Page 49 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

I shook my head. “I don’t think so, I’m just not cut out for it.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but thankfully didn’t.

It was obvious she was trying to look for conversation in the silence, shifting herself back and forth.

“What’s this?” she asked, pulling up my blanket and examining the stitch work.

“Oh, just something I worked on yesterday.”

“It’s very pretty,” she ran a finger over the colorful threads, “I don’t think I could do something like this.”

I smirked, pointing my fork at her. “Didn’t you just say anyone could learn anything?”

“You’re right,” she said. “Maybe you can teach me.”

“Teaching isn’t something I’m very good at either.”

I finished the plate in record speed. I had only missed one meal, but I felt like I hadn’t eaten in ages.

“Thanks again for the food. I’m pretty sure Shadowhart plans to starve me forever,” I grumbled.

“He wouldn’t do that,” she said.

“Wouldn’t he?”

She shook her head. “It’s not in his nature. In fact, he asked me to bring this to you.”

My heart did a slight flutter, but I quickly squashed it. “Good, considering he forbade it last night.”

“You really don’t like him, huh?”

“I wasn’t hiding it.”

She hummed. “I think he’s the best. I’ve never had a better boss. When I first started, he gave me a fresh set of tools. I’d never had new tools, ever. And a lot of them I’d never seen before. He really sets you up for success.”

“Mhm,” I said. He might have been nice to her, but we were having very different experiences.

“He’s really not that⁠—”

Her voice cut when there was a knock that this time I recognized.

I considered ignoring it, but after the second set of taps, Anne started to look nervous, and I didn’t want to deal with that either.

“Mornin’,” he said at the door.

“Good morning, Captain,” Anne said, standing as if she was ready to bow. It was very clear on this ship he was the royalty, if it was comparable.

I didn’t say anything, letting the two interact. She looked at him like he hung the moons in the sky. I would think they were fucking, but there was this almost… parental feel he gave off towards her that probably took that off the table.

Plus, the thought sent a hot rage through me that I was trying to ignore.

As she continued offering what sounded like a report, his gaze wandered. He looked around the room a bit before noting my totally empty plate.

His eyes then flicked to me. A devious smile befell his face, and I could feel the plan brewing in his mind.

“So you agreed, then,” he said, once Anne was done speaking.

She looked at me too, which is when I realized he was talking to me.