Chapter 21: Skulduggery

The room was radiating impatience and anticipation in equal measure; all eyes cast in Aiden’s direction. Even though Morgan desperately needed answers, she had stipulated that the spy master be given the chance to recover before being made to speak. It was as they watched him take another agonisingly slow sip of water that the strangest thing occurred. Arlo, who had been supplying Aiden with water, went to move away, he grabbed Arlo’s arm, offering heartfelt words, “I’m sorry my friend, it isn’t excuse enough, that the way I treated you was outside my control.” Dazed, Arlo stumbled away, colliding with Brady as she walked into the hold.

It was Marlo who said what they were all thinking, “Who are you and what have you done with the pompous arse.” Aiden stared back, a bewildered expression upon his face. Morgan could not quite believe all that was happening, it had already been a strange night and was shaping up to be a stranger day. The anticipation that answers would finally be forthcoming threatening to burst out of her. Afraid to hope, she hushed such feelings, and forced herself to wait.

Aiden took a few more sips, then leaning back in his chair to take the weight off sore ribs he spoke, “This is hard to explain, but I will do my best.” Aiden words were considered, different from before. Morgan found herself unconsciously leaning forward as he continued, “It was about five years ago, I was stationed in Sirillia on a mission disguised as a sergeant in the King’s Army. The war was grim on both sides and my reports were regular and altogether full of the army’s lack of progress. I remember thinking that all was well, even though I was in an army, marching across a fair amount of desert with sand getting everywhere.” There was no indication of dishonestly in Aiden’s demeanour, eyes clear and focused he captured the rooms attention, “One night I was pulled from my tent and dragged into the duke of Rollston’s pavilion. At first, I thought I had been found out and would receive a stern reprimand. It was, however, much worse than that.” The spy master started to fidget, “The duke looked at me for a lengthy time, it was strange, then he turned his back, and I was dragged out into the dark, just like the pit that he found to keep me in.” Sighing, Aiden elongated his torso stretching out sore ribs. When he continued, Morgan detected strain in his alarming words, “I was henceforth tortured, and torture it was, no questions were asked of me, yet every day and night for about a month the beatings came. By the end of a month, I was very near to death, it was then that I received a lone visitor, a man with eyes like a corpse, his monk’s robes were as black as the night. It does not do justice to say that evil was radiating from him. I’m not sure what he said or did to me because my memory is fuzzy. However, after his visit I was no longer loyal to my King.”

Morgan placed a hand on Sha’s arm, he nodded absently, she imagined his thoughts were along the lines of, “Its ok my uncle is relatively blameless so far."

Aiden continued, his words strange and altogether concerning, “After that day, I was always trying to escape the prison that was my mind, almost as if I was living my life through a tunnel of darkness. My thoughts were warped through a filter of anger and hate. Somehow as if I was looking at life using someone else’s understanding. At times, I would try to push back against the bonds in my mind, there was a part of me that knew something wasn’t right, but I was powerless.” Aiden glanced up meeting Morgan’s eye, his words laced with regret, “I know I have done many things that are unforgivable, but I just want to thank you again. I will answer any questions you have, as I owe you more than my life.”

Aiden glanced in Morgan’s direction, “Is the duke of Rollston in league with the Black Cloaks?” She asked, she wasn’t in the mood to bandy words, not when answers were at hand.

The spy master nodded slowly, his gaze flicked towards Sha, not one to disappoint, the prince blurted skeptical words, “Wait, what, my uncle that has always been loyal to the crown, won a war for Tornbaer oh and is currently fourth in line for the throne.”

Morgan silenced him firmly, “Sha, surely you had an inkling of your uncle’s underhandedness!” Sha fizzled, she used the opportunity to ask another question, “Why did the Black Cloaks attack Crewtown?”

Aiden indicated in Castain’s direction, “They were looking for him, the duke received information about Castain’s disloyalty to the Black Cloaks. The prince confided in him after a fight with his brother, it was that conversation that started the hunt for Castain, the report that Castain had made to Kurja after killing the princess was very different from the story that Sha had told.”

Sha went uncharacteristically quiet, Marlo placed a firm hand upon his shoulder, he continued to stare at Aiden, keenly waiting for him to continue, as if willing him to say words he so desperately wanted to hear. Aiden sent the room into a spin with his next statement, “Because there was no body, the duke knew that Jaiera could still be alive.”

“Wait, what, is my sister alive or not?” Sha exclaimed; the desperate question aimed at Castain.

“Yes, she is alive,” Castain affirmed, “I didn’t know who to trust in the palace, so I had to hide her away.” Castain’s voice softened, “It did me great pain knowing, what your family went through. I am sorry Sha. I had no way of knowing that she was truly safe.” Still speechless, there were tears forming in the corner of Sha’s eyes. Castain continued to speak, “I should have known who was behind this. I should have put two and two together, the timing, everything, it all makes sense now.”

Sha’s voice was thick with emotion, “Where is she, where is my sister?”

Castain sighed, responding haltingly, “I guess I can trust everyone, and it no longer matters because we know who the spy is, your sister from what I hear is currently being looked after by your mother, although the Queen has no idea.”
Sha looked bewildered, “Wait, do you mean Piper. That can’t be right. She is Morgan’s daughter.”

Morgan attempted but failed to keep the mirth from her response, “No Sha she isn’t my real daughter; clearly, I’m not old enough to have a child of Piper’s age. I never for a second thought she was anything other than an orphan looking for a home. We had no idea who paid Rorg handsomely to deliver her to Crewtown, as he was dead.”

Sha remained speechless, it was clearly all a little too much then suddenly as awakening from a dream, he strode purposefully in her direction, Morgan froze in alarm, unsure of his intent. When he reached her, he picked her up as if she weighed nothing, then he laughed spinning her around merrily. Sha attempted to give Castain the same treatment, the hug clearly making the pirate uncomfortable, “Are you sure, you are, okay?” Morgan asked, more than a little worried that Sha might eventually come down from his ecstatic outbursts.

“I can’t say I’m happy to find my uncle apparently tried to kill my sister, but to find out she’s still alive.” Sha left his comment unfinished, his eyes gazing into the distance, he continued, “I actually remember the conversation with Uncle Fife. I had just fought with Leo, and I was feeling guilty and frustrated. The words I had used were, they left only blood, and I couldn’t even mourn her loss. He had seemed distant after that.” Suddenly, a look of abject anguish met Sha’s features, “That means I’m responsible for all the deaths at Crewtown,” he exclaimed.

Marlo who had been quietly blubbering in the corner offered muffled words, “No lad, you are not to blame. I think we all know who is.”

Castain swore as if realising something, “The King, Queen, crown prince and princess are all in danger, as soon as the duke finds out we have escaped and are headed home, he will start plotting to kill everyone just in case we make it. We must get back with as much sail as we can spare.”

“Piper in danger, not if I can help it!” Marlo yelled, his long legs taking him out the door.

Morgan assumed that Marlo wanted to go and order the crew around to make himself feel better. Shrugging, she turned back to Aiden to ask another question, “I think we can all safely say, you are not under the sway of whatever that was. Can you tell us anything else about the hooded figure, or the duke’s motives for all of this?”

The spy masters reply was edged in sadness, “I’m sorry he scared me, that I remember it was as if the air around him carried a wave of fear; his face was hidden by a hood, and I was too weak to notice much else, not very spy like I know. As for the duke motives, I have no clue nor was I privy to such things.” Pausing as if trying to remember anything helpful, he continued, “One thing I can tell you, the black dots are not tattoos; they occur when you do a task assigned to you by the master. Once the task is complete, it burns into your skin and you lose a piece of yourself every time,” sighing Aiden continued, “I wish I could help further, but my assigned job was to do the duke’s bidding.”
 “Then we will need to ask the duke the same questions. But first we must do a strip search!” Morgan affirmed, she headed for the exit, the action fuelled by renewed purpose.

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Later that day, Morgan found herself alone at the wheel, she was feeling decidedly sorry for herself, despite the lack of complaints, she felt guilty about inspecting the crew for black dots. Worse still, she was plagued with worry because Piper was in danger. Amidst the turmoil a stray image released a smile to her lips, the image was of Piper prancing around Tornbaer’s throne room, dressed in frilly finery, swearing like a sailor. Morgan could not believe that her daughter was a princess. Sha stepped onto the quarterdeck; her smile faulted. He stopped behind her and rested his head upon her left shoulder, the act releasing imprisoned breath. Once again Morgan admitted to herself that she loved the impetuous, cheeky, open book of a man who stood with her. She wanted to speak of so many things, instead she sat in the silence. Feeling stronger in Sha’s presence, she looked ahead, past the ship, towards the annoyingly calm sea before her. “I want to thank you for so many things, but most of all I want to thank you for treating her as if she was yours,” Sha said, the heartfelt words bringing her warmth.
“You must know I didn’t know. I would have told you,” She asserted.

His stubble tickled her neck, “There is no way I can be anything, other than happy right now.”

“What if we don’t get back in time?”

Sha stifled a yawn next to her ear, “I might be quick to react but one thing I do know is not to worry about things that are outside your control.”

“That doesn’t sound like you at all,” she said, glancing at him sideways.

“How about when I get my hands on my uncle, I will kill him for what he has done to my family?” Morgan readied a lecture, Sha beat her to the punch, “I know, I know, don’t let anger guide you, it could get you or someone you know killed.”

Morgan let newfound warmth guide her words, “That’s what I love about you, Sha, you can’t hide your feelings.”

“Oh, so you love me, do you?” Sha said, letting out a whoop of glee.

Morgan smiled, glancing at the ship then the sea before her, she allowed herself to ponder on what if, and what could be.