The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil (78 page)

Cheers erupted around them again, mugs clinking together with shouts of unveiled innuendo. The guests were far from romantic. It made Aiva laugh to think she didn’t even care. She was relaxed around these people. More so than she could have been while surrounded by the entirety of the Tanispan court.

“Now!” Bingham announced loudly. “With my crew as witness, I now pronounce ya husband and wife. You may now kiss ya woman! The rest of us – bring out more rum!”

Callum pulled her forward, pressing his lips to hers in a passionate display. Sailors hooted and hollered. Aiva was swept up in the moment. She couldn’t think of anything but Callum, his arms around her waist. Fingers weaving through his hair, she let him lift her feet from the ground to spin her jubilantly. “I can’t believe you did that,” she gasped, breathless from the kiss, her heart still pounding from the excitement of it all. He gave her an innocent look, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Did what?” he grinned. “You’re surprised I married you? Every man on this ship wishes they were in my shoes right now.”

“I don’t disagree, I just don’t think their jealousy has anything to do with the bond itself,” she blushed.

Callum’s head cocked to one side, his grin widening. “Ah, well, yes. You may have a point. Not that I can blame them. Were I one of Bingham’s men aboard this ship, I would want to take you to bed as well.”

Music began playing from somewhere, the laughter growing louder amongst the crew. Someone tapped out a simple rhythm on a pair of spoons, mingled with the soft notes from a flute. The men sang along to songs Aiva had never heard before, dancing around the deck, drinks splashing in every direction. Mugs of rum were handed to Aiva and Callum to draw them into the celebration. She clapped her hand against her thigh in time with the music. It was a catchy beat. Cheerful. Far different from the songs played at the Tanispan court.

Releasing her cares, Aiva let Callum lead her into the center of the deck to join in the dancing, spinning her around as they skipped along to the music. When her mug was empty, it didn’t remain so for long, one of the men making a constant round to prevent the rum from ever going dry. She knew it was a terrible idea to drink so much, but it was her party. There was no reason not to enjoy every minute of it. The relaxed beat of every song flowed through her, head tipped back with joyful laughter. For her benefit the men tried to demonstrate their strength in hopes to impress. A table was brought up from below, positioned near the main mast, men taking turns challenging one another to arm wrestling contests. Aiva sat at Callum’s side while he took on man after man, some defeated easily while others gave him a good run before eventually giving in.

Hours passed in a blur of rum and dancing. Her head spun under the effects of the drinks. She stared into the depths of her mug, sloshing the liquid around in thoughtful contemplation of whether or not she should have anymore. Callum stumbled over to her side, nudging her with a smile. “Try not to make yourself sick. My coordination is somewhat off. If you topple over the rail, I might not be able to catch you.”

“It isn’t nearly as revolting as the ale. I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” she chuckled. “I have made it my goal to never let you see me vomit again for the rest of our lives.”

“It’s bound to happen again. Maybe one day you’ll have to hold me up as well.”

Aiva jumped to feel Bingham’s strong hand come to rest on her shoulder, face covered ear-to-ear in a toothy grin. Callum smiled back at him, his mug offered up in a gracious salute. “There’s me newlyweds,” Bingham patted Aiva’s arm gruffly. “As my gift to ya both, I have decided ta donate the Captain’s quarters for the night. It’ll be more accomm’dating than the cots in the barracks,” he elbowed Callum with a devious wink, “just try not ta break anything. I expect ta find everything in one piece when I return tomorrow.”

Before either of them could protest, the sound of glass shattering distracted Bingham’s attention, his voice booming loudly across the deck to inquire of the noise. Modestly, Aiva averted her eyes from Callum. Why did she feel so shy around him all of a sudden? They had spent the night together while in Vailetta, yet for some reason the thought of this night made her blush. Her stomach fluttered oddly. It had to be the rum. There was no other explanation.

“Well, it looks like I may have corrected the order of things even better than I thought,” Callum mused, idly tilting his mug to let the light of the stars reflect off the surface. “I will understand if you’re uncomfortable, however.”

Finishing off the final swallows of rum, Aiva sat the mug precariously on the railing. “Callum – ” she started, her train of thought drifting before she managed to remember what she was trying to say. “It isn’t that I’m not comfortable. In case you haven’t noticed… I’m a little drunk.”

“A little?” he chuckled.

He was right. Her senses were beyond simple intoxication. She couldn’t remember having felt so out of control. Even with the ale, it hadn’t been to this extreme. At least she didn’t feel sick… “I suppose we could take advantage of the larger room for the night,” she shrugged. It seemed innocent enough. They didn’t have to do anything just because the other men expected it.

Callum moved in to close the gap between them, stumbling over his feet, the tip of his elbow sending Aiva’s mug down into the water below. They both stared over the edge, laughing drunkenly at the lost drink. When their laughter faded Callum turned back to her, nodding his head in agreement. “You’re right,” he stated. “It’s our wedding night. Regardless of what we choose to do, we deserve a more comfortable room. Etiquette requires us to accept the Captain’s offer. It would be rude not to.”

“Exactly,” Aiva gave an exaggerated nod. Her mind was in chaos. What was she talking about? Every inch of her body screamed to take Callum in her arms and drag him off to the Captain’s room while a tiny voice in the back of head continued to try and reason with her. They were drunk. It would be better if they just went to sleep.
I probably won’t remember this tomorrow anyway…
She was suddenly aware of her body having moved. Her lips were against Callum’s, their arms entangled with one another, oblivious to the cheers of the men around them. Callum’s hand reached out to steady himself against the rail, laughing at their inability to stand upright without the support of the ship. Lacking any sign of the grace Faustine had fought to instill in Aiva, she tumbled to the ground with Callum, laughing even harder at how pathetic they must look.

Weaving unsteadily, Callum helped Aiva to her feet, pulling her into him protectively, the force of her weight nearly knocking them flat again. “Let us find that bed,” he chuckled. “I’m afraid if we don’t do so soon, we are going to end up in the water.” Once he was satisfied that they were balanced, Callum held up his hand, waving to the rest of the men on deck. “I thank you gentlemen for a wonderful evening!” he announced, the words slurring worse despite his attempts to keep them clear. “If you will all excuse me, I believe it is time I take my wife to bed.”

The crowd let loose with a roar of applause. Aiva was surprised to discover that she wasn’t embarrassed any longer by the lewd comments of the men. There was no reason for her to feign modesty in front of them. At the gentle pressure of Callum’s hand tugging her toward the door of the Captain’s quarters she gave a flirtatious wink to the crew.
Just think
, she laughed quietly to herself as they stepped into the room, closing the door and locking it to shut out the loud voices coming from the main deck.
None of them are going to remember this when they awaken either.

Rain pattered down against the windows of the spacious room when Aiva’s eyes opened the next day. Her head ached, reminiscent of the morning after her first experience with ale at the tavern in Vailetta, though without the horrible pain in her stomach.
I need to stop drinking so much
. She could no longer blame the soldiers and sailors for imbibing the amount of alcohol they did. What else was there for them to do when stuck at sea for days and weeks on end? The wine and rum was a good enough way to pass the time. It just wasn’t a suitable pastime for a Princess. And it certainly wasn’t a feeling she enjoyed waking up to the morning after.

They would be nearing the Luquarrian mainland soon. Her heart raced to think of being reunited with her father and brother. She couldn’t wait to see their faces. Everyone thought she and Callum were dead. To imagine the joy in their eyes to discover them alive – it brought a smile to her lips unlike any other.

In the clarity of her sober mind, little details started to fall into place, quickly eating away at the excitement. So many things had been left a mess before she snuck away from Tanispa. Many of which Callum remained unaware of. She turned her head to look upon him where he slept, face buried in the feathery pillows of the large bed. Guilt crept over her to see him there. If he knew all the terrible things she had done, he never would have gone through so much trouble for her. There was no way to guarantee his homecoming would be the same joyous occasion as hers. Questions remained unanswered. Accusations, prompted by her own foolishness, which would require action. He loved her now, but the mistakes of her past might change everything. How could she have been such an idiot?

Clutching her head in misery she rolled out of bed. She needed air. There had to be something she could do to fix the mess she made for Callum back home. It would be impossible for her to think of anything while lying there in bed with him. Quietly gathering her clothes, she dressed herself. She hated to leave him there alone. To awaken without her at his side. Thankfully, he was right about one thing. It was only a ship. If he sought to find her, there were only so many places to look. Maybe then she would have the answers she was looking for as well.

On her tiptoes she stepped through the door, closing it behind her, careful not to make too much noise. The deck was quiet. In some of the drier corners she could see men passed out in their drunken stupor, oblivious to the rain pouring down around them. A loud clap of thunder caused her to jump. How could these men sleep so soundly? Even with the drinks in her system, the ferocity of the storm seemed capable of tearing anyone from their slumber. A sizzle shot through the sky with a bright flash of lightning, setting the hair on the back of her neck on end. The deck was not a place she wanted to be. It would be drier down below. At least there she might be able to focus.

The floorboards were wet from the rain as she made her way to the barracks. Water sat in puddles on the wood, leaving it somewhat slick for an unsuspecting sailor. Careful of her footing she held onto the wall, safely finding her way into the cover of the corridor. Her hair was drenched, the rain a torrential downpour. It reminded her of the storm in Carpaen. Diqun’s night. She hoped the bad weather would pass before the veil completed its cover over Karana’s eyes again.

She and Callum had chosen a room near the end of the corridor, nestled deeply in the ship. It boasted only a single window which would be beneficial in her hopes of ignoring the raging storm outside. Her hand twisted the knob gently, anxious to get out of the hall. She wanted privacy. Her head was too confused to chance conversation with any of the men right now.

Morose, Aiva slumped onto the little cot, head bowed forward, face buried in her hands. What had she done? And why did it not come to her until now? Edric had reminded her of the troubles she caused back home and still she said nothing to Callum of it. Somehow it hadn’t seemed important at the time. She gave her defense of Callum’s past to Edric, but that would only go so far. It would come as a shock to Callum if his father confronted him about Ireni. That information was never supposed to reach Cadell, nor would it have if she had kept her mouth shut.

Why did her head have to hurt so badly? It was making it impossible to think. She had to come up with something. If she could get Cadell and her father alone. It wouldn’t take long to explain her misunderstanding. But that didn’t change the fact that they had confirmed the truth with others in Callum’s unit. They knew Ireni was captured by luring her to Callum. Nothing she could say would change the past. He would have to face it.

Tears threatened to fall, though she couldn’t be sure if it was in frustration for the predicament she found herself in, or if it was simply from the horrible ache in her temples. Another loud rumble of thunder cut through the air. Groaning in misery, she laid down on the cot, facedown, knees curled underneath her in an awkward position, hugged tightly against her stomach. There was no way for her to find comfort with the way she felt in that moment. It was hard to believe she’d been so happy the night before when so much remained wrong.

Through the tumult of rain pounding against the side of the ship, she missed the sound of the door opening. Involuntarily she sobbed into the surface of the cot, her entire body jumping to hear Callum speak her name from the doorway. “Aiva? My gods, what is it?”

He pushed through the door, giving it nothing more than a slight kick with his foot to close it behind him. Lifting her face from the bed she gasped in surprise. Callum looked wretched. His hair was tousled, eyes glassy, squinted in obvious pain from the dim light filtering through the window. Little care had been taken to arrange his clothes when he awoke. At first glance he looked as if he’d been run over by a team of horses.