“I had no other choice, my lady,” the captain responded. His back was to the ladder, and he did not see Sol’s approach. “There were too many mouths to feed at home, I couldn’t go back.” He leaned over the table. “Between you and me, I still think she’s out there, swimming the waves in wait for me.”
Meena laughed again, snorting over her bowl of food.
Noting Sol’s presence, the three other sailors stood from the table, nodding their heads in respect.
“Your highness!” The captain who’d been recounting his tale turned his head and jumped from his seat. “Sit. I’ll get you something to break your fast.” He grabbed his own empty bowl and left Sol at the table with Meena.
“You don’t all have to leave,” Meena called after them.
“We’ve bothered you long enough,” the captain replied. “The captain’ll have our hides if we don’t get back up to deck.”
“Aren’t you the captain?” Meena asked, laughing.
“Precisely,” he said.
One of the sailors set a bowl of stew and roll of bread in front of Sol, then the crew swung up the ladder, leaving Sol and Meena alone.
“They seem quite eager to leave us alone,” Sol said, glancing at the empty ladder.
“They seem quite eager to leaveoneof us alone,” Meena said.
Sol caught the smile on her face as she said it. “Are they afraid of me?” he asked.
“You are a prince now,” Meena whispered. “And you scowl.”
Sol felt his face scowling harder at her words, but he couldn’t stop it. “What does my face have to do with it?”
“Your face is quite perfect as it is,” Meena said. “Behind it, there’s a brave man who can both infiltrate a castle by himself and spend his morning hunting for treasure.” She reached out and touched a finger to the spot between his eyes. She rubbed it gently. “You can scowl all you wish.”
Sol instinctively leaned away from her touch. Her words made him uncomfortable. He’d spent his life avoiding notice, but she’d taken that away from him.
His face felt instantly cold the moment he broke contact with her finger.
She pulled her hand back quickly, turning her focus to the half-eaten bowl in front of her.
He rubbed his face, picking up the roll of bread with his other hand. He didn’t dislike her touch, and he hadn’t meant to offend her by rejecting it. Maybe next time he would try not to lean away.
“Did you sleep well?” Her voice was high, confident but not personal.
Sol nodded, his mouth full of food.
“I can’t quite get used to the constant pitching of the boat.” She grabbed the edge of the table as the bow of the ship dipped slightly faster than usual. “Does it bother you? I can’t decide if it’s terrifying or exciting.”
Sol shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about it.
“You were a diver like Aizel,” she continued, seemingly undeterred by his lack of conversation. “You are probably much more comfortable with the sea, then.”
Sol nodded. The waves were much calmer in the deeper water and, for the most part, the ship rocked gently over them. Sol swallowed the food in his mouth. “I am very comfortable below the water,” he said. “I know nothing of wind and sail. The rocking is new for me.”
When Meena didn’t respond immediately, Sol glanced up at her. She was grinning at him.
“What?” Sol asked, feeling suddenly very exposed.
“Nothing.” She scraped the side of her almost empty bowl. “I just like talking.”
“I noticed,” Sol felt a small smile tug at his lips.
“I mean, I’m sorry. I do talk a lot.” She pushed her bowl to the center of the table, her expression falling.
