Sky of Wind by Emily Deady

Chapter 17

Sol spread himself out on the floor of the tiny cabin. He had to bend at the knee so his head and feet would fit between the two close walls. It wasn’t completely uncomfortable. The constant rocking of the boat kept him rolled against the wall, which meant no one could open the door without waking him. Perhaps he would be able to sleep deeply because of that.

“Goodnight, Sol,” Meena whispered from the bed just above him.

“Goodnight,” Sol whispered back. He could not remember the last time someone offered him a nightly greeting.

He woke with a start sometime later when a hand touched his shoulder. He sat up instantly. “What’s wrong?”

He could feel the princess kneeling by his side, since her knees pressed against his hip.

“It’s halfway through the night.” She yawned. “At least I think it is.”

Sol tried to make out her face in the darkness. Her voice was calm and sleepy. Perhaps she was talking in a dream. He’d heard of it happening, though he’d never witnessed it.

“Go back to bed, princess,” he whispered.

“It’s your turn to take the bed,” she replied. “I’ll take the floor.”

“You were serious about that?” Sol asked. “It sounded like one of your jests.”

“I can’t let you sleep on the floor every night.” She sounded offended.

Sol wasn’t sure what to respond to that. He’d intended to sleep on the floor every night. He’d never even considered asking someone else—especially a woman and princess—to take the more uncomfortable option.

“We are in this together,” she said after a short pause. “I expect you’ll need sleep even more than I, by the time this is over. Take the bed.”

“That’s really not necessary,” Sol protested.

Meena dropped to her elbows and rolled on her side, curling up on the floor. “I’m too tired to move again.” She yawned. “Goodnight.”

Sol realized his only options were to take the bed or sleep next to her on the floor. While he was tempted to do the latter, he knew he’d never get any sleep, so he pushed himself up and rolled onto the thin pallet.

When Sol woke the following morning, the tiny cabin was empty. Slipping out the door, he stretched his folded limbs to their full height. A cursory glance at the deck around him provided no sight of the princess. A sparkle of laughter rang out above the low groans of the wooden ship and Sol followed the sound below deck.

Meena was sitting at a small table with three sailors and the captain, laughing over a bowl of thick stew. “That’s truly how you became a sailor? It didn’t scare you away from the sea for life.”

“I had no other choice, my lady,” the captain responded. His back was to the ladder, and he did not see Sol’s approach. “There were too many mouths to feed at home, I couldn’t go back.” He leaned over the table. “Between you and me, I still think she’s out there, swimming the waves in wait for me.”

Meena laughed again, snorting over her bowl of food.

Noting Sol’s presence, the three other sailors stood from the table, nodding their heads in respect.

“Your highness!” The captain who’d been recounting his tale turned his head and jumped from his seat. “Sit. I’ll get you something to break your fast.” He grabbed his own empty bowl and left Sol at the table with Meena.

“You don’t all have to leave,” Meena called after them.

“We’ve bothered you long enough,” the captain replied. “The captain’ll have our hides if we don’t get back up to deck.”

“Aren’t you the captain?” Meena asked, laughing.

“Precisely,” he said.

One of the sailors set a bowl of stew and roll of bread in front of Sol, then the crew swung up the ladder, leaving Sol and Meena alone.

“They seem quite eager to leave us alone,” Sol said, glancing at the empty ladder.

“They seem quite eager to leave one of us alone,” Meena said.

Sol caught the smile on her face as she said it. “Are they afraid of me?” he asked.

“You are a prince now,” Meena whispered. “And you scowl.”

Sol felt his face scowling harder at her words, but he couldn’t stop it. “What does my face have to do with it?”

“Your face is quite perfect as it is,” Meena said. “Behind it, there’s a brave man who can both infiltrate a castle by himself and spend his morning hunting for treasure.” She reached out and touched a finger to the spot between his eyes. She rubbed it gently. “You can scowl all you wish.”

Sol instinctively leaned away from her touch. Her words made him uncomfortable. He’d spent his life avoiding notice, but she’d taken that away from him.

His face felt instantly cold the moment he broke contact with her finger.

She pulled her hand back quickly, turning her focus to the half-eaten bowl in front of her.

He rubbed his face, picking up the roll of bread with his other hand. He didn’t dislike her touch, and he hadn’t meant to offend her by rejecting it. Maybe next time he would try not to lean away.

“Did you sleep well?” Her voice was high, confident but not personal.

Sol nodded, his mouth full of food.

“I can’t quite get used to the constant pitching of the boat.” She grabbed the edge of the table as the bow of the ship dipped slightly faster than usual. “Does it bother you? I can’t decide if it’s terrifying or exciting.”

Sol shrugged. He hadn’t really thought about it.

“You were a diver like Aizel,” she continued, seemingly undeterred by his lack of conversation. “You are probably much more comfortable with the sea, then.”

Sol nodded. The waves were much calmer in the deeper water and, for the most part, the ship rocked gently over them. Sol swallowed the food in his mouth. “I am very comfortable below the water,” he said. “I know nothing of wind and sail. The rocking is new for me.”

When Meena didn’t respond immediately, Sol glanced up at her. She was grinning at him.

“What?” Sol asked, feeling suddenly very exposed.

“Nothing.” She scraped the side of her almost empty bowl. “I just like talking.”

“I noticed,” Sol felt a small smile tug at his lips.

“I mean, I’m sorry. I do talk a lot.” She pushed her bowl to the center of the table, her expression falling.

Sol felt his own smile disappear with hers.

“We should be making plans while we have the time to do so,” she said.

Sol shook his head. “We can’t discuss it here,” he whispered, glancing around the room to make sure no one had entered unnoticed. “Your talking is good. It makes us look real.”

Her face brightened.