VIOLENT TIDES (gxg - editing)

1

"You gave me away? As a hostage? To pirates?"

"You must understand, Ainsley. I had no choice. The captain requested a sign of trust."

"That's horseshit!"

"Ainsley!"

The princess was too angry to correct her language. She folded her arms across her chest. "I won't go."

"You have no choice."

"I can run."

"From my soldiers? In my kingdom?"

She regarded him balefully. "My kingdom."

"Not yet, it isn't. It will not last forever, Ainsley. You'll be back in plenty of time."

"Plenty of time to come back and marry the fool from Reyngal. That is why you're selling me off, is it not? Because I refused to show interest in him?"

"I'm doing no such thing, and I'm under no obligation to argue with you over this. Go prepare your belongings immediately. You leave tomorrow at dawn."

Furious, the princess whirled and stormed from the room, still dressed in her sweaty tunic and trousers from her sparring practice only moments ago. The knight she had been training with hurried to catch up.

"Princess—?"

"He gave me as a prisoner to a group of pirates," she seethed, not looking at him. "Bastard. I'm going to murder him."

"That would not be wise."

She slowed down only slightly.

"Where are you going?"

"My chambers. I need to get my belongings together."

"I'm sorry, Princess."

For the first time, she stopped and looked at the young man. The two had been friends since he was a page boy, looking to earn his place among the knights. It was he who trained her when she begged the soldiers to teach her to fight, to be strong. Her father hadn't approved at first, but by now he had realized he couldn't control his daughter.

Except, now he had come up with a plan to deal with that, it seemed.

"I know, Luca. My apologies for snapping at you. But I won't go. I'll get beyond the castle walls and then I'll run and hide in the city until the ship has left."

He smiled, a little sadly. "You won't get far."

"I will. You'll see."

"And if you're caught?"

"Then—" she hesitated, a frown furrowing her brow, before she tilted her chin up defiantly. "I know I'll come back yet. Please don't worry for me. I can handle a group of pirates."

"I could never doubt that, princess."

"I'll be queen someday, Luca."

"Yes."

"Things will be better then."

"I believe you."

She smiled, mixed tears of anger and gratitude for her friend stinging her eyes. Nodding briskly and regaining her composure, she pulled herself to her full height.

"Well," she managed to choke out, "I'll see you. At—at some point."

"Of course."

He reached for her shoulder and she allowed him to clap her on the back and then pull her in for a brief embrace, tensing up slightly. He knew she wasn't fond of the contact, but this time, who could blame him? She begrudgingly returned the hug, then pulled away quickly, almost feeling guilty about it.