“I can’t believe I’m going home. I feel sick,” Elsie says, suddenly realising what she’s about to do and how difficult it might be.
They make excellent time through the night, James and John taking turns to stay awake, making sure they don’t hit any obstacles and sail away from any choppy waters, to keep them on track.
By the time Elsie and Meg wake up after it took them so long to fall asleep, most of the morning is gone, but Tom has saved them breakfast. “Are you both all right? I wasn’t sure if I should have woken you.” He places meat and bread, ale and coffee on the table and then pulls out the seat next to Elsie. “Did you get much sleep?”
She shakes her head, no.
“I think you’re so brave. I wish I could come with you and help.”
She smiles at him before taking a long drink of ale. “Thank you. I know I’ll need all the friends I can get. I don’t know anybody in Allaire, except Meg. Thank goodness you can help me, Meg.” Elsie turns to Meg, giving her a grateful smile.
“I can try. The fairies are frightened of your step parents, rightly so, so I can’t guarantee you that anybody will help.”
Tom shakes his head. “Somebody will, won’t they? Even if it isn’t your sister or anyone she knows. The fairies are frightened, but they’re also angry. There is a real unrest at home. There will be people who want change. I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t want Elsie to get her hopes up,” Meg says, staring pointedly at Tom.
“But she has to have her hopes up. She can’t go back all meek and mild, worrying that she won’t be able to do anything and nothing will change. She has to go back and rally people.”
“Rally?” Elsie looks petrified. “I can’t rally people. Why would anyone listen to me, when I’m from the castle and I have my wings? Won’t they be furious with me? Won’t they think I’m one of them?” Panic has paled Elsie, and she pushes the plate of food away. “I’m scared.”
“Of course you are. But you have to be brave. Why do you want to go back?”
“To make things better?”
“Don’t ask me.” Tom says, laughing. “Tell me.”
“To make things better, to make it up to the fairies, to stop my step parents.”
“Are you sure? You don’t just want to sail to your new life and your new husband where it’s safe?”
She shakes her head. “I know it’s the right thing to do. So I might not be at the rallying stage yet, but I’ll get there. Once I’m home, and once I face the havoc that they wreaked, the misery they inflicted, then I’ll be ready.”
“You will be,” Meg touches her arm and squeezes it. “You could have sailed away and never looked back. If you feel unsure, then we’ll remember that. And Tom is right: there will be fairies who want this entire thing over with, fairies who are willing to listen to you and hear what you’ve got to say. Stay brave.”
Brave. Elsie nods her head. She will need to be more than brave. You don’t have to be brave when you’re locked in; it’s not something she’s well rehearsed in. But a good thing is that her step parents will never expect her to come back from her trip and be the figurehead of a rebellion, even though it’s exactly what she needs to be. Exactly what she hopes to be.
“I’ll be right back, I need to help the crew,” Tom says and leaves them to finish their late breakfast.
“Am I stupid?” Elsie asks Meg.
Meg shakes her head. “You’re doing exactly what you know you need to. I’m just scared for you. Leaving would have been so easy to do. It was what we expected of you. Nobody would have questioned it if they never saw you again. Alwen is waiting for you; a pleasant life is waiting for you.”
“I’m glad you told me the truth. I feel like I was meant to find out.”
“Really? I was so worried that I should have stayed quiet.”
“No. You definitely did the right thing; the only thing. You have known me a long time, Meg, I haven’t had a life. I have only had an existence. I’m ready to do something, change things, live a life I’m proud of.”
Tears fill Meg’s eyes. “I’m so proud of you. I have no idea where this mettle comes from, but I’m so pleased it’s there. Whatever you want to do, you’ll do it. And I’ll be proud to be beside you while you do.”
“Never leave me, Meg, you’re the only person I know, the only person I trust. I love you.”
“I love you too. You’re like my child, Elsie, and I’ve had such a hard time watching you wilt and wallow, but this is good. Good and scary, but exciting too.”
Elsie nods. She will need to keep convincing herself that she’s doing the right thing. It won’t be easy to do.
“Will you be all right by yourself if I rest? My head hurts a little.”
“Of course, but are you all right, Meg?”
“Nothing to worry about, just a lack of sleep.”
“I know that feeling, but I’m enjoying the fresh air. I’ll check on you soon.” They hug and then Elsie is alone on the deck. She stands at the railings, looking out over the water, feeling the icy air on her face, the splash of the sea. She feels more than a bit sick. Not seasick, but nervous, sick. Not one person on this ship would have judged her for leaving her old life, and yet she is secretly proud of herself for what she is choosing to do. Nobody would have expected it of her; it’s so unlike her. And yet what is she like? Who is she? When you have lived as a prisoner with no choices to make and everything done for you, who are you? Maybe she really is brave. Maybe she really is fearless. Maybe she is a warrior, and then she smiles just a little because that’s definitely not the case.
But it could be.
She thinks of the caves and how they were formed by the force of the sea, and how something so solid can change and knows that she, too, can change. She can go from a timid little princess whose life is mapped out by someone else – and not even someone with her best interests at heart and good intentions – to a girl who chooses what she does and where she goes and maybe even who she ends up with.
A shiver runs through her. She feels powerful instead of scared. As strong as a wave, able to knock somebody off their feet; as opposite to what she has always been as it’s possible to be.
“Is there anything you need?” It’s Mark, looking up at her, adoration clear in his gaze.
“No thank you, but it’s kind of you to ask. You’re young to be on the sea, the same as Tom. Is it something you always wanted to do?”
He shakes his head. “I never gave it a thought until the clippers came.”
Her blood runs cold at the word: clippers.
“Tom lived near me, and as luck would have it, he was home from a voyage visiting his family. The clippers came, and they caught my mum out. She hadn’t realised the day or the time, or just forgot with all us kids running around and nagging her. The little ones all got away, under the floorboards and into a hole we hide in, but I was too late. My mother was wailing and Tom came through to see what the problem was. Well, he made up the lie on the spot, said they couldn’t clip me because he’d only come off the ship to collect me. I was part of his crew. They don’t even need six on a ship this big. But he took me, and he pays me, just so he could save me.”
Elsie wipes away a tear or two and Mark grins. “Made my mother cry too. He’s an honourable man. So, I won’t ever leave the sea. Safest place in the world. And I won’t ever leave Tom.” Mark gives her a brief bow, before running over to the table where her breakfast plates sit, and clearing them away.
Tom crosses the deck, giving her a wave, and Elsie watches him walk towards her, wishing he could come with her and that he could be a part of this future that she’s building for herself, in a way she never thought would be possible.
Tom looks excited when he joins her. “We are making impressive time. Mark all right?”
“Yes, he’s sweet.”
“He is. Great little chef.”
“So how long until we fly away and leave you and your crew to cross the seas again.”
“Early evening.”
“I wish I could stay. I enjoy being here on this ship, with you.”
“Really? I like you being on here. I was ready not to like you.”
“What? Why?”
“Why do you think?”
Instantly Elsie loses her indignation. “Of course: my step parents. Do you think anybody will believe that I didn’t know what they were doing, what they are doing?”
“I think you’ll make them believe.”
“You have faith in me I don’t have in myself.”
“That’s because you’re scared, which is understandable, but when people see you back home, and realise why you’ve come, you’ll have faith in yourself too, because they will.”
“I hope so. I’m not saying I’d rather marry Alwen than run into a little resistance, but I’m doing something risky here. I’ve never run towards trouble before.”
“That’s because you never knew it existed. This will change you, Elsie. In fact, this will make you. And I hope I get to see the new you. One day.”
She smiles at him, and places her hand on his chest, feeling his beating heart. “I hope you do too. I think you’ll be very impressed with her.”
“With you.”
“With me. Oh, Tom, what am I doing?”
He puts his arms around her and holds her tight and close. “The right thing, the only thing. You know it and so do I.”
She takes a step away from him, out of his embrace, wishing she could stay in his arms forever, but knowing she cannot. “You’re right. And from now on, I will not question myself. I’m going home to make things right, and that’s that. I'll fly ahead if you don’t mind, Tom. Clear my head.”
“Of course. Just stay in sight, please. I don’t actually want to lose you to bandits.”
7
SHE LAUGHS AND TAKES to the sky. The feeling is still so new to her she feels like she might fall. She spreads her wings as far as she can, enjoying the feel of them stretching, buffering against the wind, like sails themselves. She flies as high as she can until the ship is just a speck on the blue, and then swoops back down, somersaulting as she goes. Flying is so much fun; she cannot imagine how bad it is for the fairies who have been clipped.
She cannot imagine why her step parents are so evil, maybe she will ask them before she locks them up. Or kills them. Could she kill them? She has no affection for them, nor any love. They locked her up until it was time to send her away. But murder?
She shakes her head and flies higher still. Whatever the outcome of going home, she’s nowhere near worrying about what to do when she confronts them. If she confronts them.
She flies up again, higher and higher and higher, and then floats down, letting the wind carry her. As the ship comes into sight, she spots another vessel close, but tucked around the rocks; out of sight of their ship.
A strange prickle of unease runs along her skin, which is silly; there’s no reason to be suspicious of another boat. But then Alwen wouldn’t have someone out looking for her because he wouldn’t be expecting her yet, and her step parents wouldn’t have sent anybody out to make sure she crossed the seas safely because they really didn’t care, so why was the boat so close?
She spirals down at breakneck speed until she’s back on deck. She calls for Tom and he comes running up from below deck, a smile on his face at the sight of her.
“Tom, there’s a boat close by, I could see it when I was flying, but I’ve got a strange feeling.”
“How close? How big?” His demeanour changes immediately; he’s serious and sober. She describes as best she can where the boat is in relation to them, ahead and around a bend, and how big; smaller than them, but not tiny. He gestures to Dave, who immediately turns the boat, heading backwards and then around in a circle.
Meg joins them. “What’s wrong?”
“We think it might be an ambush. Elsie saw a boat when she was flying, and we think they’re waiting for a merchant ship bringing goods to Allaire to pass. We need to circle for a while, while we decide what to do. If we go past them, they’ll come aboard and ransack us and they might hurt us. Sometimes they just want valuable cargo, sometimes they have murder on their minds, you just don’t know with bandits. But if they find women on board... there’s no telling what might happen, especially if they know or figure out who you are, Elsie.”
Elsie pales, and Meg puts a hand on her back to support her.
“Don’t worry. They rarely send anyone to look out, they just wait to see who passes. This is a busy water passage and they are murderous but lazy.”
“So they won’t know we’re close?”
“Shouldn’t do. We’ll stay quiet and circle for a minute. Decide what’s the best thing to do.”
James and John are both furious. “We’ll fly straight over there and sort them out, Cap.”
Tom holds a hand up. “Wait. Let’s not do anything rash, we have others to look after today.”
Mark tugs on Tom’s sleeve. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Go on.”
“I’m a better swimmer than I am a flier, so I could swim around and behind them, see how many of them there are, report back, so we know what we’re dealing with.”
“Excellent idea. They’ll be expecting a ship or a boat or a fairy flying ahead. They won’t be expecting anybody to swim up near them. The mer-people all swim away when there’s trouble around, you know how fickle they are.”
“John, you’re a better swimmer than James, can you go with Mark?”
John nods and slings an arm around Mark’s shoulders. “Superb idea.”
Tom turns to Elsie and Meg. “I think you two should go below deck, just in case.”
Elsie takes Meg by the hand and turns to follow Tom’s orders when she spots him. A bandit. Her face turns as white as chalk and before she can say anything Tom has followed her troubled gaze and seen him. “Go!” he yells at the two women, who don’t need telling twice, and he turns to the bandit. Elsie pauses at the top of the stairs, watching.
He doesn’t hesitate; just flies at him, leg up, kicking him over the edge of the ship. Almost immediately another three scramble up onto the deck, crawling over the edge of the railings like rats. Dave screams as he rushes towards one, punching him squarely on the nose, before running at another one. Mark grabs a broom and uses the handle to poke at the third one. Three more swarm aboard and the fights break out proper. The crew are determined to defend, not only their ship, but the princess and her lady-in-waiting. The bandits want the cargo and aren’t afraid to fight dirty.
Mark takes a punch to the face and drops to the floor, clutching his jaw, and trying not to cry. Tom wallops his assailant and flings him overboard. All the men are brawny, used to carrying heavy cargo on and off the ship, and they are a suitable match for the pirates. Twitch is fast on his feet, punching and kicking whoever he encounters. John and James grab another bandit and throw him off the ship. There is only one left and Tom faces him, short of breath but grinning despite the bloody nose they have given him. “You picked on the wrong crew,” he says, wiping the sweat off his brow and rubbing it on his trousers, before punching the man right in the nose and throwing him, with help off Dave, into the water. “Let’s get moving, before they recover. Quick.”
Elsie lets Meg pull her down the stairs, assured that they are safe; the crew put up one heck of a fight. They shut the cabin door, and it swings open immediately.
“Cargo!”
Elsie looks horrified, and Meg lets out a squeal of fright.
Standing in the door is a bandit. A female bandit. She’s tall, dressed all in black, except for the bright red silk ribbon that is threaded through the belt loops on her trousers. Her hair is black, and her eyes are dark. She is beautifully terrifying. “I was expecting some quality stuff on this ship, but nothing as good as fresh meat. I’ll make a fortune selling the pair of you over the seas.”
She makes to leave but comes back into the cabin, shutting the door behind her. “Bef
ore I get one of my men to bring our ship around, I better tie you up. I don’t want to hurt you – you’ll sell for more without a bruise on you – but I don’t want to lose you, either.”
Elsie looks helplessly at Meg, whose expression matches hers.
“Will you sit for me? Ladies, I don’t want to threaten you.”
Meg fetches two chairs, and the pirate places them back to back. They obediently sit and she pulls a long, thin length of rope from a pocket in her trousers. “What are you two doing on a merchant ship, anyway? I don’t know many stowaways who want to escape to Allaire.” She lowers her voice, tying them up neatly. “The rumours are true. If you value your freedom and your wings, stay away from Allaire.”
Neither woman answers, and this amuses her. She hops onto the bed, boots up on Meg’s lap. “Tell me. I don’t like people keeping secrets from me.” She slides a knife out of her boot and holds it up as though inspecting it, but just making sure they see it, and the threat it represents.
“Elsie! Princess!” They hear Tom call out and don’t dare warn him. He opens the door and walks in, stumbling as he takes in the scene before him.
The pirate raises a hand in greeting, before licking along the blade of her knife and giving him a wink followed by a wicked grin. “Princess? This day just gets better and better.”
“Dayle?”
“You know her?” Elsie blurts out.
“Everyone knows her. Or of her, at least.”
The pirate almost preens at his words, stretching out, feline-like, on the bed and then in one quick move standing up, her knife at Elsie’s throat. She holds her other hand up, warning Tom from coming any closer.
He puts his hands up to placate her but looks at Elsie and Meg. “She’s a legend on these seas, almost like a mythical creature because so much is said about her and sung about her and she’s so rarely seen.” He lets out a laugh. “But here she is, on my ship.”
Elsie feels a little hurt. Tom is so taken by this hoodlum. He looks half scared, half fascinated.
The Rise of the Fairy Queen (The Fairy Queen Trilogy Book 1) Page 6
