The ship dipped and Gigi gripped the taut rope even tighter, her stomach dropping to the deck. Waves crashed against the hull, sending water droplets dancing in the air. Sailors scurried about, their heavy boots pounding on the wooden planks. The energy on the ship grew chaotic as they pulled into the harbor.

Before Gigi was a landscape of taverns, tenant houses and store fronts. The scene was dwarfed by the King's palace, set upon a rise. Tall, white marble walls with towers topped by turrets rose into the sky. A smile cut across her face, her lips kissed with salty water. 

The shouts of sailors filled her ears as they docked. The port was a blur of motion as ropes were thrown out, sailors rushed about, and carriages trundled by. Lord and Lady Brixton appeared from below, accompanied by five servants, including Margo. Lady Brixton motioned to Gigi and she joined them.

They descended a heavy wooden gangplank and stepped right into a waiting carriage. Gigi sat close to the window, peering out on the rushing world. The carriage bounced as it rolled over uneven cobblestones. 

Banners lined the streets and flowers hung from window boxes. It was as if the whole city was celebrating the arrival of hundreds of noblemen and women. Pieces of the city got trapped in the carriage. The scent of fresh baked bread, spiced with rosemary. The giggle of maids as they moved about picking up parcels for their ladies. The whiffs of pipe smoke as men conversed along tavern walls.

All too soon, it seemed the city was swept aside and the carriage stopped before a set of gold gates. A high wall encircled the palace. Positioned throughout were guard houses. From her seat, Gigi caught a of glimpse of the fierce eyed men that patrolled the wall. Then the carriage was moving through the entrance.

The beauty of the grounds brought her up short. Sweeping scenes of flowers, overshadowed by wispy trees stretched as far as she could see. As they got closer to the palace, the grounds changed to formed hedges and fountains ringed by stone benches. The sight of it was intoxicating to Gigi and she felt drunk on the splendor of it. The carriage pulled into a lavish courtyard with a fountain at its center and stopped before the palace entrance.

A footman opened the door and offered a hand to Lady Brixton and then to Gigi as she stepped out. Her gaze traveled upward, taking in the grandeur of the palace, its many balconies and tall windows. Gigi seemed frozen to the spot, the realization of where she was fully hitting her. Inadequacy crashed into her and she felt her stomach leave her body. Lady Brixton cleared her throat. The sound was all it took for Gigi to snap herself out of her fears.

She met her grandmother's gaze. Lady Brixton gave her a steady look then took her husband's arm. Gathering the front of her dress, Gigi followed them up the smooth, marble steps. A wide balcony ran the length of the first floor and disappeared around the corner. As they approached the front doors, they were pulled open. A man in a trim steward's uniform stood waiting just beyond. He had a slim frame and a stately manner about him. His hair was graying at the edges though he barely looked past his forties.

He bowed to them. When he rose, he wore a reserved smile.

"Lord and Lady Brixton," he said. "As always it is a pleasure to have you with us."

The man's keen hazel eyes shifted to Gigi. She felt herself straighten under his look. Before he could ask, Lord Brixton spoke.

"Allow me to introduce my granddaughter," he waved a hand to her, "Lady Genevieve."

Stepping forward, the man took her hand and gave a quick bow over it.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady," he said, his eyes taking her in. "I am his royal highness's steward, Jayis. It is an honor to welcome you to the palace."

At the name, Gigi started with shock, a flash of memory coming back to her. A bubble of excitement rose inside her, producing a bright smile. Jayis seemed surprised by the warm reception but took it in stride.

"I am the one who is honored," she said.

His eyes lingered on her for a second longer, as if wondering exactly who she was. He then focused his attention back to her grandparents.

"She has Lord Alton's eyes," he said. He bowed his head in respect. When he raised his head, there was real sympathy in his eyes. "We were troubled when we heard of his passing. The King was torn when he could not attend the Burning. If not for his own pressing issues he would have been there."

A touch of concealed grief shown in Lord and Lady Brixton's faces for a moment. Then the moment passed. Lady Brixton gave a small smile and looked to Gigi.

"She does have Alton's eyes and it pleases us to see some part of him lives on," she said.

Though Gigi kept her smile in place, something pricked at her at her grandmother's words. Before she could dissect the reason why, the conversation was moving on. Jayis waved his hands forward.

"You have been given the rooms in the East Quarter, as requested. Shall we?"

Lord Brixton nodded and Jayis led the group further into the palace. At each step, Gigi had to stop herself from gaping at the beauty of it all. Sculpted marble statues lay tucked away in alcoves. Intricate carved moldings run along the edge of the ceiling. Wooden doors with fine detailing work lay open, revealing lavish ballrooms, libraries, studies and sitting rooms. Plush, carpeted stairs were lined with banisters smooth as glass and polished to a shine.

Gigi's imagination didn't seem to have done the magnificence of the palace justice. With every turn and corridor the world around her was infused with elegance and color. Portraits of past kings lined the walls, the precision of the brush strokes making them feel real.

By the time Jayis guided her to her room across from her grandparents, she was speechless. Her quarters were no less beautiful than the rest of the house. The simple color scheme of cream, gold and hints of rose pink gave the room a calming effect. The thing that drew Gigi's gaze was the double doors that lead to a wide balcony. Beyond it was the city and then the ocean. Her breath caught in her throat as she walked forward as if in a trance.

Jayis stood at the open door, his eyes following her path. Gigi pushed open the doors and stepped into the early afternoon summer light. Even from where she was, she could still taste the salt of the sea on the air. It sent a jolt of excitement through her. She reached for the railing overwhelmed by the seemingly never ending city and the realization of every dream she had held close to her.

"It is beautiful, is it not?" Jayis said from the doorway.

Gigi started, unaware that he had been there. Unable to tear her eyes away, she nodded.

"It is," she said, her voice breathless.

"I imagine a city of such proportion is surprising for someone who has lived a life of solitude and constant travel."

Gigi's heart stopped, panic dashing away her sense of wonderment. She looked at Jayis, trying not to look the frightened girl she felt herself to be. He gave an easy, calming smile.

"Lord Brixton told me," he said, "that you have grown up abroad with your mother. That Lord Alton kept you secret even from his family, wishing you a quiet life."

Gigi felt herself frozen with indecision. To deny this story was to admit her true life. A life of a vagabond. A life that would brand her and turn those around her from her. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

"Yes," she said, her voice very small, though the weight of the lie sat heavily on her shoulders. "I did live abroad."

He bowed his head once.

"You have my condolences, losing first a mother and then a father is true tragedy. I understand Lord Alton was going to bring you to Lord and Lady Brixton when he was met with the same fate."

Gigi felt at a loss of what to say, the story just as devastating to her as it seemed to be to Jayis but for a completely different reason. Jayis's expression turned to one of concern as he took Gigi's silence as grief instead of what it was, shock. He took a step back.

"My apologizes for bringing up such troubling memories," he said. He bowed. "I hope everything is to your liking. Please let me know if it is not. Good day, Lady."

He retreated another step, then left. Gigi didn't move from her spot on the balcony, her mind reeling with what Jayis had said. She was snapped from her thoughts when Margo arrived, followed by servants carrying Gigi's trunks. Before Margo could speak, Gigi rushed passed and across the hall to her grandparents' room. Lady Brixton was in the throes of ordering servants about as they unpacked. At the sight of Gigi standing in the doorway, she waved a hand, beckoning her in.

"Are your rooms to your liking?" she asked, hands folded before her.

"Yes, grandmother they are," she said. "But Jayis seemed to believe that I am-"

"Darling," her grandmother said, hurriedly cutting her off. "Why don't we talk in the sitting room."

Before Gigi could even agree, her grandmother was guiding her through a set of double, oak doors into a pale green sitting room. She closed the doors behind them and ushered Gigi to a chair. Settling in across from Gigi, her grandmother smiled.

"Now, what was it you wanted to say?" she asked.

"Grandmother, Jayis seemed to think that I was Lord Alton's daughter. Grandfather told him this."

Lady Brixton was unfazed by this news and Gigi's distress at the fact that her grandfather had been the source.

"Genevieve," she said, her voice soothing. "We decided for the sake of your time here at the King's Festival to let the world believe you are Alton's daughter."

"But why?"

She asked, but Gigi already knew the answer lay in her true father's ancestry. Lady Brixton reached out a hand and placed it on Gigi's.

"If the lords and ladies you are to meet knew that you were..." she seemed unable to speak the word vagabond. "You were not from a true noble birth then they would look down at you. They would not see the title you hold but the life you used to lead."

Gigi felt a pinch of hurt at the truth in her grandmother's words. She felt the burden of the lie even before it was widely accepted.

"Do you understand?" her grandmother asked. "This is for your benefit."

Gigi nodded, giving her grandmother a small smile of reassurance. Lady Brixton straightened, an equally small smile on her lips.

"Good, it is for the best." She stood and Gigi rose as well. "Now, dear I think you should get some rest. It has been a long journey." A bright smile filled her face. "Tonight's banquet and ball will not be something you want to miss."

The idea of the ball had the desired effect on Gigi, the troubled thoughts of a moment ago were swept away and new images flooded her mind. Her grandmother directed her back to her own rooms. When she entered them, Margo had already gotten half her clothes tucked away in the wardrobe. She turned as Gigi entered followed by her grandmother.

"Margo, Genevieve is going to rest now. Assist her."

Margo curtsied and walked over to Gigi. The door clicked shut behind Gigi and she spun. Her grandmother was already gone, leaving Gigi with Margo and questions humming in the back of her mind.

**************

Lights blazed from the palace illuminating the night. From Gigi's balcony is seemed as if a sea of gold lay beneath her, the glow from chandeliers, sconces and candelabras spilling out into the grounds. The air was warm and filled with the scent of cut grass, blooming roses and the ever present sea. Past the chorus of voices that filled the night, there was the sound of the fountains bubbling over, the water cascading over stone rims.

Gigi found she could enjoy none of it. She paced in her room, her fingers twisted together. Inside her stomach, excitement and nerves were battling it out. Neither seemed to be winning. Soft curled tendrils of black hair artfully framed her face. Her dark blue gown moved with her body, the rich fabric fitted down to her waist before flowing out. Every time she turned, she caught a faint whiff of lavender, the scent clinging to her.

Margo stepped from the bathroom, where she had been putting everything in its place and paused. A knowing smile teased the edge of her mouth. Gigi murmured under her breath, listing off the titles of the nobles and the order they fell in.

"Nervous, Lady?" Margo asked.

Her voice halted Gigi in her endless parade through the room.

"A little," Gigi admitted.

"I know I would be too."

Gigi let out a breath. Margo's eyes dropped to Gigi's knotted hands. Noticing the look, Gigi released her hands and took in a deep breath, trying to rid her body of the frantic nerves that danced through her. Before Margo could offer any more words of comfort, there was a knock on the door. Gigi's small piece of calm vanished like mist under the summer sun.

"Come in," she said, trying to mask the quiver in her voice.

The door was opened and Lady Brixton strode in. Every inch of her was flawless. Right behind her was Lord Brixton, matching his wife in excellence of appearance. Lady Brixton looked Gigi over with a critical eye. Gigi froze, waiting for the verdict. Her grandmother gave her a pleased smile, though there was a hint of apprehension in her eyes.

"You look lovely, dear," she said. "But you do need a little something more." She turned to Margo. "Bring me the sapphire necklace."

Margo disappeared and was back a second later. In her hands was a thin necklace made entirely out of sapphires. She put the necklace on Gigi. Gigi brought a hand up to it, knowing that what she wore was the most expensive thing she was ever likely to wear again. Lady Brixton's smile widened.

"There," she said. "Now you are ready."

Lord Brixton gave a nod of approval. He then held out his arm and Lady Brixton took it. With one final look at Margo for encouragement, Gigi followed her grandparents out. The palace was a vastly different place than Gigi knew it to be even from her arrival. Servants moved with purpose though the halls, commands directing their steps. From her balcony Gigi had heard throughout the day the arrival of noblemen and women, each presence adding a new layer of buzzing to the palace. As they drew closer to the center ballroom the volume grew. The walls rang with voices and the harmony of laughter.

They descended a wide set of curving stairs and stopped at a landing. Before them was an open doorway that lead to an extravagant ballroom. Another flight of stairs lead down to the center of the room, while a balcony ringed the whole area, supported by marble columns. Open windows and archways lined the room letting the noise float out and over the gardens.

At the far end of the room was a dais with three golden thrones positioned on it. A quartet was positioned off to one side on a raised platform. Their instruments sang out melodies that wove its way through the crowd and sent dancers twirling in time. Men and women were clustered together. The ladies were dressed in every hue there was and seemed to glitter as candle light reflected off their jewels.

Gigi had to catch her breath as she looked over the scene. Nothing her imagination had conjured up could compare to the beauty that lay before her. Men's smiles were quick and easy, while women's laughs were light and flirty. The air was thick with the lilt of voices and scent of perfume.

Two uniformed guards stood at attention on each side of the doors. They gave a nod of respect to the trio as they passed through the doorway. On the other side a man holding a staff stepped forward. Lord Brixton spoke quietly to him. The man spun on his heel, facing the chattering crowd. With two quick sure movements, he thumped his staff against the tile. The sound shushed the crowd.

"Lord and Lady Brixton of Talvin and their granddaughter Lady Genevieve," he announced.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. With Lady Brixton by his side, Lord Brixton walked down the stairs. Gigi held her dress and concentrated on descending gracefully. She kept her chin lifted and her gaze straight. She felt the pressure of hundreds of eyes falling on her, as if they were a physical weight. At the bottom, she let out a breath.

Before they could even step away from the stairs, a tall, pale faced man approached them.

"Lord Brixton," he said, his voice thin and reedy. "pleasure as always."

After Lord Brixton exchanged a similar greeting, the attention was turned to Gigi. She was introduced and gave the appropriate response. After a few lines of her story the man was pulled away. Whispers, from those closest to hear the conversation, spread out setting the place stirring with new intrigue.

The man's spot was taken by a couple and the same exchange took place. With each new introduction Gigi felt herself relaxing into the flow of the room. She grew more steady in the world around her. She met gazes, though her cheeks did still burn with the looks that she met.

They had barely moved a few feet from the stairs when trumpets blared from the top of the stairs. Every person turned and focused their attention on the landing above them. Gigi did likewise.

"Presenting his majesty King Zavier and Queen Ashlyn."

An impeccably dressed, broad shouldered man with black hair, flecked with gray, walked through the doorway. On his arm was a slender woman with a round face and a smile that could put anyone at ease.

"And his royal highness, Prince Thayer," the servant announced.

A young man, barely a couple years older than Gigi, took a spot beside his mother. His black hair was neatly brushed to the side and his suit fit him like a glove. His features were equally strong and defined. Gigi's stomach flipped up into her chest, as she stared at the prince.

At the prince's brown eyes. Eyes that belonged to the sailor she had saved.

**********************************************************************

BY THE STARS! 😱

THE SAILOR WAS THE PRINCE!?! 😳OH GREAT SEAS THIS IS SHOCKING!! 🙊

Okay, not really. How many of you guessed it?

I tried to make it subtle but let's face it you're all too smart that really I wasn't going to be able to get away with it. Hopefully, how the story unfolds will surprise you! 😉

Is it too soon again to ask for predictions again?

Did the title of the chapter throw you off?

Random change of topic! Some of you may know my brother Kevin_Is_Tristan, I've mentioned him before in other books and whatnot. Anyways, he is a legit vagabond. Not only does he dance, he travels to different cities and choreographs for ballet companies. The other day he did a TV interview for his latest work. So yeah, I just thought you should know I have the coolest brother EVER!

If you want to see his work go check out his Instagram, Kevin_jenkins_choreographer. I seriously love his videos, and that's not because I'm related to him, they are just so cool! Also it's kind of because I'm related to him.

Travel, dance, live! (Or you know vote, comment, follow)