The Four Kingdoms

by Maryam Durrani

  “Isabel and Jax should go first,” Xavier said.

  I nodded, letting them pass.

  “We can’t leave you here alone,” Jax said to me.

  “I’m not alone.” I gave him a gentle push. “Go. We don’t have time. Xavier,” I turned to the ex-prince, “help me inform the others.” Xavier nodded his head and turned to leave. I grabbed his hand. He looked over his shoulder. “Be careful. I want you back in one piece.”

  Xavier smiled at me, and I let my fingers linger in his for as long as they could. He let out a soft sigh, curling his hand away from mine. Then, he turned and left.

  I found Favian first. “Get on the ship,” I whispered under my breath. “Look for Jax and Isabel, and stay with them.” Favian dipped his chin, letting me know that he heard me. “Tell whoever you see. We’re taking the ship from the pirates.” I moved on, running up to the helm to see the captain. Carac was fighting off two pirates, who I surprised from behind. I sank my blade into one of them. As the other whipped around, Carac stabbed him through his heart.

  “Come with me,” I told him. I pulled the captain towards the plank across the ships. “Climb,” I said. “Hurry!” I pushed him up and he staggered, trying to gain his balance. “You’re attracting attention, Carac. Crawl if you have to.”

  Favian, Garret, Vaughn, and Leonard were standing on the other ship with Isabel, Jax, and now Carac next to them.

  Where was Xavier? I frantically searched the ship for a sign, when I saw him. He was surrounded by six pirates.

  I ran towards him, whipping out my sword, when multiple arms grabbed me, yanking me down.

  “Let go of me!” I shouted, trying to rip my arms out of their grasp. There were more than three of them.

  “Eye for an eye,” a deep voice said from behind me. “You’ve killed too many of us, lassie.”

  Xavier looked up, his eyes meeting mine.

  “No!” I screamed, kicking at their knees. “Don’t touch him!”

  “Stop squirming.” They pushed me to my knees. My sword clattered to the ground.

  “Xavier, run!” I begged. “Get out of here! Get on the ship.”

  The moment he looked at my face, that second he lost focus, they grabbed him. They pushed Xavier to the ground in front of me, holding a knife at his throat. Xavier swallowed.

  “Don’t panic,” he tried to say, but one of them punched him across the face. I twisted around, trying to get a clear view of the ship the twins were making an escape on. There they were, waiting. Jax was trying to climb up, to come and help us, but Isabel pulled him back. Down fell the plank that connected the two ships.

  Good, Isabel. “Go!” I shouted at her. “Get out of here!”

  Carac was already at the helm, turning the wheel.

  “No!” Jax shouted. “Adalia!”

  The man behind me blocked my view, turning my head back towards Xavier. Beads of blood were appearing around the blade on his skin.

  “Wait! Wait,” I said, desperately. “I’ll do anything.”

  The man with the blade for a hand laughed. “We don’t need anything from you. We have your ship, and soon we’ll have the rest of your crew.”

  He motioned towards the ship, and a dozen of the pirates jumped off the Andromeda and onto the second ship.

  “Adalia,” Xavier said, eyes fierce. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Don’t you know who I am?” I said, ignoring him. “Who this is?” I gestured to Xavier.

  “We’ve heard that more than once,” Blade Hand said. He

  pushed the knife deeper, and Xavier sucked in a breath through his teeth.

  “Stop! Stop it,” I gasped. “This is important.”

  “Spit it out already,” Blade Hand sneered.

  “He’s a prince,” I said, nodding towards him. “Of Astodia.”

  “That’s obviously a lie,” he rolled his eyes, baring his rotting teeth. “The king and his son died.”

  “So you know what’s going on.”

  “We’ve sunk three of the queen’s ships,” he said, barking out a laugh. So all those people Lorelle and Zinovia had sent were dead.

  “Well this,” I said, gestured towards Xavier, “is that prince.”

  “He doesn’t look dead to me,” Silver Tooth said, grabbing Xavier’s face. His thumb and forefinger pressed on either side of his cheeks, digging into Xavier’s skin. I clenched my jaw.

  “He didn’t really die, of course,” I said with an eye roll. I could feel the sweat dripping down my temple. The gash under my collarbone stung, and no matter how frantic I was on the inside, I had to play it off. “That’s why he’s here. But I was King Sadim’s assassin.”

  “You?” Blade Hand guffawed. “You could barely fight off my men.”

  “That’s because she had people around her to worry about. You should see her fighting alone,” Xavier said with a smirk. “Beautiful, I’m telling you.” I fought down the blush on my cheeks. Not now, I told my thumping heart.

  “Where’s your proof?” Blade Hand asked.

  “What . . . don’t tell me none of you can identify me,” I scoffed. “There were drawings plastered with huge bounties on my head all over the kingdoms.”

  The pirates exchanged glances.

  “Bounties?”

  “Money,” I nodded. “But you can’t turn me over. Who knows what they’ll do to us,” I said, glancing at Xavier out of the corner of my eye.

  “Who knows,” Xavier agreed. “She’s lost her charm. She can barely handle me, who she swore on her life to take care of,” he added. Oh, come on!

  Blade Hand pulled his knife hand away from Xavier’s throat. I let out a sigh of relief, letting my head roll forward. I looked up, shooting a relieved smile at Xavier.

  “Change o’ plans, boys,” Blade Hand announced. “We’re taking them back to Amghadon. Cap’n Cy would probably want to see you two.”

  Something hard slammed into my head, and the last thing I heard was Xavier shouting my name.

  I woke up to the sound of crunching gravel. A jerk fully awakened me and I sat up, trying to see. Everything was dark.

  “Where am I?” I tried to shout, but I choked on my words.

  I’d been gagged.

  They had put a bag over my head. I felt furious.

  Strong arms grabbed around my waist, tossing me over their shoulder.

  “Let go!” I screamed, but all that came out was a muffled sound. I tried to punch and kick, but my ankles and wrists had been tied back. Where was Xavier? I prayed he was okay. Be alive, be alive, be alive . . .

  After what seemed like an hour, I was lifted off the person’s shoulder and thrown to the ground. A rivulet of pain ran through my tailbone and up my spine. I rolled to my side, groaning. I wouldn’t be able to sit for days after this.

  The bag was pulled off of my head and the first thing I looked for was Xavier. The gag was ripped off. I spit on the ground and searched around for Xavier.

  Relief flooded my chest as I saw him sitting up, the bag being pulled off of his head as well. His forehead was creased, eyes pained. And then his amber orbs found mine and all worry seemed to wash away.

  They pulled off the gag and he smiled at me. I crawled towards him on my knees, sharp stones cutting through my pants and into my skin.

  “Are you okay?” I asked him. The blood had dried on the front of his throat.

  “I should be asking you that. Hopefully they won’t sacrifice you to some fake god of theirs.”

  “What do pirates worship anyway?” I asked. Xavier shrugged. I sat next to him, wincing at the pressure on my tailbone.

  “You’re not okay,” Xavier said, pulling at the rope around his wrists. They were starting to bleed from him pulling at them too hard.

  “Don’t.” I pressed my arm against his.

  “Stop talking,” Blade Hand said, startling both of us. “Cap’n Cy will be here any moment.”

  “Where are we?” I scanned our surroundings. We were in some sort of a cave.
Crystal blue water surrounded us on every side, stalactites hanging from the ceiling. “The water is different. Are we still in Amghadon?”

  “Yes you are,” Blade Hand said with a roll of his eyes. He did that a lot. “This water is untouched by the outside. Oh.” A smirk crawled across his face. “He’s here.”

  A tall, gangly young man stepped in front of us, a smirk playing on his lips. Between them was a cigar, which he took out, blowing a puff of smoke and placing it back with ease, as if he did it without thinking. Dark brown hair was matted to his forehead under the hat he wore, and his dark, bottomless eyes took us in.

  An icy feeling crept up my spine.

  I never forget a face.

  His dark eyes flickered to mine, and something flashed through them.

  Suddenly, I was thirteen years old again, stepping off a long wooden plank onto the grass after a sixteen day journey. Horns were blown at the arrival of King Sadim, who was being escorted in front of me.

  I stood tall, my hands tightly clasped behind my back, when suddenly, the ship started to move. The wood underneath my boots jerked, and I was almost knocked onto my back.

  “Behind you!” a voice shouted. I turned to see a boy running towards me, grabbing my shoulders and yanking me towards safe ground. A barrel rolled down the plank, tilting slightly and rolling off the side, landing into the water below with a splash.

  When I was safe, I brushed off my clothing and scowled.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  The boy smirked. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Next time, I’ll let it crush you flat.” And then he followed with, “What’s your name?”

  “Adalia.” I narrowed my eyes, looking for King Sadim. He was nowhere to be seen. Worry caused my stomach to knot up.

  “Cyprian,” he said, the corners of his lips turning up, followed by a small bow. “Youngest prince of Trella.”

  I cleared my throat, returning the bow.

  I never forget a face.

  “Cyprian?” I said, flipping back to reality. There was that

  smirk, ten feet away. The man froze, squinting at me, his bottomless black eyes confused.

  “What did you say?” He stepped towards me, leaning into my face. “Do I know you?”

  “It’s me,” I said, squinting back. “Adalia. Do you not remember—”

  “Get out,” Cyprian demanded, straightening his back, pointing at Blade Hand. “Out.”

  Blade Hand scowled and walked off. “You’re a strange man, Cap’n.”

  “Adalia?” Cyprian said when it was just us, squatting down. He put one finger under my chin, tilting my head up to get a good look at me. His curious black eyes scanned me up and down. “It is you.”

  “Who is this?” Xavier asked, puzzled. “How do you know him?”

  “He’s the youngest prince of Trella,” I said. He tossed the cigar to the side, flicking out his knife. Cyprian walked behind me, sitting down and undoing the ropes that tied my hands behind my back. “And who might this be?”

  “He was the prince of Astodia,” I said quickly.

  “Stop telling everyone that,” Xavier said, irritated. “I faked my death for a reason.”

  “You weren’t really dead?” Cyprian asked, tossing Xavier the knife. He cut open his ropes while I undid the ones that tied my ankles together. Xavier didn’t bother replying.

  “Why are you here?” I asked him, getting to my feet.

  “Why are you here?” he asked, helping me up. “What’s it been; five years?”

  “Almost seven,” I corrected with a smile. “A lot of things change in such a short while.”

  “You’ll have to tell me everything.”

  “I’ll tell you if you tell me,” I grinned and he laughed.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Is it alright if we walk around like this?” I asked Cyprian. He nodded, running a hand through his chestnut hair. “If you’re with me, no one cares.”

  “How on earth did you become a captain . . . and of these pirates?”

  “I entered a competition against them and gained my respect,” he said with a smug smile. “Thanks to you, my lovely teacher.”

  “I’m glad my teaching paid off,” I shot him a smile. Behind us, Xavier scoffed.

  “And I was your teacher, Adalia. Don’t forget.”

  “But Cyprian, how long have you been here? And why are you here anyway?”

  “I’ll tell you the whole story,” he said, “after we eat.”

  “And my friends?” I asked him.

  “They’re here, on the island. Safe,” he assured me. “I gave them an order to leave you alone for now.”

  “For now?” I asked, walking faster to keep up with his long legs.

  “You know, after I know what you’re here for we’ll figure out what to do with you all.” He stopped, and so did I. “Look around you, Adalia. Look at the beauty of this place.”

  Giant peaks as black as coal rose up into the sky. Water as deep and dark as Cyprian’s eyes rose up, splashing against the ebony sand and creating white foam which contrasted marvelously against the beach.

  “The water isn’t really black,” Cyprian said with a smile. “Look at all this.” He gestured towards the mountains. “Wouldn’t the water reflect its surroundings?” He turned me to face the opposite side of the island. Green trees and leaves sprouted on the dark sand. “The island is very much alive.”

  He was right. When you looked past all the black, the green seemed pretty inviting.

  “We’re here,” he said. A huge cave rose around the side of the mountain. Torches lit the inside, a glowing waterfall spilling at the end of the cave. Tables were set up around the stream, colorful food decorating the tables. “Today’s meal is duck,” he held out his hands. True to his word, roasted duck lay on the table.

  “Dig in.”

  “Can I trust you?” I asked him.

  He shrugged, turning to the mouth of the cave. “Can you?” A group of people entered.

  “Where are you taking us?” Isabel said, her voice pitched. “Can you hear me? I’m asking you a question—”

  “Adalia!” Jax shouted, his voice gleeful. “She’s okay!”

  Isabel’s face lit up as she ran towards us, throwing her arms around me.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, leaning back, her arms around my neck. “I shouldn’t have behaved that way. And I wanted to come back, but Jax—”

  “I’m glad,” I said, patting her back. “I’m glad you did what you did.” Favian, Garret, Vaughn, Leonard, and Carac followed them in.

  “I was told about the casualties,” Cyprian said. “I’m very sorry. A lot of our men were killed as well.”

  Cyprian looked the same, but his childishness was gone. However, I realized I was wrong about that halfway into the meal.

  “And all he could say was, “I’ve got an important message for the king!” Cyprian threw his head back, laughing at his own joke. “Ah, he was my favorite. Too bad Gat killed the man before I could tell him.”

  Blade Hand scoffed, taking a bite of his drumstick.

  So that’s what his name was. Gat.

  “You didn’t care about those people, Cap’n.”

  “I did too,” Cyprian smirked. I stared at him with a frown. Cyprian’s eyes fell on me. “I’ve killed many a man, but I do feel,” he said, patting the left side of his chest, over his heart.

  “Why would you say that to the girl?” Gat asked.

  “She was an assassin, Gat. She could care less,” Cyprian waved his hand dismissively. Xavier snorted.

  “What happened?” I asked him, leaning forward.

  “Eat,” he urged.

  “I ate, Cyprian. How did you come to be like this?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  “I have a lot of time,” I countered, flexing my arms. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs.

  “Alright.” Cyprian wiped his hands on clean square of cloth, clearing his throat. “If you want the stories,
there should be no interruptions.”

  “Okay.”

  “After you left Trella, it was my seventeenth birthday,” he began. “I loved to travel. My whole life, I used to escape from the castle, exploring as far as I could without the guards searching for me. I had so many restrictions on me, as you would remember,” he gestured to me. “I had four older brothers.” I remembered them. Valentin, Casimir, Theo, and Alaric. “Some princes poison their older siblings to take the throne, but obviously I didn’t have that choice,” he laughed. “I couldn’t get away with the murder of four brothers.” Cyprian smirked. He meant it as a joke, but for some reason, I didn’t take it as one. “So, on my birthday I was allowed to go wherever I wanted. I decided to go on a trip over the water, close to land. My parents protested, but I finally got my way.

  “Little did I know, the same day, these pirates were planning a raid south of Trella. The ship I was on ventured too far, and they caught us. Nearly everyone on board was killed, and when it was my turn, I pleaded with them. In that moment, I only had two choices. Be killed, or become one of them.”

  “If you can’t beat them, join them,” Isabel nodded.

  “Exactly,” Cyprian said, shooting her a smile. He lit his cigar, taking a puff. “I pleaded with them. ‘Let me join you’, I said. They wanted to return me to the king and queen for a reward, but there was an old man there that time, to my luck. His name was Augustus.

  “‘Let him stay,’ Augustus ordered as he held up his hand. He was clearly their leader. ‘Let’s see how long he lasts.’ And so they set me up in fights. I was beaten until I couldn’t breathe. Once, I coughed up blood for three days,” Cyprian said. I could see his eyes going back seven years ago. “I didn’t give up. In my last fight, I cut off Gat’s hand,” Cyprian chuckled. “No hard feelings?”

  “I like the knife more,” Gat grumbled, raising his missing hand which had been replaced by a blade.

  “I made my way up the ranks. It took me seven years, but I’m finally free. I can do what I want, when I want. I sink ships!”

  “And your parents?” Jax asked. “Do they know?”

  “The king and queen held my funeral the second day they couldn’t find me. I heard they mourned for one day, and then they went back to Valentin, my oldest brother. They love him.” He reached over the table, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes. “What’s your story? How did you end up here?”