How does that accomplish anything but helping them kill you faster?”
“What if I could turn the pirates’ loyalty? Get them on my side. Then if Avenia attacked —”
That was as far as I got before Tobias snorted his contempt for the idea and Mott began staring at me as if I had blisters on my brain.
“Exactly how do you plan to turn these enemies into allies?” he asked.
“I don’t know! But it’s better than the alternative.”
“Which is?”
I huffed. “The pirate Conner hired four years ago to kill me is a man named Devlin. He also provided the poison that Conner used to murder my family, and he’ll be the one behind the attack on me last night as well. If I can’t turn his loyalty, then I’ll have to remove the threat.” Feeling the racing of my heart, I added, “I’ll have to kill him.”
Those words hung in the air for a moment before Mott said, “And you’ll do this alone?”
I nodded.
Mott shoved his chair behind him and stood, then began to pace angrily. “Nobody comes back from the pirates,” he muttered. “Ever.”
“I did, four years ago.”
Mott stopped right in front of me. “No, you escaped the ship before the pirates were anywhere near it. Luck saved you that day, nothing more.”
Tobias tried taking the rational route. “What if they recognize you?”
“Roden and the man who came with him will be at sea. The other pirates would know my name, but not my face.”
“You can’t do this,” Mott said, shaking his head. “I won’t allow it.”
That made me even angrier. “I’m not asking for your permission, Mott, or your approval! You asked me to tell you the truth about my plans and I have.”
“Your plans will get you killed!”
“Doing nothing will get me killed! Staying at the castle and pretending everything is fine — that will get me killed!”
Mott’s face was fiery red, and I think if I were anyone else I’d have found myself thrown against the wall to force me to my senses. But that was not an option for him, so after taking a deep breath, he sat back in his chair and clasped his hands.
“You’ve made your decision, then?” he asked.
“I have.”
“Then here’s mine.” Mott stared directly at me and spoke slowly so I wouldn’t miss a word. “I will not allow you to go, not alone.”
My hands folded into fists. “As king, that is my order.”
“Forgive me, but the king’s order is the most reckless thing he’s ever said, which we both know is quite an accomplishment. If you want to stop me from dragging you back to Drylliad, then you’ll have to kill me here.”
“I can’t do that,” I said. “Who’ll make sure Tobias gets back safely? He can hardly cross a road without endangering himself.”
“I can too,” Tobias said.
Mott barely reacted and kept his focus on me. “Jaron, listen to reason. You are my king, but you can’t expect me to accept such a foolish plan.”
There was heat in my glare at him. “Perhaps you also want a steward for me, then, a nursemaid for the crown.”
“Maybe you need one.” Mott sighed loudly as if that would make me change my mind. Even though it would have been unfair to leave without warning them, I almost wished I’d have done it so we could’ve enjoyed this evening instead.
Getting nothing further from me, Mott put his hand on my arm. I looked up at him as he said, “If you must leave, then you will have to figure out how to bring me along, because I will not leave you alone. Whatever reckless plan is in that foolish, royal head of yours, it will have to accommodate me.”
I pulled away and swiped my other arm through the air, knocking over the bottle of cider on the table. Mott jumped back to avoid the splatter as it ran onto the floor.
I cursed, then stood and ran my fingers through my hair. “Give me until morning, Mott. I have a foolish, royal headache and I’m too tired to think about changing plans tonight.”
Mott nodded and wished me a good night before I had time
“What if I could turn the pirates’ loyalty? Get them on my side. Then if Avenia attacked —”
That was as far as I got before Tobias snorted his contempt for the idea and Mott began staring at me as if I had blisters on my brain.
“Exactly how do you plan to turn these enemies into allies?” he asked.
“I don’t know! But it’s better than the alternative.”
“Which is?”
I huffed. “The pirate Conner hired four years ago to kill me is a man named Devlin. He also provided the poison that Conner used to murder my family, and he’ll be the one behind the attack on me last night as well. If I can’t turn his loyalty, then I’ll have to remove the threat.” Feeling the racing of my heart, I added, “I’ll have to kill him.”
Those words hung in the air for a moment before Mott said, “And you’ll do this alone?”
I nodded.
Mott shoved his chair behind him and stood, then began to pace angrily. “Nobody comes back from the pirates,” he muttered. “Ever.”
“I did, four years ago.”
Mott stopped right in front of me. “No, you escaped the ship before the pirates were anywhere near it. Luck saved you that day, nothing more.”
Tobias tried taking the rational route. “What if they recognize you?”
“Roden and the man who came with him will be at sea. The other pirates would know my name, but not my face.”
“You can’t do this,” Mott said, shaking his head. “I won’t allow it.”
That made me even angrier. “I’m not asking for your permission, Mott, or your approval! You asked me to tell you the truth about my plans and I have.”
“Your plans will get you killed!”
“Doing nothing will get me killed! Staying at the castle and pretending everything is fine — that will get me killed!”
Mott’s face was fiery red, and I think if I were anyone else I’d have found myself thrown against the wall to force me to my senses. But that was not an option for him, so after taking a deep breath, he sat back in his chair and clasped his hands.
“You’ve made your decision, then?” he asked.
“I have.”
“Then here’s mine.” Mott stared directly at me and spoke slowly so I wouldn’t miss a word. “I will not allow you to go, not alone.”
My hands folded into fists. “As king, that is my order.”
“Forgive me, but the king’s order is the most reckless thing he’s ever said, which we both know is quite an accomplishment. If you want to stop me from dragging you back to Drylliad, then you’ll have to kill me here.”
“I can’t do that,” I said. “Who’ll make sure Tobias gets back safely? He can hardly cross a road without endangering himself.”
“I can too,” Tobias said.
Mott barely reacted and kept his focus on me. “Jaron, listen to reason. You are my king, but you can’t expect me to accept such a foolish plan.”
There was heat in my glare at him. “Perhaps you also want a steward for me, then, a nursemaid for the crown.”
“Maybe you need one.” Mott sighed loudly as if that would make me change my mind. Even though it would have been unfair to leave without warning them, I almost wished I’d have done it so we could’ve enjoyed this evening instead.
Getting nothing further from me, Mott put his hand on my arm. I looked up at him as he said, “If you must leave, then you will have to figure out how to bring me along, because I will not leave you alone. Whatever reckless plan is in that foolish, royal head of yours, it will have to accommodate me.”
I pulled away and swiped my other arm through the air, knocking over the bottle of cider on the table. Mott jumped back to avoid the splatter as it ran onto the floor.
I cursed, then stood and ran my fingers through my hair. “Give me until morning, Mott. I have a foolish, royal headache and I’m too tired to think about changing plans tonight.”
Mott nodded and wished me a good night before I had time
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