by Cait Marie
“Oh, hush,” Ada said as they stepped onto the raised platform at the end of the ballroom.
Shane stood with Lady Saundra, speaking to Prince Michel. Lee squeezed her hand as they approached. Introductions were made, and Ada sighed with relief at the pleasant atmosphere.
“You look lovely as always, Adalina,” Michel said before kissing her on the cheek.
“It’s good to see you.” She pulled him into a hug, and he didn’t hesitate to hold her tight. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“I could say the same,” he said before leaning back. “I spoke with Shane, and I understand you said you need more time.”
Ada looked to her brother who had taken his seat at the center of the table facing the crowd. He smiled at his people celebrating around them. She turned back to Michel. His normal sweet smile was plastered on his face, causing her stomach to flip. The truth was, she didn’t need more time. She knew deep down she couldn’t marry him. Not anymore.
“I do hope we can remain friends,” Michel whispered as he glanced from her to Lee.
She opened her mouth in surprise. He had always been able to read her. As she hugged him again, she wondered if the proposal was what he’d truly wanted or if it was his way of trying to make her happy, just as he had always done since her mother’s death.
“Thank you,” she said.
Michel inclined his head, then took his seat on the other side of the duchess. She knew Lee had heard every word, but he didn’t comment as he led her to the right of Shane and pulled out her chair.
A hand went to her waist, pausing her as she moved to sit. “Lovely does not do you justice,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re breathtaking.”
She turned her head, leaning into his touch. “Good thing you’re immortal then.”
His warm breath as he laughed sent shivers down her spine. Aware of all the people surrounding them and watching, she stepped forward and took her seat. Having been given a seat of honor for his service, Lee stayed beside her. They sat close enough that by shifting a little, his leg brushed hers. She hid her smile by taking a drink of her wine as his hand went to her thigh beneath the table. With their closeness and the long tablecloth, no one could see the touch or the motion of his thumb rubbing small circles on her leg.
At the end of the song, Shane stood and tapped a knife against his glass to gain everyone’s attention. He thanked everyone for being there, then explained briefly that the king was too ill to join them. Most of Lee’s crew sat together at a lower table, while a few mingled in the crowd standing on the dance floor. Ada slipped her hand into Lee’s beneath the table as they were thanked for their service to the kingdom. Shane then thanked Prince Michel and his delegates for joining them before turning his attention to the woman next to him.
Lady Saundra smiled up at the prince. She was beautiful and sweet and smart, everything her brother deserved in a future queen. Ada was happy for them—that the duchess still wanted to go through with the marriage—but she glanced to Phillip in the crowd. He met her gaze with a sad smile and subtly nodded. While it might have been arranged for them, Shane and Saundra grew close over the years. Ada could see fondness in the girl’s eyes and knew they would be happy together.
“And now the real reason I am so happy you are all here today. Saundra, we have been friends a long time now.” Shane reached for her hand. “We’ve known this day would one day come, but that does not make it any less of an honor. Lady Saundra of Prillia, will you marry me?”
With tears in her eyes, she nodded. As she said, “yes,” he pulled her to her feet and into his arms to kiss her. Cheers and applause erupted around them. The people truly loved her brother, and she knew they were genuinely happy for him. Ada felt a tear fall as she took in the joy filling the room. Shane called out for the music to start up and for everyone to eat, dance, and be happy.
The celebration quickly began again. Shane bent over to kiss his fiancée’s cheek as they took their seats once more. Their meals were brought out, having been thoroughly checked by Phillip and some trusted guards, and they made small talk with those closest to the high table while eating. Ada watched as Phillip pulled Brienne to the dance floor. Both lit up with smiles.
“You should join them,” Shane said, breaking Ada’s stare. When she looked over, he nodded his head toward Lee. “Go on. Have some fun while you still have time.”
His words filled her with a sorrow she tried to hide with a smile. He placed a hand over hers, telling her he understood. Without further delay, she stood and pushed her chair back.
“Shall we?” Ada asked Lee, holding out a hand.
He rose, lacing their fingers together, and led her down to the floor. She could sense him loosen up as they left the raised platform and joined the others. They both felt more comfortable surrounded by his crew. She laughed at the thought.
“What?” Lee asked as he turned to face her and pulled her close.
“I’m more relaxed down here with a bunch of pirates,” she whispered the word, “than I am up there with the other royalty.”
Lee smiled and twirled her around, making her laugh. Phillip and Brienne moved closer. The song faded into a quicker melody, and they all danced the steps together. She looked at the crew surprised.
“What?” Brienne shrugged. “You pick up a thing or two after all these years.”
The music changed again and again. Eventually, Shane and Saundra joined their group, followed by Gwyn. Lee moved to her as Phillip stepped in for a dance with Ada.
“Are you going to be all right,” Phillip asked.
She let out a breath and looked up. “Are you?”
He held her close. “I have to be. We both do.”
Ada stayed quiet, knowing he was right. As the music continued to change, she danced with Shane as well as Michel and a few nobles. Most of the night, however, was spent in Lee’s arms.
The celebration lasted well into the early hours of the morning. Most of the people left over time, but a few remained. Time was running out, and as dawn approached, Ada pulled Lee close. She leaned against him, laying her head against his shoulder, while they swayed to the music of the lingering musicians. They stayed quiet for a while. The others kept their distance, recognizing the significance of the moment.
Ada sniffed when the tears threatened to return. Lee pulled his hand up to brush her cheek with a thumb. The sun would rise soon, and they wanted to leave once it was light out. The Nihryst began saying their goodbyes and slowly left the ballroom. They turned to follow, and Ada whispered to a maid as she passed hand in hand with Lee. Phillip and Shane joined outside and thanked them again for everything.
“Take care of yourself,” Brienne told Phillip.
He pecked her cheek before shaking Lee’s hand with a nod. “Captain Lee.”
Shane watched as his friend walked to the door to wait. Ada saw him smile before turning his attention back to the man at her side. “If there’s anything you ever need, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know you’re going to search for a way to break the curse, but if you find more medicine to help our people, I will be in your debt.”
“I will look, your Majesty,” Lee said, inclining his head.
As Ada started saying goodbye to the others, Gwyn appeared. “I want to go with you,” she said to Lee, “but I’m needed here.”
Ada and Brienne looked to Lee—he had told the latter about the girl being a descendant of his sister.
“If things change, I would love for you to join us,” he replied.
She smiled, then hugged him before going back inside with Shane and Phillip.
Ada let out a sigh as she hugged Brienne and Ren goodbye. Lee stayed behind, and they watched as the group made their way down the gravel lane and through the gates to the village beyond.
A throat cleared in the doorway. Ada thanked the maid as she handed over the book.
“I want you to have this,” she said, turning back to Lee.
“No, it was your mot
her’s. I can’t.”
“Please.” She finally met his eyes. “My whole life revolved around this book. It’s a part of me, as much as it is you. I want you to have it.”
He gently took it from her.
“Besides, I don’t need it anymore.” She smiled. “I know the whole story. I know how it ends.”
Lee flipped over the hard, leather cover. From so many years of the same motion, the pages billed opened to the center map and what she now knew was the prophecy told in a language she still couldn’t read. He looked at her with a sad smile.
“You stubborn, stubborn girl,” he said, pulling her into a vise-like hug.
“If you’re ever in Detmarya,” she tried to joke, but her voice shook. She pulled back to look at his familiar green eyes. She knew the likelihood of ever seeing him again, despite his earlier implications. The kingdom that took everything from him could never feel like home again.
“Adalina, love—”
Her lips brushed his, cutting off his words, as tears fell.
“You could come with us…” he said, leaning away enough to see her.
She thought about his offer and placed a hand over on his chest. “I can’t.”
He nodded, but the look in his eyes sent a sharp pain through her core.
As the mask started to slide back in place, she quickly reached up and kissed him again. Leaning her forehead against his beating heart, she said, “I want to. I really do. But I can’t with all of this going on.”
Lee’s arms tightened, crossing around her back.
“I can’t leave Shane to deal with all this alone. We have to make sure my father didn’t cause too much damage. I’ll have to help smooth things over with the other kingdoms and—”
“Adalina,” Lee interrupted. He tilted her chin up, then wiped away an escaped tear. “I know. I understand. Besides, I’d be concerned if you didn’t refuse to go because you need to help someone. I just wish you could be a bit more selfish this once.”
“Me too.”
“You know,” he started with a mischievous grin, “I am a pirate.”
At her raised brow, he clarified, “I could actually kidnap you and bring you along.”
That made her laugh. She rolled her eyes and lay back against him. It felt good to smile, even if she knew it wouldn’t last. She knew the tears would eventually fade too. The pain would fade. After all, it wasn’t as if they had known each other that long. She sighed, knowing she was lying to herself.
“Where will you go?” Ada asked.
“I have a couple ideas on what the prophecy meant, but I need to talk to the others to see what they think. We need to look for more medical supplies too.”
“You called my brother your Majesty,” she said.
“I did. He might be the first king to actually care about Detmarya and the people of other kingdoms in a really long time.”
She nodded, and they stood in silence a moment. Her eyes fluttered shut as he brought his mouth down to hers. His hand held the back of her head to him tightly, and she grabbed onto the fabric of his shirt. They held each other, knowing it was time.
When they pulled apart, her cheeks were damp. He wiped away the tears as they stood listening to the quiet sounds of the morning. Animals began to stir, and the soft chatter of lingering guests and staff drifted out to them. Lee raked his fingers through the hair along the side of her face.
“Goodbye, blodau.” He kissed her once more, then turned and walked toward the open gate.
Ada’s chest tightened as she fought to catch her breath. She sank down to sit on the steps and leaned against the stonework. A sea of lavender spilled around her. She didn’t fight the tears this time.
It wasn’t until the sky started to lighten that footsteps approached. Knowing who it was, Ada didn’t bother turning. Phillip moved to lean against the rail in front of her with arms crossed while Shane sat down beside her and Gwyn stood near the opposite rail. Shane put an arm around Ada’s shoulders and pulled her to him.
“He’ll be back with supplies. And maybe he’ll stay after breaking the curse,” Phillip said, ending the silence.
She nodded, but the look in his eyes told her he knew it was unlikely to happen.
“Or,” her brother began in a quiet tone, “perhaps you could go with them.”
She shook her head against his shoulder. “I can’t just leave. Not with everything going on.”
Shane kissed the top of her head before saying, “Yes, you can. Things are under control for the most part.”
“We’ll keep working on a cure for the Kald, but you don’t need to be here for that,” Gwyn added.
“They’re right.” Phillip squatted down in front of her. “Now that Shane can rightfully take charge, it will be easier to find what we need. You can go. The kingdom is in good hands.”
Ada couldn’t argue with that. She had always known her brother would one day make a great king. He didn’t need her. A pang went through her at that thought. “Even if I wanted to, they don’t need me. I mean, he offered for me to go, but...”
Phillip and Shane shared a look as her words trailed off. She caught the silent conversation.
“What?” she asked.
Phillip cleared his throat, but it was Shane who shifted to face her more. He took her hand and spoke, “What was the prophecy of the curse?”
Ada looked back and forth with confusion. They’d already talked about it the night before, but she repeated what Lee told her. Shane sighed and dragged a hand through his hair.
“What?” she asked again.
“You are part of the prophecy, Ada,” Phillip said.
“I know. I’m the one who brought them the cards—the true believer.”
“No, Ada.” Shane’s voice was soft and hesitant. Whatever he knew, he was worried about sharing. “The key to breaking the curse.”
“That wasn’t the whole prophecy,” Phillip continued to explain. Gwyn’s shock mirrored Ada’s as she moved closer.
“What are you talking about?” Ada asked.
“That last night on the ship, I didn’t just tell him the plan about splitting up. He told me the truth about the curse not being lifted.”
She was beginning to get frustrated. “What truth?”
“Ada,” Shane’s tone shifted her frustration to concern, “he didn’t tell you the full prophecy. There’s more. I caught it last night when we discussed it. I remember our mother telling me about it when we were little. It’s why I was always so protective, she made me promise. But I didn’t remember until he told us the shortened version.”
Looking from Shane to Phillip, Ada twisted a piece of hair back while she waited.
“After we left your room,” Shane said, “I went to tell him, but he already knew. He told the shortened version on purpose.”
“What did it say?” Ada whispered. A thousand terrified thoughts swirled through her mind. “Are they going to be all right?”
“Yes,” Shane said, reading her worry. “It’s nothing like that. It wasn’t anything about them that they left out… It was about you.”
Ada’s heart pounded. She stood too quickly and grabbed the stone rail to steady herself. She looked out at the grounds that were becoming more visible by the minute. “What did it say?”
When no one said anything, she whirled around and demanded louder, “What did it say?”
Phillip looked to Shane, who nodded. Phillip rose back up before he said, “When the cursed become mere legend and a true believer found, the key to their freedom will be presented by the descendant. Only when forgiveness is fully given and the other half found will an act of true love set their souls free. The curse shall be paid for and lifted where it all began.”
Ada felt as if the wind had been knocked from her lungs. She hugged her middle, gripping her sides as tight as she could. The world seemed to be spinning out of control.
“It’s not the cards,” she whispered. She looked to her brother. “It’s me. I’m the one who
can break the curse.”
It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway.
“He didn’t tell you because he doesn’t know what you will have to do,” Phillip answered her next thought. He stepped closer and took her hand. “They know…”
“They can’t break it without me,” she muttered.
She took in his words—what he was really saying. They were choosing to stay cursed to spare her whatever the cost would be. True love… the words screamed over and over in her head. The corner of her mouth couldn’t be stopped from raising. She bounced on her toes and bit her bottom lip as she thought about everything. When she looked up to Phillip, he smiled and nodded. After Shane did the same, she grabbed her skirts and ran up the stairs.
The sun rose above the water as Ada ran along the docks. She had changed and packed a bag as fast as she could, then said goodbye to her brother and Phillip. Each ship she passed made her heart flutter. They had planned to leave at sunrise, and she prayed to the stars she wasn’t too late.
With the ship nowhere in sight, Ada stopped to breathe. The water sparkled with the reflection of the sun. She told herself it was the cause of her watering eyes.
“You look lost.”
Ada smiled at the amused voice and looked over. Much like their first meeting, Brienne stood with crossed arms, leaning against a post by the ship she had failed to notice. Slowly, she walked to her friend who enveloped her in a hug. Brienne snatched the bag from her shoulder and nodded her head toward the boat.
Ada followed her up the ramp and onto the deck. The crew froze at the sight of her and grew quiet. Ren walked over and patted her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with the captain,” Ada said, winking toward the large man. She grinned at the laugh she coaxed from him.
“What is going on?” a voice hollered. As Lee stomped toward them, he asked, “Why did you all stop work—“
He froze as their eyes met.
“Hi.” She wondered if she had made the right choice—if he would truly want her there.
Before she could say more, Lee moved to her in a few long strides. He grabbed her and held her up against him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he spun her around.