The Once and Future Man - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As it turned out, only Aldrich and Fenix left the next morning. The entertainment of the magistrate's daughter had gone long into the night, with many of the serving girls being pulled into the fray as well. Both of Fenix's associates had happily joined in and been welcomed like long lost comrades. The tall blonde man himself had sat with Aldrich for hours, ignoring everything going on around them.

Both men opened up to each other slowly. Questions flew back and forth between them. Aldrich needed to know both what was happening back at his new home and how loyal Fenix was to the people who sent him. If things had fallen apart in Sinton and that was the reason the army was being recalled, then maybe he would stay put and keep the men with him. He had no loyalty to his hosts, no reason to give up what he was doing to save them from their own stupidity. But if Fenix proved more loyal than he was, it would be necessary to arrange another accident to remove him and his followers.

For his part, Fenix wanted to know if this man was as capable as he appeared. Certainly, the men were convinced that he was someone worth following. Their motion to protect Aldrich when he arrived had not gone unnoticed. Fenix's family had served in the Sinton Valley army for generations. His father, uncles, and brothers had all been killed in one campaign or another under the twins' leadership. His father had been butchered during a reckless cavalry charge in the south the year before last. The last of his brothers had died trying to retake the coastal tower just a few weeks before it was destroyed. After receiving that news, Fenix had almost walked away. He loved his home just as much as ever, but the loss after loss with nothing to show for it had become too much. The men in his family had been in the military for so long, he simply didn't know any other way of life.

He had heard the rumors that something big was planned to end the siege. Even more surprising had been the news that not only was it a success, the army had advanced further than it ever had before. No one he had talked to could explain how the tower had been brought down, but no one had any doubt that it had happened. Then new rumors had come that the kingdoms to the north and west were finally gathering their forces to stop the advance. In a show of rare good sense, the twins decided to be satisfied with what they had gained. Greddor had come to him personally with the orders for the army to halt its march.

In meeting Aldrich, the career soldier was surprised to find that the older man had no military experience. Greddor hadn't provided any information other than the new commander was to make arrangements to guard their new holdings and return to the valley as soon as possible. The scattered rubble by the coast had both impressed and terrified him to his core. The man responsible had done the same on a smaller scale. Fenix had seen much cruelty and debauchery in his thirty years, it was inseparable from a life spent at war. The casual detachment Aldrich had discussing all the explosive deaths they had caused was unsettling. Thousands had been blown apart on their way to this little hamlet and they might as well have been stick figures for all the emotion he displayed.

Greddor and Nessor were ambitious and overly casual with their men's lives, Fenix had more knowledge of this than anyone. But even they would balk at the number of people that had been turned into puddles of blood and gore just to send a message. Aldrich was a dangerous weapon. Pointed at the enemies of Sinton, he could accomplish incredible things. If not handled carefully however, he would be just as likely to lay waste to the valley. So far in their brief acquaintanceship, Aldrich seemed perfectly happy spending time with him men. Time would tell how he would react to being back in Sinton proper.

For his part, Aldrich was happy with what he heard from the new arrival. There was plenty of 'For King and Country' talk from the handsome man, but he could feel the doubt as well. Just enough dissatisfaction to take advantage of. As long as Aldrich could provide a better option for his men and for Sinton, Fenix wouldn't oppose him. There was plenty of hurt and loss in the younger man that he could relate to and make use of. They both wanted power and glory. Fenix wanted it for his country to honor his fallen family members, to make their loss feel less hollow. Aldrich wanted it for himself to cement his control over this world, making himself ruler instead of outsider.

The two of them saddled their horses at midmorning the next day. Fenix listened as Aldrich dispersed the men to take up defensive positions along the main routes into their new territory. Many of them had watched these passes as bandits, now they would do the same as an official army. There was the usual soldier's grumbling about new orders but all in all they seemed to be in a good mood. Aldrich gave each of his handpicked commanders a few grenades to discourage any enemy soldiers if needed. It wouldn't be possible for them to make more, but by now they had seen them enough to know how they worked. It also wouldn't hurt if their enemies saw someone other than him using the new weapons. He didn't want them getting any ideas that taking him out would solve all their problems. Fenix's own men were also staying behind to observe and assist with the repositioning of the army.

"All right golden boy, let's get going." Aldrich said as he mounted his horse.

The blonde man shook his head as he too got on his horse and left the little hamlet behind. Instead of going all the way back to the coast, they would be taking one of the passes through the mountains. It would be impossible to move an entire army that way, but two men on horseback would be able to manage it without too much trouble.

*****

Fenix watched while Covington went over all the plans for the upcoming feast. He'd been transferred to work for the newcomer after they arrived back in the valley. Or rather, no one had objected or paid attention when he didn't go back to his regular duties. They'd arrived to find the city a hive of activity, everyone getting ready to host visitors from all the surrounding kingdoms. An honor guard had met them at the gates, bringing them directly to the twins. Praise was heaped on Covington along with anything he wanted from the lords of Sinton. Fenix had been thanked for doing his duty and dismissed out of hand.

The blonde man was happy that the fighting was done for now, and that it had been an unbelievably successful campaign. His treatment upon returning left a sour taste in his mouth. Once again, the twins had shown their contempt for the rank and file soldiers. While he still had his doubts about Covington, at least his men were treated with respect. Aldrich had met up with him in the soldier's mess hall after his audience with Greddor and Nessor.

"It's a good thing we came back when we did. This 'fest' was going to end up a right cock-up if those two were left in charge. They would have had everyone at the end of a sword signing away everything they own. We would have been back to fighting before anyone left the room." He said casually as he filled his plate.

The men around them listened in surprise. None of them had been on the northern campaign with him and were not used to commanders criticizing their lords so openly. Fenix could see many nodding their heads appreciatively, though there were a few that wore scowls of disapproval. When he looked back at Covington the bald man appeared to be glancing casually around the room, but his gaze settled just a little longer on each of the men that weren't openly encouraging him. Fenix had heard many stories in the towns he'd traveled through on the journey north. He was familiar with all of the 'accidents' that had befallen disagreeable commanders during the drive inland. He didn't agree with such drastic measures, especially with the regular men, not officers. He knew it would be harder to remove so many men from the ranks without raising suspicions, this was a peaceful castle, not a dangerous foreign conquest. Fenix made a mental note to talk to the men before Aldrich did. A few of them were no different from Greddor or Nessor, trading their men's lives for any opportunity to look good in front of their lords. Those he would leave to fend for themselves, the others he would try to persuade the best he could. He knew many of them were reacting negatively just out reflex, some were fresh from training and still thrilled with being accepted into the ranks of the army.

"Were you able to talk them around?" Fenix asked. He saw even more faces turning to listen to the answer.

"Oh aye, I think so." Aldrich answered. He lifted his empty mug to a nearby servant. "Oi, you! Fill 'er up, will ya?"

The onlookers waited eagerly for him to finish a long drink from his freshly filled mug before continuing. Aldrich wiped his mouth and settled back in his seat, fully aware of the eyes on him.

"Took some doing, but I convinced them that everyone already knows how dangerous the army is now, no need to ram it down everyone's throats. Not to mention I've just about used all the powder I brought with me. I've got people out now gathering everything we need to make more but that will take time. We have everyone over for a fry up, show 'em what's done is done and no hard feelings. We also show 'em that we've got plenty more to take down any one of their fancy castles. Get everyone to sign off on what we gained and send 'em all back home. Even got them to invite that island bird everyone is so keen on marrying."

That last part caught Fenix by surprise. Why invite the queen of Wellon here? The island country had never cared about what happened on the continent before, why should them care now? He knew in his short time with Covington that there was very little that he did that didn't benefit him directly, there had to be a reason for reaching out to the little island up north.

It was hours late before the dining hall emptied out and he had a chance to ask Aldrich about his plans. The big man hesitated, eyeing him closely before answering.

"Don't believe I'm just being thorough with the invitations?" He asked.

Fenix shook his head. "Is that what you told the twins?"

"Of course, and they believed every word of it. Seemed to think it would give them a shot to marry the queen. Something about a line?"

Fenix groaned and sank lower in his seat. He explained Wellon's courting line and the twins' failed attempts to win over Queen Mialana.

"So, they just go there and puff out their chests for her to swoon over?" Aldrich's laughter echoed from the stone walls of the empty hall. "How they manage to hold onto an entire country I'll never understand. This world makes even less sense than mine did."

This wasn't the first time Covington had said something like that. Every time it happened the actual meaning was always just out of reach for Fenix. He tried to puzzle it out on his own unsuccessfully. Covington would explain it away, saying he meant his country or his land, but Fenix knew he was avoiding the question. No one could travel to another world, could they?

"If you don't actually care about the queen being here then why bother? Wellon's just a poor little island." He asked, not really expecting a straight answer.

Alrich eyed him closely for a moment before answering. It was only the two of them in the huge room, apart from a few servants sweeping and tending the fires. He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. The gleaming, well-scrubbed, wood groaned under the weight of the big man. Fenix couldn't help but lean in to hear what the foreigner had to say, finally the intrigue was leading somewhere.

"It's not the queen I'm interested in." Covington's eyes were shining with intensity. "There's someone that might come with here that I have a much greater interest in..."

*****

"What do you mean she's gone?"

Pold shrugged his massive shoulders before answering David's question. "I mean exactly what I said. Left the night after our last council meeting from what I understand."

"Well... shit."

They were in the High Priest's office, catching up on news before another meeting with the Queen. That amounted to several rounds of drinks and Pold letting him in on everything that he had heard, the holy man was a terrible gossip. David didn't mind, any information about his new world was useful. This news about Caelly came as a surprise. In the weeks since their last meeting no one had mentioned anything about it to him.

"Agreed." Pold said. "Her Majesty kept it quiet for a few days, but eventually she admitted that Caelly wouldn't be back. Wouldn't say precisely why, just that they had had a disagreement."

Can't wait to sit through this awkward as hell meeting.

"Better get moving or you'll be late boss." Corval said from his position by the door.

All three men left to begin the long walk through the palace. Servants fluttered around them, keeping things tidy. Rosha and Liri managed to keep his house in order all by themselves, he couldn't imagine having to deal with an army of underlings on a daily basis. Even Pold had dozens of scribes and messengers that reported to him, and that was on top of the thousands of lower priests and priestesses scattered all over the island. The out of shape holy man was soon puffing hard from the pace they were keeping.

"Is it really necessary to get there this fast?" He asked between ragged breaths.

"Didn't you used to be a world class athlete?" David laughed. "Moving around is good for you."

He reached over and patted the priest's prominent belly. Pold grumbled, but jogged a little faster to keep up with Corval and David. The two younger men laughed and encouraged their friend. Soon they had reached the meeting room, Corval effortlessly sprinted ahead to open the door for them.

"Show off." David muttered on his way into the room. Pold took a minute to catch his breath before following.

Laughter died on David's lips as he made his way to his place at the table. The others filed in behind him, equally subdued. Queen Mialana sat at the head of the table like always. Her uncle took over a whole corner of the room by himself. Kera and Rael were already seated together talking quietly while other ministers shuffled in around them. The only thing missing was the pale blondness of Caelly. A nameless lady-in-waiting attended to the Queen. It was the same young woman that had helped her the night of the dueling feast, a second daughter of some earl from the east. Mialana couldn't make herself learn any more than that about her, the loss of Caelly was still too fresh.

Once everyone was seated, all eyes turned to the end of the table. The Queen waved her attendant aside before beginning.

"Thank you all for coming. There has been some interesting news from the continent that we must discuss. Lord General, if you will?"

Greeg leaned forward in his corner, his low voice rumbled out slowly. "In the past few months, the Sinton Valley has almost tripled its territory. The standoff with their baron on the coast ended quite suddenly, after which, their armies moved north and turned back inland."

David frowned. That 'stand-off' had ended because a castle had exploded. It pointed strongly to someone else from Earth being here. He wasn't looking forward to hearing how many other places had been destroyed.

"There is apparently a new commander leading this expansion, not Greddor or Nessor. From the information that has come in, we can tell that there was very little resistance, and their army suffered few, if any, casualties."

There was considerable muttering at that. The twins were known to be very casual with their soldiers' lives. It was the biggest obstacle to their towering ambition to be the dominant power on the continent.

"Who is the new commander? Have Greddor and his brother been deposed?" Kera asked with narrowed eyes.

"We don't have a name for the leader, just that he was a recent arrival to the valley. He was personally appointed by the twins and they're still ruling things there as far as we know." Greeg answered.

"Do you know when he showed up there?" David had to know.

The general and the Queen exchanged a look before Mialana responded. "Just around mid-summer we believe."

So, whoever it is came the same time as me. That sure as shit means it's someone else from Earth. No one said anything about other people being 'chosen' like I was.

There were more than a few looks in his direction. A Queen's council by definition consisted of some of the smartest people in the country. Several of them were making the connection between their arrival times. Not to mention his unusual win in the duel with Harsk's man and the way that tower had been brought down.

Unexpectedly, Rael spoke up from his spot next to Kera Seddan. In meetings he normally didn't participate much outside of his area of guilds and coin. "How much farther do we think they can go before neighboring kingdoms rally together?"

"That's just it." Greeg said slowly. "They've already headed home. They've put their people in charge and left garrisons, but the bulk of their army has gone back to the valley."

Optimistic talk erupted up and down the table, people were hopeful that things across the sea wouldn't escalate further. Kera and Rael did not participate, neither did Pold. They all had too much experience to believe it was that simple. After a minute it was quiet again and Pold took the opening to ask what they all wanted to know.

"If things were going so well, why turn back?" He asked the Lord General directly.

"To put it plainly, we don't know. Their army stopped at a small river hamlet to resupply, then new orders came in and they marched back home. We haven't been able to find out why the sudden change. The twins would never give up on an easy conquest without a good reason, there aren't many things more important to them than expanding their realm."

There were nods up and down the table at that. The twins had tried several times to grow beyond their beloved valley. Their father and grandfather had tried as well.

"We may have answers to all of this soon." Mialana held her hand out to her lady-in-waiting, who placed an open letter in it. The Queen held it up for them to see. It was short but official looking, two large signatures and was seals at the bottom. "This is an invitation for me to attend an official dinner in Sinton itself, to celebrate their recent success."

Several of the gathered advisors balked at the idea of acknowledging the aggressive maneuvers that the twins had made. One who's name David couldn't remember advised the Queen it was too risky to sail there during the storm season. Another wanted to know why she had been invited, seeing as they were an island and not truly neighbors with the valley.

Mialana listened to their concerns calmly before brushing them off one by one. Attending to gather information was not the same as condoning what they had done. Sailing was risky no matter what season it was. They were invited, she believed, due to the twins' recent appearance in the Courting Line. This could be another attempt to convince her to marry one of them.

David didn't believe that was the re3ason one bit. Both of the twins had been to Wellon recently and would know that it wouldn't take much to conquer it with their newfound ability to destroy defenses. He was willing to bet everyone invited to this dinner would be intimidated one way or another into handing over even more territory than they had already conquered. Either way, he was glad he wouldn't have to go. It was enough to know there was another person from Earth on this world with him. The fact that they didn't seem to care about how many people they killed here made him want to avoid them at all costs.

Once the arguments over whether or not the Queen would go had ended, a new round of discussion over who would accompany her started.

"My uncle, the Lord General, will of course go with me, along with a small group of guardsmen. This is just supposed to be a dinner, so I do not want to antagonize them any more than necessary. Rael, I would like you to go to get a feel for how things stand with the tradesmen and common people. You are well known to enjoy taverns, so it will not be out of place for you to visit a few in town there."

Lokke tried to hide a smile at this while others laughed. David and Pold were among those that were amused. They had both been witnesses to Rael's adventures in the local inns and taverns.

The Queen wasn't done with her instructions.

"I would also like David to accompany me." She said, looking straight at him.

"Me?" He said, a little too loudly. "Why me? I don't know anything about diplomacy."

Now it was the Queen's turn to laugh. "That is very true. You do however know many things that others do not. You have also proven capable of protecting yourself. Especially in... unexpected ways."

David looked from the Queen to Greeg, who smiled humorlessly at him. They both wanted him to go just in case they had to protect the Queen so he could shoot someone. Even if they didn't believe that what he did was magical, they still didn't really understand the limits of what he could do.

Damn you Harsk. You and that stupid duel making me show what guns can do. Even when you aren't around you manage to be a pain in my ass.

*****

Emalyn slammed the back door of Ilex house and dropped onto a bench at the kitchen table in a huff. She tore into a loaf of fresh bread Addan had made that morning. Today had felt so different, so hopeful. A sailmaker she had talked to the day before had asked her to come back again to see how well she could do with mending and patching. Everyone had wished her luck as she ate breakfast at lightning speed and headed out. Even the rude looks and people moving out of her way hadn't bothered her as she made her way down to the harbor district. She had cheerfully knocked on the door and asked to see the master sailmaker, just as she had done the day before.

Her good mood had faltered as soon as the older man had come to the door. He ushered her inside politely but refused to look Emalyn in the eyes. The hopeful woman's hearing faded in and out as he explained, and her temper boiled her blood.

"Talked it over with the other journeymen... Couldn't convince them to overlook... Not worth upsetting everyone... Best of luck finding something else..."

Numbness was all that kept her from charging into the workshop to demand to know who had objected to her being hired on. The servant that had answered the door led her back out and closed the door with a sneer. The dejected redhead wandered slowly back towards home, not having it in her to try anywhere else. She had been so certain that this time everything would go her way. The sight of Ilex house caused her to break into a run, wanting to shut out the world behind its walls.

Liri had been at the table when Emalyn stormed in, talking with her mother and the cook. The sudden appearance of their newest resident caught her by surprise. She had been reaching for the bread herself before the irate woman began tearing it apart. After nearly a month, she was no longer afraid of the redheaded woman, but her sudden arrival had thrown Liri off balance. The bad mood was practically radiating off of her, along with the cold she had brought into the house with her. Boland had asked the young housemaid to help him brush down the horses that morning. She had taken one look at the frost covering everything in the garden and gone back inside.

"Um... did things not go well at the sail maker's?" Liri asked tentatively.

Fire flashed in Emalyn's brown eyes as she looked up from the scraps of bread in front of her. Liri squeaked in surprise and backed away from the table. Emalyn reached out and caught her hand, pulling her back down. She was ashamed she had frightened the poor girl.

"I... sorry." First to Liri, then to the others. "Sorry."

Rosha sat next to her daughter while Addan set a hot cup of tea in front of Emalyn. The cook swept up the scattered crumbs with a frown. Emalyn's cheeks reddened as she stared into the tea rather than meet his eyes. A fresh slice of bread appeared next to the cup, covered in blackberry jam like they knew she liked.

"Try actually eating this one, it works better that way." Addan said, now smiling at her.

"Thanks you." She told the cook.

The tea warmed her after a morning spent walking through the cold city. A small smile spread across her face as she took a bite of the bread. Everyone around the room waited for her to finish. Emalyn didn't see anything resentful in their looks after her outburst, only concern. It was a reminder that no matter what happened outside, if anywhere in the world was home for her, it was here. There was nothing left in Orland but an empty shack on the beach full of sad memories. People in Wellon mostly avoided her if they weren't outright hostile. Everyone at Ilex house was always there for her, even Liri.

Mother and daughter sat across the table, waiting patiently for her to tell them about her day. The cook hustled around, getting the beginnings of dinner started, but she could tell he was also listening and waiting.

"Mas... Master sailmaker, he want to make me job." She wished Jaym was here. The language of the continent and the lower islands wasn't spoken much in Orland, she'd known only a few words of it before coming to Wellon. Between immersing herself in the city and help from her young translator she'd made rapid progress, but she hated how ignorant her limited grasp of this tongue made her sound.

"He wanted to hire you? That's wonderful! What changed this morning?" Rosha asked.

"Other workers, they complain. Owner say... he sorry. Not want trouble. Same everywhere, no one want 'trouble.'" She finished her tea and slumped in her seat. "No one want cursed hair. Mother, Father, make no sense. Moons just moons! Not curse anyone!"

Liri's eyes widened at this affront to the Mother. Rosha kicked her discreetly under the table to keep her daughter from saying anything. This wasn't the time for a religious argument. Emalyn didn't mean any harm, the Mother was just a foreign concept to her. Orlanders worshipped a god that either lived in the sea or was made of the sea, the distinction was never quite clear to Rosha. Every sailor sacrificed some salt or some fish before a voyage to gain the god's favor and that was about it. They had spent several nights talking about their country's religions, but the idea that she was evil because of a moon still made no sense to Emalyn no matter how it was explained.

"What will you do now?" Liri asked. "Mom's already asked every decent tavern in town if they'd be willing to take you on. You've been through every sea trade on the docks and gotten the same answer."

Emalyn shrugged and raised her empty hands.

"Not sure. Not want give up, nothing back home go to. Keep trying? Maybe try another place."

Rosha wasn't surprised. Truthfully it might be easier for the young woman over on the continent. There was more variety of beliefs there, depending on what kingdom you were in. She was also surprised when her daughter spoke up to keep Emalyn there. It seemed the silly girl was like the rest of them and had grown attached to their house guest.

"You wouldn't really leave would you Emalyn?" Liri reached out to touch her hand. Emalyn squeezed the offered hand gently.

"No want to. Happy here, like everyone." She looked around the room to indicate the whole of Ilex house. "But no future, no op... options. Should move on."

Before anyone could respond, the back door opened and Jaym came rushing in, happy to be in the warmth of the kitchen. David followed behind him, careful to close the door to keep out the early winter weather. Emalyn caught Rosha's eye and shook her head, indicating she didn't want them to know how her morning went just yet.

"Ooh, fresh bread!" Jaym cried happily.

The boy had been in the yard practicing with his sword and helping Boland brush down the horses while David was at the palace. His cheeks were red from the cold. Jaym hopped onto the bench next to Emalyn to eat his lunch.

"No thanks Addan." David told the cook when offered a plate of his own.

"How was the meeting this time?" Rosha asked.

"Um... interesting."

"Really? How so?" Liri wanted to know. She was always interested in anything that happened at the palace. The young woman was thrilled to be part of such an important household, which had interactions with royalty.

"Well, the Queen was invited to a... uh, well a dinner I suppose. Over on the continent."

"Oh, that's so exciting!" Her eyes took on a dreamy quality as she imagined far off lands and elegant ballrooms filled with handsome well-dressed gentlemen.

David braced himself for the girl's reaction to his next bit of news. "And she asked me to go with her."

"WHAT?!" That came from Liri and Rosha both, surprisingly.

"You heard me. I'm supposed to be part of her travelling group. The ship will leave in about a week." He told them. "So, I've got until then to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do on this trip."

He walked out of the kitchen, leaving everyone looking excitedly at each other. The discussion of Emalyn's disappointing morning was forgotten amidst this latest news. Liri and Addan wondered what it would be like at the foreign palace. What everyone would wear, what exotic food would be served. Rosha listened for a few minutes before looking at Emalyn. The redhead listened to the others with a smile on her face, but Rosha could tell she wasn't really paying attention, her mind was elsewhere.

The housekeeper quietly slipped out of the kitchen while everyone else continued to talk. She passed up the stairs through the dining room into the library, which was where David usually was if he wasn't with everyone else in the kitchen. For once the room was empty, just the smell of all the newly printed books filled the room. She sighed and headed upstairs to the bedrooms. She stopped outside the master suite, knocking softly on the door.

"Come in." David's muffled voice came from inside.

He was pacing around the room, scribbling notes on a piece of paper. Rosha was appalled at the state it was in. His sword and pistol belts were thrown over the loveseat in the lounge area, clothes were scattered around the bed. Master David almost tripped over one of his boots that was peeking out from under a chair. He recovered quickly and looked up at his housekeeper.

"Oh, hi Rosha. Did you need something?" He asked.

She was still distracted by the mess surrounding them. "Wasn't that lazy daughter of mine supposed to clean in here?"

David looked around the room. "She did, this is just from the last few minutes."

Rosha shook her head. Trust a young single man to destroy a room in the amount of time it took her to walk up a few flights of stairs.

"Well, that's not the reason I needed to talk to you anyway." She said.

David continued to move around the room making notes. Without looking up he asked, "So what did you want?"

The older woman firmed up her resolve and told him, "We need to talk about Emalyn."

He stopped in his tracks, list forgotten, and looked at her. "What about her? Is she ok?"

Rosha smiled at his concern, even though it didn't make what she had to say any easier. She knew he wouldn't be happy about it, but it needed to be said.

"I think you should take her with you to the continent. Things just aren't working out for her here."

David was stunned. After the initial awkwardness bringing her home, he'd thought things had been going pretty well in the house. "What do you mean? I thought you'd gotten over all that curse nonsense."

Rosha shook her head, "It's not that."

She took a seat in the lounge and patted the cushion next to her. David sat down, looking quizzically at her. If he was any other master she wouldn't dare tell him what to do like this, or talk to him as though he were one of her children. She knew Master David relied on her knowledge and her honesty.

"Everything is fine here at home. It's outside that isn't working out. That poor woman has tried everywhere we can think of, and no one will hire her."

"So? She doesn't even need a job, it's not like I'm charging her rent." He replied.

"It's not about that." She said patiently. "She feels useless and frustrated. You know how stubborn and independent she is. It bothers her to not be moving on with her life."

"So, you want me to just dump her over on the continent all alone?" He asked.

"No, it's not what I want, but it might be what's best for her. People there won't think she's cursed. She can find a job, start making a life for herself." She paused. "Maybe even meet someone."

David's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just that if you're not going to tell her you're interested, then she's going to find someone who will." She answered, staring him down.

He left his seat and started pacing again.

"It's not that simple."

"Of course it is. If you want her to stay, then speak up. Otherwise, she's just about had enough of being rejected everywhere she goes and she's ready to move on." Rosha got up from the couch, stepping in front of David. She put her hand on his arm and smiled gently at him. "None of us want her to leave, but you should let her decide what she wants to do."

The housekeeper left the room, casting another disgusted glance around on her way out. She'd make sure to send her daughter back up again later to take care of the mess.

David stood in the middle of his lounge staring blankly at the closed door. He'd been working on a list of things he needed to get done before leaving, it sat in his hand completely forgotten. Was Rosha right, was Emalyn really ready to leave? He knew she was frustrated at dinner more often than not, but after a few minutes she was her usual cheerful self.

Everyone kept telling him it was simple, just tell her how he felt about her. The problem was that he wasn't even sure how he felt. There was no denying that he found her attractive, everyone around him noticed that. Their dinners together were always the highlight of his day. On the other hand, they hadn't known each other for very long, and it was difficult to get to know her using Jaym as an interpreter. Everything was filtered through his limited understanding of Emalyn's language. He'd made an effort to learn it himself, but it was slow going.

If he was certain how he felt, would it still be right to ask her to stay? Even if she felt the same, it wouldn't change anything in the city or the rest of Wellon. She would be happy at home and miserable any time she went out. People in the streets would still treat her like a monster.

Rosha's right. I have to at least give her the option to try again somewhere new.

David dropped back onto the sofa, bouncing off the firm cushions. Now all he had to do was bring up the subject with Emalyn, which he didn't want to do. Then he'd have to ask the Queen to take on a passenger he definitely knew she didn't want to see.

"Well... shit."

*****

Departure day dawned cold and frosty down at the royal pier. Corval rested against an archer's station in the forecastle, trying to stay out of the wind. His regular uniform wasn't doing much to keep him warm. David was with him, dressed in his regular jeans and boots, along with the warmest parka he'd brought to this world. He was having a hard time hiding his amusement at the lieutenant's situation. He'd offered Corval one of the other heavy jackets and been refused. Apparently, it was important that he 'represent the Queen properly'.

"How's that military discipline working out for you?" David asked him.

Corval grumbled about rude foreign wizards and squatted lower against the hard wood of the ship.

David laughed and turned to look down the length of the Queen's flagship, the Sea Star. It was a three-masted sailing ship, almost two hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. Behind him he could hear the waves washing over the ram built onto the bow. From a quick tour the day before he knew there were two decks below set aside for rowers that would propel the ship during combat. The top deck was crowded with half sized catapults jammed against the railings. Rigging rose up the masts over a hundred and fifty feet in the air. At the rear the bridge loomed over the deck, he could see the captain and the pilot talking while the first officer oversaw preparations for departure. Twin staircases on each side of the ship connected the bridge to the deck. Between the stairs two doors led to the captain's small cabin and the much larger Royal apartment for the Queen.

He hoped that Jaym wasn't in either of those. They boy had been given permission by the captain to explore the ship and had disappeared to do just that. Who knew when he would see the little imp again. Both he and Corval had warned him not to get underfoot or annoy the crew.

There was a commotion on the pier that interrupted his search. A dozen horses in full parade dress were trotting down to the dock ahead of an ornate carriage. The one they had ridden in out to the forest must have been the everyday carriage, it was a station wagon compared to the limousine coming their way now. Six horses were needed to pull the gold laden behemoth around.

"Time to stand at attention Corval, the big boss is here." He looked down at the shivering soldier.

Footmen hopped down from positions at the front and back as it came to a stop and went about the task of handing luggage down to a waiting longboat in the water. Half of the soldiers that had ridden in front dismounted and joined the luggage in the boat. As they started rowing towards the ship, a door in the carriage opened. The whole thing tilted deeply to one side as General Greeg stepped out. Rael Lokke skipped out lightly behind him. Both men stretched before turning back to the door to help the next passenger out.

Queen Mialana allowed the two men to assist her, though David thought her uncle could have set her down one handed by himself. The small woman was dressed for the weather, furs were wrapped around her shoulders. Underneath she wore another of her unending supply of dresses, a simple navy blue this time. It was too far away to tell, but David hoped she had boots on under it or she would have to ride her uncle piggyback to climb up the side of the ship.

Corval bravely stood up and the two of them made their way down to midship. Some of the crew were already there, waiting to help passengers aboard. The captain met them from the other direction. Corval had warned David that he was very proud of his position. While his uniform lacked a bunch of medals on his chest or piles of gold braid, the man was definitely full of himself. He nodded officiously to both of them and puffed up his chest, watching the longboats approach his precious ship.

The first boat of bags and soldiers bobbed alongside and a rope ladder was lowered to them. David hardly noticed the activity around them as everything was hauled up. His attention was on the second longboat. Greeg sat in the stern while Lokke, the Queen, and one of her ladies-in-waiting were in the bow. Six sailors strained at the oars, bringing them closer every second.

When he'd sent Corval to ask about bringing Emalyn along (he'd chickened out on doing it himself), the response had been a cold 'do as you deem necessary.' The Lieutenant had not been thrilled about being his messenger, but David had pointed out that it was technically his job.

The conversation with Emalyn had been unpleasant enough. He'd taken Rosha's advice and offered to take the redhead to the continent for better opportunities. Jaym had translated as best he could to make sure she understood that she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, this was just an option that was open to her. Emalyn had thanked him for his kindness to her and asked for time to think things over. He'd been hopeful when she didn't say yes immediately, but two days later she'd visited him in the library and asked him to take her on the journey.

"Don't... don't want to leave." She'd said. "Rosha, Addan, Liri... you, so welcoming. Very happy here."

She'd waived her hand around indicating Ilex house. Then she'd pointed out the window. He could hear the usual street traffic outside.

"All them?" Emalyn scowled. "The looks, mean talking, is too much. Should move on before..."

She hadn't finished the thought, just looked at him sadly as they sat in the comfortable leather chairs of the library. He'd assumed she was worried someone might attack her one day just for walking down the street. As much as he wanted to talk her into staying, he knew it was the wrong thing to do. So he'd just patted her on the shoulder awkwardly and said he'd try to take her with him. It was some small consolation that she hadn't been too excited when he'd confirmed the Queen would her to go. He'd turned away too quickly to notice the pained look she sent his way.

Now here he was, waiting nervously for the Queen to come on board, take one look at Emalyn and decide to have her thrown overboard. Mialana had never shown herself to be cruel, he knew, but this was also the person that had caused her girlfriend to break up with her. Plenty of people acted out of character when that kind of thing happened. And they didn't have absolute power over everyone around them like she did. One of the ship's officers had told him it was a three day trip down to the coast of Sinton, maybe he could keep them separated for that long.

"Oh! Here comes mister Lokke and the Lord General!" Jaym shouted excitedly at his elbow.

David jumped at his sudden appearance. It was hard to tell if Corval was startled or just shivering from the wind.

Jaym climbed up onto the railing, swinging one leg over to straddle it. "Aha! There's the Queen. She's so small it's hard to see her in the boat."

Some of the newly arrived guardsmen looked at the boy in shocked amusement, not used to anyone saying this sort of thing about their monarch out loud. David smiled apologetically and beckoned Jaym closer to him.

"We're on a Royal mission so you should probably keep that kind of thought to yourself, understand?" He whispered to his youngest servant. Jaym nodded sheepishly. In many ways he was mature for his age, but every once in a while he reminded David that he was only nine.

"I thought Emalyn was with you. Do you know where she is?" He asked.

Jaym shook his head. "I wanted to look around below the cargo hold and she said it smelled like an old latrine. I don't know where she went after that. It did stink pretty bad down there though."

There was no time to question the boy further. A bo'sun called out loudly and everyone on deck stopped what they were doing to welcome the Queen's party aboard. David's fears proved unfounded, Mialana pulled herself up onto the ship under her own power. The captain and his officers bowed low to her, then again to General Greeg when he came up behind her. The Queen acknowledged all of them politely and greeted David the same as she usually did in public. Unless they were safely in a quiet part of the palace, she was kind but distant to everyone.

So far so good.

Once all the passengers were safely on deck the captain signaled his crew to get underway. Sailors leapt to their stations and got to work. The Queen and her uncle walked towards her cabin in the stern, followed by her maid servant. The half dozen soldiers were already on guard outside the door. Rael didn't follow, choosing to stand in an out of the way spot with David and Corval instead. They shook hands warmly like old friends.

"Where's your stowaway David?" Rael asked, grinning.

"Your guess is as good as mine." David replied.

Rael had met Emalyn many times either at Ilex house, where he was a frequent guest, or on one of his trips around Thaladon. He, like all the rest of David's friends, was well aware of how David felt about her. It had raised David's opinion of the royal minister greatly when he had no reaction to the woman other than to be as friendly as he was with everyone.

Activity around the Sea Star was increasing rapidly. Sailors with massive shoulder muscles gathered around the capstan and began raising the anchor. Overhead men spread out along the spars to prepare to raise the sails. David was beginning to worry that maybe Emalyn had gotten lost somewhere below deck when there was a shout from up in the rigging on the mizzenmast. He looked up and saw a flash of red moving fast through the air.

"Holy shit!" David yelled as he ran to where he thought she was going to crash into the deck.

He was halfway there when he heard her shout of glee. Emalyn swung down in a smooth arc on the rope she was holding, across the ship and out over the side. David could see the smile on her face stretching from ear to ear. The rope stretched taught, and she spun around to glide gracefully to the railing beside the stairs to the bridge on the port side. Emalyn let go of the rope just as her toes touched the wood and she balanced on the narrow perch effortlessly. The former fisherman's daughter stood before the whole crew breathing heavily in excitement, her flaming hair swirling around her head in the cold breeze.

David listened to the whistles and cheers from the crew as he made his way over to her. Safe to say, if there was a crew member that wasn't impressed by what they had just seen, they were keeping it to themselves. He was hardly paying attention to the men around him. His focus was on women instead, Emalyn's landing had brought her face to face with the Queen. He was worried the small woman would take the opportunity to push her over the side.

Mialana stood glued to the deck staring the woman she'd heard so much about but never met. When the redhead noticed who was in front of her, she came to attention as she'd seen the sailors do and bowed low, keeping her balance the whole time. General Greeg smiled warmly at her and bent down to whisper in his niece's ear. This got her attention, and she allowed him to direct her to their cabin. The small ruler looked back again at the tall athlete standing on the deck of her flagship as if it were made for her before closing the door.

Emalyn caught sight of David and waived merrily at him. He was at a loss for words. For the first time he had seen her in her own element, all her worries forgotten. It made sense now, her drive every day to search for a sea trade in Wellon willing to give her a chance. Seeing how happy it made her, David wished he'd bought her a hundred ships of her own, despite her resistance to the idea. She stood there looking down at him, the smile refusing to leave her face. David had no idea what to say, he was afraid all he would do was ask her to never leave.

Rael stepped up, smooth as ever, and offered her his hand to help her down. "Very impressive miss. You've made quite a few friends amongst the crew with that little trick."

Emalyn laughed and jumped down to the deck. Jaym rushed over, talking a mile a minute in Orlandish. They went back and forth, presumably about him asking her to teach him how to swing through the air. Sailors resumed their tasks, and the huge ship began to move. The bow swung around towards the southwest. Everyone on board was in an excellent mood to start the voyage, except David. He was more conflicted than ever about letting Emalyn leave.

*****

Mialana leaned back against the door and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. That wasn't what she'd been expecting. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she came face to face with David's houseguest. Anger certainly, but not... whatever this was. Uncle Draedon was looking at her from where he sat at the cabin's small table, there was no mistaking the amused grin under his beard. As Queen there weren't many people that openly laughed at her, so she was unused to it.

"Uncle..."

Draedon held up his hands in surrender but turned to address the maid that was putting away her things for the trip south.

"I'm sorry miss, would you excuse us please? I believe her Majesty would like to yell at me again and I'd rather no one else witnessed it." It was true enough, the palace servants all laughed about the diminutive ruler chastising her massive uncle on a regular basis.

The girl giggled before catching sight of Mialana's stern look. She quickly curtsied to her and left the cabin, closing the door quietly behind herself. Greeg stretched his legs and poured himself a drink from the bottle on the table. The royal cabin took up the whole rear of the Sea Star below the bridge. A short hallway went past the space carved out for the captain's cabin and the chain linking the wheel to the rudder. Two doors and walls of heavy oak now separated them from the rest of the world. Out through the wavy glass of the stern windows Wellon was slowly getting smaller.

"Alright my dear niece, let's have it." The big man said quietly. "We both know you're not actually angry with me."

Mialana removed her fur wrap and threw it onto the bed attached to the portside wall. It was still chilly inside the ship but much more tolerable away from the wind. She dropped into the table's other chair, pouting.

"No, you are right. I am not mad at you. In fact, I am not mad at anyone."

Her uncle paused with his glass halfway to his lips. "But you want to be angry with someone?"

"Well... not exactly. It is more that I expected to be angrier than I am. Now that I am not it is both confusing and disappointing."

He nodded and set down his glass. "Because of Emalyn? Quite a woman, isn't she?"

She nodded reluctantly. "You know I do not accept all that nonsense about the Father and curses. But after everything that happened with Caelly I expected to be outraged, meeting the person that drove her away. Only now that I have, I find her just so..."

"Impressive?" He offered.

The Queen slammed her fist down on the hard surface of the table. "Yes, damn it!"

She left her seat and paced in front of the tall windows. The image of the flame haired woman flying through the air replayed in her mind on a loop. Each time she landed perfectly on the railing and their eyes met, those brown orbs were alive with confidence and exhilaration.

"It might also be possible that you're a little intimidated." Draedon suggested.

His niece turned to face him directly. "What?!"

"Not a feeling you're familiar with, I know. Think about it. Confident woman in her own element, just as beautiful as you are, maybe more so to some. Clearly capable in a field you know nothing about. It isn't easy to be confronted by that kind of thing."

"I have met hundreds of beautiful women, powerful women." She responded indignantly.

Her uncle wasn't fazed by her argument. "Every one of them was a servant or a subject with an interest in keeping you happy. Not one of them could risk upsetting you. Even the most powerful of them only has the skill to throw parties and try to manipulate people into giving them more power. Do you think that woman out there cares about any of that? Her indifference to everything you've been raised in is unsettling to you. I went through the same thing going out into the world and meeting new people."

Mialana had to admit that he had a point. Everyone she'd known her whole life either wanted something from her or wanted to be near her to raise their own status. As far as she could tell, Emalyn would be perfectly happy to be at sea away from any intrigue and plotting. It was refreshing in its way.

"Do you really think she is that pretty?" She asked.

The older man laughed. "Everything we've discussed, that's what you want to ask? You've got eyes, haven't you? I would think you'd be able to decide for yourself if she was attractive more than most women."

"Uncle! Just because I am not interested in men does not mean I am interested in every woman that comes along." She sat back down again in a huff.

"It also doesn't mean you're blind, which you'd have to be not to notice her." She nodded finally. "Don't feel too bad, I doubt you'd find your interest returned. Besides, she already has someone pining after her."

"Do you mean David?" She asked.

Greeg nodded. Then he told her what Corval had said about David not wanting to take advantage of the young woman's situation.

"That poor man. He really should say something."

"It's his mistake to make. You could issue a Royal command, but I doubt it would help."

She knew her uncle was teasing her, he always did when it came to 'Royal Commands'. She rarely used her power to order someone to do something personal against their will.

"In that case, what do you suggest I do?"

"What should you do? You're the Queen of Wellon, you can do anything you want. But if she's willing, I'd be allowing myself to open up to the idea of being friends with that woman out there. I think it would be good for you. As much as you loved Caelly, she wasn't any different from the rest of the people at court. Being with you raised her status and her family's. Might be nice to spend time with someone who doesn't want anything from you."

Mialana could see the merit in that. Still, it wouldn't be easy. "She is the reason Caelly left me."

Draedon shook his head tiredly. "Caelly is the reason Caelly left. Emalyn didn't have anything to do with it other than being alive, which is hardly a crime. Caelly was a nice enough girl, but it's time you admitted to yourself that the moon in her head had more than a few craters in it."

This got a laugh from the small brunette. It was a phrase the common folk of Wellon used for someone who wasn't quite right. It was considered too uncivilized to say amongst the nobility. Niece and uncle had always bonded by setting aside the rigid standards of society when they were alone. Draedon poured another glass for himself and one for her. They drank comfortably together while Wellon disappeared over the horizon.

*****

By the time the sun had set they were well out of sight of land. The night was calm and quiet, a half-moon hung low in the cloudless sky. Emalyn had volunteered to take watch and sat on one of the catapults amidship. The captain had almost refused, not wanting any 'foreign amateurs' interfering with the way he ran his ship. Both the second and first officers had vouched for her competence after seeing her in the rigging. The older man would have still refused if the Lord General hadn't stepped in. As head of Wellon's military he outranked everyone on board and could have ordered the captain to accept her. Instead he had asked him why he was refusing help when it was offered and how did he keep the ship from capsizing when his head had swelled so big?

The other men had politely looked away while their commander had turned purple in indignation. Greeg towered over him and his rage eventually dissipated. With the matter settled the General and the officers left the captain's cabin, having tasks of their own to deal with. Emalyn waited patiently, smiling happily at the captain and offering again to help.

In a petty effort at revenge, he had given her the midnight watch. It didn't bother her in the slightest, she was happy enough to be accepted by the rest of the crew. This was the best time she'd had since leaving Orland. The crew had sailed all over the world abord one ship or another, no one even looked twice at her, let alone accused her of being some kind of demon. Passing through the lower decks she'd seen more than one carving of Orland's nameless sea god next to a sailor's hammock. It felt so good to be out on the open ocean again, being part of a crew.

She'd asked Corval and David to join her on the watch, but both had declined. Corval's refusal hadn't bothered her so much, she knew the soldier was absolutely miserable being on board a ship. David on the other hand, had surprised her. He'd been acting sad since they left Wellon, and she thought looking at the stars would help him. So instead of spending the night with her friends she was alone tying knots in a small length of rope.

A noise from behind startled her out of her thoughts. There shouldn't have been anyone else on deck. There was the pilot on the bridge and a few lookouts up in the masts, but she was alone down below. Emalyn slipped off the catapult and circled around to the other side of the deck. It was most likely Jaym sneaking around after hours and she wanted to surprise him. She made it all the way back to the bridge unseen, turned up the other side, staying in the shadows. Another thump came from up ahead, near the main mast. Emalyn broke cover, sprinting forward to catch up with Jaym, ready to pounce. Only, it wasn't a little boy up ahead, it was a little woman.

Mialana was staggering as she walked, bumping into storage lockers as she passed. She tripped over a coil of rope and giggled drunkenly as she fell.

"So sorry, excuse me." She said to no one.

Emalyn wasn't sure what to do. She knew the Queen wouldn't be happy to be seen in this state by anyone, let alone a complete stranger. On the other hand, if she just walked away there was a good chance Mialana would fall overboard. Why couldn't it have just been Jaym trying to set off one of the catapults?

The Queen was still resting on her behind and laughing quietly to herself when Emalyn approached her.

"Majesty?" She said cautiously. "You ok?"

Mialana frowned when she saw who was coming to help her. "Uh... what are you doing here?"

The tall redhead squatted down next to the smaller brunette. It didn't look like she had hurt anything when she fell.

"I take watch, help crew." She said proudly.

"Of course you did." Mialana sat up with her hands behind her for support. "Did someone ask you to help?"

Moonlight made the older woman's hair glow as she shook her head. "No Majesty. Father teach, if can help, you help. I... com-comfortable on boats. Happy on water, so I help. David, he joke 'no free rides.'"

That did sound like something David would say, the Queen thought, an odd but practical saying. She also thought about everything else Emalyn had said while looking her over. Caelly had technically been a palace servant as well as her friend. As much as she tried, she couldn't remember the stubborn blonde ever volunteering for extra work. In fact, if the request hadn't come directly from her, Caelly would refuse to do anything for anyone. Even after David's arrival, and she had told her all of her dreams for what they could do for the people, her lover had been selfish. Aside from wanting David dead, her only plan had been to take his wealth for themselves. Not to use it as Mialana planned, but to hoard it. Thinking back over their time together, it was hardly the first time she had given her self-serving advice. The Queen sobered quickly and was ashamed of how blind she had been to what sort of person her closest friend really was. She looked into Emalyn's eyes and saw only openness and curiosity.

Mialana held out her hand, deciding her uncle was right, friendship with this woman would do her some good. Emalyn, misunderstanding, leapt to her feet and easily lifted the much lighter woman off the deck. The Queen let out a last half-drunk giggle and clung onto the side of the redhead to keep her balance. They stood together for a moment, arms around each other's waists.

"No free rides." Mialana said. "He is an odd man at times. But a smart and thoughtful one."

Emalyn smiled and her eyes became unfocused, like she was somewhere else. "Yes, thoughtful."

The look was not lost on her new friend. Normally she wouldn't have pried, but drinking with her uncle had made her bold. "Does he know how you feel?"

Even in the moonlight Emalyn's blush almost matched her hair. For a moment Mialana regretted asking and was about to apologize before she responded.

"No. I... no tell him." She said slowly. "Want to... be certain."

"About him?"

Emalyn smiled warmly. "No, not him."

She looked down at the Queen. "Wellon. I want... make sure it is place for me. David, people he live with, very nice. I feel welcome there. Other people, town people, not nice. Can't stay, can't live just in David's house. Have to work, have own life, before..."

Mialana nodded in understanding. Her uncle's assessment of this woman had been spot on. They started moving back to the cabins at the stern, keeping their arms around each other. Nothing more was said on the short walk back, each woman lost in her own thoughts. As they arrived at the door to her room Mialana thanked her new friend wholeheartedly.

"You are sure he has no idea how you feel about him?" She asked again.

Emalyn thought for a moment and shook her head. "Don't think so."

The Queen sighed. "Maybe he is not as smart as I thought."

Both of them laughed as they said goodnight to each other.

*****

The rest of the voyage passed quickly for everyone. David, Corval and the Lord General spent their days thinking about what might happen once they arrived and planning any number of escape plans. Rael joined them occasionally but spent most of his time lounging on the open deck. According to him, he didn't have much to offer other than to grab the nearest horse and ride like crazy.

Emalyn continued her midnight watch shifts and helped out in the rigging during the day. There were no more drunken visits, but Mialana did come by to chat whenever she wasn't working. David caught both of them staring down at him from the bridge and whispering to each other. He was thrilled that his fears had been unfounded, and they were getting along, but it felt a little too much like high school for his liking when they did that.

Jaym enjoyed the trip more than any of them. Aside from a total ban being placed on him helping to raise and lower the sails, he was free to go where he wanted on the ship. The cabin boys were in awe of him for his position as David's personal servant. The crew were happy to teach him their trade. Only the captain seemed bothered by his presence. The man seemed to resent all of them being on board, except for the Queen.

Land was sighted just after sunrise on the third day. David was back in the forecastle, this time with Rael. He'd been asking him about the continent, wanting to know what it had been like before he and the other person from Earth had arrived.

"From the times I've been here, it's not that much different from Wellon. A lot bigger of course, since it's not an island. And more people. Sinton Valley is actually one of the few kingdoms that's around the same size as home. Always been a bit of a sore spot for them. In Mialana's great grandfather's day they managed to expand to almost quadruple the size they are now, even with their recent conquest."

The coast grew larger and more defined, rocky outcroppings covered in oak, hickory and elm. Here and there he thought he saw a magnolia. The captain called out commands through a bullhorn and the ship turned further south. Eventually they would come to the coastal tower that had been destroyed, which marked the entrance to the original borders of Sinton.

"What happened to it?" He asked.

Rael shrugged. "The same thing that always happens, too much too soon. Uprisings by resentful peasants, appointed nobles turning traitor, other kingdoms retaliating. Not to mention the usual famines and plagues. Just one thing after the other making their army so small it couldn't hang onto all their territory."

"So maybe we don't have much to worry about this time then." David said hopefully.

"We'll see. They've never been able to destroy fortresses at will before. Then there's this newcomer to think about. From what we've heard, he's not nearly as dumb as Greddor and Nessor."

Jaym walked up to them, covered in sawdust. He'd been helping the ship's carpenters that morning. "But we live on an island Mr. Rael. They can't bother us, can they?"

Rael looked at David before answering, wanting to know how much he should say. David nodded, giving his approval to tell him the truth.

"That's true Jaym, we do live on an island, so we are more protected than most places."

The boy smiled, thinking he had gotten something right. David waited for Rael to drop the other shoe.

"You grew up in the city though. You've seen the number of ships in the navy, how many trained soldiers march through the streets."

Jaym nodded.

"What do you think would happen if ten times as many ships showed up in the harbor carrying twenty times as many soldiers as we have?" He asked.

"Well, we would fight them. Wouldn't we sir?"

Both adults nodded, not looking forward to deflating the boy's pride.

"That's true, we would." David said. "But do you think we could win against that many? Or worse, what if they landed somewhere else, and no one stopped them from landing. Every soldier marching across Wellon unopposed except for the little armies some of the lords can field?"

Jaym looked down at his feet, defeated. "We wouldn't win."

Rael nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Probably not. Over the years we've gotten by as a country because we don't go out and attack other lands, making enemies. We don't have anything that other kingdoms don't already have and we're far away, so they leave us alone. The continental realms are too busy fighting each other and the other islands are even smaller than we are."

Trees and rocks on the coast were being broken up by small villages more frequently. Nothing indicated that any of them had recently been attacked. Small fishing boats sailed around, some dropping traps overboard, others casting nets further away from shore. None of the buildings looked burnt or otherwise molested. It was hard to tell without a telescope, but it appeared there were plenty of people going about their day to day lives.

David pointed this out to Lokke. "Things don't look so bac here. Doesn't look like there'll be any revolt anytime soon."

"Hard to tell from so far away. Resentment is easier to see close up. When you can notice the looks the locals give the new soldiers in town." Rael said.

Whatever else the royal minister was going to say was interrupted by Jaym pointing over the side. "Look at that up there on the hill Master David."

Both men looked where he was pointing, a tall hill overlooking yet another coastal fishing village. This one was larger than the others, they could see several war galleys tied up to the wooden piers there. At first David thought it was just a rocky outcropping, but as he looked closer, he realized the tallest portion was part of a building. They were looking at the ruined tower that the Queen's spies had told them about. The blast had sent massive stone blocks almost all the way down to the village. One corner of the tower still stood; David could just make out a staircase ending abruptly thirty feet in the air. Whatever hadn't been launched across the hill had collapsed into a huge mound of stone and timber. It had been destroyed months ago. As the ship moved closer to shore, they could see that there was no one attempting to clear the rubble or rebuild the tower.

David left the forecastle and headed down to the back of the ship. He was hoping he could borrow a spyglass on the bridge for a better look. Crewmen were preparing the longboats that would take them to shore. There was no deepwater harbor here. He ducked around the sailors and took the stairs two at a time. Emalyn and Mialana were already there, passing a small telescope back and forth. The taller woman passed it back to the Queen and turned to David.

"You want me live here?" She asked, pointing to the hill.

"Well... not 'here', here." He said. "There's plenty of fishing villages up the coast that are safe."

She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned down to whisper something to the Queen. The wind stirred up her curls around her face so he couldn't even try to read her lips. Both women glanced at him and then smiled to each other.

I liked it better when I was worried they might kill each other.

The captain stepped up to the railing at the front of the bridge. "Lower the anchor, secure all sails!"

He turned to the Queen and saluted. "Your Majesty, once the ship is secure, we will lower the boats and head to shore."

David noticed he was dressed in what had to be his best uniform. All the buttons were polished and shining brightly.

He's looking forward to this. He thinks it's just a fancy party and he wants to show off.

What little respect he'd had for the man was gone now. How did he not know they were heading into possible danger?

"Maybe it'd be better if the captain kept the ship ready in case we have to leave in a hurry your Highness?" He suggested.

She saw his meaning immediately. "Yes, I agree. Make sure the ship can depart as quickly as possible when we return captain."

The older man glared at David. He would have done more but couldn't with Mialana right in front of him. Instead, he relayed the orders to lower the boats as soon as it was safe and stomped off.

An hour later the boats were heading into shore. David was in the lead boat sitting next to Emalyn. The sun was out, and she'd put on her floppy wide brimmed hat to protect her skin. Jaym and Rael were with them while the Queen and her uncle were in the second boat with her guards. Sailors pulled at the oars, heading to the village's smallest pier. David could see men already waiting for them. There were horses gathered to take them away from the ship and to whatever was waiting for them in the valley.

*****

"Here, try this one on."

Mialana and Emalyn were together in the rooms set aside for the Queen in Sinton Castle. They'd been met by a minor functionary at the pier when they arrived. He'd apologized for the lack of accommodations, but they were the last to arrive. Horses had been provided for them and they'd set off in a rush through the valley. The excuse was made that they were late to explain away the need to hurry. All of them suspected there were other reasons.

When their group stopped at night to rest, it was only at inns with no other guests. Rael attempted to go out at night to try to find anyone to talk to. He reported in the morning that no matter what time he left his room, there were soldiers waiting in the common room, alert and watchful. Their hosts were making sure none of them saw anything they shouldn't.

The city around the castle was alive with celebration. A holiday had been declared to commemorate the successful expansion of the twins' territory. Flower petals covered every road while banners stretched between buildings overhead. More mounted soldiers wearing the falcon emblem of Sinton surrounded them, preventing anyone from riding off on their own. Rael caught David's eye as they rode along. He frowned at the new additions and shook his head. This had never happened on any other previous trip to the continent, even after a war they had been involved in.

Greddor and Nessor greeted them at the gate, as was standard protocol at least. They each bowed low to the Queen and announced her titles before ushering everyone inside. Rooms had been set aside for them in a tower overlooking the city. They were told the festivities would start the next day at noon and to make themselves comfortable until then. David felt his sense of dread increase as the portcullis was lowered slowly into place, cutting off any escape.

After a sleepless night everyone met for a quiet breakfast the next morning. The Lord General had stayed close to his niece, while David and Emalyn hadn't ventured out of their rooms. Only Rael had gone around the castle, looking for people he knew from the other kingdoms. What he'd had to report did nothing to improve anyone's mood.

"It took a while to slip away from all these soldiers lurking about." He told them in a low voice. "But I can confirm that we're the only ones being isolated like this. Everyone else I managed to talk to said they were allowed to enjoy time in the city, and they saw plenty of work being done in the valley on their way here."

"What kind of work did they see?" David asked.

"Mostly wood cutting to make charcoal and a lot of pottery they said."

David explained the necessity of charcoal for making gunpowder.

"That's why we weren't allowed to see anything. They're trying to stockpile powder, and they don't want me to see it."

"But if they want everyone else to know, why hide it from us?" Mialana asked.

David shrugged. "I have no idea. It seems like they want to intimidate every other kingdom and send a message. I can't think why they wouldn't want to do the same thing to us."

General Greeg leaned forward at the end of the table they were all sitting at. "You can't? If you were planning on attacking someone, would you want them to know what they were up against?"

They'd gone back to their rooms shortly after that to get ready for the big event. Mialana had pulled Emalyn into her room with her. The taller woman had been too surprised to resist. The Queen had her serving girl go about getting her things ready while her new friend stared at her, confused.

"Do you have anything to wear?" She asked, hoping she wouldn't insult the proud woman in front of her.

"Yes, brought clothes for many days." Emalyn replied, still confused.

Mialana laughed. "No, not regular clothes, I know you have plenty of those. Do you have anything to wear to the feast?"

The redhead was now shocked instead of confused. "What? I... I not go to the feast. I, just a fisherman daughter. Maybe stay here and live, but not in castle."

"Do you want to stay here?" The Queen asked, more than a little concerned.

"Honest?"

Mialana nodded.

"No." Emalyn said. "Don't feel right here. Whole trip, make skin crawl."

The Queen agreed. Nothing about this journey felt right.

"Wellon not perfect. Crazy ideas about people." She pointed to her fiery curls. "But, feels better, feels good."

Mialana smiled, happy that even after everything she'd experienced, she still liked her country. Quite a bit of that had to do with her growing feelings for David, yet another thing he'd done for her. Showing a stranger what her kingdom could be.

Mialana had gotten up and gone to her bags, pulling out dress after dress. She set a couple aside and eyed the taller woman. Emalyn was at least half a head taller than her, none of her things would fit perfectly.

That had been an hour ago. Now they were narrowing down the options.

"No, that will not work. Try this one." She handed her a deep blue dress.

Emalyn stripped off the grey one she had just gotten on, not the least bit concerned about her nudity. On long fishing trips aboard a small ship there was very little privacy. Mialana did her best not to stare. There wasn't a bit of fat on Emalyn's swimmer's body and those legs seemed to go on forever...

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

"That is a little better." She pulled the hem down as far as it would go.

Emalyn frowned. "I look ridiculous. You too small to give away clothes. Why bother? I not Queen, I not welcome at feast."

Mialana continued to pull at the dress, adjusting the fit. "You are a member of my party, of course you will be welcome."

She sat back down on the bed, looking up at this odd woman who was quickly becoming her friend. She was passionate, like Caelly had been, but much more flexible and open minded.

"Do you want to go back to Wellon? Do you want Wellon to be safe?" She asked.

Emalyn nodded emphatically. She didn't want anything to happen to Rosha or anyone else at home. "Of course."

"Well, you heard my uncle at breakfast. Chances are the people here plan to attack us as soon as they can. They may try to keep us here, threatening us to give them whatever it is they want. We need all the information we can get."

She looked the stunning redhead up and down. The dark blue dress was tight around her body, the sleeves were a few inches too short, and the hem was just below her knees instead of touching the floor. It showed off far too much leg for such a formal event.

"And if everyone is too busy looking at you and not paying attention to what they're saying, we might learn something useful. It is not right to ask that of you, but I need all the help I can get."

Emalyn thought about it. She wasn't thrilled about people staring at her all night, she'd had enough of that recently. The Queen was watching her nervously, twisting one of the rejected dresses in her hands. There was a tension around her mouth and eyes that hadn't been there on the ship. Emalyn realized she was afraid. The Queen was more worldly than she was but still younger and more sheltered.

The older woman had faced storms, freezing cold, man-eating sharks. Fishing in Orland was by no means a safe occupation. She had come close to death a number of times. It would appear Mialana had never been in a situation where her life might be on the line before. It made her feel oddly protective of the younger woman, despite the fact that she had brought half a dozen loyal guards with her.

Emalyn stepped closer, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Ok. I distract people, I listen."

A little of the tension eased out of the Queen.

"We should both get ready then."

*****

The 'celebration' was held in the open courtyard of the castle. All of the dignitaries gathered to find out if their kingdoms would stay intact as the sun was high overhead. Everyone was on edge, keeping close to their own people.

David had expected things to be tense, considering they were there for the hosts to gloat over all the land they'd taken. He was huddled together with Rael and the Lord General. A few of the kingdoms from the north were talking to each other, but no one approached them. Some others were from lands to the south of Sinton. They looked disinterested in the whole affair, easy for them since they hadn't lost anything yet.

"Where is her Majesty?" Rael asked.

Greeg didn't know. "No idea. Her guards are with her, she's safer than we are."

"If you say so." David had his doubts. At least everyone in this place was united against their hosts.

Trumpets sounded, a harsh punishing noise in all of their ears. Standing at the main gate was Greddor and Nessor, wearing their usual steel breastplates, their falcon banner held up on a tall staff behind them. There was no applause, no cheering. All of the gathered dignitaries watched nervously, like rabbits that had just seen a fox approaching.

If the twins were bothered by the underwhelming reception they didn't show it. Both men nodded to the crowd and set off, each in a different direction. A flood of commanders and underlings followed them into the courtyard. David could see scrolls being handed out to each official representative. From the looks on people's faces, no one was thrilled by what they read. One of the nameless toadies came up to them with their own copy.

"Where is the Queen of Wellon?" He asked.

"I am here."

Their small group turned, bowing low to the Queen. Even the twins' man followed along, showing everyone the top of his thinning hair. Mialana was surrounded by her honor guard, Corval in the lead. People around the room turned to look as well. Aside from a few serving girls, she was the only woman present. It was also unusual for the island kingdom to be represented there. More than one person was suspicious that she might have been responsible for this latest aggression and was now here to get her cut.

Mialana was certainly dressed to impress. She was once again wearing the tiara with the three gemstones in it to represent the stars on Wellon's flag, along with a dress in a matching blue. David suspected she had on the tallest heels on the continent, she was almost normal height. The scroll was handed over, but the man refused to leave, staring past the Queen.

Emalyn had stepped forward past the soldiers to stand next to Mialana. Her red curls had been turned into an artful pile on top of her head with a few strands loose to frame her face. A few people looked away from the scandalous display of bare leg, but most of the men couldn't seem to focus anywhere else. David thought she filled out the dress perfectly. It was the first time he had ever seen her wearing makeup too.

"Boss." Corval nudged him, breaking his focus.

David cleared his throat and turned his attention to the Queen, but not before Emalyn noticed his interest. She hid a smile behind her hand and pretended she hadn't seen. The Sinton man suddenly remembered his job and moved on. Everyone grouped around Mialana while she unrolled the parchment she'd been given.

"The lords of the Great Sinton Valley welcome you to witness their great victory..." She read aloud. "No one can now stand against our might... territories gained... belong to Sinton hereafter."

She looked up at everyone and handed the scroll to her uncle. "It just goes on like that. There is a place at the end for everyone to sign, acknowledge the new borders, and promise not to take anything back. Nothing about Wellon though, nothing that would be cause for us to be here."

"That's true your Majesty. I made sure you were invited after the printers had those finished."

A large bald man had taken the place of the departed servant. David judged him to be well over six feet tall and heavily built. He knew instantly that this was the other person from Earth. The man was wearing a tweed suit complete with vest and pocket square. He also noticed tattoos on the backs of his hands and on his neck. Since coming to this world David hadn't met many people with tattoos, especially not one for Birmingham City FC. There were several scars on his face giving him a somewhat sinister appearance, despite that he smiled charmingly at the Queen.

Emalyn made a face as though she had tasted something terrible. It went unnoticed, everyone else was focused on Aldrich. Mialana put on her impassive 'Royal' persona and greeted him politely. David did his best to fade into the background, not wanting to draw the attention of someone who blew up buildings full of people to solve problems.

"And why was it so important that we be here?" Mialana asked.

"Oh, I've been looking forward to meeting you ever since I heard about you." He said, staring past the Queen directly at David.

So much for not drawing attention.

"What is so interesting about me?" She asked, pretending she hadn't seen where he was looking.

Aldrich recovered quickly. "There have been many rumors, brought back by Greddor and Nessor, about unsavory individuals visiting your country."

It didn't go unnoticed that he referred to his lords by their given names instead of as 'My Lords' as was proper. In all of their interactions David had never failed to show her the respect due to her position. This stranger was either ignorant or just didn't care.

People were starting to mingle around them, breaking up from their groups to discuss what they had just read. Servants moved in from the main castle offering trays of food and drinks. The din of conversation grew around them, the tone indicating most were resigned to accept the terms being offered. Greddor and his brother had moved to a table set up by the main gate. There they sat surrounded by a platoon of scribes, waiting with pens, ink, and cups of melted wax. As each foreign official made up their mind, they would work their way over to the table, sign the scroll they had been given, and press their seal into the fresh wax that would be poured onto the bottom. They would then be given another copy to take back with them and be sent out into the vast empty space to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Mialana turned her attention back to the unusual man in front of her. "I do not recall any 'unsavory' visitors to Wellon. There have been many new arrivals looking for better lives among us and they have all been adjusting well from what I hear."

She glanced at David and Emalyn. "Though, some have found a less friendly reception than I would have hoped."

Aldrich noticed the other woman for the first time. "And who wouldn't be welcoming to this lovely Irish rose?"

He held out his hand to Emalyn, whose eyes flashed with mistrust. David stepped forward without thinking, placing himself between the two of them. He did his best not to be intimidated despite being at least six inches shorter and fifty or sixty pounds lighter than the other man. Unseen behind him, Emalyn's expression changed to concern mixed with appreciation. He gripped Aldrich's outstretched hand in his own, gripping it firmly. It felt like trying to shake hands with a boa constrictor, he could feel the powerful muscles under his dry skin.

"Emalyn got a proper welcome at home at least. There's a little Texas hospitality in Wellon now."

Aldrich's right eye muscle twitched at the confirmation that there was in fact someone from Earth here, and an American at that. His blood boiled quickly after hearing he was in fact from Texas. One of his father's worst investments had been in property development and untapped oil reserves in west Texas. The old man had been dazzled by the promises of huge returns if he could help them get set up drilling. Millions of pounds later, not one hole had been dug. As far as Aldrich knew, the dirty lying Yanks had run off as soon as the check cleared.

David flinched as his hand was steadily being crushed. He refused to let go, instead focusing on Aldrich's face, confused that he saw such undisguised hatred there. As far as he knew, they'd never met before this. He hadn't done anything to Aldrich except also die and get sent here.

"Nice grip you've got buddy, but what's going on with your eye? Are you alright?" The twitching was getting worse.

Aldrich dropped the handshake and blinked, trying to regain control of himself. "I'm quite alright, thank you. Aldrich Covington, formerly from Birmingham."

David introduced himself and Emalyn to be polite.

"This is what I wanted to warn you about your Majesty. You'd be better off not trusting a Yank like him. Bunch of thieving tossers, the lot of them."

"Watch who you're calling a thief Lord Voldemort! I've never taken anything from anybody." David was now getting angry.

Mialana tried to calm both men, the exchange between them was going over her head. She had no idea what 'tossers' were or who that particular lord was. "I do not know what problem you have with David. He has shown himself to be entirely honorable since coming into my service."

Aldrich didn't care. "As you say your Majesty. I did my best to warn you."

He looked over David's shoulder at Emalyn. "Same goes for you luv. Once you get tired of his bollocks you can find me here."

With that he bowed low to the Queen and left before anyone could respond.

Aldrich moved over to stand by the table where everyone was signing away their lands, grabbing a drink on the way. He appreciated that it was a good proper drink, none of that awful champagne here. He sipped at the glass and watched the American and his friends. Their first meeting couldn't have gone any better.              

True, he had lost his control a bit, but even that worked well with his plan. Fenix had informed him that a duel wasn't allowed at this kind of event, even a private one. The other dignitaries would be offended and might unite against Sinton. Even with his knowledge and the store of powder they were building, that would end poorly for the valley. So he had chosen to be as antagonistic as he could get away with politely. Just enough to make them uncomfortable, and possible question the American a little.

He'd been right to invite them here, to see firsthand if the rumors were true. Another man from Earth, and an American cowboy at that. Of all the places he could be from, it had to be that gun crazy, bible thumping, cesspit. There wasn't a chance that the American didn't know how to make weapons to help his new friends. He'd have to move fast to take care of him before they could challenge him on the continent. He'd gotten a taste of easy conquest in this world, and he liked it.

Now, if they could be paranoid enough to leave without signing their scroll, that ought to be enough to convince those big idiots that the little island to the north was a threat. They hadn't understood why he had been so insistent about having Wellon represented there, but they'd gone along with it. They hadn't known anything about keeping the Queen and her escorts out of the city and away from the new gunpowder manufacturing. That had been his idea alone, to keep the American from seeing how far he'd come.

As he watched, the whole group from Wellon split apart and one by one headed back into the castle. The Queen had never come to the signing table to offer up her scroll. No one else noticed them leaving. The twins were too busy reveling in their success, while everyone else was drinking heavily now that the unpleasant business had been taken care of. Aldrich smiled and took another drink for himself. Now if only they would try to leave the castle early, that would make turning the twins against them as easy as could be.

*****

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" General Greeg asked his niece. "Not signing the territory concessions is one thing. We're not part of the continent and haven't lost anything, no one cares if we participate or not. Leaving in the middle of the night? That's going to look suspicious.

They were all gathered in the Queen's rooms in the castle. No one had stopped them from leaving the courtyard, no one had said anything as they moved deeper into the building. Now two of her guards were at the door while the rest of them were packing their gear. David had already picked up his sword and pistol on the way up to the room and had both attached to his belt. Jaym and Corval had also retrieved their weapons. Everyone was huddled up in the little sitting area the Queen had been given.

"Yes, it will look bad." Mialana responded. "But I do not think it will matter."

"How so?" Rael asked.

She took a deep breath before answering, sounding very sad. "It will not matter because I believe that man plans on attacking Wellon no matter what."

David frowned; she was right but that didn't mean that there was nothing they could do.

"That might not be true." He said.

Everyone turned to look at him. He met the Queen's eyes and knew she had already guessed what he was going to say.

"No."

"Let's be realistic your Majesty. Aldrich doesn't care anything about Wellon. He doesn't want the island, he wants me. Dead."

Corval put a hand on his shoulder. Jaym looked defiant like he always did when his master was threatened. Only Rael didn't look convinced.

"How can you be so sure? He was rude and hostile, sure, but that doesn't mean he wants to kill you. There's still plenty to keep him occupied here."

David shook his head. "Even if he doesn't want me dead, I'm the only reason he has to attack the island. You saw him down there, her Majesty may as well have not even been there. He was after me the whole time. Remember what the General said about keeping us away from the city so we wouldn't see them making more gunpowder? I'm the only other person in the whole world that can compete with what they're doing. He didn't want me seeing how much they have, which makes me think it's not much yet. That also means he'll move fast to try to eliminate the competition early. Not to mention he seems to hate Americans for some reason."

No one spoke. They all knew he was right. Even before these two strangers had come into their world, the Sinton valley had been an aggressive, hostile kingdom. Now, with piles of that black powder behind them, they would do their best to subjugate every realm they could. The twins would certainly not do anything to stop Aldrich from trying.

"So, I should go." David said. "You can go back to Wellon, and I'll head somewhere on the continent."

Emalyn's eyes shot open wide and so did Jaym's. Before either of them could say anything, the Queen answered.

"I already said no." There was no anger in her voice, just a flat command.

"If I stay, a lot of your people will die. I can do my best to give you every advantage I can, but that won't save everyone." He told her.

"Is Wellon not also your home?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes.

David thought for a minute. He knew where she was headed. He could lie, to remove the responsibility from her, but that didn't feel right. In truth, Ilex house along with everyone in it, felt more like home than anywhere he'd been since he was growing up in his parents' house. Not to mention all the work he had put into teaching the guildsmen and the street kids like Jaym.

"It's more home than anywhere else." He admitted.

That settled things for Mialana. "Then you are also one of my people. As much as anyone else who calls the island home."

She looked at David and then at Emalyn, including her in that statement. Both of them bowed their heads, proud that she considered them part of her kingdom.

"I have as much responsibility to you as I do to every person that lives. No one is allowed to threaten my people." There was hard iron in her voice as she finished.

The guardsmen were lined up by the door, standing tall, heads held high. They had removed their uniform jackets, wearing only plain shirts and pants, nothing that would indicate they were foreign soldiers. Each one of them carried a small pack of supplies along with their swords.

"Well, how are we going to get out of here? It's not like they're going to open the front door for us. And if we get caught trying to leave that Aldrich guy will find a way to make us pay for it. I don't think he's the kind of guy that likes leaving witnesses around to talk." David said grimly.

Rael laughed, breaking some of the tension in the room. "Getting out of this place isn't that hard."

David wasn't sure he believed him, but no one else voiced any doubts. The Queen took Emalyn and her maid servant into the bedroom next door while the rest of them gathered up whatever they could from the room. A short time later the three women emerged, having changed out of their dresses into simple pants and shirts just like the guards had. They each carried a small bag, and Emalyn had her wide brimmed hat on again, with as much of her distinct hair tucked into it as possible.

Once everyone was as ready as they could be, General Greeg opened the door to the hallway. One at a time they slipped out into the castle. Rael in the lead and the massive general bringing up the rear. Lokke's usual careless manner had disappeared, replaced by a quiet, serious focus.              

He led them down the hall in the opposite direction that they had come up before. They seemed to be moving deep into the castle, away from the huge front courtyard where everyone else was still gathered. David was impressed by the man's skill. It was one thing for him to sneak around to find people by himself, now he was doing it leading over a dozen other escapees.

They moved silently down stone passageways, torches throwing shadows all around them. Twice Rael sent them scrambling against the walls, trying to be as small as possible when a patrol of guards or a random servant crossed the hall ahead of them. After fifteen minutes of sneaking that felt like five hours, Rael opened a door into a servant's stairway leading down to the basement.

David ran down the stairs next to him, whispering "How do you know where you're going?"

Between the strain of leading everyone out safely and the physical activity, Lokke was out of breath. "I don't just work with our guilds. I work with the ones on the continent too. Stone masons, architects, anyone with secrets worth selling."

"Why didn't you say anything when we were coming up with all those escape plans on the way here?"

Rael laughed quietly. "You needed something to do, and the Lord General wanted to see what you came up with. He didn't think your ideas were that bad either."

At the bottom of the stairs several floors later, he wasn't the only one breathing hard. Only Jaym and Emalyn seemed to have energy to spare. There was no time to rest however, for all they knew the castle above them might already be alert to their disappearance. Rael cracked the heavy oak door open to peek out the other side. Satisfied that the coast was clear he motioned them all out into the basement. The hall stretched out ahead of them, arched wood doors lining either side.

Once again Rael took the lead, carefully counting doors as they went. When they reached the twenty-fourth door, he opened it and stepped into a dark, dusty storeroom. Crates and barrels were stacked in unmarked piles all around the room. The soldiers took torches from the hallway and began searching, sweeping enormous cobwebs out of their way. Rats scurried into the corners, running away from the unfamiliar light.

Lokke directed the men to the southern wall and soon they had handed over their torches so they could move the barrels stacked there. Little by little an opening appeared behind them, a dark empty tunnel sloping slightly down out of the room.

"This is it." Rael said confidently.

"Where does it go?" Corval asked.

"If my information is right, it should lead us out under the walls to an empty house in the city."

He had led them here without incident, they would have to trust that his contacts had told him the truth.

Footsteps echoed off the stone walls of the tunnel as they ran, no longer concerned that someone might hear them. On and on they ran, passing under the castle walls, through the city. All of them were exhausted. David had to pick Jaym up and carry him, his legs couldn't keep up with the much bigger adults. Mialana was holding a stitch in her side, grimly refusing all offers of help and continuing to run.

David was starting to think they would have to spend the night in the tunnel when he saw a ladder up ahead. One by one they dropped to the ground at the bottom of it. A couple of the guards took canteens out of their packs and handed them around. Everyone took a turn, grateful for the cool refreshing water. After a short rest Greeg pointed at one of the soldiers and then up the ladder. The man nodded and began climbing.

A short time later they heard a whispered, "It's safe."

They all let out a sigh of relief. David helped Emalyn to her feet, and she gave him a quick smile before heading up the ladder. He waited while Jaym and Corval went up next and then began his climb. The torches had been left down in the tunnel, so he emerged into a dark empty house. The secret ladder had been covered by a trap door in the back room of the house. David turned back to help Greeg off the ladder in the tight space. Everyone else was already gathered in the main room.

There was no furniture in the little house, just empty walls covered in dust and more cobwebs. All of the windows were boarded up and the door had a heavy bar across it, preventing anyone from getting in. Two of the soldiers were using their knives to pry the boards off one of the windows. Soon pale moonlight was streaming in through the opening. In the distance the castle rose above the city, brightly lit by the moon and hundreds of torches. It was late into the night now, but they could still hear sounds of celebrating coming from the city. The house they were in was situated out on the edge of the city, far to the south of the castle.

"Get as many horses as you can. Pay for them if you're able, if not..." General Greeg left the rest unsaid.

Three of his men nodded and slipped out through the door, which was barred behind them once the last one was out.

David sat down in a corner next to Emalyn while Jaym napped quietly on the floor. The boy had finally run out of gas after the long run out of Sinton castle. Corval waited with the other soldiers, ready to receive the Queen's orders.

"I'm sorry this hasn't exactly gone as planned." He said quietly to Emalyn. "Once we get out of here you can head up the coast I suppose, try to find somewhere safer to live."

"Silly man." She said shaking her head. "I never stay here with that... that man."

She shivered, remembering her interaction with Covington.

"Wellon not perfect, but Majesty is right." She looked him deep in the eye. "Is home."

They smiled at each other, both happy that neither would be leaving.

An hour had gone by before the soldiers returned with the horses. They apologized to their Queen for the wait. They hadn't wanted to go deeper into the city, so they had gone around the edge until they found a livery with enough horses. Even so, only eleven had been purchased. All of them were crowded into the narrow streets around their hideout.

Mialana took her maid on the fastest horse available, while her uncle took the biggest one he could find. Corval pulled Jaym up behind him, leaving Emalyn to ride with David. She hopped up easily behind him, wrapping her arms around his stomach and pressing her face into his back. He would have given anything for this to happen before that night, now he was just worried they would be killed in the next five minutes.

The horses walked as quietly as they could on the cobblestone streets. No one stopped them on their way out of the city. Only a stray dog crossed their path. Before long they were on the open road, galloping away from the city until even Sinton Castle shrank behind them.

*****

The trip down to the coast would always be a blur in David's memory. They made the three day trek in two, cutting straight across country. Resting only when necessary, they made it to the coast just as the sun was coming up on the third day. The horses were winded and sweating by the time they got there, and their riders weren't in much better shape. The only thing keeping the Queen upright was her maid sitting behind her, she hadn't been able to sleep for a moment.

It started to rain as they came down past the crumbled ruins of the old tower. It was pouring by the time they made it to the pier. The two boats from the ship were still tied up where they had left them. David breathed a sigh of relief and tried to stretch his aching back, but he simply didn't have the energy to straighten up that much. His muscles protested loudly as he slid out of the saddle. All of them were covered in dirt from the road and sleeping in the woods. The rain streaked down their faces, leaving everyone a mess. Not that it mattered, soon they would be on the ship heading home.

"Hurry! They're almost to the bloody boats!"

The shout drifted down to them at the dock, causing all of them to look back down the western road. Then came the thunder of dozens of hoofbeats as they started galloping towards them. The rain had kept the road dust down, hiding their approach to the town. Aldrich had driven his men hard on the road, furious that the American had been allowed to escape. He'd expected them to try to leave, but hadn't thought they would manage it so easily. How could those fools have an escape tunnel so easily found by outsiders? He'd taken off with his men as soon as he found out they were gone. Fenix had stayed behind to report on what happened at the castle. He had hoped to catch up with the Yank on the road, or even better, get to the docks before him. And now they had almost missed their chance!

Early morning fishermen scattered to get out of the way of the charging warhorses. One older man wasn't fast enough, and he fell under the hooves of Aldrich's men, none of them spared the poor man a second glance. The lead horses stepped onto the wooden pier at the same time the Queen and her party reached the boats.

Greeg went down first to steady the boat, the wind was picking up from the storm, making the surf increasingly choppy. Mialana sent Jaym and her maid down next. They huddled together in the bow of the little boat. Emalyn leaped down and started getting the oars ready.

The Queen's guards turned as one, acting on some prearranged orders. They ran at their own horses, sending them stampeding back at Aldrich's men. The panicked animals slammed into the soldiers' mounts, causing several at the edge of the pier to dive into the churning water. The horses thrashed around searching for land while their riders sank to the bottom, weighted down by their armor. Covington shouted at his men to kill the horses or make room to let them pass but it was too late, they were already tangled together in a bucking, writhing mess.

Soon they were stabbing at the necks of the horses around them, causing more panic from the smell of blood in the air. A few more men were lost to the sea while others lost their seat and were trampled like the unfortunate fisherman. For those that managed to stay on their horses a hole opened up for them to charge through. Aldrich took the lead and had his horse racing down the slippery wet dock. The lack of sleep the last couple days along with his obsession with catching the American made him careless about the danger.

Mialana's guards drew their swords and charged forward. Before they could surround Covington, his men were running them down. After all the chaos there were still over twenty mounted men left at his command. The Wellon men only managed to bring down two of Covington's before they were cut to pieces, their screams dampened by the sound of the pouring rain. Their sacrifice slowed down the attackers long enough for everyone but David to get into the boat.

He had waited for the soldiers to help them into the second boat and was surprised when they ran off. He watched, horrified, as they were slaughtered. Before he knew it the pistol was in his hand, and he too was marching back up the dock. He doubted it would even work in all this rain, but he had to do something, didn't he?

"What are you doing you Father loving idiot?" Corval grabbed his arm, pulling him back to the boat he'd just climbed out of.

"All the men..." David said, not able to focus.

"They did their job so we can get away. Getting yourself killed won't be anything but stupid." Corval dragged him back and pushed him down into Greeg's outstretched arms. The huge man caught him easily, setting him down on the seat behind him. Coval settled in next to David and they each grabbed an oar. The Lord General worked two of them by himself in front of them. They strained at the long wooden poles, moving out through the surging waves. Emalyn sat at the tiller with Rael following her directions on what to do. Their progress was slow, but soon they were far enough away from the dock so that no one could jump and reach them.

At the end of the dock a man got down from his horse. Aldrich was angrier than he'd ever been. He'd lost over a dozen of his men, not to mention all of those horses. He watched the little boat bounce on the shifting waves. It would have been better to capture them American and his friends, to find out what progress they'd made on their little island. This would be just as good, better even. No one would question a story about a rowboat going under in this weather.

He reached into his bag, turning over to give his hands cover from the rain, and pulled out a grenade the size of a cricket ball. He struck the match against its side quickly while it was still dry, holding the fuse out to the sputtering flame. It caught before the match went out, sparking despite the rain. It was now or never, the boat would soon be too far away.

"A parting gift your Majesty." He threw the grenade with all his might to get it through the now roaring wind. "I'm sorry you decided to leave us so soon."

His laughter was lost in the wind as the small projectile sailed in a low arc towards its target. It was one of his smallest grenades, but more than enough to open a hole in their sad little dinghy he thought.

David looked up when he heard the voice shouting. The exact words couldn't be made out in the storm, but the accent was definitely English. There was a flickering of light through the rain, and he saw the figures arm move. The little dot was hard to see through the rain, but he knew instantly what it was.

He set his oar aside and stood up in the boat, drawing his sword. Rael yelled at him to sit down and Corval made a move to pull him back to his seat. David struggled to keep his feet in the boat as the waves tossed it in every direction. The orb was coming fast, right on target. There would only be one chance at this. He took the best batting stance he could manage under the circumstances.

Don't need a home run here, just put the ball in play.

"Get down and cover up!" He yelled to his friends.

There was really nowhere for any of them to go in the little craft, only Jaym moved to get between the Queen and the oncoming object.

As the grenade dropped on them David swung the flat of his sword lightly, any harder and he risked it breaking apart on impact and exploding. The tip of the blade cleared General Greeg by inches, moving up to connect with the little clay pot. The fuse had almost reached the body...

TINK

David's sword connected cleanly, the grenade ricocheted away, spinning drunkenly in the air.

Boom!!

It exploded in the air, pelting them with clay shrapnel. Everyone received cuts and scrapes but nothing worse. They all looked at David, shocked by what had just happened. He dropped back into his seat, picking up his oar again. The storm was getting worse by the second and they were still over a hundred yards from the Sea Star.

All three men leaned into their task. Water crashed over them, threatening to swamp them under. Greeg was like a machine, methodically pulling at the oars over and over, slowly bringing them closer to the ship. Emalyn and Rael clung to the tiller using all of their body weight to keep them on course.

David didn't even know they were close until his oar hit something solid. Emalyn had brought them right alongside the ship perfectly. The huge vessel was straining at its anchor, threatening to smash them to pieces if they got too close. Half a dozen ropes were hanging over the side, being whipped around by the wind. A crewman spotted them and more were thrown down.

Greeg caught one in his powerful hands. He wrapped the thick cord around one arm and pulled his niece tight to his chest with the other. It took ten strong men to pull them up the side of the ship. They disappeared over the top rail before Corval snagged another rope. He was being pulled up as David caught another and tied it around Jaym and the Queen's maid. Both were small and the crew lifted them up quickly.

They drifted too close to the ship and made contact. David heard the planks on the port side crack under the impact. More and more ropes came down to them. Emalyn and Rael each caught one before David managed to snag another. As soon as they were lifted off their feet, the little boat smashed into the side of the ship and flipped over. The sea had swallowed it completely before the three of them were safely on deck.

The captain was arguing with General Greeg, saying it was too dangerous to set sail. The Queen sat against the stairs, shivering from the wind. Emalyn and her maid sat with her. Greeg argued that they could sink if they sat there doing nothing.

"Not to mention that lunatic waiting for us on shore. As soon as this storm breaks, he'll be after us." The General yelled.

The captain and his officers stood at the bridge railing shaking their heads. A gust of wind tore at the ship, they could hear the ropes of the rigging stretch under the pressure. A pulley on the mizzenmast snapped free, swinging wildly about. Crewmen tried to grab it or cut it free to no avail.

The wind switched again, whipping the heavy piece of tackle back across the bridge. It smashed into the captain, caving in the side of his head. Before his body hit the deck it moved on, the cord attached to it wrapping around the neck of the stunned first officer. His fingers pried at the heavy rope, but the wind was too strong. His body was lifted into the air like a ragdoll, the rope mercifully snapping his neck, killing him too. The second officer scrambled to get out of the way. Halfway down the portside stairs this fellow officer was flung into his chest. Both of them tumbled overboard. The rope snapped at last, and they took the deadly pulley with them.

Sailors worked quickly to repair the damage, looking to Greeg for orders. He was the highest-ranking officer there, but he knew nothing about sailing. His main concern was the safety of his niece and there was nothing he could do to protect her from this danger.

At the bottom of the starboard stairs Emalyn said something to the Queen in her own language and left her with the maid servant. She climbed the stairs, pulling herself up the railing rather than truly walking. She shouted out to the crew in Orlandish before taking the wheel of the great ship in hand. A few moved to do as she said but most couldn't understand. She repeated herself and Jaym appeared next to the Queen, relaying the orders.

"Man the capstan! Primary rowers to station!" He shouted as loud as his lungs would allow.

David, Rael, and Corval ran to the capstan when some of the sailors hesitated, unsure who they should listen to. More men joined them while others ran below deck. Soon they had the giant winch turning, bringing up the heavy anchor. Massive thirty-foot oars slid out of the ship on either side, stroking into the foaming water. The deep boom of a drum could be felt through the timbers of the deck.

Mialana took Jaym by the hand, pulling him up to the bridge. She positioned him at the railing to better relay Emalyn's orders. Soon he was calling out again, men on deck repeated what he said up to the rigging and sails started unfurling, capturing the fierce wind to drive them forward.

Emalyn stood at the wheel, her hat long since blown away. The rain had turned her fiery curls a dull red and plastered them to her face. Her knuckles had turned white from trying to hold the wheel steady. She shouted orders in Orlandish, too busy thinking to translate in her head.

Between the sails and the men rowing below deck, they managed to stay facing into the crashing waves. David and Corval remained by the capstan, not sure what else to do. Rael was tying ropes to both of them and then to the ship. Greeg was doing the same for Jaym and the Queen.

The storm lasted for hours, forty-foot waves crashed over the bow, washing down the length of the ship. A spar broke loose on the foremast, sending the poor sailors working on it spinning out into the sea. No one else died on the crew after that. They were battered and bruised to total exhaustion by the storm, but they held out.

By midafternoon the winds calmed, and the rain slowed. A few rays of sunlight shot through the lightening clouds. The rowers shipped their oars and came up to collapse on the deck. A deeply tanned crewman wearing a salt-stained bandana on his head that might once have been black came up to relieve Emalyn at the wheel. Her arms fell to her sides, shoulders burning from the prolonged strain.

Mialana rushed to her as soon as her safety rope was untied. She wrapped the taller woman in a crushing hug, the release of tension breaking down her usual restraint. Emalyn didn't have enough strength in her arms to hug her back.              

After a few moments the Queen regained her composure. She stepped back, smiling awkwardly.

"Take us home, Captain." She said, summoning the last of her energy to sound properly official.

Emalyn managed a salute, smiling ear to ear despite the bone deep weariness she felt. She pointed towards where Wellon would be on the horizon and her pilot spun the wheel. The bow turned slowly, beginning the trip back to the island.