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When their carriage rolled to a stop before the harbor, the driver opened the door and offered Riona a hand to climb out. She accepted it, trying not to look at the Erdurian ship sitting tall and proud beside one of the docks as she emerged. A few docks over, the Kentari carrack bobbed on the water. The sight of the smaller ship left no doubt of the state of the country that was to become her home: the sails were patched and worn from the sun, the hull scarred from time and weather.
Valerian followed her gaze and winced. “I asked for our finest ship to sail here, and was promptly informed that that was it.”
“We’ll make the best of it. Although…perhaps our first priority upon arriving in Kenter should be to strengthen the navy,” Riona responded as another carriage rolled to a stop behind the one they had just vacated. The driver opened the door, and her father, Amaris, Lord Winslow, the queen, and Prince Domhnall climbed out.
Amaris ran to her and threw her arms around Riona. “Oh, I’m going to miss you, sister. Write often, and spare no details,” she said, her voice muffled by their embrace. She pulled back and looked from Riona to Valerian. “Let Domhnall and me know what aid you need. We don’t have much to spare, on account of our debts to the Isles, but we will share what we can.”
Valerian pressed a hand to his heart. “Thank you, my lady. You have no idea what this opportunity means to my people. Creator willing, we will soon find ourselves free of the Kostori tyrant.”
“Just make sure you keep my cousin safe,” Prince Domhnall said as he and the others joined them. He glanced at Riona and winked, his smile not quite masking his sorrow. “Better yet, protect the court from her. That clever tongue can be a fearsome weapon when she chooses to wield it.”
“Seeing as it’s the only weapon I’m skilled in wielding, it’s imperative that I keep it sharp, cousin,” she responded.
Domhnall rolled his eyes as he pulled her into a tight hug. When he released her, Riona turned to her father, pretending not to see the tears welling in his eyes. “I’ll be fine, Father,” she said as he stepped forward and kissed her temple. “You and Mother raised me well.”
“I know you will, my love, but it’s not easy to see you leave a second time.” Pure devastation shone on his face, and she knew he still wished that she had agreed to his offer to leave Innislee and start anew elsewhere. She fought the lump forming in her throat as he gave her a sad smile. “Your new people will love you, Riona.”
“And your enemies will fear you,” the queen said as she pulled Riona into a hug. Her breath tickled the curve of Riona’s ear as she whispered, “Your uncle will pay for what he did to your mother. Not yet—not while we are awaiting the armies that are sure to come for the mines—but one day. I swear it.”
When her aunt pulled back, Riona saw nothing but fierce determination on her face. Her aunt was no longer the aloof, distant queen. She would stand beside her son and Amaris and help their kingdom recover from the damage her husband had done. Riona gripped her hands tightly. “When the time comes, do not hesitate.”
Queen Blair nodded and pressed a light kiss to each of Riona’s eyelids in the traditional Selannic farewell. “Not even for a second,” she vowed as she pulled back.
At last, Lord Winslow stepped forward and bowed deeply to her and Valerian. “After all we endured in Beltharos, I am not eager to see you go, my lady. Be safe, and be as fearless as you were while facing Nicholas Comyn. You were the queen Percival needed to find his courage, and now you will be the duchess Kenter needs to gain its freedom.”
She smiled, emotion rushing over her. Lord Winslow was not her blood, but he had been the closest thing she’d had to a father during their time in Beltharos. “What will do you now that you don’t have me to watch over?”
A proud smile spread across his lips. “I’ve been appointed Treasurer. You are leaving your kingdom in good hands, my lady.” His gaze drifted to the Kentari vessel, and his smile widened. “Do not forget—you may be leaving your family behind, but you still have friends at your side.”
Riona followed his gaze to the ship, where a few figures were standing by the railing, waving to them. When told of the betrothal, Aeron, Faylen, and Ophelia had all chosen to sail to Kenter with her. Seeing them now, Riona’s heart swelled with affection for her friends.
Valerian smiled and extended an arm toward the Kentari carrack. “I believe our ship is prepared. Are you ready?”
She glanced at the Erdurian ship, the double-headed eagle sigil emblazoned proudly on its sails, and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Her family followed them to the dock, where they exchanged their final farewells. They all smiled and wished her and Valerian well, but Riona saw tears brimming in several pairs of eyes and had to fight back the urge to cry. She had left Rivosa once before, but this felt different. This felt…final. Riona and Valerian climbed the gangplank, and her heart lurched the second her foot hit the deck. There was no guarantee she would ever see Rivosi land again.
She wasn’t just leaving for a marriage. She was leaving for a war.
Riona and Valerian hadn’t made it more than halfway across the deck when the captain rushed over to them, Aeron and the others trailing behind him. Riona stopped in her tracks when she saw the alarm on their faces. “What’s wrong?” she asked before any of them could speak. Her gaze shot to Faylen’s round belly. “Is it the baby?”
“No, it’s—”
“There’s been a security breach, Your Grace,” the captain said to Valerian. “We’ve been as careful as possible with a ship and crew of this size, but a Rivosan must have snuck onboard while we were loading the supplies. He managed to get down to the hold, where we’ve been keeping that lord you took prisoner. I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
Dread filled Valerian’s face. “About what, Captain? Did the intruder set him free?”
The man shook his head. “No, he’s still there, but…you should see him for yourself.”
The duke shot Riona an uneasy look and ordered the captain to wait to cast off, then led them below decks. Riona blinked against the sudden dimness of the hall, the lanterns hanging from the ceiling swaying languidly with the bobbing of the ship. They passed through several narrow halls and descended rickety, steep steps until they came to a door bracketed by two Kentari guards, each slumped against the wall with their heads in their hands. They snapped upright when they saw their duke approaching, but made no attempt to stand. One blinked at them dazedly.
“What in the Creator’s name has happened?” Valerian demanded, looking bewildered.
“It—It was a ship hand, Your Grace,” the slightly more alert of the two guards said. He tilted his head, and the light of the lantern hanging above Aeron shone on the large bump protruding from his temple. A small river of blood had dried along one side of his face. “He said he was just going into the hold to stow some supplies. Next thing I knew, he attacked us and forced a rag over our faces, laced with some sort of drug. I just remember falling unconscious and then waking to the sound of screams.”
“What did he look like?”
The guard lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Like every man on this ship and half the ones in the harbor. Unwashed. Unkempt. That’s all I remember, Your Grace. I’m sorry.”
