Chapter 20:

  The deck of the ship was quiet. Only the occasional whisper broke the calm of the waves. The wind had died almost completely, and the waves were gentle. The clouds had broken from the night before, and the moon was full. Ael took a moment to just exist, to listen and feel. She walked to the mast, touching the weathered oak with a soft smile.

  “Starting a new voyage on the full moon,” she whispered to the mast. “Tell me, old friend, is it good luck like they say?” She received no answer, but then she hadn’t expected it. “But now I have to deal with royals and expectations and politics. Wish me luck.” The wind picked up just slightly. “Thanks.” She patted the mast gently, and then headed toward the crew cabins.

  It was quieter below, the sound of the ocean muted by the thick wood. She knocked on the first door. Prince Basiano cracked open the door. Her desire to berate him for the secrets they had kept evaporated when she saw the worry lines on his face. He looked older now, after just a day of worry and grief.

  “Is she well?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Your sister woke up briefly.” She stressed the word. A pyful smile snuck onto his face before he schooled it. It was an expression Ael had seen on the princess. She could not believe she had not made the connection earlier.

  “I am truly relieved to hear it.” He opened the door a little more and stepped into the hallway with her. She caught a glimpse of the interior of the cabin. The boys were both asleep, curled in the same bed together, their bnkets kicked onto the floor. “Will she be spending the rest of the night in your chambers?” There was a slight teasing lilt in his tone. Before, she may not have noticed.

  “That’s…” she felt heat crawl up her neck to her face. He was not going to make it easy on her. “I came to ask…. So much.” He chuckled dryly, and began adjusting the buttons on his red tunic.

  “I won’t tell you any of her story; that’s her right and her life.” He stopped to adjust a ring. She had never noticed it before, but it was surprisingly delicate and did not seem like his style at all. A small red gem sat in the middle.

  “I’m not… I wouldn’t ask about that.” She drew her mouth into a tight line and swallowed her pride. “I made an assumption… and … perhaps if we had talked, things would be different.”

  “Not all things,” he admitted. “She’d never have revealed her birth lineage if the attacks hadn’t been imminent. Though she had pnned to tell you, the night she fell asleep in your cabin. She did not want to keep such an important part of who she is from you.”

  Ael had to look away at that. She focused on the wood floor. There was a streak of blood not five feet from where they stood, stained forever into the wood. She wondered if it was from her people or the attackers… or if that even mattered.

  “Is… is it your culture to ask your matriarch, your mother, for permission to court?” She made herself look up. She was not a love sick adolescent! She could articute her feelings. She expected mockery on the prince’s face, but instead met a strangely tender expression.

  “No, in ours you ask the eldest in the house, regardless of gender. Normally that would be my father, but he is not here…” his mouth twisted in distaste. Ael recalled the story of the princess that had searched for love. The ck of fatherly affection was apparently another thread of truth.

  “With your father and mother not being here, Prince Basiano D’Igna, I humbly request the right to court Princess Nereida.” She bowed low. She hated bowing like this, but she would do things properly for Nereida’s sake. “If necessary, I will recite my line to you.” He put his hand on her shoulder, so she stood up straight.

  “For official purposes, I grant your request; draw me up a parchment tomorrow and I will sign it.” His grin returned. “For non-official purposes, please know she’d have hated that you did that.” He shrugged. “Father harped on traditions, on family before all, and then denied her the chance to have a family. Her return is going to cause waves.” She snorted at the pun.

  “Oh I cannot wait to see that.” She grinned at him, feeling kinship with the royal for a moment.

  “Oh if you walk off the ship with her, it will be worth nearly my whole inheritance to see the look on father’s face.” His mirth faded and he looked down at her with something that might have been worry. His left hand pulled at a loose thread on his shirt. “You are swimming with sharks if you do this.”

  “She’s worth it.” There was no question any more. “If she’ll have me.”

  The prince reached into a pouch attached to his waist.

  Out of the soft leather pouch came a thin piece of gold and ruby jewelry.

  “This is Nereida’s,” he said sombrely. “It contains the power of her gmour, so that she can wear a more human guise. While I am always happy to see her true self, it may be a bridge too far for many of your crew, and if we make port she must be hidden.”

  “If I give her a bracelet, that, ah, um… that would be me offering my hand in marriage,” she protested. She wanted to sink into the floor.

  “You aren’t giving it to her, you are returning it: and it goes on her ankle.” She grumbled about “pedantic princes,” but took the piece of jewelry. If she put it on the table and just told Nereida it was there, that wouldn’t count.

  “You should tell her,” the prince spoke up as she readied herself to leave.

  “What?”

  “That bracelets are a sign of a proposal. In our culture, adolescents exchange them as expressions of interest, because rings and neckces are the “adult” offerings of proposal and acceptance.” She nodded vigorously, wanting to avoid that pitfall.

  “Anything else I should avoid.”

  “Purple underwear.” He began to expin but then cracked a smile. She nearly threw her hat at him. She only restrained herself because she did not want to rumple the feathers. “Perhaps you could ask her. You aren’t courting me; I have enough wives as it is.” She opened her mouth and then quickly shut it. She did not want to know. Well, she did, but she didn’t want to ask. She took her hat off and gave him a slight nod.

  “Good night, sire.”

  The scowl on his face was the perfect reward.

  “I told you, it’s Basiano.” She chuckled and turned to leave, content that she had won their little spar. “Or big brother, if you must use a title.” She nearly tripped over her own two feet. She heard his rumbling chuckle follow her up the stairs. So much for winning.

  Her face was hot with embarrassment and frustration. She walked to the railing to look out over the sea. The moon’s light was bright, and her reflection danced on the still sea. Tonight was a night where the moon and sea could be together. It was beautiful. She stared out for a long time, until she heard deer approaching behind her.

  “Is everything okay?” Evander stepped up beside her.

  “Is the princess…?” There was honest worry in his tone. She turned toward him. The cut down his face went from just below his eye, diagonally down his cheek to his chin. Despite Dymion’s decent hand at healing, it would scar.

  “She woke up for a bit. She’s back asleep now. I needed… I needed air.” She smiled faintly. “I suppose you are here to tell me to get some sleep?” He made a sour face.

  “That, sir, and that I’m gonna bunk with Dymion. He’s pushed to his limits and needs me.” He looked a little guilty at the words. She ughed.

  “I wouldn’t dream of keeping you from him after all this. Go, and I’ll see you in the morning. The night crew is settled and I know when I’m not needed.”

  She watched him descend below to the crew quarters before she headed to her own. The vender smell was fainter now, the candles extinguished. Exhaustion warred heavily with a desire to sit and hold Nereida’s hand. Eventually, she kicked off boots, hung up her hat and changed into night clothing. She took time to hang her uniform pieces so they would not wrinkle.

  Ael started toward her bed when she betedly recalled it was occupied by a sleeping, injured woman. She took a moment to check in on Nereida. She was breathing slow and steady, no traces of pain in her sleep. Carefully, Ael took one of her pillows from off the bed. There were several rge downy pillows. She allowed herself the vice of enjoying a comfortable bed. Evander’s bed would be much less comfortable than what she was used to, but she was not about to kick Nereida out of the bed, and climbing into bed with a woman she had kissed just an hour ago seemed far too intimate. Her cheeks heated at the idea, and she fled to the other bed, pulling the covers over her head and closing her eyes tightly. Sleep was a long time coming, as she repyed their kiss over and over in her mind.

  When sunlight filtered down onto her face, the Admiral groaned. Her back ached and her eyes were crusty with sleep that had not been the least bit restful. She y still, hoping to find more rest, but then realized she could not hear snoring. She slowly sat up, her joints protesting with cracks and pops. The air was heavy. There would be rain today.

  “Ael?” Nereida’s tone was tentative. Throwing her bnkets carelessly to the floor, Ael rushed to check on the injured woman.

  Nereida was looking down at her cws, a forlorn expression on her face.

  “I’m sorry you found out that way.” Her voice was soft. “The boys and I, we can leave at the next port.” Her lower lip trembled. Ael pced her hand gently on the woman’s cheek. Nereida leaned into the touch, her breath hitching as she fought tears.

  “You don’t have to go anywhere,” Ael whispered. “And any crew members that have an issue will be left at port. I was startled but… by dragon's breath you are beautiful Nereida. And fierce and…” she realized she was rambling, snapping her mouth shut before she could embarrass herself further. Nereida leaned into her, and Ael felt the embarrassment melt away.

  Nereida shifted slightly, slipping her hand on to Ael’s knee. It was a gentle touch, almost innocent.

  “Ael…” the way the siren said her name sent shivers down her back. “My hair is a disaster. Would you… could you braid it?” Ael felt a rush of warmth across her body. This woman would be her undoing. She took a long moment to breathe.

  “That’s… if we are in a retionship, that’s asking me to share your bed, or, ah, implying it.” Her face burned red, and she had to focus on counting the bnket stitches around the end of the bnket draped over Nereida. She could feel her hands shaking, and the idea of Nereida’s hair spread across the pillow made her weak in the knees.

  The siren was silent, as she looked at Ael, as if she were trying to decide something.

  “I’m not ready for that,” Nereida admitted softly. “And given how red you are, you aren’t either.” Ael swallowed, trying to reign in her traitorous heart and mind that kept sending her visions of the lovely siren with hair unbound.

  “No,” she agreed softly. “This is new water for me.”

  “Being with a woman?”

  “Being with… anyone.” She flushed at the admission. “Being a captain and then an admiral never left me time to… to look. To try. I never saw anyone on the crew like that and, well I usually avoid other people.” She felt heat rise in her cheeks as she rambled. Nereida slipped her hand into Ael’s.

  “Would you like to try with me?” Her expression was soft, dreamy, and inviting.

  “Yes.” The word burst out of her and she gave a nervous little chuckle. “I mean, I did ask your brother for permission to court you.”

  There was a beat of silence as Nereida parsed her words, before the siren began to ugh softly. Her ugh was almost musical. The way her lips moved as she ughed made Ael long to kiss her again.

  “Oh please tell me you don’t pn to “properly” court me. Just hold hands, be constantly chaperoned, never be allowed to kiss or touch anything but hands until our wedding night? Please, please tell me you don’t want that!”

  Ael stared in horror at the princess. How could anyone find love like that? She considered denying it, but decided actions worked better than words. She leaned toward Nereida, and when the other woman leaned in as well, she kissed her. Unlike the night before, she parted her lips, moved with Nereida instead against her. When she parted her lips, Nereida captured Ael’s bottom lip with hers, earning a soft moan. Ael pulled Nereida into an embrace, rubbing her hand down the other woman’s back, quite unsure of what to do with her hands. Nereida’s kisses continued, trailing her jawline and stopping at her ear.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” she whispered, her voice sending shivers through Ael’s very being. The fine hairs on her arms and neck stood up. Emboldened by Nereida’s actions, she leaned in to pce gentle kisses on the princess’s neck. Nereida leaned into her. She could feel the curves of the other woman through her clothing. She wanted to run her hands over everything, discover it all.

  “I want more of you,” she whispered to Nereida. The princess moaned softly, something that sounded like “please.” Ael had to steady herself. She took a breath, and then two, before she pulled away. The realization of what she had said crashed into her. It was not time, they shouldn’t, they couldn’t. “Soon.” It was painful to withdraw but Nereida had been clear. “Let your shoulder heal, and let’s learn about each other before we learn about each other.” Frustration fshed across Nereida’s face, but the princess took a few of her own steadying breaths.

  “You’re right,” she grumbled unhappily. She reached out and took Ael’s hand, squeezing it gently. “I can wait.”