Hal said, ‘I assumed your role was important, but I hadn’t thought about spies.’
Ty said, with some chagrin, ‘I did, but dismissed the idea. I thought you might be . . . a special friend to one of the princes?’
At that Stephané laughed. ‘My brothers? They are sweet, but none of them could keep up with our good lady here.’ Her tone revealed a mix of admiration and no little distrust. If Franciezka was the spy-mistress of Roldem, that distrust was likely well earned.
‘With former agents of mine in play, my identity is no longer a matter of state secret. Once this is over, and should we all survive, I will be of little use to the Crown in my current role.’
‘Are these turned agents working for Lord Worthington?’ asked Ty.
‘Almost certainly. I’m the only one who knows where the Princess is hiding. Otherwise Lord John would have sent squads of soldiers to my door to fetch the Princess back. The princes are currently surrounded by men of unquestioning loyalty, but those are few in number. The rest of the army and navy take their orders from the Crown, which at this point means they take orders from Lord John Worthington. But should he attempt to force them to return to the palace, it could start a civil war he’s not certain to win.’ She took a deep breath, crossing her arms. Her right index finger tapped idly against her left arm while she considered. ‘No, we’re dealing with a handful of my former men who know me well enough to pick their moment, once they discover exactly where I’ve hidden Her Highness. They don’t have enough swords to do otherwise, and even if they could overwhelm those loyal to me, they would expose themselves as traitors.’
Ty said, ‘What must we do?’
‘For about two hours, nothing; but then we must move and do so at great speed. Kesh’s flotilla is anchored less than a half-mile outside the harbour mouth. They are content to let ships bound for the Empire pass without trouble. Their position appears to be one of keeping a wedge between the two Kingdoms, and to keep Roldem’s war fleet from venturing out. We’ve managed to move a few smaller ships – refitted to look like trading vessels – out of the harbour, heading south, as if heading for Pointer’s Head. Any ship headed towards the Eastern Kingdoms is stopped at the Straits of Ilthros, boarded and searched, and if no contraband is found, it is given safe passage.’ She paused to see if the two young men were following. ‘Do you understand what you must do?’
Hal nodded. ‘I’m vague on the details, which I’m sure you’ve already anticipated, but we are to get the Princess and her companion off this island, to somewhere beyond Worthington’s reach.’
Ty said, ‘You want her in Rillanon.’
Franciezka smiled. ‘Aren’t you the bright one?’
‘Rillanon?’ said Hal. ‘I would have thought somewhere in the east, like Olasko.’
Ty shook his head. ‘Worthington might be able to pry her from the gentle protection of the Duke of Olasko, if he’s ignorant of what’s occurring here. But if Her Highness is safely visiting King Gregory’s court, with the Kingdom and Keshian fleets between Worthington and the Princess . . . ?’ He smiled and looked at the Princess. ‘It seemed a bit obvious to me.’
Hal’s brow furrowed. ‘Well enough, but exactly how are the two of us going to sail from here to there? That’s almost the entire length of the Sea of Kingdoms.’
‘That would be foolish. No, we’ll hide you in a ship bound for Watcher’s Point in Miskalon, but at the right time you’ll be put over the side in a specially-provisioned boat, and with the gods’ grace, you’ll land in Ran.’ She turned and picked up some folded parchments. ‘With these documents, you’ll have safe passage should you encounter any Roldemish ships.’
Hal inspected them then handed them over to Ty. ‘The King agrees?’
‘The King wishes to be ignorant of the details. I’ve forged his signature enough times no one can tell the difference, not even the King.’
‘The seals look perfect,’ said Ty as he inspected the documents.
‘They should be,’ said Lady Franciezka. ‘I have the royal seals safely hidden away.’
Ty grinned as Hal’s mouth dropped opened.
Lady Franciezka smiled. ‘The King might be persuaded to sign decrees against his better judgment by Worthington, but without the seals . . .’ She shrugged, then handed a purse heavy with coin to Ty. ‘Now, you should be able to arrange for a fast Kingdom ship from there to Rillanon. You’ll be behind the Keshian blockade. If that turns out not to be the safe choice, then hire a coach to Bas-Tyra.’
‘When do we leave?’ asked Hal.
‘In two hours. My cargo ship has already been inspected prior to departure. We’ll slip you aboard moments before she weighs anchor. My only concern will be getting you past the Keshians at the blockade line, but I think everything is ready.’
Hal and Ty exchanged a look that silently communicated they hoped all was ready as well.
The quarters were cramped aboard the ship, Meklin’s Lady: one small cabin for the four of them. Hal and Ty tried to ignore each other when they slept side by side on the narrow floor but in vain since each swell the ship breasted caused them to roll up against each other. The two young women, however, seemed able to abide sharing a narrow bunk designed for one person, despite Lady Gabriella’s height.
They had come aboard two mornings previously, an hour before dawn, while most of the crew still slept. Only the captain, first officer, and a few of the crew knew about the passengers. The rest were kept ignorant, and by design the second officer’s cabin had been left unfilled this voyage. Designed for one person, and that barely, it proved very cramped for four. One berth against the bulkhead, a single large window, a tiny chest under a small table with a water basin barely gave anyone room to move. A single curtain opposite the bunk opened on a small door through which they found the officer’s garderobe, called ‘the captain’s jakes’.
It had taken remarkable self-restraint to keep calm and relaxed in those quarters, but the four had discovered that telling humorous stories passed the time. As it was rare for any common seaman to venture into the stern-castle, they did not fear being overheard, but still tried to keep their voices low. Food had been provided in the form of a large sack of dried fruit, jerked meat, fresh bread, and two large water skins. Their confinement was only for two days and nights, but they could not leave their quarters, save for a quick dash to the captain’s jakes, which proved to be nothing more than a seat with a hole that hung over the open water. Ty found himself wondering how the officers employed it during rough weather.
In the two days the young men found the two young women to be excellent company. The Princess was well educated, which was to be expected, but she was also a young woman of strong opinions, which was not. Rather than some prized flower to be sheltered and shielded, she seemed to have a point of view on everything, not least of which was the rise and ambition of Sir John Worthington. Hal could not keep from grinning when she described how she wanted him treated when her father regained control of the state. To call some of the images grisly was to understate. Hal realized that in its own way, court politics was warfare and a princess of Roldem had to be a different sort of warrior. His initial infatuation was soon replaced by a strong attraction coupled with newfound respect. Whoever married the Princess would be a lucky man; one with his hands full, but lucky nevertheless.
Lady Gabriella was less chatty than the Princess, but she was pleasant. Hal noticed that Ty seemed very taken with the tall lady-in-waiting, which wasn’t difficult to understand. She was stunning once you accepted that she was not the usual, dainty lady of the court. From the way she looked, Hal reckoned she was a trained fighter, and her role was more than that of a simple companion. Franciezka had most certainly hand-selected her to act as Stephané’s bodyguard. She was a woman of few words, content to let the other three banter as much as they wished, apparently comfortable with silence. Hal watched how she moved with economy, her eyes always glancing around, even in these closed quarters, in case a threat sho
uld suddenly appear.
Now they waited. Within the hour they should be sighting Kesh’s picket ships, on blockade against any ship bound for the Kingdom of the Isles ports. The captain had taken a deliberately slow tack so they would reach the point of inspection after dark. He wanted bored, tired Keshian sailors inspecting his cargo.
Hal smiled nervously. ‘I’ve never liked waiting,’ he admitted.
Stephané grinned. ‘And I’ve never had to wait for anything.’
Ty laughed. ‘The baby daughter with three older brothers? And a princess, to boot? Of course you never did!’
All eyes turned to Gabriella who shrugged as if waiting was no issue for her. ‘It will take the same amount of time however we feel about it. We might as well rest while we can.’ She sat up slightly and glanced out at the falling light through the rear windows of the cabin. ‘I suspect soon things will get exciting enough.’
There came a knock at the cabin door and the captain opened it gently – last time, he had banged it into the back of Hal’s head. ‘It’s time,’ he said. ‘Stand aside, please.’ He moved to the small chest under the tiny table, opened it and put a sack inside. ‘If they find nothing to confiscate, they get suspicious. Something slightly illicit, such as a sack of Dream . . . ?’ He smiled as he closed the chest.
Ty grinned. ‘Illegal in Roldem—’
‘And the Isles,’ interrupted Hal.
‘—but not in Kesh,’ finished the captain. The mildly hallucinogenic drug was made from the oil of a common plant in both Kingdoms.
‘And the next ship might benefit from a less alert crew,’ offered the captain. Then, losing his smile, he said, ‘Come with me.’
They gathered up the sack of food and the water skins and followed him. They had been expecting to go deep into the hold of the ship and be secreted somewhere among the cargo, but instead they were taken mere steps, into the captain’s cabin. It was easily three times the size of the second officer’s quarters, and Hal glanced around feeling a little envious.
‘Help me,’ said the captain, indicating that the two young men should grab the other end of the large bed set hard against the starboard bulkhead. It was a standard looking affair with a six foot long bunk set above two rows of double drawers, in which the captain’s personal belongings would be placed. They lifted the mattress and bed board easily, so they carried it away a few feet, and placed it on the deck. ‘Now the tricky part,’ said the captain. ‘The drawers have to come out in a certain order. That one, first,’ he said, pointing to the upper left one.
As Hal pulled it out and lifted it, he heard a tiny click.
‘Now that one,’ said the captain, pointing at the lower right. Ty pulled it out and a second click was heard. Then came the upper right, and lower left, and when all four drawers were sitting on the deck, the captain reached down into the now empty space where his bed had rested and pulled up on a well concealed removable section of floor. The board was hinged, six feet wide and three feet deep. ‘You’ve got a tight fit, but if you wiggle down in there, you can lie side by side with your heads under the bed. Be careful not to knock the supports for the drawers out of kilter – have to get them back in place.’ He glanced and said, ‘I think you lads on either side, in case we get to rolling a bit – it’ll make it easier on the ladies.’ He motioned to the Princess and Lady Gabriella. ‘You first, ladies.’
Both women in turn stepped over the front of the empty drawer front and wiggled to get down in the empty smuggler’s hold.
‘Now you lads,’ said the captain.
Hal and Ty clambered over the low barrier, avoiding the supports for the drawers as they moved between the girls and the walls. Hal was embarrassed to discover he had no room to move and was pressed hard against the Princess. He muttered an apology as the captain lowered the flooring over their heads, only to find a slender finger pressed against his lips. ‘I don’t mind, really,’ she whispered. The drawers were replaced and they found themselves in darkness.
A few moments passed by with Hal being painfully aware of the contact between them. As well as being the most beautiful young woman he had ever encountered, she was wonderful company. He had got to the point where at least once an hour he had to remind himself that she was unobtainable, and his only reasonable course of action was to be a gentleman and her friend. But now, with the scent of her hair in his nostrils somehow blanking out the wretched aroma of bilge water below them, he was finding that very difficult.
He wondered how much of this was due to being confined and not wanting to be overwhelmed with a sense of vulnerability. Damn it, he thought to himself, it was Martin who was the introspective one who let this sort of business slow him down. Thinking of Martin, he let his thoughts wander to his father and brother, to his mother and Lady Bethany and all those back home. He wondered how they were and prayed silently that they were safe and well.
Everyone lay silently, listening to any sounds from above. At last faint voices could be heard, though the words were unintelligible. In the dark Hal could only sense Lady Gabriella and Ty, though he knew they were only a hand’s span away. The only reason the situation didn’t become embarrassing was the sense of risk and danger. The part of his mind not achingly aware of the Princess pressed hard against him was attempting to picture what was taking place on deck, the conversation between the captain and whoever the Keshians sent aboard to inspect the ship. Would it be a quick, cursory inspection, or would they be crawling over the ship from topmast to bilge, eventually pulling out the drawers above them?
And for how long? He was feeling slight cramps from the awkward position in which he found himself and the air was growing close. He knew that should they be discovered he would be unable to leap to his feet to defend the Princess.
In short Harold conDoin, unknown to himself the new Duke of Crydee, was feeling something he had never experienced before in his life: helplessness. And he didn’t care for it one bit. Time had become meaningless and it felt as if he had been motionless for hours, not minutes.
Suddenly the sound of the drawers being removed intruded upon his thoughts. Then up came the floor and for a second the light was blinding.
‘Out you come,’ said the captain and Hal reached up and took the extended hand. He almost groaned from the stiffness in his shoulders, back, and legs and was glad for the help up. He pulled Ty out and in turn they helped the Princess and Lady Gabriella out of the cramped hiding hole. ‘No troubles, then?’ asked Hal.
‘No,’ said the captain. ‘This one took to haggling a bit longer than usual on the price of the “fine” for the bag of Dream, and I didn’t want to make him suspicious by agreeing too quickly to the “fee” for safe passage. It may be Lady Franciezka’s gold I’m bribing him with, but I had to act as if it was my own.’
‘You bribed him?’
‘Not a ship leaving Roldem gets past that Keshian picket without a hefty bribe, sir.’ The captain grinned. ‘It’s why I think the Kingdom wins the war at sea. Less corruption, you see, almost as hide-bound as Roldem’s fleet; comes from being island kingdoms, I expect. If I tried to bribe a Kingdom picket captain, well, I’d be clapped in irons and my ship impounded straight away.’ He glanced at the ladies as they adjusted crumpled clothing and said, ‘I’d wait a bit, but soon you’ll be free to come up on deck and get some air.’
Ty said, ‘We need it.’
‘It was a bit close in there,’ said the Princess. She glanced at Hal and gave him a small smile.
Lady Gabriella shot Ty an appraising look. ‘You didn’t seem to mind.’
Ty had the good grace to flush. ‘Lady, I assure you’
‘No insult, sir,’ she said with a slightly mocking tone. ‘You were as much a gentleman as the circumstances allowed.’ Then she added, sotto voce, ‘Which wasn’t much.’
Hal laughed. ‘She’s onto you, Ty.’
Shaking his head Ty said, ‘Apparently so. Anyone thirsty besides me?’
When affirmative replies were voiced, he
said, ‘I’ll see about getting something to drink, wine perhaps if they have it?’
‘On this ship?’ said Hal. ‘Spirits most likely, or ale, but I’ll settle for fresh water.’ He indicated the almost depleted water skins.
‘As will I,’ said Stephané.
Ty stepped out of the cabin and was back inside moments later. ‘Sailor says he’ll fetch us something.’
An awkward silence followed as the four waited. The two young men had had various encounters with young woman in their day, but neither had been forced into such familiarity with ladies of rank. Now that the immediate danger was past, Hal was profoundly aware of just how close he had been to the Princess. Silently he cursed to himself; did her skin have to be that soft? He forced himself to take a breath and studied the object of his affection. She seemed lost in her own thoughts; or perhaps she was avoiding eye contact.
Something similar seemed to be going on with Lady Gabriella and Ty, though Hal thought she seemed amused by Ty’s awkwardness rather than embarrassed.
It was hard to judge. Even after all this time in close quarters, Hal knew next to nothing about her. She was a big woman, but there was nothing about her plump or soft. Her face was classically beautiful, with her brown eyes and a nose that was straight and delicate, her mouth occasionally revealing a stunning smile. In her leather travel togs, she looked as if she’d fit right in at Crydee, and Hal could imagine her riding next to Bethany on the hunt.
Thinking of Bethany he realized he had barely spared her a thought, or at least no more than he had his brothers and parents, since coming east. He missed Crydee, and worried how his family fared now that war had come, but he felt no more for Bethany than before he had left the West. She was nothing like the Princess, who was everything he expected in a court lady: more, she was his perfect image of a princess.
What Hal found remarkable about Stephané was that she was tough; not strong in an overt fashion, in the way Bethany or Gabriella were, but she had a subtle toughness, a resilience, an ability to face threat quietly and with dignity, rather than crumbling before what must certainly be the most terrifying experience of her life. The most eligible woman in the Sea of Kingdoms, the most sought-after bride in recent history, she had been spirited from her home in the middle of the night, away from her family for the first time in her life, hidden from men determined to capture her and use her for their own political ends, risking dangers undreamed of in her life, yet here she sat, quietly chatting, composed and showing glimpses of humour, and calm.
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