Kings and Thieves

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Everything ran relatively smoothly after their encounter with the Queen. The voyage to Apreuna was only about a night's ride, and the royals were quickly gaining their energy back as they were tended to by Lyla, and Aveline, who clucked over them like a mother hen. Naturally.

Ari, much to his chagrin, was stuck in bed for most of the time. Which was disappointing, because he had really been hoping for some time to torment the royals. They were so delicate and polite, the princesses tripping over their heavy skirts as they wandered inquisitively about the ship. They treated it, and Ari's crew, like rare and interesting curiosities at an antique shop.

Ari's disappointment was mostly stifled by the fact that Jamie stopped by his cabin from time to time. Oftentimes she sat by his bed and read, or tried to get him to admit that he actually enjoyed her company, a feat she was still working to undergo.

Aveline brought him news occasionally. They were almost to Apreuna. The bullet wound in his side looked slightly less horrifying than it had an hour before. One of the princes had beaten Inez at checkers. Eli was leaving.

She'd flinched slightly at that last declaration- so subtle that Ari doubted anyone else would have noticed. Ari hadn't pushed her. She'd talk to him when she was ready- she always did.

Hours of bedrest was making Ari restless and agitated. It wasn't his first bullet wound; and it wouldn't be his last. He could handle it without being treated like a child.

"I need to get out of here," he mumbled to Jamie now, struggling to detangle his legs from the mass of sheets on his bed. Jamie's hand landed on his chest as she gently pushed him back down into his pillow, and Ari found himself too flustered to stop her.

He'd thought he'd made her hate him, he was sure of it... yet somehow less sure as she tucked his covers up to his neck, her throat moving slowly up and down as she idly hummed a tune. Ari found the sight oddly hypnotic and averted his eyes.

"I wish you'd let me out of bed so I could help you," he complained as he watched her return to packing up her valise.

She and Ben still weren't sure where they were going to live, and Jamie had graciously turned down Ari's offer to let them stay on the ship, saying that she and Ben had to be on their own for a while.

"You're injured." Jamie's chuckle faded to a thoughtful pause as she regarded him, and Ari wondered what she could be thinking. "You know, you're awfully chivalrous for a pirate."

"Bad reputation." Ari shook his head. "We aren't savages, you know."

"I know, but..." She trailed off. "How is your wound? Aveline said you'd need to change the bandages."

Ari watched her closely as she crossed around to the other side of the bed and leaned over him. "That's alright. I can do it."

"Don't be ridiculous," she scolded, but tone was a little too forced to be casual as she pressed a soft hand to the cloth on his abdomen. Ari's stomach clenched.

"Shh... stay still. I'm going to do this quickly, alright?" Jamie straightened, brushing hair away from her reddening cheeks. "Can you, um," she gestured to his shirt with her hands, and he managed a grin at her unease, obediently pulling his shirtsleeves off from the hem.

He tried not to look at the bloody bandage tied around his waist. Jamie hissed.
"That looks bad. What do I do?"

"There's more bandages under the bed. Let me retie this and I'll just-"

"It's fine, I can do it."
He tensed automatically as her cold fingers brushed his skin, but she was gentle, and slowly Ari relaxed as she peeled the cloth off. Ari squinted at her closely as Jamie uncovered the wound, but she didn't flinch at the sight. "Here, let me just clean this..."