Crossing Paths

Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom, there lived a princess. She was an average-looking princess with pale green eyes and long brown hair. Nothing special. Special were her two younger sisters Amelia and Penelope. They both had striking red hair and bright blue eyes. So it was a shame to the eldest princess Ophelia that she was to be married. For she was not as beautiful as her younger siblings and besides, she had other things she longed to do.

For as long as Ophelia could remember, she had wanted to sail the sea. She longed for adventures on sandy beaches and in crystal waters. But alas, her father the King insisted that she was to be married. She supposed marriage wouldn’t be all that bad if she got to choose. But she had been betrothed to a prince named Edward from a neighboring kingdom. He was said to be very handsome, which made their match even more unsettling when she viewed herself as quite plain. She begged her father to stop this marriage but he refused. He was getting old, and it was a tradition that the eldest princess and her husband were to rule the kingdom. When she continued to beg him, he locked her in her room, so as she couldn’t leave. He had to leave the kingdom to someone after all.

Ophelia cried hot tears, and as they streamed down her cheeks she longed for her mother. Her mother was always the voice of reason and would have been able to talk down her father. If only she hadn’t left him years ago. Ophelia began to daydream of what she would do if her situation was different. “I shall find a big boat and join the crew. I shall become a daring pirate. A female pirate! How queer!” she thought to herself. She suddenly was struck with an idea. She ran to her trunk and took out all of her bedsheets. She began to tie them all together until she had a makeshift rope. She hooked the end around the foot of her bed and threw it out of her window. It swung a few feet from the ground. She looked around and began to pack a bag. She shed her royal gown and crown and donned her riding pants, boots, and shirt. She tossed a few more necessities in her plainest bag and removed all her royal jewels, save for the emerald necklace nestled on her chest. It was something her mother gave her before she left.

She tossed her bag over her shoulder and began to make her way down her rope. Her path was lit by the full moon. She reached the bottom and jumped the last few feet to the ground. She looked around and saw no guards pursuing her. She ran to the stables and put the saddle onto her horse. The horse pawed at the ground and snorted, not used to being disturbed at this time of the night. The princess comforted him and mounted him. She rode in the darkness until she reached the shoreline. There were many ships being loaded and unloaded. But which to board? She approached a man sitting under the canopy and sold him her horse. She hid her money in her bag and headed over to the smallest boat. There were 7 or 8 men loading things onto the boat. She took a deep breath and approached the men, then asked if she could board.

The captain sized her up and agreed to bring her on, on the condition that she would help to care for his daughter. Her mother had passed and having no other relatives, she had no choice but to sail the seas with her father. Ophelia agreed and boarded. She was introduced to all the other sailors and the child named Bree. She was shown her quarters and she hid her bag underneath her bed. She sat down and pondered all the things she left behind. Surely by now her father and sisters had realized she was gone. Surely the prince was to be arriving soon. She would love to see the look on his face when he arrived to find his betrothed gone! It made her laugh to imagine his face.

The boat had sailed for a few weeks before it stopped again. Ophelia took Bree to the beach to explore while the captain and crew began their day of trading and loading. When they returned, there was a handsome man shaking hands with the captain. He boarded the boat. Ophelia asked who he was. The captain informed her that he was to be the new cook onboard. He had been raised in the royal kitchens learning to cook and was able to make many exquisite dishes. That night after dinner, he approached Ophelia and spoke to her.

She was very beautiful to him, and he asked if she would consider talking to him. She agreed. They talked and laughed for half the night. She offered to help him clean up the kitchen. He was very handsome after all. She enjoyed his company and he enjoyed hers. While scrubbing a plate, Ophelia dropped it onto the floor. She immediately dropped to the floor and tried to pick it up. He did the same. Their hands touched and their eyes met. The plate lay forgotten on the floor as they leaned toward one another. They embraced each other and shared a kiss. As they parted she began to laugh.

She didn’t even know his name, and she told him so. He chuckled and introduced himself as Edward. She began to tell him a story of a man she was once betrothed to named Edward. He was a handsome prince and she ran away from her kingdom to have an adventure. His eyes widened as she told him this. He informed her that he was also betrothed to a princess. The kingdoms never united because of a mistake in their kingdom, and this princess’s name was Ophelia. They looked at each other. She told him that Ophelia was her name. They were the two meant to be married in order to unite their kingdoms. Ophelia threw her head back and laughed. Edward chuckled too. If they both had not run away from their kingdoms, they might have been stuck in a marriage they hated. Ophelia and Edward decided to stay on that boat and live out their lives on the seas. They had many adventures and many children and always told the story of the princess that climbed out of her window and of the prince that found her in the kitchen of a ship.