Chapter Twenty-Eight

A week later.

“Is your father still entreating us to come back to the castle?” Jasper asked over his shoulder as he heard Avalon come up onto the upper deck. Avalon had been busy with messages all morning, and Jasper was enjoying watching the way the waves moved around the brow of the ship as they slowly sailed along the strait.

“He is offering you your own castle, and your own throne, if you’d come back, and in his words ‘sort the hell out of my councilors’,” Avalon laughed as he dropped a kiss on Jasper’s head and then leaned against the railing beside him.

“Well, that’s better than your father claiming he was on death’s door, and we needed to rush back to the castle so I could learn how to run a country by your side.” Jasper laughed too. “Didn’t you let him know I could tell if he was lying?”

Back in Cijan, the Duke of Emerald County had made a quick recovery once the poison had been identified, and he and the Duchess testified before the World Court truth sayers. Jasper had been partially right. The Duchess had indeed been trying to kill her husband slowly so that it would look as though it was a natural death.

But when the King announced the party for his only son and his new husband, she saw a way where she could rid herself of her husband and have a comfortable income as a new society widow, thanks to the King’s generosity.

The Duke was granted a divorce, something that was rarely allowed between couples who’d been intimate, and was apparently back in Emerald County, telling anyone who would listen how the new Crown Prince Consort had saved his life.

A pronouncement that the King heard about over breakfast that following morning, and as Merlin had suggested, he felt it might be worth giving up some of his spa bath time completing royal duties outside of Cijan, if it meant his son kept his new husband in the castle so that Jasper’s skills could be explored.

They were already out at sea by that stage, and Avalon had been fielding goodhearted messages from his father ever since. “We’ve got a few things to do in Marinkaw, and then I thought we’d drop in on Crown Prince Xavier in Balenborn, and then make our way to Gunkermal. King Consort Nikolas is another friend, and although I haven’t seen King Caspian for some years, I’d like you to meet them both.”

“They’re names I only ever read about, so it will be fun to meet them face to face.” Jasper pointed out towards the horizon. “Is that another ship? It is, isn’t it? You know, in all the times we’ve been out on the strait, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen another ship. I mean, I’ve seen them tied up in ports, obviously, but there’s something very graceful about seeing one riding the waves. Wait. Wait. There’s three of them.”

“I’m not sure I recognize any of them, but then they’re still quite a way away. I can…”

“Sire,” Oliver called from the hatch to the engine and communications room. “We’re being hailed from the Kraken’s Horn. The Captain asks if you were of a mind to entertain the Crown Princes from Gunkermal and Westland for a short while. They heard you’d recently married, sire,” he added.

“The Kraken’s Horn. That is one incredible ship, and the King of Westland insists that it always travels with another two. I should’ve known,” Avalon said with a smile. Calling down to Oliver, he said, “Yes, indeed. Order the sails to be dropped along with the anchor. We’ll wait for them to reach us.”

“The Crown Princes?” Jasper said as Oliver disappeared to do as he was ordered. “Coincidence isn’t it, that you’d just mentioned the Kings of Gunkermal. King Consort Nikolas was previously the Crown Prince of Westland, wasn’t he?”

“Yes. This will be an interesting visit, though.” Avalon’s eyes gleamed as he watched the ships get closer. They were making good time. “The Crown Prince of Westland is Petrov, formerly the Duke of Moorland – Nikolas’s right-hand man. But the Crown Prince of Gunkermal is King Caspian’s half-brother. They were both sired, to different women, from the man Caspian grew up believing was his older brother, Paragon. But the Captain, Crown Prince, or whatever title he prefers, used to be a pirate captain before he was elevated to princely status, which he is entitled to because of who his father was. Nikolas gifted the Kraken’s Horn and the two accompanying ships to Petrov, who gifted it to the pirate, just before they were given their new titles and married each other.”

“That sounds like a fairy tale.” Jasper looked back out over the water again. “I know for a fact I’ve never met a former pirate before.”

“There are those who say he is still a pirate,” Merlin said, coming up onto the upper deck with Duncan hot on his heels. “But for the purpose of this visit, we can assume this is simply a Crown Prince and Consorts meeting.”

“Actually, I’m the only dignitary who won’t be a Crown Prince,” Jasper chuckled. “Am I meant to bow when they arrive?”

“No,” Avalon said firmly. “But it might be a good idea for me to pull out that expensive bottle of scotch for the small state dining room, along with refreshments.”

/~/~/~/~/

Jasper didn’t know what to expect when the Crown Princes from Westland and Gunkermal strode over the plank lodged between two ships as though it was a footpath on a firm road. Both men looked a little wild, like they hadn’t bothered to run a brush through their hair, and they had the confident look of men who enjoyed being at sea and with each other.

“Petrov.” Avalon seemed pleased to meet one of the men, clasping his hand and air kissing on either side of his face. “It’s been too long. I hear you’ve been promoted and married since I saw you last.”

“Avalon.” It was almost as though Petrov was going to bow and then remembered he didn’t have to. But Jasper’s magic was letting him know the man was genuinely pleased to see Avalon. “May I present the Crown Prince of Gunkermal…”

“Petrov. You know I prefer Captain. Captain Rojan Purchanting, at your service.” The man executed a perfect bow, but when he straightened, he was grinning wide enough to show his teeth. “Crown Prince Avalon, the pleasure is all mine. Please call me Rojan. My husband has shared many stories with me of your friendship with himself and Nikolas over the years. But I have to confess, it is your husband I was hoping to be introduced to.”

“I am proud to make the introduction.” Avalon’s hand was warm on Jasper’s shoulder. “Jasper, may I present Petrov and Rojan, Crown Princes of Westland and Gunkermal, respectively. Gentleman, this is Jasper, originally Prince of Lowenthorp, and now Crown Prince Consort of Cijan.”

“Yes. Yes.” Rojan stepped forward, holding out his hand, which Jasper took. But instead of air kissing on either side of Jasper’s face, which he expected, Rojan just held his hand, looking at his eyes. It had been so long since anyone had looked so blatantly at Jasper’s face that he started to feel uncomfortable, but his magic didn’t feel a threat in any way.

“Ro…” Petrov warned as Avalon frowned.

“Yes. There are always people around.” Rojan dropped Jasper’s hand. “Is there somewhere private we can talk? We were in Rosenhip just three days ago and I have to confess I heard an intriguing tale I would love your opinion on.”

You’re not telling the whole truth. Jasper couldn’t sense any malice in the pirate prince, but Rojan carried the energy of a man who was bursting to say something but was being constrained by manners or social position. “Please call me Petrov,” the gruff man said, in an equally gruff manner as he politely took Jasper’s arm – seeing as Avalon had been commandeered by Rojan. “My husband still chafes at the necessity of manners and social niceties at time.”

“You’d better not be apologizing for me,” Rojan called over his shoulder. “We’ve talked about this.”

“I wasn’t apologizing, I was explaining.” Petrov called back, and then added to Jasper, “See what I mean. The man infuriates me, but I’d swim through hell to be by his side.”

“Now, who’s sharing secrets,” Avalon said with a grin as he opened the door to their small state dining room. “My man Duncan is taking care of the ship, with his husband, so we won’t be disturbed,” he said, closing the door once they were all inside.

“Before we sit, Crown Prince Consort, can I please call you Jasper, can I please take your hand again?”

“Yes, on both counts, I suppose.” Jasper held out his hand, but Rojan shook his head.

“Your husband told you I was a pirate captain, am I right?” he asked, rolling up the sleeve of his right arm.

“Of course, I did.” Avalon was sitting next to Petrov. “Do I want to know what your husband is doing to mine?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, either,” Petrov said. “Ro, perhaps you could explain?”

“Pirates, we’re fascinated by the sea and everything that is in or on it.” Rojan met Jasper’s eyes squarely. Jasper sensed curiosity, and something else… magic? His eyes widened.

“Yes. I wondered when you would notice.” Rojan’s grin widened. “I always believed I was the only person with a title who carried any magic. I mean, Caspian can light a cigarette, which is very useful if you’ve forgotten a match. Mine allows my ship to sail through rocks. It comes from the sea, and I can only assume it came from my mother’s line because the other half of my genetics was never worth spitting at, let alone anything else.”

“I’m very proud of my husband’s magic,” Avalon warned, and Jasper noted he was being cautious.

“Mine comes from the hills, although apparently I have an affinity with water,” Jasper offered quietly.

“That’s what I thought. Can you roll up your sleeve like mine? Just the one, and then hold out that hand again. I promise I’m not up to any funny business.”

Jasper slowly unbuttoned his cuff and rolled his shirt sleeve up to his elbow. Rojan held up his bare forearm. “You’ll notice I have marks on my skin, inked in with magic, these are pirate favors. When I heard… you know what? Take my hand again.” He held it out, and Jasper went to take it, but Rojan gripped his elbow instead – not painfully, but just enough so their forearms were aligned.

There was a tingle in his magic, and Rojan said, “I knew it. I knew it. I knew that Crucible had come from those hills, crafty dodger.”

Jasper pulled free. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Don’t take offense. I implore you. Don’t take offense. I have traveled the world over many times, well before I got saddled with this title. I hear things most men won’t ever know, including about a certain contract between a back-hill tribe and a royal family. Now, it’s none of my business, truly it’s not. I don’t give a shit about it, and your magic will tell you I’m being honest in this. But among men of the sea, those you call pirates, there is a strong code of honor.” Rojan held up his arm, pointing to what looked like the mark shaped like a book page. It appeared to be glowing, whereas the others did not.

“This is the mark of my friend Captain Crucible. He’s been on the sea since well before I was born and will likely die on it. That’s his intention. But he does traverse the land from time to time, and he has a strong liking for back-hill tribes and is related to many there. Somewhere way back in your family tree, is a drop of Crucible’s blood, not that it ever needs acknowledging.”

“Then why did you want to know?” Jasper quickly covered up his arm and rebuttoned his cuff. “Is knowledge a currency for you?”

“Hmm. Yes. No. Think of me as a blackbird who loves to collect shiny things.” Rojan smiled. “But I had to see for myself, if there was a connection, because should you ever find yourself in need of assistance, the pirates protect their own, and they would welcome you. That white eye tells me so.”

“Captain Crucible has a white eye like mine?” Jasper couldn’t help touching the corner of it.

“No, but his mother has.” Rojan smirked as Jasper gasped, remembering what Joseph had said about his mother. “As I say, Crucible used to get around. But sit, sit. Petrov, have you poured me a drink, or are you and this shiny prince going to drink it all by yourselves?”

“Jasper, are you all right?” Avalon patted the seat beside him. “I promise you, we are with friends here.”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Jasper took the chair and looked at Rojan again. “One thing you should know about my magic is that I can always tell when a man says one thing and is thinking another. What are you bursting to ask me?”

“Oh, he’s got skills.” Rojan nudged Petrov with his shoulder. “He’d be handy around a council table.”

“Yes, he does, but my father has prior claim should we ever land in Cijan again,” Avalon said, shaking his head at the pirate. “That’s not answering Jasper’s question.”

“Well, fair enough. Three days ago, we were in Rosenhip. We stopped long enough to replenish supplies and then moved on to another small bay I’m familiar with. We’ve been traveling around when we can, so I can show my husband some of my favorite spots.” Rojan’s smile at Petrov was warm with none of the teeth.

“While we were there this time, there was a guard, someone well into his cups before the sun had barely set. He was in a mood, grumbling to himself about not being allowed to shoot whales. Me, being a friendly sort, bought the man a drink so he’d tell me his story.”

Jasper glanced at Avalon, and then back at Rojan. “What story did he tell?”

“It was a beauty. Well worth the price of a drink. He spoke of a princeling, someone with barely any meat on his bones, who could call the creatures of the sea while he slept – a man who jumped over the railing of a ship when he could not swim, but he did not drown. A creature who must’ve been spawned from the Underworld itself because he flailed his way towards whales larger than any ship with no concern for his safety, which meant the grumpy guard could not shoot them.”

There was a long silence, and then Avalon picked up his glass. “That’s one way of describing it, I suppose.”

“I object to the word flailed,” Jasper added. “I mean, the fish thought I was amusing, the stingrays tried to help me move along, and the whales didn’t mind. They are incredible creatures.”

“It’s true?” Rojan slammed the glass he was holding back onto the table while Petrov roared with laughter.

“Oh, by the Sea Goddess, I never thought I’d see the day,” Petrov said between his chuckles. “Rojan’s always carried this mystique about him, doing magic like pirates do, but he swore there was no way anyone had magic to commune with sea creatures. That there was no one who could breathe underwater without equipment. I won our bet, my husband, and you can guarantee I’ll be collecting later.”

Jasper wondered what that wager entailed because Rojan didn’t look upset about losing. But he knew what was coming before Rojan asked him.

“Can you call the creatures for me, please? Just one time. I have only ever seen majestic whales from a distance, and the only time I’ve come close to a shark was when one was trying to eat me. Is it possible? Could we see?”

“I can put the call out, to see if there are any in the area,” Jasper said hesitantly. “I could ask them if they’d like to swim by and say hello if you like? I can’t guarantee anything because I won’t compel them…”

“That’s why you have that magic.” Rojan beamed at him. “Truly, just one whale, and this day would rank right up there with the day I gained the Kraken’s Horn, and then married my Petrov.”

“I always come second to that damn ship,” Petrov grumbled, but Rojan and Avalon laughed, and Jasper… he basked in the feelings of being accepted. By foreign Crown Princes and pirates, no less.