Bravura Read online

  “Finally!” I feel like jumping for joy and cross my fingers that the ship is carrying news from home.

  I hurriedly get dressed and rush through breakfast. But my impatience is futile, as it takes hours for the ship to finally tie up to Nuimana’s wharf. I want nothing more than to run down to greet it, but I remember to keep my composure. As Nuimana’s Woman King, I must.

  Sufa and Leif escort me down to the Olympia, which is one of our more regular visitors, to greet the crew. Captain Stone is not a fan of King Araroa and has no qualms about stopping in, despite the illegality of it.

  The captain shakes my offered hand, then plants a kiss on the back of it. “My King, dear Raven. It is good to see you well.”

  “Thank you, Captain Stone. I can’t tell you how good it is to see you and your ship arrive safely this morning. It’s been a very long time. I do hope your journey was well.”

  “That it has been. The sail was excellent, though, as ye know, we’ll soon be off again. Before morning, I expect. We’re supposed to be on our way to the Eastern Cays—Araroa will be suspicious if it takes too long.”

  “I understand. Have you … anything for me?”

  Stone shakes his head, and looks down. “No, m’lady. I am very sorry. I do not bear any news this time from your loved ones.”

  My heart falls as I watch the barrels and boxes being unloaded from the ship. None of them contain what’s most valuable to me: a word—just one—that my family is safe back in Nadir.

  But I cannot show this.

  I smile at Stone warmly. “Thank you for stopping here regardless. I know you do so at great risk to yourself, your crew, and your ship. I can’t express how much I, and everyone here on Nuimana, appreciate you doing so. Please come have dinner with us at the compound.”

  Stone tips his hat. “It is no trouble at all, Your Majesty. And I would be honored to join ye for dinner.”

  I nod my head, take my leave, and turn to walk back to my room. On the way, I pretend to shield my eyes from the sun with my scarf. But it’s really to hide the tears I can’t stop from falling.

  By the time we gather for dinner several hours later, I’ve managed to cheer up a bit by telling myself that perhaps no news is good news. Surely if something terrible were happening, somebody would have been able to send word of it. I’ve got to keep trusting that all is well. Besides, there’s nothing I can do from here anyway.

  Even so, I can’t help but to double-check. “You’re positive nobody passed one of your crew a note, perhaps?” I ask Stone, who is sitting directly across from me at our table.

  He shakes his head. “No, m’lady. My crew have been ordered that if they are passed correspondence of any kind, they are to bring it to me for safekeeping. I’ve no reason to believe they wouldn’t do so.”

  “I’m sure they would. They are good men and boys.”

  “That they are.”

  “Is there any other news from Nadir? Does all seem well?”

  Stone hesitates. He takes a bite of his fish curry before answering. Chewing slowly, he carefully considers his response. “All does seem well. Although, to be frank, I’m not so sure it is.”

  “What do you mean?” The dishes our cooks have prepared are some of the best I’ve ever had, especially with our fresh supply of ingredients. But my appetite is quickly vanishing.

  “Well. The King—the elder Araroa, I mean—seems to be business as usual, outside of the shipping restrictions, that is. Other than that, he doesn’t appear to be acknowledging your coming into rule here on Nuimana. But word is spreading. Some people don’t believe it, not at all. Others think ye should never have done what you’ve done … and there are still others who seem invigorated by the news … I’m sorry—I shouldn’t—” Stone halts his report and looks down at his bowl of food.

  “No, please go on, Captain. You won’t offend me. I want to know what’s happening.”

  He peers up at me. “You sure?”

  “Positively.”

  “Okay, m’lady. As I was saying, there’s a growing number who are talking of revolution should ye return to Nadir and attempt to overthrow the elder King. Many are supportive. But there are a lot of people who swear they’ll defend Araroa.”

  I nearly spit out my curry at this. “But that’s absurd! I have no plans to do any such thing!”

  “Of course not, m’lady. I was just reporting the talk …”

  I grab for Leif’s hand under the table and clutch it. I’ve no doubt he can feel the quaking. Eventually, his strength steadies my own, and I’m able to respond calmly. “Thank you, Captain Stone. This is all very interesting. But should you have the opportunity, please do tell anyone you encounter that I’ve no plans to leave Nuimana. I am quite happy here, doing what I can to help my … my people.”

  Leif squeezes my hand. “What about an after-dinner spirit?” He smiles at everyone around the table. Our bowls have been cleared; the servers are about to bring in dessert. “I saw some crates I recognized—I bet there’s something nice for us to enjoy in one of them.” Everyone agrees, and Leif leaves for the storeroom to find a bottle to crack open.

  While he’s away, we return to small talk, which I am glad to do. I’ve just tucked into my fruit cobbler when Leif returns. He stops in the doorway.

  His normally tan face is bone white, and he’s holding a piece of paper in one hand.

  “It’s from Papa,” he says hoarsely. His voice is tinged with an unfamiliar waver. “It says if I’ve received this note, that means he’s been arrested. My father’s been imprisoned by Araroa.”

  I stand and walk over to Leif. He grips my arm tightly. I have to steady the both of us.

  “Can I read it?” I whisper. He nods silently, handing me the paper.

  My Dear Leif,

  If you are reading these words, I am so very sorry. It is February as I write this down, words I hope you never read. I plan to hide this letter in a crate of my spirits bound for Nuimana this spring. If I were able, I’d have removed this letter and destroyed it. But since you are reading this, you know I was not able to do so. And that means only one terrible thing.

  I fear for my safety here in the Bastion—as we all do. I would leave and go into hiding, but my health has not been all that well lately, and I must stay for now. Business remains good, so there is that. But King Araroa has been rounding those up, one by one, that he feels might be a danger to his rule. We do not speak of this, although we all know it’s happening.

  So I will stay, but I do not know what will happen to me. I suppose my message is this: if you are reading this, you can be assured that all is not well. I love you, my boy.

  —Papa

  I look up from the letter to Leif. His eyes are moist, his jaw set hard. I grab him in my arms, and we clutch each other. Tightly. Nobody else in the room has said a word.

  There is a tap on my shoulder; I turn to find Sufa standing behind me. I look at Leif and he nods. I hand Sufa the letter so he can read it too. His face falls when he reaches the end.

  “This is not very good news,” he says.

  “No, most definitely not,” Leif replies. I can tell he’s choking back tears, trying to get ahold of himself.

  Sufa pats Leif on the arm. “But at the same time, we cannot assume the worst. Perhaps your father was not able to retrieve the letter before the crate was sent.”

  Leif shakes his head. “No, Papa would never have allowed that. He would have gotten to it. Something’s happened to him. And I wouldn’t doubt that Araroa was behind it.”

  “What are we going to do?” I can barely speak the words. This is truly terrible news. Of all people, I owe such a debt of gratitude to Nile. He was the one most instrumental in helping me escape from Nadir. But much more than that, I know how close Leif and his papa are.

  “Come, sit down,” Sufa says. “Let us talk.”

  When we’re all seated again, we leave the remainder of our desserts untouched. But Marina has signaled to the servers to refill all the wi
neglasses. Each of us takes a good, long sip.

  Sufa folds his hands and sits up straighter. “Now,” he begins. “We must look at each of our options. First, we could try to get more information from Nadir. Perhaps, as I said, your father was simply held up for some reason. Not in danger. Not in … prison.” My heart leaps into my throat as Sufa says aloud the words I most feared. And then I know it’s true: Nile has been arrested. He could be in the very same cell where they held me—or Tui or Queen Seraphine. Before she was executed.

  “We don’t have that much time,” I say. “I have to assume the worst. The consequences of not doing so, well, they are far too great.”

  “True, true,” Sufa agrees.

  “I’ve got to go back,” Leif says. His voice is clear and sure.

  Still, I can’t believe what he’s just said. “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean is, I’ve got to go back to Nadir and free my father. Or at the very least make sure he is safe. When does your ship leave, Captain Stone?”

  The captain sets down his nearly empty wineglass. “We depart at dawn. Not long,” he replies.

  I’m speechless. I can only stare at Leif. His mouth is set in a hard line, and he does not return my gaze.

  “Can you spare room for another deckhand?” Leif asks.

  Stone nods. “Sure can, mate. Plenty of room. We’ve got to stop first at the Eastern Cays, but then we’ll be returning to Nadir for the next round. King Araroa willing, that is.” He winks. “Or even if he’s not.”

  “I’ll be ready at the dock.” It is then he looks over at me.

  I am not smiling. “I’m going with you.”

  “No, Raven, you can’t. You’ve got to stay here. It’s far too dangerous for you to return to Nadir now. There’s too much uncertainty. I’m going to make sure Papa is safe, then I’ll return. I’ll only be away for a few months, I promise.”

  “But—” I start to protest.

  Sufa interrupts. “Your friend Leif is correct, dear Raven. You are most safe here for now. We need your help anyway. There’s so much for you to learn. Leif can return with his papa, and all will be well here on Nuimana.”

  I can only shake my head. I can’t let Leif go. I can’t.

  But I know they are right. I have to.

  I lay my head on Leif’s shoulder, letting my tears fall down the front of his shirt. He puts his arm around me, helps me up, and leads me back to my room.

  Leif kisses me goodbye the next morning in darkness. We’ve held each other close the entire night. I so want to believe his promise that he’ll be back in only a few months’ time. But deep inside, I don’t.

  I ask him if he’s got my old knife, the one Papa carved and gave to me years ago. The one I carried all the way from Baldachin to Nuimana. He says he does, won’t let it out of his sight, and will return it safely to me. I desperately hope he doesn’t need to use it.

  I can’t bear to go down to the dock to see him off, and he’s fine with that. When Leif’s gone, I lie in bed watching the dawn light grow brighter. Then I panic. I jump out of bed and rush over to my open verandah doors. The ship is already out of sight, sailed over the horizon with the love of my life aboard it.

  I can’t believe that Leif is gone.

  Chapter 2

  Leif

  Raven. She’s all I can think about. I close my eyes, and she’s right here with me. I can smell her hair. Her body. Vanilla, and jasmine, I think. The sweet, sweet scent that is only Raven. She’s leaning in. I feel her warm breath on my neck and then that nipping thing that drives me crazy. Fire shoots down my spine right to my feet. I feel her soft hand meld with mine. She strokes my thumb with hers. I lose my other hand in her long, wild hair. I grab a fistful and hold it to my nose again. I clench my fist so hard my hand goes numb.

  The Olympia crashes down another wave, and my eyes fly open. I am surprised to find my hands empty. She was just here. We were just together. Did I really leave her alone on Nuimana?

  Bile fills my throat, but the nausea is not from seasickness this time.

  Beads of sweat on my forehead.

  I can’t believe I left her there.

  Chapter 3

  I join Sufa the next morning for breakfast. Leif’s been gone for exactly one day. And two hours. And twenty-five minutes.

  Sufa puts his hand on mine. “M’lady Raven,” he begins, his voice kindly. “I know you’re sad about Leif’s departure. Do not worry. I know he will return. Safe. But listen, we must begin talking to villages about the water shortage. If we run out, we will all have to leave. Not good.”

  “No, Sufa. This is not good at all. But you’re right—and I’m ready to see all who we can today.”

  Sufa nods his head, smiling. “Very good. We will leave after we eat.”

  An hour later, we do just that. Sufa and I travel together in a covered cart pulled by two burros. Several attendants walk alongside. It takes only an hour to reach the village nearest the government buildings. I worried about getting everyone together so I could speak to them about the problem, but I needn’t have; we’re still a half mile from the village when the people come running out to greet us. Shortly after, we assemble in the center of the circle of small homes. I speak about the need to take great care with our water sources. Everybody is held rapt by my words, and I can only hope they truly understand their importance.

  When I’m done talking, I walk around shaking hands. Faces beam up at me. I’m still not used to this.

  Sufa and I soon take our leave as we hope to reach two more villages before the day is over. We’ll then camp before visiting the rest tomorrow before our return.

  My reception is warm at the next two villages as well. But when I’ve finished speaking at the third, a man’s voice calls out over the small crowd.

  “What if the water runs out?”

  I look over at Sufa standing nearby. He shrugs.

  What if the water runs out? I wish I had a good answer for him, one that would quell the villagers’ anxiety about the situation while at the same time convincing them it was in their power to prevent it. All I do know is that Leif would be able to think of just the right words to say. If only he were here.

  But he’s not. It’s only me, and I must give this man my honest reply.

  “We can’t let it run out. We absolutely must save enough for drinking, at the very least, until the rains come. As I said, we all must use as little as we can.” I pause, considering how to deliver the worst news. “But if it does run out, we might have to leave Nuimana and return to Nadir. We cannot survive here otherwise.”

  The crowd falls silent. I watch as they look at one another, nodding. My message appears to have gotten through. But only time will tell for sure.

  An hour later we make camp right on the beach. Sufa and I have our own small tents while the others traveling with us sleep right underneath the stars. After a simple meal of fish roasted over the fire, I lie on my mattress, looking upward at the roof of my tent. It is very dark, the moon not yet risen.

  It is then I have an unshakeable urge to see the same sky that Leif must be looking up at right now, at sea. I unbuckle the flap to my tent and drag my mattress out onto the sand.

  The others do not say anything, but their eyes follow me in the dark. Their white teeth flash, grinning.

  I lie back down and gaze up into the sky. I am certain that Leif is doing the same. Somewhere.

  I’ve held back further tears up to now. Tonight, I let them fall freely down my face until the stars fade away in a blur. I’ve never felt so alone in my life. How am I ever going to get through these months without him?

  The next weeks drag by. I miss Leif more with each passing day, but the not knowing is the worst. I don’t even know if his ship made it back to Nadir. And what if he’s doing something foolish? Attempting to free his father? What if he’s been captured himself? These thoughts swirl around inside my head constantly, over and over. My stomach ties in knots. I spent hours staring out at the empty s
ea, as if I could will his ship to appear on the horizon. Of course, I can’t.

  Sufa, Marina, and I are eating dinner together as usual on the dais.

  “The reports from the villages are good, yes?” Sufa asks.

  I regretfully shake my head. “No, they are not, I’m afraid. Some people are trying to conserve as we’ve asked, but others don’t believe it. It’s never been a problem before. I don’t know if the water will last another month, until the rains start.”

  Sufa’s face falls. We both know—as do most others—that life on Nuimana will not endure without freshwater. “We must go speak to them again. Make them understand how important this is,” he says.

  I nod in confirmation. “We’ll leave again, tomorrow.”

  But I notice Marina is not listening to us. She’s looking out, across the water.

  “What is it?” I ask her.

  She points to the northeast. “There. Do I see a light? Or is it a trick?”

  I squint my eyes to where she’s pointing. Sure enough, on the horizon is a light—several, in fact. “Is that a ship?”

  “Yes … yes it is. That didn’t take long.”

  “It’s only been three weeks since the last left. I wonder why it’s returning so soon …” I immediately change my mind. I have a feeling I don’t really want to know.

  “Well, if we run out of water, we’ll have plenty of brandy on hand, it appears,” Marina says. She’s looking at me with her typical warm smile. I can tell she’s trying to cheer me up. It doesn’t work, but I return her smile anyway.

  I’m waiting at the dock at midnight to help catch the Albatross’s lines. Even when the ship was a mile out, I could see it was the same that Leif and I sailed aboard to Nuimana months ago.

  Captain Wilkins is the first to step onto the dock. He holds his hand out to me, but instead of taking it, I pull him into a tight hug. He’s not sure what to make of that at first. Eventually, he hugs me back too. Then Mrs. Wilkins—his wife, cook, and first mate—is there, hugging us both.