Chapter 10
“My Queen, they say he cannot be found. He was missing from the barracks all night—” Lila’s words cut off as Katarine came awake. “Oh, I am so sorry. I will return later.”
Katarine’s gaze shot to the door as Lila’s face disappeared before it shut. Her attention cut to the man’s arm covering her breasts.
“My apologies, Katarine. I did not intend to spend the whole night.”
“Lila will tell no one. And there is no law against it. Our secret is safe. But how will you explain your absence?”
“Leave that to me, my love.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I must go. I need a bath in the sea. I am sticky …”
Katarine giggled. “That is most definitely my fault.”
“I will let you take credit, my love, but it took both of us.”
He eased his body from where it was wrapped around hers, and she immediately regretted the loss of his heat.
“I wish you never had to leave me.”
“Give me a week and a day, and we will both pray God makes it so.” He kissed her again, harder this time. “Hold on to that in the meantime. I must go. Today is preparation day.”
“And tonight?”
“I must sleep. Six days’ sail with no rest would be a catastrophe, My Queen.”
“Then sleep in the solarium. I will not bother you.”
“I could not keep myself from your bed if I tried to sleep mere feet away. I will see you at the shore tomorrow. Have no fear. I was raised from birth to be chieftain and warlord of the Clan of Wind. I will not fail.”
“Waste no time searching the island for a prize to give me. You alone are enough for me. Turn around as soon as you get there.”
“I will endeavor to please you, My Queen.”
“Returning home as fast as possible will do that.”
“It has become home, simply because you are here.”
“Then come back to me.”
“I will.”
With one more kiss, he grabbed his clothes, dressed, and slipped through the doorway to the solarium. From there, she knew he’d be gone from the palace in moments.
Come back to me, Katarine thought. You cannot fail.
It took all of Katarine’s willpower to stay away from the beach until the following morning before dawn when the contestants would sail with the tide under the waxing moon.
“May the winds be in your favor, good men. May God bless you with safety on your journey.”
Each man stood at the shore in front of a small rigged sloop that could be sailed by a single person. It would indeed be a test of will to sail to the deserted island of St. Sela and back in under a week. It could be done, but it took skill, courage, determination, and favorable weather.
As she walked down the line before them, each man bowed to her.
“May the winds be in your favor.”
Santiago bowed the deepest, and as he rose, he met her gaze. “For a heart such as yours, I will make my own wind if necessary.”
She wanted to kiss him, but all she could do was bow her head to him and press her hands to her heart. “It is with you. Be safe.”
As she reached the prince at the end of the line, he said, “I heard those auditions in your bed are taking place. I expect mine upon my victorious return.”
He could not know of what he spoke. Lila would never tell. He could only guess based on Santiago’s absence.
“Fair winds, sailor,” she said instead, giving him no reaction at all.
He practically snarled at her, and she had no idea if he knew how to sail, but she prayed God would bless Santiago. She wished no ill on the prince. She simply knew he could never be the one for her.
As she backed up the beach, she smiled at all of them.
From beside her, Freen said, “On your mark, My Queen, they sail.”
She lifted her arms into the air. “And go!”
The men turned, pushed their boats into deeper water, and climbed inside, and the race was on.
Santiago was the first to breach the reef swell and hit open water. The prince was second. The captain was third, and the blacksmith struggled for over an hour to get beyond the reef before he finally gave up.
As he came ashore, he dropped to his knees before her.
“I am no sailor, My Queen. But I would have loved to be your husband.”
“You are an incredible blacksmith, one of the most talented in all the lands. God’s plans for you are great, good sir, and you have succeeded far beyond so many others. Have no shame. Not all were meant to go. Perhaps this saved your life for a greater purpose.”
“Thank you, My Queen. And now, I suppose, we wait.”
And wait they did. It was truly becoming the longest week of Katarine’s life. She spent as much time with her sons as possible, but it didn’t take her mind off the men sailing across the open ocean with more potential dangers than she could name.
“Do you think anyone drowned?” Brolin asked.
“Pray they do not, my son,” Katarine replied.
She prayed constantly no harm came to any who participated in this contest for her hand.
While the blacksmith had been disappointed about his failure to get his boat beyond the reef, Katarine had been grateful for the mercy of God to spare the man from a trial he had not been equipped to handle.
His entire life had been spent on land, largely in front of a forge.
While he was a good man, knowing she had no intention of choosing him from the finalists, she could see how it had worked out in his favor not to endure unnecessary hardship.
And while she prayed unceasingly for Santiago’s safe return, she also prayed just as fervently for them all to be kept safe.
She might not like the prince or want to marry the captain of her guardsmen, but she held all life to be sacred, none withstanding.
“When will they return?” Aestus asked. “It has been forever.”
“It has been but three days, my son. They should be arriving at St. Sela any moment.”