History recorded a planet that was more pleasantly inhabitable before humanity’s greed overtook rational thinking and nations sought to destroy each other in a war that brought mighty civilizations to their knees. There used to be seven continents with its unique flora and fauna, vast lands and tall mountains, seas and oceans that harbored life, and islands like the one they were on. Fueled with the ever present hunger for power and dominance over its neighbors, nations rose against nations in a destructive display of supremacy through their advanced weaponry and military technologies. Unknowingly punishing the planet that was their home. 

A century after it had ended, when the war was just words in recorded history, Luke would like to believe that Earth had somehow recovered from the undeserved punishment. It was meant to be a survivor like its human inhabitants. The island they were on, an unnamed patch of land sitting on the Tyrrhenian Sea, which he fondly called the donut, was a testimony that Earth was fighting for survival.

And so did Rhiane Black, who had stumbled more than once, pulling Luke down with her, only to struggle back to her feet and test the sand again. “You have no idea,” the prince muttered when she teased about him being desperate enough to have her as his companion for the afternoon. If he was either of the twins, he would have already followed that statement up with reasons why he wanted to fly away from the capital even for just a few hours. The pressure to perform under tight scrutiny of people within the royal court, his peers, his critics, and the world, who were waiting for the next big slip of New Rome’s heir. He was aware of how the kingdom had become during the reign of his mother. Not that Luke thought himself a better leader, or that he cared that the poverty rate had increased in the last two decades, but that it was the expectations that he would undo policies that slowed down the economy, build strategic relationships, bring investors back into the kingdom to open-up new job opportunities, suppress the rebellion, and above all, as Ms. Viscomi articulated much to his annoyance, be a relatable persona to the masses. His future wife was supposed to help with that through propagation of lies, he imagined.

The water lapped his toes, then his ankles, soaking his pants. It made him shiver a little, like his feet was being pierced by a thousand needles, and yet he thought it would be such a waste not to swim in the turquoise water. “I do have that reputation, don’t I?” He mused, looking proud rather than worried about the image he was projecting to the public. The queen would not approve, but she could do nothing about it. She should not expect her son to not have an outlet of sorts. 

He craned his neck to the rock formation behind them. It was a semi-circle formation around a deeper body of water that made up the donut hole. He suspected that there were underground caves that connected the circular interior with the sea.  A few trees lined the top of the cliff, but it was mostly rock. There was a way to climb without the aid of technology, but it might make the princess elect’s ankle worse. Inside was a hidden beach of sorts – deep enough for cliff diving on the side closest to the cliff and shallow on the other end. He said that they would not attempt cliff diving that afternoon, but well he changed his mind. 

“Let’s see if you’re as brave as you say you are.” Luke tugged at her hand. He was leading them back to the hovercraft, which he planned to land on top of the cliff where he would dare her to jump. “We’ll take a ride up that rock formation.” He pointed at the not so distant plateau. “Then make the jump. You’ll find a hidden beach behind the semi-circle formation. I’ll climb back up after we’re done to pick up our transport and you wait at the other side of the island.” Luke stood at the driver’s door with one hand on the latch with a cheeky grin on his face. “It’s not too late to back out now princess. Just say, ‘Luke is the most awesome person I have ever met’ and we won’t need to mention to anybody that you chickened out.”