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Nearly everyone clustered on the quarterdeck while she observed. She finally lowered the glass and pointed. “They fly two shades of blue. Those have no flags anywhere on their ships, but they seem to be the same overall. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary happening.”
Aspen looked at the ones to his right with the dark and light blue flags. That group was smaller than the other.
“Mutiny,” someone muttered.
“There’s only one way to find out,” said Kalani.
Aspen hid in a cabin while the ladies decked themselves out in tempting outfits and makeup. A ship full of whores wouldn’t be attacked. What were they going to do?
They approached the side with colors first and someone boarded them. If Aspen was found, he was to be Starry’s brother who could clean and cook a bit but was too simple to do much else. The cabins weren’t even searched, and it wasn’t long before Elira’s Doves grew quiet. Aspen knew the women had followed the sailors back to their ships and were plying their trade.
An orgasm can make someone quite relaxed and willing to talk. Combined with a ration of rum or something like that, many lips would likely grow loose. Aspen wished this didn’t have to take so long, but they were probably servicing plenty of sailors.
It was late when the woman returned. Some were half-sloshed, body paint had been smeared beyond saving, and several had knowing and pleased expressions as they squeezed into Kalani’s cabin to speak.
“Queen Asara’s men have split,” she said. “They were supposed to betray and attack Oriel when he arrived, but the majority decided to go against her orders. That’s the side with no colors.”
“Why?” asked Aspen.
“They’d rather follow Oriel.”
“But why risk committing treason?”
Another spoke up. “It’s only treason if they get caught or captured afterward. If Oriel wins with them on their side, and they beat those loyal to Queen Asara, he’ll likely reward those who stuck with him. If he gets West Bay back and overtakes Meadow, he’ll have more than enough power to beat what's left of Queen Asara's army.”
“Some might simply prefer to fight honestly instead of following the Queen’s way of betrayal,” said Starry.
Aspen fiddled with the edge of the blanket as he sat on Kalani’s bed. If they betrayed Oriel as soon as he came with Kalen, there would be massive damage to the ships on both sides. Survivors from each would retreat, but Queen Asara couldn’t take West Bay. King Talen would smash what was left if she tried.
“Did they say when they would betray Oriel?” asked Aspen.
“No.”
“I don’t think she wants the whole country,” he said. “They would have betrayed Oriel at a key point while attacking Meadow. King Taven might have been willing to give part of West Bay to her or split the mines in return.”
“She wouldn’t have gotten anything if Oriel had remained a slave,” one pointed out. “King Taven owes her nothing, and he’s only in trouble because Oriel escaped and has East Forest backing him now.”
Politics wasn’t Aspen’s strong point, but he had a feeling, and he spoke slowly as he tried to keep the threads of his thoughts aligned. “Her Isles are smaller. She has resources from the sea, but maybe it’s not enough, and…”
“What?” asked Kalani. “You knew Oriel’s family.”
“Except for her,” said Aspen. “I do remember King Leneer mentioning letters to her. They wrote to each other, but I never thought much of Asara, and from what I gathered, it was him that was closer to her. The children weren’t as interested in their distant family member. I think she might have orchestrated this with King Taven from the start, and he used Oriel as a scapegoat to help his reputation with his own people. Asara must be greedy like King Taven, and she never wrote to ask for Oriel’s freedom or to bargain or anything…”
“And?”
“They might have worked together, and in the end, they would have made an ‘agreement.’ Perhaps he would have pretended to offer her part of West Bay including coastal parts and mines to keep peace, but Oriel would have remained a slave as punishment for his Father’s ‘betrayal.’ She would have agreed and claimed it was to save the lives of her people since her army is smaller. Oriel escaped, and she simply changed things a bit. Instead of refusing to aid Oriel, she helped him to get an army, but with betrayal, she and King and Taven could beat Kalen and Rhys’s side. That would also leave East Forest open. They have an heir, but with most of the army decimated, they could march in and take that too. Once again, King Taven and Queen Asara could split things. She might not care to have an empire that’s spread out, but this would profit her enormously. It would also be easier to attack Oriel’s army while fighting for Meadow because King Taven’s men would aid them.”
The woman stared at him, and for a moment, his stomach twisted. They probably thought he was dumb, but he’d just said that because it made sense. King Taven wouldn’t want to do a bunch of hard work and give Asara everything, but together, they could split things and turn war into a profitable arrangement for them both.
Even if Oriel was her cousin, it didn’t mean she cared that much for him.
“That makes sense,” said one of the women. "It'd take a lot of planning, but it'd certainly be doable."
“Other rulers would be leery of them both,” said one.
“Not if he hammered in the lie that Kalen and Rhys were helping a traitor,” said Kalani. “King Taven will spout that until his dying day. Besides, who cares about other rulers as long as they don’t fuck with him? The nearby ones won’t like him snatching up territory like a warlord, but they probably won’t risk war and lives when it doesn’t affect them in the long run as long as he doesn't try to take more.”
“They’ll sit on their ass like with South Sea,” said Starry. “Others only tried to help once it was too late.”
