"Beach!" Exclaimed all the old people while I stood there with an ankle-length dress and heels with a parasol in my hand, staring at the water, feeling sick all over again.

We left for the island the next day of the feast.

Mother and Father had already purchased a ship for this purpose and I was all too ready to have my first water voyage.

We also had, Aiden's fiance's family, Da Villa family travelling with us, who also wanted to check their daughter's wedding destination.

I was so excited for this day. I had already packed my luggage a week ago. And I was beyond happy when I knew that we had a whole big ass ship all to ourselves.

But a minor...no, a super major problem arrived when the ship started moving and my stomach started rumbling and the next second, I was throwing up rainbows on the floor.

I never knew I had seasickness.

It was really embarrassing, cause mother, father and Aiden came rushing and started asking obvious questions while babying me. I was reminded of my first day in this world all over again when mother started crying and father called for a doctor while Aiden (Aiden being an additional figure) picked me up and plopped me down on the stretcher while Seanna tried soothing my crying mother.

All the while, Aiden's in-laws were watching from the sidelines.

Ah, the embarrassment.

We left in the evening so we could reach the island the next morning, but I could barely stand 10 minutes before throwing up.

Hence I got minimum to no sleep.

My seasickness disappeared as soon as the ship stopped and I requested my parents to let me stay in the ship and get some sleep for a few hours while they go over the details and purchase the island.

They agreed and Seanna volunteered to stay with me till I feel better.

After getting a few hours of nap, I was feeling refreshed, so I made my way outside with Seanna.

The island was truly breathtaking.

It had soft white sand near the land touching the ocean and a bit darker on the inside where forest land started.

The weather was just perfect. Even though it was winter in the capital, it never snowed, just some occasional hail storms. I was worried about the cold near the ocean but it was perfectly sunny today and the breeze was cool, complementing each other.

I was standing there, mesmerised by the beauty when I saw father signing some documents then passing it to the head of the Da Villa family.

We had the rest of the day to ourselves and all of them decided to enjoy the water.

All the couples, mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Da Villa, Aiden and Jasmine were talking a walk along the shore, occasionally splashing water at each other while I just silently sat on the sand under a tree beside Seanna with a fancy parasol in my hand (for protection from sun rays), twirling it around in my fingers till it's corner hit my eye and I thought I had gone blind if it weren't for Seanna's reassurance.

I was able to open my eyes after ten minutes and ordered Elsa to take that dangerous eye stabbing thing away from my itchy hands.

After sitting there for another fifteen minutes and drawing random patterns on the sand, Seanna (who was so busy enjoying the peaceful sight of the ocean that I forgot she existed) finally said, "Do you want to build a sandcastle?"

I looked at her incredulously.

How old was she? Five?

But it wasn't like I had anything else to do so....

__

____

*5 minutes later*

"Let's build a sandman!"

"Sandman?" Seanna asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, like a snowman!"

"Cool. I'll bring water." She said and rushed to the ocean with a bucket while I dug some sand with a small shovel that Sir Gaston got for me from the ship.

Who thought playing with sand would be so fun!

Then we started making two huge balls.

For an hour.

I slumped, sulking, as another ball cracked.

Why was making a sandman that hard?

"We should try making a small one." Seanna suggested and I nodded, my heart couldn't bear to watch another ball cracking.

And the small one was done in a few minutes and it looked soooo adorable!!!

Seanna and I were cooing as we inserted two small twigs for our baby's arms and then admired our creation from afar before destruction struck it.

"Lia!! Look what I found for you!" Aiden came running in our direction, a big pink shell in his hand.

And then he stepped on it.

Fucking stepped on my baby.

"Are you blind?!" I screamed at him as he looked at me confusedly.

Seanna was in trauma as she got down on her knees and looked at our squashed sandman.

"I-" before Aiden could say anything else, his face was covered with wet sand.

I looked at Seanna who was already making another sand ball as I got down on my knees and started making one too.

Then we threw it at Aiden who was still coughing out the sand before he started running and we chased him down throwing sand balls at him.

"Jasmine! Help!" He shouted as he ran towards his future wife with Seanna and me right behind him.

"Sand ball fight?" She looked at us quizzically before smirking, "Count me in Ladies!"

And she joined us throwing balls at Aiden and when he finally tripped, we caught hold of him and shoved sand inside his shirt and pants.

Only then did we feel content.

As we left behind a sulking Aiden, I caught sight of father speaking with someone....a someone with silver whitish hair.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Hayden incredulously.

Before Hayden could reply, father spoke, "Exactly. His Highness shouldn't be here. This is a private island. You are trespassing our property."

Hayden looked sad (obviously faking the expression) as he said, "I'm sorry, Archduke. I didn't know that. As you can see, my knight and I over here wanted to go sailing in the oceans of Obelia, however, we got lost and turned up here." He explained.

But I didn't believe it. It feels like he purposely followed us here. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

"I see. So you can leave now, right?" Father said sternly.

"Sadly, I can't. My Knight is too tired and we'd like to take a break for a few hours before leaving. I promise I'll be gone by sunset. So we would really appreciate it if you could allow us to stay here for a few hours." Hayden said before his eyes wandered to me and then behind me where they stayed a second longer.

Before father could say anything else, mother interrupted, "Of course! You can stay here as long as you want. If you want, my daughter can accompany you."

I stared at her with wide eyes and so did father.

Mother winked at me as Hayden beamed and said, "That'd be so nice."

Father was ready to argue but mother hushed him away from us, leaving me and Hayden alone, oh and Seanna was also there.

"Let's just leave. We don't need to entertain him." Seanna whispered as she took my arm to lead me away from him.

But Hayden tagged along anyway.

"Let's play hide and seek!" He suddenly said as I looked back at him incredulously.

Why are people in the novel world suggesting such kiddy games?

"No." Seanna and I said in unison.

"Please." He whined but we refused again.

"Fine. Then I'm just going to keep following you." He huffed and started walking behind us.

After a few steps, he stepped on the back of my heel, making me trip.

I turned to glare at him as he whispered a sheepish sorry.

Then he did that again after a minute.

Then again.

And again.

"What the hell do you want?!" I almost yelled at him.

He beamed and said, "Hide and seek."

I sighed.

"Fine. You count till hundred. We'll hide." I said as he turned around closing his eyes and I started walking towards the forest.

When I entered the forest I started searching for a bush or a rock to hide behind.

As I was looking around, something fell from the tree and landed right in front of my foot.

A fucking snake.

I stared at the wiggling black thing in front of me as I slowly turned around.

Fuck hide and seek, I'm going to my ship.

And made a run for it.

I was so fucking scared I didn't even turn back to check if that thing was following me or not.

Guess forest has a thing against me.

I ran till I reached our ship and dashed straight to my room and slammed the door close.

I huffed and took deep breaths before ordering a shocked Ariel (who was cleaning my room) to prepare my bath.

After a relaxing bath, I spent the rest of the day locked in my room, reading a book.

Then just around sunset, Seanna returned back to the ship and so did father after making sure Hayden left the island.

After that, we were called for a family dinner with Aiden's in-laws.

I was waiting for Seanna inside her room so that we could go to the dining room together.

"I'm ready." She said as she wore a pretty green dress, not too casual nor too fancy.

I was about to leave before I stopped and looked at Seanna's neck.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing at a particular red spot on her neck.

"Oh, this?" She said, brushing against that spot, "Its just a bug bite." She said nonchalantly, walking with me before frowning but then shaking her head and nodding (female lead having an internal debate live!)

I had an amused look on my face as her eyes met mine and her face flushed with embarrassment.

Definitely having an internal debate.

My smile faltered a little as I looked at the 'bug bite'.

I've read enough books to know that,

bug bites = hickeys

But I think it is a bug bite. First of all, Seanna doesn't know how to lie properly. And second of all, there's no one who can give her a hickey except Raashid, who isn't even here......unless there's another man.

I shook my head.

There's no sign of another man.

The last time I checked, Raashid took her out for the feast.

Mari and Caiden are just friends.

And Hayden has a thing for me.

And I don't think the knights here would go around harassing her.

So yes, that bug bite is a bug bite.

I nodded to myself before I heard a snort and looked at Seanna.

"You did that thing too." She said and giggled.

"What?" I asked her, confused.

"Talking to yourself without exactly talking. That's what." She said and then I realised what I did and blushed in embarrassment.

After dinner, I quickly went to bed since there was still an hour left before the ship moves, so if I sleep now, I probably wouldn't have to suffer from seasickness.

And I was right.

I woke up late the next morning when the ship had already docked and we were back in the mansion by the afternoon, travelling by carriage from the port.

Overall, I didn't enjoy the trip.

But I made an important lesson for myself.

To never have my wedding on an island.