Pirate Princess (53 page)

“So you let your boyfriend take a female pirate on his ship to win the tournament?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Just because she is a pirate doesn’t mean she is capable of stealing his heart from me. I keep that locked up very securely and guarded with a sword and daggers.”

“I’d heard that this kingdom was a bit odd, but hadn’t believed it until now.”

I laughed and said, “I’m glad we live up to our reputation.”

“So you’re really dating him? A princess is dating a pirate?” he asked.

“Well, I’m going to be hanging up my hat soon,” Finn said.

Liam stared at him in disbelief. “You’re resigning?”

Finn nodded his head and put his arm around my shoulders. “I’ve got a chance at a good life and we all know profitable piracy doesn’t last long.”

“I never thought I would see the day that a woman would tame Captain Finn,” Liam said. “You’ve always been so good at keeping your heart guarded from them.”

“I suppose that was just because I hadn’t met the right one yet,” Finn said with a smile down at me.

“Don’t go all mushy. You’re goin’ ta make me sick.”

“Well we’re heading off to get some food,” Finn said.

“I’ll see you around,” Liam said to Finn and then turned to me and bowed. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“You as well, Captain Liam.”

We headed to one of the food stands and purchased some cooked meat and water. Finn led the way out to the beach and we sat down together, eating and watching the waves in silence.

“I’m worried about that guy,” Finn said after we had finished eating.

“Which one?”

“Marquez.”

“You have no reason to be jealous or think I would prefer him to you.”

“It’s not that. I mean, he is a prince, but I know you don’t care for his title. His presence worries me.”

It was bothering me as well, but I thought I was just being ridiculous. “We’ll have to keep an eye on him,” I said.

“I still can’t believe you killed a bunch of chimeras and took over a kingdom,” Finn said.

“Are you upset because I was possibly in danger or because you weren’t able to be there with me?”

“Both,” he admitted with a sigh.

I laughed and patted his back. “Poor guy.”

“I should have been next to you, not Faxon.”

“Faxon was the only reason I could teleport back,” I reminded him.

“I think I’m going to start learning magic,” Finn said.

I looked at him in shock. “What?”

“I have magic capability, but I never pushed myself to try to learn it. With everything that’s happened, it has made me realize that it would be very beneficial if I learned some magic. It could also help me protect you.”

“I don’t need protection.”

“I don’t need protection.”

We said at the same time.

“So predictable,” he said with a smirk.

“Well I support you in whatever decision you make,” I told him honestly.

“We better head back so we don’t miss too many of the fights,” he said and stood up.

I stood up, brushed the sand off my bum and followed him back to the arena where we took our seats next to Jared, Esmeralda and Marquez.

“Did we miss much?” I asked.

“The finals are about to start,” Jared said.

“I better go find out when my next fight is,” Finn said.

“You’re up next,” Jared informed him.

“Really?” I asked in shock.

Jared pointed to a board that had been placed next to the arena with a schedule on it. Sure enough, Finn was next. Finn kissed my cheek and hopped down from the viewing area. “I’ll be back soon.”

“So, have you thought of your bet?” I asked Jared.

He smirked. “I have.”

I waited for him to tell me, but he didn’t. “What is it?” I finally asked.

“I’ll tell you in a bit,” he said.

I sighed and Esmeralda laughed. “You’re just wanting to watch a few more of his fights before you decide,” I accused him.

“Patience, Tilia.”

I had no patience and I hated not knowing things. We watched the fight going on and it was surprisingly even matched. They attacked and defended and didn’t seem to be going anywhere until the larger one hit the other with a viciously hard attack and then knocked out his legs.

“He was just biding his time to attack, wasn’t he?” I asked Jared.

He nodded his head. “Which means we have yet to see his true power or skills.”

Sneaky. Finn came out and faced his opponent who had a similar body type to his and carried a similar sword. I had seen the man before, but I couldn’t remember where. Finn didn’t look happy about the pairing, but I didn’t doubt he would win.

“Isn’t that Captain Vasco?” Faxon asked me quietly.

I jumped since I hadn’t known he was sitting next to me and cursed under my breath. “Don’t startle me like that.”

“Sorry.”

I looked at Finn’s opponent and my eyes widened in shock. Oh, that’s why Finn looked mad. Vasco had sensed me when I was on his ship to steal one of his treasures and had cut me pretty badly. I got away from him, but he had chased me and had cut me again just when I reached Finn’s ship and Finn had to step between us. Faxon had been there and had treated me when I boarded which was why he knew about it. He had been stewing about it ever since then and it showed on his face.

“He’s not happy with Vasco for hurting me,” I said. What would he do? Would he draw it out to try to hurt him more? Would he try to humiliate him?

“He’s really mad,” Jared said and looked at me. “Why?”

“His opponent injured me during the festival,” I explained.

Jared smiled and focused on Finn again. “That means this is going to be the time to see his true ability.”

The fight started and Finn disappeared from where he had just been standing, a small puff of dust from where his feet had been was the only indication he had even been there. The next instant Vasco cried out and fell over with a giant cut diagonally across his chest spurting blood and Finn stood behind him with his sword raised above his shoulder from the cut. The fight was called. Finn squatted down next to Vasco and said something to him, but he was too far away for me to hear. Finn wiped his sword on Vasco’s shirt and walked out of the arena and up to us.

Jared’s eyes still hadn’t left the arena despite Finn now sitting next to me.

“Feel better?” I asked him.

He nodded his head.

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him that he’s lucky we were in a civilized fighting competition or his punishment would have been much more severe for injuring one of my crew.”

“Co-captain,” I said.

He smirked and said, “Retired co-captain.”

“Bleh, that makes me feel old,” I grumbled. Jared stood up and started down from the viewing area. “Where’s he going?” I asked Esmeralda.

I hadn’t realized it, but she was staring at the arena too. “To investigate,” she whispered.

“Investigate what?”

She turned and looked at Finn. “You’ve been holding back. You were still holding back.”

He shrugged and picked at one of his fingernails without responding.

“Can I get permission to test him now?” Faxon asked.

“No,” I said adamantly.

“I’ll figure out a way,” he mumbled.

Jared squatted down outside the arena fence and looked in at where the fight had just been. They were carting Vasco out of the arena and Jared stood up to examine his wound. He turned around looked up at Finn and then walked away.

Esmeralda whistled softly in shock. “Oh boy.”

“Why is he upset?” I asked.

“I think our dear king is worried,” Faxon answered. “It’s been a very long time since he’s met an opponent who was much faster than him.”

“And that battle didn’t go the way he wanted it to,” Esmeralda added.

“I can back out,” Finn said.

Esmeralda turned and looked at him with sadness. “No, Finn, you can’t. Now he has to know. Now he must know which of you would win. He’s already been concerned about it, but now he won’t let it go until he knows.”

“He’s going to back out of betting me now, isn’t he?” I asked.

She shook her head. “On the contrary, I think this has solidified his determination to make the bet with you.”

“You know what he is betting!” I said rather loudly.

She laughed. “Of course I do. He ran it past me to get my agreement.”

If she had to agree to it then it was something rather large. Oh man, I need to know. “You won’t tell me, will you?”

She shook her head. “Nope, this is something he has to offer himself.” She paused and then said, “Make sure you’re sitting down when he offers.”

“You’re cruel,” I told her.

She laughed and then we quieted down to watch the next fight. I realized that Marquez had been oddly quiet this entire time. I glanced over at him and found him staring at me with the same look he had after the dagger-throwing contest. I looked away and tried not to let him see he had unsettled me.

Finn must have noticed something was wrong because he put his arm around my waist and squeezed my side. I rested my hand on his leg and he glanced at me from his peripheral vision. Faxon looked over at me as well, but said nothing. We watched three more fights and then Jared came back. “Come with me,” he ordered me.

I walked down to him and then followed as he led me to the back area where he had his own tent. He sat down on one of the stools inside the tent and motioned at me to sit on another. “I’ve done a lot of thinking lately,” he said, “Since everything that has happened with you and Trian kidnapping you it gave me a lot to think about.”

“And?”

“If Finn wins I have decided on my bet…” He stood up and walked to stand directly beside me, facing outside the tent. He bent down and whispered his offered bet in my ear and then walked out of the tent.

I sat there dumbfounded and unable to move. It was too much. It was crazy. Yet it was fitting with our family to be so outlandish. It made me wonder if he really believed he would win, or if he just wanted to offer the bet anyways?

I didn’t know how long I sat there, but when I made it back outside it was dark and time to go home. Tomorrow would be the finals when Finn would fight Jared. Tomorrow would be the deciding day. I wasn’t ready.

Chapter Sixteen

I woke up late because I had been unable to go to sleep after Jared told me his bet. I walked towards the arena with my stomach in a knot and tugged at a loose string on my shirt. Faxon stood just outside the arena and I knew he was waiting for me.

“Are you okay?” he asked me with concern causing him to scrunch his eyebrows together.

“Just in shock and worrying,” I explained to him.

“Over what?” he asked.

“Jared’s bet,” I replied.

He stared at me dumbly. “What bet?”

They hadn’t told him. “Jared and I made a bet about his fight with Finn.”

“Oh, what was it?”

“I can’t even say it out loud,” I told him softly.

“They like Finn so I know it’s not something negative like threatening to send him away.”

I laughed. “No, quite the opposite.” Faxon stroked his chin as he tried to figure it out and I waved my hand at him. “Just wait, you’ll find out.”

“Does Finn know?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t want it to alter the fight.”

“You think he might throw the match if he knows what it is?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but possibly.”

Marquez walked towards us with a smile on his face. “Afternoon, Princess Tilia.”

“Prince Marquez,” I said in greeting.

“I was hoping you might accompany me somewhere for a moment?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, but I need to watch the finals. It’s important.”

His smile faltered and he said, “I assure you that we would be back in time for Finn’s fight.”

Faxon must have sensed something was amiss just like I was beginning to because he said, “I can accompany you both, if you’d like and teleport us back so we don’t miss anything?”

“The princess seems set on the fights, so I’ll wait until another time,” he said irritably and walked back to our viewing area.

“He’s up to something, isn’t he?” Faxon asked quietly.

I nodded my head. “I think he is going to try to take me from Finn.”

Faxon laughed. “Good luck to him on that.”

We took our seats and Esmeralda glanced at me, but said nothing, her unspoken look enough for her to let me know she could tell something wasn’t right. Jared was finishing a fight with a captain whose name I had forgotten. He was very strong and very skilled in fighting, but Jared was better.

“How many fights left?” I asked Esmeralda.

“One.”

“Just Finn?”

“Just Finn.”

Oy. I felt light headed and dehydrated all of a sudden. Faxon handed me a mug of water and patted my back. How did he know?

Jared finished the fight and took a seat in the arena to recover. A stable boy ran out with a mug of water and Jared drained its contents. He looked up towards our area and made eye contact with me. He smiled wide and took another mug of water.

Finn walked into the arena, looked for me, found me, and blew me a kiss. I blew him one back and felt my hands shaking.

“You seem nervous all of a sudden,” Marquez commented, “Not so sure of Finn winning now?”

“Oh, I’m still sure he will win,” I said, “I’m just not sure of what happens after he does.”

“What?”

“It’s going to be a very interesting day in the Kingdom,” Esmeralda said with a smile.

“I’m going to faint,” I said and put my head down between my legs.

She patted my back and laughed. “You’re overreacting.”

“Am I? This is going to change everything! The Realm of Olanze is going to be rocked by this.”

“Good, the Realm needs a good unstabilizing.”

“I think I’m having a heart attack.”

She laughed at me and I pinched her leg. “Ow,” she said and rubbed her thigh.

“This is the final fight of the tournament. If Finn defeats King Jared of Crilan, he will be the winner, but if not, King Jared will remain the undefeated champion,” the announcer said in his loud booming voice to the crowd.

Jared stood up and met my eyes. “Do you agree to our bet?”