“Why did you have to hide?”
“Father had a price on my head.”
My brows popped up. “Your own father?”
“Don’t get me started on him, but yes. Anyway, I’ve lived on the outskirts of Aelawyn all this time. Father’s men wouldn’t dare cross onto Aelawyn land because they knew Trevor wouldn’t hesitate to go to battle, so it was relatively safe. I planned to meet with Yurak and Trevor after the Ball, but I just got word that my father passed away and my brother William has assumed the throne. The Galderians had hoped to smuggle me into the castle before he passed so I could challenge William before he was crowned, which might have worked if we’d executed it in time. But Father’s illness must have been worse than our sources realized, and now it’s too late. I don’t plan to challenge my brother for the crown. He may be a sniveling wretch, but he’s the only family I have left. So… I am technically still a Prince, first-born and rightful heir to the throne of Tierney, but my younger brother sits in my place. Thus, you and I are both heirs with no kingdom.”
“I have a kingdom,” I argued.
He chuckled, the apple in his throat bobbing up and down. “With no subjects.”
I wasn’t sure why he found it so funny, and the look on my face must have told him as much.
“Cheer up, Princess. It could be worse.”
“How?”
“You could still be stuck alone on the island.”
“Some days I wish I were,” I answered ruefully.
He brushed his midnight black curls out of his eyes. “I could see the appeal.”
A familiar shriek filled the air as we walked toward the port, and Tross dove toward us. Obviously, Carden didn’t know what to do, and grabbed my arm. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to save me or himself. When I wouldn’t budge, he watched wide-eyed as Tross landed nimbly in front of me.
“Hey. There’s my good boy.”
“This sea eagle is your pet?” he asked, brow cocked.
“Of course, he is,” I cooed, dropping to one knee and giving Tross kisses on his beak. He’d eaten a fish... very recently. The briny smell was on his mouth. When he turned to assess Carden, I discreetly wiped my mouth with my sleeve.
I could tell Tross didn’t care for Carden. He didn’t hate him; if he hated him, he would’ve flapped his wings and squawked to intimidate him. But I could tell my feathered friend was not impressed. He didn’t insist on kissing him the way he always did with Trevor. Instead, he turned his head and huffed, completely indifferent.
“I don’t think he likes me,” Carden acknowledged, offended.
“He doesn’t.”
“Well, don’t try to spare my feelings.” Carden glanced from ship to ship, sizing each one up. I knew that look. He was plotting his escape.
“Let me guess – you’re not going back to Aelawyn?”
“No, and much to Yurak’s chagrin, I’m not getting involved in his political dealings with Tierney, either. No,” he mused, “I think I’d like to see the Southern Isle. I’ve always wondered what it was like. They say the fae live there. Our mother used to tell stories about fairies and witches and such.”
“They exist,” I told him. “And you’d be wise to avoid most of them.”
His dark eyes flitted over me quickly before he turned his attention back to the ships. “It’s a pity Trevor likes you, otherwise I’d invite you along.”
Trevor liked me. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he didn’t love me. “You’re leaving now? Didn’t you just arrive?”
“I’m not leaving yet, but I will soon enough. I’ll stay for the Ball, at least. But I need to make arrangements with one of the captains.” He turned his attention back to the ships in front of us.
Cap’s ship was nestled in the middle dock. I pointed to it. “That one. They’re the ones who were brave enough to look for us in the Sea of Bones, when none of the other captains would risk their ship. Cap is a good man, and he has a good crew. They’ll take care of you.”
He squinted as the sun grew brighter, staring at Cap’s ship for several long moments. “That’s the same ship that carried me here,” he responded. “I paid my way with what I’d managed to save, but I have nothing left. I don’t have enough coin to buy my passage to the Isle, but I can work.”
Carden kept surprising me. At first, he didn’t seem like the type to offer to work his way across the sea, but I noticed the cuticles around his nails were stained with dirt. Despite his arrogant demeanor, he was willing to get his hands dirty. And that’s what Cap would expect. I judged him too soon, it seemed.
Petting Tross one more time, I waved for Carden to follow me aboard Cap’s ship. It was empty, as far as I can tell, but then a noise came from below deck. “Cap?” I yelled.
“Raya?” he called back. “I’ll be up in a moment, lass.”
He emerged with a smile, extending his hand to me, and when I took it, he pulled me in for a hug. “Good to see you, my dear. What brings you by on this fine mornin’?” He nodded to Carden. “Good to see ya again, young man.”
I gestured to Carden. “This is a friend of mine. I know you have to stick close to Galder for the time being, but after the Ball, would you happen to be sailing south?”
“Friend of yours? I didn’t know that, Raya. I’d have been nicer to him, had I known.” I winced, wondering what had transpired between them on the ship. Cap narrowed his eyes at Carden, appraising him.
Carden’s jaw was set, and he straightened his back as Cap scrutinized him. He had a few inches on Cap, but the old man was intimidating, nonetheless. Carden shifted his weight on his feet; the slightest movement, but one that spoke volumes. He was uneasy around Cap, but he respected him as well.
“We might be headed that way,” Cap gruffed. “Where might you be headed?”
“The Southern Isle, sir,” Carden responded respectfully. Thank goodness, he was polite. He’d spoken with King Yurak like he was his equal, but standing in front of Cap, he wisely lowered his station.
“Any place in particular?”
“No sir.”
Cap nodded knowingly. He shot me a look that said he was concerned why the boy was running, and I silently told him with a nod of my head that I’d explain everything later. He didn’t push Carden on the issue, but instead told him, “It’ll cost ya.”
“I have no more coin to offer, but I’m strong and I can work, sir. If you take me across, I’ll do anything you ask.”
“As a favor to Raya, I’ll take you on as a temporary crewman,” Cap conceded. “Be here at dawn the morning after the Ball.”
Carden relaxed his shoulders and shook Cap’s hand, thanking him. I thanked him, too. Cap hugged me again and whispered, “Come back when you can talk. I have questions about this one. He’s strange.”
I nodded as I pulled away. Tross was perched on the railing, anxiously pacing and chirping. Cap laughed and pulled something out of his pocket, tossing it into the air. Tross caught it in his mouth and gulped it down. “Smoked fish,” Cap explained with a wink.
That was why Tross’s breath smelled horrible. “Alright, we’ll let you get back to it, Cap. Let’s continue our walk, shall we, Carden?”
He gave a dramatic bow. “After you, my lady.”
Chapter twenty-seven
TREVOR
Over the course of the past week, I saw Raya with Carden on several occasions. It seemed the two were becoming fast friends, and I didn’t know why, but the thought didn’t sit well with me. Maybe it was because I knew Carden. He had a well-known reputation for being a scoundrel when it came to women, and I didn’t want Raya to get caught up in whatever game he was playing.
It had to be a game. Carden never spent more than a single night with one of his conquests. But game or not, it killed me to see them spending time together. He sat on the shore with her and had picnics. They walked through the booths at market. They even sat in church together.
She made it clear that she wanted to put distance between us,
and that was exactly what she was doing. That distance’s name just happened to be ‘Prince Carden’. Every time I saw his sly grin, I wanted to knock it off his face. The only thing stopping me was the fact he insisted he was leaving on a ship at dawn the morning after the Ball. Plus, Raya was already angry enough without me giving her another reason to want to claw my face off.
Though tomorrow might be another story. Tomorrow, Cap would return from Aelawyn, and Asher and Ella Smith would be with him.
I walked to the tower to check on its progress. The workers were forced to pause yesterday because of a brisk storm that blew in from the sea, but this morning they were back at work. The new roof was finished, and there was a new door on the hinges fitted with an ornate, brass lock.
“Good morning, Sire,” the foreman called out as I approached.
“You’re doing a fine job,” I allowed, slapping him on the shoulder. We shook hands and he excitedly explained what they’d finished, and what work they still had to do.
“Would you like to see the new floors and stairs?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” I answered.
The foreman pushed open the new door to reveal freshly placed stone on the ground level, with new wooden stairs that swirled upward and around the tower structure. The smell of freshly cut wood mixed with the salty scent of the ocean as we climbed. Like Raya’s tower in the middle of the sea, this one had a hatch. He pushed it open and we emerged into a large, circular living space.
Amazed at the size, I exclaimed, “The room is much larger than I thought it would be.”
The man chuckled. “The eye can fool you sometimes.” He stomped his boots on the new flooring. “She’s solid as a rock.”
“And you can make furniture like we discussed?”
“Aye, we can. We’ll start on that as soon as we finish the interior.”
“Thank you, and please thank your men for all their hard work.”
He waved off the compliment. “We appreciate the chance, Sire. There are plenty of good woodworkers in the village, and we are honored to be picked from among them for this special project. Princess Raya loves it so far.”
“She’s been here?” I asked.
“Aye, she comes every day to see the new progress. Yesterday, she just sat in the windowsill and looked out at the ocean for hours while we worked on the stone below.” The foreman tugged at his collar. “Is that okay, Sire?”
“Yes, of course,” I answered, waving off his concern. “This tower is hers. Tell me, is she alone when she comes?”
He laughed. “Tross comes with her most days.”
“No one else?”
“No, Sire. Should I let you know if anyone else comes around?” His brows pinched together in concern, but I only felt relief. She hadn’t brought Carden here. Not while the workers labored, anyway. Maybe they weren’t as close as I thought.
I let out a slow breath. “No need. Well, I should let you get back to it.” I followed him outside and bid the workmen farewell again, thanking them for all they were doing to fix up the tower for Raya.
The entire walk back to the castle, I felt better about things between Raya and Carden. Surely, I had just been overreacting. I was worried for nothing. In all honesty, I admitted to myself I was jealous, though I knew it was silly. I was just upset that he got to spend time and get to know Raya, when she all but shoved me out of her life in an instant.
Regardless of what Father said, I could never abandon her. That had been done to her before. Even though her mother’s intentions were to keep her safe, she left her alone. I vowed I wouldn’t do that to her.
Discretion was key. It wasn’t that we couldn’t be friends, we just couldn’t let people see how close we were and get the wrong impression. That didn’t mean we had to cut each other out entirely.
I needed to apologize. That night after dinner, emotions were running high. They got the best of both of us. But now the dust had settled. I wanted to tell her we could put this behind us and work everything out.
Two guards opened the castle doors as I strode toward them. Father was at the bottom of the grand staircase, flanked by three newcomers; two striking women and one finely dressed man. One of the women was Father’s age, and the other was a few years younger than me. They wore expensive gowns, and the gentleman with them wore a golden suit to match. Their hair was pale like Raya’s. Father waved me forward.
“You’re just in time, Trevor.” Turning to look at his guests, he added, “Allow me to introduce you to my son and heir.” The women assessed me as I crossed the room with matching calculating expressions, one perfect eyebrow on each of their faces bent to the heavens.
“Trevor, I present Prince Vincent of Waverly, his wife Emily, and their daughter Lady Mina.”
I’d met Prince Vincent’s brother Orad while in Aelawyn. He now ruled the kingdom, and I believed Vincent was fifth in line for the throne. He and Emily were very kind, thanking my father for extending an invitation to them for the Ball. Emily told me how happy they had been to hear that I survived the shipwreck.
“This is our daughter, Mina,” Prince Vincent intoned. I took her proffered hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. She beamed at the gesture.
“Trevor,” Father drawled, “won’t you show Mina around the castle and grounds to help her get acquainted?”
“Of course, Father.”
I took a deep breath and offered Mina my arm, which she quickly curled her fingers around, glancing up at me demurely. It was all for show. I could tell there was nothing about this young woman that was shy. No, Mina was much like Carden; calculating and deliberate in everything she did. From the way her fair hair hung in perfectly coiffed ringlets, to the way the intricate beading on her dress accentuated her shape, and the way she glided instead of stepped. Every look, every motion was purposeful.
She wove a lovely web and expected me to get stuck in it.
I’ll admit, Mina was lovely. Not nearly as lovely as Raya, but beautiful nonetheless. But her beauty didn’t matter. Nothing about her made me feel anything. I didn’t want to get to know her. I didn’t want to spend time waltzing her around the grounds while she held my arm. I didn’t care about her past and couldn’t see myself in her future. I knew from the moment I saw her, she was not the one for me.
She wanted to see the castle, but quickly grew bored with the scene. “It looks much like ours. I suppose most castles are rather similar in design.” She examined everything we passed from floor to ceiling, every piece of furniture, every painting and tapestry, every vase and even the flowers inside. It was as if she was taking inventory, or maybe just comparing our way of living with her own.
“Do you have any siblings?” she asked as we exited into the back garden.
“I’m an only child,” I answered. She pursed her lips together and didn’t comment further.
“And you?”
“I am the eldest of four daughters.” As we walked along the paths, she let the fingertips of her free hand trail over the trimmed hedges. The privets formed a small maze, which we took our time strolling through. Mina was in no hurry to go back inside.
“I hear you found the Paruthan Princess,” she ventured.
I laughed. “Truthfully, she found me. I literally washed up on her beach, unconscious and waterlogged. She saved my life.”
“That’s nice,” Mina remarked shortly, as if she didn’t really mean it. “I’d like to go see the village now.”
As we walked, Mina fed me trivial details about her life. I listened and tried to be polite, acknowledging everything she claimed with small murmurs. It wasn’t market day, so I didn’t count on seeing Raya and Carden in the village, but we bumped into them all the same.
Mina quickly assessed Prince Carden after I introduced him, and before I could introduce Raya, she blurted, “My understanding was that you were banished from Tierney.”
“What you think I’m doing here?” he volleyed.
She arrogantly shrugged her shoulder. “I s
uppose you had to go somewhere. Thank goodness for the kindness of people like Prince Trevor and his father.” Then she turned to Raya. “And you are?”
Raya opened her mouth to answer when I interrupted. “This is Princess Raya of Paruth.”
Mina’s posture stiffened, followed by a half-hearted curtsy. “A pleasure to meet you, Princess. Trevor told me how you saved his life. How very heroic.”
“It was nothing,” Raya answered modestly. “I’m sure you would have done the same.” Raya’s fingers dug into the fabric of her dress, obviously uncomfortable.
“I wasn’t aware that Paruthan women, especially royalty, dressed so commonly,” Mina criticized airily as she scrutinized Raya’s attire. There was nothing wrong with Raya’s dress. It was a simple day dress, but the quality of the emerald silk shone in the sun.
“It’s very comfortable,” Raya asserted.
Mina’s nose wrinkled as she slid her free hand down her skirt, smoothing the fine fabric. “I think Prince Trevor prefers that the women he courts dress as his match. Of course, he isn’t interested in you, so it wouldn’t matter.” Her hand tightened on my arm possessively. “Isn’t that right?” she purred as she looked up at me.
“A woman’s form is beautiful, no matter what covers it,” I answered graciously.
Raya’s teeth raked over her bottom lip, but Mina ignored my statement. She clearly didn’t see Raya as a threat.
Carden grinned. “How long have you been in Galder, Lady Mina?”
“We arrived this morning,” she answered haughtily.
“How quickly you’ve learned all you need to about everyone in Galder,” he challenged.
I thought his jibe might jostle her, but she rose to meet it. “I’m a very quick study.” She turned to me. “The sun is powerful this far south, and I’m afraid I’m feeling faint. Would you care if we turned back? I’d like to get settled before the evening meal.”
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