25. The Captain
Chapter twenty-five
The Captain
T he fading autumn sun beat down clear and bright. Only the salt drenched mist of Letalis Falls provided the city of Vhallakyr with respite from its scorch. A woman stood on the salt baked planks of the dock that had once been a bustling trading port, now reduced to housing pleasure craft for the rich.
The light breeze ruffled her copper waves, though she had tied the front pieces back to stop them from catching along her face. She wore a pale sea foam green tunic and pants, made of a light cotton to help combat the midday heat. Her arms crossed beneath her chest; one dirt covered boot tapping on the wood as she watched her brother’s ship slowly sail into the port.
“Prepare to make port,” called the deep, travel worn voice of the captain. He jumped on to the starboard side rail, scaling the shrouds to take in the view of his home. A wry smile appeared on his face as he spotted his sister.
“Drop the winds.”
The breeze scattered his brown, sun warmed curls across his forehead, momentarily hiding the long-healed scar that lay there. He adored being out on the open water. At the mercy of nature, as they explored the shores of the scattered Isles off the coast of Osvolta. Still, nothing could compare to the joy of returning home after weeks at sea. To sail down the shrouded darkness of the Malum Channel and wait as the inner isle of Elithiend revealed itself.
Deep terracotta, sunny yellow, and pale orange buildings with whitewashed windows littered the coast. They sat along tangled, cobbled pathways. Rivers ran down toward the falls, glittering like diamonds in the sun. The breeze brought the sweet tang of orange and lemon peel from the groves to the west. And there, in the centre of it all, the crown jewel sat slightly back from the water’s edge. Valentia Palace, all shimmering white stone walls, burned red roof and sea foam green tiles around the windows and edges.
He was home.
“Tie her up nice and tight,” the captain called as he scaled back down the shrouds, jumping to the sun bleached decked below. “There’s a limitless tab at the tavern in the square for one night only: drink up, soak up, welcome home!” His sailors cheered as they busied about readying the ship for its stay in port.
“You’ll have them all in early graves if you keep this up,” Valentina called as she helped tie the lines to the dock.
“Happy sailors bring an easier life, Val.” The captain said as he wandered down onto the dock with her. “They put their lives on hold at will whenever they’re called out to join me. The least I can do is ease them back into life at home.”
“They wouldn’t need easing in if you didn’t spirit them away so often.”
“Something to say Val?”
“No. I’m merely curious whether you plan on staying put for longer than a month this time.”
“As long as Father is fit and healthy, and I continue to maintain the barriers, I am free to do as I please. What’s got into you?”
Valentina bit her lip. “We’ve received word from the mainland.”
The captain stumbled, his easy, carefree smile dropped instantly. “What news?” he demanded, picking up pace toward the palace. “From whom?”
“We should wait until we’re inside,” Valentina hedged. “Mother and Father are waiting, as is a cold bath and dinner. Honestly, you spend weeks on the water and yet you don’t bother using it to bathe?” she raised a brow, trying to lighten the mood.
“The stinks a surefire way to make sure you don’t get any grand ideas of stowing away.”
“Who said I planned to stowaway on one of your ships? I’ve grander ideas than that.”
“I’m sure you do,” he said, slinging his bag over one shoulder and his other arm around his sister, pulling her close. “Missed you Val.”
“I missed you too, Rich, arrogant peacocking and all.” She pulled free of his embrace, and he laughed with a deep smile, though the lines scattered upon his forehead betrayed the heaviness that loomed from the news awaiting him.
They’d deployed spies across Osvolta for centuries, but it was notoriously difficult to keep up communications. They hadn’t received more than single sentence, hasty scribbles in over two years. Something had changed, and he wasn’t sure he was altogether ready to know what it was.
“Tell me you’re joking.” The captain’s voice echoed across the white walls of the throne room as he stared at his parents sat atop their limestone thrones.
“This is some sick joke, right? Punishment for being away for this long. You thought it would be funny to make me see the type of news I could return to.”
“It’s not a joke,” Valentina whispered, from where she stood beside her mother, eyes downcast, arms wrapped around herself. The two women were complete opposites. Where Valentina was fire, Queen Audra was ice. They shared the same pale, almost translucent complexion. The same ice-blue eyes, but Valentina’s hair was that of writhing flame beside her mother’s snow white.
“Son, your father and sister speak truly, the duchess.” His mother paused, swallowing her own grief down to remain controlled. “Her grace, Xanthe Whitlock, died three mornings prior.”
“How,” he seethed, hands fisting. It had become commonplace for elementals to die on the mainland, especially over the last few decades, but it wasn’t common for a noble to succumb to that fate.
“There are rumours that the princess may be responsible. Word is she returned to the city. It’s the story that is widely accepted on the streets of Marrelin City.”
“Is the story without substance?”
“They say she spent the night alone with the duchess before she died. For all anyone knows, the princess could have slipped her poison.”
“That’s not her style,” he retorted, rubbing at the steadily forming ache between his temples as his mind raced through everything he knew about the Princess of Torrelin.
“We shouldn’t put it beyond her. People like her change tactics all the time.”
Prince Emmerich swallowed down bile. She was a killer, that wasn’t a secret. Some said she revelled in it, enjoyed the torture she’d grown to master. Bathed in the blood of her victims. Rumours said she was as stunning as the old gods, a siren in human form luring her victims to their death. Others said she was horrifically scarred in a murder attempt as a child and had been seeking revenge ever since. Few claimed she was the living embodiment of The Oracle, a vessel for them to wear and do their bidding in disguise. Regardless of who or what the princess was, she had become a nightmarish legend across Elithiend and now it seemed she may pose them a genuine threat.
“How many elementals have died this year in Torrelin?”
“It’s hard to know for sure, but estimates suggest at least seventy, possibly more.”
“How many of noble blood?”
“Three, including the duchess.”
“And by the princesses hand?”
“Latest reports out of Luxenal Mine suggest twenty-two this year.”
“Gods,” Emmerich muttered, staggering back a step. She was truly evil, perhaps from birth, for there was little he could think of that would warp a person to do what she did willingly.
“So, elementals are dying, and their princess has an unquenchable blood lust. If it is her, she can’t be working alone. She must be taking up another’s mantel.”
“What makes you say that?”
“These deaths were happening before. There’s no way she’s in this alone.”
“And the other option,” the king demanded.
“It’s a disease, one that’s gaining strength.”
The silence that permeated the throne room was deafening, save for the cawing gulls beyond the windows and the rolling waves on the coast.
“I have to go,” Emmerich sighed, hands delving into his hair as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth.
“WHAT?”
“NO!” the queen and the princess exclaimed simultaneously.
“They’ll kill you on sight,” Valentina continued, her knuckles white where she gripped her mother’s throne.
“We would have to make a formal request.” The king eyed his son, his mirror image, golden brown skin, deepened by the sun, and dark brown curls interspersed with red and gold in the sunlight. “They’ll attack first, ask questions later if they discover you on their shores without permission.” A solemn look crossed the king’s face as he recalled how he had landed himself on the throne. He’d been young when his father was caught sailing in their waters, but still he remembered every detail of the moment they’d told him he was gone. Passed on to the Netherworld.
“How soon can you draft it?”
“By end of day.”
“You can’t be considering this!” Valentina hissed.
“Silence Valentina, control your emotions.” The princess looked desperately toward her mother, whose hand came to rest upon her daughters. The two women agreed, but Audra knew there was no debate to be had; the king and his heir and made a choice, and that was that.
“My emotions are in check. It’s Emmerich’s sanity that isn’t. Even if they don’t kill him, what if it is a disease? You’d risk sending your heir—the future of Elithiend—into the vipers’ nest?”
“We’ve little option Val,” Emmerich reasoned. “Surely you can see that.”
Valentina’s shoulders straightened as she ripped her hand from her mothers. “I’ll go.” She swallowed, to hide the tremor in her voice. “It’s less risky and this way you don’t lose your heir.” She glanced at her father, her king, for approval. He did not meet her gaze, instead appearing to be having a silent conversation with his son.
“That’s not possible, Val.” Emmerich sighed, shoulders slumping.
“We’ve had the same training. I’m every bit as powerful as you. I can do this!”
“They don’t even know you exist! We’ve fought long and hard to keep your existence a secret.”
“You’ll miss the Harvest Festival at least, maybe even the solstice,” she tried desperately.
“So would you.”
“I’m not the future ruler of Elithiend. You are!”
“My duty is to protect Elithiend, whatever the cost,” he fired back.
Valentina looked at her parents and brother. “One day, Emmerich,” she said, eyes burning, “you’re going to need my help. I only hope your ego doesn’t get in the way then, too.”
“This isn’t about ego, Val. It’s about your safety, our safety. I need you safe. The kingdom needs you safe.”
“I’m more than this, Emmerich!” she exclaimed, arms flinging wide, the gold plates on her palms glinting in the sunlight. “I’m more than the last piece of your puzzle.”
“You’re staying in Elithiend, Valentina, and that’s final,” the king declared.
“Have my ship readied for immediate departure,” the prince ordered a guard.
“Son, that ship has just returned from a month’s long voyage. It needs tending to. Not to mention its size and crew requirements would send entirely the wrong message,” Queen Audra warned.
“Then have the Valdrych readied, and Commander Bleeker and her soldiers called up.”
“Right away, Your Highness.” The guard bowed as he hurried from the room.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Valentina huffed, shouldering past her brother. “I have training to oversee.” Emmerich watched his sister go with a heavy heart. She could hate him, if that’s what she needed, but as long as she was safe in Vhallakyr, he could focus. He could do what needed to be done to keep the rest of his people safe.
The king stood from his limestone throne, gripping his son’s shoulder as he left. “Set sail now and I’ll make sure you’re granted safe passage.”
“Yes, Father.”
“One of these days you’re going to push her too far,” Queen Audra said as she stood, moving with a timeless ethereal grace, her voice a soft, lilting song.
“At the end of it all, she is still your sister. She is more than the power in her blood. Never forget that.”
The dawn broke in warm orange and yellow hues over Vhallakyr whilst the prince finished repairing the barriers that protected Elithiend from unfriendly eyes. He could only hope that they would hold long enough to protect his people for however long this mission endured.
Soon the prince, Commander Bleeker, and her men boarded the Valdrych. A small crowd gathered to wish them well. He could see his parents from the balcony at the palace, but there was no copper in sight. Valentina had not come.
Commander Bleeker took the helm, as the prince filled the ship’s sails with wind to spur them on their journey. Slowly, they drifted down the dark passage of the Malum Channel toward an unknown fate.