When she was young, Esmee thought that her country was but a thin strip upon the coast. Of all of the cities she'd visited and castles she'd stayed in, after all, there was not one from which she could not hear the gentle lull of the sea. Never once had she needed a nursemaid to rock her or tell her stories to get her to sleep. All she needed was the metronomic back and forth of the tides.

Her nurses, for their part, were just happy to have such an easy, quiet baby. Many of them had taken of her mother when she was young and, though Queen Alisande was now known primarily for her elegant and stony demeanor -she took an arrow through the shoulder when spectating a contest to celebrate her coronation and hardly flinched- she'd been almost as fussy a child as her own mother before her, and the nurses were just glad that Esmee broke the trend.

Of course, Esmee now knew that the constant sound she heard in the distance was generally not a result of proximity, as she'd thought it to be when she was young, or her ancestor Tumla calling to her, as she'd thought after that, but rather, a result of her close bonding with water due to her possession of the spark. Just my luck, she thought one windy summer day, leaning on the edge of a window cut out of the sandstone of one of the palace's many winding hallways. The affinity of some Shuna shows through an ability to predict storms, or sense what waters are contaminated; and I get an ever-present reminder that the ocean exists. So helpful, that.

The young princess did not resent her ability. Not really. She hated that she'd be leaving behind the land to which she was bound by blood and duty. The people around whom she'd spent her entire life would be much changed when she returned; five years was a long time, after all. She wrung her thin, long-fingered hands, nervous just thinking about the trials before her.

"Worrying again, Highness?" Esmee turned quickly at voice behind her, before mentally berating herself for the haste in the movement. Even in a hurry and when surprised, a Queen is always graceful. The speaker had been a girl about her age, though that was all they had in common. This girl was short and strongly built, with a mess of orange-red curls piled atop her head, pale skin, wide eyes, and a mischievous smile. She wore a simple silk kirtle of palest pinks, and a white, sideless surcote over that. She curtsied deeply in greeting, and Esmee answered the gesture with a nod of her head.

"Marie. What makes you say that?" She responded.

"You always do that thing with your hands when you're worrying, and you were staring just now like your mind was a million miles away." Formalities dispensed with, Marie hoisted herself up onto the windowsill. Esmee smiled, long used to the things her friend did that some at court would consider inappropriate.

"No, I'm not worrying. I'm just... thinking. About the White Islands." Esmee admitted, glancing down at the lace shoes, peaking out from under the white silk hem of her skirt, which normally brought her such joy. Today, they served only as a reminder of what she was to lose. Marie followed her princess's gaze, rolling her eyes a bit when they reached the shoes.

"Ah. Well, remember what we've spoken about before? It isn't something to worry about. You'll go for a few years, and come back as an all-powerful Sendai. Nothing to it, I'm sure." Her friend said lightly, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Such contact casual with royalty from a girl who was barely even a noble would have been considered scandalous to courtiers. However, it had been the norm between them for years.

"Something tells me that there's a bit more to it than that." The two laughed. Marie always had this sort of influence on her. "But, seriously. I'm just worried about what will happen. What if I'm not good enough?" She had been taught enough to know better to express such feelings in public, but this was her closest friend and confidante. Esmee imagined that her mother spoke of those things with her Sendai adviser.

"Such insecurities are unbefitting a queen. I hope that you'll learn to stop fearing the future while you're away, Highness. It will never do you any good."

"A shame that such excellent advice need come from the mouths of the babes." Both girls were startled by a voice from further down the hall. Marie jumped down quickly, taking her place just behind Esmee, to her right. Approaching the two was a very tall man in dark silken robes. He was in his forties, with tanned skin and long, light hair tied back loosely behind him. He'd clearly been handsome in his youth, and more than one lady at court still considered that to be the case. Though he had a hard jaw and strong nose, his eyes were gentle and his lips were usually pulled up into a smile. This was Fendrel, adviser to the court and resident Sendai.

Marie curtsied as he approached. Esmee, for her part, just did her best to avoid his eyes. He always made her so uncomfortable. It wasn't that he was cruel or rude to her; quite the opposite. But many... unsavory rumors swirled through court regarding Fendrel's close relationship with the Queen, the king's death so soon after it was discovered Alisande was with child, and the striking physical similarities between Esmee and the Sendai man. Hers was the same skin, the color of the sun-kissed sand, the same pale blonde hair, the same tall, lean build... Many of these traits also belonged to her mother, but none to the late king.

"Your Highness," Fendrel gave a slight bow, then inquired pleasantly, "Have you almost completed the packing for your journey?"

Esmee frowned. Truth be told, she'd been kicked out of her room when she tried replacing one of her pairs of traveling boots with something a bit cuter. Though she was disappointing not to be privy to what she'd be bringing with her, it was probably for the best. Hearing her nurses and the steward argue over what would be the best use of space had started getting ridiculous. She didn't understand why she just couldn't bring a carriage or two of her most important items, instead of the two tiny trunks that were being sent ahead of her and what little she'd be carrying with her on the road. But her mother had never once complained of lack of clothing, and so, as difficult a task though it may be, neither would she. "It is almost completed, yes," She answered, watching the air above him with such focus that one might think Tamas had sent specters to haunt her vision.

"Oh. That is fortunate," Fendrel said with a nod, though his pleasant demeanor seemed to fade a bit, replaced with... Disappointment? He gave her another bow, and nodded towards Marie. "I must be getting on then. Your Highness. M'Lady."

Princess and noble watched him walk off. Once he'd turned a corner, Marie looked to Esmee. "You really should learn to deal with Sendai better. You'll be surrounded by them, soon enough."

Esmee stared at the corner around which Fendrel had disappeared. "Indeed."