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  Captive’s Return

  The Kyona Chronicles Book Three: A Novella

  Deborah Grace White

  Luminant Publications

  Contents

  Captive’s Return

  Map of Kyona and Beyond

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Note from the Author

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Captive’s Return

  By Deborah Grace White

  The Kyona Chronicles Book Three—A Novella

  Copyright © 2020 by Deborah Grace White

  First edition (v1.0) published in 2020

  by Luminant Publications

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, stored in, or introduced into a database or retrieval system, in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ISBN: 978-1-925898-24-8

  Luminant Publications

  PO Box 201

  Burnside, South Australia 5066

  http://www.deborahgracewhite.com

  Cover Design by Karri Klawiter

  Map illustration by Rebecca E. Paavo

  For my sister Melanie

  Our lives may not involve elegant ballgowns or skill with weapons, but at least we can write about it.

  Map of Kyona and Beyond

  Chapter One

  Scarlett swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid out from under the covers as quietly as she could, trying not to wake her husband. She smiled to herself as Jonan shifted in his sleep, rolling over to unconsciously claim the now empty space where she had been. She didn’t know why she was bothering to be stealthy. She had learned during the year they had been married that he slept like the dead.

  She dressed quickly, her stance steady despite the rolling of the ship. Three weeks was enough to find her sea legs. She took a moment to survey herself in the tall looking glass bolted to the floor of the state cabin. There was no vanity in her scrutiny, merely a measuring attempt to make sure everything was in order.

  She had been told all her life that she was beautiful. Stunningly so, if the reaction of men everywhere was any indication. It was funny to think how much she used to hate being told she was beautiful. Somehow when Jonan said it, she didn’t mind at all. She smiled as she remembered their first meeting, how he had flatly refused to compliment her striking appearance, and informed her that he was not so easily impressed. She had respected him for it, but it hadn’t stopped her from being irked. Fortunately he had changed his tune since.

  And he wasn’t the only one. She seemed to remember calling him repulsive. It had been a lie, of course. She had been quite taken with him from the start, although she would never have admitted it at the time. She glanced over at his form, where he still slept solidly on the bed. The insult was no more true now than it had been then.

  The year since their wedding had only improved his appearance. His shoulders were broader, his arms, while still lean, were strong and sure. His dark hair was as little inclined to behave as it had always been, but even with the way it flopped over his eyes now, it couldn’t hide the handsome features of the face underneath. The scar on his cheek didn’t detract from his appeal—it was a reminder of his willingness to take blows for those more vulnerable than him.

  She looked back at her own reflection, catching herself still in the act of smiling at her husband’s good looks. Her big brown eyes, so similar in shade to her thick hair, curled around her face in the humid air. She had selected a gown of deep blue for their arrival. The color suited her, but she still knew a moment of misgiving as she regarded her reflection. She reminded herself that the bold statement of arriving in Kyona’s traditional color was intentional, but she still felt nervous.

  She quickly subdued her hair, tying it back into a braid with deft fingers. She had almost forgotten the way the moisture in the air affected her hair. Kyona’s climate was so different from that of her homeland.

  Before exiting the cabin, she laid out Jonan’s appointed outfit prominently on a chair. He would grumble, but she wasn’t going to let him get out of wearing the ceremonial garb King Calinnae had insisted on sending with him. She knew Jonan disliked anything official, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t sure how much protection it would give him to be arriving as an official emissary of the Kyonan king this time, but she wasn’t about to waste any possible advantage.

  Scarlett felt a small release of tension once she was up on deck. The cabin she shared with Jonan was the largest and most comfortable on the royal vessel, intended for the monarch’s use. But after three weeks the enclosed space made her feel claustrophobic.

  She picked her way carefully across the deck in the dim pre-dawn light, smiling in response to the respectful greetings she received from the crew members who were already bustling about. Their words might be respectful, but there was no mistaking the admiring way their eyes lingered on her.

  In spite of her normal aversion to shallow compliments, on this occasion Scarlett couldn’t quite restrain a smile at their reaction. How could she help being glad she was looking well? Marriage agreed with her, and she was hoping those in Balenol would see it when they looked at her. Apparently the sailors had.

  She continued across the deck calmly, reaching the edge and placing her hands on the railing. Some women might find it daunting to be the only female on an extended ocean voyage. But Scarlett had never been easily daunted. She was well able to take care of herself, and except for the lingering glances, everyone had treated her with the utmost courtesy. If anything, the men had kept more distance than was necessary, but she suspected that was due to Jonan’s protective presence. He tended to glare if anyone got too familiar, and he was stronger than he looked, her husband. Especially when defending someone else against attack.

  Not that she had been at risk of attack. She just hoped the same would be true this time tomorrow.

  “Almost there, ma’am.”

  She turned to see one of the ship’s crew watching her from nearby, as he coiled up a length of rope.

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  “Does it feel strange to be going home?” he asked curiously.

  Home. The word circled disconcertingly around inside Scarlett’s head.

  “It is strange,” she acknowledged, her voice a little rueful. “But Kyona is home now,” she added quickly.

  “Of course, ma’am,” the sailor said respectfully.

  “But it will be strange,” she repeated softly.

  Her conscience tugged at her for dismissing of her former kingdom. She had spoken the truth—she hadn’t thought of Balenol as home in months. But still…it was her homeland.

  She shivered as she leaned against the railing. After over a year, today she would set foot on Balenan soil again. Strange didn’t even begin to cover it. This homecoming was bringing on a bewildering array of emotions.

  She didn’t elaborate to the sailor, of course. There was no need to hide her reactions away like she used to, but she didn’t think she would ever be comfortable ta
lking about her emotions with strangers.

  With those close to her, it was a different story. It was amazing how much she had learned to open up over the last year. With Jonan’s patient encouragement, she had become almost transparent, at least with him. But the ordeal before her now was sure to test her emotional resilience, and the closer they had sailed to Nohl, the more she had felt herself closing up again. It was the reason she wanted to rise early today, to spend some time alone as they approached their destination.

  It wasn’t all bad. There were lots of things she had missed about her former home. The food, the warmth, the very familiarity of everything. The lush beauty of the jungle. But the jungle had bad memories, too. She couldn’t help but think of the friends she had lost during the drawn out slave rebellion she had helped to found. None of those people remained in Nohl, of course. Every last one of them, except those who had died, had now returned to Kyona.

  She loved her life in Raldon, the new settlement in the Forest of Rune near Kyona’s capital city. Living there, she was surrounded mainly by former slaves, and she was thriving. Still, she knew she could never fully settle in Kyona until she had faced the demons she had left behind in Balenol.

  But how would her birthplace receive her? When she had left so precipitately over a year ago, no one had known of her secret double life as the leader of the infamous slave resistance. Presumably, everyone now knew. She was filled with both longing and dread at the thought of seeing her aunt and cousins again. But thoughts of many others evoked nothing but apprehension.

  She sighed as she pictured Jonan, sleeping below. She knew just the look he would get on his face if he knew she was worrying. The one that said he would go down fighting before letting anyone harm her. But the belligerence he displayed any time there was any question about her safety was anything but reassuring. He had matured since they’d first met, but she didn’t think fifty years would be long enough to fully banish his recklessness. And his stubbornness was half the reason she was worried, because the truth was that she was more concerned about his safety than her own. When he had left Nohl, he had stowed away on her father’s vessel after breaking out of the dungeon, where he had been thrown pending his imminent execution.

  In all honesty, Nohl had a lot of reasons not to welcome either one of them.

  This was your idea, she reminded herself sternly. No use getting cold feet now.

  She turned her attention back to the expanse of water before her, and drew in a sharp breath at the sight of the port, distant, but drawing ever closer. She hadn’t realized how soon they would make land. She should’ve gotten up earlier—she had been hoping for more time to collect herself.

  She stared out at the water as the crew continued to prepare around her. The rhythm of their well-practiced activities, along with the steady rise and fall of the ocean, lulled her. She thought again about her family as the sun cleared the horizon. Were their emotions as mixed as hers at the prospect of the upcoming reunion? Aunt Mariska would embrace her, literally and metaphorically, she was sure. But Uncle Rupert? Much less certain. And her cousins…well, who knew?

  Giles had said in his last letter that he looked forward to seeing her, but it was hard to know if that was just politeness. At least he had assured her the crown was prepared to formally receive them, extending immunity in recognition of their official status as King Calinnae’s emissaries. Cal would not have let them come otherwise. And even so, it had been clear to Scarlett that both he and Queen Elnora had felt misgivings as they were seeing the ship off.

  She suspected Cal might even have accompanied them himself if Elnora wasn’t expecting. But he would never leave his wife at such a time. Even Scarlett felt regretful to be missing so many weeks of her friend’s confinement—Elnora would certainly miss her company. But Scarlett knew she’d put this trip off too long as it was.

  As lost as she was in her thoughts, she was aware of Jonan’s presence before he reached her side. It wasn’t just because she was so attuned to her husband. It was also that old habits were not quickly shaken, and her years as a rebel leader had ensured that she was not an easy person to sneak up on.

  “Good afternoon,” she teased, responding to the slightly grouchy expression that told her he hadn’t been ready to wake up.

  He grinned easily, nudging her with an elbow in half-hearted retaliation. “I didn’t sleep that late. The sun’s barely up.”

  She looked him up and down and sighed at the rumpled state of his hair. “Didn’t you look at your reflection?” she asked. “You do realize we’re about to land, and we’re supposed to be making a good impression, right? Don’t forget, we’re representing—”

  “Representing the Kyonan crown, yeah, yeah, I know,” yawned Jonan. “I already endured this speech from Cal’s insufferable master of protocol. If you make me listen to it again, I’ll push you overboard.”

  “I’d like to see you try,” she grinned.

  He brightened instantly at the challenge, taking a step toward her with a martial light in his eye, but she fended him off, laughing.

  “Show some respect for the dress. I didn’t bring another one in Kyonan blue, so no dunking me in the ocean until after we’ve been officially welcomed.”

  “The color is very nice on you,” Jonan commented, looking her up and down properly. “But that’s not saying much, because everything is.”

  She smiled. “It’s nice on you, too.”

  He grunted, unimpressed. “I feel ridiculous. Why Cal insisted on dressing me up like some kind of diplomat I have no idea.”

  “You have every idea,” contradicted Scarlett firmly. “So stop complaining.”

  “I’m not complaining,” Jo protested. “I’m wearing it, aren’t I?” He glanced down his person. “Why should I have looked at my reflection, anyway? Did I put it on backward?”

  “You’re hopeless,” she laughed. He still looked confused, so she nodded at his head. “Your hair. It looks like a bird made a nest in it.” She stepped forward as she spoke, running her hands carefully through the unruly mess, bringing it into order.

  Jo made a noise of contentment, accompanied by a cheeky grin, and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

  “Did you mess it up on purpose?”

  “Of course not,” he said innocently. “Isn’t a man allowed to enjoy it when his wife runs her hands through his hair?”

  She stepped back, satisfied with her efforts, and met his eye. His expression made her heart speed up a little. She tried to frown, but his knowing smile told her he wasn’t fooled. That was the trouble with being transparent instead of emotionally inexpressive. He knew exactly what effect he had on her.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” she scolded him.

  “Why?” he asked, tucking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin tingled where he had brushed it. She kept waiting for the thrill of nearness to fade, but it hadn’t happened yet.

  “Because we’re in a public place,” she said smilingly, and he chuckled.

  “How long have you been out here, anyway?” Jonan asked. “You should have woken me up.”

  She turned away from him, looking toward shore. “Not that long. I just wanted a minute to gather my thoughts.”

  Jonan followed her gaze, seeming to realize for the first time just how close they were to land. He turned his full attention back to her, resting a hand gently on the side of her neck. He watched her silently for a long moment, and eventually the weight of his gaze compelled her to look up at him. It was one of the things she loved about Jonan—when he gave her his attention, it was undivided. He had seen her true self through all her facades even back when she had hardly known herself, and he hadn’t stopped really seeing her since.

  “Are you nervous?” he asked quietly.

  She started to shake her head, but halfway through the gesture she stopped herself. Who was she fooling? She nodded, a lump forming in her throat at the understanding look in his eyes. Without warning, she turned toward him and burie
d her face in his chest. He put his arms around her, the gesture comfortable and familiar.

  “We don’t have to do this, you know. We can still turn the ship around. If you don’t want to go, just say the word, and we’ll go back home.”

  She drew back, chuckling weakly as she tried to collect herself. “And I’m sure the crew would have no objection to adding three weeks to the voyage without even stopping to re-provision the ship.”

  “We could detour to Thorania first,” Jonan countered, his expression still serious.

  She shook her head. “I need to do this, Jo,” she said softly. “Or I’ll feel like a coward all my life.” He didn’t answer, his brow furrowed as he continued to search her features with his clear gaze. She reached out and smoothed the crease between his eyes with her thumb. “You, on the other hand, don’t have to prove anything. Maybe restocking in Thorania is a good idea. You could go with the ship—”

  “Don’t start this again, Scarlett,” Jonan cut in. “We’ve been through this. I go where you go.”

  “But I don’t want to put you in a difficult position,” she said, her tone showing her anxiety in spite of herself. “I know you didn’t want to come—”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” said her husband, his tone uncompromising. “It’s not that I didn’t want to come, it’s that I don’t want you to put yourself in danger. And if you think for a moment that I’m going to hang back and leave you to face that danger alone—”