Chapter 58 Aren
Aren
“It is fine weather you’re having, Your Grace,” the Amaridian captain said, bowing low as he stepped out of the longboat and onto the shore of Vexis Island.
“Our fleet encountered fierce storms in the north. Terrifying winds and waves the size of mountains, which is all to say that you might wait before you open any of the sparkling vintages lest you be covered in foam.” The man laughed loudly, his nervousness palpable as he glanced behind him.
“We also saw several Harendellian naval vessels on the horizon. You have scouts watching for them?”
Aren’s scouts had reported the same, and the man’s urgency was understandable. A merchant vessel like this would not stand a chance against a Harendellian ship of the line. “My scouts are watching.”
“We still need to be swift. Our sister ship with the grain was close behind, but she will take longer to unload. We anticipated outpacing her, so we brought a few sacks of flour to show you the quality.”
Aren took a sack from one of the sailors and opened it. The flour was finely milled with no signs of weevils, and against his will, his mouth watered. Handing it to one of his men, he said, “Get baking. Might as well taste it before we pay them.”
The captain gave an approving nod. “Shall we begin unloading while the weather holds and the Harendellians are unaware?”
The deal had been grain before wine, but Aren understood better than anyone the practicality. “Get under way. My soldiers will aid you as needed.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The captain bowed low, revealing the bald circle in what was otherwise a dense head of red curls. “It is an honor to speak with you, Your Grace. May the alliance between Ithicana and Amarid be long and prosperous.”
“I hope for this as well,” Aren replied mechanically, watching the man retreat to begin barking orders at his crew to move swiftly but not damage the product.
Then the smell of a campfire caught his attention, and he turned to watch two of his soldiers readying to make pan bread with the flour. His stomach growled.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever looked forward to eating something so much in my life,” Lia said, coming to stand at his elbow. “That sack isn’t going to last long.”
“Plenty more on the way.” He returned to watching the ship anchored in the cove, not wanting to admit his own hunger.
Vexis was a small, crescent-moon-shaped island possessed of very deep water.
The entrance to it was hard to see because of the placement of other islands, and Aren had often used it to hide various vessels from other nations that he’d taken in war or in the occasional act of piracy.
While the cove had a sandy beach, the long side of the crescent was high cliffs, which made it ideal for this particular exchange, as there was no attacking from the rear.
“Get the wine under the trees until we can move it into the bridge,” he ordered his soldiers.
“The heat of the sun will not improve its quality.”
And he desperately needed the revenue it would bring at Southwatch.
Crate after crate was unloaded from longboats, and the smell of cooking bread filled the air.
Aren didn’t fail to notice how his soldiers kept glancing toward the fire where those doing the cooking were building a pile of flat disks of bread.
“Finish first,” he ordered, because it would be good motivation to get this ship on its way.
“You want to try it?” Lia asked. “We should test to see if it tastes right. I wouldn’t put it past Katarina to give us sawdust.”
Aren shook his head. “First unload the wine.”
The hours it took to unload stretched on without incident, and then the captain approached, bowing low again. “We will take our leave, Your Grace. Our sister ship is waiting to take our place in the cove.”
“Agreed. Safe travels.”
Shifting from foot to foot, the captain waited expectantly, then finally gave a nervous cough.
“With all due respect, Your Grace, it is my understanding that payment is due for the wines. Those were the instructions my queen gave me, and she is not a woman who is forgiving of a man’s mistakes. Especially when it comes to her gold.”
Lia’s hand moved to rest on the hilt of her blade, and the captain gave another nervous chuckle. Aren smiled. “The gold will be loaded onto the ship that delivers the grain. Grain, then gold. That was the deal.”
“Of course! Of course!” The man backed away, bobbing three consecutive bows as he did.
Aren gestured to the sky, faint swirls of cloud beginning to form in the distance. “A word of warning: There is weather coming in from the west, and it will sweep north. I strongly suggest you get ahead of it.”
“Wise advice, Your Grace.” The Amaridian all but leapt into his longboat, which rowed swiftly back to the ship. Within a matter of minutes, the anchor was rising and the oars were moving the vessel out of the cove.
“Might as well eat,” Aren muttered to Lia. “They aren’t moving quickly.”
“You want to take the first bite? You made this deal happen.”
His stomach gave another furious growl, but Aren ignored it. His people were hungry because of him, so the last thing he intended to do was eat first. “I’m fine.”
Lia shrugged, and moments later, the stacks of pan bread were spread among everyone.
Groans of delight filled the air as his soldiers ate, but Aren focused on the towering merchant ship that was easing its way into the cove, sitting far lower in the water than the previous vessel.
Full to the brim with enough grain to hold his people through for weeks, if not longer.
It held more soldiers than the one with the wine had, which Aren found odd given the other vessel had intended to take payment for the wine, and he frowned. “Lia, send for reinforcements.”
“You think they are planning an attack?” she asked around a mouthful of bread, lifting a hand to shade her eyes.
That hold could be full of soldiers, which would account for it sitting so low, and old habits died hard.
But his concern was one of the Harendellian ships spotting the Amaridians and investigating.
“Best to be prepared.” Vexis had no real strategic importance when it came to the bridge, but if the Harendellians took it, the island would be easy for them to hold.
A voice said, “I was lured in by the smell. I wonder how much bread Aster and his crew ate before shipping the rest out.”
Aren turned to find that Taryn had come up behind him, alone for once. She and Bronwyn had been nearly inseparable. “Hopefully they are rationing. I had to borrow from lenders to pay for the wine transaction, which Katarina gouged me on. None of this is coming for free.”
Borrowed from Valcottan lending houses, and Aren did not care to think about the interest that he’d have to pay the bankers if he was late on repayment.
Nor did he care to think about how Zarrah had been entirely silent since this had all begun, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was out of anger over Keris putting himself in danger on Ithicana’s behalf.
“It will pay off,” Taryn said, shaking her head when Lia offered her bread. “Their wines are the best in the known world, and the South has been sorely lacking in supply. It’s a good investment.”
“At best, we break even.” To soften his words, he bumped his elbow against his cousin’s. “I’m glad you’re back, Taryn. I realize that the conservatory was your dream, but know that you are wanted here.”
She bit her bottom lip, then met his gaze.
“It was incredible while it lasted, Aren. Exactly as I always dreamed, and it was so peaceful. Until James fucking Ashford kicked in our door.” She made a face.
“It all makes so much sense now with what Alexandra told Keris. James was after Ahnna from the first day, always at her side, always with the dinners and the riding lessons. Bronwyn and I thought he was just allowing his cock to do his thinking for him by chasing after William’s betrothed, but the joke was on us.
” She spit into the sand. “As though Ithicana would ever have bent the knee to him. I’d say that I hope he’s dead, but I’d truly love the chance to kill him. ”
“Get in line,” Aren murmured, his temper fouling at mention of the prince, but thoughts of Harendell fell away as the merchant ship’s anchor rattled into the depths.
The Amaridians, who were always efficient, had a longboat loaded with sailors and several burlap sacks rowing toward the beach in short order, and he went down to the water to meet them.
“Well met, Your Grace!” The captain of the grain ship trotted up the slope toward him, handing over a sack of flour with a dramatic flourish. “Apologies for the delay. We had to evade the Harendellians, but we made it.”
Aren handed it to Lia. “Have it sent to Midwatch. Bring a few bottles of wine as well.” He was tired of Lara living like a pauper rather than the queen she was. “We’ll celebrate tonight. You can also get ready to start loading the gold.”
At mention of payment, the captain grinned.
“A celebration all around, so I brought a bottle from my cabin to toast.” He took a bottle of wine from one of his sailors and pulled out the cork.
Filling two glasses, he handed one to Aren.
“To Ithicana and Amarid. May this be the most profitable of friendships, and together, let’s knock those cow-humping Harendellians on their asses. Cheers!”
Aren clicked this glass against the captain’s, the red wine looking like blood in the glow of the sun. “I will toast to that.”