“No. Thank you. We do not have sufficient supplies…”
Master Chandler sighed. “A pity. But if you would care to give evidence…”
There was a long silence. Imena, watching closely, did not see Captain Litvinova’s expression change at all, but her hands tightened their grip on the arms of her chair. After nearly a minute had passed, she said, “I fear I cannot. I hired their captain, though I did not know enough of him. I regret it now. But they were under my command, regardless. I cannot speak against them, and I haven’t the knowledge of their activities to speak for them, either.”
It clearly wasn’t the answer the port master had hoped for, but it was an answer Imena could respect. It might be possible to obtain a few truthful answers from the pirate, after all. First, she would confirm the information she’d received from Annja and Suzela.
Maxime suggested they take a walk along the docks before Imena spoke to Captain Litvinova. It would be best, he thought, if the conversation took place on Seaflower. Imena had the power there, and Litvinova would know it. “And,” he added, “it will shock her when your concubine speaks.”
Imena changed direction, so they were walking toward Seaflower instead of back to Master Chandler’s office. “Tell me what you plan to say to her. You’re sure she isn’t involved in the plot against you?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure what I plan to say,” Maxime said. “It will depend on her, somewhat. What she says and how she holds herself.”
“You won’t offer her any kind of ducal pardon.”
“No,” he said. “Members of your crew died.”
She looked away, out to sea, and walked a little faster.
He lengthened his stride to catch up. “I try to imagine how that feels for you, and can only think of when I’ve sent out a courier and the courier never returns. My couriers aren’t as close to me as your crew is to you, far from it. But I think I have an inkling of what it means to lose someone whom you’ve vowed to protect.”
“Just tell me what you want from her, Maxime.” Imena stopped abruptly and turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest. Maxime recognized the posture and the tone of her voice. She was annoyed. “Now is not the time for us to discuss…the other thing.”
She was worse at discussing her feelings than many men he’d known. Maxime mentally rolled his eyes and said, “I thought I might see if she was willing to visit the islanders.”
“I won’t give her my charts,” Imena said. “Would you give away a safe harbor to a known pirate?”
“She might be trustworthy if she’s paid enough,” Maxime said. “Assuming Diamanta truly did hire her, then I would wager she has some honor. Diamanta has a difficult personality, but she’s one of the shrewdest people I know, particularly where business is concerned. She wouldn’t waste her money on someone who would cheat her.”
“No, only on someone who would hire a spitting madman.”
Maxime chuckled. Imena threw up her hands. “All right,” she said. “You’re a shrewd man, yourself. I concede that you might have a good idea.”
“Thank you,” he said, absurdly pleased.
“Besides that, you pay me.”
“Not enough, I suspect.” He leaned forward; she didn’t draw back. He kissed her lightly, not touching her except with his lips. “I concede that giving Litvinova the location of that safe harbor might not be the best idea. Perhaps Chetri could take on that task.”
“That’s a better idea,” Imena said. “And Litvinova?”
“My other idea, if she seems canny enough, is to employ her temporarily. It bothers me a great deal that we know so little about the northern lands. Unless the Horizon Empire regularly sends envoys?”
Imena shook her head. “They don’t. The northern barbarians aren’t rich enough to make good vassals, and their climate is horrific.”
“So you wouldn’t be interested in visiting there, yourself.”
“Not in the wintertime, that’s for sure,” she said. She began walking again.
Maxime caught her hand in his. “We work well together,” he said with satisfaction.
“So long as you do as I tell you,” she said, but she didn’t let go of his hand, and she smiled at him sidelong.
Imena had chairs brought to the rear deck and shaded with an awning for their discussion with Captain Litvinova. Chetri would command the crew while Nabhi stood guard over their visitor. Maxime stood behind Imena’s chair. Imena instructed Suzela and Annja to remain below throughout the meeting.
Captain Litvinova again had only a single sailor to row her over from her ship. Roxanne tossed down a ladder and then escorted her over to Imena.
Litvinova bowed low. She was not wearing a cutlass. Imena wasn’t sure if that was a sign of goodwill or if she merely wished to avoid handing it over.
Imena said, “Sit, please.”
Litvinova gave Nabhi a glance before sitting, probably remembering her savagery in battle. Nabhi bared her teeth.
“I’ll talk, you’ll listen,” Imena said. Litvinova nodded, her face impassive. Imena continued, “I killed Venom. If you cross me, I will kill you.”
“Fair enough.”
“I need to know who hired you.”
“Lady Diamanta Picot.”
“For what purpose?”
“I was to find the source of a certain balsam, learn all I could of how it could be purchased and shipped, and report back.”
Imena swiftly confirmed the remaining details and at last said, “Why did you allow Diamanta to hire you?”
Litvinova cocked her head to one side. “I needed the money. My crew depend on me to provide for them. None of them have homes to which they can return, and our navy does not accept women as sailors, more fools them.”
“Why did you hire Captain Cassidy?”
Litvinova glanced at Nabhi again. “I was told you were dangerous. That you’d killed dozens of pirates before you reached the age of twenty-five. That you’d betrayed your own lover after serving on his ship, and he was beheaded. It seemed only prudent to find additional support.”
“Those things are true,” Imena said.
Litvinova waited a moment, then said, “I wish now I’d chosen someone other than Captain Cassidy. He was the most violent man I ever had the misfortune to meet. I’m pleased you killed him, and I owe you my thanks.”
“Instead of your thanks, I would like his ship,” Imena said.
“I have no rights to it. I think it’s fair salvage.”
“And his crew? Should any of them be remanded into your custody?”
“My custody?”
“Yes.” Imena had decided, at some point during the past few minutes, that Litvinova should go free. She possessed some honor and, if she had honest employment, she would likely behave honestly. “Venom’s crew?”
Litvinova shook her head. “Only if the two concubines were among them. Annja and Suzela. I had hoped they fled to you and not to Cassidy, but—”
“They fled to me,” Imena said. “Maxime?”
And then Maxime took over. Imena blinked as he proceeded, swiftly and almost undetectably, to first convince Captain Litvinova that he was in fact a duke, then to make her loyal to him, or at least to the duchies. Starting with her crew and the problems of keeping them employed and fed, moving on to the reasons this was so difficult in the northern lands, he then subtly led her to realize the duchies, in particular his, might be a better refuge.
Imena had known, she thought, how good Maxime was at talking people into doing things. He was a duke, after all, and before that he’d been a protectorate lord, a position which required even more diplomacy. She’d thought she’d known all his different techniques: simple authority, quiet sympathetic listening followed by a predatory pounce, relentless logic and smiling charm. This was something else entirely, a seamless aggregation of all those methods. Without apparent effort, he was extracting every pin’s worth of the pirate’s personal feelings and opinions. From there, he was no
doubt forming an array of plans for how to bend her to his will, now and in the future.
Imena remembered her initial, drunken interview with him and winced. Except, after the formal interview, they’d both been drunk. That wasn’t logical. He’d gotten drunk with her, something she had never experienced again.
It was amusing that she could cling to the fact that they’d gotten rolling, jelly-brained drunk together, as a sign that he really did care for her.
In the end, Litvinova agreed to sail to the duchy, where Maxime would find her employment. As an added incentive for good behavior, Venom’s ship would accompany her, commanded by Chetri. Litvinova’s contract with Diamanta was at an end. They would discuss terms for a new contract with—Imena admired this touch—his aunt Gisele. Litvinova agreed to all of it.
All that remained for Imena was to inform Chetri of his good fortune.
The evening included an endless obligatory formal dinner with Master Chandler and various other worthies of the port. Late that night, back on Seaflower at last, she lay half asleep while Maxime massaged her feet. “Are you attempting to bribe me?” she slurred.
“You aren’t susceptible to bribes,” he said. “Unless there is some bribe of which I am unaware that would tempt you?”
“You already did that thing,” she said, smiling dreamily. “I will look favorably upon your advances tomorrow, though.”
“And when we return to the duchies?” His tone was idle.
She said, “I don’t know yet.”
Imena spent the next morning closeted with Chetri in his cabin, then later with both Chetri and Roxanne, discussing how their duties would alter. Roxanne would be promoted to first mate. She and Imena would hire the new second mate together. In the meantime, Nabhi, the armsmaster, would take on that role. Nabhi’s master’s mate, Kuan, would go with Chetri to be trained as his first mate. Annja and Suzela would also accompany him, Suzela as cook and Annja for Kuan to train as armsmaster. Also, Suzela had insisted she be allowed to take the cat.
Maxime spent most of the morning in Imena’s cabin, writing to his aunt Gisele. Imena stopped in periodically to read over his report and offer additional details, or suggest avenues for obtaining further information on the pirates. As they ate a midday meal together, she said, “I suppose I could write to my mother. She might have reports from any naval expeditions that have ventured farther north.”
Maxime beamed. “You would do that for me? Petition an admiral of the Horizon Empire’s fleet for aid?”
“She’s my mother.” Imena set down her cup, struck. Her mother was an admiral of the fleet, but she didn’t command Imena. She couldn’t force Imena to marry. She couldn’t choose Imena’s husband unless Imena allowed her to do so. Her mother was not the empress. Imena was a competent adult who could make her own decisions.
It was much easier to remember that fact when she was far away from her parents.
She added, “It might not be necessary to bring her into it. First, I’ll send letters to some of my old mates from Sea Tiger.”
They remained in port for over a week, resupplying and performing maintenance that was easier in a shipyard than careened on an island. Imena gave her crew shore leave, as well.
Chetri reminded her he was supposed to give up his shore leave this trip. He didn’t seem disappointed to instead spend the time aboard his new ship, which he had named Highest Mountain. He would need to remain in port for at least a week beyond Imena’s departure. He’d already had some success in hiring additional crew, and in giving the ship itself a thorough going-over. He also planned to have his new crew run sail drills together.
Imena hadn’t realized his happiness would make her so painfully happy, as well. Chetri was no child, in fact he was older than she was, but she still felt responsible for launching him into freedom.
When it was time for Seaflower to depart, Imena wasn’t sure she could say goodbye to him. Chetri stood before her, gleaming with silver jewelry on his ears and brow as well as around his wrists and neck. He wore his best silks, the ones adorned with silver embroidery he’d purchased for Maxime’s accession ceremony. And he looked about to weep.
“Don’t be foolish,” Imena said, though he hadn’t spoken. “You’ve been able to command a ship on your own for decades.”
Chetri smiled even as a tear found its way down his cheek. “It’s not that. It’s the honor you’ve done me, Imena.”
She shifted uneasily. “Someone has to take Highest Mountain in. I trust you to do it, that’s all.” When he didn’t reply, she added, “You’re not obligated to work for Maxime, you know. You could make a few voyages on your own if you like. I know there are places you’d like to see, or revisit.”
Chetri nodded. “Aye, Captain.” He sniffed, then clapped her shoulder hard enough to hurt. “Enough of all this sentiment. I’ll meet you in the duchy, hopefully only a few days behind you.”
“Take care of my crew,” Imena said. “I’ll be wanting them returned to me, except for Kuan, since I can’t leave you without a mate. You’ll have to spend your own time recruiting more.”
“I recruited at least six of them myself,” he mock protested. “Not counting Suzela and Annja.”
Imena grinned. “Then you should have found your own ship before now. Fair sailing, Captain.” She gave in to impulse and hugged him before kissing his forehead.
“And to you.”
Home at last. It felt as if years had gone by. The weather had changed while he’d been gone. He felt auguries of autumn in the breeze.
The pier heaved beneath Maxime’s feet. He grabbed Imena’s arm for balance, hoping he hadn’t drawn any extra attention to them.
He felt strange, a different person than before.
“Careful,” Imena said as she steadied him. She hadn’t shaved her head as she usually did for dockside visits, and had shielded her features with a broad-brimmed hat nearly identical to the one she’d crammed on Maxime’s head. They both wore long, loose coats that didn’t seem out of place because of the brisk seaside breeze. He’d gone along with the rudimentary disguises. There was no sense in taking unnecessary risks, even though he was home.
He said, “We’d better get started.”
Imena shook her head. “I’ll get us a cart. You don’t want to climb the whole way, do you?”
No, he didn’t. He’d done it before, but it was an arduous climb, and he didn’t want to arrive at his castle puffing and red-faced and undignified.
While Imena went in search of transport, he wandered a little, breathed in the scents of home and swallowed down unexpected emotion. He could see his castle, its green-and-white stripes clean and bright against the vivid blue sky. Down here in the port, the duchy’s citizens hurried past, carrying bundles or babies, leading animals, talking and laughing, completely unaware of him as he loitered along the dock. Competing scents of salt and fish and cooking food assaulted him with a hunger that lived in his heart, not his belly. He would have stopped to buy fried dough, but he didn’t have any money, so he stopped near a stand instead and deeply inhaled the sugary perfume.
“I told you to wait over there,” Imena said with mock irritation, appearing in front of him. “I’ve found us a pony cab.”
At the castle, Maxime had the driver bring them to a side entrance. The guard recognized both him and Imena, and bowed deeply as she held the door open for them.
Though the ground had stopped shifting beneath him, the marble floor felt much different than usual to his bare feet, smooth and cool and luxurious. Imena chuckled.
“What’s funny?”
“The guard. You might as well have put on a coronet and had someone blow a trumpet,” she commented, following him to Gisele’s office.
Business had to wait while Maxime allowed his aunt to hug him, kiss him, exclaim over him and hug him again. At last Gisele pushed him away, only to hug a startled Imena.
Maxime fell into his favorite armchair, suddenly exhausted. He hadn’t slept much the previous nig
ht, while he thought about Imena and how he might convince her to marry him, once and for all. She was close to accepting him. She’d said so herself. But there were outside obstacles in the way. He could do something about that. He would go to the king. He’d even go to her parents if nothing else worked. He’d marshal his arguments first, and—
“Maxime!” Gisele said. He became aware she’d said his name more than once. “Out of that chair. You have to get a bath and get dressed.”
“I am dressed,” he said. “I’d really like a bath and a nap, though. Imena, would you be interested in a bath and a nap?”
“You weren’t listening,” Imena said. “Your king is here. In your castle. Today.”
It took a moment for her words to make sense. “Bloody dripping weaselshit!”
The door swung open and a slender figure stepped in. “Oh, is that how you think of me?” Julien asked. He wore riding leathers and boots, and looked distinctly dusty, except on the lenses of his spectacles.
When in doubt, bow. “Your Majesty,” Maxime said.
Julien waved a hand. “Never mind all that. Maxime, why didn’t you tell me someone was trying to kill you?”
“I was wrapped in a carpet, Your Majesty.”
“And you must be Captain Leung.”
Imena nodded. Maxime was startled at her informality before remembering she wasn’t actually a citizen of the duchies. She said, “Time was of the essence.”
The door opened again and Sylvie slipped into the room, also clad in riding gear, a pistol at each hip. “So,” she said, “you were not killed by pirates, after all.”
Maxime crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. “Enough. Your Majesty, may we reconvene in an hour, perhaps in my library?”
“Two hours would be preferable. I think we’d all appreciate a chance to clean up,” Julien said. “I, for example, am going to take advantage of your fine hot springs. Sylvie, you’ll accompany me.”
The Duke & the Pirate Queen Page 26