by Chloe Cole
It was the structure building in town, naturally, and music and laughter poured from inside. Noise and bustle, I realized, my heart picking up speed. Just the sort of distraction I needed.
Mathias entered first and held the door open for me. When I walked in, every head turned. A hush fell over the crowd, and the flutist in the corner ended his tune on a sloppy note as he, too, spotted us.
The place was mostly men and I was instantly uncomfortable. Some of their gazes were appreciative, but others? Were hungry and violating. Suddenly, I wished I wasn’t wearing such a beautiful cloak so I might have blended in more.
But I needn’t have worried. When Titus stepped in behind me and put his hand on my shoulder, the tavern-goers averted their gazes.
Titus growled something I couldn’t quite hear under his breath that sounded like, “Scurvy bastards,” and proceeded to walk me through the scattered tables, past a stone fireplace, and to a table in the far corner that would be as far away from prying eyes as we could get.
I sat down and Titus sat beside me, blocking me from all the other patrons. Feeling safe between him and the wall, I slipped off my cloak and draped it over the back of my chair. The others fell into their seats around me as Dimitri went to the bar to order us something hot to eat and a round of ales.
He returned a couple minutes later and dropped into his chair. He leaned forward across the table and began talking in a low, barely audible voice.
“I don’t think we should hang around here all that long. They’re watching every move she makes and I’d hate to have to start killing people.”
“Do you think they recognize her?” Eryk asked, blatantly looking around the room at all the men who were, as Dimitri had pointed out, watching me like a hawk.
“Doubt it,” Dimitri said.
“How could they?” I asked. “Unless they’ve been to Ironhaven in the past year, since Anaya has held the throne, they’d have no clue who I am. And something tells me that not many of these people have ever left this town.”
“Likely true,” Dimitri said. “But still. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Well, just don’t go killing anyone on my account. I know none of you believe me, but I can take care of myself.”
“You’re wicked with a bow and I believe you can handle the blade, but your size is a detriment, Iris. And there are many of them and one of you. Think of the two pirates,” Eryk reminded me. He wasn’t trying to be unkind. He was simply stating the truth.
A truth I didn’t want to accept. “That was different. They had the element of surprise.”
Eryk nodded grimly as a young waitress brought us a platter full of steaming cuts of beef layered in gravy. Along with it came some steamed vegetables and potatoes. We didn’t wait for the ale to dig in. I burnt my tongue, but didn’t stop eating.
I hadn’t realized how starving I was.
The next while passed in silence as we filled our bellies greedily.
When we were finally sated, we sat back and washed the food down with the ales. The waitress brought us refills at Dimitri’s request, and when she turned to go back to the bar, I held up a hand and called out to her. She turned back to me, smiling politely, and waited.
“Hi,” I said, “this is going to be rather odd, but are we in some sort of den of murderers and scallawags or something?”
Dimitri bit out a laugh as Titus coughed none-too delicately.
The waitress, on the other hand, just blinked at me, cocking her head. “I’m sorry, miss?”
I gestured around the room. Most of the men had busied themselves with their meals, but some were still looking in my direction. “I can’t help but notice that some of your guests are rather nosy, and can’t seem to keep their eyes to themselves. Are we being sized up for an ambush or something?”
The young woman smiled, and the warmth it brought to her face settled my nerves some.
“Oh, no, miss. They are simple folk, you see, and it isn’t often that a lady like you comes through these parts. Maybe once every half a decade. You are a sight to behold in your fancy cloak, and your men…” She scanned them quickly, her cheeks flushing as she did. “They’re quite the picture. It’s enough to cause a fuss around these parts.”
“Thank you,” I said, letting her leave. “See? Nothing to worry about.” I didn’t want them to hurry and leave. This might be my last opportunity to get close to someone and have them send word to my sister.
Dimitri grunted. “I still don’t like it, so a few more minutes to digest and then we go.”
I took a sip of my ale and nodded.
For the next five minutes, I listened with half an ear as I watched our serving girl move around the tavern. Finally, when I thought I was going to shatter with anticipation, she moved toward a door that led to the kitchens.
“Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen. I have to use the ladies’ room,” I said, pushing my chair back and sucking in to squeeze behind Titus. “I’ll be right back.”
“One of us will go with you,” Eryk said, already getting to his feet.
I arched an eyebrow and put a hand on my hip. “You’ll sit down and wait for me to come back. I don’t need an escort to help me get to the bathroom. I’m not that useless. And if you think I’m going to try to escape again just so I can get a collar slapped back on me when there’s no chance of me getting away from all four of you, think again.”
Eryk stared at me, his gaze intense.
“We’re trusting one another now, right?” It made me a little ill to say it when I had every intention of betraying that trust in another fashion, but if I was to survive this, I needed to do something. “If I’m not back in two minutes, you can come find me.”
“What if someone tries to hurt you again?” Dimitri asked softly.
“The tavern girl said they’re harmless. Besides, I’m pretty certain the four of you are a great deterrent, whether you come to the privy with me or not. Sit down. It’s fine.”
Eryk surprised me by sitting, and my hands began to tremble as I turned away. I’d bought myself two minutes and I needed to use them wisely. As I walked away, I could hear Dimitri giving him a hard time for letting me boss him around. When I heard the others join in on the banter, I knew I wouldn’t get a better opportunity.
I reached the hallway leading to the kitchen just as our waitress was slipping out from behind the kitchen door. With a quick glance around, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside, ducking beneath a doorway and shuffling down a hallway crammed with crates of produce.
The young blonde girl was staring at me with wide eyes as I pulled us farther down the hallway so we couldn’t be overheard. “Miss,” she said, “is everything alright? Are you in danger?”
“Yes--no--sort of,” I said, grasping at straws to try to explain my current situation. “Listen, I need your help. I need you to send a message for me.”
“A message?”
I nodded. “It’s important. You have to get it right. And you have to find a way to send it as soon as you’re done with your shift here. I promise you won’t be in danger. I just need someone to know where I am.”
“I’m not sure,” she said nervously, wringing her hands in her apron, “what’s the message?”
“I need you to send it to the Queen of Ironhaven. Her name is Anaya. Tell her that Iris was here, and that she’s unharmed. That she is being taken due west, by way of the Laughing Sea. Tell her to send our swiftest ship to find The Duchess and to make sure not to kill anyone aboard. That part is critical, do you hear me?”
“Yes,” the girl nodded.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Carrace,” she whispered.
“Carrace,” I said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. “You have no idea how much you’re helping me right now.” I reached for the thin silver bracelet that circled my wrist and unclasped it. “I wish I had something of more value to give you, but I will come back, and you will be rewarded. I swear it on my life. I am the sister of
a very wealthy Queen and she will make sure you-”
“Miss,” she said, resting a hand on my arm, “it’s alright. I don’t need any payment to help a woman in need. I’ll send a bird at first light. It’s the earliest I can do. I will address it to Anaya, and I will tell her all that you’ve told me.”
“Thank you,” I said, fighting back tears. I appreciated her willingness to help me more than I could explain. “But I insist you take the bracelet at the very least.” I pressed it into her hand and folded her fingers around it.
She nodded grudgingly and slipped it into her apron. “How far away is this Ironhaven?”
“Many miles, but if I make it out of this, I can take you there. Men won’t look at you like meat and women can be rulers. It’s wonderful.”
She blushed and nodded weakly. “I would like that very much. And I’ll send your message. I promise.”
I did the only thing I could think to do to thank her, which was hug her. She stood frozen in my arms for a good three seconds before hugging me back. She smelled like ale and wood smoke, but I didn’t care.
When we pulled away there were tears in her eyes, too.
“I have to go back to my table. Please don’t let on that we spoke, okay? The men I’m with can’t know what I’ve done.”
Carrace nodded. “I’ll go out first. Wait a moment before you do.”
I tipped my head in return and she slipped away, leaving me alone with the crates of cabbage and leeks, wracked with guilt.
Because I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d just made a terrible mistake.
Chapter 11
When I returned to the table, there was another round of ales waiting for us. I wasn’t in the mood to partake in any more drinks, but I didn’t want the men to think anything of my quick disappearance, so I took my seat and took three greedy gulps of the foamy stuff. I wiped it from my upper lip and leaned back in my chair, trying to feign satisfaction.
“Looks like we’re staying for the night,” Mathias told me. “The man working on The Duchess sent a boy here to tell us that there’s more damage than they’d first anticipated. They’re going to be working on the ship all night long seeing to the repairs. They’ll also make sure Hildie is fed and cared for. Luckily, the barkeep tells us he has two rooms available for the night.”
“Two?” I asked, trying my best not to sound too alarmed.
Mathias nodded. “It’s fine. Three of us will share, and one will stay with you.”
“Surely, if you can fit three to a room, you might fit four,” I began, trying to think of the best way to convince them to let me stay on my own. After what I’d just done, I wasn’t certain I could keep it together all night long without the truth bubbling over, or, worse, doing something foolish with whoever my protector was. The last thing I needed was to bond even more with any of them. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Besides, I’ll make sure I keep the door locked a--”
Titus cut in before I could finish.
“Not going to happen, lass. None of us are willing to take that risk again where you’re concerned,” he said sternly. “Not after last night.”
I met Eryk’s eye for a quick moment and looked away before nodding my submission. Protesting more would only put them on high alert.
“Okay.”
Mathias broke the tension by standing. “I’m going to go secure the rooms and make sure we have everything we need. A hot bath, perhaps, Iris?”
I swung my gaze up to him. The idea of sinking into a tub of hot water amidst this cold weather to scrub off the salty layer from my skin was more than enough to lift my spirits. I nodded vigorously.
Mathias gave me a rare but beautiful smile. “Very well. You shall have it, then.”
“Thank you,” I said, as he turned away and slipped through the throngs of tables to make his way back to the bar.
“I wouldn’t have minded a bath,” Dimitri griped. “How can I get myself one of those?” His sharp blue gaze landed on me, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he lifted his drink to his mouth.
I knew what he was suggesting and, despite the tightening of need in my stomach, I barked out a laugh. “I suppose you could go and pay for one, like Mathias is doing.”
Titus chuckled deeply and tipped his head to me. “Indeed, he could. What say you, Dimitri? You still fancy that bath?”
“I’ll take it but I admit, it loses some of its appeal if there’s no company,” he said shamelessly, those eyes still fixed on me.
His boldness was, for some reason, quite charming. I shook my head at him, unable to stop myself from smiling. Right on the tail of that was an instant tug of guilt again. I was trying to thwart their plans, and there was a very high possibility that I could be putting the lives of the people they cared about in jeopardy, no matter how much I tried to avoid it.
“You alright, Princess?” Dimitri asked, the humor in his eyes and on his lips gone.
I nodded and drank more ale. “Yes, I’m fine. Just tired, I think.”
It was at that moment that Mathias returned back to the table. “When you’re ready for that bath, the barkeep will send a maid to ready it for you. One of us will stand watch at your door to make sure none of these bastards tries anything funny.”
“I’ll stand watch,” Dimitri offered. Mathias’s quick look suggested that the position of standing outside my door had already been spoken for. Dimitri shrugged his shoulders as if to roll off the rejection. “Or I’ll stay here and continue filling my belly with ale.”
Titus chuckled but didn’t say anything.
I finished my drink and stood. “All right, then?”
Mathias nodded and stepped aside for me to slide out behind Titus again.
“Enjoy,” Dimitri hollered after me as I fell into step behind Mathias.
I shot him a look over my shoulder, unable to resist teasing him just a little, in spite of the weight sitting on my chest.
“Oh, I will,” I said, “and I’m going to take my sweet time about it. Just me and all that hot, steamy water.”
Dimitri’s cocky smile faltered as Titus and Eryk began laughing at him. I let the laughter bubble over me, too, and it helped push away some of the guilt that was still gnawing at my insides like a ravenous monster.
They would understand what I’d had to do. Just as I understood what they’d had to do. Maybe someday they’d even forgive me…if any of us survived this nightmare.
Mathias stopped at the bar and stood with one hip resting against it. He crossed his arms and regarded me with curiosity. When he reached out and rested a warm gentle hand on my wrist, I froze, paralyzed by his touch and the softness in his gray eyes.
“Your bracelet,” he said, “did you lose it?”
My heart began hammering in my chest. Did he suspect something?
I lifted my hand to my wrist beside his and touched the spot where the chain had lain. The bare skin there felt a little odd. I furrowed my brow and shook my head. “I didn’t realize it was missing,” I said, “do you think it came off when I was trying the cloak on at the store?”
Mathias shrugged one shoulder, but left his hand there to trace a pattern on the tender skin. His touch was so much softer than I ever expected, and I nearly closed my eyes to revel in it.
“Perhaps. I will ask one of the others to go and look for you.”
“Thank you,” I said.
The lie was necessary, I reassured myself. Anaya had to know I was safe.
When the barkeep bustled over to us on the other side of the counter, Mathias let his hand fall back to his side. I could still feel the warm imprint his touch left behind, and as I listened to them negotiate the bath details, I pressed my fingertips to the spot again.
“The best you have,” Mathias said after some back and forth, “I don’t much care what the cost is.”
The barkeep nodded. “Two silver pieces, sir.”
Mathias handed them over. “Wait here,” he said to me, “I’m going to send Dimitri back to the shop.
He needs something to do to busy that wandering mind of his.”
“Okay,” I said, turning to watch Mathias make his way back to the table. It appeared that Dimitri put up only a bit of resistance before getting to his feet. The two men headed back in my direction. When they arrived, Mathias put his hand out for me to take.
I took it, and he guided me away to the stairs. Dimitri made for the door. When I looked back down, he was watching me and Mathias ascend the stairs. He met my eye, gave me a broad smile, and then ducked out into the cold.
Mathias brought me to a room at the end of the hall. A maid was already bustling in and out as she filled a tub with hot water from large pots. Another maid appeared to help her.
The room was quite simple with white linens on the bed and even whiter curtains hanging from a window that faced the ocean. The cold breeze blowing in through the window fluttered the curtains and caused steam to rise from the nearly full tub. It smelled like lavender and I took a deep breath and sighed contently.
I couldn’t wait to step into the tub.
“This will do fine,” Mathias said, “you’ll be staying here tonight.”
“Alright,” I said.
Mathias went to the window. He rested both hands on the sill and leaned forward. When he hung his head, I considered asking him if something was wrong, but thought better of it. I didn’t want to push. Especially when I already felt bad enough as things stood.
“Iris,” he said suddenly, looking over at me as I leaned against the wall.
“Yes?” I said.
“I’m sure you know already, but…I’m sorry that we’re doing this to you. This isn’t what any of us want,” he continued, “I hope you understand that. There are… certain things that are outside of our control, and all of this is just a means to an end.”
I thought of the sickly father Mathias had back at home.
“I know,” I said.
“You do?”
“Well, I suspected,” I corrected with a nod, unsure of whether Eryk had told the others what he’d revealed to me, “not everything is as it seems, right? You’re all far too kind to want to hurt me just for coin.”