by Jamie Davis
"Hopefully not everything. Besides," Chance said shrugging. "We have no other choice."
Cari came here hoping that wouldn't be the answer. Now that her hopes were dashed, it spurred the thoughts churning in her head to a new conclusion.
"If Timron becomes the Emperor, he'll come for me. He knows who I am, Chance. He'll want me to become his wife, like he threatened back in the forest. It would lend legitimacy from my family to his ascension to the throne. If I refuse, he'll think he has no choice. He’ll have to have me killed. Either way, I need to be far away from here."
"Running away is rarely the answer, Cari. Where will you go?"
"I have a few options open to me."
"You could remain here. The Duke of Tandon not only owes you a debt for what you've done here, his family owes your father a debt as well. He would be honored to give you sanctuary. This is far enough from the capital, he can keep you safe."
"I don't want a protector, Chance. I can take care of myself. I just want to be left alone."
"What we want is seldom what we get. There are great forces at play directing us to make difficult choices. Those choices serve to put us on different paths. That is the question you must ask yourself. Is leaving now the wisest path?"
"Leaving?" Timron said from the doorway. "Who's leaving? Surely, you're not leaving us already, Cari? I heard you'd awakened. I came to deliver my sincerest thanks again for your timely rescue last week. As a sign of my gratitude, I’ve already sent word out about my wish to host a series of feasts in your honor, all across the Empire, as we return overland together to the Crystal City. People need to believe in heroes. You will help me show them real heroes exist."
"I'm not going to be your performing monkey, Timron." Cari retorted. "If you want to go on a cross-country victory tour after all the horrible things you've done, you can do it alone."
Timron acted like he hadn’t heard a word she said.
“To kick it all off, Cari, I’ve asked the Duke to let me throw you a congratulatory dinner here at his manor. It will be a most excellent affair."
Cari stood. She had to put an end to this nonsense. Closing her eyes, she placed the back of her hand on her forehead and feigned fatigue.
"I find I'm tired again and not quite as ready for an extended time out of bed as I thought. I will return to my room and get some more rest. Perhaps in a few days, Prince Timron, I'll be ready for your dinner. We'll see."
Cari nodded to Chance as she left the room. Between Timron's announcement and Chance's advice, she had some tough decisions to make.
Chapter 37
The moon rose over the east wing of the manor house later that night, just becoming visible outside Cari's bedroom window. The noise of the normal routine in the Manor diminished and Cari waited now for everyone in the main house to fall asleep.
She sat next to the bed staring out the window, dressed and ready for travel with her pack loaded with everything she owned her in Fantasma. She'd packed her bag of holding with as much as she could scrounge without arousing suspicion. She even dumped the bowl of fresh fruit from the table next to the bed into the bag so she would have some food for the journey.
Cari wanted to talk with Chance some more, but Timron's announcement of plans for her to go on his victory tour made the decision to leave final. If she didn't get out now, she feared the Prince would find a way to force her to accompany him back to the capital.
She waited until the moon had passed out of sight through the view from the window then slid her arms into the pack's straps and opened the bedroom door.
The outer room of the suite sat empty, with only an oil lamp casting a yellow pool of light in the room’s far corner.
Cari turned the lamp down extinguishing it so no light would show when she opened the outer door. Crossing to the exit, she pressed her ear to the cool wood panel and listened for any sound in the hallway on the other side.
Detecting nothing, Cari opened the door, peering both ways around the door jamb. Entering the deserted hallway, she sought out the servant's stairs she was told were to the right from her room.
A few careful questions earlier of her chamber maid revealed the stairway's general location. These stairs went directly down to the manor's kitchen. From there she could exit into the courtyard.
Cari almost missed the hidden panel disguising the door to the servant's staircase. It took long minutes of searching a twenty-foot section of wall until she found the door's seam hiding behind a section of wood molding. Cari stepped inside and pulled the door closed behind her.
Once on the stairs, she hurried down to the kitchen expecting to head directly to the stable. Liam's voice from behind her stopped Cari before she'd gone five steps across the kitchen's flagstone floor.
"Going somewhere?" The Dragoon sergeant asked. He sat alone at a table cutting a piece from a wedge of cheese with his dagger and taking a bite.
"I was —" Cari struggled for an answer that made sense.
"Come and sit. Have some food with me before you go. The cook leaves some items out for the night caretaker to snack on as he goes about his rounds. There’s plenty for us, too."
Knowing she'd failed to hide her plans to leave from him, Cari took the seat across from Liam. She pulled it out, turning it around and straddling it, resting her folded arms on the chair's back. Liam handed her a slice of cheese which she took with a nod of gratitude. The fresh farm cheese was tangy and delicious.
He smiled and shook his head.
"It seems Chance loses this bet."
"What bet?"
"I told him you'd never stay for the Prince's banquet for you. Your sense of honor wouldn't allow you to sit next to him and smile at everyone knowing everything he'd done to become the heir."
"Doesn't it bother you?" Cari asked. “You're just like Chance. I don't understand it. The man sanctioned the deaths of his entire family, Liam. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"The stability of the Empire counts for more. A war of succession would kill thousands and create refugees of many more. If the Empress was younger or in better health, I might feel differently. Without another heir, Timron must be our next Emperor."
Cari hadn't considered the effect on the whole Empire. She'd only focused on the apparent unfairness and immorality of it all.
"You might not be able to avoid a war if the Duke of Charon continues his efforts behind the scenes to position himself as a potential choice for Emperor. He's tried to kill Timron once now, it's only a matter of time for him to try again."
"We can keep the Prince alive, despite his best efforts to endanger himself. The wildcard here is the Duke's activities away from the capital. We suspect he's behind the raiders striking all along the southern coast. That is why we’ll take the overland route to return to the Crystal City. The Imperial navy is too small and spread too thin to stop them or protect us."
"I've seen proof Charon’s involved with and at the very least condones the activities of the senior raider captains. He's issued letters of Marque to them making them legitimate and supposed assistants in the war against the other raiders."
"How did you come by that?"
"I took one of them from a dead raider captain. That was when I discovered the plot to kill Timron and send an assassin here." Cari gave a brief account of how she'd become master of the Vengeance.
"I wondered where you'd go if you left here. It was the one thing casting doubt on my assumption you'd leave. I can’t blame you. If I had my own ship and crew waiting for me, I'd be tempted to run as well."
Liam leaned forward and cut a larger block of cheese from the wedge on the table. He handed it to her.
"Take this for your journey, along with a request."
"That is?"
"Keep your eyes open out there on the high seas. There are rumors floating around that there is a survivor of the shipwreck that killed Prince Timron's older brother and his entire family."
"That's important because…?"
"If
that survivor exists and they are of Imperial blood, they would have precedence over Timron for the crown, but only if they’re presented before the coronation."
"I'll not make any promises, Liam. I'm inclined to stay as far away from the Prince as possible. I'm finished being the hero. The last time I tried to rescue the Empire, it nearly killed me and all I did in the end was save a man with complicity in mass murder."
Cari tucked the cheese into her pack, then she stood.
"Thank you for the cheese. Good luck with the Prince. I hope he turns out better than I fear he'll be. Don't let you or the others get yourselves killed protecting him."
Liam stood as well. He reached out to clasp wrists with Cari.
"Farewell, Cari Dix. I hope you find that for which you seek."
"Me, too."
Cari left Liam in the kitchen and headed out to the stables. It was time to return to Tandon and the Vengeance.
* * *
---
* * *
Cari stood on the Vengeance's quarterdeck while the deck crew hoisted the cargo net up from the dock and lowered it into the ship’s hold. The netting was filled with casks of vintage wine from the hills around the city. Mr. Bowcott and Mr. Dawkins had been busy since her departure and the hold was nearly full of goods ready for delivery to other ports farther to the east.
She'd worried at first they wouldn't be happy to see her return. Their heartfelt congratulations on her actions to the north and the welcome toast they shared with the whole crew banished those thoughts. Cari was a little embarrassed by the attention and cheers from the crew she’d received.
The tales told about her by the bards and troubadours in the taverns around the city had been further embellished beyond what Timron had told them when he commissioned the original ballads. After she heard the first one on her return to the city, she'd blushed with embarrassment and hurried out of the tavern and back to the ship.
"That's the last of the wine, Ma'am," Mr. Bowcott said. "We'll be ready to cast off within the hour. Do you have the heading worked out once we clear the harbor?"
"I was just getting ready to head down to my cabin to check the charts one last time. I'll have it for you shortly. Ready the ship to cast off."
"Aye, ma'am."
Cari left the duty to the first mate and the bosun and retired to her cabin to look over her planned route one more time. She'd laid out a course that hugged the coast, even though that put them in danger of running into more raiders along the way. That was fine with her. It was time the raider captains learned to fear the Dread Raider Cari.
It took her almost an hour to review all her calculations and check the charts to be sure. A knock at the cabin door interrupted her just as she finished the final entry in the day's log. The course was set and they were ready to head out of the harbor.
"Yes?"
Percy poked his head around the door.
"Ma'am. Two gentlemen are here. They both claim to know you and both wish to enlist and join the crew."
Cari wrinkled her brow in confusion. She could use a few more good crew members but wondered who they could be, and claiming to know her, too.
"Show them in Percy." Cari stood to await these new arrivals.
The door swung open all the way revealing Stefan and Rodrigo standing in the passageway. Once again, they jostled with each other to enter at the same time. Eventually, they sorted it out and stood before the captain's table.
"You two? I should have guessed. You both wish to join this crew, with me as captain?"
The two glanced at each other once then nodded.
"Explain to me why I should take you on. I know for a fact neither of you has any experience as a sailor."
They shared an awkward glance back and forth, then Rodrigo spoke up, shooting Percy a sideways glance.
"Um, a particular trio of mutual friends suggested you might wish to have a pair of reliable companions on your travels. We know our experience at sea is limited but we believe you could use a few more experienced swordsmen in your crew."
“If you’ll have us,” Stefan added.
Cari considered having the two of them put off the ship. It could cause some issues having them aboard vying for her attention. Rodrigo wasn't wrong though. She was going out, looking for trouble. When she found the first raider ship, having these two by her side would give her a definite advantage when it came to boarding and taking on an experienced raider crew.
"Very well, but there will be no hint of familiarity based on our past acquaintance from either of you. Do you understand?"
Both men nodded.
"The correct response is 'Aye, ma'am.'"
"Aye, ma'am," the two men said in concert.
"Very well. Percy, escort these two down to the junior officers' cabin. I think it’s an excellent idea that they share one between them. Show them where to stow their gear then take them up to the Bosun for assignment to their new duties. Also, advise Mr. Bowcott to cast off. I'll be up on deck with the course heading before we clear the harbor."
"Aye, Captain." Percy gestured to the passageway and stepped back while Stefan and Rodrigo struggled once again to go through the door simultaneously.
Cari covered a slight grin with one hand. This was certain to make the coming voyage interesting. In a way, she found herself looking forward to it.
Grabbing her hat, Captain Dix, the Dread Pirate Cari, headed up to the quarterdeck to assume command of her ship.
The Vengeance was ready, heading off on its next voyage.
Epilogue
Hal and Mona chatted idly as the car pulled into the driveway. It had been a very nice weekend away with his wife. The two of them were always so relaxed after these little jaunts together.
As he pulled in, Hal noticed that Cari's car was parked in her usual spot.
"That's strange," Mona said as she grabbed her purse and stepped out of the car. "Doesn't Cari usually have sparring practice on Monday afternoons?"
"It must have been cancelled," Hal responded as he closed the car door behind him.
Hal knew something was strange when he heard the chime of the message board as they entered, indicating there were unread messages waiting for them. It wasn't like his daughter to leave the message center unchecked. Most of them were likely from friends of hers anyway.
"Cari, we're home!" Mona called up the stairs. When there was no response she called again, "Cari? Are you home?"
When there was no answer, she glanced at her husband.
Hal stepped over to the message board and selected the most recent unplayed message. One of Cari's Renaissance Faire friends appeared on the screen (Hal could never remember her name). Hal watched intently as the message played out.
“Hey, Cari, just checking in to make sure you're ok. It's not like you to skip out on the Faire like this. Stella thinks you might have invited a boy over. If that’s the case, I totally get it. Call us. I want details!”
The board went blank as the message ended. Hal had already turned to run up the stairs. Mona beat him to it.
"Cari, where are you?" Mona yelled to the empty house, panic clear in her voice.
Hal reached the top of the stairs just as Mona rushed into Cari's bedroom. Hal was about to follow her when he noticed his study’s door was ajar at the end of the hallway.
"She's not here, Hal. We need to call the police," Mona said pulling out her phone.
Hal didn't hear her. Cari never went into his study anymore. Not since she used to visit him there before bedtime. If she’d gone in there while they were gone, he worried what she might have discovered if she poked around in his things.
His suspicions were confirmed as he pushed the door all the way open. There on his computer, was a familiar message.
It was a message he hadn't thought he would ever see again and certainly not addressed the way it was.
* * *
Welcome to Fantasma, Cari Dix
More of Cari’s adventures coming soon…
&nbs
p; In the mean time, have you read the Accidental Traveler trilogy about her father, Hal?
Get started here with book 1 - The Accidental Thief.
Also by Jamie Davis
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The Accidental Traveler LitRPG Series
(with C.J. Davis)
The Accidental Thief
Accidental Warrior
The Accidental Mage
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Accidental Champion Series
Accidental Duelist
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Extreme Medical Services Series
Book 1 - Extreme Medical Services
Book 2 - The Paramedic’s Angel
Book 3 - The Paramedic’s Choice
Book 4 - The Paramedic’s Hunter
Book 5 - The Paramedic’s Witch
Book 6 - The Paramedic’s Nemesis
—
Eldara Sister Series
The Nightingale’s Angel
Blue and Gray Angel
—
The Broken Throne Series
The Charm Runner
Prophecy’s Daughter
The Queen of Avalon
Stolen Destiny
The Mended Throne
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