A princess in search of her past. A boy driven by money. A crew that is loyal to the end.
Princess Ria is adopted, and she has lived with the acceptance that she will never know her real parents. But when she learns of the existence of her adoption...
Leaning on the railing at the back of the ship, Gin thought about the night before, when he and Ria had settled behind the bridge instead of sleeping with the crew below the deck. They cuddled together, hiding between the barrels and crates, under a blanket of watching stars.
He had kissed her more than twice or thrice, had touched all her curves, and more. He had felt her arch against him, begging him to go on. And he'd craved her, but he never went beyond the kisses and the touches.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take her, but it wasn't appropriate. And the setting, though under the beautiful night sky, was not as romantic with barrels of fish nearby.
A pining grew in him now as he waited for Ria, staring out onto the open sea. The ocean sprayed the hull as the ship rode the waves. Cool and humid air dampened his shirt.
They would arrive in Basiago in a few hours. He anticipated it. His eyes searched the horizon for the familiar land he'd known as his childhood home and swallowed hard at the threat.
Ria was still the princess, and when they would dock on Basiago, things would go back to how they used to be--her as the employer of the Opal and him as a simple sea gypsy crew.
He didn't want it to end yet, and maybe not even later. Ria wasn't like other girls he'd met in taverns, only looking for a bodily-adventurous night with him. She was so different and too different.
She was land-born, while he was a son of the sea. She was brought up with pearls around her neck, while he grew up with a contract to work or not eat at all. They were dissimilar, meant to diverge when the job was done--when they would get to Basiago or when they would return to Sivona.
"Gin?" The sound of Ria's voice jolted him from his anxious thoughts. When he turned, her brows furrowed worry. Her blue eyes glistened. Strands of her hair caught on an angry gust and escaped the knot behind her head.
Her shoulders rose, breath held and tensed. She gave a slight shake of her head.
"I wish you couldn't sense my emotions right now," he said, regretting he'd come to his conclusions about what was going on between them.
"I wish that, too," she whispered and bit her lips. "What's wrong?" There was hesitation in her words as if she already knew the answer. And when last night, they seemed to be one being, she felt distant now--separated.
Gon stepped closer to her, and she became still. "When we get back on the Opal. Things are--"
Ria shook her head. "That's not fair." Her voice shook, and she turned around so she couldn't see him.
"Ria." He wanted to reach out to her. He wanted to stop his emotions from flowing, but he was like an open chest now, whether or not Ria could sense him. "You're the princess." As soon as he said it, he glanced around to make sure no one was there to overhear them.
"I'm not," Ria said. "And even if I am, it's not a good reason for you to say that this is over when we get to Basiago."
He saw her tighten her fists. Her shoulders shook, and he could only imagine the anguish in her eyes.
He stepped closer to her, smelling the scent of her hair like roses in the middle of the ocean. "I'm just a commoner, Ria."
Then she turned around, slow as if she would startle him if she went faster. She looked up into his eyes. "And I'm just a sea gypsy."
Of course, she was--the last living psychesi from the Marena tribe. And that made it even more complicated. The king's adopted sister was a power worth more than the province of Basiago. She was an asset to the royal family and will never be for someone like him.
Ria shook her head. Het brows knitted. "I want to be angry with you right now," she said, gritting her teeth.
"Do it."
"I can't," she said. "It's not fair that I understand how you feel. It's annoying." She pressed her lips together, and it turned into a pout.
She was so cute that Gin smirked.
"What's so funny?"
Gin smiled. "You're pretty."
She lightly punched him on the shoulder. "That's not funny." Her mood also changed, and her knitted brow unfurled.
He grinned, rubbing the spot she hit. It wasn't painful, but he had flinched at it, more of an instinct. "You're right. It's not funny, but you're really cute."
"Ugh!" She fisted again, and he raised his hands to her in surrender, but she dived for him, entering his guard and giving him a hug.
"Wha--"
"Don't." She rubbed her face on his chest. Her breath was warm over his shirt. "Not yet, please. I know what you mean, and it'll be likely that--" She trembled. "Just not yet."
He placed a hand around her shoulder and the other around her waist. He pressed his nose and lips to her hair. Eventually, they will arrive in Basiago. This would end. But yes, not yet. "Alright," he said, holding her tight as if it would change the future.
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