Chapter 37
Iris feltgleeful as she stepped across the wooden slats that took her up onto the boat which would take her away from everything and everyone she’d ever known. With its large, billowing sails and a deck that seemed to stretch on for miles, it looked to Iris like it was going to be a very comfortable and relaxing journey. To her, the ship looked like the most wonderful, grand, exciting vessel ever. She was excited to see where it would takeher.
Maybe she would not feel that way in a week or two, only time would tell. For now, all she cared about was how wonderful this made her feel. Shewasonce the girl who never left her bedroom for fear of the outside world. Now she was the bravest person she knew, she was about to embark on a wonderfuladventure.
“This is nice, is it not?” Ewan asked as he boarded behind her. “I chose my best ship for our journey, and I am sure that you will like yourcabin.”
As they were not husband and wife yet, they would sleep separately on the journey over to the other side of the world, but Iris felt glad of that. She wanted to get to know her future husband inside and out before anything physical happened between them. Before now, things had always been too strained and stressful to make anything happen. They loved one another, but they did not fully know each other in the sort of detail that she would have liked. Especially as Iris had been hiding herself for a lot of the time. She’d had to really keep a lot of her true selfin.
But notanymore!
This would give them time to really learn about each other. Iris could regale all of her childhood stories she hadn’t been able to share before, she could explain the dark period of her life more clearly to ensure that Ewan truly knew every side of her, she could even discuss the switch freely while they were out on the water. There would be no one to judge her or blame her for what she had decided to do. She could also see everything about him too. Of course, Ewan had been much more open with himself and his life, but Iris felt certain that there was a lot more toshare.
She wanted to soak all of the information in like a sponge. She wanted to know Ewan better than she knew herself. She could not wait to find out everything that he wanted to say. This was a big step for the both of them, but in Iris's eyes, it felt so much better than starting their lives together on alie.
Now she could be Iris, truly herself in every singleway.
“Can I hang over the edge?” she asked gleefully once fully aboard. “I wish to wave goodbye to my family as wego.”
"Yes, of course, you may. That is why they are here, afterall."
Elizabeth had come with her rounded belly but no husband in tow – Iris could only assume that he did not know anything. Luckily Elizabeth was smart enough to ensure that somehow or another, he would not find out. Olivia has joined them with her children as well, which had made Iris a little nervous in the beginning. Fortunately, she had given Iris a disapproving look, before wrapping her arms around her and telling her to take good care ofherself.
It was a wonderful goodbye. Just what she hoped to get from her oldestsister.
Of course, Elizabeth was very supportive. Much as she would miss Iris she needed her sister to be happy. After all the misery that she'd been through in her life, she deserved to have a fresh start that suited her greatly. Elizabeth could not help wondering what her father would think about this turn of events... but his reaction would be too awful to even think about. He was not a cruel man, particularly, but this would send him over theedge.
“Goodbye!” she screamed into the wind, with a massive beaming smile on her face. “I love you all,goodbye!”
The ship rumbled beneath Iris and Ewan as it pushed away from the dock to taken them away. Iris waved brightly to everyone, but inside herself, she was searching for a sign that this was all wrong. She felt certain that some fear would creep to the surface the moment she started to leave her old life behind... but there was nothing. Nothing butglee.
England was moving away, she was travelling towards a brand new life, where she knew no one and she did not understand the culture. But she felt wonderful about that. She was excited to see what was out there. There was an entire planet to be seen, and now she was one of the lucky ones who would actually get to explore it. At least some ofit.
And she could come back. Shewouldcome back at some point to visit if the journey was not a horrificone.
“How do you feel?” Ewan asked her cautiously as he stared at his bride’s to be face. “It is hard to say goodbye, is itnot?”
“It is, but also it is not.” She gave him a loving smile. “I am looking forward to what the future holds, especially as I get to be withyou.”
Now that Iris had accepted the love into her heart, it filled her up so much that she felt certain it was the only thing keeping her going. Ewan got her heart pumping, her feelings for him kept her blood moving, every breath she took filled her lungs with everythinghim.
It was a miracle that she had even managed to survive for as long as she had without him. She did not know how she had done it. She was also very unsure as to how she would have survived if she’d been forced to marry someoneelse.
“I am glad that I get to be with you as well, you are the true love of my life.” Ewan was so glad to hear that Iris was doing well. The last thing he wanted was for his idea to cripple Iris with anxiety once more, but she did not appear to feel that way one bit. “Things have moved quickly, I understand that, but it is for the best. This way we get to befree."
The mention of the word ‘free’ was all it took. Iris spun around and danced across the deck like a mad person. The wind flowed through her hair, it blew under the skirt of her dress, it brushed against her skin pinking her cheeks, but she felt happier than she had ever been before. She was free, finally, she had found a way to get the freedom she so desperately craved. She even flapped her wings like the bird she always wanted tobe.
Shewasthe painting now, shewasthe bird, and it was the best sensation in theworld.
“We can dance however we like,” she yelled into the wind. They weren’t too far away from the dock yet, there was a chance the breeze had carried her words to shore, but it did not matter. She was throwing England off her shoulders, all the restrictions were going, it did not matter how anyone viewed her anymore. “We can sway and move in any whichway.”
Ewan laughed loudly and happily as he watched the beautiful woman that he had fallen in love with shaking off the shackles that had held her back for so long. As her blonde hair waved in the breeze, and her pale dress flickered up around her knees, all he wanted to do was scoop her up into his arms so he could hold her forevermore.
Their time would come though, he was not worried. All he needed was a little more patience. Even though it did not feel like it right now, he was sure he could give her thatmuch.
After all, she deservedit.
Ewan knew that it was a drastic measure to leave the country for the woman that he loved, but Iris was worth everything to him. Plus, her discussion about an adventure around the world had really gotten to him, and he couldn’t help wanting a little bit of that for himself. This was the perfect way to get both. He could have the woman he adored, and he could also enjoy the world. What could be a more perfect happy ending thanthat?
