“Get him!” someone shouts at the sound of bones cracking, followed by a hard thud to the wooden floor.
As the crew catches sight of me emerging from the captain’s quarters, their huddle disbands, leaving behind two sparring individuals.
One is Kalen, who holds himself in a bloody mess on the floor. Kalen has been part of my crew for years and not once has he caused me issues.
The other is a newcomer by the nickname Twigs. Twigs is a tall, lean man, mid-twenties like myself, but is the cockiest bloke I’ve ever had in my crew. He was also not hand-selected by me, and is afriendof my eldest brother. As a favor I agreed to takeTwigs along. An abysmal agreement on my end, but who am I to argue with the future king?
The knuckles of Twig’s right hand shine bright red, carrying drying blood that doesn’t belong to him. He tosses me a smirk that makes me want to punch him and send him to the ground, aside Kalen.
“Is there a problem?” My voice hits a deeper tone than my usual one as I extend a hand to help Kalen up, but I aim my words at Twigs.
The crew remains quiet, as do the crowds waiting for us beyond the dock. Just my luck, these two begin fighting just as we arrive at the port back in Saden.
“He shorted me on my payment, and I want what is mine before we get off this ship.” Twigs spits a thick, brown liquid to the ground.
“Is that so?” I draw closer to Twigs, and while I dread confrontation, this is a moment that’s been building for months, and I can no longer ignore it. Friend of my brother’s or not, Twigs needs to learn his place, and I might have to be the very person to teach him. “I give Kalen the amounts for each crewmate. I assure you that all in my crew receive what is owed to them.” I take another step closer to him, right as palace guards approach. Their presence aboard my ship, instead of waiting on the dock as they should be miffs me, but I focus on one problem at a time.
“You are lazy and condescending. You drink more than you work, and you did little to help us during this expedition. I gave you what you deserved.”
Twigs goes from a pale white to a raging orange-red, and had I, Prince Iann, third son to King Marcel II, not been standing before him, he would have tried to pummel me the same way he did Kalen. Part of me wishes he would try.
Guards move closer, but with a simple wave from me, they back off, waiting for my command.
“If you desire more payment, then you are to clean the entirety of this ship top to bottom. It’s mostly your mess, so I assume it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Piss off.” He dares to take a step closer and cocks an arm back. Before I can react, guards rush in and seize Twigs.
“Get him off my ship and take him to a cell to sober up,” I order, making sure to have the final command. It may be my father’s army, but this man is part of my crew, even if he’s a terrible crewmate. “The rest of you”—the crew stills—“your King will be pleased at our findings. Your service, as always, is most appreciated. Now, get off my ship and go enjoy your families.”
With their laughter and payments in hand, they each depart the vessel that’s been home to us over the past several weeks, with me following right behind them.
Every time I disembark, I find the final step off the ship onto the dock is the hardest. In the matter of one second, I go from explorer to prince, and it’s a bittersweet moment that hits like a boulder dropping to the pit of my stomach.
I find the notion that going home is the best feeling, to be nonsense. I propose that the greatest feeling is found in grand adventures. Made all the better, if accompanied by the right crew. It is a feeling I crave daily and a high not always easy for me to achieve, especially not in court.
While I adore my family, I always feel distance from them gives me a greater appreciation for all they do, at least for most of them anyway. My excursions allow me opportunities to truly miss them.
But after a two-month exploration of Diamondhead, in search of precious stones that we ended up uncovering, immersed in the mountainous terrain, I’m finally back in myhome kingdom of Saden. Not just that, I’m back to being a full-time prince, and with all the draining duties attached to it.
At the end of the dock is a familiar man who instantly draws out a smile from me. His deep umber skin soaks in the kingdom’s rays and his balding head glistens with his bow. “Pleasure to see you again, Your Royal Highness.”
“You’ve been with me for over fifteen years, Esha. How many times must I tell you to simply call me Iann?” Forcing him to drop my bags, I wrap two arms around him. Hugs have never been something I hand out with ease, but Esha is more than my courtier, he is family.
His head only comes to my shoulders and he stands awkwardly with his hands at his side, also not a fan of hugs, but eventually, he caves.
“I’ve told you,”—he pulls away and picks up my bags before I have the opportunity—“your mother will have my head if I do such a thing.”
She and other family members never show up at the docks, or any other arrival location. They much prefer to greet me back at the palace. It’s easier on all of us this way, city goers make much less of a fuss about it, and there are rarely any dreaded crowds.
“What do you have on the agenda for me today, Esha?” I climb into a carriage.
“A special breakfast has been arranged for your return. Your mother ordered your brothers and grandmother to be in attendance.”
“Very well.” I am not in the mood for a family breakfast, but time together will not be all bad. I’m sure my father will use it as an opportunity to find out what new resources I’ve discovered to benefit his kingdom. “Anything else I should know?”
He clears his throat. “Lady Thana has requested a meeting with you.”
Hot, pestiferous air flows from my nose, but even with the irritation at the name of my former lover, it somehow makes me smile. “Couldn’t let me have one day back before subjecting me to that name?”
