Page 7 of Whispers of the Starlit Sea
MacIsaac sneered. “Surely you don’t believe such tales.”
“I’m not saying I do or I don’t — but you see some strange things at night when you’re out on the water, far from land.” He turned to Arick. “But enough of that. We’re about to let go the lines, if you’d care to join me on the bridge?” He looked to Thomas as well, making sure to include him in the invitation.
The four of them returned to the top deck and climbed the steps to the bridge. Unlike the near vertical stairs on most ships, these were wide and sweeping, so any ladies who might be onboard would be able to visit the bridge without fear of tripping over their skirts.
The next hour passed pleasantly as the captain put the ship through her paces, calling commands to the sailors who swung from the masts. At last, they slowed as they approached the center of the harbor. No ships were scheduled to be arriving, and any departing would wait for the ebbing tide later to guide them past the rock formations at the entrance, so they could take their time.
MacIsaac’s continued displeasure with everything nearly drove Arick mad, and he made every effort to shield Thomas from the man’s barbed comments. Guessing MacIsaac would shy away from heavy work, he volunteered to lower the anchor.
Together, he and Thomas worked the windlass and let the anchor go. Even though it would spend a good portion of its life on the ocean floor, the anchor displayed skilled craftsmanship and the ornate emblem of the crown.
With the ship rocking gently in place, there was little else for Arick and Thomas to do. Any time Arick tried to speak to the captain, MacIsaac was there, pestering Blair with questions he had surely asked a hundred times before.
“Let’s go swimming!” Thomas suggested. Arick eagerly accepted the distraction. They ran down to the sitting room and changed into bathing costumes. Cookie trotted between their feet and promptly found a patch of sun. He stretched with a yawn, his fluffy tail dusting the floor. Once he had changed, Arick walked out onto the platform, feeling the slight spring beneath his feet. Below him, the water beckoned. The sun glinted off of it.
“Chicken?” Thomas asked.
“No, just waiting for you.” Arick grinned. With a shout, he dove off the platform, feeling the sun and air embrace him in a moment of flight.
The ice-cold water wrapped around him as he crashed beneath the waves. The shock drove the air from his lungs, and his eyes popped open. As he sought the surface, he noted how clear the water was, filled with sea life.
As he broke free of the water, he shook his head, sending streams in all directions.
With a shriek of joy, Thomas jumped off the platform and into the waves behind him. “Co-old,” he chattered when he reappeared. Above them, Cookie ran in circles, barking at their madness.
“Very,” Arick agreed. “Come on, let’s swim to warm up.”
They raced the length of the ship a few times, staying clear of the bow and stern lest the ship turn unexpectedly. When they grew tired, they floated on their backs and let the sun warm their faces. This was the life. If only being a royal meant he could spend his days on the water, swimming and racing boats. He recalled the letters his brother, Daniel, had sent him, speaking of the endless meetings and countless social obligations he’d been forced to attend. At least, that’s how Arick thought of them. Daniel had spoken of them with enthusiasm, proving he had been the better brother to join the Toravik Council. If only —
“They hate me,” Thomas said, breaking his reverie.
Arick wasn’t surprised Thomas’s thoughts were also on the council. “Why do you say that?” The hurt in his cousin’s voice made him choose his words carefully.
Thomas slapped the water with his hand. “Look at how MacIsaac treats me! Either he acts like I am a child, or he ignores me!”
Arick rolled over in the water to watch Thomas’s reaction. He moved his arms and feet enough to stay afloat. “Do you want to be treated like a child or ignored?”
“No!”
“Then…maybe don’t let him?”
Thomas’s face creased with concentration. “Why did you say that?” he asked, his voice cracking.
Arick had never seen his cousin as “less than.” As children, they had spent much of their time together, and though he knew Thomas was different from other children, he was just Thomas. Even after his father had become the ambassador to Edeland, Arick and his brother, Daniel, had spent their summers visiting the castle. When they turned eighteen, Daniel had moved back to Iskarraig, and Arick had joined the Edelish Navy.
“You’re allowed to speak up. You’re the prince, and he should be diffident toward you.”
“Easy for you to say,” Thomas grumbled.
“I know. And I’m sorry they treat you like that.” Itwaseasy for him. People had been looking up to him physically ever since he’d passed six feet at age sixteen. As part of his training to be captain, he had learned how to be commanding — though being commanding and being listened to were two very different things, he had quickly discovered. “Just remember, you have just as much right to be heard as the next person. If you act like you belong, they’ll not be able to ignore you.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. But for now, I’m freezing. Race you back to the ladder!” He dove under the water, encouraging Thomas to chase after him. He took the outside, planning on letting Thomas win.
When Arick surfaced for air, he saw Thomas several strokes ahead of him. He’d been too slow, and Thomas had been faster than expected. With renewed purpose, Arick struck out again. Even at his fastest speed, however, he only managed to catch up after Thomas had taken hold of the ladder.
Laughing, the two climbed back to the platform, where an ecstatic Cookie danced circles around them as they dried off. Exhausted, they stretched out to let the sun warm them up, letting their feet hang off the edge.
