Anna was sinking, and for a terrifying minute it felt as though her arms were much too tired to move, her legs too heavy to kick. Gathering every last drop of strength she had left, she did her best to propel herself to the surface. At last, she felt air rushing through her lungs again. Shouts rang through the air, and suddenly Stella was on her, hands clamped around her neck, the dark hair in wet tendrils floating in the water. Anna’s couldn’t pry those fingers off. But then a shot rang out and the hold loosened. Blood was blooming on the water, a deep red stain. Was that her own scream…? Or Stella’s? Too exhausted to keep thinking, Anna let the growing darkness claim her.

Night had fallen, and the city was shadowed with it. In Anna’s tower room, only one remained to hold vigil over the sleeping girl. Her face was pale in the moonlight, her hair still a bit damp from the sea. Marisa bent over her sister’s bed and pulled the blankets snug, a worried expression on her face. The day’s events had been disturbing. The palace doctor had come to take care of Anna, and had pronounced her fine enough to get out of bed whenever she was ready…however, Marisa couldn’t stop the fears battering themselves against her consciousness. Why were so many difficulties barring their way? What more would they encounter, before they reached their homeland safe? None had died that day, but Marisa knew that casualties were to be expected. She could feel something greater brewing, something ominous and deadly. The Fever was only part of it.

The door swung open a crack, letting a thin sliver of light fall through. Marisa turned around with a small gasp, but it was only Lee, his footsteps as weary as her own. Orris shifted in the doorway, nodded once when he caught Marisa’s eye, and shut the door.

“How is she?” Lee said, finally. He hadn’t gone near the bed, only waited not far from the door he had just come through.

“She’ll be alright. She was just too exhausted to keep treading water and the shock of it all only added to that. It’s okay, though. You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll be here with her until morning.”

Marisa knew that it had been Lee who dove into the harbor to swim Anna back to shore. She knew nothing more about him, although she was grateful for what he had done. She still shook with anger at the thought of what Luke did instead. Why he was so determined to kill that woman, Marisa couldn’t understand. She looked up at Lee, hands clutching her locket.

“What do you know about Stella and Luke? Do you know if she lived?”

“He only got her in the shoulder. It made swimming difficult, but her bandits saved her in time. Just reached in and took her out of the water, then they were gone. They knew we wouldn’t pursue them, not after what happened to Anna. Luke tried, though. I really thought he would go after them, until he turned around and ran back. He was still holding on to that pistol. Looked like he could kill us all.”

Shivering, Marisa turned to stare out the window at the distant sails of Matanza as she rode the rising tide. “He is…terrifying. I feel such a strong malice in his heart…I can’t explain it. I don’t know where it comes from, or how deep it runs, but it is strong. It darkens everything he does. How could Anna have loved such a man as her own brother?”

“From what she has told me…he was different, then. And it seems that you aren’t the only one surprised at the changes in him. Anna and Jesse don’t appear to understand it, either.”

There was a creak as Orris leaned in, his gruff voice interrupting their thoughts. “My Lady, it would be best if you went to your room now. You will need all your rest for tomorrow. We meet with the Regent and the leader of those pirates, to discuss what is to be done. A messenger has just informed me. Go, and I will wait here with your sister.”

“But Orris—”

“Go on now, child, and I'll not have you arguing with me. It is late, and she will be fine. I will wake you at the slightest bit of news.”

Lee reached out to rest a hand on Marisa’s shoulder. “I can stay. He’s right, they’ll need you tomorrow at that meeting. He can even leave the door open, if he wants. If he doesn’t…trust me. I’ll stay though. I owe her that much.”

Marisa made no comment, only looked at him long and hard. There was nothing in his face to suggest that he would hurt Anna. Only a weariness that they all felt, a weight that they were sharing. She nodded, took one last glance at her sleeping sister, and walked to the doorway. After a few whispered words to her armored bodyguard, Marisa was gone. Orris reluctantly shut the door and took his place before it once more. Lee crossed the cold floor and sat quietly in Marisa’s empty chair, drawn up beside the bed where Anna slept. Leaning forward and resting his elbows on the patterned quilt blocks, Lee began to speak.

“Hey…you were pretty brave today, you know. A little bit stupid though. You could have gotten yourself killed. If you had asked first, I would have told you not to do it. ‘Try a different approach,’ I would have said. But I bet you wouldn’t have listened anyway. You never would, back when we were only kids. I know you don’t remember that or anything…but…”

“Ah…sorry. I know you’re probably still mad at me, about what I said. About telling you to go to Arholt and stay away from all this trouble. It’s just…I’ve never wanted…to see you hurt. Somehow, that never left me. Even when you were taken away and I didn’t see you for all those years…and I would ask myself, why do I still remember her? I was only six years old when the pirates took you that night. I had only known you for a few months, maybe not even half a year. But I never forgot you and more and more it seemed as though everything I did was just to somehow find you. I joined the Army and made it my goal to chase those pirates to the ends of the earth, not even truly knowing or understanding where that hatred came from. But seeing you…that morning, on the beach…I knew.

“I knew it had been for you.”

Lee paused for a moment, as if considering everything he had just said or trying to collect his thoughts for the next sentence. Anna was still deep in dreaming, although outside the wind was growing stronger and the first drops of rain were dripping down the window glass. The storm that had been expected was finally arriving. Day would break in a dark sky.

Lee laughed, suddenly. “I sound like a real idiot, don’t I? It’s a good thing you’re asleep. You would have laughed at me by now.” There was no answer but the muffled sound of the storm growing in strength outside, and a distant crash of waves. Lee found himself grateful that Anna had heard nothing; it had been foolish, talking that way. As though they were friends. As though she could ever really forgive him, for what he had done. He felt the weight of his guilt bowing his shoulders, but was almost sure that the heavy load would never lift. How could you repair such damage? How could she be expected to forgive the man who killed her father, no matter how much that man regretted it? They had spent this time together, traveling from the island to Asphel. They had built sandcastles on the beach, she had been friendlier to him…but under that, wouldn’t the blood on his hands still remain?

Lee hunched over and buried his face in his hands just as Anna opened one eye, about to tell him he was, definitely, an idiot. But the words caught in her throat—seeing him there, his face in his hands…it was all too familiar. It was the Pirate King in that terrible dawn, unable to look her in the eye, the secret spilling from his lips. She closed her eyes again and shook the pain away. It was a memory…nothing more…she had to get past it.

“It’s unfortunate that you’re only nice to me when I’m asleep,” she said, almost too low for him to hear. “Or when you think I’m asleep, but I’m not.”

Lee sat up with a start. She smiled, the last shadow of pain leaving her face.

“You were awake…?”

“I heard Marisa leave and I woke up, but I saw you and I remembered I was angry, so…I just shut my eyes and pretended I didn’t notice a thing. Then you started talking.”

“Ah…well…I’ll go then. That bodyguard is outside, if you need anything. I don’t want to bother you.” He rose from the chair, but Anna held up a hand, with some effort. She was still so tired and sore that even turning her head seemed to take enormous amounts of energy.

“You don’t have to leave. Go ahead and stay. I’m not angry anymore. Was it really you who jumped in after me? I thought I heard Marisa mention it…I was awake for a bit, when the doctor was here.”

“Someone had to do it, and your brother was too busy chasing Stella. Ah, he shot her, you know? In the shoulder. They got to her before he did, though. She’s probably far away by now.”

“So that was the scream I heard…and there was blood, in the water…I heard the sound of the gun firing and then the blood was everywhere…I thought she had shot me. I was too exhausted to tell. Is Luke…alright?”

“He’s fine, went back to his ship. Well, he’s fine if being in a black mood is normal for him. He wasn’t happy at all that Stella escaped, and I can’t figure out why he cared about it so much. I saw your other brother though. Jesse, right? He was bleeding…his shirt was bloody and torn and his cutlass was stained red. There must have been a fight out in the bay.”

Anna took in a breath, but it snagged in her throat.

“A battle on the bay? But why? With who?”

“Stella’s people. A girl with auburn hair and that man with the axe. Jesse and some of the crew went to intercept them before they could leave the bay, since that was before we knew where you were. Everyone thought you’d be on that ship. Stella nearly had us fooled.” Lee smiled. “You ended up fooling her, though. If you hadn’t thought to use your locket, we might not have found you in time. Marisa saw the light and nagged us until we got to the right ship.”

“Mm…she’s much smarter than I am…it’s lucky she’s here now…” Anna murmured, her voice tired. Lee saw that she had settled back against the pillows, her eyes barely staying open. He took a step back and half turned towards the door.

“You’re exhausted. Just sleep. I’ll go on too.”

“You’re leaving…? I told you not to…just sit there and talk again…I won’t interrupt…I promise…” Anna yawned, battling her weariness. She gestured with one hand for Lee to sit, to stay in the room and not leave just yet, even as sleep overcame her. Lee silently drew up the chair again, and although he was tired as well, resolved to keep watch for as long as he could. He was just getting settled when he heard Anna murmur something faintly.

“Well, I’m asleep…why aren’t you talking yet…?”

When Marisa opened her eyes, the morning was so grim and clouded that it hardly seemed any different from the night. She had been too tired to hear the storm as it grew in intensity through the late hours, but now it was slamming the castle with the full force of its fury. She wondered vaguely how many more storms like this the kingdom could take. Gareth was the hardest hit of the four countries, that was sure. Leiden’s people mostly lived inland, so the storms were less likely to strike them with as much destruction. As she pulled on her hooded cloak and slipped the Ambassador’s ring onto its accustomed finger, she tried in vain to see anything through the sheets of rain just outside the window. The heavy stone walls shut out most of the sound, but Marisa knew that the roar must be deafening. Glancing briefly in the mirror mounted to her wall, she turned and walked out of the room. Orris would be waiting for her somewhere on the way to the throne room, where the meeting would take place to decide a course of action. What it would bring, she couldn’t guess.

As Marisa was making her way through the castle’s carpeted hallways, the throne room itself was far from empty. The Regent was there, no sign of any decision or indecision on her grave features. Jesse and Luke, somewhat battered by the winds and still a bit soaked from having to cross the bay and the castle grounds in the storm, were standing by the fire. Jesse was staring absently into the flames, but Luke’s expression betrayed the thousands of thoughts flying through his head, if not what the thoughts themselves were. He was still furious over Stella’s escape, and cursing himself for not getting a better shot. Jesse knew as much, but didn’t want to think about it. This facet of his brother’s personality—the side of Luke that could kill, and did—bothered him immensely. He knew that his brother had been aiming for the heart, not the shoulder. He knew this without being told. It had been there, an unspoken truth that deepened the rift between the Luke he had always known and the new Luke whose voice was cold and whose decisions were suddenly so…heartless.

It was the metallic sound of Orris’ armor that heralded their arrival in the throne room. Marisa followed close behind her guardian, who approached with lance drawn as though he were striding in expecting a battle. Luke and Jesse eyed him wordlessly, then shifted their gazes to their sister’s newly proclaimed twin. It disturbed them both, seeing Marisa. It was difficult for them to look at her and not see Anna instead. Inwardly, they were both wondering the same thing: if Anna hadn’t grown up with them, had gone instead to another home and to another life, would she look just like this? Long hair, the dress properly hemmed and without any patches, hands delicate and soft from never having to climb trees or swing from ropes? Would she look at them the way Marisa did, with suspicion and even distrust?

“Well. Now that we are all here, or at least all of us that merit invitation to this meeting…I think it best that we begin, before we lose anymore time.” The Regent stood up from her seat just in front of the throne, stepping forward. The guards standing at various places around the room all filed out, and the sudden departure somewhat alarmed Jesse. Luke, however, only smiled. Jal turned to the two pirates, her steps halting on the marble floor.

“You are granted the asylum you seek, on the condition that you sail with two ships of the Royal fleet, both manned by captains of the King’s Navy and crews loyal to the crown. They will provide you escort and serve as surveillance, for you must not think that my decision to accept your…offer…was made on any foundation of trust between us. This is for the preservation of the kingdom and the safety of the Princess. Your voyage will go unhindered from any force under the flag of Gareth, and you will be free to dock at any ports of call within our bounds. But your mission is strictly to sail to the Southern Oracle, discover a cure and, if such a cure exists, the means by which to secure it. You will not leave the Oracle’s island until word of what you have found has reached me. I will respond with what you will do next. If you set even a foot out of line, my captains have orders to show you no mercy. This is final. You will embark as soon as this storm ceases.”

Luke chuckled. The smile on his face said only one thing: that this was his victory, no matter what the Regent may call it.