under his gaze. “I am a pirate, I always follow my heart. It is the only thing I am loyal to.”
With that, he moved away from her, heading to the helm.
***
Larkin wasn’t sure how she should feel about Barren Reed. She expected to be dead by now, actually. In fact, she was still waiting to discover the bread had been poisoned. But the longer she waited for her throat to close up, the more she realized Barren really wasn’t out to kill her. All he wanted was William. Larkin knew the reality of this situation: one would kill the other someday, and she couldn’t be sure who would win. But if Barren did not succeed, she would marry William. Only one thing overrode any desire of her heart, and that was her father’s wishes. She would do what she could to make him proud.
Since Larkin’s bonds had been removed, she rose from her place against the rail and walked along the deck, rubbing her wrists. It felt nice to stretch her legs, and she loved being in the middle of the ocean. It was the one place her father had always hoped she’d never find comfort because of his experiences fighting Jess Reed. Her father’s hatred of the notorious pirate brought William to Maris after the murder—he knew the prestigious landlord would keep him safe. Her father had taken Will under his wing and bought him a place among the nobles. Only weeks ago, her father had come to her with the proposal. She had been appalled at first. She hated everything William stood for. He had no virtue she admired, and all the vices she disliked. He talked constantly about one thing only—Barren Reed’s abominable behavior.
After their engagement, he spoke of one additional thing: the prospect of becoming king. There was no luster to being a queen in Larkin’s eyes. She saw the position as frightening and restraining. Since learning of her impending marriage to William, she had felt an overwhelming urge to flee from the duty to her father and William. Her heart only gave her one option: the open sea. Though now she was thinking she should have been more careful about what she’d wished for.
“Excuse me, Lady,” came a voice from behind her. Larkin turned to see the young Datherious Reed. “Hand me that rope there, will you?”
She hesitated for a moment, finding it strange to be in the presence of the prince once again. It had been a long time since she’d seen his face.
She did as he asked, bending to scoop up the rope and handing it to him. “You are one of the rogue princes.”
Datherious smiled, though she found it a little unpleasant. He was a handsome man, but had an air of darkness about him. Perhaps it was all in his features—dark hair, cut short, and two very dark brows arched above his deep grayish-blue eyes. His face was brushed with facial hair, and his lips a little too red for the color of his skin. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of years, and he had changed.
“One of two,” he said with a smirk.
“Where is your brother?” She had seen him once while boarding the ship in the night and then he had disappeared. He couldn’t have gone far; they were on a ship.
Dath pointed upward. A man sat on one of the branches of the mast, his legs wrapped together to hold him in place as he threaded another rope through one of the sails and secured it against the breeze. It was Natherious, his brother.
“You sure left Maris in quite a state,” she said, looking up at Nath who was more pleasant to behold. Perhaps it was because his eyes were lighter, and he smiled brightly.
Dath chuckled. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, Tetherion has no heirs now that you’ve joined with Barren,” she said. She remembered Slay had warned her against talking to the princes as if they were traitors. By definition, they were and she was all too curious to see how they viewed the situation.
“Of course he does,” said Datherious, moving toward the mast. He threw the rope up to Natherious. “Nath and I are his sons.”
“You are not
With that, he moved away from her, heading to the helm.
***
Larkin wasn’t sure how she should feel about Barren Reed. She expected to be dead by now, actually. In fact, she was still waiting to discover the bread had been poisoned. But the longer she waited for her throat to close up, the more she realized Barren really wasn’t out to kill her. All he wanted was William. Larkin knew the reality of this situation: one would kill the other someday, and she couldn’t be sure who would win. But if Barren did not succeed, she would marry William. Only one thing overrode any desire of her heart, and that was her father’s wishes. She would do what she could to make him proud.
Since Larkin’s bonds had been removed, she rose from her place against the rail and walked along the deck, rubbing her wrists. It felt nice to stretch her legs, and she loved being in the middle of the ocean. It was the one place her father had always hoped she’d never find comfort because of his experiences fighting Jess Reed. Her father’s hatred of the notorious pirate brought William to Maris after the murder—he knew the prestigious landlord would keep him safe. Her father had taken Will under his wing and bought him a place among the nobles. Only weeks ago, her father had come to her with the proposal. She had been appalled at first. She hated everything William stood for. He had no virtue she admired, and all the vices she disliked. He talked constantly about one thing only—Barren Reed’s abominable behavior.
After their engagement, he spoke of one additional thing: the prospect of becoming king. There was no luster to being a queen in Larkin’s eyes. She saw the position as frightening and restraining. Since learning of her impending marriage to William, she had felt an overwhelming urge to flee from the duty to her father and William. Her heart only gave her one option: the open sea. Though now she was thinking she should have been more careful about what she’d wished for.
“Excuse me, Lady,” came a voice from behind her. Larkin turned to see the young Datherious Reed. “Hand me that rope there, will you?”
She hesitated for a moment, finding it strange to be in the presence of the prince once again. It had been a long time since she’d seen his face.
She did as he asked, bending to scoop up the rope and handing it to him. “You are one of the rogue princes.”
Datherious smiled, though she found it a little unpleasant. He was a handsome man, but had an air of darkness about him. Perhaps it was all in his features—dark hair, cut short, and two very dark brows arched above his deep grayish-blue eyes. His face was brushed with facial hair, and his lips a little too red for the color of his skin. She hadn’t seen him in a couple of years, and he had changed.
“One of two,” he said with a smirk.
“Where is your brother?” She had seen him once while boarding the ship in the night and then he had disappeared. He couldn’t have gone far; they were on a ship.
Dath pointed upward. A man sat on one of the branches of the mast, his legs wrapped together to hold him in place as he threaded another rope through one of the sails and secured it against the breeze. It was Natherious, his brother.
“You sure left Maris in quite a state,” she said, looking up at Nath who was more pleasant to behold. Perhaps it was because his eyes were lighter, and he smiled brightly.
Dath chuckled. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, Tetherion has no heirs now that you’ve joined with Barren,” she said. She remembered Slay had warned her against talking to the princes as if they were traitors. By definition, they were and she was all too curious to see how they viewed the situation.
“Of course he does,” said Datherious, moving toward the mast. He threw the rope up to Natherious. “Nath and I are his sons.”
“You are not
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