Chapter 33

The walk back to the ship was, for the most part, a quiet one. Aveline was deep in thought, contemplating all that she had heard.

She had no doubts that Ben was telling the truth. And though part of her wanted to rush back and confront the Hapsburgs right now, she knew it would be dangerous and impulsive. As of now, they stood no chance against armed crazies, she thought regretfully, telling herself to save her anger for later, when it would be needed.

Lyla was fuming, kicking randomly at stray pebbles as she walked, while Jamie seemed melancholy. Aveline couldn't blame either of them.

Ari ducked under a tree branch as they made their way out of the forest. "We have to go talk to your aunt, Lyla."

"I can't believe this," she growled. "They have no right. Arranged marriages were outlawed years ago. And with the kidnapping... it's practically rape."

Aveline flinched, glancing reflexively at Ari. He was looking at her, too, with a tightness in his jaw that she recognized.

"It's not going to happen." His voice was hard. "Aveline and I know what we're doing."

"Tristran and Ben weren't even going to be together," Jamie said sadly, and Aveline focused on her friend, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Ben would be forced to marry a princess, and Tristran would have to marry..."

"You, probably," Aveline realized with surprise. "You're Ben's sister. So they'd probably just pass Tristran onto you."

Her proclamation stirred a shocked pause, only irradiated by Lyla's gasp as her hand went over her mouth.
"Oh my God, Jamie, they're going to make you marry Prince Tristran!"

"No, they're not," Ari cut in, rolling his eyes. "No one is getting married. That's why we're here."

"Really, Ari?" Lyla huffed. "Because there are near fifty people in there, and there's only five of us."

"I said, we know what we're doing-"

"That's why the next step is to inform the Queen, Lyla. All she has to do is send in the royal guard and it'll all be over. The Hapsburgs are psychotic, not indestructible." Aveline shot a glance to Jamie. "Uh, no offense."

"None taken."

Eli sighed. "To the Apreuna palace, then?"

"Yes. Wait. No." Lyla wrinkled her nose. "What day is it?"

"The seventeenth."

"The Queen won't be there. The Marquess is hosting a fête at the old lighthouse in the Isle of Wescona tomorrow. She'd be expected to attend."

Aveline shielded her eyes as they approached the end of the village, watching for where Inez had docked the boat.

"The Wescona lighthouse? On the border of Apreuna?" Ari looked thoughtful. "I know where that is. And it's perfect timing, too."

"Perfect timing for what?"

"I should think it was obvious." Aveline briskly tied a knot in her skirts as they reached the ocean, hiking the fabric up to her thighs. "We're crashing the royals' stupid party. And then we're crashing a wedding." She exhaled, rubbing her thumb and index finger together. "Honestly, I think we should make it our goal to crash as many events as possible."

**

Everyone was still buzzing about the royals by the time they finished dinner. Lyla was restless, poking at her green beans, and Jamie was more talkative than usual, rambling to Eli to get her emotions off of her chest. Aveline traded glances with Ari across the table. Usually when planning an ambush in which they were massively outnumbered, it was no big deal: they'd usually rig something with explosives and congratulate themselves on another job well done as bodies flew in the background.

Rescue missions were different; that meant hostages were involved. And Lyla, understandably, had little experience with dangerous operations such as these. They had to be careful this time.

They always were, Aveline reminded herself. This job was no exception.

No one wanted to go to sleep and be alone; agitated and nervous from the excitement of the day, so Ari decided to let them bring quilts out to the deck.

Eli caught Aveline's arm as she was crossing the hallway to her room. Her stomach made a funny little lurch in her stomach, and Aveline inwardly mocked herself for being so jumpy. She was better than this.

"Can we talk?" Eli's voice was low.

Aveline hastily scoured the hallway for a distraction, but it was dim and empty.

"It's not the best time," Aveline pointed out. Her voice was steady. Good. "Besides, I'm busy," she added, gesturing with her chin to the pile of blankets in her arms.

"It'll only take a second."

"Fine." She bounced up and down on her toes, trying to convey her impatience.
Eli gently extracted the fabrics from her arms. "Can you stop fidgeting and just look at me?"

Aveline dragged her gaze to Eli's face, afraid of what she would find there. But he didn't look upset, just sort of confused, and she relaxed. Slightly.

"Have you been avoiding me because of what you said last night?"

Aveline tensed, before deciding that she was too exhausted to make up a lie. "Yes."

Eli's features wrinkled. "Why?"
Aveline raised her shoulders. "I wasn't sure how you would react."

"Aveline..." Eli's eyes stayed on hers as he shifted his hold on her quilts. "We're friends, right? I don't want you to feel as if I'll judge you for anything. Because I wouldn't."

I doubt that, Aveline thought dryly, but she didn't argue. She liked Eli's company more than she should have, as surprising as it was to herself, and she didn't want to push it.

She settled on a crooked grin, which Eli readily returned.

"Now if we're done sorting through your insecurities, can you take some of these blankets? My arms are killing me."

Aveline found herself smirking and wondered if Eli was rubbing off on her. "I think a big strong boy like you can handle it." She started walking to the deck, feeling much lighter than before, and heard Eli's footsteps scrambling after her to catch up, struggling with the pile in his hands.

"So you think I'm strong?"

Aveline winked in place of a response. This time she was expecting him to laugh, but he didn't. Eli simply smiled, and when he shifted the blankets in his arms to cautiously lift a hand and brush an errant lock of hair off of her neck, she didn't stop him.

Finally as she felt a blush overtake her cheeks, Aveline ducked her head and turned away.

"Come on, everyone's waiting for us." Plus, someone had to mediate the awkwardness that no doubt lingered between Ari and Jamie at the moment, and Aveline couldn't let Lyla do it on her own. Fighting off the sudden increase in her heartbeat, she picked up her skirts and ran up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time, with Eli scrambling after.

Everyone else was sitting on the deck in a circle, with a bowl of fruit between them. Even the rest of the crew had finished their chores and were laughing around a few lit candles, passing around a stringed mandolin. Aveline smiled at them in greeting before joining the group. Ari helped Eli spread out a quilt on the ground while Aveline sat down next to Jamie and shared another one with her, wrapping it carefully around their shoulders.

Jamie gave her a soft smile. "Thank you."

Lyla was perched upon the floor a new determination brightening her pale features as she described the plan. Having found Prince Tristran combined with the increased time constraints seemed to motivate her to step up and take charge, temporarily shedding her tentative persona, and Aveline was rather proud of her for it.

"So, we obviously don't have invitations to get in, but I know the Marquess. I'll tell her you're my guests, and that we have urgent news to deliver to the Queen," she explained. "We'll have to buy appropriate clothes for the occasion, of course."

Everyone exchanged odd glances.

"This is a royal event," Lyla sniffed. "We are not going in rags."

"Fair enough," Ari allowed, while Aveline was content with the exciting prospect of a new dress.

"Everything should run smoothly once we're granted an audience with the Queen. I'm sure she'll send sentries to Diviel immediately, if she doesn't come with them. She's been sick with worry over Tristran. With a bit of luck, in two days, give or take, the royals will be safe with their families, and we'll be the better off for it."

"Poor Simon," Ari snickered, leaning back to stretch his arms across the railing behind him. "He's going to be so disappointed when the Queen gives us the reward money instead of him. I feel sorry for him, truly," he added, not sounding very sorry as he smugly ran a tongue over his teeth.

"What are you going to do with your piece, Lyla?" Aveline asked her, honestly curious as she peered at the other girl.

"I have no idea," Lyla admitted. "I wasn't really expecting any sort of payment."

"If your family didn't notice you before, they surely will when you rescue the prince," said Aveline. "I'm sure you'll receive the reward you deserve. Your mother will be very proud of you."
Lyla beamed, seeming thrilled at the prospect. "What about you and Ari?"

Aveline glanced at her Captain. He shrugged. "Crew needs to be paid. We've got a whole ship of people to feed. Money tends to run out fast around here."

"Will you rehabilitate Silver, then?"

Eli cocked his head. "Who's Silver?"
"The sea monster below deck," Lyla said dismissively.

"What?!"

"And you, Eli?" Aveline cut in, lowering her eyelashes the tiniest bit. "You will return home?"

Eli's lips quirked as he seemed to realize she was distracting him, but he took the bait. "I'll be on my way back to Kaidia, I suppose."

"And you're a palace guard?" said Lyla. "You don't strike me as the type."

"My father thought it would be an important job." Eli plucked a small grape from the bowl and tossed it over the railing. "I'm overshadowed by four brothers. All practically perfect in every way. I took this job so that... I don't know, maybe I could do something great too." He shrugged ruefully. "My father means well. He wants me to be successful. And I'm twenty-two now, so it doesn't bother me as much anymore, but I suppose I just... wanted someone to be proud of me, you know?"

Lyla bit her lip. "I know the feeling."
"At least you have a family that cares about you," Jamie chimed in. "Mine is batshit crazy, as you well know."

Everyone laughed, and Aveline felt a sense of ease trickle into her chest.

Jamie crossed her legs, something like a challenge gracing her tone. "What about you, Ari? Where are you from?"
"Everywhere," Aveline interrupted before Ari could say something rude, like 'hell', or something. "Ari and I have both lived in many places. Too many to count."

"And..." Lyla began, tentatively, "have you always traveled together?"

Ari shook his head. Aveline knew everyone was surprised that they were sharing at all— she and Ari were private people— but she didn't want to lose the easy conversation they had somehow stumbled onto.

"Ari and I were childhood friends. We found each other again when we were both about eighteen. I joined Ari's crew, and the rest is history." She idly pulled at the end of her hem. "A mermaid with a bunch of pirates. Such is the cliché, right?"

"Right," Ari teased, elbowing her. "You never were very original."

Eli raised his chin. "Do you miss the ocean?"

"No." Aveline bit her lip. "It isn't a life I would go back to. I was in a haze most of the time... it's almost like being half-conscious. Everything feels blurry, and you're so completely driven by instinct and impulse..." She shivered inadvertently, feeling goosebumps raise up on her skin, and Ari changed the subject.

"Well, this has all been very heartwarming, but I think we're getting ahead of ourselves." His voice held an edge. "We don't know for sure that everything will go as planned."

Lyla's face changed. "It should..." She said nervously.

"And for that matter," he continued, "what about Jamie and Ben? And the rest of their cousins?" He then addressed Jamie. "What's going to happen to you when your family is executed for treason?"

"Ari!" Aveline scolded immediately, even though his point was achingly valid.
"I'm serious." Ari's tone was rough, but there was genuine concern in his eyes as he stared at Jamie, and Aveline suddenly had no doubts that the Hapsburg girl would be taken care of.

Jamie said nothing as she gazed back at him, and Aveline hurried to divert everyone's attention away from the couple.

"Let's just take one thing at a time. Lyla, we will have to look professional when we see the Queen tomorrow..." She babbled on about nothing, easily keeping up the conversation when inwardly, she was worried.

It felt too easy. And in Aveline's experience, nothing was. She hoped everything would go to plan, but with her luck?

It wouldn't.

**hahahaaa she's right. see you all on Friday. vote if you liked!**