Liam helped bring Adriana and the maid back to the side of the ship. One of the sailors helped pull her up while another helped him bring the maid from the ocean. His efforts to revive her met with no success, and Adriana broke down in tears.
“You tried,” he said, taking her in his arms. “Her life was in God’s hands.”
“I thought I could save her,” Adriana whispered, her body trembling hard. “Before the water took her under. “
He let her cry, holding her against him. Her arms embraced him, and strangely, it brought him his own sense of calm. In her courage, he saw a piece of himself. She’d gone after the young maid with no fear, never minding that she’d nearly lost her own life in the effort.
Princess Berengaria gripped a large rope, but terror lingered in her eyes. The maid’s death was a stark reminder of what could happen to any of them within moments. Queen Joan held on to another rope but dropped to her knees, praying for the young woman’s soul.
Liam gathered them together afterwards and warned, “When the ship fills up the rest of the lower chambers, it may split in half. If that happens, be ready to let go of the rope or you might be pulled under. Hold on to any piece of the deck you can find.” The princess’s face was white with fear, and Adriana took her place at Berengaria’s side, Queen Joan at the other.
“Liam,” came Adriana’s voice softly. He looked into her dark eyes, and she steadied herself. “You saved my life.”
“I kept my promise,” he answered, “to let nothing happen to you.” But even so, the sea had claimed one life. He only prayed it would be the last.
Adriana watched in horror as the ship split apart, the wood fragmenting beneath her feet. She held fast to the side of the boat, but she was plunged into the frigid water without warning. Her head went below the surface, and she tasted salt.
She struggled in the water, trying not to panic as she swam to the surface. Berengaria grabbed her, flailing in the water. Though Adriana tried to gasp for air, the princess was fighting to stay above water…and pushing her downward.
Then an arm caught her waist and forced her above the surface. She took a deep breath and saw Liam MacEgan holding her. He caught Berengaria in his other arm and brought them both away from the wreckage, guiding Adriana toward a large section of the ship. “Hold this,” he ordered. Her fingers dug into the wooden surface, and she gripped it with all her strength. Then he brought Berengaria beside her, while Joan floated on a piece of wood further away.
In the darkness of night, they lost track of time. Adriana fought to swim with the current, bringing them closer to shore. From time to time, Liam adjusted their direction, swimming alongside them. Though he ensured that each of them was safe, Adriana didn’t miss the way he kept coming to her side. There was an intensity in his eyes, as though she meant something to him.
Her heart faltered, for she wasn’t ready to fall in love again. Not after the last time. She rested her head against the wood, her body exhausted from the immense force of the storm. Along the edge of the sea, the sky had grown lighter, the rose of dawn painting the edge of the gray water. And after endless hours, her feet finally touched the sand.
An unexpected laugh broke forth, and she smiled at Berengaria. “Princess, we’re going to live.” They struggled toward the shore, their skirts weighing them down, while Liam escorted them forward.
The storm had ceased, and pieces of blue sky broke through the clouds. The waves had grown calmer, though Adriana still struggled to keep her balance in the waist-high water. Ahead,she saw the Count of Berduria, and he reached the sandy beach before any of them.
Within moments, men on horseback emerged along the shoreline, their armor gleaming in the sunlight. Liam drew close to the women. “Don’t trust them,” he warned. “We don’t know anything about the Cypriots.”
Her gratitude at being alive faded against the sudden threat of soldiers. The chill of the water seemed to sink deeper into her bones, heightening her fears. A few yards away, Queen Joan was walking out of the water toward the shore.
“Do not tell them who you are,” Liam warned, but the young woman gave no indication that she’d heard him. He started to move toward the queen, but Adriana caught his arm. “Be careful, MacEgan.” She didn’t trust the men either, and she didn’t want to risk him being captured.
His gray eyes studied hers, and he covered her hand with his. “Wait here.”
He made his way toward Joan, and Berengaria eyed Adriana. “He means something to you, doesn’t he?”
Adriana didn’t answer, nor did she pull her gaze away from MacEgan. “I only met him a day ago. And yet it feels like far longer.”
“Heishandsome,“ Berengaria admitted, “but not as handsome as Richard.”
Adriana turned back and saw the emotion on the princess’s face. They had been traveling to meet with the king for the royal wedding. But instead of becoming a bride, a worse fate might await them. Adriana felt the icy fears rise up within her, but she forced them back.
“Were it not for MacEgan, I would have drowned,” Adriana whispered to the queen.
Berengaria took her hand, and they walked together towards the shore line. Although Liam was trying to bring Queen Joan closer to them, she ignored him and kept walking away.
The Count of Berduria had reached the men and was speaking to them. Although they remained mounted, Adriana tensed.
“Something’s wrong,” she predicted. Her hand went to the knife she kept strapped to her leg, beneath her skirt. “MacEgan was right. Stay close to me.”
“Why? What’s happening?” Berengaria asked.
“If you saw a shipwreck, wouldn’t you try to help the survivors?” Adriana ventured. “These men are only watching.”
With a glance behind her, Adriana saw that three other ships had also been blown off course and were anchored less than a mile from the shore. “Should we try to reach those ships?”
