by L. Danvers
Daphne wondered if the stew had burned him, but minutes passed, and his wiggling didn’t stop. It grew more frantic with each passing moment.
His constant movement had attracted the attention of the brutes. One shouted, “What’s all that fidgeting over there?”
“Just have an itch,” Gregory shouted back.
“Stop moving!”
Gregory went still. Mostly still. His hands were still going at it. Daphne heard them patting the ground. She wanted to ask what he was doing, but she refrained, fearing she would attract too much attention.
His fumbling fingers were starting to irritate her.
The flames died down, and the shadows looked more like blobs. Gregory’s busy hands came to a stop. “Got it,” he whispered. “You will see your brother again, my princess. You have my word.”
Daphne rolled her eyes. Maybe the hunger really was getting to him.
The brutes’ snores soon roared like thunder from their tents. Gregory was fidgeting again, but this time Daphne could hear something scraping against the rope.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She had to know what he was thinking. “Would you care to tell me what you think you’re doing?”
“Showing you that you can take fate into your own hands,” he whispered back. “In this case, our fate happens to rest on a bone.”
“From the stew?”
“Mhmm.”
Her mouth curved into a smile. For the first time in what felt like forever, she had hope. And she had Gregory to thank for it.
“Clever,” she said.
She waited, listening to him scrape the bone against the rope’s fibers. Back and forth. Back and forth. It reminded her of the sawing of wood. She had seen men cut trees into neat piles plenty of times on the castle grounds. Of course, many people outside the castle itself were happy using branches and twigs, but her father wanted the logs in the hearth looking neat and orderly. It seemed like a waste of time to Daphne, but he told her that was how things were done and to stop worrying about silly things.
On and on Gregory cut away, and she could only imagine how cramped his fingers must feel being in such an awkward position behind him. She felt him start to tug. He gave a couple yanks, and the fibers of the rope ripped.
Daphne breathed easily again.
Gregory wriggled out from the rope around his chest and hunched down beside her. The storm in his eyes raged on as he worked to free her, and in that moment, she found herself swept away in them.
She knew he felt her gaze because he kept tearing his eyes away from the rope and looking back at her, stealing fleeting glances here and there.
She prayed he couldn’t read what she was thinking.
He told her to pull, and with some effort, her hands were freed. She rubbed her fingers along her red wrists.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded. He helped her slip out from the rope around her chest, and she tried to bury the sensation she got upon feeling his touch. He leaned past her and grabbed another bone from the ground and handed it to her. He jerked his head to the side, signaling that they should go free Lillian and Merek. He’d made cutting through the fibers look easy, but it was hard work. Back and forth. Back and forth. Finally, though, Daphne managed to cut Lillian loose. Thomas was the last one they rescued, and they were relieved to find him both alive and awake. He complained of his head throbbing, but that was to be expected. Gregory and Merek hugged him in that funny way boys did, slapping each other’s backs.
“First things first,” Thomas said after the pleasantries were over. “We need our weapons. They have a stockpile of stolen goods in there.” He motioned to the nearest tent and headed that way. The five of them fumbled through the darkness. They found themselves in a tent filled with treasures. It was lit with the soft glow of dying embers from outside. Daphne rummaged through piles of things until she found Light of Vengeance. It was strange to be so happy to see a sword. She fastened its accompanying belt and scabbard around her waist, wincing at the sound of the clinking of metal the others made as they searched through the loot for their belongings. She wished they’d try a little harder not to make so much noise.
Thomas huffed. “It has to be around here somewhere.”
“Here, let me help,” Lillian whispered back. She knelt and sifted through a pile of weaponry, and to his great relief, she found Thomas’s daggers within minutes. She had just handed them over to him when the flap door of the tent flung open.
The same brute with raven curls stomped toward them, and Daphne startled with each thump of his boots. “What do you think you’re doing in here?” Daphne couldn’t have answered him if she wanted to. Her throat felt constricted. It was tight, like every muscle in her body. “How did you escape?”
She reached for her sword, but she paused at the sound of Merek’s arrow whistling through the air. Blood dripped from the brute’s neck, and he collapsed, causing the whole tent to tremble. The stockpile of goods rattled, and, fearing another brute might have heard the clatter, the five of them stepped over the lifeless body and hurried outside. Gregory whispered for them to follow. They spotted the whites of four large eyes looking back at them.
“There are only four horses,” Thomas whispered. “Looks like the princess and Lillian will have to share.”
“Excuse me?” Daphne replied, folding her arms. Not that she minded sharing a horse with Lillian. She got pleasure out of teasing him. “We will do no such thing. Why should we be the ones to share? Just because we are girls?”
“Well,” Thomas said. “Yeah.”
“She’s right,” Gregory whispered. Daphne bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Thomas, you and Merek can share.”
“But—”
Gregory wasn’t listening. He helped Daphne on her horse and Lillian on hers. Daphne swore she saw him smiling at Thomas, who climbed on the back of his horse. His head hung in humiliation. Thomas offered his hand to Merek, who hopped on behind him. Merek looked awkward and unsure of where to put his hands. Eventually, though, he accepted there was nowhere to put them but around Thomas’s waist, and Daphne thought for a moment that Thomas was going to hurl.
The five of them set off deeper into the woodland, protected only by the cover of the night. The urgency with which they rode sustained her energy for hours, but once they were a safe enough distance from the brutes’ camp, Daphne found herself struggling to keep her eyes open. She couldn’t stop yawning and rubbing her eyes, and every so often she’d have to pat her cheek with her hand to snap herself out of her daze. There was no sense in complaining to the others, though. They were all exhausted. But it was far better to push through their fatigue and keep riding than to risk the brutes catching up with them. If they were to be captured, Daphne did not expect to be so fortunate as to have the opportunity to escape again.
Even so, she was so drained that once more, reality and her imagination swirled into a seamless blur. She could no longer tell what was real and what wasn’t. She pictured her brother making his way across the snowy Perdeus Ruins. She was right behind him. She reached out for him and called his name, but he couldn’t hear her. Instead, he kicked Shadow’s side and took off. She tried chasing after him on foot, but her legs were as frozen as ice. She couldn’t move. She tried shouting after him, but no sound would come. Steamy tears stung her chilled cheeks as she accepted the reality that she might never reach him in time to save him.
“Daphne,” a muffled voice called out. She looked around, wondering where that voice was coming from. “Princess Daphne,” it said again, this time clearer than before. “Princess Daphne, are you alright?”
Daphne shook her head, snapping herself out of what she could only suppose was a fatigue-induced hallucination. She realized then that the person calling out to her was Lillian. Her face was covered in concern. Lillian asked again if she was alright, and Daphne told her she was tired.
Daphne’s heart raced at the sound of a rumble, but when she whipped her head around, she was r
elieved to find Merek looking down at his belly.
“Ugh,” Thomas said in utter disgust. “Was that your stomach?”
“I can’t help it,” Merek said. “I’m starving.”
They all were. It had been a long time since any of them had had a bite to eat.
“He’s right,” Gregory said. “We need to find food.”
Daphne sighed. She hadn’t seen any animals scurrying about these parts of the woods. Hunting wasn’t an option. The only things around that they could eat were leaves, but those weren’t about to satisfy their ravenous appetites. “Did anyone think to grab money from the tent?” she asked.
Silence.
On they rode, talking of nothing but their exhaustion and hunger, for hours until the pink and orange colors of dawn swept across the sky. The fiery sun rose, and they saw then that they were nearing the edge of the ancient woodland. Further they rode, and beyond the tree line, a vast sea waited for them. The ports brimmed with mighty ships bearing an assortment of colored flags. Even as far from it as they were, they could hear the voices of villagers carrying through the trees. Hearing the sounds of the people surrounding the Acerbus Sea renewed their weary souls, and they rode for the harbor with haste. The wind stung Daphne’s eyes, but she couldn’t have cared less. Phillip would be beyond the waters. She might save him yet.
It felt like a lifetime had passed by the time they reached the dock. Daphne stroked her horse’s mane, thanking him for getting her to safety. She found a good place to tie him up, and the rest of the group followed in kind. Gregory cocked his head to the side, looked Daphne up and down and asked, “What exactly is your plan here?”
“To tell the truth.”
Daphne felt the worry in Lillian’s green eyes burning into her, but she chose to ignore her friend’s disapproving gaze. Thomas suggested they steal a ship, but Daphne would hear nothing of it. The four of them got so wrapped up in arguing amongst themselves about what they should do that none of them noticed Daphne slip away.
She wandered the docks, mostly looking down at her boots, worried the rickety knotted wood would crumble beneath her weight. It was then that she walked smack into a dwarf, knocking him backward. She reached out and grabbed his arm to steady him. Between his scraggly eyebrows and bushy brown beard, the only clear feature on his face was a button nose.
“Watch where you’re going,” he snapped.
“Forgive me. I was just... by any chance... I’m in need of a ship. You don’t have one I could use, do you?”
He crossed his arms, his bejeweled fingers glittering like stars. “You nearly shoved me into the harbor. You’re not exactly in a position to ask for favors.”
“I didn’t—” She stopped herself. She took a deep breath and said, “I’d pay you, of course.”
He gave her a look and said, “I don’t see any money on you.”
“I guess I should say my father will pay you.” Daphne turned her ring back around so that the royal seal was visible. She showed it to him, and his beady eyes widened with greed. “But I’ll need you to provide us with provisions.”
“Of course, my princess.” He extended his hand, and they shook on the agreement.
“Now, which ship is yours?”
His rings flashed as he pointed to the smallest ship in the harbor. It was just as well, though. It was big enough to get the job done, and after all, there were only five of them traveling. The dwarf said the ship was ready to sail, but he’d need a little time to stock it. Daphne explained she needed to find her friends anyway, and they agreed to meet on the vessel.
She headed back in the direction of Lillian, Gregory, Thomas and Merek, passing strange characters as she crossed the dock. Now that she was looking up, she saw the faces of the people walking alongside her. They looked like they’d lived hard lives, their faces tanned and leathered from the sun. Some were missing teeth, others limbs. Fish flopped and splashed inside a barrel as she passed. The merchant called after her, telling her what a good deal she’d be missing out on if she didn’t purchase one. He cursed her under his breath when he realized she wasn’t buying.
There her friends stood, still arguing by the horses. They stopped and turned when they saw her, and she could see the realization setting in that they hadn’t noticed she’d left.
“We have a ship,” Daphne said.
“How?” Lillian asked. The princess flashed her ring. Lillian shook her head. “You didn’t. What will your father say when he finds out about this little arrangement?”
“Oh, don’t worry about him. He’ll be so thrilled when Phillip and I return to the castle that he’ll pay without question.”
Daphne led them to the small ship, taking in the salty air as they strode. It was muddled with the stenches of fish and sweat. She had heard her father’s knights speak of the sea countless times. Some feared it, others romanticized it. She’d seen paintings of it, too. The gentle strokes of deep blue swept with brushes of white. She used to imagine what it must be like to see such vast waters. Now that she was here, she realized how glamorized the stories and paintings had been.
The dwarf was already aboard the vessel, seeing to it that it was stocked with food and drink as promised. He approached the group, brushing his fingers along a knot in the wooden wall as he walked. The wind had picked up, making his brown beard and eyebrows look all the wilder. He came to a stop and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’ll bring her back?” he asked. There was a hint of worry in his voice.
“I promise,” Daphne said.
He bowed. “Safe travels, my princess. I hope to see you again soon. Best of luck on your journey.”
When the dwarf left, the five of them split up to explore the ship before setting sail. Daphne and Lillian made their way to the captain’s quarters. The room was large for such a small boat. Light shining through the window caught specks of dust floating in the air. The sun’s rays extended to a banquet table, which was draped in red and gold fabric. There was a writing desk piled with leather-bound stacks of parchment. Beside it was a feather pen and a melted candlestick. Next to that, a tinderbox, which Lillian used to spark a flame and light the tabletop candelabras.
In came Gregory, Thomas and Merek. Their arms were full with wicker baskets of bread, cheeses, salted meats and wine. They spread the food along the table, and the five of them devoured it like they’d never get the chance to eat again. They didn’t bother with plates or goblets. They were far too ravenous to concern themselves with propriety. They ate with their hands and washed down the food by taking turns swishing from the same bottle.
Only minutes had passed before there was nothing left but crumbs. They laughed at how fast they had eaten. After their stomachs settled, Gregory, Thomas and Merek departed for the main dock to prepare the ship for sailing, while Daphne and Lillian got some much-needed sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Thomas slammed his stack of cards against the table. “This is boring.”
Lillian grinned. “You’re just upset because you’re losing.”
“Are you kidding me? There’s no skill involved. It’s just the luck of the draw.”
“Well, we enjoy it.”
Thomas moaned from boredom. “Can’t we play something fun? What about darts?”
Daphne pointed out they didn’t have any darts to play with. It didn’t matter to him, though. He whipped out a dagger and chucked it across the room. Daphne bit her lip, watching it fly through the air and land smack in the middle of an oil painting. “Thomas!”
She shuddered to think what the dwarf would say when he saw the damage. Thomas could be so thoughtless sometimes. She would have to ask her father to pay for the painting, too. She sighed in exasperation and stomped across the room, made a fist around the wooden handle which bore the image of a dragon and retrieved the blade from the grip of the painting. She tried smoothing down the ripped flap of canvas, wishing that flattening the tear would miraculously repair the damage Thomas had done. Running her finger along the
raised paint, she recognized the scene it depicted. The painting represented the legend of the mutiny on the Acerbus Sea. She recalled her mother telling her and Phillip the story when they were young.
Before their ancestors had taken control of the realm, the commoners of the prosperous Perdeus rebelled against the king and queen. One of the most notable defeats was on the Acerbus Sea. The commoners had put together a small fleet. It wasn't the mightiest assemblage, but taking the king and queen by surprise was their chance to overthrow the monarchy.
One week before they departed for the Acerbus Sea, Destrian, a commoner helping lead the rebellion, drank more than he should have. A woman caught his eye. She had dark hair and tanned skin—a true exotic beauty. It wasn't long before he took her to his room at the inn. He was so infatuated with her that he was blind to her seduction. In his drunken lust, Destrian told her of the covert rebellion.
Upon awakening the next morning, the woman was gone. Destrian didn't think anything of it at the time. He had been so inebriated that he didn’t remember what had happened that night until he saw the first ship of the royal fleet emerge through the fog.
One ship they could have handled, but as the fog cleared, it became evident that there were far more royal ships than the rebellion could ever hope to overtake. Cannons fired and ships burned. Within hours, not a single ship from the rebellion remained. So many lives were lost that day, all because of one man’s poor judgement.
Lillian called after the princess, peeling Daphne from her thoughts. She handed Thomas his dagger. She was done playing games for the evening. Thomas stacked the cards, shoved them in his pocket and left.
Daphne and Lillian readied themselves for bed. Daphne climbed into bed first, snuggling under the warmth of the covers, her head resting on a feathered pillow. After sleeping on the ground for so long, she had forgotten how comfortable a bed could be. Lillian didn’t say a word when she climbed in beside her. She was careful in pulling the covers over her thin frame so as not to tug them away from the princess. Her breath became slower and deeper by the moment, and soon the rhythm of her breathing put Daphne to sleep.
