He was dead! Saunder had been killed, and I was still safe. Except, the crash had been so intense, the impact had damaged the ship. There was a widening crack in the hull. We started taking on water.
Hugin rushed to me and helped me over to the row boat. But Barret told everyone to wait. He pulled a silver needle from his pocket and began to sew the ship back together! The ship! With a little needle! Barret pushed that sliver of silver through wood as if it were fabric, and pulled the broken pieces of the ship back together. And there wasn't even thread in his needle.
That was when I realized that the brothers were magical. When Barret was finished, the ship was whole and looked as if it had never been harmed in any way. It sounds impossible, I know, but I swear to you, that's what happened.
We all stood there and stared at Barret's handiwork in amazement. Then his brothers ran forward and congratulated Barret on a job well done. I couldn't believe it. The rescue, the shot... Saunder's death! And now a ship sewn back together with a thread-less needle. I wavered on my feet. Was I dreaming? Was I actually asleep in the beast's castle, just as trapped as I ever was?
The brothers rushed forward and helped me sit on a pile of rigging. They held my hands and smoothed my hair as I took deep breaths, staring at them in amazement.
“Who are you all?” I finally asked them.
They looked at each other and laughed. It was Barret who finally answered me.
“Just four brothers who want to see you safely home.”
That was a good enough answer for me. I nodded, and decided not to check out the teeth on this gift horse. There would be time enough to learn more about them on the voyage home.
“Princess, let's get you to your cabin,” Robyn suggested. “You must be weary.”
“No, I'm fine,” I protested and stood. “Just a little shocked.” I ventured over to the side of the ship, where Saunder had gone over, and stared into the sea. There was no sign of him, but we'd probably traveled far from the spot already. Still, I shivered as I looked into the clear blue, fancying that I could see Saunder rising up to snatch me away again.
“Princess Adelysia?” Arnet, the one who had shot Saunder, stood at my elbow. I looked over to him. “He's dead. I promise you. I never miss. The dragon lies at the bottom of the sea. No one will ever hurt you again.”
“Thank you,” I rested my hand briefly on the one Arnet had laid upon the railing. “But you can't make that promise. The life of a princess is full of pain.”
“How dreadfully depressing,” Robyn commented dryly.
I looked over my shoulder to see Robyn lounging on the same stack of rigging I had just vacated. He gave me a lopsided smile and a wink. I frowned a little at his familiarity and quickly looked away. I didn't need their sympathy or their understanding. They had rescued me, and I was grateful for that. But, in the end, I would be returned to my family, where I would go back to waiting for my father to choose a husband for me.
“A princess' life should be full of happiness,” Hugin mused as he came up to stand with Arnet and I. “Why is yours so different that you believe otherwise?”
“So different?” I chuckled. “And by the way, Robyn,” I said as an aside, “I am not depressing, I am practical.” I focused back on the other men as I continued, “I am no different than any other princess, nor am I unhappy about it. I have everything I need, and I'm grateful for that. I've never suffered starvation nor had to work a single day in my life. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it? I should be smiling as I greet every dawn,” I looked off towards the horizon, where I could just barely make out the dark smudge that was my kingdom.
The journey home would take far longer than my flight to the dragon kingdom. Days longer. But I didn't believe I was in any danger with these men. Why would they save me just to accost me on the way home? Surely my father would reward them in some manner, and that would be incentive enough for them to leave me unmolested.
“But you don't?” Barret asked as he came up on my left.
“What's that?” I looked over to him.
“Greet every morning with a smile,” he amended. “You don't?”
“No,” I sighed. “But don't let me dampen the mood. We should be celebrating your victory. You're heroes,” I gave them my brilliant “princess” smile. The one I'd practiced for years. The one I gave courtiers and visiting royalty. The one I even gave my parents on occasion. But these men weren't courtiers or royalty, and they weren't accustomed to dissembling.
“Please don't do that,” Barret whispered, his eyes going sad. “God, it hurts to look on you, when you smile like that.”
My smile faded, and I gaped at Barret a moment, shocked by his perception and his compassion. Then I set my eyes firmly back on the sea.
“So you pretend to be happy?” Arnet asked casually as he leaned both forearms on the railing beside me.
“Damn it all,” Robyn groused. “Someone needs to steer the ship.”
I heard his boots pound across the deck as he headed for the Captain's wheel. He was right, of course. We couldn't just let the sea take us where it will. Who knows where we'd end up. It was a miracle that these men had been able to reach me at all, with only four of them manning the vessel. I stared up at the sails thoughtfully. We were lucky that Saunder hadn't brought those down with him. But I suppose Barret would have just sewn them back together as well. Magic men saving me from dragons. At least my life wasn't boring. I managed a small smile at the thought.
“Now that's much better,” Barret leaned his shoulder briefly to mine, as one might do with a close friend. It was a type of companionship that I'd never had, and I instantly treasured it.
“Yes, it is,” I smiled a little brighter at him. “I've decided to enjoy this brief freedom.”
“Good,” Arnet nodded, but then cast a look to the helm. “Enjoy every minute you can, Princess. Life is worthy of your attention. But I find I must lend my attention towards helping my brother,” he took my hand and kissed it, as sweetly as any prince, and then bowed to me before he walked away.
