When I regained consciousness, I was in an actual bed and was covered in blankets. Three or four lit candles were in the room, or hut, where I guessed I was. Although I’d figured out that much, it wasn’t clear why I might be here. Maybe it was a dream. A slight shift in position sent waves of pain through me and I gasped. Definitely not a dream, then.
“Shh.” Serena appeared beside me and helped me lie back down. She glanced behind her. “Roden, he’s awake.”
She moved aside and Roden filled the frame of my blurred vision. “I don’t think I ever could’ve killed you,” he said. “Not when it came down to it.”
“You couldn’t have told me that in the gardens?”
“I didn’t know it myself, not until the end. As proof of that, I let you win. I went easy on you the whole time.”
“Then I demand a rematch.” I smiled sleepily. “But not today.” In a whisper I added, “Where will you be when I’m ready?”
“At your side, Jaron, as captain of your guard.” My smile widened and I closed my eyes to return to sleep.
When Roden woke me it was light again. Serena was in her chair with a bowl of something that was steaming, but the thought of eating made my stomach turn.
“Are you hurting much?” Roden asked.
I squinted at him. “Is that a joke? How many pieces do you suppose my leg is in right now?”
He rolled his eyes. “I forgot what a baby you can be when you’re injured.”
I eyed a cup sitting beside my bed. If it wouldn’t have been so difficult, I’d have thrown it at him.
Roden sat beside me and smiled sympathetically. “There’s no one here who can fix that leg.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you broke it.”
“There was no need to fix the leg of a dead man.”
“Ah. How’s your leg where I stabbed you?”
“It hurts.”
“Good.” I closed my eyes again, wanting more sleep, but Roden shook my arm. I shrank from his touch and directed my attention to Serena. “Get me some aravac leaves, all you can find.”
When she left, Roden said, “They’ll help the pain but won’t fix your leg.”
“Prepare a cart to take us to Libeth,” I said. “A noble named Rulon Harlowe lives there. That’s where we’re going, if he’ll have me.”
“I don’t think you’re strong enough to travel. You don’t look so good.”
“I don’t feel so good. But I doubt I’m the most popular person here. My odds are better on the road to Libeth.”
“And what are you going to do about the pirates?”
“That’s your decision.” Then I remembered that Roden had given me the win. I was the pirate king now. “Send for that man, Erick.” I was still tired and my words were slurring. “Fink too. Bring them.”
Roden stood and immediately I fell back asleep. I awoke some time later when the door creaked open and Erick walked in, with Fink at his heels.
Erick shook his head in disbelief when he saw me. “I kept watching at the window, waiting to see your body fall. When I didn’t see it, I figured you’d fallen in another place. It never occurred to me you were still alive.”
Fink rushed forward but I held up a hand to stop him. Even that movement hurt. “If you touch me, I’ll have you hanged,” I warned. He probably wasn’t going to, but I was feeling particularly cautious.
“I heard you won the sword fight,” Erick said.
Above me, Roden gave a cough. I looked from his annoyed expression back to Erick. “That debate hasn’t been settled. But I am king here now.”
Roden managed a half smile at my words, then cursed under his breath.
Erick went on as if he hadn’t noticed. “To your credit, everyone’s talking about what you did. Nobody likes you, but they respect you.”
I nodded. That was good enough.
“What are your plans now?” he asked.
I tried to shrug but gave up the effort and instead just said, “I have to go home. But someone needs to be in charge while I’m gone.”
“And you’ve chosen Roden to lead us.” Obviously, the latest gossip hadn’t reached Erick’s locked room.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He just lost to a one-legged opponent, who I might add was mostly unconscious by the end. No, Erick, you’re in charge now.” Erick’s eyes widened but I quickly added, “On two conditions. The first is that you must return that pocket watch to me. I’m tired of trying to steal it from you.”
Erick groaned and pulled the watch from his shirt, then held it out to me. “It doesn’t keep good time.”
“That’s not why I want it,” I said, clutching it in my hand. “The second condition is that you remind the pirates of their oath to the pirate king, to me. But I’m also the Carthyan king, so to cause harm to any citizen of Carthya, or to our land or property, is to harm me. From now on, there will be an oath of peace between us. All pirates must renew their oaths or be expelled.”
Erick shook his head in protest. “They’ll never agree.”
“You’ll make them agree. Tell them if they get bored, then they can always disturb the peace of my enemies. Now go, Erick, get me their oaths.”
He stood to leave, then hesitated and said, “Gregor wants to see you.”
“But I don’t want to see him.” Even the thought of it was nauseating.
“He said to remind you that despite his crimes, he did keep your princess safe and he thinks that’s worth a few minutes of your time.”
I closed my eyes to rest them and mumbled, “Very well, then.”
When Erick left, I looked over to Fink. “What do you want? Not to stay here, I’d guess.”
Fink thought for a moment, and then said, “Can I come with you?”
“I’m not sure. You’re pretty annoying.” Then I raised a corner of my mouth. “Yes, I want you to come to Drylliad with me. But you’ll have to give up your plans of being a thief and get a proper education.”
Fink wrinkled his nose. “Education?”
“Yes. And learn a few manners. I can’t decide which you need more. My friend Tobias will teach you, and if you give him any trouble, I’ll order him to be twice as boring as usual. Trust me, he can do it.”
“Can I bring my rat?”
“No.” He tilted his head, but I tightened my stare at him. “No.”
Reluctantly, Fink agreed; then, with heavy eyes, I looked at Roden. “Am I safe under your watch?”
“You’re safe,” Roden assured me as I drifted off.
I didn’t sleep as well after that. A new pain had formed in my leg and I lay half-awake and half-submerged in nightmares that kept the pain fresh. Still, I preferred that to being awoken some time later with the news that Erick had brought Gregor to see me.
Roden helped me into a sitting position, which made my head swim with dizziness. I knew I looked bad, but I refused to look like an invalid.
Erick escorted Gregor in, his hands tied behind him and his clothing stripped of decoration. He gave me a quick appraisal, then began, “Jaron —”
“You’ll address me by my title,” I said sharply. “And bow until your pointed chin scrapes the floor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He didn’t quite make it to the floor, but did put in a fair effort.
“If you hope to convince me of your innocence, then you’re wasting my time.”
“No, Your Majesty. I ask only for the same mercy you extended to Master Conner. Please take me back to Drylliad with you. The pirates —”
“The pirates can’t be that bad. After all, you were happy to ask their help in killing me.”
Gregor’s teeth were gritted so tightly together I wondered if his jaw had stopped working. “I had my reasons.”
“Such as?”
For the first time since he entered, he looked directly at me. “You missed important meals, made jokes about the regents, and ignored your father’s future plans. I genuinely felt I’d do a better job as king. But now I confess that perhaps you were right. It seems there is a threat against Carthya after all.”
It wasn’t anywhere near as interesting an excuse as I’d expected. “Well, I’d bring you back, except it would require me to look at you during the ride and I’m already feeling sick enough. No, you’ll stay here and face whatever consequences the pirates intend for you.”
“You’re their king too.”
I nodded toward Erick. “But it’s his decision now. Use your poisonous tongue to beg mercy from him. Now go away.”
Erick stepped forward and lifted Gregor by his bound hands. “The night before you left, you asked if I thought you wanted to run.” Gregor’s tone was somewhere between panicked and furious now. “I did think that. I thought you were the worst of cowards and it justified my belief that I should be named steward.”
Despite the pain it caused, I leaned forward and in a soft whisper said, “There was something you failed to understand about me.” He tilted his head and in my strongest voice I added, “I never run!”
Gregor’s eyes widened, then his face paled as Erick dragged him away, handing him off to pirates who had been waiting outside.
“The oaths?” I asked Erick when he turned back to me.
“Nobody’s happy about it,” he said. “But I pointed out that we’d never get you to leave unless they made the oath. Besides, we figure if you stayed, there’s not a lot more that the pirates could do to you. The oath is secure. The pirates are officially at peace with Carthya.”
With relief, I said, “Very good.”
“It’s not all good,” Erick continued. “It won’t be long before the king of Avenia learns that you’ve stolen the pirates’ loyalty from him. He won’t be happy about this.”
“Well, I’m not happy with him either.” He had conspired with the pirates in trying to overthrow me. It was unlikely that he and I would sit down for tea together anytime soon. I used the last of my energy to say, “No matter what comes, you’ll see that the pirates keep their oath to me. If there is a fight, they will fight for me.”
“You are our king,” Erick said.
I nodded, then said to Roden, “It’s time to leave. I want to go home.”
