Paying the Price (12 page)

She began laughing, then translated it for the men. They joined in the laughter.

I zoned out, as uncomfortable as I was. The next time I was paying attention and looked towards shore, there was no more mangrove swamp.

"Dareena?"

"Welcome to Tendaria, Princess Meorie."

"I wonder if this visit will turn out better than the last one."

She turned to face me. "Was that a joke?"

"Laughing in the face of my own death. What else am I to do? Are you going to cut the condemned a little slack?"

"You're not condemned yet."

"Let's not lie to each other. Haven't we been through enough, we can agree to be honest?"

"I am being honest."

"What are the chances I will be alive in two weeks?"

"I honestly don't know."

"What are the chances I will be back in Norinia in a few weeks, screaming at my sister?"

"Almost certainly no chance at all,"
Dareena said.

"What are the chances I will be treated in a manner befitting a princess?"

"I promise it."

I sighed. "You aren't the queen."

"You will be treated befitting your station."

"I will be abused, and you are delusional if you believe otherwise."

She didn't respond.

I watched the coast past slowly by for a while. "What is your plan now?"

"We're making for Terini. We should see it in another hour."

"Before or after that storm arrives?"

She looked around wildly. "What storm?" Then she looked at me and caught me grinning at her. "Is that the game you want to play?"

"I thought perhaps you would allow me a little fun."

She looked at me and nodded.

I watched the coast. It was rocky cliffs here, but looking ahead, I saw the land slope down to the sea, and there was something that looked like an inlet.

"Terini?" I asked. Dareena nodded. "I won't live five steps if you tell anyone who I am."

"I thought you wanted to die."

"If my trial will bring peace, then I'd rather die for peace than die to a mob."

We sailed closer to Terini. As we approached the mouth of the inlet, Dareena turned to me. "You need to remain silent. You are my girlfriend. We will be holding hands. If you open your mouth, it could get ugly. I will pull you wherever you need to go. Do not leave my side."

I nodded.

Dareena talked to the men and I watched them all nod.

"How far to Rendarin?"

"Two hundred miles down the coast."

"A little far for our fine boat."

She laughed. "Yes."

We pulled into the inlet, came around a corner, and the port town of Terini was laid out in front of us. The town was about a quarter the size of Darlor, the capital of Norinia, but it was still a healthy size.
There was a wharf with a large merchant shipped tied up. I saw no major military vessels. The town extended up away from the waterfront.

Dareena pointed, and we sailed slowly to a narrow beach where there were a number of small fishing boats pulled up. The boat grounded on the beach and we all got out. The men pulled the boat to shore. Dareena came over to stand by my side, grabbing my hand in a tight grip.

"Remember," she said. "Not a single word."

I nodded.

We waited on the beach. I wondered why. I looked over at Dareena and raised an eyebrow.

"The guard is coming
,
" she said quietly, nodding. Sure enough, two men in uniform were walking along the walkway from the wharfs to our location. We waited for them.

They carried themselves like city guard anywhere. They had swords at their hips and carried truncheons. In keeping with the warm weather, they were lightly dressed. One was tall and slender. The other was somewhat shorter and stocky. They approached, and I didn't understand more than a few words, but I heard "Princess Dareena."

At that they perked up. They looked at her suspiciously, then examined me. I stared into the eyes of the one in front of me, but when he addressed me, I didn't say anything. Dareena answered for me.

The tall one then turned around and began walking briskly away.

Dareena continued arguing with the stocky one and pointing, but I had no idea where she was pointing. The stocky one shook his head and argued back. Eventually the disagreement wound down with us staying exactly where we were.

The collar liked that we were holding hands. The contact was sending tiny tendrils of pleasure through me. It was small, nothing that would have me crying out in pleasure, but it felt good. I tried to keep my emotions in check but realized it was good the travel would be over soon and I would be rid of the collar.

I was half in love with Dareena, and the idea sickened me.

We stood there for ten minutes before the tall one returned with more guards and an older man, perhaps fifty years old, bald, with sharp features. He was well dressed in civilian clothing. I gathered he was important. He stepped up to us eying us distrustfully, then walked straight to Dareena. He looked at her, looked at her again, then fell to his knee in front of her. The only word I recognized was her name.

Identity confirmed. Now it would be interesting to see how much power she held in her own country.

Dareena dropped my hand, stepped forward a half step, and helped the man to his feet again. She greeted him warmly, then stepped back and took my hand again.

The two of them talked for several minutes. At one point he looked at me again. I smiled but didn't say anything even when he addressed me. Dareena said something, drawing his attention back to her. I didn't hear my name, and no one's expression turned particularly nasty while facing me.

Eventually the man
turned to the guards and spoke, gesturing. Several of the guards peeled away, disappearing into town. Dareen
a and the man continued to talk, Dareena doing most of the talking.

One of the guards returned from the town and stepped up to Dareena and the man. Dareena finished talking and the two turned to the guard. He spoke two sentences, and then the old man gestured towards the town. Dareena stepped forward, pulling me with her.

I tugged twice on her hand. She turned to me and I pointed back to the sailboat. Or, more exactly, my chest of clothing. Dareena tugged me towards town, but I snaked my hand out of hers and ran back to the sailboat and started untying my chest from where it sat on the boat.

Dareena spoke sharply to me, but of course I didn't understand what she was saying, so I continued to unlash my chest.

Then two of the sailors were next to me. One of them patted my hand and pointed back to Dareena, then the two of them took over unlashing my chest. I smiled and nodded, then backed off the boat and squished my way back up to Dareena. She took my hand and smiled, but the look in her eyes expressed displeasure. After that, I found myself tugged towards the town.

Dareena didn't let go of my hand after that, but she continued to talk to the old man. He led us to an inn, the sailors following behind us while the guards provided an escort. I looked back, and the two sailors were hurrying to catch up, carrying my chest between them.

Dareena, the sailors and I were all soggy and salt encrusted. The sailors were barefoot. Dareena and I both were wearing our boots, significantly much the worse for wear, and we squished as we walked. I had gotten more water in my boots while attempting to retrieve my chest, and I hoped we could dry out before walking much further. I was pretty sure I had blisters.

The man spoke, and one of the guardsmen entered the inn, returning shortly with another man I presumed to be the innkeeper. The old man spoke and the innkeeper fell to a knee in front of Dareena. She spoke and he rose to his feet again. More words went back and forth, the innkeeper smiling the entire time. Dareena turned to me, smiled, then lowered herself to her knees in front of me, reaching for one of my boots. She tugged at my foot.

I gave her the foot, and she began pulling my boot off. I almost fell over, but one of the sailors stepped up and steadied me. Dareena pulled off the boot and I put my foot down on the cobblestones of the street. I gave her the other foot, and she removed that boot. She set both boots on the ground, then stood up and looked at me pointedly, then down at her feet.

I knelt down in front of her and helped her remove her boots, then picked up both pairs of boots before standing up. One of the sailors stepped forward and took both pairs from me, and Dareena took my hand again, pulling me into the inn. We left wet footprints behind.

The innkeeper led the way and we proceeded up the stairs and to a lavish room at the back of the inn. The two sailors carried my chest behind us and set it down in the room before departing. I didn't see what became of the rest.

Dareena and the innkeeper spoke some more then he departed, leaving Dareena and I in the room together. She dropped my hand but stepped close to me so she could speak quietly in my ear.

"We'll have baths shortly. Are you all right?"

I nodded. "Water."

"It's coming. A meal after the baths."

"What will we wear?"

"Your chest is here."

"I think all that is there is my dress. I can't travel in that. And it is distinctly of
Norinian design.
"

"Your original tunic and breeches are there, too."

"What about you?"

"The innkeeper promised something, and Nuron promised more for both of us."

"Nuron is the old man?"

"Not so old, but yes. He is the port master here. He will check to see whether the
Kilda More
is sailing south soon. That's the merchant ship we saw. Otherwise he'll arrange horses or a coach. Ship would be faster."

"Will the sailors tell everyone who I am?"

"No," she said. "Everyone on the
Ysura Martani
was hand-picked, and they all know I need to get you to Rendarin."

"They were kind at the end," I said.

"They also know you saved my life when you didn't have to, and that you built the boat when you didn't have to."

"The could feel I did it to save my own life."

"They know you believe you are going to your own execution. They are impressed with devotion to duty. They aren't going to watch you torn apart by a mob when you could be torn apart when drawn and quartered instead."

I pulled away from her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, chasing after me. "That was in poor taste."

"I can make jokes about it, but it's extremely cruel for you to do so."

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry."

"We are not friends. I am your prisoner, nothing more." I pulled away from her again and went to the chest, kneeling down in front of it. I opened it and was surprised that everything still looked clean and dry. I withdrew tunic, breeches, and under clothing
, then closed the lid again. Then I examined the room.

There was one large, ornate bed, with a beautiful blue bedspread. At the other end of the room was a sitting arrangement with a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table between them. The sofa looked comfortable. The chairs did not. Along one wall was a wash stand with a bowl and a pitcher, but when I looked into them, they were empty. There was a dresser and a door that led to a closet. I looked out the windows into an attractive courtyard in the back of the inn. It looked like it was set up for a few couples to have a meal and others to go for a stroll.

"This is an expensive inn," I said.

Dareena hushed me and walked over. "Someone is going to hear you. The maid is going to be along any moment."

"Sorry," I said quietly. "I won't make another mistake like that. What story are you giving about me?"

"We have a wager going that requires you to remain silent to win. You are allowed to talk only to me and only when no one else can hear."

"Unusual wager."

"You're normally such a blabbermouth, I bet you couldn't make it all the way to the capital without talking. If you make it all the way to being presented to the queen, you win." She paused. "If not, we all lose."

"I understand. And the collar?"

"Some silly custom of your family's. It's an ugly piece of jewelry, but you refuse to take it off until we're properly married."

"So we're to be married."

"You will look so darling in white."

I stared at her. "You're doing it again. I am your prisoner, not your friend."

"Of course."

We separated again. I stood at the windows, staring out at the courtyard. There was a knock, then the door opened. I ignored it. Dareena spoke to someone with a female voice, then she stepped up beside me and took my hand, speaking quietly to me in Tendarian. She began pulling me towards the door, and I grabbed my dry clothing as we went past the bed.

The maid led us to another room on the same floor. When we stepped in, I saw we were in a
bath. There were two copper tubs, each filled with steaming water. A second maid was waiting. The door closed, and the two maids approached us, one to each of us. Mine took the clothing from my hands and set them aside, then she began undressing me. The other maid was undressing Dareena.