30. We’re in this together (3/3)

Elsanne dipped her hands in the lukewarm sea again. The water burned on her face, but she washed it one more time maniacally. Her hair as well. Trying to get everything off her skin. She couldn’t do anything about the dress that was ruined beyond salvation. A small prize surely, for her head.

Kobus Bakema’s remaining men had surrendered, after their leader was slain. The Prince, looking even worse now, despite putting up a brave face to keep the moral up, had agreed to let them go the moment their ship arrived. Because, there was a ship coming after all.

The rest of his guards, had helped bandage his wounds first and then went about silently gathering their fallen friends. Radin had attempted to help them move the dead near the carriage, but he was quickly shut down by Hajot, the Cofol that had saved Elsanne during the bloody scuffle.

Elsanne herself, had insisted to learn his name. She used the Prince cleverly to get what she wanted, after the Cofol Cataphract refused initially. Hajot Dhin-Awal. Not an easy name to remember. A name the Princess would certainly not forget. The next one on her list, was the name of the latecomer that had decided their fight and her fate. Horrible as being married to Prince Radin was, she much preferred it from getting butchered, for what her brother did to that man’s wife and children.

“His ears are hideously maimed,” A shaken Loes whispered, when Elsanne returned to their campsite. Signs of the scuffle everywhere, bloodstains on armor and dark wet spots on the sand. Men mourning for their lost friends; Cofol and Issir alike in this.

Elsanne glanced at the pale faced man. The top part of his ears were cut crudely with a blade, leaving him appear ghoulish, his shaven skull not helping at all. A pity, since he had a rather well-shaped face, a straight nose and almost perfectly unblemished skin. More or less a young man in appearance, but for his mannerisms and composure that made him look much older.

“Wife, let me introduce you to a great friend of the Khanate,” Prince Radin said the enthusiasm in his voice sounding forced, when he noticed her watching them. “This is Ralnor. He taught me a great many things.”

“But humility,” The man elucidated, his accent a mix of many dialects.

“Thank you for saving us,” Elsanne said with a small courtesy, her sleeveless arm catching Ralnor’s eyes, his face kept blank of any emotions.

“I was tasked with securing the Prince’s safety,” He said simply.

“Yeah, he did. Moving on dear friend, I don’t see that ship,” Radin cut in, before she’d time to ask how did he know they were gonna get ambushed.

“It will come,” Ralnor replied, returning Elsanne’s quizzical stare. “May I ask Prince Radin; did you succeed, in what you were tasked with?”

“Oh, come on. Just talk in front of her. We are all in this together now.”

Elsanne could’ve sworn she saw a twitch in Ralnor’s eye, but it was so rapid it might as well didn’t happen. She bit the inside of her mouth thoughtfully, returning his insistent stare. Surely, he was beneath her in station, as the Prince’s wife, she thought, but before Elsanne had the time to force the issue and learn for certain, the man gave his reply.

“You were supposed to secure the Duchy. Apparently, you are now married to…”

“Apologies. This is Elsanne Eikenaar, The Princess of Kaltha,” Radin explained quickly, attempting to insert a grin at the end, his injuries ruining it.

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Ralnor wiped his shaven head with a palm, very long fingers reaching ear to ear almost, and glanced towards his companion, a Cofol woman of cold beauty, Elsanne had mistaken for a man during the fight. Selussa raised a mocking thin brow, apparently not impressed.

“You’ve exchanged the Duchy for the Princess?” Ralnor asked, making it sound preposterous, although Elsanne thought it was not. It actually made perfect sense.

“The King refused to give up the Duchy. As it was expected. The demand was outrageous,” Radin expounded and seeing the man expecting more, he added. “An opportunity arose to compete in a tourney for the Princess’ hand and I took it.”

Ralnor smacked his lips, but said nothing. Selussa let out a chuckle though and looked at her enthralled for some reason.

“Excuse me?” Elsanne asked her, with a glare.

“You are a prize, Princess,” The woman replied, undaunted by her hostility. “I’m impressed. I like prizes.”

Right.

She is a weird one.

“I’m assuming you won,” Ralnor stated turning to the Prince, after the women’s exchange ended.

“Aye. Else her being here, would have been nigh awkward.”

His joke flew over the stoic man’s head.

“Were there many rounds?” Ralnor asked instead, surprising her.

“Seven.”

Ralnor nodded thoughtfully, as if it was important, but not the answer he wanted.

“The King knew. It might create problems,” Radin added carefully.

“The message went through. It is known,” Ralnor again glanced at a frowning Selussa, “We are working on it.”

“What does it matter? What’s done is done,” The Prince asked with a grimace of pain.

“It’s a loose end,” The man explained. “A door that must close.”

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Hajot spotted the ship first. Nothing but a sail at first, barely visible in a sea of blue. Everyone gathered at the shore to gaze at it approach slowly. Getting bigger as it neared. A dark yellow were its sails, shaped in a triangle in the exotic Cofol style. Same color as the masts, three in number. An almost washed-out mustard its body, narrow but nimble, cutting through the waves.

“This don’t seem like an imperial vessel,” Radin, by now in constant pain from his injuries, commented.

“None was offered, as you well remember,” Ralnor standing beside him answered. “I hired an appropriate captain, for the job.”

“You’re worrying me my friend,” The Prince griped.

“I would worry more, with what the Khan will say… of your wild adventures.”

Elsanne frowned at the term.

“What will she say?” Radin asked, sounding a bit nervous, she thought.

“It’s unwise to chance the will of a goddess.”

“Right, there’s that of course,” Radin sounded sarcastic, but he seemed to find his footing again. “Is this captain reliable at least?”

“He likes gold a lot,” Their savior replied. “So I assume, he’s not.”

“I’ll take greed, over a bloodthirsty pirate,” The prince moaned, seeing he was getting nowhere. “That would have been a riot.”

Selussa let out a hard laugh out of her belly, as if she’d just heard the best pun of the day, a fact not well received by the surviving Prince’s men. There was no further discussion or jokes, until the ship’s longboats arrived to pick them up an hour later. Its colorful captain aboard one of them.

Elsanne privately admitted later that as far as puns went, this was a damn good one.