The Darathi Vorsi Prince (Song of the Swords Book 0) (10 page)

When Faelara stopped trying to hide her yawns, Rhoane escorted her to her cabin, stopping first at his own. He searched through his belongings until he found two palm-sized daggers. Not quite throwing knives, but deadly enough.

“
I want you to keep these with you at all times. Tomorrow, I will show you how to use them. We will also train with a sword in hand-to-hand combat. If you insist on accompanying me, these are my terms
.
”

Faelara held the daggers on her open palms. A slight shake gave away her nerves
.“
I will do as you ask, but you must also teach me your ways of healing. Not just Eleri. I wish to know all there is about Ullan healers, as well. I have a feeling being a skilled healer will come in handy around you
.
”

Rhoane suppressed a grimace
.“
Of the former, I will. Of the latter, I am afraid I did not actively participate in Ullan healing
.”
At her questioning glance, he explained
,“
Ullans use coupling to heal. They believe it releases power through channels not otherwise accessible
.
”

“
Oh
.”
A furious blush darkened her pale cheeks
.“
Tha
t’
s too bad for both of us
.”
She laughed at his stricken look
.“I’
m jesting with you, Rhoane. I know yo
u’
re promised to another, and I would never do anything to compromise your oath. But it does make me think you should learn to at least flirt. Yo
u’
re much too serious and stiff around women. Loosen up a little. Flirting is a great way to get information. Trust me
.”
Her devilish grin contrasted beautifully with her youthful innocence.

“
Since there is no need to flirt here, we will focus on weapons training first
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s where yo
u’
re wrong, Prince Rhoane. Flirting is not just limited to the opposite gender. But there is plenty of time to teach you the finer art of seduction
.”
Her yawn could wake a vorlock from his slumber
.“I’
m exhausted. If you will
?”
She stepped into the cramped hallway, and Rhoane followed to her cabin.

Once she was safely inside, he prowled the quiet ship in search of the man who had attacked his new friend. He found the wretch hiding in the storage hull, curled against a barrel of ale. He knelt in front of the sleeping man for a long time, debating his next move. If he killed him, the captain would think the ship haunted due to Faelar
a’
s presence. Plus, killing him would be a mercy.

After securing the ma
n’
s wrists and ankles to make certain he could
n’
t leave, Rhoane set out for the captai
n’
s quarters. The sun would be up soon, and he did
n’
t have time to waste.

When the morning watch arrived on deck early the next morning, they found a very inebriated deckhand, naked except for the captai
n’
s coat, wrapped around a snoring sow.

THAT night after dinner, Rhoane led Faelara to the captai
n’
s quarters, where the other men were already engaged in their entertainments. When the pair entered, the captain bellowed for Faelara to leave, but Rhoane held firm. He would not allow the man to punish her simply because she was a woman. H
e’
d seen plenty of females who could outwit, outmaneuver, and outwork men. Playing cards should be no different.

Faelara settled into a seat opposite Myrddin, her nervousness carefully hidden beneath a friendly exterior. Rhoane watched her as he and the others were dealt a hand of cards. A slight tremble to her fingertips, repeated biting of her lower lip, and an octave-higher speech were the only signs of her discomfort. Sh
e’
d argued when h
e’
d first proposed the scheme, but in the end, h
e’
d won by stating if she did
n’
t take a stand, the captain would continue to view women as little more than harlots bred for me
n’
s carnal desires.

A short time after their arrival, the atmosphere in the room relaxed. The more wine was poured, the looser the me
n’
s tongues became. They joked about the deckhand and his companion. Some thought his punishment of serving out the remainder of their journey in the livestock holds was too lenient. These men had demanded the deckhand be castrated and tossed overboard for King Baldev to devour.

Others in the room thought the punishment fair but cautioned against putting such a man in charge of the livestock. These quips got the most laughs out of the officers. Each time a comment was tossed forth, Faelar
a’
s lips would loosen the tiniest bit, until she, too, laughed at the ridiculous scenarios the men created. She was soon bantering with them as if sh
e’
d grown up aboard the ship. By the end of the evening, sh
e’
d quite charmed each and every one of the men. Rhoane kept his surprise in check, but secretly studied the way she expertly wrapped their hearts around hers. If this was flirting, as sh
e’
d called it, he was indeed impressed. He could use more than a few lessons in the skill.

On the fifth night of their journey, Rhoane tired of gaming with the others and ventured to the upper deck for some fresh air. The sea was especially ornery this night, tilting the ship from one side to the other until his insides wished to be outside. He gripped the railing, willing his gut to settle.

“
Perhaps if you did not fight it, you would feel better
?
”

Rhoane swung around to see who had spoken, and the wine h
e’
d drunk swirled dangerously close to making an exit.

“
Rock with the ship. Feel the waves beneath you
.”
Faelara stood a few paces from where he clung to the railing
.“
Relax your knees. Bend into the ship. Become one with the sea
.
”

Rhoane shook out his legs, lessening the tension in them, and tried what she suggested. Rocking with the ship helped somewhat, but his stomach continued to roil.

The ship pitched to the right, and he slammed against the rigging
.“
How much longer must we suffer on this damned vessel? I do not enjoy storms on land, much less so at sea
.
”

“
A few more days, I would imagine. Although, if you keep insulting the sea king, he might prolong your misery
.
”

“
So you believe in fables, Faelara? I would not have thought it
.
”

Faelara leaned against the rail, her face upturned to the clouds. A spray of seawater dappled her skin, but she made no move to wipe it away
.“
I believe in all things, Prince Rhoane. Who is to say a fable is of any less value than a prophecy? Often, the two are closely related, but only those curious enough will uncover their meaning
.
”

Rhoane scoffed. H
e’
d heard enough about prophecies in his short life to know they were nothing like childre
n’
s stories
.“
A fable is nothing more than empty words strung together to entertain the weak-minded
.
”

The wind picked up and whipped their hair around their faces in a tempest. Faelara let her curls unfurl from their pins and spread her arms wide
.“
The problem with thinking you know everything is that someday yo
u’
ll discover you know nothing
.”
She smiled sweetly at him. Her pale skin shimmered in the moonlight as if she were graced with Glamour
.“
My father loves to remind me of this right before he proves
I’
m wrong
.
”

“
And are you trying to prove me wrong
?
”

She turned to face him, her back to the ocean
.“
Whatever could you be wrong about, Prince Rhoane
?
”

“
You mock me
.
”

“
No, I just think yo
u’
ve lived a very isolated, one-sided life
.”
She returned to her study of the stars, then gazed at the water
.“
Do you swim, Your Highness
?
”

He shifted his weight with a violent rock of the ship
.“
If you consider sitting in a tub of hot water swimming, then I excel at it
.
”

Her laughter burst from her, as unexpected as thunder on a summe
r’
s day
.“
Forgive me. I did
n’
t expect humor from you
.”
At Rhoan
e’
s sharp look, she continued
,“
I feel at home in the water, sometimes more than on land. Did you know the Menurrans hold competitions each summer to see who is the best swimmer? I was thinking I might enter if w
e’
re there for the celebrations
.
”

Rhoane suppressed a shudder. Water deeper than his ankles had always frightened him. He could recall with excruciating detail the sensations of dread that crisscrossed his body each time he had to witness a purification. Knowing that he, too, would someday be submerged in Lan Gyllarelle gave him no comfort. Where the fear of water came from, he had no idea. He just knew he and any body of water were not allies.

The wind grew stronger, and lightning flashed through the dark clouds. Crew members darted here and there to tighten rigging and prepare the ship for a storm. Rhoane avoided looking at the ocean. The white caps atop turbulent waves were not the last things he wished to see before he bedded down to what promised to be a fitful nigh
t’
s sleep.

He took Faelar
a’
s elbow in his hand and guided her through the melee of sailors. Once they were outside her cabin, he released his hold. She thanked him and turned to open the door, then paused.

“
Rhoane
?”
She waited for him to face her
.“
Do you truly believe we are only meant to have one mate
?
”

“
Most Aelans do not share the Eleri custom of mating for life. I would not expect you to understand, but yes, I do think there is only one person we are meant to share ourselves with
.
”

Her face fell, and he tucked a stray curl behind her ear, cupping her cheek with his palm as he did so. The intimate gesture surprised both of them. Her skin was warm despite the chilled air, and he wondered at the meaning behind her question.

“
I did not mean to upset you
.”
He searched for words to comfort her
.“
You are not bound by Eleri customs and are free to choose your mate. If there is a man you desire, what is stopping you from pursuing him
?
”

Her wry smile did not lift his spirits. Instead, he felt his words had made the situation worse.

“
Yo
u’
re very kind to say so, but
I’
m afraid tha
t’
s impossible. You see, the man I love is, most likely, marrying another woman at this moment
.”
She opened the cabin door and turned away from him
.“
You are not the only one locked into a life over which you have little control
.
”