Page 2 of The Princess of Nothing
I had no choice. The realization brought a new anxiety, stealing my next breath. I had to travel back to where this entire mess had begun, where everything had started to unravel in my life, and where the friends I had betrayed were possibly dead.I needed to lay low in a place I knew I could blend in, like I had done before.
Berovia.
I whipped my head back to look at the tavern. It looked to be the type of place where mercenaries would go, and I needed one, or several, if I was going to make it out and across the mer-filled ocean alive. I wished Aquarius and Bella hadn’t left, taking their ship with them. They knew the waters better than anyone else.
Pushing open the large, wood doors, I inhaled the frowsty air. The smell of cigar smoke and stale ale lingered as I pushed myself between burly men drinking to the first lights of morning. The polished chestnut bar was covered with drops of cider and ale. A hoard of empty wooden cups was stacked at the far end of the bar. Some were carved with different markings, personalized, perhaps made as a gift. I’d seen them before when my father traveled through the kingdom to address the people and I’d gone with him. Of course, there were glasses lying around too, but wood was still favored, especially among the lower classes.
I spotted an empty square table in a dimly lit corner, with stools lining either side. Men were eyeing me while I hurried to the unoccupied area. The landlord was peering over the bar, trying to get a better look at me. My traveling cloak was made of velvet with a fur trim, meaning I was too highborn to be drinking in an establishment like this. I should have dressed in something less conspicuous, but it was too late for that. I had taken a calculated risk coming inside. They would be drunk, therefore less likely to recognize me, not to mention, who would be looking for a princess in a place like this?
A barrel-chested man with pointed eyes and a small chin stomped to where I was standing. I white-knuckled my drawstring bag and cleared my throat. “I’m not here for any trouble,” I explained when he reached me. I took a step back, and the back of my heel hit a stool. “I’m looking for a mercenary.”
The room fell silent. I scanned the area, my eyes trailing from one wood-paneled wall to the next, pausing at each table for any sign of familiarity. There was none. It was wall-to-wall with bleary-eyed men. My heart thumped, then skipped a beat. They were all looking at me.
“Young girl like you shouldn’t be in a place like this.” He scratched his bald head.
A shaggy-faced man behind him chimed in. “Lots er strangers out ’ere in these parts. Where er ya hailing from, maid?”
I tilted my chin upward and rolled my shoulders back. I wanted to appear brave. I couldn’t show any sign of fear to these people. “Not far...” I hesitated. “Aurum,” I lied. It was the closest town to Imperia and the castle. Luckily for me, it seemed none of them knew who I was.
The beefy man cocked his eyebrow, then looked back at the other men and guffawed. “An Aurum lady.”
The shaggy-faced man looked at my hands. “Stop it, Don, poor maid is shaking, look.”
I swallowed thickly and looked down at my hands.
Don slapped his hand on my shoulder, making me jump back a foot. “Calm down, girl.” He put his hands in the air. “We’re not gonna hurt you here. What can we help ya with?”
Don’s rough, rugged fingers told me he worked in a labor job. The shaggy-faced man smelled like fish and wore a thick brown jacket and holey boots. I guessed he was a fisherman.
“She said she was after a mercenary.” A man’s voice rose above the rising chatter. His tone was eloquent. As he stood from the back of the tavern, pressed against the wall, the tall man’s dark eyes found mine. He had sharp features, only softened slightly by the warm yellow glow of a lamp flickering above his head. He appeared to be in his late forties and was dressed handsomely in a long blue jacket, with a white collar poking out from underneath. “That would be me.” He looked me up and down, his eyes pausing longer on my bag, then took out his pipe and puffed a circle of smoke into the air. He pushed past Don and the fisherman, shooing them away.
Five other men followed the tall man. “I’m Hawk.” He extended his hand. “So, Miss...”
I spluttered on my name. “Smith.”
He looked back, then cast his eyes down to my bag. A hint of a smile played on his thin lips. “Right,” he said, not sounding convinced. “What do you want a mercenary for?”
I could see Don and the other man still watching me. The corners of their eyes were wrinkled as they peered around Hawk and his men. Don spoke up. “If you need us, young lady, we’re right here.”
Hawk scowled in their direction. I nodded at Don, offering a small smile, and they looked away. “Thank you.” I shouldn’t have judged them. I hated that there was still a small part of me which did that. They seemed nice, slightly protective even. I’d been taught to fear the lower classes, but they were just making an honest living, and could be good or bad just like everyone else.
Hawk gestured for me to sit down. I took the stool closest to the wall and rested my bag on my lap. I tapped my fingers against the fabric, taking each breath deeper into my aching lungs. The smoky air was suffocating. “If you pay us enough, we can forget about your real name.”
I blinked twice, looking at Hawk. My lips tightened, my smile taut. “I need safe passage from the kingdom. It’s top secret. I will, of course, pay for discretion.”
His men, who remained standing behind his stool, snorted in unison. I stared up, looking at each of their faces in turn. “I can afford it,” I said with promise. “I’m the daughter of a merchant.”
Hawk’s gaze trickled over my features. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. “I can tell,” he whispered, looking at my cloak. “I expect you will pay us well. Where is it you would like us to take you?”
I looked around nervously, then lowered my voice to a whisper. “Berovia.”
“She’s mad!” one of the men shouted, capturing the attention of the others behind them.
Hawk slammed his fist on the table. “Enough, Jameson.” He growled. “Stand down.”
My heart raced faster. I tapped my foot against the ground, sucking in a deep breath. “One hundred gold coins.”
“You’ll have to do better than that.”
