The King's Artist

Ch 5: The Port City Arrival

Adelaide's confusion seemed to be at war with her fear. It appeared the two emotions couldn't decide on dominance. The prospect of a future she hadn't planned for was terrifying, but the way that she had required that future was bewildering. She still couldn't figure out who exactly Henry was, but he was obviously someone of importance. More notably, his importance was to the degree that someone powerful wanted him dead.

She tried to keep her curiosity at bay, but she couldn't help but wonder who had it out for a thirteen-year-old boy. She had learned she was a year older than him through a series of casual conversations that Henry seemed to be forcing on both of them. She figured it was his way of trying to ease the tension, but the result was just an oppressive atmosphere of awkwardness. Just a moment ago he was threatening to kill her, and now he was asking her about her favorite type of food. She guessed that he wasn't a bad person just that his circumstances were undoubtedly hardening his exterior.

To her relief, Henry gave up on talking to her as their ship neared its designated docking area. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since their departure, so her grasp on time and day was non-existent at the moment. She hadn't been able to leave the storage confinement since settling there at the beginning of the journey. She figured at least a couple of days had passed, but she was basing that guess entirely off a feeling she had rather than any actual facts.

"Well Arthur, are you ready to go?" Henry's smile towards her seemed almost genuine. If it weren't for the dullness in his eyes, she would have actually thought he was excited to head out with her. She found herself wondering briefly if his question was rhetorical. She had been throwing up for hours due to seasickness, her joints hurt from not being able to move correctly, and her eyes had forgotten what natural light and sky looked like. Of course, she was ready to leave the storage containment.

Adelaide raised herself to a standing position and quickly realized that she was actually a couple of inches taller than Henry. He didn't seem to notice and was already ascending up the stairs. After a hesitant glance at the burly men, Adelaide hurried behind him. Her feet felt sluggish on the stairs,  but the salty sea air was better than the claustrophobia of the stuffy storage area. The ship hadn't docked just yet so a distinct sway still held the boat. Adelaide's sea legs threatened to throw her overboard, but she steadied herself by watching the unmoving horizon. A definite land figure came into focus and Adelaide muttered a thankful blessing under her breath. Henry glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, and she thought she saw a small grin before he turned away again.

It felt like another eternity before the boat was carefully anchored in the harbor. Despite being above ground again, Adelaide still had no clue what time of day it was. The port city was covered in thick fog with cloudy skies that barely let even a sliver of light through. The men on the ship lit torches to help map the path down the dock and into the town, but Adelaide found herself tripping several times on the uplifted boards despite the guidance.

Now that Henry and all of his men were gathered, Adelaide realized that there weren't as many of them as she had initially thought. Aside from the three that had kept him company down in the storage area the majority of the trip, there were only seven other men present. Most of them appeared to be soldiers of some sort except for one man. Adelaide figured he was some sort of scholarly man. He had on a pair of spectacles and was growing out a nice long white beard. He was more fragile looking than anyone she'd ever seen before, but he had a wiseness in his gaze that was unmistakable. If Adelaide had to guess, she was confident that he was some sort of tutor or teacher for Henry. Possibly a caretaker? Whoever he was, he had stepped off to the side as the other men gathered up the remaining amounts of food and drink while also packing clothing and other necessities found on the ship.

Adelaide was almost positive now that they'd stolen the ship.

Even though nobody told her, Adelaide felt the pressure to stay silent. The atmosphere was still and creepy as they moved about the dock. A foreboding feeling clung to Adelaide's skin. She had thought about running once setting foot on the dock, but unfortunately, she was trapped with Henry and the older man. The soldiers had taken to surround them like a perimeter. She could barely see through the gaps between their arms and legs as they walked. They all stood defensively scanning the area with their hands on their weapons, and their ears turned towards distant noises.

Again, the severity of the situation weighed down on Adelaide. When dreaming up her journey, this was not a situation she had imagined or prepared for. The possibility of being kidnapped hadn't even occurred to her. She was so exasperated by everything going on that she was barely paying attention. She failed to notice the increased tension of the man to her right. The muscle of his back tightened as he raised his hand as a signal to the other men. Immediately they all stopped.

This was the part Adelaide wasn't paying attention to. In her distraction, she hadn't stopped walking and had barreled straight into the back of the man in front of her. Together they both stumbled forward a few steps. Her clumsiness, though, seemed to have finally come in handy for once in her life. With her accidental shove, Adelaide had displaced the man out of the way of a flying arrow.

Her amazement in the moment seemed to have taken priority over her fear. The soldier had looked at her for a brief second with a bewildered expression mixed with gratitude before grabbing her arm and pushing her low to the ground. As a group, the soldiers moved making sure to shield the three of them in the center. Well, it was mainly Henry and the older man they were protecting. Aside from the soldier that Adelaide had run into, the other men didn't seem to care much about her safety.

In the ensuing chaos, Adelaide heard arrows fly overhead nailing into barrels and wood as they ran. Her amazement from earlier was gradually bleeding out, and her fear was growing more prominent every second. Tears stung at her eyes and she cursed in her head at Henry for dragging her into such a situation.

She couldn't recall for how long they ran. All she knew was that when they finally stopped, her lungs were on fire and her legs felt nonexistent. She desperately needed water and a chance to sit down, but the group continued moving forward. She was thankful though when Henry gave a soft sigh of relief a few minutes later notifying her that they had arrived at the intended destination.

With as much strength as she could muster, Adelaide lifted her head to see a black carriage waiting for them. Her curses at Henry turned into blessing quickly when he ushered her in first. The plush seating was so welcoming and distracting that Adelaide paid no attention to the man already sitting in the carriage. Whoever he was, he was blatantly startled by Adelaide's appearance and turned towards Henry for an explanation. Henry gave him a look that clearly said he'd explain later as he too tried regaining his breath.

If the two of them ended up talking, Adelaide didn't hear. She didn't bother contemplating who had just tried to kill them nor did she bother with trying to figure out Henry's identity. Instead, sleep claimed her the instant she laid her head against the glass.