Thomas sat in his wheelchair on Anemon’s deck. He breathed in the Euphrates River’s swift breeze as he looked out over the boat’s side and through the river’s cool clear waters. Shimmering purple and green fish that were the size of his forearm danced below. There were long whiskers trailing down from their cheeks that almost appeared to be fangs.
Time had moved so quickly since they had departed Cush. His guards had not lied when they described to him the beauty of the three princesses of Assyria. As he had met them a few days ago he had been stunned by their looks. But where they had looks, Lilya had intellect, beauty and grace, and he knew that his instant attraction to her was something more than purely physical.
Assyria’s king had been disappointed at Thomas’s insistence that he had already met his future queen and would not consider the girls, but in the end he had wished him the best as he left for fishing in the Euphrates.
Sunlight warmed his arms as he held his bamboo fishing pole in his hands, holding it steady as he waited for a bite. His guards, also fishing, stood close by and ready to assist him in pulling in whatever he may catch because his strength still had not returned. “In two more days I’ll be by her side once more,” Thomas spoke to Pine, Juniper and Cypress.
Pine stood close to his side. “Sire, I don’t mean to worry you, but what makes you so sure that Lilya will decide to be your bride? She didn’t even see us off from Cush’s port.” His sturdy feet moved to the right and his pole flexed as he cranked the reel to pull in whatever he had caught on the other end of the line. “She is intriguing, there is no denying that, but from what I can see she holds little interest in you. Why not return to Assyria to court one of the princesses there?”
“Because they are not for me, my friend.” Thomas rolled his chair close to the deck’s rail with one hand while holding the bamboo pole with the other. “But seeing as you seem to have taken a liking to them, we can return for you to court them if you wish. The red-haired one seemed to take a liking to you.”
Pine pulled on his pole hard and soon a glistening purple fish flew through the air before slapping and floundering on Anemon’s deck.
“That is not what any of us want, sire.” Juniper secured his rod in a latch on deck before walking closer to his king and Pine, admiring Pine’s catch. “But what we don’t understand is why you’ve fallen so completely for this Lilya after only spending one day with her. What is so special about her? She seems no more magnificent to me than any common girl in our kingdom.”
Thomas looked back to Juniper now. “Maybe I’m not looking for magnificence. Maybe I’m looking for pureness, truth and life. Lilya has all these qualities. I can see them in her eyes and hear them in the words she speaks. You do not know love, Juniper, because you have never felt it, and I had not until the other day when I first looked into her eyes, but I know now that true love can be known instantly.”
“True love is learned, not some fantasy to be swept away by.” Pine thrust a dagger into the fish as he took its life away, putting it out of its agony.
Cypress looked back from his spot now. “And what would you know of love, Pine? Do you have a loving wife and a brood of little ones at home that I’ve yet to meet? And your pet wolf doesn’t count by the way!” He winked. “Who are we to judge Thomas’s love? I for one, believe in love at first sight!”
“We will stand firm by your side no matter what happens,” Pine said while securing his fresh catch in a bag to keep it from attracting insects. “I was just trying to look out for you in case we return and she does not return your interest.”
“You will see.” Thomas smiled a youthful smile of sureness. “She loves me too, I can tell, even if she cannot admit it yet, in time she will know her love for me and we will be together as husband and wife.”
Pine was walking with his catch back toward the boat’s galley so that the ship’s chef could begin its preparation for their meal. “And what if she never loves you, Thomas? How will you react then?”
“You’re being such a pessimist, Pine!” Thomas answered. “She loves me deep inside, I can feel it. And to answer your question, even if she never tells me she loves me then I will let her go and at least, hopefully, a great friendship will blossom.” Suddenly he felt the strength of something on the end of his fishing line, pulling strongly at his arms. “Help!” he called out to his guards. “I’ve got something!”
Juniper and Cypress rushed to his side and Pine had turned also to return to them. The thing on the end of Thomas’s rod thrust with all its might to get away, pulling him up out of his chair and dragging his limp-legged body toward the boat’s side rail. “Help!” he cried out again.
Juniper was first to his side and took the rod before Cypress placed his hands below the young king’s arms and helped him into his chair once more.
“Whoa!” Juniper exclaimed as he tried reeling in the catch. “What did you get, a whale? This thing isn’t giving an inch!”
“Do you need the help of someone a little stronger than you?” Pine teased him.
“Maybe!” The bamboo rod flexed and whatever was on the other end of it was pulling so hard now that even Juniper began to lose ground. With a crack the rod snapped in half and the part not still in Juniper’s hands whipped up and off the port bow. “What was that thing?” he called while running to the bow in an effort to try and see what had gotten the best of him.
There, with its back glistening with sunlit hues, was a beautiful dolphin as it leapt in and out of the water and away from the vessel.
Thomas moved his chair to Juniper’s side. “What a unique dinner that would have made.” He smiled as he watched the beautiful creature swim toward the horizon.
“What a shame.” Pine placed his strong hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “Sometimes the greatest catch is the one you can’t reel in.”