Page 10 of Betraying Korth

“It will be up to you two,” I said, addressing Curdy and Garrik, “to keep her controlled. Take shifts and let us know if you need more help.”

“A little snip like her won’t pose any problem,” Garrik chuckled while Curdy nodded fervently. “So long as you can find us work that we can all do together. I’d hate to leave my dear son and daughter.” His face twisted into a leer.

I nodded. “Of course. I would never dream of breaking up a family that is so close. Why, I heard that you do everything together.”

“It would still be easier to just kill her and be done with it,” Thad grumbled. “She’s a good-for-nothing royal, after all.”

“We still need her for questioning. I know most things as her handmaiden, but she did attend some functions without me. Curdy, you could even try cozying up to her. Let Garrik be the mean one.”

Curdy pulled a face. “Gross. But if it makes you feel better, Thad, you can think of it as death being too quick of an end for her. She ought to live the way we have. Let her experience a few weeks of being hungry and overworked. It will be a good learning opportunity for her.”

All the men laughed, but the sound was cut short by a bugle sounding from shore. “They’ve seen us,” I announced, drawing myself up proudly. “It’s time.”

The closer we drew to the harbor, the more my heart rate increased and beads of perspiration that had nothing to do with the hot weather burst into existence on my forehead and palms. Everyone in the crew, clad in fine uniforms bearing the Eborian royal crest, shot glances my way. This entire façade teetered on a dangerous precipice, and I would be the determining factor as to which way it tipped. If Odette was allowed to speak before I made a good impression on the prince, there was still the chance he wouldn’t believe our story. The captain clutched the documents bearing the official royal seal, but even those didn’t feel like enough protection.

The boat’s prow cut through the water, slowing down as we drew into harbor. The sailors scrambled up and down the rigging, securing the sails and obeying whichever orders were barked at them. I tore my gaze away to search for the prince I needed to charm.

A welcoming party was waiting for us on the dock. Right away, one of the men stood out from the others. This had to be Korth. He was taller than most and dressed in pristine, starched clothing that was finer than the guards all around him, who all wore the same navy uniforms. A young girl who shared his complexion and who was dressed just as finely bobbed by Korth’s side, staring at the oncoming ship, then back up at the prince. My stomach clenched. In his letters, Korth occasionally spoke of a sister, but amid my nervousness, I couldn’t recall her name right away.

The moment the ship pulled into the harbor and had the gangplank lowered, Garrik trumpeted, “Introducing Her Royal Highness, Princess Odette of Ebora.”

“Good luck,” Curdy whispered as he bowed along with the other men. “You look beautiful.”

Korth seemed to share Curdy’s sentiment. He stared wide-eyed as I descended the gangplank as gracefully as I was able to,given that the ship still rose and fell gently with each wave that rolled into the harbor. Korth held his hand out to assist me the last few feet until I stepped onto the weathered wooden dock, the flowing satin gown billowing softly as the sea breeze tugged at the fabric and my hair. The constant swaying motion I’d become accustomed to over the last week seemed to persist even after my shoes touched the solid boardwalk. Maintaining balance suddenly demanded all my attention as my sea legs continued to react to the phantom waves seemingly rocking the ground beneath my feet.

“Welcome to Haven Harbor,” the prince said, bowing low to stiffly press his lips against the back of my hand. “I’m Prince Korth and this is my younger sister, Princess Tess.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” I said, bestowing the sort of confident smile that caught the attention of any man with eyes. “I’ve eagerly anticipated our reunion ever since parting all those years ago. I’ve treasured each of our correspondences since then.”

I smiled at Tess, glad Korth had mentioned her name, and she beamed back, her cheeks lifting until her eyes became tiny crescents. “He thinks you’re pretty.”

Korth’s face lit up like a red beacon. “Tess!” he choked out.

Tess leaned toward me conspiratorially. “He told everyone that he didn’t care if you were pretty or not, but he does. I think you’re pretty, and I know he does, too. I can tell.”

“Thank you very much,” I told her. Then I smiled at her, ensuring my dimples were visible to Korth. “If we’re all telling secrets, I think your brother’s very handsome.” Tess giggled and pressed her fingers over her mouth while Korth’s face darkened to maroon.

After quickly welcoming the rest of the crew to Haven Harbor, Korth offered me his elbow and escorted me farther up the beach, where the ground changed from soft sand to swayinggrass then to compacted earthen roads. A carriage waited for us, adorned with intricate carvings and gilded accents and drawn by four dappled horses. The polished mahogany panels gleamed in the midday sunshine, and curtains were drawn back from the windows so anyone watching would be able to see the occupants inside.

Korth certainly knew how to make a good impression. He sprang ahead of me to open the carriage door and give me a hand up, then did the same for his sister before climbing in and seating himself next to Tess, opposite of me. The sound of the lapping waves and screaming gulls couldn’t drown out the pounding of my heart as I settled myself onto the plush velvet cushions.

TheFaladawas still barely visible over the sandbanks. At some point, a child had constructed a large sandcastle, and the distant images of the other mutineers scurrying about, unloading cargo and signing papers, made it appear like they were the tiny occupants of the sandcastle’s highest turret.

“My attendants?” I inquired politely. “I trust they will be taken care of?”

“They will be shown to the castle and settled within the hour,” Korth assured me, also watching out the window.

The driver clucked to the horses, and the last thing I saw before the carriage whisked the dock from sight was the majority of the rebels waving from the shore. A genuine smile broadened across my face as I waved back at them until they faded from view.

I turned my attention to my fiancé, but Korth didn’t appear talkative. Brow perspiring slightly, he sat rigidly upright with his hands curled into fists on his knees and stared at a point just over my shoulder while his sister cheerfully chattered away about the finishing school she would go to when she turned fourteen in a couple years. Each time we passed over a bridge,Korth would stare out of the window as if he longed to leap from the carriage and fling himself over the ramparts.

My own sweating would become very unladylike soon. The weight of our entire mission pressed on my shoulders and clamored in my ears in a way that left my mouth dry and my smile frozen in place. Surely a prince ought to saysomethingto the woman he planned to marry. Was he simply nervous about meeting his betrothed, or did he suspect my treachery?

“I’m glad to finally see you again,” I told Korth during a break in Tess’s monologue while she drew breath. “It’s been so long since the siren plague began that it feels surreal to be here at last.”

He nodded. “I know the feeling.” Then, because he seemed to be scrambling for something to say, added, “Was your voyage eventful?” in a voice just as stiff as his posture.

“Not particularly. A few mild bouts of seasickness, but there was no trouble with any sirens and we didn’t even have a single rainstorm. I wish I had more interesting events to report.”

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