“Okay well, that man, his name was Shrago. He has been a member of my crew for the past year when I set a course at King Wolfrim’s approval. I took this ship to see my Kingdom and explore the world. I wanted to do this before my obligations of my palace role and the desire that everyone seems to have, for me to marry would commence. Shrago was one of the men that Wolfrim personally approved to go with me, to serve and protect me. Until recently, I realized what the true reason was. He intended for Shrago to keep watch over me and to report anything that Shrago thought the king should be made aware of.” Rosaleen squints like she is visualizing them before her, but the only thing that is really in front of her is the rolling waves of the ocean.

Rosaleen continues, “About few months ago we were here at this exact island. It was my first time visiting this area. Shaylo, who was his wife, Izavelle, Soolena and I came to the shore. We continued to the nearby town, exploring the shops and taking in the sites. To my surprise, the people in the town recognized me as someone else, a person by the name of Newlyn. Newlyn is a familiar name to me. It connects to my past. I didn’t correct these strangers and instead listened to their light conversations that they were having with me. Izavelle and Soolena were engaged in these conversations of this so-called Newlyn and truly curious while Shaylo kept silent. In retrospect, I understand why, but at the time, I just assumed that she wanted to return to the ship. Izavelle and Soolena were able to piece together where we could find this Newlyn. I was curious to see the person that I resembled. We ended up traveling to a secluded estate that wasn’t far from the town. We entered the open ten-foot double iron gates of Newlyn’s property and reluctantly Shaylo followed. Shaylo’s argument at first was that we should stick to our day’s plan and not disturb this stranger; however, I ignored Shaylo’s suggestion. My curiosity was immense, and to my luck, Newlyn was there. We met and it was like peering into a mirror.

When I was young, I was told that my mom, Newlyn had left the Palace and years later, she had died. I never attended a funeral, but as a young child, I accepted what I had been told as truth. It turns out, that this woman was my mother. When we came face to face, she immediately recognized me and pulled me into her arms, holding me and hugging me as she cried. She thought that I had been killed because I have been kept away from the public, and she was surprised and in shock that I was standing before her. Izavelle, Soolena, Shaylo, and I spent the entire afternoon at her home. Newlyn explained what had happened to her and my father, the real King Wolfrim and making a point to watch Shaylo. Newlyn’s eyes burning with anger at Shaylo as if daring her to argue the truth or make a move.

Shaylo is a proud person and in hindsight, I can see why she didn’t try to avoid Newlyn’s home in order to avoid detection. Sometimes the smartest people make the most stupid decisions. Shaylo could have made up any excuse to leave and go back to the ship, but she didn’t. I think it was part curiosity because, from what I understand even Shaylo didn’t truly know the exact location of my mother’s whereabouts, and the second is I think that she truly thought that justice would not come to her, and that she could somehow talk, or fight her way out of any confrontation.

Before my mother explained her story, this is how I understood my past. The King Wolfrim that is currently in power, the Imposter. I didn’t always know him to be the Imposter that my mother calls him, but I did always know that he wasn’t my real father. To the outside world, people didn’t know any different, and I always acted like he was my family. In my reality, he was a dear friend to my family, and it was explained to me that when I was young my real father asked the Imposter, to take over and rule for him. Apparently, my Father didn’t want any part in me or my mother and abandoned his obligations and his family. As a young child, I felt lost but never questioned it. The Imposter King Wolfrim took advantage of my vulnerability, and in a way used it to draw me in. Needing someone to love me, I quickly learned to love him as my new father. The Imposter also explained that my mother was heartbroken by my real father’s departure and never returned to the Kingdom, leaving me in the care of the imposter, King Wolfrim. The Imposter had explained to me that my mother wanted me continue to live the life of a Princess, I believed this; that my father and mother left me, years later I was told that my mother had died and my father was never heard from. Newlyn, in a single afternoon turned everything upside down and explained everything about my Family’s past.”

Rosaleen explained to me that her real father always had a couple of people around. They were his protection and his help that assisted in his duties. These people were his look-a-likes whose responsibilities were to represent the real King Wolfrim at public functions because her real father enjoyed and preferred that his time be spent outside of the public eye. His time was high in demand, and these substitutes were used to stand in for him. After years of representing the real King Wolfrim, the substitutes wanted to retire after their initial agreement had ended with the King. When the substitutes voiced this to Rosaleen’s father, he refused their request and refused to pay them more in an attempt to coax them into staying. He ordered them to continue to serve. These substitutes did not like the idea of being kept and instead, plotted and managed a short-lived success in escaping the Kingdom. They were captured soon after and imprisoned for treason. One of the substitutes was clever enough to bribe and make a promise to a palace guard to set in motion his escape on a night when Rosaleen’s Mother, Newlyn was not with Rosaleen’s real Father and a simple switch was made. The real king was imprisoned in the clever substitute’s place and soon after put to death by his own treason ruling. The imposture that Rosaleen had always thought of as a second father and a friend ordered his allies to take her mother away. Newlyn was given a small group of servants to live in a secluded area of the world. She was stripped of all her titles. The Imposter King Wolfrim who is now in power ordered her to never think of returning, or revealing the truth, or else her daughter Rosaleen would be murdered. Newlyn had feared, despite the threat on her daughter’s life that the imposter King Wolfrim had murdered Rosaleen regardless of his warning because in her heart she could not see why or how such a killer and traitor would stand to raise a child whose father he had grown to despise.

I took a moment to absorb her story and could not help, but say, “That is insane, so you are the only true heir to the thrown and this imposter killed your father and banished your mom, and you just happened to find your mother after all of this time, and by accident?” Rosaleen nods to confirm.

Scratching my head, I say, “I don’t mean to come off as insensitive, but I am starting to understand what Izavelle means.” I sigh in disbelief to this twisted tale. Rosaleen simply draws in the sand. She knows that I am still taking it all in and gives me the time to let this all sink in.

Rosaleen murmurs, “Taylan the only people who know that I know the truth were the people that were there that day with me.” I don’t know why but I focus on Rosaleen’s pearl pendant necklace that my mother made for her, and she is rolling one of the three pearls on her chain in between her index finger and thumb. It distracts me, maybe all this talk about her family and those pearls they are reminding me of my own family. She says, “You are so innocent and removed from everything. My heart is telling me to trust you, and you do need to know this to understand the big picture. Never speak of this to anyone.” She pauses as if reading my thoughts and continues, “Ashlea will be informed as well, and I instructed Soolena to tell her.”

“I understand.” I look at her while touching her hand to acknowledge. “Rosaleen, so where does Shaylo and Shrago fit into all of this?”

“Shaylo and Shrago were not my true servants they were eyes for the Imposter, King Wolfrim. Shaylo was with us and knew that Newlyn was my mother, but I didn’t know this until my mother pulled me aside and spoke to me alone. I think that Shaylo didn’t try to make a run for it because she also may have been hoping for some sort of truce with being a part of the reuniting of a mother and daughter. I am not sure what goes on in Shaylo’s twisted head. She didn’t run, or really, fight, she did fight with words. Maybe it was because she knew she was outnumbered. Who knows? Anyways, Newlyn explained that Shaylo was at the Imposter, King Wolfrim’s side along with her husband Shrago the night that my mother was banished from the Imposter King Wolfrim Palace. Shaylo showed no loyalty to my mother, or for the people that were banished with her. Shaylo and Shrago were a part of the imposter’s inner circle; Newlyn realized this the night she was sent away. She asked Shaylo to allow for her servant, Zethel to continue to stay and look after me, just to have someone she trusted to care for me. Shaylo laughed in her face saying, that she would never suggest it, or give her any hope that her daughter would be cared for or could even survive through the Imposter King Wolfrim’s reign. Shaylo made the final order to send my mother away and just like that, it was done.” Rosaleen takes a breath, draws more lines in the sand with her toe, and continues.

“My mother suggested leaving Shaylo with her because if it ever got back to her husband Shrago that I discovered my mother, it would certainly get back to the imposter, which would change everything for me. I agreed to it. Zethel offered herself to take Shaylo’s place as part of my crew.”

“Rosaleen, what about Shrago he must have known something was up when you all returned without his wife and with Zethel instead?”

Rosaleen admits, “Shrago knew that something had happened. He asked me, and I simply advised that I believed there may be hostility in the area towards my father’s Kingdom and ordered Shaylo to stay back and observe. I told him that we would move along our course so that our ship wouldn’t attract the attention of the locals and then loop around back over the next few months and retrieve her.”

“Did Shrago accept this?” I ask.

“Yes, he had no choice; I am the one in charge. He asked if he could join her to help on the Island, and I reminded him that King Wolfrim ordered him to remain by my side. Shrago was conflicted and knowing that if he were to leave me, his life would become more difficult by disobeying the king than letting his love slip away from him. He accepted and I assured him that it would only be for a short time, and we would eventually go back for her.”

“What about Zethel, he must have recognized her when she came onto the ship?” I ask.

“He wasn’t there to meet us when we returned that evening. Zethel has never appeared to be a part of the group that included me, Izavelle and Soolena. Izavelle immediately took Zethel to her new living quarters and discreetly trained her as a house cleaner to clean the living quarters of the ship. No one really pays attention to the cleaners.

Izavelle trained her and handed her off to the younger staff that had no idea who she was other than the fact that she was a new face having been recently recruited from the Island. The nice thing about the younger generations on board my ship is they have no knowledge to any of what I have shared with you. They are as clueless as the public.”

I ruminate all the information in silence and draw a conclusion, “So Shrago attacked me because he despised what you put him through, with leaving Shaylo behind and alone?”

She cannot bring her eyes to mine, but instead wraps here arms around her knees and sets her gaze somewhere in the sand, her hair is slowly changing to a shiny tan color. She replies, “Yes, I think that he saw how I have warmed to you and Ashlea, perhaps he worried that the bond that I once had with his wife was fading away and maybe that made him question whether I would really go back for Shaylo? I think that the arrival of you and Ashlea made him worry, and I think that seeing the two new assistants made him that much more paranoid or stressed for his wife maybe not returning to her role by my side. I guess that he wanted to get back at me for sending his wife off, so he attacked you.”

The waves are rolling up onto the sand, the light rhythmic swishing sound, such a beautiful relaxing place and oddly enough, I am trying to figure out why the worst experience of my life happened.

Rosaleen finally speaks, and with a shrug of her shoulders as though she is playing down everything that has happened to me in the last twenty-four hours, “You know Taylan, Shrago is better off dead. I couldn’t just kill him even after knowing what my mother shared. It would have not reflected well for the rest who live and work on my ship. Your attack in a way, it was a good thing because it gave the ideal reason to get rid of him; he was a danger, not only for attacking you, he was also aligned with the Imposter.”

I shake my head in disbelief to her, “Do you expect me to buy that?” I accuse, “You knew deep down that this would probably happen, and you did nothing to prevent it?” I get up in a rush and walk down the beach away from Rosaleen. Just what I thought… Rosaleen was hoping that Shrago would screw up with the arrival of Ashlea and me. We were bait. Rosaleen catches up to me and jumps in front, drawing me to a halt. She extends both of her arms to catch my shoulders and holds me firmly within her grasp.

“STOP” she roars, “I am your Princess, your Master.”