Chapter 6- An Unknown Place

--Alexandria POV--

I was stood on the main deck, watching the ripples on the surface of the ocean and how they became disturbed, turning into small waves as the end of the ship sliced through it like a large, violent knife.

This was the first time I remembered riding a ship and yet it all seemed familiar. The last time I rode a ship, it ended with a shipwreck, a bunch of people dying and me losing my memories.

Ryder stood on the handrail beside me, enjoying the wind that flew through his hair and like him, I took a moment to close my eyes at the tranquillity of this moment.

"Goodbye!" I wildly waved. "I'll miss you!" I shouted but only heard muffled shouting in the distance since it was too far to be able to hear properly.

"Don't lean over the edge too much or you'll end up falling out to sea. Do you know how to swim?" The young me turned her head to see John smiling down at me with an odd look in his eyes and I had laughed at him, shaking my head in answer.

"It's okay though... because I have John, you'll save me if I fall," I laughed.

He didn't seem to find it funny though and the smile fell off his face as he stared at me for a long time. I let him stare at me and gifted his stare with a bright smile which seemed to snap him out of his thoughts and he awkwardly coughed.

"That's right. I'll always save you,"

I tightly clutched onto the metal bars which were painted gold, holding my breath. I wasn't moving, stood still but it felt like I was being pushed around and because of that, I felt myself stumble.

A memory? Of John and me before the shipwreck.

I froze, feeling a set of warm hands hold onto me and snapped my eyes open, spinning around to be met with familiar steely eyes that I made a point to avoid.

"You're not even moving- just standing there. How would you fall?" Valentino questioned, moving his hands away from my waist as he moved to lean on the railing beside me, looking towards the distance.

"I've never been on a ship before," I mumbled out, going to stand beside him as I went back to staring at the waves in curiosity.

"I would think that you have. How else would you have ended up on that island?" He stated as a matter of fact.

"I don't know. I don't have any memories before the age of 10," I said, turning to stroke Ryder's head and he hummed in acknowledgement. I felt Valentino's gaze on me but as quick as it came, his eyes drifted back to the water.

"So you don't remember anything?" He asked. "Not even snippets?" He added. I hesitated but shook my head in the end, eyes unmoving from the water like him.

John told me not to tell anyone about my surname if I wanted to stay safe and I would do as told me to.

We stood in silence for a bit, just staring into the ocean until Valentino broke it.

"We'll be arriving soon and we can't have you looking like that when we reach land. So freshen up and I'll have a set of fresh clothes sent to your room," Not letting me reply, he had walked back into the ship.

Following his orders, I showered, brushed my teeth and hair and used what was known as a shaving kit to get rid of what little hair I had on my body.

John would've loved this. He had to make use of a blunt knife to keep cutting down his beard and in the process, lost a lot of blood.

I moved into the room to see a neatly folded pink dress on the bed and opened it up before pulling it on along with the white stockings and white heeled ankle boots. It was a Lolita styled dress with a pink skirt but white button-up blouse that had slightly puffed up sleeves. It reached just below my knees and moved around with me as I spun around.

I don't ever remember wearing so much material. I pulled on the white gloves that stopped at my wrist and clenched then unclenched my hands before moving onto the deck where Valentino was sat at the table, sipping on a cup of tea as he read a newspaper.

Hearing the clicking of heels, he turned his head to stare at me and for a moment he froze, eyes enlargening by a quarter of a centimetre.

"Good, you look much more like a lady now than you did before," He complimented but instead of going back to sipping his tea as I expected him to, he surprised me when he stood up to come and stand in front of me.

Moving his hand out, I looked down to see a pink ribbon in it.

"Tie your hair into a bun unless you want to be scrutinised by everyone," He gestured to my open hair which was in dire need of a cut.

"Oh. I don't- I'm sorry. I-" How was I supposed to tell him that I had never tied my hair up before and I didn't know how to do it? John always did it in the few, rare times that I actually tied it up.

He'd surely laugh. I could do a lot of things and tying my hair wasn't anywhere near that list.

As if getting what I was trying to stutter out, he sighed, moving me forward before taking a step behind me, his hands running through my hair as he pulled it up.

He was tying my hair for me? Him? A prince who had everything done for him? How did he even know how to tie hair in the first place?

I didn't question it though. Only kept my mouth shut with my hands clenched into fists, biting down on my lips to hold back any unnecessary retorts.

"You're absolutely hopeless," I heard him mutter out.

Just as I was about to slap him in the face with a sharp retort, he beat me to it.

"Done. Now you look like a noble lady and not an island girl who hasn't ever seen the lights of a city," I spun around, ready to give him a scolding but stopped immediately as I realised that he had done me a favour.

"Whatever," I decided to go with instead. He narrowed his eyes in response, not used to being talked to like that.

"Land Ahoy!"

I jumped at the sudden unfamiliar scream but as those certain words properly ran through my brain, I gasped in joy, running towards the handrail where Ryder was still lazing about.

"Wow..." I breathlessly whispered out at the view.

So many building with so many bustling people. Never have I seen so many humans in one place before. This was truly euphoric.

Valentino came to stand beside me, gloved hands tucked behind his back while he stared down at all the energetic and lively people near the port.

"Welcome to Lazarus, the capital city of Lysandra,"