by Sarah Olson
I shook my head.
"Well then," Roy said, taking a step toward me so I had to look up at him. "I think it’s time for us to retire for the night."
My stomach knotted, and I felt my heart speed up as he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. When he pulled back, the firelight caught the longing and desire in his eyes as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.
I took his face in my hands and stood on my toes so I could kiss him back. "Lead the way," I whispered, a thrill of excitement coursing through me.
Roy took my hand and we skirted around the sailors, through the empty dining room and into the captain’s quarters.
I gasped when I took in all the candles lit around the chamber. Their light reflected off the dark windows, reminding me of starlight.
Roy took off his cape and smiled at me. "I wanted to make it a special night."
"It already is," I whispered as he took a step toward me.
"I love you so much," he said, running his thumb across my cheek.
"I love you too," I said, my voice catching in my throat.
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. He kissed me—a kiss filled with passion and desire, a kiss that left me drowning in the thoughts of what was to come.
Roy released my mouth. "If we were to have been married in Surmania," he whispered, "we would’ve been asked to make vows to one another."
"Vows?" I asked, my breathing already ragged.
"Yes," he replied, as he caressed my cheek. "A pledge to love one another for the rest of our lives—a vow I would like to make to you now." Roy took a step back and pulled on the laces of my dress. I shivered as the dress loosened and one of the sleeves slipped, the cold air brushing my shoulder.
Roy met my gaze. "Are you afraid?" he asked.
"A little," I admitted, the words taking a weight off my chest I didn’t realize was there.
"You have nothing to fear, my love," he reassured me. "I will be gentle."
In response, I untied his vest and pushed it off onto the floor.
Roy smiled and resumed with my dress.
"Aria," he said, his words just a whisper, "I’ve told you before that you have stolen my heart in a way I never thought possible. Until I met you, love was something I only believed was true in stories." He slid the dress down my arms until it was a pile on the floor.
I stepped out of the dress and Roy moved so he was behind me. My breath caught when I felt his lips on the bare skin of my shoulder. I closed my eyes, letting the fire he coaxed within me build.
"I would die a thousand deaths if it meant just spending one day with you," Roy continued, his hands now on the laces of my corset.
The ease to which he had in undressing me was unnerving—as if he’d done it many times before. I shoved the thought away as quickly as it came.
He tossed the corset aside and wrapped an arm around me. "Aria," he said in my ear, "if there is one thing I promise, it is that I will love you for the rest of my life."
I placed my hands on the arm he had across my bosom, my heart racing at the thought that only my shift remained between us. The heat of the fire within me was spreading.
Roy turned me around so I was facing him again. "I swear it," he said, his eyes boring into mine. "No matter what happens, I will always love you and will never stop proving it to you."
I pulled him into my arms and pressed my lips against his. His mouth moved greedily against mine, his tongue running across the inside of my lips. Roy slid his hands down my side and gripped my chemise, pulling it over me in a swift movement that only interrupted the kiss for a split second.
The air was cool on my bare skin as I stood in the captain’s cabin, my body pressed against Roy. I let the fire in me wash away any remnants of fear and anxiousness and fill me with only raw desire for the man I loved. I yanked the shirt from his trousers and pulled it over Roy’s head, needing to feel the heat of his skin on mine.
Roy groaned as our bare skin met and he backed me onto the bed so he could claim me as his own, for I was his, and he was mine.
Chapter 40
I OPENED MY EYES to the sunlight streaming in through the windows of the captain’s cabin. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this much at peace. My life was perfect now. A wonderful man loved me, and I would spend the rest of my life with him. Terrible things may have led up to the voyage, but I felt a strange sense of gratitude to Thomas and Moira.
I shifted in the empty bed and watched Roy at the large desk. He hovered over the maps; quill in hand, as he marked what I assumed was our path. We had been married for almost a week now, and I was beyond grateful for the privacy the crew had given us—privacy that would have been non-existent if we married in Asteria. Even though Roy still had responsibilities, Seif had seen to passing some of them off to other sailors, and as far as I could tell, nobody complained.
Roy’s hand moved steadily along the map as he measured something. It was ridiculous how mesmerizing it was to watch him work—it didn’t help that he was only wearing a pair of loose-fitting pants.
I slid out of bed and picked my robe off the floor. I put it on and glanced over at Roy to find him watching me.
"Good morning," he said with a smile.
"Good morning," I replied, sauntering over to him.
"Though it’s closer to the afternoon," Roy teased.
I came behind the chair and wrapped my arms around him. "I suppose married life gives me a tendency to sleep in more often . . . especially when you keep me up so late," I said dramatically.
"Oh, so it’s my fault," Roy laughed. "I can’t say it isn’t worth it."
I pressed a kiss to his cheek and looked down at the maps before us.
"We are almost there," he said, his tone serious.
"Are you not excited?" I asked, surprised.
Roy sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Not as excited as you are."
"I don’t understand."
Roy untangled himself from my arms and pulled me around so I could sit on the desk after I pushed the maps out of the way. He rested his hands on my knees, his gaze intent on mine.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I married the princess of Asteria," he said.
"Yes, I think we already established that," I teased.
Roy shook his head. "Without the king and queen’s approval. You can’t say you don’t expect them to take issue with that."
I rolled my eyes. "It’s not like they will punish you—you are my husband now. Our marriage was witnessed and is just as real as one we would’ve had in Asteria."
"I know, Aria," Roy said. "But you don’t see how nerve-wracking this is for me?"
In a way, I’d forgotten that people would see my parents as something to fear. They had an enormous amount of power, and if I were honest with myself, they would need time to accept my marriage.
He lowered his voice. "And not to mention that I’m Surman. You may not care but others will."
"Well, it’s not like you’re the prince of Surmania," I laughed, "because then we might have very well started a war."
Roy went very still for a moment, his hands tightening on my knees.
I reached out and tilted his chin up so he could look at me. "You were his friend; I know—a bad joke. But we can keep that to ourselves, Roy. You put that life behind you, and it doesn’t need to be revisited unless you want to."
Roy’s gaze fell into his lap for a moment, and then he looked up at me and gave me a sly smile. "I suppose it’s good that I have the princess on my side then."
I winked. "Very good."
I shrieked when Roy jumped up from the chair without warning. He grabbed me and crushed my lips with his. I wrapped my arms around him, the sound of objects falling from the desk as he pushed me further onto it. I could only hope nobody decided to come looking for either us.
☐☐☐☐
We came into the Horizon Seaport late in the night a couple of days later. Seeing the lights on t
he shore from the ship filled me with excitement and nostalgia. I had made it home.
"I told the crew to keep your return secret," Seif said, as the longboats were prepared. "I can’t promise they will, but hopefully, at least until you reach the castle."
"I don’t know how I can thank you enough," I replied. "I made an agreement to compensate Captain Matek before, and I will hold true to it."
Seif bowed his head. "I am most grateful, Milady."
"Thank you, Seif," Roy said, extending a hand.
Seif shook it. "And thank you, Roy. It’s a shame to lose you."
Roy smiled and threw a glance my way. "I can only say I am off for better things."
"You deserve it, my friend," Seif said.
Roy dipped his head in goodbye and led me to the rope ladder that would take us down to the longboat. I had already said my goodbyes to Bruhier and some of the other sailors.
"Ready?" Roy asked.
I cast one last look over the ship and nodded. I climbed down the rope ladder, leaving my adventure behind at last. Stephen helped me down into the longboat where he and Tarique waited with our things. I settled into a seat and gazed at the oncoming lights as Roy climbed down. He wrapped an arm around me as we sat in silence, watching the seaport grow nearer and nearer. Tarique aimed the boat at the dark shore beyond the docks. I had the hood of my travelling cloak pulled up, and my hair was hidden beneath. Even though I would be heading to the castle in the morning, I preferred to remain unrecognized until then.
"That’s a lot of guards," Roy said, under his breath as we watched Asterian guards patrol the docks and the main road running along them.
"Pretty sure we all know who they’re looking for," Tarique mused.
I rolled my eyes just as the boat scraped against the sand. "Good thing it’s dark."
Tarique jumped out of the boat with Stephen, and they pulled it further onto the beach.
Roy scanned our surroundings. Small fishing boats littered the shore with a couple of people mingling around them. No one paid us any attention.
"We split up here," Roy said to Tarique, as he helped me from the boat.
Tarique nodded. "Take care, you two."
"You’re welcome to visit us anytime," Roy said, shaking his friend’s hand.
Tarique turned to me and bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Milady."
I smiled. "And you as well." I turned to Stephen. "Will you stop by the castle before you head off again?"
He sighed and gave a slight nod. "I’m going to see if I can find Cara and John first," he said. "They should be around here by now."
I placed a hand on his arm. "Good." I was no longer angry with him but felt this need to make sure he was doing well since Ethelyn’s death still weighed heavily on my conscious. My marriage to Roy had momentarily distracted me from it, but not a day went by that I hadn’t thought of her.
"We should move," Roy said, his eyes watching our surroundings. "Don’t want anyone getting too curious."
"Of course," I said, taking one of the bags from him.
We said our goodbyes, and I followed Roy along the shore towards the Horizon Seaport. Other than the sounds of laughter from the taverns and sailors on the docks, the village was quiet as it was close to midnight. We managed to avoid the Asterian guard as we found an inn that wasn’t crowded on the other side of the village.
"How many rooms?" the innkeeper asked. He was an old man with thinning gray hair. He eyed us suspiciously since I had yet to lower the hood of my cloak.
"Didn’t know you allowed Surman scum in this place!" a man from one of the tables called.
"Is that true?" the innkeeper asked, eyeing us over his smudged spectacles. "You from Surmania, boy?"
"We are just in need of a place to spend the night," I said. "We don’t mean to cause any trouble."
"And with an Asterian woman," the innkeeper scoffed, my accent making it obvious. "What are you doing with this Surman scum? Did he pay you to be his whore?"
"Watch your tongue!" Roy threatened, his hand travelling to his sword.
The men at the table nearby stood, ready for a fight.
I placed a hand on Roy’s arm and looked at the innkeeper. "It appears you are full for the night," I said as calmly as I could. "We’ll find another inn." We couldn’t afford to start a fight. I pulled Roy’s arm and felt him trembling with anger.
"Yeah, listen to your whore," one of the men said.
I yanked on his arm now to keep him from doing something that would blow our cover and get us into trouble.
The men’s laughter followed us out onto the road where I stopped and pulled my hood back slightly so Roy could see my eyes.
He was seething. "You should’ve let me deal with them," he growled.
"Yes, of course," I said. "You against what—four, five men? I would rather not be a widow after barely more than a week. We’ll find another inn." I began walking down the road, further into the village.
Roy followed grudgingly.
"The Jumping Fish," I read aloud, stopping in front of a small inn close to the center of the village.
Roy sighed and led the way inside.
The tavern was empty save for a man drinking a pint of ale in the far corner and a middle-aged woman, bustling over to greet us.
"Welcome, travelers," she said happily. "How many rooms can I get you?"
"Just one," Roy answered.
When the woman looked up at him and smiled, I sighed in relief.
"Very well," she said, "Would you like a bath drawn as well? The maid is still up."
"That would be wonderful," I replied.
"I will have her prepare one immediately," the innkeeper said.
We followed her to the counter where she pulled out a log and asked Roy to sign it. He signed the room under his name, and she gave him the key.
"We serve breakfast down here in the morning," she said, as we walked toward the staircase.
"Thank you," I said.
☐☐☐☐
The bath was delicious on my skin as I soaked in the warm water. Roy lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The altercation at the first inn had dampened his mood, and that was putting it mildly.
"Are you really not concerned about what your people will think about us?" he asked. "You saw the way Asterians are just because of my accent."
"Not everyone is," I assured him. I stood and wrapped a towel around myself.
"I just—I rarely got that in Malan, but I was able to blend in easier."
I wrung my hair into the tub and pushed it back. "No matter where we go, we will always find rude people," I said, walking over to him.
Roy sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
"But perhaps we can be an example to the kingdoms of how we can get along when we try," I continued, stopping in front of him. "You’re right when you say some will be angry with our marriage, but what about those that will see it as hope—hope that one day our two kingdoms will be able to live in peace."
Roy placed his hands on my hips and looked up at me. "You really believe in the good of people."
"If some people didn’t, where would our world be?" I asked, leaning down so I could take his face in my hands. "And don’t forget, if I had let the hatred of some cloud my judgment, we wouldn’t be here today."
Roy closed the gap between us and kissed me.
"I know," he whispered against my mouth. He lay back, pulling me with him, his hands tangling themselves in my wet hair. "You make the world a brighter place."
I pulled back slightly, my hair dangling around my face. "And you make my world perfect." I leaned down and kissed him again just as he freed me from the towel.
I woke with my head resting on Roy’s chest. I could hear his steady heartbeat and feel his warmth. The room was dim with sunlight tugging at the edges of the curtains. The fireplace had died out. I closed my eyes and pressed myself closer to him.
His arm tightened around me. "Good morning, my love," he w
hispered.
He turned me onto my back and rolled over so he was hovering over me. His ocean-colored eyes sparkled in the dim light. "Did you sleep well?"
I smiled. "The best I have in months. It’s good to be home."
He leaned down and kissed me. His lips moved slowly against mine sending a tingling through my veins. He pulled back and gave me a sly smile.
"Me too," he said, pushing a strand of my tangled hair away from my face.
I ran my hands up his arms. His skin was smooth, and I could feel the hard muscles beneath.
"So I suppose you’re not too nervous about meeting my parents today."
He sat back and took my hand. "I would beg you for one more day, but there is no sense putting off the inevitable." He kissed my palm. "I love you, Aria."
There was a quiet knock at the door, and I sat up in surprise.
"Housekeeping!" a woman’s voice called.
I looked over at Roy confused.
He smiled. "That would be our breakfast."
"Breakfast?" I asked.
Roy slid out of bed and pulled on his trousers. "Yes, breakfast." He walked over to the door and opened it just enough for the innkeeper to slip the tray through. He thanked her and brought the tray to the bed. "I paid the innkeeper a little extra. Shall we?"
The tray had a few slices of bread, butter and two small bowls of fruit. Next to them were two glasses of water.
"I’m sure you’re used to getting breakfast in bed all the time and that this is not nearly as good as what they serve in the castle, but it will have to do," Roy said, with a smile.
"It’s perfect," I said. I took a slice of bread and lathered it with butter. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until the smell of the freshly baked bread filled my nostrils. I took a bite and closed my eyes. "Delicious."
Roy laughed and took a slice for himself.
When I finished, I went for a bowl of fruit. For a small inn, everything was surprisingly good. The bread was crisp, and the fruit was fresh. I leaned back against the headboard as I finished the last bit of my breakfast.
"Thank you, Roy."
"Don’t thank me," he said. "Thank the innkeeper."
I looked over at him. "I’m not talking about the food. I’m talking about everything. Thank you for being here with me—for loving me for who I am. Today may not go smoothly, but I love you for your willingness to stand by my side through it all."