Chapter 26:

  Nereida sighed contentedly as Ael’s fingers worked their way through her hair, working the beads, twisting strands and braiding in a complex set of pits that sat mostly on her head like a crown. The Admiral didn’t speak as she worked, but instead hummed softly. It wasn't the first time someone had done her hair, but it was the first time her hair dresser had leaned in to kiss her ears or cheek whenever a section got finished.

  “Will the magic thingy change how the braids look?” she asked as she pced the final pin. Ael’s own hair was in a pair of braids that combined into one at her back, a far less complicated style, but she had the same beads worked into her hair.

  “No, it changes colour, not texture or shape. Except of my teeth; they look, well, normal.” She looked at herself in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself with her hair styled like a princess while her face was that of a siren. Fancy hair and fangs coexisting. She had never seen the two halves of her together before. All because of Ael. She leaned into her beloved, into the woman who would be her betrothed after this night. Nereida wondered if Ael truly understood what this meant for them both, the games they would have to py. She was ready, but somehow she wasn’t certain Ael was.

  They had taken turns getting dressed, Ael insisting that the dress needed to be on before the hair was done, and insisting they both get dressed privately. Ael looked amazingly sharp in her new formal suit. The Admiral’s thin frame and shoulders were made sharper by the suit, more commanding. Her olive complexion suited the colours, and she looked even more fierce than she had dressed in full armour. Nereida wanted, quite badly, to slowly undress Ael. But that would have to wait until they had passed whatever test they were put through.

  There was only one st piece. Nereida slipped the anklet on. She felt Ael’s hand tighten on her shoulder, and stay there until the worst of it passed. She looked at her human reflections and smiled sadly. This was a face she knew; the princess, soft and round, chubby and getting older.

  “You’re still beautiful,” Ael soothed, her hand gently caressing Nereida’s cheek. The “still” of that made Nereida want to cry. Ael found her beautiful as herself. “I wish you did not have to hide.” She went to retrieve a pair of cloaks, both bck with red highlights. Nereida smiled.

  “Your colours and mine?” She was impressed. “Quite the message, my love.”

  “I don’t ever want things to be unequal between us.” Ael leaned in and kissed her lips. It was a slow kiss, the kind that promised more, ter. Nereida felt the heat in her cheeks, the heat spreading. “We should compliment each other, not rule one another. May I walk you there, arm in arm?”

  “Does that transte to me being yours, or simple courtesy?” Nereida asked. So many small rules were just slightly different. Ael smiled and motioned for her to stand. They stood side by side, arms linked, and Ael pced her hand on her forearm.

  “This is courtesy,” she said, and then shifted slightly, her hand now resting in the crook of Nereida’s elbow. “This is possessive.” She untangled their arms and simply slipped her hand into Nereida’s. “This means lover, without denoting seriousness.”

  “This one,” Nereida decided. “Keep them guessing.” Ael ughed a little.

  Evander was on deck as they emerged. His eyes widened as he took in Nereida’s hair, their outfits. He nodded, as if they met his expectations, and the shock faded into something else that Nereida could not identify.

  “Admiral,” he said, bowing. He looked at Nereida and bowed a second time. “Your Grace. Do you need an escort?”

  “No, we are fine.” Ael’s smile was tight. Nereida squeezed her hand, a signal to rex. Evander nodded, and bowed again. Someone on deck whistled appreciatively, and Evander shot them a gre. They left the ship, and Nereida hoped that Ael hadn’t noticed Evander and the crew man exchanging coins. Had the crew been betting on their retionship? Had Evander been in on the bets?

  She put the crew out of her mind as they strolled down the pier to another ship. This one was not quite as fine as the Dragon’s Tooth, her hull showing more scars.

  “The Knave attracts trouble,” Ael whispered. “Or seeks it out, I’m never sure.” Nereida smiled softly.

  “If her captain is your retion, I’m betting the former.” Ael snorted indelicately, and helped Nereida across the gangpnk.

  The man who met them was dressed in the red and bck uniform that Ael so often wore, though the feather on his hat was a darker, almost crimson red. He had strong cheekbones and bright blue eyes, his long blond hair in a neat braid. Ael had dropped her hood as they approached and the man beamed at her.

  “Admiral Ael! And this must be your beau.” Nereida uncsped the hood and let it billow open dramatically, enjoying herself a little more than was necessary. Ael scrambled to catch the cloak before it blew off the deck. The man ughed in surprise, true delight showing on his face. “Oh my darling Admiral! Why didn’t you tell me that no mere man could tame you?”

  “I should have thought that was obvious,” Ael grouched. The man ughed again.

  “Welcome, dear woman, welcome. I am Admiral Matthias Iroastis, and this humble ship is the Knave.” He bowed, taking her hand and kissing it. Ael scowled deeply and made a move toward him but Nereida shook her head just enough that her lover noticed and paused.

  “I doubt there is anything humble about you or your ship,” Nereida replied with a coy smile. This was a game she knew. Dance on the knife’s edge. “I am Dame Countess Nereida Dama D’Igna.” She fshed a brilliant smile at him, watching for subtle reactions. His eyes flickered down to the white belt she wore, to the silver circlet in her hair. His posture shifted slightly.

  “My my that’s a mouthful! Can I humbly request that I may call you Nereida?”

  “If I can call you Matthias.”

  “Splendid! Come along, I have supper in my cabin, and it should be hot and lovely.” He stood to the side, motioning for them both to go. Ael seethed, clearly hating every moment of what was happening.

  Nereida needed control of the bde if she could dance on it. She reached her arm around Ael, pcing her hand in the crook of Ael’s elbow: mine. Ael’s anger sputtered away and she allowed herself to be led inside, while their host eyed Nereida. There was a flicker of emotion on his jovial face that she couldn’t parse, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

  The desk in their cabin had a tablecloth tossed over it, and the desk was made up to look like a fancy dinner; silverware, goblets of wine, fresh buns. The buns looked especially tantalizing. Ael pulled out her chair, making a show of dusting it off with her cloak before she handed both cloaks to their host.

  “You’ve gone to so much trouble,” Nereida observed cheerfully. “It’s an honour.”

  “The honour is mine, dear Nereida. I never thought any would win the heart of miss grumpy,” he motioned toward Ael with one hand, lifting the basket of buns with the other. Ael and Nereida each took one; biting into them as the host continued speaking. “And a knight to boot! That must be some story to tell. Pardon my saying so, but we don’t often see knights who clean up as beautifully as you. The ruffles and skirt are not exactly expected knightly attire.“

  “Ah, well,” she replied, putting the bun down, “it’s quite a story.” Beside her, Ael had stiffened. Her betrothed had never asked her for this story. She wondered why. “You see, I was a slip of a girl, just fifteen, at my first courtly function. I’m not sure if you have these here, but in my homend, when a child turns of age to accept suitors, there is a party. If several noble children are close in age, they typically celebrate together, always on the first full moon of spring. There were six of us that year.” She let a fond smile py on her lips. It had been a spectacur party, with streamers and party favours and dancing. She could almost hear the music still, so lively and full of life. Her father had been proud of her that night. “I have always been small for my age, and often unnoticed. But I’ve always had a sharp eye.” She brought her gaze up to his and batted her eyes as if to make a point. Ael grumbled quietly next to her but she had his full attention.

  She paused there to take Ael’s hand in hers. Lovers.

  “I was with a boy, a long time friend, when we noticed that some of the servants had their belt buckles upside down. It might seem a small thing, but it meant, to me, that they were not, in fact, servants. We told a guard, but we were not believed. And so I took the knife from the cake and hid it in the ruffles of my dress.” She grinned, fluffing the ruffles on this dress. “It pays to be underestimated and small and nearly invisible. Though the pink dress I wore was an affront to the eyes, so I’m not sure how I was missed.” She smiled, a secretive kind of smile. “Woman’s magic, I supposed.” He ughed a little at that, and nodded, as if he had seen something simir. “When one of the false servants, an enemy of the king, made a move against his royal highness, I stepped, caught the assaint with my knife, and he died of his wounds. The king was, understandably, surprised, until my friend killed the second assaint and then he was eted. We were both knighted on the very same day we became adults.” She smiled serenely, then looked up at her host who was captivated by her tale. “And that’s the story of my first kill and how I obtained knighthood.”

  There was a moment of shocked silence until Matthais began to cp.

  “Oh darling! What a tale, sweet Nereida. And to think, all that, because you were underestimated. I do hope that’s a crime that doesn’t oft repeat itself.”

  “As all most people see is the ruffles and the curves.” She grinned at him cheekily before turning toward her betrothed. She very gently, very purposefully moved a stray hair off Ael’s face before turning back to their host. Ael was still in shock. That was fine, this was for his benefit, not hers.

  “Your beloved has not heard the tale,” he observed after a moment, pouring wine into their goblets.

  “We have had other things on our minds,” Nereida replied haughtily. She reached for Ael’s arms, looping them so that Aelle put her hand on Nereida’s elbow. Hers. The strangled noise that Ael made was delightful and reminded her strongly of her brother, but she just blinked at Ael like a besotted fool, dancing the dance on the bde of the knife. Reveal enough to pull him in, see what kind of mind lurked behind bright smiles and eager ughs.

  Matthias blinked a little bit too much as she moved closer to Ael than would be strictly proper unless they were wed, before he unched into a tale about his st fight with the demon ships, how his ship and two others had taken four destroyers. One ship sank but they had saved most of the souls aboard. As he spoke, a rge woman with short-shaved hair and a rge ring through her nose, entered and brought them food. There was a roast, already cut and sthered in gravy, fresh looking vegetables that had butter dropped over them and mashed potatoes. Nereida had not eaten so well since they had started the voyage home. Ael thanked the woman, who just grunted and stomped out gracelessly.

  “Oh, please, pay no mind to Grizelda.” He took a rge bite, chewing before continuing with his mouth full. “She doesn’t see the point in manners.” Nereida giggled, while Ael grumbled.

  “Oh Ael, don’t worry. He’s charming, sure, but no one can hold a candle to your brightness.” She leaned over to stage-whisper this. Ael groaned in obvious aggravation.

  “You weren’t supposed to like him,” she grouched back.

  “He’s your family! What’s not to like?” She fixed a bright smile on Matthias. “Any children?” She asked pyfully. He had just been about to bite into some vegetables but stopped.

  “As, no, not that have been brought to my attention. Tis a sad, childless life for us, no sticky fingers or endless annoying questions, however will we cope?” He took a rge bite. Nereida flickered a gnce at Ael, who was sinking in her seat. She felt like she had to tread carefully, as there was something cultural here she didn’t understand. She dropped the subject of children, her left hand curling around Ael’s.

  “Seems like your courtship is quite serious, Admiral.” His tone was softer, now, less about boisterous fun. “Tell your not-quite-cousin, has she read you her ancestors’ names?” Nereida looked up at the blond admiral, her eyes darting to Ael. She didn’t know this part of the dance.

  “That only matters if we pn to have children, and we both know I can’t, and furthermore, the countess is a woman,” Ael snapped, her hand squeezing Nereida’s hand almost painfully. Nereida looked down at her p. They had never discussed children, not having more, but Ael couldn’t have them? She hadn’t mentioned that either. She considered speaking of adoption but the way Ael looked ready to break Matthias’s nose, she decided now was neither the time nor the pce.

  Something passed between the two admirals as they stared at one another, an impish, boyish expression on Matthias’s face and an angry sulk on Ael’s.

  “Well, then, perhaps it is time for dessert! I won’t allow you to leave such a sour note!” He cpped his hands again.

  “Truly you are a gracious host,” Nereida replied, gd to be back in familiar waters. This dance she knew the song to, familiar and safe.

  “Whatever happened to your friend? The boy who was knighted too?” Matthias asked, leaning back in his chair as if he were the most rexed person in the world. Nereida admired his easy demeanor. This was a man who knew how to py the game.

  “He married the king’s third son.” She ughed, picturing the young boy who she had taught to dance so that he could impress her older brother. “Last I heard they were deliriously happy.”

  “What a beautiful little story! Did you ever set your sights on one of the other princes?” Matthias asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Ael made a choking, strangling sound and reached for her wine. She drank deeply, hiding her red face in the goblet. Nereida was better able to hide her immediate and intense disgust.

  “None of them ever sparked my fancy.” She pced a chaste kiss on Ael’s cheek. Ael blinked at her, but didn’t speak.

  “I’ve heard tales of that royal family,” Matthias continued as they heard the door open behind them and the loud stomping footfalls of Grizelda sounded. “A family blessed with three sons and a daughter. The daughter tragically disappeared just after her nineteenth birthday.” Nereida froze, and concentrated on her breathing, on keeping it even. “Apparently, her father forbade her from marrying and she took that poorly, sweet thing.”

  Grizelda stomped into view, pcing three delicate gss bowls before them. It was a dark chocote pudding with shaved almonds resting on top. Her favourite dessert as a child.

  “Tell me, Nereida,” he continued, his tone harder than it had been only moments before. “Has Basiano found you yet?”