by a blast of wind. She was saved from a painful stumble by Anne’s timely intervention and managed to right herself with some effort.

“This is some wind...”

They’d made camp on a patch of high ground some distance from the shore. A number of large trees that grew around the perimeter had served as anchors for their tents, but even their stout branches—some as thick as the pillars in a castle—were groaning loudly from the windy assault. Thick, gray clouds moved at a dizzying pace overhead. There was no rain, but in the distance, blinding white streaks flashed intermittently, linking sea to sky. It was all very unsettling, as if the world itself was coming apart.

“Miss Mia! We have a problem! Ooooh, we have a problem!”

Esmeralda appeared, dashing toward her with the look of someone who’d seen a ghost.

“My, what’s gotten you so worked up?” asked Mia, cocking an eyebrow at her friend’s pale-faced panic.

Her calm demeanor lasted all of three seconds—exactly until she heard Esmeralda’s next words.

“It’s gone... The Emerald Star is gone!”

“...Eh?”

Mia stared agape, her brain struggling to process the implications of the statement.

Esmeralda led the way down to the shore. Mia trailed behind her, slack-jawed at the sight of a beach entirely unrecognizable from the one she saw the day before. The shoreline was much closer now, and waves pounded violently against it. Less than a third of the sandy beach remained unsubmerged. Most worryingly, the Emerald Star, instead of floating off the coast in the spot she remembered, had vanished without a trace.

“It... It couldn’t have been pirates, could it?” whispered Esmeralda, voice thick with fear.

“I doubt it. The Star’s crew probably went looking for a lee to shelter from this storm.” Keithwood strolled up, speaking in a cool, composed tone. He narrowed his eyes at the sky where dark clouds were beginning to swirl. “I had my concerns yesterday, and it looks like I was right. We’re in for a tempest.”

“Whatever happens, it’s dangerous for us to stay here. We should start looking for a place where we can hide from the storm,” Sion urged.

Keithwood and Abel nodded at the suggestion.

“Miss Esmeralda, do you know of any safe spots on this island? A cave, even, would be useful right now.”

“I, um... No, I only know my way around this beach...”

Sion’s lips drew into a line.

“I see. So none of us know what lies on this island beyond the shore.”

“Milord, I recommend forming a reconnaissance party. We can perhaps ask Princess Mia or Lady Esmeralda for some of their guards. Or I can go myself.”

“No, splitting up right now is too risky. If we move, we move together,” Sion declared with finality before frowning and looking around. “Speaking of which...where are the guards? Mia, where did you send your people?”

Only then did Mia realize that the two members of the Princess Guard, who were supposed to be protecting her around the clock, were nowhere to be found. Esmeralda’s retinue, likewise, were also gone. That meant their group had been reduced to only seven people: the two princes, Keithwood, and Mia and Esmeralda along with their maids, Anne and Nina. Somehow, every last one of their guards had disappeared into thin air!

What in the moons is happening right now?

Esmeralda’s creepy tale reappeared in Mia’s mind. She remembered how, after talking about the ghosts roaming the island, she’d gleefully moved on to further horrors...like an empty ship found at sea, passengers mysteriously vanished into thin air... A chill ran down her spine, making her shudder. The process of shuddering shifted her gaze just enough for her to notice Esmeralda fidgeting with her hands. She frowned, looking her up and down. There was a strange uneasiness about her. After a moment, Mia’s eyes lit up with comprehension.

“...Esmeralda, this was your doing, wasn’t it?”

She eyed her questioningly.

“M-My doing? Wh-Whatever do you mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with blatantly feigned ignorance.

Mia took a few menacing steps toward her. She backed away sheepishly.

“Don’t play dumb with me. You sent your guards back to the boat last night, didn’t you? And you even managed to talk my guards into following them...”

“Th-Th-That’s not true! Wh-Why would I possibly do something like that?”

Mia deigned no reply. She simply glared. And glared. And glared. Eventually, Esmeralda broke.

“Hnnngh, w-well, I... I thought you might want some privacy...so you can have some, you know, intimate conversations you wouldn’t want the guards overhearing. And if not you, then maybe one of the princes might appreciate it. It’s a reasonable thing to do. I was being considerate.”

In summary, she kept Nina and Anne around to help with personal needs, but she shooed away the guards, figuring they’d be a nuisance if Mia and Abel wanted to take things to the next level, so to speak. Which was definitely none of Esmeralda’s business, but she had decided to insert herself nonetheless.

And that’s not all... thought Mia as she studied Esmeralda’s face. This is about her too. I bet she was thinking “This way, maybe Prince Sion will be tempted to come chat with me too.” I swear, this girl... She shook her head. When is she going to get her head out of the clouds? Sion? Approaching her? Please.

With utter derision, she dismissed Esmeralda’s fanciful hopes of romance. Not that she was one to talk, considering her behavior in the previous timeline, but again, something something memory horizons, something something stone’s throw away.

“Shelter first, talk later. Keithwood, take the lead.”

At Sion’s urging, the group began moving.