by Monica Hahn
“It would make sense,” he said, knowing that Catarina liked things to make sense. It was odd, with her passionate nature, but she was really very practical.
“Will you ever see her again?” Catarina asked.
“Yes,” he said, determinedly. He was still trying to formulate a real plan, but he was definitely returning. “She’s not in a good situation. I’ve been saving everything I earn to eventually buy a ship of my own and go rescue her.”
“That’s sweet,” Catarina said. “Will it take much longer?”
“I have almost enough,” he said. “In fact, this trip to Rouland should cover it. But, I was much younger when I thought it would be a good idea, and I’m no longer sure it’s the best plan. Now I just want to see her.”
“Oh. How long has it been?” she asked. “Since you’ve seen her?”
“Years,” he said. “I was just a boy when I left.”
“So long ago, then! And you still think about her?”
“Of course,” he said. “Everyone misses their mother, I would think.”
“Do you think Tarik has a mother?” she asked, after a pause.
He laughed, because of the sheer absurdity of her question as well as the unexpectedness of it. One of the things that he loved about her was how she could surprise him. “Of course, he does.”
“Huh. I didn’t think he liked women enough to ever have had a mother,” she said.
“He likes you well enough,” Mikel said. Which was true, as Tarik seemed almost paternally amused by Caterina’s antics aboard his ship.
“Of course,” Caterina said, the surprise in her voice making it very clear that there would never exist a reason not to like her. “Do you think he’s got a family out there, somewhere? Seb was telling me that he used to be in the navy, you know, back before he got discharged for disobeying a crackpot order. Johan said he saved the whole ship but the commanding officer was so ashamed of the whole affair that he discharged Tarik instead of promoting him. And they said that Tarik comes from a noble family. Which I think is probably true, because he has a way with him, you know.”
Mikel was only faintly surprised that his wife had discovered so much about his mentor in such a short time. She was the sort to loose tongues - look at all he had divulged to her.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” Caterina said, when Mikel said nothing. “I was just curious. He seems like a man with a past.”
“We all are,” Mikel said. “Even those of us without a way.”
She laughed and threw her pillow at him. “You have it also. The unmistakable hints of good breeding underneath your scoundrelly exterior.”
“Nonsense,” Mikel said, tucking her pillow under his head. “You’ve got quite the imagination.”
“I do,” she said, “but I’m also right about this.” She held out her hand, and he swatted at it. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “My pillow,” she said.
“What about it?”
She felt around, nearly falling out of the bunk in her attempts to locate it. Once she realized he was lying on it, she tugged at the edge. He refused to budge. She tugged harder, laughing, and then she did fall, rolling off the bunk and onto him on the floor, still tugging at her pillow.
He laughed and released the pillow, letting her have it. She lay there for a minute longer, warm and tempting against him, and then scrambled back up into the bunk.
“Why did you leave home?” she asked, sounding as if she was totally unaffected. “You said you ran away?”
“I wasn’t interested in my family’s trade,” he said. “I wanted adventure and travel instead.” He turned away from her and onto his side.
“And was the adventure and travel worth it?”
He sighed. “I thought so. But, maybe it was the wrong decision. Either way, I’m ready to go home.”
“So am I,” she said, but she sounded resigned instead of determined.
They both quieted down for the night after that. Mikel listened to Catarina’s breathing even out and become regular, and then knelt to tuck the blanket around her shoulders. She tended to wrestle it down when she was starting to get comfortable, but then she would wake up chilled later. He let his hands linger just a moment on her shoulders, before lying back down on the hard floor and discipling himself to fall asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Arati felt like she was waiting, and waiting, and waiting… and life was just moving in slow motion. Catarina had disappeared from the marketplace on the way home from her last visit and nobody could find her. Every day Arati checked with Duncan, as Catarina’s parents had paid Duncan to stay in Tibercon and to not report back to his employer, Stefan, that Catarina was missing. Duncan had agreed to this arrangement in the hopes that he could eventually find Catarina. He spent all of his time in the marketplace and down at the docks, questioning everyone and following up on leads. He was convinced that she had been taken aboard a ship. Arati agreed that this was the most likely scenario, even though it involved horrors that she didn’t want to think about. Arati had cajoled Zanth into working with Duncan to try and locate Catarina, and Zanth had agreed with the attitude of someone doing a favor for their fiancée. Arati was desperate enough about Catarina that she didn’t even try to correct this impression.
With Catarina missing, Arati had only Fiern to confide in. She shared her anxiety about the situation with Zanth, and how nervous she was about the Gilden ship that was on its way to Tibercon with the man who might or might not be Mikel on board. Arati felt like she was falling apart from all the unresolved tension.
Finally, the ship from Gilden arrived, a week ahead of schedule. Saras had wanted absolutely no fanfare with his possible grandson’s arrival, so when the ship docked, the young man was quietly escorted up to the castle. Arati and Saras waited in the cabinet room, and Arati felt her heart in her throat as a tall, brown-haired young man was ushered into the room. She leaned forward, their eyes met, and then she sat back in disappointment. This man was a stranger to her. He was attractive, with Mikel’s coloring, probable size and age, and his features were even similar, but it wasn’t her son. Next to her, she could hear her father’s sigh of dismay.
Saras gestured for them to be left alone with the young man, and the guardians obeyed.
The young man looked at them and smiled.
“You’re not my grandson,” Saras said, and he sounded much more disappointed than outraged.
“I’m not,” the young man admitted, readily. “But, I wasn’t certain that you would know that, so I thought it was a gamble worth taking.”
“Why is that?” Arati asked, indignant on both their behalves as she saw the pain on her father’s face. “Do you not understand the emotional distress you’ve caused with your claim? The safe return of Prince Horatio is something that we pray for and think about every single day. Your gamble is cruel.”
“I am sorry,” the young man said. “It was inconsiderate. I had thought that perhaps you would be happy to have an heir present again.”
“It would certainly be convenient,” Saras said. “As it is, however, now we’ll have to behead you, or something equally punitive.”
The young man visibly winced. “I would really prefer that didn’t happen,” he said.
“I can believe that,” Arati said. “But surely you knew that was the most likely outcome of such an outrageous escapade?”
“As to that, I have a proposition,” the young man said. “I am aware, as most people in the island kingdoms are, that your present situation would be much improved by the discovery of your lost heir. If that truly is the case, then perhaps we could come to an arrangement that would benefit us all.”
“You are suggesting that you continue to pretend to be my missing grandson even though we are all fully aware that you are not?” Saras asked.
“That’s impossible!” Arati burst out.
“It might not be,” Saras said. “Obviously, we would prefer Horatio, but in his absence, this young man could possibly pass as him.�
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“To what end?” Arati inquired.
“Settling this damnable unrest, once and for all,” Saras said. “If we don’t do something to save the kingdom soon, there won’t be much of Tibercon to worry about.”
“That doesn’t mean putting an impostor on the throne is the best course of action,” Arati said. “What guarantee do we even have that he would consider the best interests of Tibercon? After all, he might be sent to make mischief rather than prevent it. He can’t possibly be working alone. Someone has been feeding him information.”
“That’s obvious,” Saras agreed. “Who is it?” he asked the impostor, sternly.
“I’m not at liberty to say,” he said. “I swore an oath.”
“An oath of silence, or an oath of loyalty?” Arati asked. “Because if it’s loyalty, he’s no good to us.” This second part was addressed to her father.
“I agree,” Saras said.
“Silence,” the impostor said. “He didn’t ask for loyalty. I truly believe that he just cares about Tibercon.”
“And you think that you’d be good for Tibercon?” Saras asked. “Why?”
“I have no real kingdom,” the impostor said. “I was actually born a royal, as Rayan of Haltha. But I was too far removed from the throne to ever consider ruling there a possibility. It’s still in my blood, though. I also have seafaring experience from my travels that should be valuable.”
“And what about Tibercon would be attractive to you?” Arati asked. “In its current condition, there’s a lot to be done.”
“That’s true,” Rayan said. “But I feel like if I did the work and was able to restore Tibercon to its position of several years ago, as a premier trading destination, that I would deserve a home here.”
“It’s an interesting thought,” Saras said. “We’ll consider it.” He rang the bell and instructed the guardian who answered the summons to escort their guest to an appropriate bedroom suite.
“You may dine with us tonight,” Saras told Rayan, before dismissing him.
After the guardian left with Rayan, Saras turned to his daughter. “I am tempted,” he said.
“It might work,” she agreed, reluctantly. “My biggest concern is what would happen if Horatio returns? In that case, there doesn’t seem to be a fair solution. We couldn’t let the real Horatio take over if it would mean that we would have to reveal we knew about the deception. But it is his throne. What would we do?”
“I don’t know,” Saras said. “And, you are correct, it would be messy either way. But, as much as I hate to admit to the possibility, the most likely scenario is that Horatio is dead. Or, he could be stranded on a desert island, or in captivity, or restrained in some way from coming home. Otherwise, he should have found a way to return by now. If he is alive but not returning out of choice, then he might not be worthy of the throne.”
“That’s true,” Arati said. “At this point, if he’s able to return, he does seem to be shirking his responsibilities to a shocking extent.”
“We don’t have to make a decision just yet,” Saras said. “Let’s give it a few days to think on it. We’ll just keep this impostor around as a guest in the meantime. Does that sit well enough with you?”
Arati was surprised to have her father ask for her opinion at all, especially in a situation where she was this emotionally involved, as he generally eschewed emotion in decision making. “It does,” she said.
*****
Dinner was an uneventful, but surprisingly pleasant affair that evening. The imposter proved to be a delightful dinner guest. He had an intelligent opinion on every subject that was introduced and added a bit of banter to the normally more sedate proceedings. Arati had been so distracted and distraught over Catarina’s disappearance that she hadn’t even realized how much she missed enjoyable conversation. Saras even unbent enough to solicit Rayan’s plan on improving the safety and status of Tibercon, and he did have some good ideas. After dinner, Arati left the men to their after-dinner libations, but spent the evening growing more curious about their guest. Eventually, this curiosity led her to slip out of her chambers, where Fiern was dozing next to the fireplace along with several other attendants, and make her way to Rayan’s bedchamber. She wasn’t worried about it being too late in the evening, since it was unlikely at his age that he would be retired already. And she was correct; not only was Rayan still awake, but he was leaving his chambers in a stealthy fashion.
Arati quickly concealed herself in an alcove and let him pass by her, then stealthily followed him. He moved unerringly through the castle and avoided all of the usual spots that the guards liked to congregate in during the evening. Arati wondered a bit at this, but she was mostly occupied with remaining unobserved. Finally, Rayan reached an unused section of the dungeon, and stood casually against the stone wall. Arati surmised that he was waiting for someone and found a spot of her own that was around the corner. It was as close as she dared. She had the satisfaction of knowing that she had chosen well, when she overheard and recognized Zanth’s distinctive voice as he greeted Rayan.
They were both speaking in low tones, but the dungeon echoed a bit, and she could hear perfectly. She listened in fascination.
“They don’t believe that I’m really Horatio,” Rayan said. “Even after everything we did to convince them. I answered every question just as you instructed, and even figured out a way to injure my wrist, so that my handwriting wouldn’t be an issue.”
“It’s a small price to pay,” Zanth said. “They only needed to believe in the possibility long enough to want you here. It will simplify things now that they know that you’re not Horatio. You won’t have to pretend around them as you would have otherwise. If they know that you’re an impostor, and you’re still alive and free, than our proposal is being considered.”
“As far as that goes, they seem to like me well enough,” Rayan said, “so it’s possible that your plan might work. We were discussing at dinner tonight the improvements that could be made to the port. It seems that the Guard could use a major overhaul as they currently lack the ambition to do their jobs.”
“You foolish lad,” Zanth said. “Why would you think that this crisis came about naturally and can be solved with a simple change in royal leadership? The state of affairs in Tibercon has been carefully engineered for some time now.”
“By you,” Rayan said, sounding a little stunned.
Arati felt the same way. She had known that Zanth was capitalizing on the situation, and not doing as much as he should have to genuinely improve things, but she hadn’t suspected that he had willfully and strategically planned the whole thing! That was a whole other level of despicable. She leaned against the wall and exhaled deeply in the stale air, feeling some rock crumble as she gripped the ledge tightly.
“Absolutely by me,” Zanth said. “Who else would have the power to create a crisis of this magnitude? It can’t be solved too quickly, or that might raise suspicion, but working together over time we can fix it.”
“You manufactured a crisis that created a dangerous environment for everyone in the kingdom, and you disavowed loyalty to your king to pursue your own agenda, and yet you expect me to work with you?”
“Not with me so much as for me,” Zanth said, not sounding in the least disturbed by the disgust that Rayan had shown. “After all, I am the one responsible for the attractive position that you may soon find yourself in. And, considering that you were willing to deceive a family and still are willing to deceive an entire kingdom as to your actual identity, I hardly think that you are in any position to take a moral stand.”
“I don’t deny that my actions aren’t perfectly honorable,” Rayan said. “But I was willing to enter into this ruse based on the information that you gave me when you convinced me that in so doing I would be saving that family and kingdom, not further manipulating them for whatever twisted objectives you have.”
“And you still can,” Zanth said. “But I strongly suggest that you lessen your animo
sity towards me.”
“I am no longer certain that I can participate in this.”
“Don’t bother on my account,” Zanth said. “I still have cards to play without you. The princess is practically engaged to me, and if she reneges for whatever reason, I could always stage a military coup, although I would prefer the more bloodless option.”
“You won’t be able to do anything once I inform the king of your treachery,” Rayan declared, heatedly.
Arati winced. While she admired his passion, it was obviously a risk to his personal safety to not pretend to go along with Zanth, at least while there were just the two of them in a secluded spot. But, youth tends to consider itself invincible.
“And how do you intend to do that?” Zanth asked. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that you swore an oath to me.”
“To not divulge you as my puppeteer,” Rayan said. “Nothing you just revealed to me is under the same stipulation.”
“Then your choice is to not become a king,” Zanth said. “That’s disappointing.”
There were noises consistent with a scuffle, followed by the sickening sound of a blade enter human flesh. Arati peeked around the corner then and saw Zanth withdrawing his dagger from the young man’s chest. She watched, horrified, as Zanth picked up Rayan’s limp body and threw it over a shoulder, then hurried down the corridor away from Arati. Arati raced back to her bedchamber, tears almost blinding her as she went. That poor young man! And Zanth was as casual about killing him as he was about systematically destroying her kingdom. She was afire with fury, and feeling fairly ill.
Fiern and the other attendants woke up as Arati burst into the room.
“What’s wrong?” Fiern asked, as they all fluttered around her.
Arati didn’t doubt the loyalty of her staff, but she also didn’t want them to know anything that had the potential to harm them, or her. Fiern was embroiled in the castle intrigue out of choice, so Arati dismissed her other ladies and told Fiern what had happened in a low voice shaking with strong emotion.
“You’ll need to tell the king,” Fiern said, and Arati agreed.