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  “Thank you, Hildegard.”

  I grabbed my broom, rushed down the tower stairs, and flew away from Raya.

  The palace was eerily still upon my return. Had I been gone so long?

  I landed on the balcony attached to the royal bedchamber and called out for the King and Queen, but there was no answer. I called on the wind to push the boarded, glass doors open and found both of them lying on the bed, eyes fixed toward the heavens.

  A trickle of blood had run from the corner of the Queen’s mouth, the crimson trail cracked and dry in places and still wet in spots.

  Swallowing, I quickly closed the door and pinched my eyes closed. The Princess would be devastated, but she would have me, I decided. My final act to repay her mother would be to care for her and see that she survived this. I had to get back to her, but before I left I wanted to grab some of my medicinal herbs and food from the kitchens. The girl wouldn’t want only fruit and bread for the next few months.

  I rushed down the stairs, past fallen palace servants whose skin was mottled and gray, and who lay in puddles of their own excrement and blood. Trails had hardened on their skin, flowing from nostrils and mouths. The stench of the dead got worse the farther I went. It was time to leave. Forget more food or my herbs, I needed to depart this place immediately.

  I covered my mouth and nose with my shirt, but when I reached the bottom of the staircase, my knees wobbled and the muscles of my legs trembled violently. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead and my stomach began to sour. The coppery tang of blood filled my mouth.

  No.

  I walked to my chamber, deep beneath the palace, where I was surrounded by my concoctions. Bottle after bottle, I tried everything I could get my hands on; potions to ward off fever and cough, tonics to calm the shakes that came with old age, a small number of poisonous mushrooms. Nothing worked. I felt my life slipping away by the minute.

  The truth slapped me hard in the face. This plague wasn’t sent for the humans; they were merely collateral damage because they got between me and the dark fae. It was sent to eradicate me.

  A cold chill pebbled my skin. My arms grew too tired to hold the glass bottles, my fingers too weak to uncork them. My knees buckled. I held myself upright with my arms, clinging to the edge of the counter, reaching for something—anything that might help.

  Something warm and wet poured from my nose.

  I dabbed my upper lip. “No.”

  Glancing at my broom, I cursed. I couldn’t fly. I was too weak.

  I fell to the floor.

  Pain clawed its way out of my middle and prickles of blackness darkened my vision, as effective as a swarm of wasps.

  Raya. She would be so scared when I didn’t come back.

  And no one was left for me to tell where to find her. Everyone was dead, and soon, I would be, too.

  She will be so frightened.

  TREVOR

  When I left Aelawyn behind, I thought I wanted nothing more than to go back home. The people hadn’t seen me in six years. They knew their king—my father—but not their prince and future king. I needed to reacquaint myself with them, to let them see the man I’d become and the ruler I would one day be. But a restless feeling had settled in my bones—one so unsettling, a tense journey along the Tierney border couldn’t shake, and being home again didn’t calm.

  I’d gone to the village every day to talk to the people and see what they needed, if they had any concerns or wanted to speak to me or my father about anything. Every person I spoke to was adamant that their lives were good here. That they couldn’t possibly be improved upon.

  Those who lived in the palace declared the same, thanking me and scurrying away as quickly as possible. I wished someone would tell me the truth. There were always improvements to be made. I was sure every soldier assigned to posts near our border with Tierney would tell me they’d like to come home.

  Currently, we rotated the men on six month shifts, winter and spring, summer and fall, so the men could help their families with any planting they did. Several had farms in the countryside. Tierney hadn’t struck out in years, but King Stefan had proven time and again he couldn’t be trusted. We couldn’t leave our land unguarded, but maybe we could begin monthly rotations? I would suggest it to Father. I was sure there were other things we could make better for our people, I just had to find them or find the right person to speak with, one who wasn’t afraid to tell us what they wanted or needed.

  That was a king’s job; to protect his people, to listen to them and improve their lives if he could. My father strived to do just that, but the mundane tasks of daily life sometimes took up time that could be better spent on other things.

  Father had his council, and while I sat at his right hand as he attended matters in our kingdom, he didn’t really need me beside him. Galder needed one king, one ruler. Not two. And I’d ruled another, smaller kingdom for the past six years.

  Since my return, he’d been pressing me to take a wife. As much as the thought curdled in my stomach, he was right. He was aging, and while still healthy, the last years had taken a toll on him. His blond hair was faded to silver, and deep wrinkles sliced his forehead from worries that had plagued him over the years. Heavy was the head that wore the crown.

  Being responsible for the wellbeing of others was no easy task, and I knew that soon enough, maybe sooner than I’d like, that heavy crown would sit on my head.

  Father told me last night that he wanted to know his grandchildren before he died, and it completely caught me off guard. He’d been nudging me toward marriage, and I knew that children would naturally result from such a union, but I didn’t know he was so eager to know, let alone spoil my future offspring. My father had always been stern, but a softer side emerged when I rode back into the kingdom, a side I hadn’t seen before. Maybe the change in him was what set me on edge.

  My reflection gleamed back up at me from the polished, white marble floor as I knocked on the door of his study. A guard announced me and Father called my name.

  He smiled as I walked through the door, making this even harder. The words I’d rehearsed all night and morning turned to gravel in my throat.

  For years, our relationship was strained, but over time, we put our past differences aside for the greater good of our country and neighboring Aelawyn. I’d become an interim king of sorts after their princess left her duty, and me, behind—choosing to follow her heart for a simple blacksmith and a life filled with rags instead of riches.

  I was betrothed to Princess Ella Carina of Aelawyn when we were no more than children. She survived when Tierney attacked the castle and kingdom, only to be hidden away by their king. Father and I found her living with a family of peasants. We helped restore her to her throne—a throne it turned out she didn’t want any more than she wanted to become my wife.

  “Son,” he greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you this morning.”

  “I apologize for the interruption, but I need to speak to you, Father.” I sat in a chair in front of his desk and looked at the parchment piled atop it, at the inkwell that was nearly empty and the quill that I’d interrupted sitting idly beside it, waiting to resume its work. “I think you’re right. It’s time I settle down.”

  He reclined in his chair, brows raised. “Would you like for me to write to Waverly, Roane, and Halron?”

  “I’d like to take a trip to those kingdoms instead of sending a correspondence.” He rubbed the inner corners of his eyes, shaking his head slightly, but I wouldn’t bend on this. “I want to settle down, but I want a choice in the matter. I want to feel passionate about whom I choose as my wife, and won’t settle for anyone who doesn’t want me in return. We both know how that story ends.” Looking away from him, I stared at the morning sun beaming through the window and the motes of dust dancing in the light. “I want to take a ship.”

  “Wait,” he suggested. “Wait until spring when the weather settles. Winters on the North Sea are treacherous.”

  I raked my finger
s through my hair, frustrated. “I need to go now. I don’t know how to explain it, but I need fresh air. I need the water and the wind. I just need to get away.”

  “You’ve only been home for a season. You haven’t been home long enough to need to get away.”

  Fastening my eyes on him, I took in a deep breath. “It’s not being back in Galder, Father. I need to clear my mind before I do this.”

  “You mean you need to forget Ella.”

  The mention of her name made my throat tighten. “I need to put her behind me.”

  “She put you behind her six years ago, Trevor,” he chided.

  “You think I don’t know that?”

  He nodded slightly. “If you think it will help, go. Take the finest ship, captain, and crew.”

  I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “Thank you, Father.”

  Father pinched his lips together. I knew there was more he wanted to say, but it’d been said before. I needed to grow up. I needed to embrace my responsibilities here. I needed to put Ella out of my mind.

  But how did one manage to purge their mind of someone who took up so much space in their heart?

  Leaving my father’s study, I walked to the docks and made arrangements to leave the very next morning. I commissioned the senior-most captain, as Father trusted him more than any of the others, and he’d sailed the North Sea in winter more often than anyone else. Captain Emry had never lost a ship and he wasn’t about to start now, he boasted confidently.

  It would take twelve days to reach the port of Roane if we didn’t encounter ice or storms. I left him to gather his crew and the supplies we would need for the journey, and hurried to my chamber to pack my things.

  As I lay in my comfortable, warm bed, enshrouded in golden sheets and blankets, golden fabric dripping from the canopy itself, I reminded myself of the purpose of my trip.

  I needed to find a wife I could love and who would love me in return. And if love wasn’t possible, at the very least, I needed someone who could pretend, and who could respect me publicly and privately.

  I needed to forget Ella. I’d give anything to put her out of my mind.

  Anything.

  Listening to the crackling fire, I tried to fall asleep. But she was there. She was always there. The fact that she was happier without me cut me to the core. Even after all this time.

  I broke my fast in my room before the sun rose with honey bread, oats, eggs, and a few slivers of bacon. Once I’d eaten it all, I dressed in my warmest clothes and went in search of my father. He met me at the bottom of the staircase near the door. “Son,” he greeted, embracing me.

  “Father.”

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about this journey. It’s exactly what you need, but I can’t help but worry. Are you sure you won’t reconsider the timing? I know I’ve been pressuring you to move on with your life, but there’s really no rush.”

  “All will be fine,” I soothed him. “And I’ll write as soon as I can to let you know we’ve arrived.”

  He nodded and placed his hand on my shoulder. “If you’re sure.”

  “I’ll be back soon.”

  My trunks were taken to the ship yesterday evening, so I left my father in our palace and made my way out into the frigid, winter air, pausing for a second to look back at my home once I was far enough away that he couldn’t see me hesitate. The palace glittered in the morning sun. The purple and gold flags of Galder flapped loudly in the stiff breeze, waving goodbye.

  I blew out a breath, watching it cloud in front of me, and walked away toward the docks.

  Chapter two

  TREVOR

  Captain Emry was waiting for me at the dock. He tipped his head to me as I walked up the plank and stepped aboard the ship. I shook his hand when he offered it. “Mornin’, Sire.”

  “Good morning.”

  “How long’s it been since you’ve been on the sea?” he asked, his pale eyes sizing me up. There wasn’t an inch of his skin that didn’t have deep crevices, evidence of a hard life on the sea.

  “It’s been several years.”

  “Ya get seasick then?”

  I scratched the back of my neck. “I never used to.”

  “You’re not a boy anymore. These things can change over time. Sea’s choppy in the winter. It wouldn’t surprise me if you lost your guts.”

  Seemingly in response to his warning, small, but strong waves rocked the boat to and fro, even though it was tied tightly to the dock. My stomach did a somersault in response. It’s just nerves. I’ve never been seasick before! I chided myself.

  “The King came and talked to me last night.”

  “He did?”

  Captain Emry nodded. “Wanted to know if I could sense the weather.”

  “Can you?”

  He spat into the water. “It’s too cold to sense much of anything, though I can’t smell any storms coming right now. It’s clear as can be, but that doesn’t mean we won’t hit one as we sail north.” He called out some commands to the men on deck and they scurried about, completing his orders. However, I could plainly see that each man on board needed no instruction. They set about their tasks with expert precision.

  “They’re a fine crew. Seasoned and loyal. We’ll get you to Roane safely, Prince.”

  “I have no doubts. Looks like a sturdy crew you have.”

  “That they are. Want to tell me why you’re running?” he asked, refusing to look at me. Instead, he focused on an albatross overhead, sailing on the stiff sea breeze.

  I stiffened. “Is that what Father told you? I’m not running away. I’m going in search of a wife.”

  He snorted and spat again. “He’s certainly worried, but didn’t go as far as that. I figure you’re running because you just got home. Sometimes a man changes shape when he’s away for a time, and when he comes back, things just don’t fit. Happened when I left port the first time. When I came back, nothing fit anymore. And I ain’t talking about clothes and boots, ya get me?”

  “Yeah. I get you.”

  He stared down at the choppy waves, leaning his forearms against the rail. “A wife, you say? Are you just searching, or do you aim to bring her back?”

  “Searching.”

  “Then why not wait till spring when the ocean’s calm? Why the rush?”

  I blew out a breath. “I need to settle down.”

  He nodded slowly, weathered hands gripping the deck railing. “You’re definitely running from something. No man’s ever in a hurry to be tied down, especially not a young man. And any man I’ve seen eager to find a wife doesn’t look green when he talks about finding one.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I should mind my tongue. Your father has always told me to speak my mind.”

  “I’ll always respect honesty more than flattery and lies.”

  He nodded as sailors began to climb the masts. “I have to tend to a few things. We’ll set sail shortly, Sire.”

  He made his way across the deck, his thick jacket flapping in the wind, and I was left there to wonder about what he said. He was right, of course. I was running away. I needed a wife, but didn’t look forward to finding one. And if I was being perfectly honest with myself, I was terrified to even try.

  We weren’t on the ocean for more than an hour before I threw up over the railing. Most of the sailors smiled, and a few laughed, as they went about their business, doing as their captain instructed. I would’ve laughed too, if the situation were reversed. In truth, I envied them. They were free to do as they pleased. What would a life between ports be like? Sure, it was hard work, but it was the kind that was satisfying. Rewarding. And the camaraderie aboard the ship was unlike anything I’d seen. It was why I decided to sail instead of travel over land.

  Great white sails filled with the salty breeze pushed us farther out onto the sea. White caps rolled as far as the horizon. I wiped my mouth and leaned against the rail.

  “You okay?” a sailor asked as he paused next to me, carrying a length of coiled rope in
his hands.

  “I’m good, thanks.” There was nothing left in my stomach now. My breakfast was gone, but I felt better the minute I stopped vomiting.

  He continued on with his tasks, and then Captain Emry found me. “Your things are below decks. I can show you if you want.”

  “I’d rather stay here for a little while.”

  He smiled knowingly. “Aye.”

  The captain left me alone like he’d done before we set sail, and I stood at the ship’s side in case the vomiting episode wasn’t as complete as I thought. An enormous albatross flew next to the speeding ship, its stark white feathers rippling in the stiff breeze. I’d seen them in the air, but never this close. It was a beautiful, majestic animal. Much larger than any of the gulls who sometimes found their way to the castle from the beaches.

  The albatross was like these sailors. It was part of the ocean, part of the wind; as the sailors were extensions of this ship. They lived for this; the wooden planks beneath their feet, the ropes and rigging, this body of water, the briny air. This was home. It was what they were passionate about, what they lived and breathed for. There was a lightness in their steps as they moved around on deck. Individuals working together as one. Because they were one team. And each man was made to be part of this.

  It was easy. Joyous. They’d found their purpose and the thing they loved most.

  I just hoped I could find what I was made for one day.

  We sailed for days on choppy seas that foamed from the wind and currents. The skies were unusually clear, and the Captain marveled at our fortune. He’d never seen blue skies for so long in winter. “You’re bringing us good luck,” he teased.

  But they say there is a calm before every storm, and our good fortune ended this morning. Six days into our journey north, halfway through our voyage to the port of Roane, the seas became sprinkled with small chunks of caked ice. The Captain slowed the boat as the ice thickened. A quiet tension descended over the crew as they took turns sleeping in shifts below decks.

  As evening settled around us, the skies darkened and the wind began to gust. The clouds, roiling and dark, blotted out the setting sun and the waves broke the layer of ice apart. The pieces battered the hull of the ship as it tossed us and them to and fro.