Astrid opened her eyes and murmured her response. “Tell him I will be there in a few minutes. Is there any tea?”
“Yes, My Lady, and I have also prepared fresh mango juice for you this morning.”
“Sounds delicious, thank you,” she said.
Reaching for her robe, she realized that Eric was not in the cabin with her. She could think of only one place he must be – on the deck with the crew.
After spending a few minutes freshening up, Astrid walked through the dining room and poured a glass of mango juice. Sipping its sweetness, she closed her eyes and thought of tropical beaches and swaying palm trees. It was an image she hoped to enjoy in person when they reached their destination.
Climbing the wooden stairs, she was met on deck by Captain Jorlsen. Eric was busily helping a crew member trim the sails, and he nodded in her direction.
“My Lady, I apologize for disturbing you. It is a matter of the utmost importance,” the captain explained.
“I understand. What seems to be the problem?”
“As captain of this ship, I can recommend a course of action, but important decisions ultimately rest with you. Freja is your vessel.”
“You need a decision regarding what exactly?” she asked.
“There is a strong weather system on this heading. We will have to anchor in a safe harbor, or ride it out.”
The sky was clear blue, and the water sparkled in the sunlight. The sound of the waves and the soft creaking of the wind in the rigging made for a perfect day on the water. It was difficult for Astrid to imagine that they were sailing into danger.
She could almost taste the tropical drinks on the secluded white sand beaches of the privately owned Lawrence Island, a small tropical getaway owned by a cousin of the prince of Elura. It had been three days since she and Eric ran away from the court of Rogandal and it was heaven – though she knew in her heart that they were living a fantasy on borrowed time.
For three days, she had ignored her cell phone, the IPad, and her laptop. She was careful to avoid watching any news or updates on the big screen television in the salon. For the first time in her life, she did not want to know what was happening in the world; she just wanted to be a woman in love with a man on a romantic getaway.
“How bad a storm are we talking about? This boat seems sturdy; can she handle it?”
“Heading into storms in this part of the world is always a dicey proposition. You can have an easy time of it, or face rogue waves, you can never tell.”
“If we ran for a safe harbor, could we make it? Would we be safer at anchor?”
“We might make it, but there is no guarantee. And yes, we would be safer at anchor than on the open water.”
“Captain, I read your resume and I seem to recall that you captained a number of sailboats in the Sydney Hobart race, is that correct?”
“I did, in my younger, crazier days.”
“The toughest sailing race with the worst storms, is that right?”
Captain Jorlsen answered with a note of pride in his voice. “Yes, My Lady, that race is not for the faint of heart.”
“Well then, you should be equipped to handle anything Mother Nature throws at us. Unless you are convinced we will all die, let’s go through the storm. I don’t want to backtrack to a safe harbor; that would take too much time.”
“Yes, My Lady. If you insist. But I would caution against this, just for the record.”
“Your advice is noted. Prepare the ship and her crew for foul weather.”
Yes, My Lady, as you command.”
Eric joined Astrid in the cockpit as the captain conferred with his first mate.
“Winds out of the west, been building all morning. Unless I miss my guess, I would say we are in for a blow this evening – if we continue on this heading,” he said as he gazed towards the horizon.
“That was the captain’s assessment as well. I told him to make arrangements to plow through the storm.”
Eric quickly turned his head, his eyes widened in surprise. “You ordered my ship to go through a storm?”
“I did. I don’t want to lose any time with you and she seems sturdy enough.”
“Astrid, you are full of surprises. I never expected that a woman like you would throw caution to the wind like that. Are you truly the woman I have fallen in love with?”
“There is a lot you don’t know about me,” she answered with a raised eyebrow and a smile. “What about the boat and the crew, can they handle the storm? If you think this is a terrible idea, I’ll tell the captain to cut and run for the nearest harbor.”
“Freja and her crew can take it, I have no doubt. But can you? A storm at sea is vastly different than one on land.”
“Should I tell the captain to run for safe harbor? It’s your decision.”
“No, sometimes being at anchor is no safer than being at sea. Just steel yourself for a bumpy ride. Since you are the official owner of this boat, I cannot go against your commands.”
Throwing her arms around Eric, she said, “Freja will get through this storm – I just know it. Besides, it will all be worth it when we reach Lawrence Island.”
Smirking like a mischievous child, he said, “If we reach it.”
* * *
“Set the storm jib and be quick about it!” the captain yelled over the howling wind as Freja rode through the turbulent sea.
Astrid and Eric, dressed in foul weather gear, were in the cockpit with the captain. As the water splashed over the railing and the boat slipped sideways down the face of a thirty-foot wave, Astrid reminded herself that this was all her idea.
“My Lady, we have set the storm jib and reefed the main,” the captain said in a booming voice.
Thunder rolled and the wind drove the rain in sheets of cold water hitting the windows of the cockpit. The ocean roared around Freja, setting Astrid’s nerves on edge. “Good,” she said. She wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but she was glad he knew what he was doing.
“Going to be a long night!” Eric said to the captain.
“Right, Your Highness, you’d better get down below.”
From her perch in the shelter of Freja’s cockpit, Astrid could see walls of water surrounding the racing yacht, the darkness of the storm in the night made the true height of these monstrous waves impossible to see. She was glad she couldn’t see the ocean during the storm, because she was certain she would have been scared out of her wits if she knew the true extent of their situation.
“If it gets worse, I’ll be back,” yelled Eric. The captain nodded, his hands tightly gripping the ship’s wheel.
Astrid clung to the railing as she made her way to the warmth and comfort below. The ship tossed like a cork in white water rapids, making it difficult to keep her footing on her way to the cabin. The motion of the ship was enough to cause sea sickness in the most experienced of sailors, or so Eric had told her as he convinced her to take some motion sickness pills earlier in the afternoon. It was a piece of advice she was glad she had listened to as the she watched the contents of the shelves in the salon hurtle to the floor.
Stripping off the foul weather gear, she hung it in the shower, hoping she wouldn’t need it again. Eric joined her in the narrow hallway, his rain jacket drenched in salt water. Hugging him for comfort, she asked, “Do you think I made the right decision?”
“I do. Don’t let this storm scare you; this boat and I have been through worse than this.”
“You have?” she asked hopefully.
“We have. Wait until you get knocked down in the middle of the night by a rogue wave, that’ll wake you up.”
Astrid gulped down her fear. “Knocked down?”
“There’s nothing else like it,” Eric said with a glint in his eye. “The whole boat goes sideways, everything flying, and the cabin floor becomes the wall. If you are not religious before a knock down, you will be after it’s over.”
“Let’s hope I don’t have to find out.”
“Or a lig
htning strike to the mast, there’s another moment I’ll never forget,” he said with a wink.
“Eric, that isn’t funny,” she said as the boat rocked violently from side to side, with a sudden lurch that caused Astrid to lose her balance.
“Steady, there sailor,” Eric said, catching her in his arms. “We’d better get you to a safe place on the boat where you can’t hurt yourself”
“And where is that?” she asked as she gazed into his eyes.
“My bed,” he said, and he kissed her. The taste of salt water on the lips of the man she loved and the rocking motion of the ship gave her a thrill she had never experienced before. Adrenaline from the fear of death on the ocean heightened her senses. Every second she spent in his embrace, every touch of his hands on her body was exquisite. But it was abruptly brought to an end by a crew member.
“Your Highness, the captain needs you on deck.” The man had a wild look in his eye.
“Be right up,” said Eric, bracing himself against the wall while the boat rocked precariously sideways.
“Eric?” Astrid was suddenly aware that the floor was damp with water.
“Nothing to be worried about. I am sure the captain only called for me because of my experience. Aside from himself, I’m the best crew member he’s got. Go to the cabin and try not to think about it, we will be at Lawrence Island by morning.”
Eric kissed her once more. Watching him carefully navigate down the hall, she knew that if anyone would see them through to safety, it was him. He loved this boat and had lived on board for many years. Astrid knew that he would never let anything happen to Freja.
In the cabin, she watched in horror as water seeped under the doorway. She didn’t need to be an experienced sailor to know that water inside the cabin was not a good sign. Trying to quell her rising fear of a watery grave, she climbed on the bed, grateful for the railing that ran along its edge.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the roar of the waves outside and the pounding of the water against the hull. Outside, lightening flashed from the storm clouds above. Freja lurched violently sideways, throwing Astrid into the railing of the bed. Holding on with both hands, she wondered if she should have taken the captain’s advice after all, and headed for a safe harbor.
As she clutched the railing, she heard Eric’s voice calling to her from the hallway. “Astrid, I need you.”
Astrid fought to regain her footing as she stood by the bed. Holding on to the wall to steady herself, she met Eric. His wet hair was plastered against his face, his foul weather gear drenched in water.
“The bilge pumps have stopped working. We are taking on water but the crew and I have that under control.”
“That’s good news,” she said as she glanced at the water on the floor.
“That’s not all. We’re receiving a faint mayday. There is sailboat that was capsized not far from our current position. The boat was severely damaged, rudder broken. They’ve lost their mast and it doesn’t look good. We’re the closest ship to them. By the law of the sea, we should try to reach them of we can. I just want you to know that it’ll be dangerous; they’re in the worst part of the storm.”
“Are there any emergency services out here?”
“There are, but that boat could sink before the crew can be rescued. If they take another hit in their condition…” he shuddered.
Astrid thought about the fear she herself felt in the storm. “Eric, I don’t care about the paperwork – this is your boat. If you want to rescue those people, I say we do it.”
“Better put your foul weather gear back on, it looks like we’re going to need everyone to pull this off.”
Astrid reached for her rain jacket from the shower as she prayed for the sailors in need of rescue. She hoped her romantic escape wouldn’t end in disaster.
* * *
The sea raged as Freja fought to reach the sailboat that was in grave danger. As the crew manned the deck and pumped water from the bilge, Astrid searched down below for any spare blankets and emergency supplies. If the other boat was as damaged as Eric feared, it was possible there could be injured people on board.
Her task completed, she held on to the railing in the galley as Freja rocked violently in the storm. Preparing for the rescued crew kept Astrid’s mind from dwelling on their own precarious position. Freja was one rogue wave away from being in the same terrible situation as the boat that was sending the distress call.
She was soon joined by the cabin boy – who was not a boy at all, but a young man of about nineteen – his eyes wide with fright as he held onto to the freezer door, knuckles white from gripping the handle so hard.
“My Lady, how much more of this can we take?” he asked, his voice strained and high pitched from fear.
“Is this your first storm at sea?”
“It is. I don’t mind admitting it – I’m terrified. I wish I was as calm as you,” he said, his face a shade of green.
“Me, calm? If it makes you feel better, I am scared out of my mind, but Freja is a strong boat and Captain Jorlsen knows what he’s doing.”
“What do you want me to do? Please tell me something. They don’t need me up top, and I can’t sit in my bunk waiting to die.”
“There is something you can do. See what we have in the galley that you can serve to the rescued sailors when we pick them up. I know you can’t cook, the sea is too rough, but we must have some bottled water, juice, crackers, something.”
“Yes, My Lady, it will be my pleasure,” he said as the boat lurched sideways. “Are you going to help me?”
“I’m going on deck to see what is going on. Try to find a place to put the wounded; we may have to commandeer our own crew’s bunks.”
“You may rely on me,” he said.
“Good. Be brave – there is a tropical paradise waiting for us. After this, I believe the crew deserves a break,” Astrid said, trying to cheer him up.
“And the strongest alcohol I can find. Forgive me, My Lady, I don’t know why I said that.”
Astrid laughed. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Be careful and try not to fall,” she said as she opened the hatch. The wind howled, and rain pelted her face as she joined the captain in the cockpit.
“What’s the plan?” Astrid asked, peering into the walls of black water on either side of the boat.
“It will depend on whether or not there is anyone left to save. Their distress signal is still being transmitted, which is a good sign, but that doesn’t mean there is anyone left to fish out of the water, if you know what I mean.”
Astrid asked the captain, “How much longer till we reach them? This storm seems to be getting worse.”
“We’ve sailed into the heart of it, but we should be nearing their position now. See that blip on the screen? That tells me the boat may still be afloat.” The captain nodded briefly at the instrument panel. “I need every man not bailing water to grab a light, we need to find this boat, and fast. We don’t want to spend any more time in this storm that we have to,” he yelled over the thunder and roar of the angry ocean to his first mate.
“My Lady, you must wear a life preserver. I don’t mean to alarm you but unpredictable seas are the breeding ground for rogue waves.”
“Rogue waves?” she yelled. “You mean those monsters that take ships to the bottom?”
“Yes, My Lady, be sure you stay sharp – strap on your safety harness up here on deck. If you go over the side, I can’t promise you we can save you, but at least we’ll have a chance.”
With considerable difficulty, the wind and rain blowing at gale force and the waves splashing into the cockpit, Astrid made her way to join the crew. The first mate was handing out flashlights and put one in her hand, and gave her a stern warning to watch her footing and be careful.
Eric pushed through the wind as the boat careened from the force of the water. He yelled over the incessant noise. “Astrid go down below. This is no place for you out here; it’s too dangerous.”
A faint
light in the distance caught Astrid’s eye. “Look, Eric!” she cried.
Eric peered into the night, just in time to see the light before it disappeared into a trough. “I bet that’s the boat! It has to be – tell the first mate to radio them, and you’d better get down below.”
“Be careful, Eric,” she yelled as she struggled to get back inside the cockpit.
Astrid conveyed the message that the damaged ship had been spotted. Taking a long look at Eric, she memorized his frame and his face. She prayed that it would not be the last time she would see him, and she went below.
* * *
“We have survivors!” the first mate yelled down below from the cockpit.
“My Lady, I wonder how they are able to get them on board in this storm?” asked the cabin boy.
“I’m sure we will hear all about it when we get to Lawrence Island,” she answered as she caught a stack of towels before it could tumble to the floor. Even down below, in the raging waters, she was one step away from losing her balance and slamming into a cabinet or table at any moment. Taking extra care, she moved cautiously, every step a victory.
Footfalls, two loud crashes, and loud voices above announced the arrival of the capsized sailors.
Astrid’s heart was pounding. The captain’s warning about rogue waves stuck with her more than she cared to confess. If they could rescue these sailors and be on their way out of the storm, out of harm’s way, then they all might survive the night. Standing at the ready, she watched as a woman wrapped in a bright yellow raincoat came down the steps into the salon, followed by a man half her age and size.
“Ciao!” said the woman as she gripped the railing.
Astrid was completely caught off guard by the woman’s casual greeting. She was surprised to see a wet and windblown woman, thirty years her senior, standing in front of her. She’d expected damp sailors, not a woman who was calmly reacting to being rescued as though she was attending a garden party.
“Is this boat British? The nice man who saved us sounded British, didn’t he, Adolfo?” she asked her young companion. Together the two made an interesting pair, the woman the older and considerably larger of the two. Adolfo was handsome, even if he was obviously deeply seasick.
Taming the Rebel Prince: The Royals of Rogandal Page 19
