A Royal's Tale [COMPLETED]

Chapter 22 - "Do you love me?"

Alwyn

All it took was leaving the harbor for Alwyn to be reminded how her mother ran a ship versus how Alwyn and Cyrus had tried to run theirs. The crew acted with focused efficiency. Though individuals with specific jobs they seemed to be one creature moving together.

Two days at sea and Alwyn was fully aware of how inadequate she'd been as a captain. She hated that she couldn't blame her mother's command on the fact that the crew had been Alwyn's grandfather's. That crew had eventually retired, one by one, all going to live with their families. Isla had to build her crew up from the bottom. And still, they ran flawlessly.

Never did Isla yell at her crew, but they followed her orders without hesitation. Alwyn had felt like her throat would go raw in the first four weeks for trying to reign in her and Cyrus's crew members. And still, they hadn't listened. Not like this crew listened. Even with the few members of Alwyn's crew shadowing her mother's crew, none of them faltered.

It didn't matter that her mother had years of experience on her, all Alwyn felt was everything she lacked to be a good captain.

She didn't feel she could turn to Cyrus since he hadn't wanted to captain. Besides, he spent so much time with Yasmine it was a wonder he would notice if his twin threw herself over the side of the ship.

Alwyn let out a breath and leaned against the railing of the forecastle. The ship sliced through the water riding the hidden Current, racing away from the setting sun. The last rays turning the wave tops gold.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Isla asked, from her spot at the helm.

Talk about how she'd failed so completely as a captain with the mother who thrived as one? No, she'd rather not. She felt she'd faced enough embarrassment in the past few weeks.

"Your father and I aren't as blind as you might think," Isla said, a gentle note in her voice. "We saw how you and Zavier looked at each other."

The betrothal. One more thing that made Alwyn feel stupid. How had she ever thought that he would stop being what he'd been born as? She'd fallen in love with a Prince. Great seas she was an idiot.

"How did Da's father take it when he told him he planned to marry you?" Alwyn asked.

Her father was a Duke...well used to be. She looked to where he stood on the lower deck instructing Dempsey on knots. He didn't have the appearance of a duke, never had. He roamed the ship barefoot most of the time, his shirt sleeves always rolled, his face tanned and scruffy. He'd left his title behind...

"Your father was never on the best of terms with his father," Isla said, drawing Alwyn's focus. "Raif didn't want to manage the responsibility of running a port, instead wanted to make his own way. Which he did by acquiring rare items for those searching for them."

"You mean what we do," Alwyn said.

"Yes, but he didn't use a sword to do it." A soft smile slipped onto Isla's lips. "To be with me, he relinquished all claim he had on his inheritance. In doing so, he renounced his title as a duke. If not for his connection to Gigi and Thayer...the Queen and King, he never would have been accepted into Court again."

Alwyn watched as her father laughed with Dempsey, so at home on a ship, it felt strange to imagine him dressed up and mingling with nobles.

"He's never said, but I know he doesn't regret giving up his title," Isla said. She paused, glancing at Alwyn. "But there are some titles that aren't so easily given up."

Alwyn didn't meet her mother's gaze, it would be far too telling.

"Did you ever speak of how you felt for each other?"