Elwin went alone.

  Prin offered to go with him, but he declined. He didn’t figure he would find ‘the one’ immediately, but if he could get a jump start on it . . . well, the sooner the better.

  Keeping Aster’s idea at hand, as well as the bad neighborhood of the ship, so to speak, that Cora had showed them, he headed into the depths of the ship.

  Could the cheating fiancé be found in the seedier area of the ship? With the other drinkers, and gamblers, etc? Did he even do anything worth the death penalty?

  It was after dark now, though still fairly early, he supposed, for night life. So he was surprised to see how thick the halls and drinking establishments were with people.

  It made Elwin feel shy, self conscious, he was glad he had the new clothes on, although it had felt silly at the time. So at least he wouldn’t stick out so much?

  The stares of the others told another story. He guessed he still wasn’t up to par with these rich men’s sons, and the occasional daughter.

  Elwin felt his face heat up. He couldn’t blame them though, they were right to stare. They were looking at an accomplice murderer.

  He couldn’t think about it too much, he couldn’t dwell. That way lay madness.

  The rooms had decorated doors and archways, to give the illusion of a city center in the depths of a lit up cave. Or something like that. The bottom of the ocean maybe.

  A girl came up to him and spoke, trying to either offer or request a cigarette. Elwin smiled at her vaguely but didn’t answer. He didn’t want to serve a girl up to Prin. Or rather, it’s not what Prin would want.

  He was overwhelmed.

  No one seemed bad in any kind of especial way and he wasn’t sure he was the right one to pick them out.

  A tropical themed drinking establishment spilled out bright colors and the smell of rum and over ripe fruit. Next to it, a shut door with a lavish sign featuring cards, and wheels, and dice, for gambling.

  A nervous looking young man (although who was he to say that about anyone else?) with sensitive brown eyes taking cover behind round wire rimmed glasses, put his hand on Elwin’s arm to get his attention. “You look lost.” He stated. He gave Elwin a cautiously friendly little smile like a gift.

  “I am, and I don’t know what I’m looking for.” Elwin said. Or rather, it’s not like I can tell you.

  The young man laughed. “I don’t know what I’m doing here either. I don’t gamble, I barely drink, and my friends don’t like me.” At the knitting of Elwin’s brows in concern, he waved it away. “It’s alright, the feeling’s mutual.”

  He was a slight young man, shorter than Elwin, with black hair and the remnants of baby fat still hanging on and softening his features in an appealing fashion. He was wearing a dapper looking dark grey pin striped suit with a sparkling diamond and ruby lapel pin in the shape of a pomegranate with a fly on it that didn’t seem in keeping with the rest of his look. Elwin wondered what it meant.

  The young man looked at the gold time piece on his wrist. “I know it’s still early, relatively speaking, but do you want to get out of here and – Oh, I haven’t introduced myself! You don’t even know who I am, I could be anybody!” He took Elwin’s hand and pumped it up and down. “I’m Kit. Well, it’s Kawaihaku, but everyone calls me Kit. So droll, I know.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Elwin wanted to get away from him, his friendliness was unnerving and a distraction, but he didn’t know how to do it so he just answered. “Elwin.”

  “Ahh, that’s a nice name. Doesn’t sound at all like you grew up on an island with more fruit trees than people.” Kit laughed awkwardly and finally dropped his hand. “Now that we know each other, would you want to --?”

  Before he could finish his thought, the door to the gambling parlor swung open, and someone pushed past them in a huff.

  The tall young man, blond, and red faced from drink and things not going his way, turned his face back toward them. “What are you standing around for? Get outa my way!” He slurred. “Unless you could give me a small loan, Kitten?” He pressed his hands together in an imploring gesture. “To turn my fortunes around?”

  “No.” Kit said plainly.

  “Oh fine! Then go back to your room and play with a ball of yarn!” The fumbling drunkard pushed Kit hard with one hand as he sulked on down the hall.

  Kit winced, giving Elwin an apologetic look. “See? One of the bad friends I’ve got. It’s easier to just humor them sometimes but I’m sick of it.”

  Elwin frowned. He wondered if that guy would be tasty for his prince. He didn’t like to see anyone bullied, especially by someone bigger than themselves.

  As the door swung shut again, Elwin caught a glimpse of a party atmosphere inside. Card tables and various games with rolling balls, dice, and contraptions that had jingling bells going off. In the center of the room, was a table full of men getting up and abandoning their cards, considerably gloomy, and presiding over them with a Cheshire cat grin was Dru.

  “What’s the matter boys? Out of money? One more round, what do you say?” Dru was asking.

  Elwin didn’t know a lot about gambling, practically nothing in fact, except that it seemed like a good way to waste all your money. But, he did wonder if it drew people that were bad.

  Elwin pushed the door open and went inside. Kit followed along behind him after a small noise of protest.

  “Oh, hey youuuu.” Dru winked at Elwin, pointing at him with a playing card. Too drunk to remember his name.

  “What are you doing?” Elwin asked. Not that it wasn’t obvious.

  “What are YOU doing?” Dru laughed. “I’m winning, that’s what. Winning winning winning.” She put her head down on the table.

  An attendant in a vest and nametag came over to the table. “We have to clear up for a new round of games. We’ll need to ask you to go back to your cabin please.”

  “Dru?” Elwin asked.

  “What do you want? I’m just gonna rest here a minute.” Dru said.

  “I never knew you were like this.” Elwin said. The disapproval in his voice made him sound like his father.

  “Like what?? Drunk?? Who among us . . ?” Dru lifted her head slightly. “I’m fine.”

  “Security could escort her to her cabin? I could send for them.” Kit suggested, his voice soft against Elwin’s ear, sending the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

  “No, I can do it.” Elwin said. He wanted to make sure she went to Aster’s room anyway and not back to his and Prin’s.

  “Fi-iine.” Dru scooped up her winnings and shoved the tokens and money into her pockets. “Why you got to be so uptight? I didn’t know you were like this either.” She stood up, wobbly on her feet and gestured toward Kit. “Trading one teenager for another? You certainly have a type. Oh-“ She giggled. “I forgot you are also a teenager. Carry on.”

  “That’s not funny.” Elwin put his arms around her and lifted her to a standing position. “Let me help you. You don’t want to end up in ship’s jail, do you? For drunk and disorderly.”

  “The brig.” Kit offered helpfully.

  As Elwin was helping Dru away from the throng of seedy-seeming revelers, Kit cast him a winsome look and pressed a scrap of paper into his hand. “I hope we’ll see each other again.” He said with a little wave. “Even tonight, if you like.”

  Elwin didn’t know what he meant by that, but took the scrap without looking at it and waved goodbye to the friendly boy.

  Dru’s eyes threatened to fall closed but she managed to stay (mostly) upright while she leaned on Elwin on their way back to their cabins. She didn’t speak another word of protest until she saw where Elwin was guiding her.

  “Hey! This is the wrong room.” Dru said with astonishment.

  “Not for you it isn’t.”

  *

  Aster was filing his nails when the door to the cabin abruptly opened and Elwin came in with a drunken Dru on his arm.

  This arrangement was going to be more annoying than Aster had thought, so he pretended to ignore them and examined the evenness of his nails as though he hadn’t a care in the world. Good enough.

  He looked up with a customer service smile plastered across his face. It was the best he could do on short notice.

  “Why am I in here?” Dru asked as Elwin plunked her down on the unused twin bed next to Aster’s.

  “This is your room, remember?” Elwin said.

  Dru just tilted her head in confusion, before beaming a grin at Aster. “I won! You shoulda seen it! Those doofuses didn’t know what hit ‘em.” She laughed loudly.

  This was going to be a long night.