Page 193 of Salt in the Seas
For a moment, Aeliana wondered if he would pull out the golden arrow he guarded for Orra. Instead, a crumpled slip of paper rested in his hand, and he smoothed it out across his knee.
“I guess maybe I should have put it in a card or something.” He grimaced and passed it over to her.
“What is this?” She scanned the legal terms that made her already slow reading even slower.
“It’s the deed toStarspeed.”
For the second time that night, her jaw swung open. “Your ship? You’re giving him your ship?”
He shrugged. “Larkos didn’t want it. He said being captain was a young man’s game. And I’ll be stuck at the palace for a while. There’s no sense in letting her go to waste.”
Aeliana clamped her jaw down, trying to picture Gaeren staying in the palace day after day with his prince’s garb and perfectly coiffed hair. She could imagine it, but it was bleak. She caught herself mourning the image of his hair and tunic blowing in the wind at the ship’s helm, the carefree grin on his face unable to be matched with his current attire.
“It’s very generous.” She passed the paper back to Gaeren.
“Think Fay will approve?”
“I think she would have been happy with a little extra money to get them started. This goes far above what she expected.”
He grinned. “Good. You know how much I like to surprise people.”
She smiled back at him as the carriage slowed. “That reminds me. Enla says hello and that you’ll regret giving the gift.”
He snorted and hopped out from the carriage, holding out a hand for her to descend. “Having the chance to prove my sister wrong just makes it even more perfect.”
The Sungazer before them was modest compared to the one at the palace, but a large group had already gathered and festive wreaths had been hung from every surface. She’d almost forgotten it was Winter Solstice on top of the wedding. The holiday was one she’d never had reason to celebrate, but she’d always enjoyed watching the villagers have their dancing and feasting from afar.
They were outside the city proper, near the edge of the woods, and the Sun’s descent left a glorious glow across the grounds. Gaeren pulled her through the crowd, and as they made their way to seats for the ceremony, Aeliana had the impression attending this wedding served a dual purpose.
“You want people to see us together, don’t you?” she said. “To see us getting along.”
He grinned. “Is that so wrong? For us to get along?”
“No, I just didn’t realize this was a political move. I thought you were just going to a friend’s wedding.”
He gave a mock frown. “Just because it helps establish mutual trust between the Recreants and the Loyalists doesn’t mean it’s a farce.”
They sat near the front by Thallahan’s and Fay’s families—likely a spot of honor because of Gaeren’s status. A few of the merchants around them grumbled, hoping the ceremony wouldn’t last long because they’d seen several trade ships approaching the harbor. As the Sun sank lower in the sky, Thallahan finally came into view.
“He really does look handsome with the eye patch,” Aeliana said. “I’m guessing Fay finds him even more attractive than before.”
Gaeren hummed in consideration. “I can easily put an eye patch over my eye if you’d like.”
She elbowed him and laughed, but it came out breathy and her face heated. A single daisy grew at her feet, and she slid her boot over it before Gaeren could tease her.
As beautiful as the ceremony was, Aeliana found herself watching the sky, waiting for the Sun to disappear and the moon to make its ascent. She hoped Durriken wouldn’t make a scene and that he’d wait at their designated meeting place.
Fernandus had come down to perform the ceremony, which was another way the royal family had blessed Thallahan and Fay. Aeliana had never been to a wedding in Lorvandas, so she had no idea if the traditions crossed cultures. Either way, there was something beautiful about the way Fay and Thallahan were presented as individuals before being joined as one.
They had just sealed their promises with a kiss, and Fernandus had begun unwinding the ties that bound them, when a scream broke out from the back of the crowd. Several others followed, and chaos ensued as people scrambled to see the cause of distress as well as escape.
Gaeren placed a protective arm around Aeliana, but she shrugged it off so she could withdraw her dagger from under her skirt. She cursed inwardly that her bow and arrow were back at the palace. When Aeliana finally caught a silver glimpse among the crowd, her breath caught.
“Winex,” she whispered.
Gaeren had his sword out, and they exchanged glances. Winex typically avoided cities and large gatherings of people. Attacks wereexpected out in the wild, but rarely in a setting like this, even if they were near the woods. Plus, it was fairly close to the new moon. They had to be five or six days old at most. Barely the size of a teenager with half the strength of a grown man. It was a foolish time to attack.
As the crowd scattered, Aeliana counted at least a dozen winex prowling through the remnants of the party, most almost flat on the ground. As they crawled and sniffed, several went for the food laid out on tables, while others hissed and growled at the few half-lights, including Thallahan, who’d stayed back in an attempt to defend the people.
