“What is myfatherdoing?” Verette echoes.
“There, that’s the flagship, right?” Rapunzel points to the largest of the fleet, which isn’t just flying the Asteran flag, but also a dark red flag depicting crossed swords and a compass with the needle pointing west.
“Myold flagship,” Leona says darkly.
“Eugene saw a map on Enver’s desk earlier tonight marked with a route to our kingdom. If we can sneak aboard and find the captain’s cabin, we can see if they’ve charted the samecourse.” Rapunzel finds Verette and Leona staring at her. She shrugs. “I asked our ship’s captain a lot of questions on the way here.”
Leona checks the lantern. The flame’s a vivid royal purple. “We still have time if we move quickly. And unmooring the flagship would be a decent diversion.”
They wait until the lone guard’s loop reaches the near end of the dock, then head down the ramp and hide behind the provision stash as he makes another round. Once his back is turned again, they follow as quietly as they can, then bolt up the flagship’s gangplank.
“This way.” Leona leads them past rows of cannons to the stern, occasionally shaking her head and muttering about her brother Erwan’s shoddy upkeep. The groaning boards swallow the sound of her walking stick, but Rapunzel glances over the railing and finds the light of the guard’s own lantern has gone still. She ducks. After a moment, the bobbing glow on the water says he’s resumed his route.
Rapunzel’s stomach nonetheless knots with unease.
She follows the others into the captain’s cabin. “Let’s be fast. I think the guard’s suspicious.”
Leona’s already studying a map on a large mahogany table. “Good news, bad news. Good news: We know where they’re going. Bad news: You’re right, it’s Kourenne.”
This might be the most upset Rapunzel has ever been about being correct. “Do we know why?”
“We’re still looking.” Verette shuts a desk drawer. “At leastCouncilor Persevault knows better than to leave the orders out in the open.”
Rapunzel kneels by a chest beside the desk and tries the lid. It’s locked. “Do you see a key anywhere?”
“Wait.” Leona thumps over and reaches for a compass set into the head of the desk. It sinks into the wood halfway with an audible click. A panel pops out from the wall behind it as she flashes a wolfish grin. “Didn’t bother changing it at all, the lazy sod. There’s your key.”
Verette reaches into the compartment and passes the key to Rapunzel, then pulls out a tightly rolled parchment as well. She holds it up to the violet lantern light to read, and her face drops. As Rapunzel unlocks the trunk, Verette begins to read aloud.
“ ‘Greetings to Their Honorable Majesties of Kourenne. I, Erwan Persevault, Councilor of the West and Master of Seas, bear this message on behalf of His Majesty, King Enver of Astera. Your daughter, Princess Rapunzel, and her consort, Eugene Fitzherbert, are now in our custody, and your minister of diplomacy will remain a hostage on my flagship. If you wish to see any of them again, you must cede to Astera the territory containing the former location of the sundrop flower, and allow us unrestricted access to it. To ensure your compliance, the princess and her consort will remain in Astera until at least a decade has passed. Furthermore, our fleet will intercept any vessels coming or going from Kourenne until you agree to our demands. We hope Their Majesties will act with thewisdom and prudence they are known for.’ ” The parchment trembles in Verette’s hand. “Why—why would he—?”
“For this,” Rapunzel says numbly, staring into the open chest.
Rows of tiny jars are carefully packed in sawdust, each one containing a single dark glassy seed with pearly light flickering in its heart.
Apple seeds.
“Councilor Teophine said some people think the sundrop magic was in the ground, and the flower just concentrated it,” Rapunzel says. “Now the Starlight Spring’s been tapped out, he wants to plant even more trees there and hold me hostage until they bear apples. That’s why he was trying to convince Eugene to stay—he knows I wouldn’t fight as hard to leave if Eugene wouldn’t go with me.”
Enver knows she’s onlyjuststarted to see the rest of the world. That she onlyjustfound her family again.
That she spent eighteen years in a prison disguised as a home.
And now, he’s trying to make his home into a prison for her.
For a moment, there’s only the rush of seawater below, the soft groan of the swaying ship, and a hiss from the lantern.
Finally Verette breathes, “He was never going to let me take the throne.”
Rapunzel looks up to find Verette’s eyes fixed on the jars. Leona sets a hand on her shoulder. “Your Highness—”
“He never even considered it. He just wanted a pretext to lure Rapunzel here—heusedus—”
A faint, strange tinkling begins to emanate from the chest. The seeds are shaking, almost dancing in their jars.
Then something tickles at the back of Rapunzel’s skull. She picks up a jar, brow furrowing, and watches the starlight pulse in its depths. She’d almost swear she can sense—roots?
A clamor rises from the docks outside. Rapunzel pushes herself up and moves to the window. “Look—!”
