by Sarah Olson
We entered the village, and Roy pointed to a sign above a tavern door. The name of the place was written in a language I didn’t know.
"This way," Roy said.
The tavern was packed with people, but Roy managed to find a table large enough for us. I wrinkled my nose at the strong smell of fish. As we sat down, a serving wench came up to the table and began asking questions in a tongue I didn’t understand. I looked over at Ethelyn to find she mirrored my bewilderment.
"She wants to know what you want to eat," Roy said to us.
I blinked at him in surprise. "You understand her?"
Without a reply, he said something to the woman, and she scurried away.
"I hope fish is all right for everyone?" Roy said.
"That’s fine," Stephen said. "Ethelyn, Norah?"
We nodded.
The woman came back with a tray carrying four mugs of ale. Roy thanked her, and she went on her way.
"Could you have asked for water or maybe some wine?" I complained, staring down at the mug that was filled to the brim.
"This isn’t the kind of place you want to ask for water," Roy replied.
I lifted the mug to my mouth and forced down the strong ale.
Roy winked at me and then took a swig of his own.
When the serving wench returned, she set a plate in front of each of us that had the orange meat of a fish and a side of boiled vegetables. Roy and Stephen dug in immediately.
Ethelyn picked her fork up slowly and tried a piece of the fish. "It’s not bad," she whispered when the men weren’t looking. "It’s better than Bruhier’s stew."
I bit my lip and placed my fork into the surprisingly tender fish. I lifted the piece, fighting the urge to sniff it like a child, and put it in my mouth.
Roy watched me with a smirk on his face.
"It is good," I said, pleasantly surprised.
"I told you," he said.
The vegetables, on the other hand, were a different story, but the serving of fish was large enough to satisfy me until dinner.
When we finished our meal, Roy paid the serving wench, and we headed out into the street. It was time to explore Fraedelle.
☐☐☐☐
The roads were muddy, and the sky was white with thick clouds as we made our way through the village. The islanders didn’t pay us any attention as we passed them. It wasn’t that they seemed unfriendly, but rather that they didn’t seem to have any interest in visitors.
Fraedelle reminded me of Eagle’s Nest, though the buildings here were much darker and the people grimmer. We passed vendors on the street with carts full of vegetables, a bakery with fresh bread heaped in the display window and a quaint confectionary.
"Do you want to go in there?" Roy asked, gesturing to the confectionary.
The longing on my face must have been evident.
"She’s never one to turn down something sweet," Ethelyn mumbled beside me.
I shot her a sharp look, and she returned it with a mocking smile.
"Come on," Stephen said, leading us toward the confectionary. He held the door open, and we walked in.
It was not as elaborate as the one in Eagle’s Nest, nor did it have as many choices, but there were stacks of cookies and jars filled with delicious looking candies.
"What would you like?" Roy asked me.
"Some of the cookies," I replied after a moment, finding it difficult to decide.
He turned to the shopkeeper and relayed the order to her in the native tongue. She nodded and began to fill a sack.
Ethelyn pulled out the small coin purse she kept on her for when I made purchases. "How much?" she asked Roy.
He shook his head. "It’s on me."
"You already took care of our lunch," I interjected.
He smiled. "Don’t worry about it."
The door to the confectionary opened, and a tall, brutish man filled the doorway. His blond hair was cropped short, and tattoos escaped his collar and ran up his neck. There was a hideous scar running from his hairline to his chin. It took all my nerve to look away from him and back to the woman handing the sack of cookies to Ethelyn.
"Roy," the man in the doorway said. His voice was deep and rumbled across the small shop.
I glanced back at the man who knew Roy.
"Geir," Roy said in greeting.
Ethelyn tensed beside me as Geir ran his eyes over the four of us.
"These are my friends," Roy said, seemingly at ease with the hulking man blocking our exit. "You know Stephen. This is Norah and Ethelyn."
I gave him a tight smile when his sharp gaze landed on me.
"Good to see you again," Stephen said. "How are Helka and the children?"
"Fine," Geir replied. "I didn’t think the Enigma was making this journey again so soon."
"Probably because I never gave you a schedule," Roy said with a laugh. He turned to Ethelyn and me. "Geir owns one of the sheep farms. We have been trading with him for a couple of years now."
"Well, the Malanese always get me the best deal," Geir said.
"Since the ladies here wanted to see a sheep farm, would you mind if we took them to yours?" Stephen asked, stepping forward.
Geir grunted and walked out the door.
I stood there, eyes wide, not entirely sure what was going on, but certain I did not want to go to that man’s home.
"Come on," Roy said.
I looked at Ethelyn and knew she could see the fear in my eyes.
"Are you certain you can trust a man like that?" Ethelyn asked, putting words to the question I feared to ask.
"Don’t worry," Stephen said, giving her a reassuring smile. "He won’t bite."
Reluctantly, I followed them out onto the muddy road. Roy had moved up to walk beside Geir, and I could hear that they had switched to the native tongue.
"Any idea what they are saying?" I asked Stephen.
He shook his head.
"Have they known each other long?"
"Not sure. They didn’t meet when Roy became quartermaster on the Enigma. My guess is that they somehow knew each other before then."
I watched the two men in front of me. They were engrossed in conversation, and if I didn’t know any better, Geir seemed to be trying to convince Roy of something.
"How does a Surman know the native tongue here?" Ethelyn whispered. Her tone was full of suspicion.
"I don’t know," I replied. "It’s strange, don’t you think?"
She nodded. "Do not be angry with me, but there is something off about him—I don’t know what, but I can feel it."
"I don’t sense anything," I said, keeping my voice low.
"Just be careful, I can see you have grown closer to him."
I laughed. "Not by much. He’s just been friendly, and we can always do with more friends on a voyage like this."
We continued walking in silence, and my thoughts went to the question she had asked a couple of nights before. What did I think of Roy? Up until a few days ago, I didn’t think anything of him other than he was a friendly sailor. Yet, there were moments that I wanted to put space between us and others that I just let him in. Perhaps there was something there that I hadn’t grasped, and the thought terrified me. I had no interest in opening my heart to anyone, and yet, I was thinking about it even though I didn’t like him.
I watched Roy as he spoke with Geir, his cloak fluttering in the wind.
The next question was, did he like me? And if he did, or made a move on those feelings, what would I do? My thoughts went to the moments I caught him watching me, the feel of his hand on mine, the firmness of his chest on my back . . .
"Norah," Stephen waved a hand in my face. "Are you in there?"
I blushed in embarrassment, and he laughed.
"I was just lost in my thoughts is all."
"Well, as Roy was saying, Geir is going to take us on his wagon to the farm. He left it at the edge of town."
I nodded. "Sounds good." Roy caught my gaze, his face serious, and
it was all I could do to wonder if he knew it was he I was thinking about.
Chapter 18
W E SPENT THE REST of the day at Geir’s sheep farm. His wife, Helka, was more than welcoming and insisted on giving us a tour. She took us to the green pastures where the sheep grazed lazily under the watchful eye of one of their sons and to the storehouse where they kept the wool after they sheared the sheep.
The temperature had dropped significantly since our arrival to Fraedelle, and the clouds had not dissipated. My heart sunk in disappointment with the knowledge that I wouldn’t be seeing the night lights during our stay.
As evening crept onto the land, Helka and Geir insisted we stay for dinner and the night. They said the inns would be full, and they had plenty of space.
Their hospitality was excellent, especially when Helka offered to draw up a bath for Ethelyn and I. We had been given a small room with two beds that I assumed were her children’s, as they would be sleeping with their parents that night. There was no fire in the chamber, but we were given thick wool blankets. By the time I finally lay in bed to sleep, I was feeling utterly relaxed. The bath had been like a dream and sleeping in a warm bed that didn’t rock with the waves of the sea felt like a blessing. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep.
I woke with a start when a hand covered my mouth.
"Shh." My attacker’s hand tightened.
My heart pounded hard in my chest as I focused on the shadow looming over me. Moonlight streamed through the window setting a faint glow on Roy’s face.
I stopped struggling, and he let me go.
"What are you doing?" I demanded in a harsh whisper, not wanting to wake Ethelyn for she would throttle Roy if she found him in here.
"The sky," he whispered, "it’s clear."
"The lights?" I asked, excitement replacing my fear.
He nodded. "Come on." He took my arm and pulled me from the bed as I grabbed a blanket to cover my chemise. I followed him into the main room, not once thinking through what I was doing.
Roy stopped at the door and handed me my shoes. I put them on quickly, and then he almost half dragged me outside. The cold air set my teeth chattering as he led me to the sheep pasture.
"Sit," he said, pointing at a boulder in the pasture.
I lowered myself quickly; my mind was still in a fog from sleep.
He sat beside me. "Are you cold?"
I nodded, pulling the blanket tightly around me. The wool was scratchy against my skin, but I welcomed its warmth.
To my surprise, Roy put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards him. "If you get too cold, we’ll go back inside—I just knew you really wanted to see the lights."
I nodded again, not finding any words—if it was because of the cold or his unexpected touch, I didn’t know. I gazed up into the dark sky, the stars twinkling down at me.
"No one ever knows for sure when the lights appear, but I thought it would be worth a try to see them," he said.
I noticed he was still fully dressed. "You never went to sleep?" I asked, teeth chattering.
He shook his head. "I couldn’t."
"Why didn’t you wake Ethelyn or Stephen?"
He turned so his eyes met mine. "Because I’m selfish."
I frowned, unsure of what he meant.
Roy smiled. "I wanted to be with you for a while, just you."
My stomach made an unexpected flip as he let that sink in.
He looked back up into the sky as if his admission was as trivial as making a comment about the weather.
I found no words to respond. I had gone from wondering what I thought of him to sitting under the stars in his embrace. A week ago, I would have pulled away and smacked him for his forwardness, but something kept me there. I was almost appalled when I realized I liked being beside him.
"You don’t even know me," I whispered when I found my tongue.
"Because you won’t let me," he said, keeping his eyes on the sky.
"What do you want to know?" I asked, unable to stop myself.
He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. "Are you giving me permission to ask you any question?"
I thought about that for a moment. "Only if I can ask my questions." If he wanted answers from me, I would get my own as well.
"Very well, then; I’ll let you go first."
"How did you learn the native tongue of Fraedelle?"
"My parents thought it important that I learn the languages of other kingdoms, for not all have adopted the common tongue of Asteria and Malan."
It almost seemed ridiculous that I hadn’t learned the other languages and I was a princess.
"My turn," Roy said, and I braced myself for the question fearing that if I answered with a lie, he would know. "What is Ethelyn to you?"
"She’s my friend," I replied, grateful for a simple one.
Roy shook his head. "No, there has to be more than that. She watches you and your surroundings like a hawk—as if she is protecting you. She is, isn’t she?"
"Are you calling me a liar?" I asked.
He gave me a wicked grin. "Possibly."
"Who is it that you think I am?"
"Is that your second question?"
I nodded.
Roy shifted in a way that managed to bring me tighter into his side and I tried to keep my mind off the warmth that radiated from him. He scratched his chin in thought.
"I think you are the runaway daughter of some Asterian lord and Ethelyn came along to keep you safe."
When I didn’t respond, he said, "I’m right, aren’t I? Come on and just tell me, I promise I won’t utter a word about it to anyone."
"No, you’re not," I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the uneasiness in my voice.
"You are a terrible liar," he laughed.
"I am not!"
"So you are lying then."
I was caught in his trap, and he knew it. The moonlight lit the triumph in his eyes.
I huffed in annoyance. "Why is it so important for you to know who I am?"
He turned so he could look me squarely in the face, his features suddenly serious. "Because I need to know who it is that is stealing my affections day by day."
My face grew hot, and my head began to spin as the full meaning of his words hit me. I had no response. How could I? A million questions swarmed through my mind, but none would form on my lips.
A streak of light split the night sky followed by waves of purple, blue, and green. The night lights of the Boreal Islands. I watched the lights stream across the heavens, knowing that Roy was not watching them, but me.
I let the beauty of the lights take the tension from my body and allowed myself to relax into Roy’s side, resting my head on his shoulder. His arm tightened around me, and I knew that he would not press for my feelings tonight because my staying by his side was answer enough.
☐☐☐☐
I couldn't sleep when I snuck into bed later that night. Roy and I had watched the lights for what felt like hours, and it was only until I started dozing on his shoulder that he brought me back inside. But now, all the weariness had left me.
When things with Thomas had broken apart, I thought that I would never heal, and yet, it was no longer too painful to think about. I didn’t know if it was the distance I had put between me and my problems or Roy that was slowly taking away the pain—perhaps both.
I was stealing his affections, he’d said. The thought brought butterflies to my stomach and heat to my cheeks. I hadn’t known if I could ever trust another man, and yet, here I was slowly letting Roy into my life—and he was not there for my title. Thomas hadn’t been after it either, and I was still certain of that, besides his transgressions. But Roy knew nothing of who I was—even if he suspected I was of some importance—so it couldn’t be his motive either.
However, that didn’t answer the question that plagued me since he’d spoken those words—did I return the same feelings or was I just becoming strangely comfortable with him? I wasn’t looking
for someone to replace Thomas or heal my heart, and yet, here I was asking myself if that very thing was happening.
I never did fall asleep that night, not even when the early morning rays began to seep in through the window. A little after sunrise, Ethelyn stirred and began to get up. I could tell she was trying not to wake me, so I sat up to let her know I was already awake.
"Sorry if I woke you," she apologized.
I shook my head. "I was already awake."
She eyed me carefully and frowned. "Did you sleep at all last night? You look exhausted."
I shrugged. "Not really. I guess it is going to take some getting used to sleeping on solid ground again." If Ethelyn knew I had snuck out last night—well, had been dragged out by Roy—she would be furious.
"Well then, perhaps you’ll be able to find some time to nap on the ship today."
I smiled. As if Bruhier would let me.
There was a knock on the door, and Ethelyn opened it to find Stephen standing in the doorway.
"Good morning, ladies," he said. "We need to be heading back to the docks within the hour, so if you could, please get ready quickly."
"Of course," Ethelyn replied with a smile, the only affection she showed Stephen when I was around.
He returned her smile, and I could almost swear there was a longing in his gaze.
I rolled my eyes. "Just kiss her."
Ethelyn turned, her eyes wide with shock.
"What?" I said, putting my hands up. "He clearly wants to." When Ethelyn looked away in shame, I winked at Stephen.
He gave me a wicked grin and pulled Ethelyn from the room, making certain to close the door behind them.
I smiled to myself and stood to change back into my traveling dress. When Ethelyn came back into the room, her face was bright red, and she wouldn’t meet my gaze.
"Why do you encourage him so?" she asked, almost miserably from the embarrassment.
"Because you don’t," I said, gesturing to my hair so she could help me pull it up. "And I know it’s not because you lack feelings for him."
"It’s a new and surprising place for me to be, Milady," she murmured, after a moment.
"I know," I replied softly, "but life has a way of surprising us, and you shouldn’t hide from it." I thought of Roy and the surprise his presence in my life was proving to be. I was eager to see him again.