Treasure by Megan Derr Page A

in his dress, but not flamboyant and, by comparison, almost severe. He was dressed in black breeches and high black leather boots, the sort that came up to his thighs and were meant for wading through water. He wore the short, thigh-length tunic favored by sailors so deep a red it nearly looked black, except when compared to the black undertunic. His sash was deep violet decorated with red flowers.
    Kyo strode past him, and Taka recalled himself, following him across the room to greet the two men. He bowed. "Master Raiden, Captain, good morning to you both. Thank you for joining us."
    Raiden smiled at him. "It is always an honor to serve."
    Silence fell, making Taka frown because Kyo was normally quick to move along with the pleasantries and get to business, but when he looked at Kyo, he was staring at Captain Ningyo, who stared back with a slight frown. Taka wondered what in the storms he was missing, but shrugged the matter aside for the moment. "Shall we have breakfast?"
    "Yes," Kyo said, finally breaking away from the odd staring contest. "We have much to discuss. A good meal seemed a sensible and easy enough thing to provide. Come and sit." He turned away and led the way to the table, and Taka really wanted to know what had become of the cool, controlled prince who had been in the room just a moment ago.
    Stifling a sigh, he resumed his seat and set out the portfolio of papers he had brought along, as well as the jewel cases he would rather throw into the sea than hand over to the smug bastard across the table from him. Taka shifted impatiently on his cushion, then forced himself to hold still. He served breakfast in silence while Kyo exchanged pleasantries before moving smoothly on to business.
    "May I ask why the timetable has been moved up, Highness? As I said, we are happy to accommodate, but we could more thoroughly prepare if we had more time."
    Kyo stared at his tea in pensive silence for a moment before he finally said, "As I am certain you are aware, my journey is not entirely sanctioned. My father will be making a formal announcement this afternoon that I am expected to go on a different journey. I want no part of it for reasons that are my concern alone. So I must leave with you before I am forced to leave under my father's guard."
    "Yes, Highness. We can depart at dawn tomorrow."
    "Good. Taka."
    Hiding a grimace, Taka pushed the portfolio across the table. "Authentication papers for the jewels you are being given in exchange for unlimited passage and the final draft of the contract granting you Prince Nankyokukai's royal secretary for the duration of the voyage, to be renegotiated in exactly three months' time."
    "Excellent," Raiden said, and he flipped open the portfolio, fanning the papers out to look them over. "All looks reasonable to me. Are those the jewels?"
    Taka nodded and pushed the two leather cases across the table. Raiden opened them, and Taka seethed at the look on his face. Those were his , storms forsake him! Even if technically they were Kyo's, they were his. Now they were in the hands of a gaudy, arrogant merchant who probably cared for nothing except how much more he could get from Kyo before the journey was over.
    It made him sick to think that in exactly one day he would have to follow Raiden's every order, and Kyo … Kyo would no longer be his master, and Taka did not know what that meant so far as their relationship went. It was perfectly normal for a secretary to spend a great deal of time with the master he served, but without that between them there was absolutely nothing between them. Just a prince and a servant, and that meant they were not friends. But surely, at least trapped on a ship, their friendship could linger and hopefully, when they returned to Kundou, everything would go back to the way it had been.
    "These are beautiful," Raiden said at last, lifting out the choker called The Mermaid's Grasp:  three rows of perfectly matched black pearls, interspersed every two pearls