by Sam Ryan
He said the words but Madilyn got the feeling that someone else had been the ones to put them in his mouth. She was sure that someone had said the exact same thing to him when they asked him so sell her out. She wondered how long it took him before he agreed. Did he agonize over the decision? Or did he agree without hesitation? Did it even really matter in the end?
“It’s you who has to live with what you’ve done,” Madilyn said as she slowly rose to her feet. Careful of her shackles, not wanting to reveal that they were not locked. “Not me.” She smiled as she took a step forward. “I could ignore the insults and the hateful looks. I could ignore all of it, because I knew I had earned my place. I had proven it to myself.” She leaned forward, letting her face be seen in the dim light of the cell. “Can you say the same?”
Benjamin shifted uncomfortably as he glanced around. He reached out with one hand, gripping the bars of the cell door and giving it a hard pull, noting that it was still locked. “Let’s go,” he ordered, turning and walking away.
Madilyn stuck her face through the bars and watched him go. He motioned for two of the soldiers to stand by the entrance as the rest of them walked out.
“You know?” Clementine pressed her body against the bars of her cell, watching as the soldiers left. “He’s kinda cute. For a soldier.”
“That’s my little brother you’re fantasizing about,” Madilyn said in a warning tone.
“Is that a no?” Clementine asked.
“Can we leave now?” Max pleaded, not wanting to talk about this a moment longer.
“As soon as grandma and aunt Sophie knock out the guards,” Clem-entine said, smiling at the two guards standing by the entrance.
The two shifted uncomfortably as they exchanged glances of worry.
“Aunt Sophie?” Max asked.
“Yeah.” Clementine shrugged like it was obvious.
There was a sudden groan from the guards, followed by a heavy thud. Madilyn looked over and saw Jezebel standing over the two guards sprawled out on the floor. Her hand resting on the cutlass at her hip. Sophia was in front of the cell in a blink of the eye, searching for the right key to unlock the cell.
“How embarrassing is it going to be for them to come down here and only find these two locked in the cells?” Jezebel asked, dragging on of the soldiers back by the shoulders.
Sophia had a smile on her face as she swung the cell door open.
“What?” Madilyn laughed, dropping her shackles to the ground.
“I was just very impressed at how you handled yourself,” Sophia said, handing back Madilyn’s saber. “You looked like a real knight back there.”
“I am a real knight,” Madilyn stated, rubbing her wrists. “Besides, I was just saying all that because I knew you were watching,” she teased, taking her saber back.
“Oh?” Sophia raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Madilyn gave her a half smile and a playful shrug. “Knights only really act like that when the beautiful maiden is watching.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” Jezebel said butting in to their conversation, touching her fingers to her chest. “Why thank you.” Her face then grew dark. “Now let’s get out of here before I change my mind about not killing anyone.”
***
“You two look awful,” Sophia said, sitting down across the table from Madilyn and Max, slamming the glass bottle down in front of her.
The mess hall in the Iron Rose was currently deserted, the rest of the crew at manning their stations. That left only the three of them who did not have a station to man.
Making it back to the Iron Rose had been as smooth as could be expected, given the circumstances. They had made it out of the Palace and almost made it back to the docks before word started to spread about their escape. Jezebel had ordered Clementine to take Madilyn and Max back to the Iron Rose in the Tortoise while Sophia and Jezebel went to go relieve the Rabbit.
Their flight had not been completely clean however. Someone must have assumed that they had a larger ship nearby and had deployed several airships to patrol around the mountain rage. They had spotted the Rabbit as it made its way back to the Iron Rose and Sophia had nearly thrown up as Jezebel maneuvered the Rabbit around in order to avoid the pursuing ships.
“Welcome back,” Max greeted as Sophia sat down across from them setting out three glasses next to the bottle.
“What’s that?” Madilyn asked, gesturing to the bottle in Sophia’s hand.
“Something flammable I presume,” Sophia stated, pouring the contents into the three glasses. She held the unmarked bottle up to the light and swished the liquid around. “Rum, I think.” She slid two of the glasses to Madilyn and Max. “Thought you two could use a stiff drink.”
Max took the glass and downed it without a second thought, slamming the empty glass back down onto the table. Madilyn only stared at her glass as if waiting for it to do something.
There was a loud, thunderous sound that shook the vessel slightly.
“That one was close,” Max stated.
“They have been doing a surprisingly good job of keeping up,” Sophia stated, pouring Max another drink. “Don’t worry,” she assured Madilyn. “Jezebel is doing everything she can to not kill anyone. She is keeping them at a safe distance, using warning rounds and the like.”
“I know,” Madilyn whispered, tracing her finger around the rim of the glass, still not having drank any of it.
The vessel shook as several of the cannons from the port side fired in succession.
“Drink it,” Sophia ordered, pointing at the glass. “It’ll help calm your nerves.”
“A knight is not allowed to drink alcohol so long as they are in uniform,” Madilyn stated, her expression dark. “Nor are they allowed to don the uniform if they are unfit for combat.”
“They have already labeled you a traitor,” Sophia pointed out. “I don’t think they are going to care at this point.”
“But I have yet to actually do anything treasonous,” Madilyn stated, sloshing her drink. “Nor have I done anything that would violate my oath. My conscious, at least, is clear.”
Madilyn took a deep breath, glancing over at Max.
“Don’t look at me,” Max said, downing the rest of her drink. “Me and the other girls would often see who could get the most smashed, then race our airships around the city.”
Sophia let out a laugh as she leaned across the table, taking the glass out of Madilyn’s hand and handing it to Max.
“Hold on a second,” Sophia said, rising from her seat. She walked over to the kitchen area of the mess hall that was separated by a serving counter. Turning on the gas burner she got to work.
“Where are we even headed?” Max asked, raising her voice to make sure that Sophia could hear her. “With as much fuss as we are kicking up, any nation is going to have a large fleet at any border we try to cross, waiting for us.”
“Jezebel is going to go out over open waters to help circumvent that,” Sophia stated as she worked, her back to them.
“And then what?” Max asked. Sophia could hear another glass being poured behind her. “We just going to keep running until they get tired? ‘Cause I promise you, they won’t. And while the hull plating on this tub is thick, the guns on the ships like the Advent have enough firepower to do some damage if they can get in range. And if a lucky shot hits one of the external engines on this thing, then we are going to be in some serious trouble. Well…” She took another drink. “More serious trouble than we’re already in.”
“Jezebel knows that,” Sophia assured, bending down and searching the cabinets for the cups she was looking for. All the pots shook as cannon fire rang out once more, reminding them all about the continuous battle that was taking place outside. “But here is a fun fact for you.” Sophia grabbed the cups and stood back up. “Did you know that the Iron Rose is not actually a pirate vessel?”
“It’s not?” Madilyn shot her head up in surprise.
“Oh don’t get me wrong
,” Sophia assured. “Jezebel thinks of herself as a pirate and so does the rest of her crew. However.” Sophia placed the cups on a tray and carried the tea set out to the table. “Officially, the Iron Rose is a privateer vessel. It’s not widely known of course, and both parties would deny it if asked, but Jezebel keeps the papers in her cabin and pulls them out whenever they need a resupply of ammo or fuel.”
“Alright,” Max said, holding up her hand. “This has been bothering me ever since we boarded the Iron Rose. When you first boarded the Trinket, you acted like it was the first time you had ever been on an airship and yet you seem to have an intimate knowledge of the Iron Rose and how it operates. Was that all just for show as well?”
“No.” Sophia laughed, pouring the tea into a cup. “That was definitely my first time on an airship.” Sophia placed the cup of tea in front of Madilyn. “There. Drink that. No alcohol included. Promise.” Sophia used her index finger to make a cross over her heart.
“And that,” Max said, pointing at Sophia’s chest. “What does that mean? Tara did the same thing.”
“Which questions do we want answers to?” Sophia asked, glaring at Max like she were a child.
“The airship one, please,” Max said, slouching over and looking down at the table.
“This is the fifth Iron Rose to be commissioned,” Sophia said, sitting back down at the table. “The first three were all nautical vessels. The last two were both airships. Jezebel has asked me to place enchantments on all of them and she makes me christen them at launch. The whole ‘blessing of a goddess’ thing.” Sophia bent her fingers, making air quotes rolling her eyes. “You know how superstitious sailors can be.”
Max gave a frown, having taken offense to that comment but she did not say anything about it. Madilyn only smiled as she sipped at her tea.
“Anyway,” Sophia continued. “While I have been aboard every Iron Rose and yes two of them were airships. Both of those were on the ground at the time. The first one especially. I was convinced it would never work. At the time, that vessel was maybe the fourth airship ever built and I was convinced it would crash.”
“So, who is responsible for the construction of this thing?” Max asked, surveying the ship design around her. “Jezebel said that it used Eternal Empire technology, but I would think this thing above anything they have outside of the military.”
A sudden realization hit both Max and Madilyn.
“Wait. Does that mean that the Immortal Queen is an Immortal like you?” Madilyn asked.
“Imagine that.” Sophia chuckled.
“Sorry.” Madilyn set her cup down with a soft clank. “It’s only, I was always taught to assume that it was just a saying or something. That every time there was a new queen, they took on the same name or some-thing. I even heard some people say there was never a queen at all. That the Eternal Empire is ruled by a parliament, and the title of queen is merely symbolic.”
“The queen really is immortal,” Sophia assured. “There is also another one of us there as well. Though Elena is more a bodyguard than any kind of ruler.”
“Right.” Max nodded. “You said two of your sisters lived in the Eternal Empire. And one of them was even named Allora.” Max let out a laugh as she took another drink from her glass.
“In fairness, Allora really is a rather common name there,” Sophia said.
“So we’re headed for the Eternal Empire then?” Madilyn asked, sipping at her tea.
“That’s right.” Sophia nodded. “We are going the long way around, mind you. Because of the aforementioned sea route that we are taking. But their capital city, Itona for those who may be wondering, is located on the coast so we will be heading straight for it. Once they get in range of Itona’s defenses, I am sure the Lear ships will back off, if they haven’t already by then.”
“But won’t that create a political situation for the Empire?” Madilyn asked. “I mean, they will effectively be harboring two fugitives.”
Sophia let out an amused laugh. “You don’t know Allora,” Sophia stated. “She may be the most self-righteous person you will ever meet, but there is no way she would ever turn away someone in need. She is the kind of person who does not budge an inch and will gladly destroy you if you try to push her out of the way.”
“But can the Iron Rose hold out until then?” Max asked, trying her best not to sound worried. “I know she’s a one of a kind ship, but we are talking a good two weeks flight at the very least.”
“She’ll be fine,” Sophia assured. “And if worst comes to worst, she will start fighting back long before she lets them get the better of her.” Sophia turned to Madilyn and gave her a sympathetic shrug. “Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Madilyn assured, setting the empty tea cup down. “I understand that her crew comes first. I’m appreciative that she would even go to such lengths for my selfish request in the first place.”
There was a slight tremor as an explosion sounded in the distance.
Madilyn clasped her hands together, resting them on top of the table. She closed her eyes and lowered her head as if trying to shut out the sounds. Sophia hated seeing her this way. She was sure Madilyn was conflicted with all that was happening.
“It’ll be alright,” Sophia assured, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on top of hers.
“No, it’s not.” Madilyn sighed, though she did not seem bitter or angry about it. “But thank you. And thank you for coming to save me. Us,” she added, glancing over at Max. “Thank you for coming to save us.”
“Yeah.” Max let out a long sigh, drumming her fingers on the table. “I guess I should think of some way of thanking Jezebel as well. Think Clementine could use an extra hand down in the engine room?”
“You going full pirate?” Sophia asked, pulling her hand back and setting it in her lap.
“Hardly,” Max scoffed, pouring herself another drink. “But if nothing else, it’s better than sitting around for the next two weeks.”
“I should see if there is anything I can do as well.” Madilyn nodded. “I know I’m not much of a sailor but I would think there is something that I can do.”
“I’m sure they could have you scrub down the decks.” Sophia smiled, blinking her eyes playfully.
Madilyn stiffened up at the prospect.
Maybe this trip would not be so bad after all.
That thought was immediately followed by several more explosions causing the cups to clatter together.
PART 3:
THE PURSUIT
CHAPTER 9
Sophia rapped the back of her knuckles on the closed metal door she was standing in front of then waited for a response.
“Come in,” came the reply on the other side.
With permission being granted, Sophia unlatched the door and pushed it open with a creek. Madilyn was sitting on the floor, dressed in only her white undershirt and trousers. Her face was covered in sweat and her breathing was heavy. That coupled with the fact that her legs were spread out on the floor gave Sophia the impression Madilyn had been working out.
“Hello,” Sophia said, standing in the doorway.
“Afternoon,” Madilyn greeted with a nod, tucking her legs in under her so she was sitting properly. “Need me for something.”
“Thought you would like to know that we are coming up on Itona,” Sophia said, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe. “You want to escort me to the bridge where we can take bets on whether the city will fire on us or not?”
“Why not?” Madilyn uncoiled her legs making ready to stand up.
Sophia offered out a hand that Madilyn took and used it to pull herself to her feet. Madilyn moved over to her bunk, grabbing the towel waiting for her there. She patted down her face and held her long hair up so she could pat down the back of her neck. When she was finished drying off her sweat, she tossed the towel back on the bed and tied her long hair back, making sure it fell properly down her back.
As Madilyn did that, Sophia walked over to th
e coat rack. Grabbing Madilyn’s overcoat, she held it open for her to slip on. Madilyn looked at the coat with a reluctant look.
“Put it on,” Sophia ordered, holding up the coat. “You’re not a pirate. It’s unseemly for a knight to go around and not be in uniform. Besides, you look your bests while wearing it.”
Madilyn let out a breath, glaring up at Sophia but she eventually turned around, sticking one arm through the sleeve then the other. Sophia then pulled the coat up over her shoulders.
“There,” Sophia said, brushing the shoulders flat with a crisp swipe of her hands.
“Thanks,” Madilyn said. She tucked her chin so she was looking down at her chest and began buttoning the straps across her chest. She reached over and grabbed her officer’s hat and rested it properly on her head as she turned around, facing Sophia.
“Beautiful.” Sophia smiled, showing her approval. “Ready to go?”
Letting out a breath, Madilyn gave a single nod as she walked out of her cabin and lead the way towards the bridge. Sophia was only a few steps behind Madilyn, tapping her cane on the deck as they walked.
It had been over two weeks since they had fled from Rouen. Most of the cannon fire having died down after the second day. Once the Iron Rose was able to put enough distance between them and their pursuers, firing at each other became pointless.
Over the past two and a half weeks, they had managed to lose the slower Lear warship but there were still a handful of faster attack vessels in pursuit. And more than a few had cannons large enough to do damage to the hull if they got close enough.
Madilyn opened the door to the bridge and stepped back, allowing Sophia to walk in first.
“How’s it going, Captain?” Sophia asked, stepping over the bulkhead and into the bridge.
“Finally in sight.” Jezebel let out a relieved sigh. “The White Jewel of the Eternal Empire. The capital city of Itona.”
A resounding sigh of relief come from the rest of the bridge crew. They were all just as tired of this chase as Jezebel was. But the crew never once complained about it. Even when they were out of earshot of their Captain.
