The docks were beyond busy, with supplies being loaded onto ships and pirates being roused from the town and marched onto their boats. Keelin was helping to load barrels of salted beef onto The Phoenix; he’d volunteered to accompany Elaina, and she’d been happy to accept.
Spotting her watching, Keelin wiped sweat from his forehead and dodged around a pirate carrying a hefty crate, launching himself down the gangplank and strolling her way. Elaina watched him with an amused grin, barely listening to Surge’s report on the status of Starry Dawn’s own loading.
“I was hoping we could have a word before we leave,” Keelin said, straightening the lapels on his jacket. Elaina liked that he was starting to take care of his appearance again; he’d even shaved recently.
“Standing right here, aren’t I?” Elaina only half turned towards him, as if she were actually listening to Surge.
“Right, it’s just…” Keelin drew in a deep breath, then sighed, as if he couldn’t find the words.
Elaina glanced at her fellow captain. “Go on. I’m listening.” She turned back towards Surge, who by now had stopped his report and was struggling not to laugh.
“Back in HwoyonDo, in the Observatory. What you said…”
“What did I say?”
“About preferring to sit beside me on the throne, instead of Morrass.”
“Oh.” Elaina glanced at Keelin and shrugged. “I might have. Long time ago. What of it?”
Keelin laughed. “Damnit, Elaina, you know what I mean.”
“Aye,” Elaina said, “I do. Still wanna hear you say it though.”
“Drake’s gone. I’d like it to be me who… sits beside you on the throne.”
Elaina grinned at Keelin, stepped close, and kissed him. She grabbed hold of his ass, and he gripped her waist, pulling her closer. It lasted only a moment before Elaina pushed away and stepped clear of him, a grin still fixed on her face. She felt her blood racing and her heart pounding. She wanted nothing so much as to drag Keelin to her cabin and see how much punishment her little cot could take. From the bulge in his trousers, she suspected Keelin had much the same urge.
“Maybe,” she said. “I have to focus on the peace talks for now. Ask me again afterwards.” With that she turned and started towards Starry Dawn, unable to wipe away her grin.
Chapter 77 - Starry Dawn
“It itches,” Keelin said, fidgeting and pulling at his collar.
“I reckon it’s supposed to,” Elaina said. “Something about keeping us off guard, maybe.”
Keelin snorted. “No. I grew up around here, remember. This is standard formal attire for these people.”
Elaina raised an eyebrow at him and turned her attention back to the dress. It was long and sleek, made from silk so it would cling to her curves and ripple as she moved. As black as her hair and name, it was cut modestly to hide her cleavage. The dress was beautiful, and Elaina had never before had a chance to wear its like. She’d rarely had a chance to wear any dress in her life. She wondered how she’d look in it, and wagered she’d be beautiful.
“I’m not wearing it,” she stated firmly.
“I think you’d look good in it,” Keelin said.
“I’d look fucking stunning in it.” Elaina grinned for just a moment. “Still not wearing it. And take off that suit – get back into ya normal clothes.”
“Gladly,” Keelin said, already unbuttoning the shirt. “You know how I like my fancy jackets, but this is just stifling. I honestly don’t know how folk can wear it. Damn near cuts off the airway. And these cuffs…”
“They’re trying to fit us into their world,” Elaina said. “Dress us up like them to… I dunno, civilise us, or something. Make us fit in with the rest of them.” She sighed deeply. “But we don’t fit in. That’s kind of the point, ain’t it.”
Keelin was still stripping, throwing the uncomfortable clothes onto a nearby chair. Elaina watched him undress. She decided she’d keep the dress. She would never wear it in front of any Five Kingdoms bastards, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find another time to slip into it.
“Take your time,” she said playfully as Keelin pulled his old trousers up around his waist. He glanced at her over his shoulder and winked. Elaina just stared back.
Once he was dressed in his worn old suit of royal blue with gold trim, Elaina nodded at his cutlasses, discarded on a nearby couch.
Keelin laughed. “You think we’re gonna need weapons?”
“I think we won the war,” Elaina said. “And we’ve come to the seat of our enemy to demand they acquiesce to our demands. To demand peace. And I think that as we’re the only two here, we should be carrying as many weapons as we can.” She patted her own sword, buckled at her hip, for effect.
Once Keelin was armed again, they opened the door and signalled for the waiting attendant to lead them to his king. It wasn’t a long walk, but then Land’s End wasn’t the capital of the Five Kingdoms, and its palace wasn’t the greatest. The attendant talked as they went, and he assured Elaina that each of the six royal palaces in the capital city, Goldseat, were far grander. The man described gilded pillars of stone that took five men holding hands to circle, and a throne made entirely of gold. Elaina made sure to seem unimpressed. The truth was that she couldn’t not be impressed, given the sheer extravagance of such a waste of good gold.
Eventually they arrived at a set of grand oak doors with four guards standing outside, two wearing the blue-black of Sarth and the others in the white-gold of the Five Kingdoms.
“Perhaps we should have brought T’ruck to wait outside,” Keelin joked, and Elaina snorted out a laugh.
The doors were opened in short order, and Elaina and Keelin went through side by side.
“Queen Elaina Black and Captain Keelin Stillwater,” their attendant announced to the room, as though everyone there didn’t already know their names.
The first thing Elaina noticed was the guards. Two men and a woman dressed in plated metal armour stood near their king, and all three were well armed. One of the men was a giant, with a metal spear even taller than he was. Elaina was determined not to appear intimidated by their opposition bringing muscle to a negotiation.
“Welcome,” said King Jackt Veritean. He was wearing the exact same fake smile he’d worn when they first met just two days ago. The man was young and pretty and was dressed impeccably in a white suit and a golden crown that sat lightly upon his dark hair. He beckoned to two empty seats around the circular table.
Sitting next to the king was an older man with rosy cheeks. He looked like he was related. The size of the Veritean family was almost legendary, understandable given that its kings were required to take multiple wives.
The other man at the table was tall and thin with the golden hair that was so ubiquitous in the people of Sarth. He had piercing blue eyes and a thick blond moustache. He was, if anything, even younger than the Five Kingdoms king.
“Hable Brecker,” the Sarth man said, standing and giving a slight bow. “Ambassador to the God Emperor of Sarth.”
“Kick his arse and burn his ships and all he sends is a boy to treat with us.” Elaina grinned.
“I have full authority to make binding agreements on behalf of the God Emperor,” Ambassador Brecker assured them.
Elaina nodded and looked at Keelin, who simply shrugged back. After a moment she approached the nearest chair and pulled it out, sitting her arse down and crossing her arms. Keelin pulled out the second chair and joined her.
Elaina waited for someone else to start. She’d learned a lot from her father over the years, and putting folk on edge was a lesson she’d taken to heart. For a long time everyone just stared at each other.