Princess of Wind and Sea Read online

  Castle Swan Media

  www.castleswanmedia.com

  Princess of Wind and Sea

  Published by Castle Swan Media

  1712 Pioneer Avenue, Suite 500

  c/o Wyoming Corporate Services

  Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved

  Copyright @ 2019 by Cassandra Finnerty

  Excerpt from Princess of the Emerald Valleys by Cassandra Finnerty

  Cover design by Damonza

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018968246

  Title: Princess of Wind and Sea / Cassandra Finnerty.

  Description: Cheyenne, Wyoming : Castle Swan Media, [2019] | Series: [Princess of Nature series] ; [book 2]

  Identifiers: ISBN 9781732426238 (print) | ISBN 9781732426221 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Princesses--Fiction. | Princes--Fiction. | Magic--Fiction. | Man-woman relationships--Fiction. | Voyages and travels--Fiction. | Survival--Fiction. | LCGFT: Fantasy fiction. | Action and adventure fiction.

  Classification: LCC PS3606.I5594 P752 2019 (print) | LCC PS3606.I5594 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23

  ISBN 978-1-7324262-2-1 (e-book)

  ISBN 978-1-7324262-3-8 (print)

  Printed by Createspace

  castleswanmedia.com

  To my friends and family.

  Cassandra Finnerty

  Castle Swan Media

  www.castleswanmedia.com

  Contents

  Chapter One: Wild Seas

  Chapter Two: Cast Away

  Chapter Three: The Gloomy Forest

  Chapter Four: The Chase

  Chapter Five: New Powers

  Chapter Six: The Unforseen

  Chapter Seven: Rising Tide

  Chapter Eight: Illumination

  Chapter Nine: Hope

  Chapter Ten: Peril

  Chapter Eleven: The Healing Heart

  Chapter Twelve: The Rescue

  Chapter Thirteen: Conversation With The King

  Chapter Fourteen: Vanished

  Chapter Fifteen: Cloak And Dagger

  Chapter Sixteen: Crossroads

  Chapter Seventeen: Mirage

  Chapter Eighteen: Onslaught

  Chapter Nineteen: Insidious

  Chapter Twenty: Conquest

  Chapter Twenty-One: Celebration

  Chapter Twenty Two: The Lush Garden

  Acknowledgments

  Book Club Questions

  Princess Of Wind And Sea

  Conversation with Cassandra Finnerty

  Author of Princess of Wind and Sea

  About The Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  WILD SEAS

  Dark clouds swirled in the night, creating a fortress of looming shadows. As thunder and lightning raged across the sky, winds rushed through the cold alleyways of the ship. The vessel creaked and groaned with the rising swells, as if to protest the incessant pounding against the waves.

  Prince Drayaen paced in his quarters. His large boots clicked on the wooden floor as he marched across the chamber. He grasped the sword fastened to his side and brushed back his long, wild hair, which had fallen out of its queue.

  His warrior clothes, a half-opened shirt and black pants, clung to his powerful form. Feeling overheated in the cramped space, he flung open the window and shoved the table against the wall.

  He felt like a confined tiger, waiting to burst from the cage.

  His heart pounded as he thought about Aisling. It had been three days since they’d been together, yet it felt like a lifetime.

  He needed to see her.

  Touch her.

  Every instinct told him they were headed into danger. He wanted to keep her safe, and yet how could he? Just a few more hours, he told himself, and I’ll be back by her side.

  Daylight couldn’t come soon enough.

  Frantic knocking at the door interrupted his thoughts. A ship’s assistant waved a missive from the captain. The prince scanned the note and rushed out of the chamber.

  A few minutes later, he arrived at Maológ’s quarters, where officers huddled around a large table. The glow of the candles outlined murky shadows on the wall.

  “What is it?” asked Drayaen.

  “We’re heading into a violent storm.”

  “Can we go back and wait it out?”

  “Behind us is no better. We’re boxed in.”

  The prince gripped his sword. He thought about Aisling. I need to be with her now, he thought. He drew in sharp breaths and told himself to be calm.

  As if to read his mind, Maológ shook his head. “All fleet transfers are on hold, Your Highness.”

  As much as he wanted to argue, Drayaen could feel the ship pitching against the rising swells of water. Turning to the window, he eyed the waves. He didn’t want to risk a collision with the Saoirse.

  “How long before the weather clears?”

  Maológ glanced at his officers. “We’re not certain. Right now, we need to find the best place to ride out the storm and minimize damage.”

  “Where is that?”

  “We’re waiting for orders.”

  The prince frowned and ran his hand through his hair. Patience was never his strong suit. “What do you need?”

  “We have to secure the weapons, especially the cannons and gunpowder. There’s lightning nearby. I don’t want to risk a fire.”

  “I’ll roust my men.”

  As he left the cabin, the ship careened to the side. Drayaen steadied himself as he moved through the narrow passageways. Rounding the corner, he ran headlong into Colonel Lex.

  “I need your help,” said Drayaen. “We have to secure the armory before it ends up in the sea.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “We’re in for a rough ride.”

  “How many men do you want?”

  “About a dozen. Ask for volunteers. This is high risk.”

  “I’ll roust them now. I doubt anyone is getting any sleep.”

  “We’ll need a large amount of rope. Safety cables, too. The deck is treacherous.”

  “What about timing?”

  “Meet back here in fifteen minutes.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  The colonel nodded and hurried down the hall, while the Prince went in search of news from the Saoirse.

  The volunteers huddled at the entrance to the deck, waiting for orders. The prince addressed his soldiers.

  “To protect everyone on the ship, the weapons need to be secured. If you see other moving objects, tie them down too.”

  “Divide into groups,” said Colonel Lex. “Use your safety line. Shout if there’s a problem.”

  As the door was heaved open, the wind, rain, and salt water hit them with brutal force. Drayaen’s thoughts turned to Aisling. When she told him life at sea had unforeseen risks, he hadn’t realized that she encountered this level of danger. He hoped, more than anything, that she was safe.

  The men crawled down the deck. Bolts of lightning illuminated the night sky, followed by clashes of thunder. The electrified air cast a bluish hue across the bow. Waves pounded the ship with a deafening roar.

  The churning seas hurled over the railings, flinging an icy spray that permeated the men’s clothing like a second skin. With each fresh onslaught, they struggled to maintain their balance.

  And then the fog rolled in.

  The Prince inched his way down the deck, straining to see what lay ahead. He anchored himself to the railing, bracing against the
surge of seawater that battered his body. As he moved toward the bow, the force of the blasts became stronger and more unforgiving.

  He tied down the last of the remaining objects and headed back to the stern. At that moment, a powerful wave hit with such strength that it propelled him farther down the deck. He extended his arms to grab a hold of anything that would stop the violent motion. As he regained his balance, he heard shouting in the distance.

  “What’s happened?” he yelled above the noise of the storm.

  There was no response. The prince hauled himself to the other side, closer to the furor. “This is Prince Drayaen. What is the matter?”

  The shouting grew louder. One of his men came into view.

  “Someone fell overboard.”

  “Who?”

  “The colonel.”

  Drayaen’s chest tightened. “Get a message to the captain, now.” He crawled closer to the sound. “Lex, can you hear me?”

  There was a hoarse voice in the distance, muffled by the wind and waves.

  “There are two of us. We’re dangling from the railing.”

  The prince, his heart pounding, shouted to his team. “Find the colonel’s rope.”

  “It’s here,” yelled the assistant.

  Drayaen surveyed the side of the ship. The mist made it difficult to see, but he spotted two cables leading down toward the water.

  “How far did you fall?”

  “I think I’m below the second deck.”

  “What about the other man?”

  “He’s not responding.”

  “All right, we’ll go below. It will be easier to pull you up from there. We’re on our way.”

  We can’t lose any men, thought the prince. He hoped it wasn’t too late.

  Maológ watched the activities on the deck through his spyglass. Suddenly, he heard shouting. A few minutes later, Sean appeared, breathless and agitated.

  “What is it?”

  “Men overboard. We’re not sure if they’re in the water or between decks.”

  “How many?”

  “It’s unclear. More than one.”

  “Reduce sail. Mobilize the rescue team.”

  “What about alerts?”

  “Sound the blast warning to alert the fleet.”

  A bigger issue, Maológ thought, is that the waves could swamp the ship.

  Prince Drayaen raced to the lower deck, his men close on his heels. Despite the cold, he was sweating and overheated. He tied himself to the railing and leaned over the side.

  “All right, I see you,” he said to the colonel. “Hang on.”

  The group grasped sections of the cable, but each time they made a bit of progress, the wind blew the bodies farther away from the ship. The prince huffed in frustration and turned to Sean.

  “We need more men. A strong wave could break the cable.”

  “The rescue team is on the way. I see them now.”

  Drayaen waved them forward. “There’s an injured man below. Retrieve him, and we’ll recover the colonel.”

  As the group heaved the bodies closer to the deck, the prince shouted to his officer.

  “A few more feet to go.”

  “I see you now,” said Colonel Lex.

  With a final effort, the rescue team hauled the men to safety. Just as the soldiers landed on the planks, one of the ropes snapped and plunged into the sea.

  “Are you all right?” Drayaen asked, scanning the colonel for signs of injury.

  His officer eyed the frayed cable. “I hurt my arm, but he’s in worse shape,” he said, pointing to the other soldier.

  “We’ll get him into the sick bay.”

  “Thanks for the rescue. I was worried there, for awhile.”

  “I’m glad you’re with us.” The prince turned to the others. “This storm is getting worse. We need to run for shelter.”

  The group navigated toward the door, grasping at railing posts to steady their progress. As they neared the entrance, there was a sudden vibration and the ship lurched forward. The men slammed into the planks from the force of the impact.

  “We’ve hit something,” yelled Sean.

  “Move, now,” yelled the prince to his team.

  Another massive wave flew over the bow, hurling cascades of water down the deck.

  “Crawl,” he ordered.

  The men clutched the lower railing and labored to reach the entrance. One by one, the teams staggered to safety, drenched and winded from the onslaught.

  “Is everyone here?”

  “We are, Your Highness,” said the colonel.

  “Sean, can someone escort the men to the sick bay? Anyone with wounds should be tended.”

  “Aye, the assistant will take them.”

  Drayaen thanked his crew and rushed off to the Captain’s Quarters.

  They’d run aground.

  Life onboard a ship was new to him, but even he recognized the severity of the disaster.

  He hoped they would make it out alive.

  CHAPTER TWO

  CAST AWAY

  Aisling huddled over the desk, reviewing the latest weather alert. She looked up as Ryen pounded on the doorway, his expression grim.

  “Commander, one of our ships is in trouble.”

  “Who is it?”

  “We’re not sure. The signal was unclear.”

  Aisling stood up and gripped the side of the desk. “We need to move now. How much longer?”

  “I thought we’d be there already. But the storm’s getting worse by the minute.”

  “We can’t sustain this intensity. Is there another option?”

  “Aye, but it’s risky.”

  “The situation is urgent. I’d rather adjust our route than risk losing men or ships.”

  “I suggest we head to this area,” Ryen said, pointing to the map, “but the wind is an unknown factor.”

  “What’s the current visibility?”

  “Heavy fog.”

  “Let’s move now, before disaster strikes. Sound the signal and raise the flag.”

  Aisling thought back to her father’s advice on navigating through extreme weather. He attributed success to skill and luck. She shook her head. There’s a third element that will make all the difference, she thought.

  Timing.

  Aisling braced herself as she headed into the squall. She fastened her rope around a railing and watched as the rain lashed across the deck. Gripping her jeweled dagger, she looked up at the dark skies.

  “With all my might, I command the winds to fade.”

  She felt the surge of power extend from her hand to the sword. After a few moments, the violent rocking motion subsided. Waves no longer breached the deck. Exhausted, Aisling steadied herself against the wall and secured her wand. She was relieved and somewhat surprised that her magic had worked against such a powerful force. I hope the fleet is intact, she thought. Somehow, she wasn’t convinced.

  Back in her cabin, she sat at her desk and consulted her Book of Magic.

  The previous year, upon the death of her parents, she had been shocked to learn of her inherited powers. Her newfound capabilities enabled her to change elements of nature, including sky, earth, fire, and water.

  Her first assignment had been a quest to the East Kingdom, to help the Fifth Prince and King Yi fight the dark forces. In order to keep her magic, she had to defeat the enemy, and she was given a mere twelve months to accomplish her goal.

  After leaving the region, she opened the next in a series of instructions left by her father. This time, he revealed, she needed to change history. She laughed now, remembering her incredulity at the time. It was a daunting task, and needed to be accomplished before they reached Ireland.

  She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. After departing the Island of the Crystal Waters where she had spent a glorious honeymoon, the fleet had run into a life-threatening typhoon. And for the first time since her marriage, she was separated from her husband.

  How can I impact history when my
ships may be in jeopardy? For now, she realized, all of her efforts needed to focus on protecting the ones she loved.

  The stakes were high, and time was short.

  *

  Maológ threw open his door in time to see the rescue team battle back to safety. He was reassured that the men were unharmed, but was consumed with the latest problem.

  “We felt the vessel careen a few minutes ago,” said Sean.

  “Aye, we have to move fast. Lower the anchor. Activate the emergency signal.”

  “What about testing for depth?”

  “Deploy the crew. We need to know how bad it is.”

  Drayaen appeared in the doorway. “Do you want my security team?” he asked.

  “Not yet. But if we’re grounded, we’ll be a target soon enough. Prepare for the worst.”

  The prince nodded. “The soldiers are waiting for orders.”

  “What do you need now, Captain?” asked Sean.

  “We can’t move until we assess the damage. Regroup in fifteen minutes.”

  The officers scattered as Maológ looked out at the wild sea. The swells were growing larger and more unforgiving. He braced himself for bad news. A few minutes later, Sean reappeared.

  “Captain, we’re taking on water.”

  “Where?”

  “In the hull. There doesn’t appear to be a hole, but the boards are leaking.”

  “The pumps?”

  “So far, they’re working. The carpenter is repairing the planks with oakum.”

  “Any information on what we hit?”

  “Aye, there’s debris in the area, possibly from another ship.”

  “One of ours?”

  “There’s no way of telling. But there’s a bigger issue.”

  “What is it?”

  “We’ve lost some sails.”

  “How many?”

  “At least two.”

  “Cut away the downed masts. See if you can create a brace and bind it together.”

  “Captain, there’s a spare, but we’re going to need more supplies.”

  “Work with what we have now. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

  “Aye, I’ll talk with the carpenter.”

  Maológ nodded. If the pumps were working, they might make it to the next port.