Chapter 4
Aisha’s fingers were turning white on the ship’s railing as she searched the crowded dock, her gaze darting from face to face.
Every second that passed without seeing him made her grip a little tighter.
She couldn’t go to Gruisea without the prince.
And if she got off the ship, she didn’t know how she would get back to the palace.
‘Where is he?’ she said quietly to the guard beside her. ‘I can’t see him.’
The crew was already raising the sails, the canvas snapping as it caught the breeze. Ropes creaked and pulleys groaned as sailors shouted instructions to one another.
‘He’ll make it,’ the guard said confidently, though it was clear from his rigid jaw that he was concerned.
Aisha looked at him properly. ‘What’s your name?’
He pulled his gaze from the dock to look at her. ‘Kaidon.’
‘I really hope you’re right, Kaidon.’
Seconds dragged by.
‘There,’ Kaidon said suddenly, pointing to a man moving through the crowd.
Aisha strained her eyes, not seeing him.
‘In the fisherman’s cloak,’ Kaidon said.
She narrowed her gaze on the hooded figure with his head bowed, moving purposefully towards the ship. ‘It seems he stopped to do some shopping.’
‘Pull anchor!’ Kaidon called to the crew.
As quickly as relief arrived, it vanished when Aisha spotted three holy warriors shadowing the prince. They assessed him carefully. If they stopped him, for even a moment, it would all unravel.
‘He’s being followed,’ she told Kaidon.
He looked out, then slammed his hand against the rail. ‘Gods damn it.’
Before she could second-guess herself, Aisha tugged a filthy woollen blanket from a pile of cargo stacked near the railing and threw it over her head and shoulders. The stench of old fish and mildew made her throat close in protest.
‘What are you doing?’ Kaidon asked with an edge in his voice that suggested he already knew.
She gathered the blanket tighter so that only her face was visible. ‘Making sure he gets on the boat.’
Kaidon grabbed her arm. ‘I can’t let you do that.’
She looked him in the eye. ‘Need I remind you that we’re still in my kingdom? This ship is docked in Avanid waters. I have authority here, and you don’t. Now, unhand me.’ The words came out more confident than she actually felt.
Kaidon reluctantly let go of her.
Aisha walked straight down the gangway and into the crowd, her heart hammering and throat dry. Then, clearing her throat and pointing, she shouted as loudly as she could, ‘It’s the princess! Princess Aisha! I just saw her! Over there!’
Heads turned instantly, murmurs rippling.
The people of Avanid were starving for royal appearances, and Aisha felt bad for taking advantage of the fact. But everything she was doing was ultimately for them. Everything she was doing, and everything she was leaving behind.
‘Is that her?’ a woman cried, pointing in the direction Aisha indicated.
The crowd surged like a tide, people tripping over one another in their eagerness to catch a glimpse of one of Avanid’s hidden jewels. The holy warriors had stopped walking, their gazes following the wave of movement. They followed the flow of people.
Aisha slipped through the shifting bodies, the woollen blanket scratching against her cheeks.
She moved quickly, searching for Tariq. She found him fighting against the current.
When his eyes met hers, the hard lines on his face deepened.
He was not happy. He pressed towards her, and she towards him, until they met in the crush of bodies.
‘Why didn’t you stay on the boat?’ he whispered.
‘They were tailing you.’
Someone bumped into her, and Tariq drew her closer to him.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘I had a plan.’
She exhaled sharply. ‘Well, I didn’t know that.’
Gripping her hand tightly, he began pushing his way through the tide of people towards the ship. The gangway was already being hauled in, wooden beams groaning as the crew dragged it aboard.
‘We need to move,’ Tariq said as they broke free of the crowd.
‘Leave it!’ Kaidon was shouting, his voice sharp as steel.
The crew looked around, confused.
‘Run,’ Tariq told her, his tone urgent.
The pair sprinted as the plank slid to the edge of the dock. Aisha let the blanket fall off her as Tariq pushed her forwards, propelling her. They leapt just as the gangway left the dock.
Oh gods.
They were going to end up in the water.
Her feet slammed onto the boards, skidding dangerously. For a terrifying second, she pitched backwards, but Tariq caught her. The crew held the gangway steady as Aisha and Tariq hovered above the water.
Taking hold of the rail, Kaidon stretched an arm towards Aisha. ‘Grab on.’
Tariq pushed her towards the extended hand, clearly more confident that Kaidon would catch her than she was.
Kaidon caught her wrist, swinging her up onto the ship.
Aisha grabbed a handful of Tariq’s thobe in the process, bringing him with her.
They collapsed on the deck, breathless and trembling.
Aisha met Tariq’s gaze, but neither spoke.
The ship creaked as the sails filled with wind and the deck lurched beneath them.
‘Well,’ Kaidon said, panting, ‘I guess that’s one way to depart.’
He extended his hand to Aisha once more, and she took it, rising unsteadily. Her chest rose and fell as she looked back at the dock. The holy warriors now stood at the water’s edge, their faces dark with recognition. But they were too late.
A raw ache welled in Aisha’s chest. She was really leaving. No more siblings sneaking into her bed after a bad dream. No more quarrels with Safiya or lectures from Zara. No more games with Omar or jump-scares from Yasmin’s pets appearing underfoot.
The final thread was unravelling.
Tariq rested his elbows on the rail, the breeze tugging at his hair as he stared back at the warriors. ‘Kaidon will show you to a cabin below decks,’ he said. ‘You’ll be safe there.’
Aisha looked at him. ‘Safe from what?’
‘The crew’s stares,’ he replied without looking at her.
She looked around the deck, noticing for the first time the men staring at her. ‘How long’s the journey?’
Tariq straightened. ‘If the weather’s kind, four days.’
She glanced at the shrinking dock, where the holy warriors were now walking away. ‘I’m sure I’ll find a way to keep myself entertained.’
‘Show the princess to her cabin,’ Tariq said to Kaidon.
Kaidon inclined his head. ‘This way, Your Highness.’
When Aisha went to follow the bodyguard, Tariq said, ‘Thank you, by the way.’
She looked back at him.
‘For trying to help,’ he said. ‘Even if it was ultimately to help yourself.’
She searched his eyes, unsure how to respond to the backhanded gratitude. Aware that the crew was still scrutinising her, she walked away without saying anything further.