The Talk And The Trade

As soon as the Duchess of Edgewood was satisfied with Ilona's appearance and the beautiful dress had been removed for safekeeping, Ilona changed back into her usual breeches and shirt. After she'd run a brush through her long chocolate locks, she waited until the hallway was empty before she hurried off in search of her brother.

When she came to his large door she knocked but didn't wait for a reply before opening it.

"My God, Ilona!" Ian snapped, jerking his black breeches closed and quickly lacing them.

"I see half-dressed men at sea all the time," Ilona rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, "Besides, I didn't see anything anyway."

Ian frowned and reached for a fresh cream-colored shirt, pulling it over his muscular and dark sun-tanned chest. He swept his brown curls back from his face only to have most of them fall back down again. He met her gaze as he began the process of strapping all his blades back into their positions.

"What's brought you to my room Sister?"

"I went to see my men this morning," Ilona answered, dropping to sit on the comfortable couch in front of the fireplace, "I sent a few back ahead of us to check on the repairs and begin preparing the ship to sail."

"Why would you do that?" he asked in surprise, straightening up, "You promised the Duke the use of your men as his guards. We were out this morning but we weren't able to find enough replacements yet."

"Yes, but I didn't know it would be this long. The men are getting restless and starting to complain. I had Pierce send the loudest mouths back to begin work and keep them from stirring up trouble but the majority are still here."

Ian considered this for a moment before shrugging and nodding, "Alright then, I suppose that was a good idea."

"Of course it was," she crossed her arms over her chest, "I know how to handle my crew."

"Do you?" Ian met her gaze with a questioning frown.

Ilona felt a snap of anger, and her eyes were icy as they held his. She could easily make a harsh reply but he had the same temper she did. They would end up arguing and getting nowhere.

"Are we still going to this meeting with your selfish Prince?" she asked, changing the subject instead of letting herself be baited into an argument.

"Yes... I plan for us to leave after dinner once Delaney and Vincent have retired for the night. You can meet me here and then we'll go. I know a way into the stables so we won't be likely to be seen and then Mason always meets at the same place."

"I don't see why I need to waste my time on the man," Ilona complained, picking at her nails, "I want to stay here and work out the list of supplies I'll need when we sail. Why don't you just go on your own?"

"Because he specifically told me to bring you," Ian threw his hands in the air, exasperated as he marched across the room to stand by his couch and look down on her. He loomed above her but Ilona had never been afraid of him.

"I'm not interested in going so he can make a fool of me again," Ilona muttered, dropping her gaze back to her hands in her lap as she felt her cheeks warm. It was worse knowing her brother was watching her.

"What are you talking about?" Ian asked, his anger being replaced with curiosity.

"Nothing," she sighed, not wanting to bring attention to it. The last thing she wanted was to remind her younger brother about the embarrassing events so he could tease her about them. She was sure the Prince had already gotten a good laugh out of it at her expense.

"I think you should at least tell Delaney that we have some business to see to in the city tonight," Ilona said after a pause, "You don't have to tell her what it is, but I think that would be better than us sneaking out in the night like we're up to something."

"Mace told me not to tell them..."

"I don't care what he said," she spoke over him in annoyance, "He's not the one that will have to do the explaining if we're caught, and he's not the one with something to lose."

Moving to lean against a bedpost now, the tall pirate hesitated, fingertips tracing the marks on the hilt of one of his swords. Ilona stood up and walked to stand in front of him. When she did, his chocolate eyes that matched her own hesitantly met her gaze. She could see his worry clear on his face and it surprised her for a moment, reminding her again how much he cared about Delaney Adair.

She and her siblings loved each other very much but their family had never been one to be openly affectionate. Maybe there had just been too many of them for it. At that moment however, Ilona considered taking Ian's hands in hers to reassure him everything would be alright. She couldn't quite bring herself to do it though. He probably wouldn't have known what to think if she had.

"Tell her we're going to be out, Ian," she said seriously but gently, "You don't have to say anything else about it. That will keep you safe in your position of being their friend, but it will also keep you from upsetting the Prince if he were to find out. I don't really care what that selfish man thinks, but I do care that we make sure not to give the Duke and Duchess any reason not to trust us."

As she watched him, her younger brother swallowed and slowly nodded.

"Alright," he agreed quietly although he still looked just as anxious.

Ilona felt relieved though and took a step back, "Well, I'll leave you to get back to whatever you were doing then. I want to go make up a list of supplies I want on the ship when we sail again."

She had just reached the wooden door when Ian called for her, and she turned back to him.

"We still haven't had word from Nick and Jamie," he said, "So I would guess they haven't found our father yet. What will you do if you still haven't heard from him and your ship is ready to sail? You can't give the King of the Red Lands what he wants... So what will you offer him to get our brother and sister back?"

Ilona took a deep breath. There was a solution she had thought of shortly after they had left the castle. She hadn't talked about it though or even let herself think about it very much because it terrified her.

Without Prince Mason going back to marry the young Princess and making the King happy, she would have to offer him something else. It would have to be something as close to an even trade as she could manage. She would only have to hope that the King saw the value in her offer and took it in exchange for Willow and Isaac's freedom.

"I will offer him myself," she answered Ian quietly, "I will take their places as his prisoner. Surely the life of a pirate Captain would be more valuable... And anyway... we're all our father's children. Who is to say it would matter more to him to have the two of them locked up than me. Maybe I could lie and convince him I'm father's favorite."

"You can't do that," Ian shook his head, "You can't give yourself over to him. What does that solve? Then you'll be locked away in a dungeon just like Isaac and Willow are now."

"I will do it," Ilona sighed, "I will willingly be locked away in The Red Lands for the rest of my life if that's what has to happen. I'll do whatever I have to do to get them back. Just like you would."