“Did you know...” Peregrine leaned against Bastian’s arm as she looked out over the western coast of Valaria.

  This was a rare moment alone, since Lish had popped downstairs as soon as Captain Persia announced they were an hour from his home port.

  “Hm?” He hm’d. “Did I know what?”

  She squeezed his arm. “My old fiance was lost at sea.”

  “Madame Potts mentioned.” There was a moment of silence between them.

  They were making good timing, sailing around Drendil in a single day, and crossing the bay that night. They’d rounded the southern tip of Peldeep at breakfast, and were sailing north towards the capital. Blue skies with puffy white clouds hung low, and a cool sea breeze swept up the edges of her long pink hair.

  Against his better judgement, he asked. “Do you miss him?”

  “Gods no.” She shuddered, squeezing his arm again for good measure.

  He didn’t know what he was meant to feel, but it probably wasn’t satisfaction. Too bad. If he couldn’t stamp down the building possessiveness, he could fall back on distraction tactic instead. “I’ve never been engaged, but Princess Penelope used to follow me around challenging me to a duel every day. People thought we were dating, but she wouldn’t even consider anyone weaker than her.”

  “Oh?” Peregrine looked intrigued. “If she wasn’t interested, then why did she keep after you?”

  “I could take one of her hits. Two on a good day.”

  “Your shield took on my father’s [Aura] shot too.” She recalled.

  “I’m a Strength and Constitution build,” He explained, debating if they were close enough to share stat screens yet and deciding it was too soon - he didn’t mind sharing, but he didn’t want her to feel obligated to return the trust. Instead he just told her the details. “I have [Dragon Armor] and [Ice Shield], and between the two I can take almost any hit once.”

  She smiled up at him. “That’s good to know.”

  “Here now you two, your affection is distracting my crew.” An amused voice cut in as Captain Persia came up behind them. The human woman joined them at the railing. “Be kind, half of us won’t be seeing our families till we get back to Drendil.”

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  “We both know your family is waiting for you on the docks,” Bastian welcomed the captain with a nod. When Peregrine raised an eyebrow at them, Bastian explained, “Captain Persia is famous - she rescued Prince Malakai when he was shipwrecked and presumed dead after the Dancing Blade Pirates sank his ship - this was before Pirate Abra took over as the deadliest pirate in the south seas.”

  “Techically, Warn saved the prince. We just helped.” Captain Persia corrected, the woman shot Peregrine a side smile, “My son-in-law, it’s how he met my son Tyler. My boy's a selkie too - takes after his father. He was scouting for us when he spotted Warn hauling His Highness through the waves. Only time I ever had two royal's aboard.”

  Bastian noted Lish ascending the ship’s stair with her small storage chest. “Princess Henrietta?”

  “The same.” The captain recalled the tale for us, explaining how Warn had gotten trapped this side of the Rift while looking for a family heirloom. He was following the Dancing Blade Pirates- thinking he might find their hidden treasure trove and search there - when they ransacked the prince’s ship.

  Warn found the prince half-drowned and rescued him, pulling him up onto some driftwood. Then the selkie took rope and found every single one of the prince’s crew, tying them together. It was around that time he spotted Persia’s ship.

  From there it was an epic love triangle between the three young men. Warn split his time between nursing Malakai and sailing with Tyler. They’d even had to fight off the Dancing Blade Pirates themselves on the voyage.

  The fox was heartbroken when they arrived back in Peldeep and Warn chose Tyler and the ocean over a court of thorns with Malakai.

  "I wouldn’t have a lovely son-in-law today," she finished, "and the gods only know what Their Highness would have done if their son hadn't returned."

  “Wow.” Peregrine said, enrapt by the adventure. “That sounds like it was right out of the Dragon Feliwyn’s romance novels!”

  Lish stood silently by with their luggage, but even the otherwise stern maid was tilting her ear to the conversation with interest.

  Persia laughed, “It is - have you read Dark Water Captain?”

  “Wait, that was your son?!” Peregrine literally clapped with joy, letting go of Bastian’s arm to do so. He didn’t like the feeling of her pulling away, even inadvertently - but he was also an adult and could manage his problems like an adult.

  “With some artistic liberty. It’s not as fun reading about the captain’s son, so Feliwyn promoted him.” The captain laughed. “Or maybe Tyler changed it in the retelling. I’m not sure what he told the dragon when Feliwyn kidnapped him.”

  Apparently Feliwyn had less self-control than Bastian.

  “She didn’t!”

  “She did. We were all in a panic until she dropped him off at the Emerald Palace a week later. That was what, seven or eight years ago now? Times were very different back then.” Persia waved at the fast approaching harbour. “This was a good chat, but it’s about time I take my place.”

  Peregrine beamed at the older woman, “Thank you, this was a wonderful trip.”

  “My pleasure. And if I don’t get the chance to say farewell before we dock, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials.” Captain Persia pushed off the railing and headed towards the front of the ship, waving over her shoulder.

  Bastian decided now would be a great time to scoop up Peregrine’s free arm. He told himself it was only natural and not because he’d lost to the impatient feeling urging him to hold her and never let her go.

  His self-control was still perfectly manageable.