The first thing Samson felt upon waking was the ache in his leg. It wasn’t often that he felt much pain there– the injury was old and his prosthetic was well-fitted enough that it rarely irritated him. However, sometimes, when he slept with it still on after a long day, it began to hurt, tension seeping from the muscles down to the very bones.

The second thing he felt was the movement of his jacket at his side. Samson opened his eyes, finding a demure figure moving ever so slowly, hand rifling through his pocket. For a moment, Samson did nothing, watching Elias attempt to find something without waking him. Probably a key– that was what Samson would be looking for if he were in his position. And, of course, that was the pocket he must have seen it disappear into. Before Samson had placed it more securely in his desk.

Samson rose, straightening his back and turning to look more fully at Elias, who froze in place. The man pulled his hand back toward him as if he’d been burned, his eyes wide as a doe’s. Samson reached into the drawer, retrieving the key, and extended his hand, offering it.

“I–” Elias began. The words stopped in his throat.

It was difficult to speak with only one hand fully available. He handed the key over more insistently, watching Elias take it. It’s alright. Are you alright, Your Highness?

“You’re not…” He spoke slowly, as though trying to process the words. “I’m hungry.”

Then we will eat. Please stay close to me on the ship. Samson rose, and offered a hand to help Elias off the floor. He wasn’t surprised when the man stood on his own, quite blatantly ignoring him.

From the pocket Elias had been searching in, Samson pulled an envelope, and extended it to him. Elias raised a brow, but took it. It was a letter that should have been prepared in advance, ready and waiting when Elias arrived. In that other, better scenario, the one where Samson had been able to escort Elias to the ship personally and avoided all of this trouble, avoided so much of the fear the man must have felt, this would have been in his hands the moment he was on the ship, if not before. He needed to know why he was here. It wasn’t right to allow him to be the only one aboard in the dark.

Elias turned the key in the knob, but his hands were slow, as though he expected it not to work. When the lock clicked, signaling its opening, the man breathed a small sigh of relief, chest rising and falling with the force of it. He pulled the door open, pocketing the key. That was alright. It was safe now. Elias could come and go as he pleased, so long as Samson was close.

The light of the early morning was dim, but it cast a crimson and lavender glow upon the horizon, reflecting onto the water. Elias’s eyes went right toward the water, and his feet soon took him toward it. He gripped the railing on the edge of the ship tight, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of it, but his eyes wide. With the thick lenses of his glasses, they looked even bigger.

It hadn’t been that long ago that Samson had seen his first sunrise on the ocean. That wonder, it was something special. He smiled softly, watching the man take it in.

Elias turned, his expression straightening. He didn’t say anything, but his cheeks flushed. Was he embarrassed to have had a moment of awe?

“The ocean is a beautiful thing. Especially at sunrise.”

“Where do we eat?”

It was difficult to tell if Elias hadn’t seen him sign or if he had ignored it. Samson sighed, then began to walk across the deck, toward the small set of stairs that would lead them down to the hull. The deck itself, at this time of morning, was nearly empty, but the hull was lively. Scattered about were a half dozen people, sitting on small sofas and at tables, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Eyes lingered on the pair of them as they made their way down the stairs, but the conversations didn’t stop and the glances didn’t last long.

A tall, soft woman with long braids moved through a small area in the corner, her hair sashaying behind her as she moved. She looked over her shoulder and waved the pair of them over, offering a warm smile. She nodded to Samson, and then bowed her head lower. “Your Highness.”

Elias raised a brow, but nodded.

“Captain, Karim sent his regards. We were not followed.”

“Thank you, Rhea.” He signed her name slowly, glancing toward Elias to ensure the man was following his hands. It was easier to use quick shorthand for names, but it would be best for Elias if he spelled it. “Rhea is our ship’s cook. She’s also an excellent sailor.”

“Ah.” Elias nodded. As Rhea handed him a plate, he looked over the food. It was fresh– if they stopped often enough and didn’t go too long between docking, it was easier to keep good food aboard. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” She turned to Samson. “The fruit is a gift from Karim’s cook. She was raised in Kremal.”

“We will have to thank her.” He smiled, taking a plate for himself. It was good, knowing that others from the Kingdom felt warmly enough toward their prince that they would offer gifts. It was only right, really, but it came as some surprise, and he was grateful that there was some way to show Elias that those here held him in high regard. It was one thing for Samson to be respectful. It was another if everyone was.

Samson led Elias to an empty table, setting his plate before pulling out a chair for the prince. Elias sat, and looked down at his plate. He didn’t reach for his fork, but instead pulled the letter from his pocket. He opened it slowly, and Samson watched as the man’s eyes scanned over it. His facial expression didn’t change, but he sat the paper down and shook his head.

“So I’ve been taken purely to capture my mother’s attention. I am a pawn in a larger game. I can’t decide if I ought to be relieved or not. On one hand, it’s good to know it’s not about me, but I’d like to know what action you plan to take if you do not get the response you want.” Elias spoke eloquently, with less panic in his voice than before.

“I doubt that will be a problem. However, I will not inconvenience you more than I must. We will bring you home. If your mother does not hold her end of the deal, we will find another way.” Samson lowered his hands, taking his fork.

“If I may be blunt, I have no idea what deal you’re talking about. If it is not public knowledge or close to it, I am uninformed. I may be the heir apparent, but I’m not being taught to take over Kremal.”

It took a moment to pinpoint what had changed in Elias’s demeanor. When minutes ago he had been hard pressed to even look Samson in the eye, he now spoke confidently. It was how he must have sounded in important meetings and negotiations. Even if he wasn’t intended to lead the nation, this was the confidence of a man who was at least present for such things. That was the change. He now had the information needed to begin a bartering discussion. This was more familiar territory.

“That is not too big a surprise. I imagine she wouldn’t share this information.” 

Elias took his fork in his hand, eyes darting around the room. For a moment, they stopped, and he seemed to tense. Samson followed his gaze, finding his quartermaster. They leaned back on a sofa, long legs stretched over the table before them and a hot cup of coffee in their hand.

“Your Highness, are they the one that tied you?”

The man’s throat tightened, his Adam’s apple rising and falling harshly as he swallowed. “Yes.”

“I will deal with this.”

Elias didn’t speak. He took a bite of the food on his plate, closing his eyes. For all the confidence he’d had moments ago, he just looked tired now. Samson turned his attention across the room, finding his quartermaster again. Cheng made things difficult. They had been on the ship for years, but were not technically part of the crew. Karim had assigned them to this ship, as part of his agreement to peace. If his right hand could be stationed on King’s Sentinel, it gave him a better grasp of the goings on of the ship and ensured Samson could not lie. It also granted Cheng some protections– if Samson were to harm them, it would spell ruin for his alliance with Karim.

Samson cleared his throat, catching Elias’s attention. “I’m going to speak with them. Please stay here. If you need anything, go to Rhea.” He rose, replaced his chair, and moved toward the person sprawled on the sofa.

Cheng looked up lazily, sighing as if it were so very difficult to deign to give the Captain a moment of their attention. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Their voice was low and smooth. Less like honey and more like the slashing of a sharp knife.

Samson motioned for them to follow, gesturing toward a door on the far side of the room.

“Can you honestly not talk right now? You’ve got it bad, Graves.” They rose, mug of coffee still in their spindly hand.

Samson was almost grateful that he found words difficult in the moment. If it weren’t for Elias’s eyes on him across the room, he was certain he would have found them, and they would not have been kind. It would be one thing to snap or raise his voice if he was alone with Cheng. It was another to do so with the prince watching.

The pair entered a small storage room, the door swinging shut with a crack. The ship wasn’t perfectly soundproof, but the separation, the knowledge that he was not being watched by Elias, made things easier. Samson’s nerves lessened, and he opened his mouth. “You were instructed not to lay a goddamn hand on him.”

Cheng crossed their arms over their chest, leaning back against a shelf. “You’re kidding me. That’s what this is about?”

Samson didn’t respond, just staring forward into black eyes.

“Tell me just how you thought I could capture him without touching him. Did you think I could hijack a carriage, saunter on in, and say, ‘Oh, Your Highness, please come with me, a friendly kidnapper?’ You really are an idiot when it comes to him, aren’t you? Karim was right.”

Samson’s hand curled into a fist, nails digging into his palm. “You know what I mean. There was no reason to bind him. You should never have gagged him.”

“Graves. Do you think he wouldn’t have found your key? He was going to get on deck and cause havoc if he did. As for the gagging, perhaps it was overkill, but I didn’t want to keep hearing him cry. It was wretched.” If Samson didn’t know them so well, he would have allowed some benefit of the doubt and assumed the smile that crawled over their lips was due to discomfort. “It was never anything to do with dislike for him.”

It was about you. They didn’t say it, but they didn’t need to.

“I have no interest in being vague about this, so let me speak plainly. If, going forward, you lay even a finger on him,” he said, closing the small space between them to grip the lapel of their jacket, “you’re a dead man.”

Cheng laughed. “Mm, Karim would love that.”

“Karim knows full well that I value His Highness’s safety and comfort over your presence.” It was true that Karim offered protection for Cheng. But Karim was more than aware that if it was between them and Elias, who Samson would choose to protect. “If you ever so much as inconvenience him again, Karim will understand what has happened to you.”

Cheng’s smile didn’t waver. “You’re bluffing.”

“Am I? Who do you think he values more? A half-skilled sailor who read a few strategy books? Or me?” He may have been bluffing. But that grin was knocked off Cheng’s lips as though they’d been slapped. Samson loosened his grip on their collar, stepping back. “Don’t approach His Highness again. You’re not worthy of his presence.”

Samson didn’t turn around to assess the look on Cheng’s face, instead turning the knob and exiting the door. He nearly jumped, finding Elias a mere foot from the door, ear pressed against the wall. His heart pounded in his chest and he swallowed.

Elias took a quick step backward, looking up to Samson without speaking for a moment. “You can talk.”