Chapter Forty-One

The trip to Eston took only two days. The most amazing part of the voyage was watching Marita fill the sails of two vessels at once. She reclined on the forecastle of Reprisal, sunning her body while she worked. Adorned in the bathing attire of the Southern Continent, she wore only the bottom half, her top exposed to the world. Somehow she avoided stares, gawks, and leers, the crew either finally respecting or fearing for their own lives if accidentally gazing upon their sailing master. She could have laid out naked and they wouldn’t have cared or noticed.

Next to her lay Krill doing the same and wearing only his skivvies while telling her stories about fights he’d been in back in the good ol’ days, as he put it. The two laughed and joked about how much better those days had been.

The rest of the crew and passengers seemed oddly muted in their feelings toward a mission complete, and most seemed sad to have this one come to an end. Sippen hadn’t been feeling well since the fight, and he spent most of the voyage home resting in Reprisal’s sick bay. Parumba and Charleigh worked out kinks in their inventions. Peter Longshanks appeared to relish his renewed spirit for sailing, leading the crew and smiling all the way as temporary captain.

Aboard She Wolf, Franque and Krist, were ordered by their mother to do nothing. Though promised a return trip without labor, but both chose to pitch in and helped the crew any way possible. They had each grown into adept sailors and actually seemed to enjoy the work. Only Eusari and Anne seemed burdened during the voyage as they sat inside She Wolf’s brig with six actual wolves standing guard over Devil Jacque.

“What about the rifles and ammunition?” Anne demanded. She led the interrogation while Eusari mostly sat and listened.

“I know nothing about rifles and ammunition,” the prisoner lied.

“I have witnesses, even your former quartermaster, who swear you were taking them to Ataraxia for smuggling into Fjorik. Why were you both attacking immigrants and also providing arms to their government?”

“I know nothing about rifles and ammunition,” Jacque repeated, sticking to the code of the Pirate’s Guild.

“He won’t talk,” Eusari finally said, frustrated. “He’s bound by an oath.” She stood, fed up with the entire exchange. “Besides, it’s obvious someone wants him to start a war by attacking innocents and arming those who would want revenge. He won’t give up the who no matter what you ask without torture.”

“Well I won’t torture him!” Anne exclaimed.

Eusari shrugged, “Then he won’t talk.” Without another word she left the room and ascended the tall ladder. Once topside she strolled toward the captain’s cabin, her old cabin. Franque and Krist sat outside its door, happily whistling and splicing line. “Follow me, boys. It’s time to talk,” she said, leading them inside.

The cabin had retained its familiarity, despite she hadn’t slept in these quarters in seventeen years. The wood seemed more worn than she remembered, and more boards creaked than before, but it hadn’t changed a bit. She ran her fingers along a smooth table in the corner and sat down, urging the boys to sit across from her. She had once sat across from Braen Braston in this very spot. She nearly wept at that sudden memory and pushed it aside.

“I know you’ve got questions,” she said, “so ask.”

“The girl I met,” Franque began, “who said her name was Gretchen, said Krist’s mother was a queen.”

“You met Gretchen?”

Franque nodded.

“It seems Samani found a way to mettle from beyond the grave,” she muttered angrily. “What did Gretchen tell you?”

“She said the Queen of Fjorik demanded from her a way to end pregnancy, to kill Skander’s child, but it was too late. She tried to convince Braen the child was his, she said. Is this true?”

“I only learned this recently myself, but I believe it so,” she admitted.

Krist appeared downtrodden by the news. “So we aren’t… we aren’t brothers? You aren’t my mother?”

“No matter what, you are my son. Don’t you feel like brothers?”

“Well, yeah,” he replied honestly.

“Then you’re brothers and cousins. But either way, you’re both my sons.”

“Who was my mother, then? What was she like?” Krist asked.

“She was a strong and beautiful woman,” Eusari said truthfully, “and, like Gretchen said, she was a queen. I admired her in some ways and envied her for many more.”

“And this Skander? He was a king so I’m a prince?”

Eusari fell quiet, choosing her next words carefully. “Braen was the eldest son and Skander was the youngest, but Braen never sat upon the throne nor wore the crown.”

Franque interrupted. “I remember Headmaster saying Braen killed the real king.”

“No,” Eusari corrected, “that act was committed by Skander and blamed on Braen.”

“Great,” complained Krist. “My father was a murderer and a thief.”

“He suffered from illness,” Eusari explained, though it pained her to speak kindly or without detail about Krist’s father, “an illness that affected his mind. He lost it completely in the end, and his death became a mercy.”

“Is that what I have to look forward to?” Krist demanded. “I lost my mind on the ship! Am I crazy too?” he demanded.

“I lost mine in battle,” Franque admitted to his brother. “I think this is something else.”

“You are both descended from a line of berserkers, like those you described fighting on the Fjorik ship, Franque. That is a different thing entirely and something you can learn to control most of the time. No, the illness was far worse, more dangerous, and neither of you show any signs of it.”

“You know this? How?” Krist demanded.

“I know because we’ve been watching you both very closely for signs since the day you both were born. Sippen, Sebastian, Krill, Collette, and I, all of us knew what to look for. You are both strong, well balanced boys—albeit rough around the edges. Neither of you have anything to fear.”

“Why did Devil Jacque hate Braen Braston so badly?” Franque asked.

“Because Braen possessed the one thing Jacque could never have—my heart.”

“So you loved him?” Franque asked. “You loved my father and he loved you?”

“Very deeply. My greatest loss throughout the years was losing him. He was the only man I’ve ever loved. He taught me how to love. He taught me how to…” She fell quiet, choking back a small sob and wiping away tears. “He taught me how to trust and show compassion. He truly was the most compassionate person I’ve ever met.”

“But he also had a dark side?” Franque pressed.

“Yes. He also had a darker side and learned to balance the two. Boys,” Eusari urged, “war is coming with Fjorik. Promise me, both of you, not to investigate your roots. Have nothing to do with Fjorik and its zealots, especially them.”

“What about Sven?” Krist asked. “He’s my friend and is now part of this crew.”

“I’m sure a single friendship, especially one formed at sea would be fine. As far as the crew, we’ve no longer need of ships. I intend to sell both Reprisal and She Wolf in Eston.”

“I would like to keep one,” Franque admitted. “I’ve decided I like the ship life very much and, if you were to sponsor the crew and a new captain, I’d like to remain a crewman.”

“Absolutely not,” Eusari protested. This life was no place for her boys. Or was it? She softened, mulling it over. She would not have to sail them herself but legally own two ships. She trusted Peter Longshanks to captain one, and she could commission the other. “We’ll see,” she finally said. “What about the quartermaster we captured. Ben Thompson? Can we trust him? What if I kept him onboard? He offered his services.”

“He’s fair,” Franque explained. “Wise and experienced in business and able to work one gold piece into several with only a ledger.”

“So, practical?”

“Yes,” Krist agreed. “I trust him.”

“As do I,” added Franque.

“Then I’ll hire him on if I decide to sponsor merchants.” She decided it was time for the big surprise. “There’s more that’s happened, boys, since you’ve been away on this adventure. Your brother, Robert, is a prince in his own right. He was my ward, you knew I wasn’t his mother.”

“Yes, the Dreamers said he was the true heir to the kingdom.”

“Well, he’s no longer the heir. King Amash died while we were looking for you, and Robert is now officially the king, although the chancellor will rule the kingdom as regent for one year.”

Both boys grew wide-eyed and their mouths dropped open.

“We should just make it back for his coronation and the balls that will follow.”

“Balls?” Franque’s earlier excitement diminished. “Certainly we’re not expected to dance?”

“You are and you will, and those lessons begin today. Krill will be your dance instructor and you must learn the basic waltz at the very least.”

“Krill?” questioned Krist. “Don’t you mean Cedric?”

“We’re out to sea, so we deal with Krill,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Now go prepare to bring both ships alongside. This is one school I won’t let you skip out on!”

The boys rose, dejectedly, and departed, leaving Eusari alone with her thoughts. After a few moments a knock shook her door.

“Come in,” she commanded.

The door opened and Ben Thompson entered, with head down and offering a plea.

“Captain,” he begged, “Your sons told me you haven’t made your decision, but I wanted to speak with you plainly.”

“Go on,” she said, interested in his offer.

“I know who Devil Jacque’s benefactor is—who sent us raiding and commissioned him to deliver the firearms.”

“So do I,” she said. “It was Percy Roan.”

“How?” he asked, surprised.

“He’s always been a schemer, and this is just the sort of thing he’d do. He wanted a war, even when his king did not. Why do you tell me now, when your captain won’t even break his code?”

“Because I’m not at all like the pirates. I, too, was captured during a raid many years ago. I was put to work on She Wolf and worked my way up from seaman. I was learned, so Jacque assigned me to the books, never realizing how much I resented both him and the crooked ledger he forced me to keep.”

“So you’ll turn him over?”

“Of course I will.”

“I may be in need of a man like you,” she said, “to run legitimate merchant business once I fully retire. Are you interested?”

“I.. why, yes, ma’am!”

“If I decide to do so, I will let you know. As for any evidence against Devil Jacque, will you step ashore and testify against him?”

“Ma’am,” the quartermaster said sadly, “I’m not suited to life ashore. My sea legs wouldn’t do me any good past the pier. I’ll give you my ledgers and the knowledge to put away Devil Jacque, but do not ask me something as foolish as to walk on dry land.”

“But you have it, the evidence we’ll need to put him away for crimes outside his charter as a guilded pirate?”

“I have it,” the quartermaster promised, “and more.”

“Then welcome aboard, Captain Thompson, you can have whichever vessel Captain Longshanks refuses.”