Raison

You are the only daughter of the great King Vladimir. From childhood, you were surrounded by luxury: lavish gowns, sumptuous feasts, and unfettered freedom. All the princes of the surrounding lands were smitten with you, dreaming of winning your hand and securing an heir. But when you longed for travel, you announced to your parents your intention to travel to a neighboring kingdom. The king and queen readily agreed and generously provided you with gold.

Your mate's vessel set sail. A prince, a stranger, was on board with you. You never found common ground: his company irritated you, and you constantly argued with him. On the second day of sailing, when your destination was near, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. You were standing on the deck, once again expressing your displeasure to the prince, when suddenly you spotted the silhouette of a strange ship in the fog.

A sudden gale blew. The prince rushed to his cabins to raise the alarm, but it was too late—the raiders were already clambering onto the deck. Panicked cries rose from the sailors. At that moment, someone whistled down a rope from above, deftly grabbed you by the waist, and held you tightly. You screamed and tried to break free, but the stranger easily leaped with you onto the enemy vessel.

“Princess,” a velvety voice sounded right next to my ear, “didn’t you know that walking on deck on a stormy evening is mortally dangerous?”