Chapter 37 #2
Mostly. Now that I was thinking about it, it seemed like a plausible inconvenience.
“I doubt Darcke’s ship would allow them to arrive before us anyway.” Ottoh traced a finger over the onyx wood. “Bog oak. I think it’s the only ship in Gustief’s fleet made from it. Never thought I’d be on it.”
“Neither did I,” I replied. “Only a few days ago I would have rather seen you float away on the southern stream than stand here beside you.”
He laughed. “I wasn’t that bad. It was an initiation.”
My brows felt like they were up at my hairline. “You could have gotten me killed that first day. What if the king hadn’t found it amusing that I wore the clothes of his enemies?”
Ottoh laughed. “Doubtful. I saw you behead that karl. There was no way you’d let a dress stand in your way.”
“As if I’d have a choice if the king wanted me dead.”
“Many want you dead, and yet here you still stand.” He bumped his shoulder into mine. “You literally chose the two people who might have been the most dangerous to you and made them your iron-bound. One your second.”
“It’s not like you have a crowd following you either,” I teased. “You had to pick your sister as your second.”
Ottoh twisted his lips. “I’ve never strived to be popular. Not like Ivren.” He leaned over the railing, watching as the water licked the hull. “I think you and I have that in common. That we are truly only here to shoulder our parents’ legacies. Maybe even make them better.”
Stars filled the sky, peppered across it like the freckles on my nose and shoulders, and as the night deepened, a velvet blue arched over the sea and the two ships breaking the waves.
Ahead, snow-covered mountains began reaching toward the darkness, and I rubbed my arms against the freezing wind filling the white sail behind us.
“What was it like growing up on Sjomarks?” I asked.
“Hard.” The smile on Ottoh’s face was strained.
“More and more of the land is being swallowed by the sea, so we’re mostly relying on trade nowadays.
All this warmongering Gustief has us doing lately is making that challenging.
The past few years we’ve had to decide between starving and risking our and our people’s lives in battle.
I’m grateful the gods gifted us scarlet oak so that we might try to return to some of our old trading grounds without losing so many men every time.
” A sad chuckle echoed over the water. “My parents might actually think I’ve done one useful thing in my life. ”
“I’m sorry,” I said, sliding my hand over the wood and touching his.
“Don’t be,” Ottoh replied. “I’ve always had Vero to make up for my parents’ disappointment in me. Besides, no one could miss your mother at the trial of wood. You seem to know what it’s like to grow up with parents who think they can do everything better and who don’t wish to hand over the reins.”
I gave him a crooked smile. “I’ve always had Lika.”
Something in Ottoh’s face tightened.
“What?” I asked.
“I just wouldn’t think it’s easy growing up in Lika’s shadow.”
“Why?”
“He…” Ottoh seemed to debate with himself. “If you think I was bad, some of the things Lika and his friends did over the years weren’t exactly appreciated by everyone.”
“Like what?” I demanded, something deep within me tugging, and not in a good way.
Ottoh leaned his elbow on the railing, turning away from the sea.
“Why do you think it was so easy for people to hate you? It’s not like you were that bad.
I mean, being unwilling to fight the karls was stupid—you must have known they would hate you for that—but they all thought you were like Lika, and for those who haven’t gotten to know you, I’d venture they still believe that. ”
“I mean…” I pressed my tongue against my cheek. “Lika is ruthless, but you must be in our world. Especially as a warrior.” Or as an heir.
“There is a difference between being ruthless and being evil,” Ottoh said cautiously.
“Evil?” My voice was emphasized by the sail lashing the air. “Lika isn’t evil.”
“All right.” Ottoh raised his hands, backing away a step. “I’m sorry.”
I clasped my hands as I turned to the water again, listening to its whispering song.
When I didn’t say anything else, Ottoh did the same.
More cool air blew over us, sweeping my hair away from my face and making my eyes tear as the wind picked up.
Goose bumps raced across my skin, and when I shuddered, folding into myself, Ottoh started to unclasp his cloak.
“Here,” he said quietly. “Take this.”
As I reached out a hand, the planks beneath my feet shifted. A curse flew from my lips when I fell backward, landing hard on my ass, then sliding even farther away from the heir as the wood tilted.
“What was that for?” I hissed.
Darcke’s deep voice rumbled across the ship. “It’s time to sleep, heir.”
My eyes remained narrowed when I lifted them to my second. I at least expected him to try to look innocent, but his face was all hard lines and pursed lips and a dark gaze, not an ounce of guilt marring his chiseled features before he spun and headed down into the sleeping quarters.
A knowing crease appeared by Ottoh’s eyes as he buckled his cloak again.
“Are you going to help me up?” I asked, my skin prickling with irritation.
“No,” Ottoh replied. “I have a feeling I’ll wake up with my face as messed up as Geord’s after they drugged you.”
“What are you talking about?” I pushed my cold hands into the wood, and thankfully Darcke’s ship indulged me, giving me a helpful shove so that I easily got to my feet again.
“Darcke nearly killed Geord that night,” Ottoh said. “It took both Torden and Borje to get him off, and even then the shaman had to spend hours healing what he could.”
Cold wove across my shoulders. Geord hadn’t looked good that morning, but I’d thought it was because he’d fallen off the dock.
“Come on,” Ottoh said as he started walking toward the stairs. “I have a feeling he’ll come and throw you over his shoulder if you’re not in his room soon.”
That got me moving until I realized what Ottoh had said. “What do you mean in his room?”
That room had seemed too small when he hated me. Now? I swallowed hard.
Ottoh’s chest hitched with silent laughter. “You didn’t think he’d let anyone else stay with you, did you?”
Nerves seized me, making my stomach knot, and I didn’t like the shadow of a smile tugging at the corners of Ottoh’s mouth at all.
“No, of course,” I replied. “If something happens, we’ll be stronger together.”
“Mm-hmm,” Ottoh mumbled. “Because of the bond.”
I halted at his tone. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t look so scared,” Ottoh said as he opened the door leading down into the dim quarters where there were four rooms for us to spread out in. “We have much bigger problems than you wanting to fuck your second.”
I choked on a cough.
“He wants to fuck you too.” Ottoh grinned as he started descending the stairs.
“My iron-bound and I won’t tell, but if you end up doing it, keep it down, will you?
I have to share a room with Vero, and that’s something I’d like to avoid listening to with my sister.
” He wiggled his fingers. “See you at Gravsgard.”
I blinked as Ottoh disappeared into the room.
Lifting my hands to my cheeks, I tried to stop the red that must have flared there.
But as Darcke came out of the door opposite the one Ottoh had just entered and waved to me, his face still tense but a small flame within him betraying he’d heard exactly what the other heir just told me, my skin only heated further.
Every step down the stairs, I cursed a different word, and when I ran out, I started over.
“Don’t look so worried,” Darcke said when I somehow managed to make it down. “You’ll have your own bed.”
“Will I?” I asked, relief flooding my body.