Jayme sprawled out on the warm golden sand. Stretching his arms out, he swiped them up and down, making sand angels on the beach beside Shylar, who was rolling around in the sand beside him.

He rolled himself onto his knees and picked up a handful of sand, throwing it up in the air with a smile on his lips. "Never have I felt such soft silk-like sand that was warm like bread from the oven, and the bright sun making it glimmer like a million candles sparkling in a chandelier." He mused, falling back on the sand and wiggling himself down into it.

Essa tilted her head to the side as she silently watched Jayme. "Is that how all walking sticks react to sand?" She questioned, looking up to William who was standing beside her for the answer. 

William chuckled, looking over at Jayme, then leaned towards her and said. "No, I can assure you he's the only bloke who you'd catch doing that. Most of us are more dignified than that." He explained with a sigh, continuing to further explain. "He loves nature more than anyone and isn't afraid to act like a child. At first, my father thought Jayme was crazy and soon realized that he was," He mused, recalling that memory. "In a good, harmless way."

Essa tilted her head, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion at what William had said. "That doesn't make sense. Walking sticks are really weird." She mused aloud in a dead serious tone.
William cocked an eyebrow as he looked over at her, giving an amused expression on his lips. He shifted his body to turn towards her as he crossed his arms. "And you are not?" He questioned her, waiting for her reaction.

Essa tilted her head as she thought about his words. "I - um, I guess I am," She sighed, frowning, looking down at her feet, wiggling her toes into the wet sand. "Is that a bad thing?" She hesitantly asked, nibbling on her bottom lip.

William chuckled, shaking his head and replying, "No, it's not necessarily a bad thing." His expression turned serious as he moved onto something that had got him curious. "So you truly don't know anything about your life before the island?" He inquired, finding that interesting. 

Essa nodded her head, playing with her long black hair. "Nuh uh. I have bad dreams about things. I only know I was found on the sand after a storm. No memories of what happened before." She knew she sounded crazy, but it was the crazy truth.

William gave her a soft look, seeing that he needed to tread lightly on this subject. "You could have amnesia? It can happen due to such a traumatic experience like a boatwreck, especially to someone young."

Essa tilted her head to the side, trying to ponder and understand what he had said. "Am . . . ne . . . sia? Does that mean missing memories?" She hesitantly asked, hoping to gain a better understanding. 

It took everything in William to not just pinch her cheeks and coo at her like a cute child. "That is what amnesia means." He replied, holding back a smile that threatened to grace his lips. "It happens sometimes, especially when your brain blocks certain traumatic events as a way to protect you because they could potentially drive one mad."

Essa hummed, a thoughtful expression growing on her face. "I never really thought much of it. It hurts my head to think about it." She flipped her hair to her back and scratched the side of her head.

William silently listened to her, studying her body language as she spoke. "How can you talk to animals?" He suddenly asked, finally allowing himself to indulge in the question his mates were thinking but too scared to ask.

Essa gave an awkward laugh rubbing her arm as she ended up chewing on her lip. "I prayed one night to be able to talk with them, and the next morning when I woke up, I could understand what they were saying to me. Their names just came to me, and I left my mouth without thinking." She simply replied, not really knowing how else to explain it. 

William couldn't fathom how that could have happened by a small prayer, although his mother did say prayer worked. He didn't really see that. "That is fascinating. Truly so." He mused, turning his attention away from Essa to his approaching cousin.

Alex tossed both coconuts in each hand in the air. "William, how about Essa coming back with us back to our kingdom as a way of saying thank you for helping save you?" He suggested looking around at those on the beach.

William frowned and narrowed his eyes at his cousin, biting back from saying anything in front of the island girl. "Alex, may I talk to you for a moment?" He grabbed his arm and pulled him a bit away from Essa and turned his back to her and faced Alex. 

Alex dropped the coconuts on the ground and jerked his arm away from his cousin. "What do you want, William?" He tapped his foot on the sand, his arms crossed over his chest, and his frown deep on his lips. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked in an innocently condescending way to his cousin.

William pursed his lips to keep him from laughing at his attitude towards him for pulling him off to the side. "Why are you suggesting that she comes back to my kingdom?" He emphasized 'my kingdom,' which he only ever did when he was upset.

Alex shook his head, giving him a disappointed look. "To be nice, William! To help get her off this island! To save her from this life of seclusion? To repay her for helping you! To help her find her long-lost family!" He exclaimed each time he ended a sentence sharply.

William scoffed at the presumptuous words of his cousin. "When have you ever done something for someone without an ulterior motive? When have you ever done something that you didn't dish off on someone else?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jayme stepped up to the two boys and interjected. "Alex, you make it sound like her living on this island is a bad thing? It's her home. Many people live on an island and are civilized. It is a misconception that islanders are uncivilized just because their culture is different than ours." 

"Attack Alex day, wow," Alex groaned heavily, throwing his hands in the air. "Why do you doubt me? We got chased off a few islands last month! Am I really that racist and selfish to you guys?" He saw nothing wrong with what he said. "I was just offering, for once, doing it without any motives."

"Sorry, Alex," Willian took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck, looking up at Alex. "If anything goes south, it was your idea, not mine. So don't think about blaming it on me. You take the blame for whatever happens." He told him to punch his chest softly but enough to show him he was not playing around. "Seriously, Alex, I am not taking this on. You offered, you deal with it."

Alex nodded, waving William off and his words and ignoring Jayme. "Yes, William, it is my idea. I will take all the blame and deal with everything myself. Even facing the potential wrath of your father." He vowed, placing his hand over his chest, although he wasn't so sure he'd follow through like his past showed.

William turned to Essa and approached the island girl who was watching Shylar chase her tail. "Would you like to come back with us to my kingdom so we can help find your family." He asked hesitantly, feeling as if she agreed without any hesitation.

Essa opened her mouth to speak but paused and closed it back as a thought popped into her head. 'I can't say yes without talking it over with my animal family. They have just as much of a say as I do.' She thought, taking a deep breath playing with her fingers.

She weighed her options for a few moments before replying. "Thank you for your offer. I need some time to think, okie?" She asked, chewing softly on the inside of her lip, anxiety building up that it would be trouble for him.

William gave her a soft look and nodded, understanding that this was bigger for her than him. "That's fine. Take all the time you need. We'll be here a few more days anyway." He felt a bit relieved she wasn't quickly agreeing to come with them.

Essa nodded, pushing her hair behind her ear, glad he was so understanding. "Um, thank you. Be careful and don't fall again." She told him before turning around and walking away with her animal family to try and figure out what to do. 

William nodded, waving as she disappeared into the jungle with her animal family. "You're welcome. I will be careful," He didn't know why, but hearing her worry about his well-being made him feel happy? He felt a swell in his chest that made him feel warm.

Jayme walked up to William and watched the girl walk through the thick forest. "Don't tell me you've been smitten by her?" He teased, giving a lopsided grin and putting his hands behind his back.

"Of course not," William quickly denied as he turned and looked over the vast, azure blue ocean. "I will never allow myself to fester feelings for her when I am married to Rosalya. I'm not that kind of man. I'd bring shame upon my family, or Rosalya, and I'm not sacrificing my dignity on these unfamiliar feelings." He explained, being as honest as he could be.

Jayme placed a hand on William's shoulder. "I know being in an arranged marriage is hard. Maybe things will change, and you won't have to follow through with it." He hated seeing his friend sad, so he tried to be optimistic. 

William doubted that would ever happen, but Jayme's optimism did make him feel a bit better. "Thanks for the optimism, Jayme." He gave his friend a sad smile, looking off into the horizon again. "Your hope is admirable, alas it is never that simple. Not even God himself could get me out of my situation."

Jayme clapped his hands and sucked in a deep breath, and turned towards Alec. "Now that is settled. Let's get back on the topic of HOW COULD YOU think THAT HER BEING ON THIS ISLAND IS A BAD THING?" He yelled at Alex, only to be met by silence. "Why do I even try!" He groaned and pivoted around, walking away.

William exchanged a look with Alex before setting off after Jayme. "Jayme? Jayme, please come back! Don't be cross with Alex. I mean, don't you find it odd how she can speak our language, albeit like a child, despite being raised by animals and understanding them?" 

Jayme abruptly stopped in his tracks and licked his lips. "So what if it is strange? She did say that one day she woke up and she could understand them. They were speaking to her like you and I. It is a blessing she can do because I'm sure it kept her sane her whole life on the island!" He yelled at his friend, who right now wasn't too pleased with for taking Alex's side.

Once again, Jayme was making a mountain out of a molehill, and William was equally upset. 

"Well, that is weird. It is unheard of, Jayme. No one in all history could speak with animals. So how is she speaking with them and understanding them?" William stammered, defending his cousin and thought his reasons were logical. 

Jayme didn't care how he saw it or was trying to rationalize what he said. "We will never know, William! She doesn't even know! Just accept it as it is. Be more open-minded. It could do you a whole lot of good. He yelled, his tone as frustrated as ever with his friend.

William ran his hand through his hair and licked his lips. " She grew up on an island with no rules, no parental supervision, no proper etiquette. She is uncivilized! Face the facts. It was how I was raised to think like this, I can't change it overnight." He lashed out, smacking a thick leaf out of his way.

Jayme couldn't understand how his point was right? "That is no excuse. I get you were raised with some prejudices, but there has to come a time when you realize that the way you were raised, some beliefs are hurtful and harmful. You must put your opinions to the side and try to accept her as she is." His voice and expression turned softer for a brief moment before his they hardened again.

Alex didn't normally butt into arguments, although he figured he needed to back his cousin up. "She has been stranded on the island since she was young. She needs to be rescued and brought back with us. To civilization. She lives on an island, Jayme, an island raised by animals." He emphasized on animals.

"You royals!" Jayme gritted his teeth as his fists clenched at his sides. "She. Isn't. Stranded. This. Is. Her. Home. Can you please understand that? You know what, let's just stop here because I can't take any more of your ignorance." He commented, pivoting on his foot and walking deeper into the forest.

William sighed, shaking his head and sharing an annoyed look with his cousin. "Jayme, come on." He couldn't understand why he was so pressed about what they said. When he was met with silence, he needed to take a step back and let him be for a bit.

〰️🌴〰️

"Jayme, at least tell me where we are going. '' William finally broke the silence after fifteen minutes of trekking through the island. "Are you going to speak with me again? Or still give me the silent treatment?"

Jayme stopped and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I am just walking. Walking helps me calm down. Right now, I fear I could say something harsh that I would regret." He replied, straining to speak without annoyance in his voice, which he failed at no doubt.

William slowly nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. "We are going to get lost." He complained, pushing some bushes out of his way and stepping over them. "Ow." He explained, getting whacked in the face. His hands covered his face as he blinked a few times, his eyes watering. "That hurt."

This was the longest Jayme had heard William, the adventure-loving prince, complain. "We are not going to get lost. My tracking skills are better than any of yours since my father taught me since I was a young boy." He reassured his friend, offering a smile. 

Alex ducked under some vines and used his arm to move them out of the way. "Maybe you should have asked for directions from Essa. She knows her way around the island since she's lived here her whole life." He sarcastically commented, rolling his eyes.

"I don't need directions." Jayme insisted, glancing back at Alex with a scowl before turning back to look in front of him. "I have a compass, and I know my way around islands like this." He was not going to have anyone second guess him.

Alex took note of their surroundings: overhanging napoleons were becoming more and more prominent, along with the darkness of the sunlight being blocked. The air was damp and muggy with a slight mix of putrid stench. 

"It seems we are going into marshlands. Oh, how joyous. Do you know, pray tell, what thrives in them? In the dark, cold, damp, marshy, algae-ridden part of the island?" He asked, his voice leaning towards being condescending.

Jayme rolled his eyes, puffing out his cheeks. "Crocodiles." He deadpanned, shaking his head. "I know. There are some plants I want to take samples of. This marsh is runoff water from the ocean, and I would like to take a few samples of that, too. Saltwater marshlands, imagine if I recreated it back home. It would be interesting to see what microorganisms thrive and grow in it. Monumental to other botanists like myself, don't you think?" He rhetorically commented with a grin and sparkling eyes.

William stopped and placed his hand on the tree. "Can we stop for a moment?" He asked, moving his hands on the lower of his back and stretched backward. "My body is still sore from falling off a cliff! I need to pace myself, or else I may regret it tomorrow." He added with a grumble under his breath 

Jayme stopped in his tracks, pivoting on his feet and looking at his friend. "How about this? You two go back, and I stay here following the path to collect some samples while continuing to cool down." His eyes twitching as he spoke in a forcefully calm tone.

William certainly wasn't going to leave his friend alone on an island. "No, no, I am fine. Just need to rest a little bit. Just give me a minute." He said, slowly stretching his arms over his head and stretching out his back.

Jayme turned around and saw some beautiful red flowers attached to some evergreen vines climbing up a tree. "Oh, g'day beautiful scarlet passion flowers," He spoke to them as he reached his hand out and carefully touched the soft petals.

William watched Jayme be enthralled with some flowers. "Be careful Jayme."" He warned his friend. "Don't let your habit of touching flowers without a care get you back like the poison ivy did last year."

"Different, dear William, I know what these flowers are-" The next step Jayme took his feet had nothing to plant themselves on. "Ahh~" He yelled as he fell and, with a huge splash, landed in the murky waters of the marshlands. 

He gasped as he surfaced, clamored to his feet. "Whoa!" He slipped in an algae patch and fell right back down. "Oh, come on," He grumbled, stretching out his arms and shaking them off.

"Jayme!" William rushed over to the edge and knelt, looking over. "Jayme!" He called again, looking for his friend. Once he saw him surface, he sighed in relief that he was fine. "Oh good, you are all right." 

Alex stood as still as a statue. He didn't know how to react and seemed to be frozen in place, having flashbacks of William falling. "Oh," He broke away and rushed over to the edge, kneeling beside William.

Jayme groaned as he slowly got to his feet in the mid-calf deep water. "Oh gross." He shook off his hands and looked down at his wet clothes. "I'm fine! Just wet." He called up to his mates. "Please don't let me get sick from this water and die." He sent a quick prayer while looking up towards the sky. 

He took notice of his surroundings and knew any moment crocodiles could approach him. "William, Alex, can you find a vine to help pull me up?" He asked, looking up at his two mates.

Alex couldn't help but laugh at Jayme's predicament, although it technically wasn't funny. "Sure, but while you're down there, take some samples. I am sure that's your domain." He called down mockingly, earning an elbow in the side from William. "I'm trying to lighten the mood."

Jayme opened his messenger bag, and sure enough, it somehow miraculously stayed try. He shook her head and dryly laughed. "Haha, just because I enjoy studying foliage and microorganisms doesn't mean I want to bathe with them. Who knows what germs are in here? I could get sick and die like my father's late friend, and you should have seen what it did to his brain!" He deadpanned, glaring up at William and Alex, who was looking down at him.

William smirked a little, not seeing why Jayme was so pressed. "You're being too over dramatic. It's just a little murky water. You'll be fine." He replied, glancing back into the water looking for movement. "When did you get so dramatic, hmm?" He inquired, his tone a tad but condescending.

Jayme was in no mood to play games. He was wet and standing in murky water. Heaven knows what was in here. "Just get the vine and pull me up! I don't want to end up having crocodile lunch!" He cupped his hands around his mouth and called up to them

Alex mocked Jayme as he spoke. His hands held a vine, and his foot placed on the tree as he pulled it with all his might. "Blah, blah, blah. Ugh, I'm Jayme, I'm smarter than you. You need me. Pfft, sure. I think I can manage just fine." He grunted as he tried to snap the vine from the rest of them.

William walked over and pulled out a knife, swiftly cutting it with ease. "There you go." He chose to ignore his cousin mocking his best friend. "Come on." He took the other end in his hand and walked to the side of the cliff, tossing it down he called down to his friend. "Tell us when you grab on." 

Jayme jumped up and tried to reach the vine. However, it was too high up and not lowered down enough for him to grab on. "It's too high up, lower it a little more." He tried to stand on his tippy toes and reach for it. 

William obliged and lowered it a bit more, getting a little too close to the edge with every step. "Is that good?" He called, not being able to see it first hand because of where they were. He did notice that the dirt was slowly turning into the mud as they inched closer. 

Jayme reached his hands up and grabbed onto it. "Just a little more so I can pull myself up." He told them, glancing back at the crocodiles. He didn't see anything, but that didn't mean they weren't stalking him from under the murky water.

Alex shuffled behind William, lowering it a bit more. He slipped a little but regained his balance. "Is that better?" He asked, moving his heels back and forth to drive them deeper into the mud. It would be easier for him now to maintain his balance. 

Jayme tugged on the vine. He was making sure that it was steady before he began to climb up. "Yes, it's fine. I'm getting ready to climb up." He tugged on it one more time, checking to see if it was secure before climbing up it. 

William and Alex braced themselves. They leaned back with their heels in the dirt, trying to keep the vine steady for Jayme to ascend. William still felt the pain. He tried his best not to think about the dull, throbbing pain.

Jayme pulled himself up and began to slowly climb up the vine, his feet slipping on the mossy wall. He began swinging back and forth a little bit. He was not too fond of that. He paused for a moment as the pendulum movement slowed down, and he continued to climb.

Alex dug his heels into the dirt. They were slipping with Jayme's weight and how slippery the side of the cliff was. "Uh, I'm slipping." He called trying to dig his heels deeper to keep him from slipping. 

William groaned as he pulled with all his might, trying to keep himself steady. "How much longer, Jayme?" He was barely holding onto the vine. With Alex slipping, he was taking the full brunt of Jayme's weight. His arms and back were screaming to stop. He bit his lip and closed his eyes.

Jayme was about halfway up. His own hands were having the darndest time holding on. He could feel the rough vines, stripping away the tender flesh, making his palms raw. "I'm halfway - whoa!" He yelled as he felt the vine jerk. With him clinging to the vine, it dropped a few feet before stopping. "Steady mates,"

William was trying his best to keep from slipping. Unfortunately, when Alex fell still holding onto the vine, he also fell in the mud. With Jayme still hanging on, his weight pulled them with the vine. All three fell into the water. One splash after the over, thigh-deep in water.

Jayme groaned. He was at his wit's end today. "You've got to be kidding me!" He looked up at the sky and waved his fisted hands around. "Can't we have a break? Can't we have just one day where something doesn't go wrong!" He looked down at the water, feeling defeated.

Alex rolled his eyes at Jayme's little rant. He looked back up at the cliff where they had fallen from. "Oh great, now we're stuck in here with you. We will all end up being crocodile dinner!" He exclaimed, his voice made the few birds there scatter with loud replies. 

William sat up in the water and coughed a little. He was soaked, from head to toe, and even more sore than before. "Crikey Alex, we will be fine." He got to his feet and ran his hands through his hair, trying to get at least a little of the water out. "How will we get back up?" He asked, looking around for another path to take back up.

Jayme shook his leg, trying to get some plants off his foot. "Well, we could try and venture around a little bit. As long as we move slowly, we should be fine. There has to be some land around here somewhere." He replied, starting to trudge through the swamp while his eyes scanned the water, looking for crocodiles. 

Unbeknownst to them, a trio of crocodiles slowly approached them. Keeping themselves hidden, for the most part, they fanned out, closing in on the walking sticks. 

They saw dinner. Meaty dinner that they would feast on and be filled for a few days. That was something they hadn't had in quite a while. They were hungry for some filling substance.

Alex's eyes bugged out of his head. He let out the loudest and girliest scream someone could exclaim. "ESSA! HELP! HELP US! PLEASE! ESSA! ESSA!" He was terrified as the crocodiles began to approach them. He jumped up into Jayme's arms, shaking like a leaf. 

Jayme dropped him on his bottom, not being able to get a good grip on the younger boy. "Alex! Calm down. Sudden moves will provoke them to attack. Like any wild animal, they can sense fear, more or less, our body language. So, you need to keep a cool head." 

Alex scrambled to his feet and hid cowardly behind William and Jayme. "If you need to feast, take them first! Spare me!" He wailed with tears forming in his eyes. 

William slowly got to his feet after having slipped on something and landed on his bottom. "Easy there. We're mates, not food." He hoped that would tell them not to eat him, hoping they'd understand even though he wasn't Essa.

Essa used a vine to swing herself onto a rock and held it in her hand. Thanks to Jiki, Naimie, and Duwah, she was able to get here pretty quickly. "Toko! I can see you! No, I'm trying to sneak a little piece. Is that how we treat guests?" She asked one of the crocodiles. "No,"

Toko groaned, throwing her a glare. "Oh great." He was hungry! He needed to eat something, and these three seemed to be the perfect meal. They would last for days. What a feast. "Come on Essa, we never get visitors!"

Essa frowned at the words of Toko. She expected better from him, seeing as he was here when she came to the island. "No! No eating the guests." She turned to the youngest and glared. "Zephyr! You know better than to try and sneak up while I'm not looking!" 

Zephyr groaned and pouted. "Aw, Essa, but they fell in, and you know what that means? Our domain. Our dinner." He tried to reason with her. "We're so hungry! Just a little nibble? They look so meaty and could fill us for days."

Essa shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, they are not dinner. You tried to do it with me, which was mean." She glared over at Toko because he and Dojo were the ones who tried to snack on her. 

Toko rolled his eyes. Was she still upset over that whole accident? "It was merely a misunderstanding. No harm came to you, right?" He nonchalantly said, turning his back on the trio and looking up at Essa. 

Essa crossed her arms and deeply frowned, rapidly tapping her foot on the rock. "Dojo, I you big meanie!" She caught a glimpse of the crocodile who was trying to use marsh to camouflage himself so he could pull Alex in and feast. "Did you not hear what I said?"

Dojo paused with his jaws wide open about to clamp down on Alex's leg. "Ugh, thanks a lot!" He exclaimed, backing up and getting back into the water. "I was wanting dips on the meatiest one. You're no fun, Essa." He swam away, mocking her.

Essa sighed as she motioned for the others to swim away. "Now go. Leave these walking sticks alone." She demanded like a mother scolding her child who had made a mess of the kitchen. "And don't be a meanie!" She looked back at the trio and stepped into the water. 
Jayme gave sheepish laughs as he wiped his hands on his dry upper shirt. "Thank you so much, Essa. I just kept walking without paying attention to where I was going. I slipped and fell into this water. William and Alex followed in suit, but only because they had been trying to help me up."

Essa listened to him, her eyes darting between the three men. "Be more careful. Don't fall again. It could be badder. Kailau always says, "What falls here is their meal, but I didn't want to see you be eaten." She didn't want any of them to fall to their death. 

William was glad she had come to rescue them. He took a deep breath, trying to block out all the pain he was in. currently in. "Thank you so much, but how do we get out?" He inquired, trying to get his mind off things.

"Follow those rocks, and you will reach the top." Essa pointed towards a rocky path that was barely visible due to the overhanging napoleons. "Be careful, it's slippery, and you could get more hurt."

Jayme nodded, quickly intercepting the conversation before William could say anything. "Thank you. We won't keep you any longer." He quickly dismissed her so neither Alex nor William could say anything that would offend her. 

Essa smiled softly, feeling a bit bashful at their thanks. "You're welcome. Be safe!" She said, jumping up and grabbing a vine, starting to swing from one to another out of the swamp.

William watched Essa leave. He then turned to Jayme. "I'm going back to the boat to lay down and maybe rinse off in the sea. My body is killing me, and you can collect the rest of what you need by yourself." He pivoted and began to walk towards the path that Essa had pointed out to them.

Alex trudged behind him, being careful about where he stepped. "Me too. See you at the boat, Jayme." He said, departing from the young botanist as soon as he made it out of the marshlands.

Jayme sighed as he watched his mates leave him. "Yet again, I am left to my own devices." He just hoped tomorrow would be better for everyone, or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

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A\N:
Hey guys, I am back from my January hiatus since I really needed a break from everything to try and relax. It is a good thing I had written up this book so much, so all I have to do is edit and add. It is such a relief and a blessing for me to not stress on what to write.

I have been trying to draw some of the characters, but my drawing is rusty, so I am looking back on old drawings I loved so much and trying to get back into the groove of it. Not to mention, I am practicing with other body parts I have had trouble on, so I hope soon to get some characters draw up for you guys!

Chapter Talk:
I also kinda wanted to make William more of a jerk because like why not? The rich boy needs some character development, and that's what I'm gonna give him.

Thanks for reading!