“On the orders of the Empress, we are transporting the King and Queen of Ithicana to Nerastis,” she said, her voice carrying over the ship. “They are to be accorded every respect. If I hear otherwise, the individual will answer to me, and ultimately, to the Empress herself. Now carry on.”
“So much for avoiding detection,” Jor muttered from where he stood at Lara’s left. “Whole damn city is going to know that we were here and where we are headed.”
“That is her intent,” Lara murmured. “Serin anticipated we were coming to Valcotta, which means he knew what we were after. The city is crawling with his spies, which means word that the Empress declined to assist Ithicana will travel at pace with us back to Maridrina. Assuming Zarrah knows how to keep a secret, and I think she does, the Valcottan attack on Southwatch will come as a total surprise.”
Nothing more could be said, as Zarrah had made her way over to them. “If it pleases you, Your Grace, follow me. We’ll have dinner in the captain’s quarters.”
The room she took them to was large, with windows that overlooked the ship’s wake as they headed out to sea. The paneled walls were painted in bright hues, and elaborate glass sconces glowed with burning oil. Gesturing to the low table, which was laden with food, Zarrah said, “Please. Take a seat.”
Lara sat on one of the pillows, curling her heels under her as she took in the spread. Most of it was unfamiliar to her, but that was not what drove away her appetite. The ship was out of the harbor now, and the seas were far from smooth. A sour taste filled her mouth, and silently cursing the loss of her sea legs, Lara rose. “Please excuse me.”
“Lass isn’t good on the water,” she heard Jor say as the door shut behind her.
Dashing back the way they’d come, she barely managed to make it to the railing before her stomach contents came rushing up. The watching sailors laughed quietly.
“I thought you’d gotten over this.”
She lifted her head, seeing Aren had come to stand next to her at the rail. He handed her a cup full of water, then turned his attention to the waves, barely visible in the growing darkness of night. When she was through rinsing her mouth, he handed her a shiny candy. “It’s ginger.”
Slipping the candy into her mouth, Lara smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“There was a whole bowl of them on the table. I took them all.” Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a handful of the candies and tucked them into the pocket of her loose Valcottan trousers, his hand warm through the thin fabric covering her leg.
“You should go back,” she said, knowing that plans needed to be made and that it was just as well she wasn’t part of them.
“Soon enough. Zarrah won’t talk business until after dinner is done, and Jor has a healthy appetite.”
“That makes one of us.” She crunched the candy between her teeth, replacing it with another as she considered whether the ambient noise was loud enough to conceal their conversation. “How did you know Zarrah would help us?”
“I wasn’t certain until I realized that the Empress didn’t want the war with Maridrina to end, at least, not peaceably. Which was why she set a term she knew I’d never agree to.” He rested his elbows on the rail, then added, “Keris always spoke in riddles, but the longer I thought about the things he said, the clearer they became. What he wants is peace between Valcotta and Maridrina, and for that to be possible, Zarrah had to want the same. Ithicana is but a minor player in the game.”
She tilted her head to look up at him. “You’re quoting him?”
“More or less.”
“The heirs to the greatest enemies in the world are allies,” Lara mused. “I wonder how they met.”
“I’m sure it’s quite the story. And equally sure neither of them will tell us any of it.”
They stood together in silence, the last vestiges of the sun’s glow disappearing on the horizon, the cloudless sky above soon sparkling with stars. The wind grew cooler, and Lara shivered, her bare arms prickling with goose bumps. “How long will it take for us to get to Nerastis?”
“With these winds, three days. It’s a fast ship.”
Three days.
Her eyes burned, and knowing she needed to say it before she lost her nerve, Lara blurted out, “That’s when I’m going to leave you and Jor. I’ve done everything I can for you, and for me to go to Ithicana with you would be a mistake.”
He sighed. “I know.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to argue with her. Waiting for him to tell her that leaving would be a mistake. But he only pulled her into his arms and said, “I wish things could be different.”
Hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. “But they can’t.”
She felt him press his face against her hair. “I need you to know that I forgive you, Lara. That I—” He broke off, clearing his throat. “I should go back. They’ll be wondering where I am.”
She nodded, unable to speak. Unable to say a word as he let go of her and went back inside. But in her head, the same phrase repeated over and over again.
I love you.
44
Aren
Every day that passed made him one step closer to returning to Ithicana.
And one step closer to letting Lara go.
It was made easier in that he, Zarrah, and Jor closeted themselves away in the captain’s quarters discussing strategy, specifically how to take Southwatch with the least amount of Valcottan losses, while Lara chose to remain on deck in the fresh air.
But he knew her reasons had nothing to do with seasickness and everything to do with her distancing herself from him.
It hurt. Hurt so badly that there were moments he felt like he could hardly breathe knowing that it was a matter of hours until she’d walk away from him and that he’d likely never see her again.
And on top of that hurt was fear because Aren knew where she intended to go. Just as he knew that he had no power to stop her.
“So this is Nerastis.” Lara stood next to him at the rail, watching as the ship crept past the enormous city. “It looks pretty at night.”
“Don’t let all the lights fool you—it’s a shithole,” Zarrah answered. “Half of it is burned. Half of it is rubble. It’s full of filthy drinking establishments, louse-ridden brothels, and dens of disrepute that cater to every possible desire or addiction. The only individuals you’ll find within its wall are those being paid to fight over it and those who are too poor to leave.”
And yet we can’t stop fighting over it. Aren wondered if Lara heard Zarrah’s unspoken words as clearly as he did.
“We’ll get as close to the coast on the Maridrinian side as we can, and then I’ll row you to shore,” Zarrah said. “And then you’re on your own.”
The last was for the benefit of the sailors and soldiers around him, for the moment they parted ways was the moment things began.
“General,” the captain called softly, wary of Maridrinian patrols. “We’re lowering sails and readying the longboat. Are you still certain you wish to row them to shore yourself?”
“Quite.”