by Sarah Olson
Regina smiled. "Would Roy be there too? I’ll miss him as well."
I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips. "Yes, he should be there. I suppose there would be no point in keeping it from you, but Roy and I are engaged." It was the first time I’d spoken the words, and the feeling they left me kept the sorrow at bay for the moment.
Regina’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "Engaged?" she nearly screamed in delight.
I laughed.
"When?" Regina was standing now, and it seemed like she was trying desperately not to jump for joy.
"During the Summer Solstice," I replied. "Before—" I cut myself off before the thought of pirates could dampen the mood.
"When will you get married? Can I come? Oh please, Aria, can I come?" Regina begged.
"I don’t know when and if that would be possible, but I do promise that I will arrange a time that you may come visit."
"Then you must write me all about it," Regina pleaded.
"Of course I will," I said.
Regina hugged me again. "I’m so happy for you!"
"Thank you," I said, hugging her back.
The door opened, and Roy poked his head through. "Just coming to let you know dinner’s ready," he said.
Regina ran to Roy and threw her arms around his waist.
Roy blinked in surprise and looked over at me in confusion.
"I told her we’re getting married," I said with a smile.
"And Aria said I could come visit you one day at the castle!" Regina shrieked.
The slightest look of uncertainty flashed through Roy’s eyes, but he smiled down at Regina and said, "You can visit us any time."
"Regina! Come down for dinner!" Rebecca called.
Regina let Roy go, a grin on her face. "I must go tell everyone!" she exclaimed and bolted from the room before I could stop her.
Roy laughed and shook his head.
I stood and walked over to him. "Are you all right?" I asked, searching his eyes for that strange uncertainty I’d seen.
"I’m more than all right," Roy replied, taking my hands. "At least now that I know we’re still getting married."
"Did you think I changed my mind?" I frowned.
"No, but I was worried that what happened might have changed things."
I dropped my gaze to our linked hands. "Ethelyn is gone, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you." I met his eyes again. "I love you, Roy."
Roy leaned in and kissed me. "I love you too, Aria."
☐☐☐☐
The moonlight streamed in through the window as I tried to sleep. I had spent hours tossing and turning attempting to balance my grief and happiness. While I couldn’t ignore the joy Roy brought into my life, it felt wrong to bask in it. Ethelyn was gone and would never get the chance to live her life. She was so young, and while she tried to deny it, she was in love with Stephen. It was unfair that I would spend my life with Roy while hers was cut short.
I rolled over and faced the window. So many things had changed in the past couple of months than I thought possible. At sunrise, we would board the ship that would bear me home, leaving this adventure behind. This adventure that brought both sadness and happiness. I didn’t even want to think how I would explain it all to my family when I arrived in Asteria with Roy. Attempting to celebrate the engagement with Richard and his family after so much horror was strain enough. They were happy for us, but everything the pirates had done, still hung over the islands like a threatening storm cloud.
I stood and pushed the window open, letting the salty breeze brush the hair from my face. The air was damp and warm with the sounds of insects rising from the forest. There was a calming stillness to the woods that only managed to make the worries in my head louder. I closed my eyes and worked to slow the spinning thoughts. I focused on the chirping insects reverberating through the trees, the smell of the ocean filling my nostrils and the breeze caressing my skin. A calm settled over me as I took slow, even breaths and at that moment, I believed that in the end, everything would be all right.
☐☐☐☐
The sun had just begun its ascent when we reached the docks. The former pirate ship was anchored offshore, ready for the journey home. It appeared larger than the Enigma and almost grander, which I had thought impossible. Richard told us that the pirate captain had been one to make sure his ships were kept in the best shape, which he managed to do with all the money he stole over the years. It was a relief since I’d begun to worry about what state the ship would be in.
Many had come to see us off as it was common knowledge now that I was the princess of Asteria. Most of the sailors from the Enigma had taken the news rather well, though Bruhier was now insisting that he didn’t need my help in the galley. He also apologized profusely for the times he’d been rude.
"Are you read to go?" Roy asked from beside me as we stood on the dock.
I nodded and turned to face Richard and his family who had all come to see us leave.
"I suppose this is where we leave you," I said, with a sad smile. I was happy to be going home, but I would miss the island and the lost family I found there.
Rebecca returned my smile and stepped forward to embrace me. "Thank you for all you’ve done for my Regina," she whispered in my ear. She took a step back, and Regina and Vivien enveloped me in a tight hug.
"Will you come back?" Vivien asked hopefully.
"Perhaps one day," I replied. "But until then, I promise to write to you girls."
Regina smiled up at me. "Good," she said. "I hope we’ll see each other again soon!"
When they let me go, Regina went to hug Roy as well.
Richard walked up to me, his face mirroring my mixed emotions.
"I am beyond grateful to have had a chance to see you again, my dear. You have grown into a woman I could’ve only ever dreamed you would. Give my best to your mother and the king."
"I will," I replied. "Thank you for all that you’ve done for us, Richard."
"It was the least I could do," he replied.
I reached out and hugged him. I felt Richard’s hesitancy and surprise, but his arms wrapped around me when he recovered. Standing there with the arms of my birth father around me was something I never thought would happen. I spent much of my life hating him, but Richard had proven that he was a good person and someone who deeply cared for his family and me.
I let go and took a step back. "I hope we see each other again," I said, my voice suddenly hoarse as tears formed in my eyes.
Richard wiped a tear from my cheek. "I would like that very much, Aria."
I took a steadying breath and looked at all of them. Emily and Rupert stood off to the side, and Emily gave me a slight nod when our eyes met. I smiled at Richard’s sons who didn’t seem to despise me after the ordeal with the pirates, and each returned it.
"Write to us as soon as you reach Asteria," Rebecca said.
"I will," I assured her. "And I will make sure word of the pirates, defeat is spread so that trade returns to the Coral Isles."
Richard thanked me as Roy took my arm. "Let’s get you home, Princess," he said.
I looked back at Richard and his family once more and then turned as Roy led me to the longboat waiting to take us to the ship that would finally bear me home. "Does she have a name?" I asked Roy, gesturing toward the ship as our longboat approached it.
Roy followed my gaze to the massive ship that rested in the morning’s calm waters. "Ocean’s Fury," he replied.
I shook my head. "Appropriate, I suppose."
When we came alongside Ocean’s Fury, Roy steadied the rope ladder as I began my ascent. With each step up towards the deck, my stomach knotted with a sudden fear. The last couple of days I spent on a ship had been nightmarish. It wasn’t just the incident with Hashim that sent a cold sweat across my skin but the horrible storm that destroyed the Enigma. I wrapped my arms around myself once I climbed onto the deck and watched the sailors move around our new ship as they readied it
to set sail. I heard a thump behind me as Roy swung himself over the rail.
"She’s larger than the Enigma, so it’s a good thing some of the islanders wanted to join our crew," he said, coming up beside me.
I found a group of islanders standing together as one of the sailors gave them orders.
"Are you all right?" Roy asked.
I turned to find him watching me, concern creasing his brow. I dropped my arms, suppressing the urge to shudder.
"Yes, I am—just eager to get home."
He smiled. "We will get there before you know it. Come, let me show you your quarters."
I followed him to the back, the gentle rocking of the ship familiar beneath my feet, and through a pair of double doors. The set up was different from the Enigma. These doors led directly into a lavish parlor with a dining table. Roy continued through the room and opened another door that led into a much larger space.
I gasped as I took it in.
The back wall was covered in windows where I could see the island behind us in the dim morning light. A large desk sat in the center; maps sprawled across it with cartography tools, a lantern and a set of quills and ink. To the right of the desk stood an enormous four-poster bed that had been built into the ship, red velvet curtains pulled open around it. Opposite the bed was a chaise lounge and a finely crafted wardrobe; all bolted to the floor. It could’ve all passed for the room of a king.
"Why would Seif give me the captain’s quarters?" I asked, my mind reeling from a pirate’s ability to keep such a fine ship in almost perfect condition.
Roy laughed. "Did you expect him to ask the princess of Asteria to stay in a smaller room?"
"I did perfectly fine on the Enigma," I replied, my eyes sweeping across the beautiful carpet stretched upon the polished wooden floor.
"Well, now you have a better room where you can have your privacy." Roy gestured to the bed. "Everything on there is fresh and sent by Richard, so you didn’t have to use the pirates’."
An involuntary shudder ran down my spine at the thought. "Your clothes will be brought in as soon as they unload them from the boat."
"Are you certain Seif was all right with giving all this up?" I asked.
Roy smiled. "Of course he is—not to mention that the ship is his and he will have plenty of chances to use this room when he goes on other voyages."
"Well, I will thank him for it."
There was a slight jolt in the ship and Roy headed back to the door. "Looks like we’re setting sail, so I better get up there."
"I’ll come with you," I said, following him to the door.
Sailors ran back and forth as orders were shouted. The sky was a pale pink as the sun began to peek over the horizon. I followed Roy onto the quarterdeck where Seif stood, hands behind his back, watching the chaos below.
"Anchor’s up, Captain!" a sailor shouted.
"Ready the sails!" Seif commanded.
"Ready the sails!" the sailors echoed.
I turned toward the back of the ship and walked to the rail. I could just make out the docks we had left and the people still standing there, watching as the ship departed. The salty breeze was cool this morning as I rested my elbows on the rail. The ship began to move, a wake spreading out behind it.
"Goodbye," I whispered into the wind.
It was finally time to go home.
Chapter 38
S ILVERWARE CLINKED as we ate dinner. The silence in the room felt heavy on my shoulders as I watched Stephen push the meat around his plate with a fork. We’d barely spoken since the night Ethelyn died, and I still had nothing to say to him.
Seif placed his goblet of wine on the table. "So how does the princess like her quarters?" he asked.
"It’s very comfortable," I replied, pulling my gaze away from Stephen who appeared utterly uninterested in anything in the room.
"I’m sure you will enjoy it immensely after you get me to Asteria."
Seif laughed. "You’re lucky I like you, Princess, for I wouldn’t have parted with that luxury for just anyone."
I gave him a small smile and dropped my gaze to the plate where most of my food sat uneaten. I had no appetite since that terrible night.
Roy elbowed me lightly. "Aria, you need to eat."
I put my fork down.
"I’m not hungry," I said quietly. "If you would all excuse me," I continued, rising from my chair. "I’m going to retire."
"Rest well, Princess," Seif said.
Stephen didn’t look up from his plate.
Roy sighed. "I’ll check on you in a bit."
I smiled and let myself into the bedroom, eager to be away from the strained silence. Everyone aboard had lost someone, whether it had been to the wreck or the pirates, everyone had someone to mourn, and I could feel it in the very air that surrounded the ship. I lit the candles on the wall, their dim light fighting the blackness of the night beyond the windows. The soft murmur of Roy and Seif’s conversation floated through the wall as I began to unlace my dress. Rebecca and Emily had given me enough travelling gowns to last me the remainder of our journey. I slid out of the dress and then the chemise; the dank air cold against my bare skin.
I’d spent some of the day organizing the large wardrobe with my new clothing and found the soft nightgown and robe easily. They were not as fine as the ones that waited for me in the castle, but they were comfortable and warm.
The scrape of chairs sounded in the parlor as well as footsteps followed by silence. I was completely alone now. I sat on the bed and watched the flickering candlelight dance across the carved paneled walls. The ship creaked around me as it pushed its way through the never-ending waves, rocking back and forth like a child’s cradle. I lay back and closed my eyes, letting the ship’s movement lull me into a troubled sleep.
Angry eyes watched me in the darkness as I desperately stumbled across the tilting floor towards the light that floated above me. A cry for help escaped my lips and laughter filled the room—laughter that held the quality of a metal door grinding shut. Just as I stood below the light, it shifted to the other side of the room.
"Where do you think you’re going?" a voice purred behind me.
I chased the light again, trying to ignore the menacing presence, the eyes that followed my every move.
I reached the light and my body collided with something solid.
"I’m not done with you yet," the voice continued.
My heart was racing now as I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. I felt around the solid object, finding it was a staircase that would take me to the light—to safety. My feet found the first step, but strong arms yanked me backwards and threw me down. My head hit the floor with a thud.
The laugh filled the room as I struggled to open my eyes against the pain spreading through my skull. Fear and panic flooded my veins as I made out the shadowy figure standing over me. The light above lit the evil grin stretched across the pirate captain’s face.
"Please," I begged.
The captain pulled a knife from his side and held it up, the blade catching the light. "This is going to be fun," the captain teased. He knelt down and pressed the knife to my throat.
"No one’s going to hear you scream," he whispered menacingly in my ear.
I screamed anyway.
"Aria! Wake up! Aria!" A voice called to me from beyond the horror of the dark room. A pair of hands held my arms as the voice called to me again.
I struggled in my assailant’s grip, certain that the pirate captain was alive and had found me.
"Aria," the voice said again, and my eyes flew open to find Roy’s face inches from mine, his eyes wide with concern.
I stopped struggling and took a ragged breath.
"It was just a dream," Roy assured me, his grip still tight on my arms. "Just a dream."
I gulped, my eyes flashing around the dark room, searching for those angry eyes.
Roy moved into my line of sight. "Aria."
I closed my eyes and nodded. "Just a dream,"
I whispered.
His grip loosened, and I took a deep, steadying breath, my heart working to drop back to normal.
Roy sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"Was I screaming?" I asked quietly.
"You were begging someone to stop," Roy answered, his voice strained. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I shook my head.
"I will just stay with you then until you fall asleep. You are safe here, Aria, I promise."
I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "Will you stay with me for the whole night?" I whispered.
"Is that a good idea?" Roy asked after a moment. "I wouldn’t want the others to get the wrong idea—to compromise your reputation."
I held back a laugh. "I can assure you I’ve already compromised it enough by coming out here." I moved so I could look at him. "Please, Roy. I don’t want to be alone tonight."
"All right," Roy conceded. "I’ll stay."
"Thank you," I said.
"Not like I needed much convincing to be by you," Roy teased as he pulled his boots off.
I lay on the bed, facing the windows, and listened to Roy walk around the room, blowing out the remaining candles. The bed sunk as he sat down on it and then lay beside me. His breath was warm on the back of my neck as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me against his chest. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could make out the stars blinking in the night sky.
"Go to sleep, my love," Roy murmured in my ear. "You are safe."
I closed my eyes and let the security of his embrace pull me under into a place where nightmares didn’t exist.
☐☐☐☐
The ocean spray was refreshing on my face as I watched the blue waves dance in the sunlight. It had been a couple of days since we’d left the islands, and I felt my eagerness for reaching Asteria rise with each passing hour. But with that eagerness, came a fear of what was to come. I had run away and left my family behind. I didn’t know whether to expect them to be angry or relieved with my return. My biggest worry was that I didn’t know how they would feel about Roy. I wanted their blessing, even though it wouldn’t change my mind if I didn’t get it. I was in love and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.