Princess Triumvirate (Pirate Princess, # 2)

by Catherine Banks

  He shrugged. “Maybe she figured she only needed to contain me while frightening you.”

  I stopped at the door to my cabin on the ship and sighed. “One fear. I have one stupid fear.”

  “It’s important for everyone to have a fault. Perfection is impossible and those who try to attain it usually end up having a mental break.”

  “So, you’re saying that I’m not perfect?” I asked in mock sadness.

  “You are as close as is possible to perfection. Now, go to sleep. A face this handsome only comes from getting enough beauty sleep.”

  I laughed so hard that I was doubled over and clutched my stomach.

  “She mocks my struggles,” Finn said and placed a hand over his heart.

  “Thank you for that laugh.”

  He kissed me and whispered, “I will gladly make a fool of myself anytime just to see you smile.”

  “You’re doing a wonderful job,” I assured him. “Good night, Finn. And thank you for not cutting Faxon’s head off.”

  He groaned as he headed towards his cabin. “He startled me!”

  King Jamel had been so thankful of Faxon’s help, that he gave us a month’s worth of food for our continued trip. I thought we would return to Crilan, but Faxon gave the Captain coordinates and we set sail.

  “Where are we going?” I asked Faxon for the fiftieth time that day.

  “You have to wait until Finn wakes up. I don’t want to repeat the story multiple times,” he reminded me.

  Finn had slept through breakfast and was about to sleep through lunch. I was beginning to worry because he never slept in this late.

  “Why can’t I go wake him up?”

  “If he is sleeping in this late, then he needs it. He has been through quite a lot this last year and he deserves to sleep in every now and then.”

  “Are you sure he’s…”

  “He is fine, Tilia. I checked on him two hours ago,” Faxon assured me.

  “Not even a hint about where we are headed?” I begged.

  “Northeast,” he answered.

  Northeast? What was Northeast of Qual? Judby was northeast, but we had already been there and learned what we could. I tried to picture the map of our realm in my head, but I could not remember what else was northeast.

  “Good morning,” Finn greeted me as he sat next to me at the table to eat lunch with us. “Sorry for sleeping in so long.”

  “No problem at all,” Faxon assured him. “A man needs a good rest every now and again.”

  “Okay, spill it,” I ordered Faxon.

  “What?” Finn asked.

  “We are going to visit the small island of Elady,” Faxon informed us. “I heard from King Jamel that his shipments depart from there. We might be able to learn some more from the dock workers there.”

  “Do we have to wear disguises again?” I asked with a frown. I really didn’t want to wear the eyebrows again.

  “No, for this mission Finn and I will be the only ones getting off the ship.”

  “You’re making me stay on the ship?” I asked with a sigh.

  “Finn can mingle among those docked and see if any of his pirate friends are about. I will be disguising myself and talking with the dock workers and investigating the patrons of the nearby taverns,” Faxon said. “You will stay on the ship because we have no need for your help this time.”

  “Harsh,” I grumbled.

  “Warriors get left behind occasionally,” Finn reminded me.

  “Just don’t have fun without me,” I mumbled.

  “I will try my hardest to refrain,” Faxon assured me with a laugh.

  Finn finished eating his food and kissed my cheek. “Stay on the ship this time,” he ordered.

  “Yes, Chief.”

  “Don’t worry, Finn,” Faxon whispered. “She’ll not be able to leave.”

  “Spells are not necessary,” I growled.

  “Yes, they are,” Finn agreed.

  “Fine, I’m going to take a nap. Stay safe you two.” As soon as I made it to my room, I started exercising. There would have been more room on the main deck, but I didn’t want to watch Finn and Faxon when they disembarked from the ship to do their reconnaissance or watch our ship circling around. The exercise would also help me relieve some excess energy and possibly allow me to truly nap for a bit. I had been edgy lately and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t take it out on Finn or Faxon.

  I began with my stretching, moved to jumping jacks, and then squats and lunges. I needed to stay in my best shape ever to continue fighting alongside my family. Jared exercised multiple times each day on top of his sparring sessions. If I ever hoped to beat him, then I needed to increase my training as well.

  I pushed my body through each exercise and reminded myself that the soreness and fatigue today would be worth it when I won a round against Jared. Sweat dripped down my back as I fought an imaginary enemy and then a group of enemies.

  The ship stopped, which threw me off balance and if my reflexes had been a tad slower I would have rammed my face into the wall of my cabin. I didn’t stop to ponder why we had stopped. All that mattered was defeating the invisible attackers around me and winning.

  Time didn’t exist in these moments while I trained. It passed, but I didn’t know how quickly or slowly it moved. For all I knew time had stopped to watch me fight. I pulled daggers and threw them into the shoulders of my enemies, the tips burying into the wood behind them. I spun around and kicked one before he could stab me with his sword and then ducked another enemy’s sword swinging to decapitate me. I knocked his legs out from under him and stabbed him in the chest with his own sword.

  My lungs burned for oxygen and after defeating the rest of the fake attackers I sat on the ground to stretch and then meditate. I searched for that spark within me, but again came up empty. Once my breathing had returned to normal I went to the washroom and sponge washed my body and hair.

  A new robe had been given to me by King Jamel and I slipped the soft silk robe on, the design matching the curtains that had been in the bedroom we had stayed in. I did a small spin and watched the design shimmer and shine. My bed welcomed me with open blankets and as the adrenaline from my practice faded, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Faxon and Finn returned after dark, but immediately went to speak in private. I had eaten several hours before, so I made them each a plate of food and walked through the ship to find them. Thankfully, they were in Faxon’s cabin so I didn’t have to search long. “Food,” I advised them as I walked in and set the two plates in front of them before I sat on the ground between them.

  “We’re returning home,” Faxon informed me.

  “What did you two find out?” I asked curiously. Faxon looked ready to set someone on fire.

  “We’ve hit the end of our mission,” Finn told me. “The only ones who had been purchasing the devices were Judby and Drimla. The place that was building them had been destroyed one month ago, and the shipment we destroyed in Judby had been the final one. The maker was hanged in front of all of the citizens of Elady alongside all of the workers he had. They didn’t want to incur Crilan’s wrath, so they ensured that there were no survivors to continue on with building or shipping the devices.”

  “What about him?” I asked.

  “He has been making his rounds, but only to collect money. He didn’t build them since he had taught the one person in Elady to do it. So, he was just making money and then returned to wherever he lives,” Faxon explained morosely.

  “That’s good then, right?” I asked with a smile.

  “Yes and no,” Finn replied since Faxon was glaring at the wall in front of him, “It’s good because we won’t have to worry about the devices anymore. It is bad because he is still out there somewhere. It is highly likely that he is living in another realm and…”

  “He is living in another realm,” Faxon growled. Fire licked up his arms as his anger grew.

  “Don’t punch anything!
” I ordered him. I didn’t want to sink just because he was upset and this ship could not take a punch like he had delivered in the laboratory in Drimla.

  He opened his closed fists and took a deep breath in, and then let it out slowly. The fire disappeared and he nodded at me. “Thank you.”

  “So, we return home to fill in Jared and Esmeralda, and then what?” I asked.

  “We will see after I talk to them,” Faxon said. “You two may be coming with me on one final mission, far away.”

  “How far away?” Finn asked.

  “To another realm,” Faxon answered. “I won’t discuss it anymore. You two go grab some cards and meet me on the main deck. I need some distraction.”

  “You’ll be distracted enough getting destroyed at cards,” I teased him.

  “You won two hands!” Finn growled. “That is hardly us getting destroyed.”

  “You are such a poor sport,” I teased.

  Finn walked out of Faxon’s cabin, but I stopped at the doorway. “Faxon, are you alright?” He worried me.

  He nodded. “Yes, thank you for your concern, but I’m okay. Just trying to deal with all of this and not sink our ship.”

  “Keep up the good fight,” I teased him and left to find Finn.

  He was already on the main deck when I arrived, so I helped him arrange a few barrels for us to sit on and one to place our cards atop. The crew watched us, but none approached or tried to speak to us.

  “Did you see anyone you knew?” I asked Finn as I shuffled the cards.

  “A couple captains and a few others,” he answered vaguely.

  “Anyone I know?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “Is there a reason you’re being so standoffish towards me then?” I inquired.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked and looked up at me from where he had been cleaning his sword.

  “You seem to be avoiding me a tad.”

  “I’m sitting right next to you.”

  “I know, but you’re not talking to me and giving me short answers about what you did off the ship.”

  “You want me to give you a step by step description of what I did?” he asked angrily. “I took exactly seven and a half steps from the ship to the dock and twenty more steps to reach the first ship…”

  “You know what I meant,” I snapped at him. Why was he being like this? I was just trying to get him to talk to me.

  “I went and talked to a few people and then came back. That’s it. Why are you hounding me like I did something wrong?”

  “I’m not…”

  “Just because I was a pirate does not mean I’m not trustworthy.”

  “I never said that!” I yelled.

  “You didn’t have to say it! I know that is what you meant!”

  “I did not mean that at all. You should know me better than that.”

  “Should I? We haven’t really known each other that long. For all I know, you think I’ll run to the first brothel I see.”

  “Finn, what are you talking about? I didn’t say anything like that. You’re acting ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculous? You insult me and then tell me that I’m being ridiculous.”

  “I never insulted…”

  “You know what? I’m done,” he sheathed his sword and stomped his way to the stairs and below deck to his cabin.

  What in the world had gotten into him? Why was he saying such ludicrous things? Had I done something wrong? I was just curious what had happened since I was here.

  “What’s wrong?” Faxon asked. “You look puzzled.”

  “Finn just blew up at me,” I told him. “I don’t even really know what happened.”

  “I’m sure it was nothing. He will be back to himself by morning, no doubt,” Faxon assured me with a smile.

  I wasn’t so sure.

  “Well don’t just sit there shuffling all night. Let’s play,” Faxon said.

  I dealt the cards and pushed aside the incident with Finn. Faxon was dealing with a lot right now and playing cards might help give him the distraction he needed. And me until I could figure out what was wrong with Finn.

  We played for some time, but there was a tavern not far from where our ship was docked that was exceptionally loud and it continued to divert my attention from the game. Faxon noticed it as well and after two more games he stood up and waved at me to follow him. “Come on,” he whispered.

  “Where are we going?” I asked in a conspiratorial whisper. I wasn’t sure why we were whispering, but it felt right.

  “To see what all the raucous is about. They seem to be having more fun than us and I want to see what they’re up to.”

  “Should we…” I stopped and shook my head. No, we shouldn’t wake Finn. If he wanted to be grumpy he could do it by himself.

  Faxon led the way, but it was easy to find with all of the noise emanating from the establishment. A dozen or so people lingered outside smoking or talking and a man with arms that resembled tree trunks stood near the door.

  “Stay with me,” Faxon ordered me.

  I looped my arm through his and we entered the tavern. It was larger than it looked on the outside and the room was filled to near capacity. There was a bar with some stools, chairs and round tables, and a stage that had a few chairs in front of it. Some of the people were playing cards, playing for money, and others were drinking and talking. There were warriors, pirates, men in expensive suits, and women in short dresses who periodically sat with one of the men, all in this tavern.

  “Quite an amalgamation of people here,” Faxon commented.

  I nodded in agreement. He walked up to the bar and ordered two drinks. A few people had taken notice of us and were whispering to each other, but most were focused on the stage. Who performed? Was it an animal show with performing dogs?

  A woman with tan breeches, black riding boots, a black lace corset, and a white long-sleeved shirt walked towards us. She had a fancy hat on that had a peacock’s feather sticking out of the top and red wavy hair that I was instantly jealous of. I had always wanted wavy hair like hers as a kid. I appreciated my hair for its unique color, but as with most women, I found that I wished for other types of hair as well.

  She stopped in front of me, looked me from toes to head and said, “So, you’re Princess Tilia of Crilan.”

  Faxon handed me my drink and looked completely at ease, so I guessed it was alright to answer truthfully.

  “I am. And who might you be?” I asked pleasantly with a smile.

  She stuck out here hand and said, “I’m Brigid, Finn’s ex-girlfriend.”

  I tried to keep the surprise from my face as I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Brigid.”

  “I was beyond surprised to see the former pirate captain here in Elady,” she told me. “Knowing that you are here explains it. I didn’t think that he would be far from your side, especially on his own.”

  A few people snickered around us and I resisted the urge to punch her. “Finn is free to do as he pleases.”

  “Is that why he isn’t here and you opted for this replacement?” she asked with a feisty grin. “I have to say, you keep mighty fine-looking men in your company.”

  I drank from my mug as I debated how to respond to that accusation.

  “I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” Faxon said and held out his hand.

  She shook hands and said, “Brigid.”

  “Faxon.”

  Those within hearing distance paused what they were doing to turn and look at us. I hadn’t realized until now that he had been using a spell so that he had a slightly different face. He had released the spell and smiled at Brigid as they still held hands.

  “Faxon, Arch Mage of Crilan?” she asked breathlessly.

  He bowed and kissed the back of her hand. “In the flesh.”

  “Why is the Arch Mage of Crilan here?” she asked, her cheeks flushed now.

  “I grew bored at the castle, so I opted to join Princess Tilia on her journey to cont
inue tutoring her,” he told her. “I didn’t want to waste a month of perfectly good training time.”

  “Or to allow anything to happen to her,” a man standing behind Brigid said.

  Faxon’s eyes sparked and he agreed, “Or to allow anything to happen to her. The King and Queen don’t take kindly to those who harm their niece and heir to the throne.”

  “King Priam learned that lesson,” someone in the room joked, which set the room off into a chorus of laughter.

  Brigid whistled to get the bartender’s attention, “Another round for the Princess.”

  “Thank you.”

  The table next to us mysteriously emptied and we sat down at it.

  “You have quickly become legend, Princess,” Brigid informed me.

  “Oh? How so?” I asked.

  “A royal sticking up for pirates against the King of Blith and the King of Trian is bound to get attention,” she said. “And then to have your family disintegrate a castle, slaughter half of Trian’s warriors, and decapitate their king to retrieve you. It’s quite a story.”

  “I’m not sure how that makes me a legend,” I said nonchalantly and gulped a huge drink of my alcohol.

  “You stuck up for pirates and were almost killed because of it. You then convinced the Dragon of Crilan to pardon pirates in his water and even welcome them to Crilan,” the man who sat beside Brigid said.

  “King Jared decided that on his own, but I suppose I might have been part of that decision.”

  “Then a pirate captain defeated the Dragon in a fight, became a Chief, and was engaged to the Princess in the same day. It’s a story that will be told for ages.”

  “That’s more of a feat of Finn’s than mine.”

  “Word around the reef is that you defeated four chimeras and claimed Trian for your own,” Brigid said.

  “Well yes, but Faxon helped.”

  “No other Princess has done a quarter of what you have, aside from the Queen of course, but she didn’t do most of her feats until she was crowned. Your name has spread across the Realm of Olanze and continues even farther,” the man said.

  “There’s another rumor that you were the first to cut the Dragon of Crilan in over a decade and that was before Finn fought him,” Brigid said.