Gin sat in the corner of the cell, eyes tracing the cracks in the ceiling. The crew of the Opal was back in the palace dungeons of Sivona, and he was now in the mood for fist-fighting the guards that brought them here, taken from Cadrid for no reason at all, under arrest... again.

"Back in this dingy hole," Juli noted. She sat nearest the bars where the guards behind it pointed their rifles.

"I thought we were working for the king," Sam said, his back to the wall beside Gin.

"I thought we were working with him," Captain Zalez corrected as he stopped pacing the room and finally sat with his brother on the dirty floor. "We were double-crossed."

Gin was quiet as the rest struggled to understand why the king locked them up again. But he was grateful that they had found Ria. He still couldn't believe that her hand was gone, that Enzo would do such a thing to her. He only wished the king had the best somasi healer to stave off her bleeding and lessen her pain. Though injured, she was safe now. But he knew the pain in her heart for what she lost could never be healed by anyone, even the most powerful and talented somasi.

Footsteps came from the end of the hall, and they all turned their heads as the door to the dungeons opened. Migal entered with several guards.

The crew of the Opal all stood except for Gin, who pretended to be uninterested in Migal's arrival, but he was all ears for news of Ria.

"What's the meaning of this, Migal?" Captain Zalez said. The crew stood behind him.

"The king would like to speak with you," Migal said without answering the captain's question.

"Well, why doesn't he come down here instead of sending a puppy to carry his message?" The captain sneered. He was angry and disappointed with the treatment. After saving the king's sister, this was not what the crew expected to become of them. "Though you are too big to be a puppy."

Migal took a deep breath. No hints in his eyes that said he was affected by the captain's insult. "He is the king. He doesn't need to explain himself or bother to drag him down a flight of stairs to see a bunch of sea gypsies." He turned to one guard to open the cellar door. "Take the captain," he ordered.

Gin shot up to his feet. "I want to come, too."

"The king only wants to see the captain," Migal said.

"Well, I'm not going without Gin." Captain Zalez stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, defiant.

"The king orders you to come willingly," Migal said as the guard opened the grilled gate.

The rest of the crew stepped forward, ready to fight, unwilling to give their captain to the guards to be dragged to the presence of the king.

"We're not going to have this argument again, are we?" Captain Zalez gave Migal a one-sided smile. "Gin goes with me, or I won't go at all."

Migal became impatient. "Fine. Take them both," he ordered the guards, and the crew parted to make way for Gin and the captain.

The guards escorted them up the stairs, which were now familiar to Gin, despite having to walk up and down them only a few times. He wanted to touch the walls, to feel the structure with his concretostringere, but his hands were bound behind his back, and the guards had steadily pointed their weapons at his neck.

He diverted his attention elsewhere instead, walking closer to Migal. "How is Ria?" he asked behind the tall man.

Migal glanced back. "She is the princess to you," he said before continuing to walk without answering the question.

As they made their way to the corridors, this time, they were escorted to the throne room where the king sat on the chair that all rulers of the Draga Isles have sat on--its high, tall back decorated with golden spires. The king, robed in elegant royal purple, looked up when they entered. The captain of his guards stood beside him.

They all bowed to the king and stood before the throne.

"I think you for returning my sisted to Sivona," the king started, sitting straight in his chair.

"It's our pleasure, Your Majesty. But getting arrested again wasn't the reward or the thanks we were expecting," Captain Zalez said.

"The dungeons are not the most accommodating, I agree," the king replied. "But my staff had not meant to harm any of your crew."

"The accommodation is well suited as we are only sea gypsies. Your--" Captain Zalez gestured to Migal "--staff has pointed that out. We're used to it."

The king pursed his lips but didn't look at Migal. His eyes focused on Gin and the captain. "You will be rewarded for your troubles. But I am in need of your services again."

Captain Zalez gave the king a fake smile. "How may we be of service to you, Your Majesty?"

"I was informed that you had not retrieved the documents when you were in Cadrid," the king said.

"We had to prioritize, Your Majesty. It was the documents or the princess' life," Captain Zalez returned.

"That is understandable. But now I need you to find those documents and deliver them to me." The king set his jaw, commanding.

"What's in it for us?" the captain cautiously asked.

"Your freedom. You will not be accused of abducting the princess," the king explained.

"Too late for that." The captain couldn't help but note it, and Gin almost laughed, suppressing the bubbling smile on his lips.

"With a sentence of ten years of imprisonment," the king added.

"But we didn't abduct the princess," Gin argued. He swallowed. "Your Majesty."

"That is for me to decide," the king said.

For a moment, both parties fell silent, staring at each other, thinking, and waiting for the other to speak first. The offer could have been better. The payment was something they already had--freedom. Ria had been the one to come to the Opal in the first place. She was the one who sought them out.

Gin glanced at Migal, wondering if that story was told in truth. By the atmosphere of the room, it was not. And they were marked as a crew of sea gypsies who had abducted the princess from Sivona.

The king broke the silence first, and Gin looked back to him. "You will be rewarded with ten thousand pridas."

Captain Zalez humphed at the amount offered.

"For each member of your crew. I believe that would make a total of fifty thousand pridas," the king added.

Gin's ears perked as if catching something sweet, and he knew the captain would have smiled at the sum, but he also knew that they should keep a straight face until the negotiation was done.

"Twenty thousand for each member of the Opal," Captain Zalez countered the offer.

"Twelve," the king said.

"Fifteen."

"Done." The king agreed.

Gin let the smile spread over his face. When he glanced at the captain, he was grinning, too.

"Fifteen thousand pridas for every member of the Opal," Captain Zalez said, nodding.

"You have five days to deliver the documents to me, or there will be no money, and you will be hunted down like criminals to the ends of the Draga Isles."

"The Opal always delivers, Your Majesty." Captain Zalez dipped his head.

The king then dismissed them, and the guards flanked them to leave. They've already turned to the door of the throne room, but Gin couldn't help but pivot back. Two guards held him by the shoulders.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," he called back to the throne.

The king waved the guards away, and they released Gin.

"I would like to ask. How is the princess?" Gin said, stepping forward.

The king raised a brow at his question, curiosity filling his eyes. Most likely wondering why a sea gypsy like Gin would care about his sister. But he set his lips and answered, "She is well."

Gin nodded. The answer was not enough, but all the same, he was grateful to know that Ria was alright. "Thank you, Your Majesty."