Chapter 31: Chapter 31

The gentle sway of the sea was what Lord Austin loved the most about being out on the sea. He was a peculiar Lord who was well advanced into his age and had more comfort being surrounded by his crew on his ship rather than settling down again and having children but he did need someone to leave his legacy to but the process of him selecting a wife again was not an option for him. He had done that and even had a child, a beautiful girl with dark hair, so black that it looked like ink and then he lost that family.

"Sire. You need to see this." A crew member burst into his cabin without knocking and when Austin looked up, the man was already going back the way he came.

Austin wondered what was going on but he stood up and followed the man at his own pace and already thinking of punishment to give to the crew who invaded his space.

When he reached the deck. He noticed that most of his crew were standing, hurdled together as they stare at something.

Austin frowned as he moved closer, wondering what had encaptured the attention of his crew and when he made his way there. He saw that they were standing over the body of a girl who had pale skin pallor, which could be because she was soaked from head to toe and the most distinct thing about her that he noticed was her hair. Black as ink and looking totally it was black liquid poured under her head.

"We found something strange on the waves and when we fished it in, we discovered it was a human." One of his crew explained. Austin rolled his eyes at the man words, what else would she be before? A mermaid?

"You do not know if she is human, she just looks that way. She could be a mermaid." Someone else replied.

Austin closed his eyes as prayed for strength before he bent admist the complaints of his crew and checked the woman pulse. The only reason they knew she was a lady was because of her hair and her features, her clothing were all men with a scabbard tied to her waist.

When he felt a weak pulse. He turned to his crew. "Did any of you bother to check if she was alive?" He asked and when no one responded he yelled at them. "Get the God damn doctor so we can save her fully. Someone get clothes for her to change to and will someone else take her below deck where she would be warm." And with his words, they all burst into motion following his orders.

Austin looked out to the open sea where no land was visible as far as the eye can see. Where did she come from?

*******

It took a month before she could regain consciousness. And when she did, it was Austin turn to keep a watch on her.

Her eyelashes flickered and when Austin rushed to give her water to drink, it took her several tries to speak and when she did. Her voice was garbled and hoarse from unused.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"On a ship... Who are you?" Austin asked gently.

He watched as her brow farrowed as she tried to remember and after some minute, her panic increased before she whispered the words.

"I can not remember, I do not know who I am."

The end...

Coming soon, last book of the Fated Trilogy: The prince Merchant Bride.