On the Deck of the Silver Coin

  TheSilver Coincut through the darkness like a sharp blade. The waves were gentle for now, but Qelmar felt the sea would wake soon—just like the restless storm brewing in his mind. Would this work? Did they have enough of a lead on their pursuers?

  The bound prince sat on the deck, tied to the main mast. Meradan rested on a nearby crate, watching him with a dark, unreadable gaze. Their tassasian captor stood at the bow, staring at the horizon.

  Kelen had no gag, so he turned to the Dusughbarian royal advisor.

  “Hey, traitor. Are you at least going to tell me why you kidnapped me?”

  Meradan’s face tightened at the wordtraitor.

  “Idiot,” he spat on the planks. “In my position, you’d do the same for your kingdom.”

  “What did they offer you?” Kelen pressed.

  “Nothing to him,” came Qelmar’s voice as he approached, having caught enough of the conversation to worry he’d missed something important. He still didn’t fully trust Meradan. “The letter came tomefrom King Almarin the Ninth. If I deliver you alive or dead, he’ll grant me a large piece of your kingdom.”

  “The Kingdom of Terres is a free land! You can’t just carve off a chunk of it!”

  “We’re counting on the throne collapsing the moment you vanish. Your mad father is out of the game, there’s no other heir, and advisors can disappear easily enough. A few skilled hands, a sharp dagger or two.”

  Kelen fell silent, trying to absorb it all. Then he asked quietly, “And what doeshehave to do with it?” He nodded toward the Dusughbarian advisor.

  “I’m doing this for my country.”

  “Belaria would never allow it!” the prince shouted.

  “Oh, she wouldn’t—especially not after she announced at the council that out of all the princes, she intends to marry only you.”

  “What? She actually said that?”

  “So relax. Your future wife has nothing to do with this. I’m simply doing the job no one else has the courage to do. You’re my prisoner—”

  “Our prisoner,” Qelmar corrected him.

  “Fine. Our prisoner. And thanks to you, I’ll secure salvation for my homeland. Almarin will have to give me what I ask for. When he does, I return home a hero—a man who did what had to be done.”

  “He really believes all that, doesn’t he?” Kelen muttered to Qelmar. The older man only shrugged.

  “A bird behind the stern!” a lookout shouted from the mast. “Two-colored!”

  “What?” both kidnappers yelled and rushed to the rail.

  “It’s some kind ofchytra,” Qelmar murmured—and then bellowed at full volume, “Archers, to your stations! Draw and shoot any birds in sight!”

  He sprinted across the deck, grabbed the nearest bow and three arrows, knocking one immediately. He ran up the steps toward the helm, bow fully drawn as he scanned the dark sky behind theSilver Coin. A few heartbeats later, he saw it—a two-coloredchytra.

  “Come on, bird… closer. Just a bit more,” he whispered.

  But the bird suddenly banked and turned away.

  “Where are you going!” the prince shouted, loosing an arrow too hastily. By then other archers had reached the helm and fired as well. Every arrow splashed harmlessly into the sea.

  “I hate that species. Animals that smart shouldn’t exist. How are we supposed to outrun anyone when all they need is to release a flock of two-colored pigeons and they’ll track us down instantly?”

  “This isn’t possible… it’s not possible,” Meradan muttered. “It can’t be them.”

  “Calm down. Of course it’s them. Who else sends birds far out at sea? And the creature flew just close enough to confirm it was us before turning back. It’s them.”

  “It can’t be them,” Meradan repeated, as if saying it again might somehow make it true. “No one knew about the kidnapping.”

  “Who else would it be? Someone found out, and now they’re on our heels.”

  “Ship on the horizon!” the lookout called again.

  “I’m going to throw that man overboard,” the advisor growled. “All he ever reports is bad news.”

  Qelmar ignored him, squinting at the distance. After a long moment he muttered, “It has to be them…”

  “Oh Mother,” Meradan collapsed to his knees. “If that’s theQueen of Agility, I’m dead. They’ll hang me, drown me, tear me apart with horses, drag my body through the streets of Ghurmaka—Queen of the Seas, Mother of Pearls and Tal Namaréa, send us a strong current and strip them of wind, I beg you!” he prayed in frantic desperation.

  “And what did you expect after kidnapping the princess’s future husband…” Qelmar murmured.

  “Oh Mother… Queen of the Seas… I don’t want to die…”

  On the Deck of the Queen of Agility

  “Sharad… tell me we’ll catch them,” the princess said, standing beside the admiral at the bow, both staring into the distance. The wind whipped her hair into her face.

  “I don’t want to jinx it, but yes—I’m certain. Qelmar’s little tub can’t compare to our ship. This is theQueen of Agility. She’s earned that name more than once,” he said proudly. “There’s no faster ship in all of Dusughbarah. And I doubt Tassas has anything better. Even if they do, it’s definitely not theSilver Coin.”

  “So we’ll catch them.”

  “We have the speed for it. We will. I just can’t say whether it’ll be by afternoon or closer to evening. We have to reach them before nightfall. If darkness comes, they only have to douse their lights and vanish.”

  “We can’t let that happen. Do you have a ribbon or scarf? My hair keeps blowing straight into my face,” she grumbled.

  “Here.” He handed her the yellow ribbon from his shoulder—the one marking his rank.

  “They might not take you seriously now,” she teased.

  “Don’t worry, Princess. Ribbon or not, I’m still Admiral Sharad. No one on this ship will question my command.”

  Just then the first officer approached, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

  “What is it?” the admiral asked.

  “We have stowaways.”

  “Throw them overboard,” Sharad said without hesitation. “We don’t have room or patience for civilians.”

  “They’re… children, sir. Boys.”

  “All four of them?” the princess cut in. When the officer nodded, Belara burst into sudden, uncontrollable laughter and had to grab the railing for support.

  Both officers stared at her, baffled. When she finally regained control, she told them, “Those must be the four rascals who woke me up last night.”

  “How did they get onboard?” the officer asked.

  “I told them to go to bed,” Belara replied.

  “And?”

  “So of course they did the exact opposite,” she said with a faint laugh.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  The officer walked off and soon returned with the entire gang of troublemakers trotting behind him.

  “I sent you to bed,” the princess said sternly—no trace of laughter now.

  “But we weren’t sleepy,” piped up Moose.

  “Yeah! You’re supposed to sleep at night, not in the morning,” his inseparable friend added.

  “This isn’t an adventure for four little boys,” she scolded, letting them know they had crossed a line.

  “Not for a princess either…” Curls blurted out. The moment he realized what he’d said, he slapped a hand over his mouth in sheer terror.

  “You’re in trouble now,” Rascal hissed beside him.

  “For that sentence he deserves a proper beating,” Sharad grumbled. “Still… I agree. I’d much rather you weren’t here, Princess.”

  “But Iam,” Belara said, turning to him.

  “And so are we,” Curls blurted again—far too late to stop himself.

  “Would you shut up already!” Moose whispered harshly.

  The princess’s lips twitched. When she glanced at the admiral, she saw he too was struggling not to laugh at the boys’ unfiltered honesty.

  “All right, boys, let’s make a deal,” Belara said. “You may stay on deck—but the moment we get close and it looks like a fight is coming, you run below deck. Promise me on your nicknames.”

  “As Moose, I swear I’ll go below the moment there’s trouble,” Moose declared first.

  The other three followed suit with the same solemn promise.

  On the Deck of the Silver Coin

  “They’re fast. Too fast,” Meradan shouted, terror widening his eyes.

  “We hold our course,” Qelmar replied. “Night is our only chance. If they reach us before then, we fight until darkness swallows us and we can disappear.”

  “We can’t fight them. There’s too few of us—far too few. They must have packed as many soldiers onboard as they could. We can’t stand against that and hope to win,” the advisor wailed.

  “We work with what we have,” the prince snapped.

  “Easy for you to say. You won’t be the one executed first.”

  “Watch your tongue. You’re on my ship. My crew answers to me, not you. And if I lose my patience, our deal won’t save you—I’ll toss you overboard myself. Got it?”

  Qelmar leaned so close that their faces were separated by barely a few inches.

  Meradan swallowed, but the fear in his eyes did not fade.

  On the Deck of the Queen of Agility

  “All right, boys, time to go,” the princess called out. “The admiral is already giving battle orders.”

  Rascal let out a loud, defeated sigh. He wanted to see what would happen next, but he had made a promise—and he knew blood would be spilled. His childish curiosity wrestled with the early stirrings of common sense. “Let’s go,” he told the others.

  “You should go as well,” said Jhalen, dressed in lighter armor.

  “I won’t hide below like some frightened squirrel,” she snapped.

  “No one thinks you’re a squirrel,” the diplomat soothed her. “But you’re far too important. If anything happens to you, what then for Dusughbarah? You have no sister to take your place and enter the alliance marriage instead.”

  Belara said nothing. Inside, she fought with herself. She wanted to be there—not in the thick of battle, but at least far enough to see everything with her own eyes. But Jhalen was right.

  Again and again,she thought bitterly.Can’t he be wrong just once? Why do I always end up agreeing with him?

  “Please, Princess. I’ll already face your father’s wrath for letting you stay on deck at all. If you died, it wouldn’t even be worth returning.”

  “Fine. I’m going,” she said in resignation, turned her back on him, and disappeared below deck. She sat down in the same corner as the boys.

  On the Deck of the Silver Coin

  “We won’t make it,” Meradan moaned. “The sun is dropping, but they’ll be here before it sets.”

  “Then there’s nothing for it,” Qelmar said, handing him a long dagger. “We’ll enjoy a bit of evening entertainment.”

  “You’re insane. Is this a pastime for you?”

  “Either you fight, or tell me now and I’ll order the men to throw you overboard. Standing here empty-handed will just get in the way.”

  Meradan stared at him, then clumsily gripped the dagger. The prince noticed and couldn’t resist a jab. He pointed at the blade. “That part is the tip. When they come for you, aim withthat.”

  “I’m not an idiot,” the advisor snapped.

  “With that toy in your hand, you look like one,” the prince replied coolly.

  TheSilver Coinheld her course, sails taut, the sun sinking inexorably behind the horizon.

  But theQueen of Agilitylived up to her name, devouring the distance with predatory speed. Moment by moment she crept closer until she was only a few ship-lengths behind.

  Qelmar ordered a turn to port, hoping zigzagging might buy them precious time. But the pursuers mirrored every move. Both ships traced a wide arc, yet theQueencut her disadvantage down with ease.

  TheSilver Coin’s officers realized they wouldn’t reach darkness in time. They stripped the sails and prepared for battle. Every man lined up along the starboard rail—where the collision would come.

  Archers nocked arrows. A moment later they fired, even though the ships weren’t yet side by side—desperate for one extra volley, one extra chance to wound.

  On the Dusughbarian ship, soldiers and island sailors waited in disciplined ranks. Their archers were stationed aft; they had more of them. Though they lacked a clear view, they only needed to weather the first volley. The royal guards positioned their shields to cover the men from the front and above.

  TheSilver Coinloosed the first volley just as theQueen of Agilityslipped into a better angle. While Qelmar’s archers reloaded, the Dusughbarian side fired back. Their aim hit harder: only one man on their side was grazed by the tassasian arrows, but four of Qelmar’s men dropped at once.

  Qelmar shouted for another volley; the enemy returned in kind. Then the ships drew close enough for boarding. The admiral ordered the gangplank down and launched the assault.

  At the front charged the largest brute of the royal guard, shield raised. He thundered across the plank and slammed into the defenders with his full weight. Others followed, and Jhalen with them. Only Admiral Sharad remained on theQueen, overseeing the battlefield.

  He was also the first to see the treachery of the royal advisor.

  Meradan slipped out from somewhere amid the chaos. In his hand gleamed a long knife. He sprinted toward the bow, where Prince Kelen was tied to the rail. With a few quick cuts he sliced the rope binding him to the railing and forced the bound prince upright. Then he stepped behind him, pressing the blade to his throat.

  Meradan screamed at both sides to stop. Within moments, the fighters pulled apart. The dead from Qelmar’s men lay between them. Not a single Dusughbarian had fallen, though many were wounded—royal guard armor made all the difference.

  “What do you want?” the admiral called from theQueen of Agility.

  “All of you will cross over to theSilver Coin. Move to the port side. And you’ll let me pass onto theQueen of Agility.”

  “You can’t sail her alone,” Sharad objected.

  “I know. That’s why I’ll pick three of Qelmar’s crew to go with me.”

  “And you don’t want Qelmar?” the old commander asked, surprised. “Aren’t you working together?”

  “IfIdeliver Kelen, I negotiate solely for Dusughbarah. Qelmar would want his share of the reward.”

  “You’re mad. You’ve just violated the ancient immunity of a royal envoy.”

  “For the good of the realm…” came the cold reply. “So? Will you let me and three men cross onto the emptyQueen of Agility, or do you want to find out whether I can or cannot slit his throat?”

  “I’m coming,” the admiral said, crossing last from the fighting side. Once he was safely across, the Dusughbarians shifted toward the port rail.

  “You, you, and you,” Meradan pointed at three of Qelmar’s sailors. “You’ll follow me when I say. The rest of you go below deck with Qelmar. And don’t try anything stupid.Especiallyyou, Qelmar. As captain, you go first. Hands up.”

  With Meradan’s blade at Kelen’s throat and his intent deadly clear, no one risked a move. Qelmar dropped his weapons, raised his hands, and disappeared down into the hold. His crew followed. The three men Meradan had chosen stopped at the entrance but did not descend.

  The deck was now beautifully cleared.

  The royal advisor edged toward the plank, keeping himself facing the Dusughbarian warriors even as he stepped onto it.

  Kelen was still bound, his movements awkward and heavy. So Meradan went first—slowly, carefully backing across the plank, holding the dagger tight to the prince’s throat with one hand while gripping him firmly with the other. All the while, his eyes darted left and right, making sure he stayed in the very center of the plank.

  On the Deck of the Queen of Agility

  Belara and the four boys had spent the entire skirmish hidden below deck. When sudden silence fell, all five of them tensed, uncertain and uneasy. They had no idea what was happening above—and that silence felt ominous.

  The princess slowly, quietly moved toward the stairs leading up. The boys followed her instinctively. She knew there was no point ordering them to stay put—and to be fair, her mind was already elsewhere.

  She heard the admiral speaking with Meradan and understood instantly what was going on. She didn’t know how to fix the situation, but she was certain the royal adviser had no idea they were aboard; otherwise he would have demanded their transfer as well. That gave her one advantage: surprise. She just needed a plan.

  She climbed to the first step and carefully peeked out, only enough to catch a glimpse. And she saw Meradan dragging Kelen toward the boarding plank. It took both the adviser and the bound prince quite a while to step onto it. That gave Belara enough time to form a plan.

  Near the hatch she spotted a loose plank on the deck. As soon as both men began slowly backing across the narrow bridge, she spun to the boys and in a few quick sentences divided the tasks. Then she ordered them to take their boots off.

  Meanwhile, Meradan began edging backward, dragging the tightly bound Kelen with him, inch by precarious inch toward theQueen’s Agility. One hand gripped the prince, the other held the knife ready. Each step made the plank sway.

  Suddenly, Belara burst out onto the deck barefoot, the boys right behind her. All of them moved quietly and carefully, trying not to make the plank rock too much. Rascal grabbed the loose board and swung it hard at Meradan.

  The adviser instinctively dropped the knife—it fell straight into the sea—and lashed out at Rascal, who jumped back just in time. Off-balance, the old man lost his footing and toppled into the water.

  His fall jolted the plank. Kelen, unable to steady himself with his hands bound, tipped and fell after him. Skinny darted forward, trying to keep the prince on the board, but instead Kelen pulled him down as well.

  “Kelen!” Belara cried, horrified.

  Even so, the scrawny boy managed to keep the prince afloat for a few heartbeats before the two of them began to sink. That was long enough for Rascal to act a second time. He seized the end of a coiled rope tied to the railing and leapt into the water moments after Skinny went in. He caught hold of Kelen and held him securely, gripping the rope with his other hand to keep all three from going under.

  Belara and the remaining boys hauled on the opposite end of the rope, helping to drag Kelen, Skinny, and Rascal safely back onto the deck.

  Lightly armored soldiers jumped into the water as well to help recover anyone who had fallen. Jhalen leapt too—but his target was the treacherous adviser. Meradan had surfaced by then. He could swim, and that instinct for survival brought him straight into Jhalen’s grasp, where it was clear he would soon face harsh justice for betrayal.

  Eventually, everyone who had gone overboard was safely brought back.

  Prince Kelen—still bound—owed his life to the quick, fearless actions of Rascal, Skinny, and Belara.

  The first officer was the only one who had not forgotten Qelmar’s men hidden below deck, who for a brief moment were left entirely unwatched. He ordered several soldiers to guard them closely. It turned out to be a wise choice—Qelmar had intended to seize the moment’s chaos, and he might well have succeeded if not for the first officer’s vigilance.