“Is something wrong?”
“No, I have an idea.” Pressing her face to the opening, she softly whispered her plan, finishing with, “What do you think?”
“The wardens will be tough to trick. Keeping people imprisoned is their expertise.”
“True, but none of their other prisoners are Carlo’s precious nemesis.”
He made a sound of aggrieved agreement. “Fair.”
A thrill of energy coursed through Ahnna, and she said, “Tell them you want to speak to Carlo.”
44
Aren
The storms had been relentless,which had driven off the Harendellian blockade and kept Ithicana safe from attack, but also kept everyone hidden inside, travel only possible through the bridge. While his people were used to the long periods of confinement, no one had handled the idleness well this time, and the endless discussions of how to bolster Ithicana’s defenses had frequently devolved into arguments and shouting matches.
He and Lara had traveled through the bridge to the northern islands to begin the process of evacuating anyone vulnerable farther south, as well as to consider what changes could be made that would counter the information Harendell had of their defenses. New shipbreakers were constructed, new traps set, but now that there was a gap in the storms, all hands and vessels were on the water with nets and lines, barrels of salt ready to preserve the catch for lean times to come.
Ships from neutral nations were taking advantage of the gap to make the treacherous run between continents, and Adrius had secured passage on one such vessel, his aim to return to Keris. Lara had filled the man’s ears with what information they could risk sending, it not lost on anyone, including Keris’s bodyguard, that there was achance the Harendellians might risk Zarrah’s wrath by putting Adrius to the question.
Aren had also opened Southwatch’s market to general trade, not just transport through the bridge, and eliminated all taxes and fees. It undercut trade at Vencia’s market, but Aren didn’t care. He hadn’t been south himself, but he was told the water around Southwatch was thick with ships from the north, mostly Amaridian, only Harendellian and Cardiffian vessels traveling on to Vencia. The south was buying up goods with greed, as was Ithicana, every bit of gold and silver Aren could get his hands on going to buy the supplies Ithicana needed.
To prepare for war.
It didn’t feel like enough. Not even close. Which was why Aren had spent the day in the water rigging traps for any ship that might venture too close. Now dusk was falling, but as he retrieved his shirt from where he’d left it on some rocks, a shout of warning caught his attention. “Ship on approach!”
“It’s Amaridian.” Lia walked toward Aren, handing him a spyglass. “They’re flying a white flag. What do you want to do?”
For most of his life, Amarid had been a thorn in Aren’s ass. A thorn that had dug painfully deep when Katarina had allowed Silas to use her navy at the price of a small fortune in rubies. Ithicanians beyond count had fallen on Amaridian blades, but it was not lost on him that they were also Harendell’s enemy. Katarina had been aggressively pushing for a renegotiation of trade terms since the moment Ahnna had left, as well as a desire tomend fences,but he’d received no information from Bronwyn since she set sail to Riomar. That could be because of the storms, but it might also be because Amarid wasn’t willing to risk Harendell’s wrath by aiding Ithicana in any capacity. It was possible that this vessel carried the answers he sought. “Send out a boat to see what they want.”
Lia trotted down to the hidden cove to give the order, and Arensaid to another of his men, “Bring word to Lara that Katarina wants something.”
Because his skin was crawling with the certainty that this ship wasn’t here to sell him expensive wine.
The Amaridians anchored just outside the shipbreakers’ range, and Aren watched how they nervously surveyed the seas. How they looked ready to raise anchor and flee at the sight of Harendellian sails, which were a common enough sight this far north. William had made it clear that there was no tolerance for his lines being crossed to trade with Ithicana, and any ship, from any nation, would suffer the consequences. For the Amaridians, that would mean being sunk.
A small boat navigated out of the cove, several of his soldiers aboard. Raising its sail, it skipped across the whitecaps until it neared the Amaridians, then slowed. The soldiers aboard switched to paddles to maneuver close.
Amaridians leaned over the rail of their ship and conversation was exchanged, but even with the spyglass, they were too far for Aren to read expressions. Then a lean woman walked to the rail, and his heart skipped with recognition. “Bronwyn’s with them.”
More figures massed around the Maridrinian princess, but then the ship rotated and he lost his view of those climbing down to the longboat. He lifted his hand to shade his eyes, seeing the flash of a long brown ponytail before Bronwyn blocked his view of whoever it was.
Aren’s heart lurched, and he took a step toward the water.
“What’s going on?”
At Lara’s voice, he turned. She was approaching with Delia in her sling, sword bouncing against her hip. Jor was at her heels, as was Delia’s nurse, Becca.
“Bronwyn’s with them,” he replied. “Another woman as well.”
“Ahnna?” The hope in his wife’s voice hurt his heart, and he handed her the spyglass.
“I can’t see her face,” she muttered. “But Lia is hugging her. Whoever it is, she’s one of ours.”
Aren had known that from the way the unidentified woman had balanced on the boat, and yet his skin was crawling with unease. Unease Lara must also be feeling, because she motioned for Becca to take Delia. The jostling woke her and Delia made a squawk of protest, but swiftly settled under the nurse’s experienced hand as the woman headed in the direction of the barracks, Jor following with a hand on his weapon. More guards shifted out of the cover of the trees to follow Ithicana’s heir, but as they did, a scout approached.
“Your Grace,” he said, out of breath. “One of our vessels is on approach. Prince Keris’s man Adrius is with them.”
