Treasure by Megan Derr Page A

them, Kin went to his desk, sat down, and resumed drinking his coffee, a drink he'd become fond of in Piedre and that he vehemently refused to go without no matter how much Raiden harassed him for it. He watched idly while Takara and his Highness removed their hoods, not realizing until he saw Nankyokukai's face that he had been holding his breath.
    He was even more astonished by the wrenching disappointment he felt when the fabric finally fell away, and he realized Nankyokukai had cut his hair. His hair had been cut to his chin; the long, thigh-length, ocean-blue strands gone. It looked good, but, as much as Kin hated to admit it, Nankyokukai was beautiful, breathtakingly so, and his long, long hair had only enhanced that beauty. Everyone knew the royals wore their hair long and decorated it with beads and other trinkets, but Kin had not realized until he saw it just how stunning it could be. Even as he had wanted to stand and walk off in disgust, he had wanted to run his fingers through that hair.
    And now it was gone. Kin looked away when he realized he was staring, refilling his coffee and going over the papers his first mate had given him.  Signing off on everything, he stood to return the papers and give the order to depart.
    When he returned, the others were eating breakfast and discussing tariffs and trade laws. Kin wasn't certain what irritated him most:  that they were able to discuss it at all so early, or that Nankyokukai discussed it so well.
    Nankyokukai reminded Kin of Raiden in that he was so visually distracting that no one noticed just how hard his mind was working. Devious was the word, and conniving right on its heels, but Kin wasn't surprised by a merchant acting that way. He was surprised to find it was the case with a prince who all rumors said had little going for him save his looks, a prince who everyone said slept with his secretary.
    He had thought so earlier, watching the way they moved together, how comfortable and familiar they were together. Observing them with Raiden, he thought they were friends, but not lovers. That was a relief because the last thing he needed was Raiden attempting to seduce Takara away from Nankyokukai in the middle of the sea. Watching Raiden, he could see full well that was exactly what Raiden intended to do, and storms protect anything that stood in his way.
    Kin did not get the obsession, and he did not want to get it.  The one obsession he had was distracting enough. His fingers twitched for his dagger, but he had already tucked it away for the journey. Helplessly, his eyes flicked back to Nankyokukai, that one moment in the temple when he had thought …
    Ailill's words had come back to him, then—that the dagger had once been noble or royal. Kin had always assumed noble. Royal had never entered his mind before, and Ailill's comments were the only reason he had thought, for even a single moment, that Prince Nankyokukai was Koori.
    If he were, then surely … surely he would remember? Hope had almost immediately soured into doubt, however, when Kyo had given absolutely no indication of knowing him. He had bit the question back at the last moment. Looking at Nankyokukai ensconced on his ship and bickering trade law almost cheerfully with Raiden …
    He just could not reconcile that little boy with the arrogant prince before him. Kin left the room again, in no mood to feel out of place on his own ship. He joined Samé on the poop deck, listening while Samé rattled on about the ship and crew, the weather, how good it would be to be in Pozhar again.
    Kin silently agreed. Pozhar was always tense because of the search for and eventual sacrifice of the Vessels, but the children of rebirth placed a great deal of faith on that very thing, more than any other country. It was hard to keep down people who believed that the end of one life was just the beginning of another.
    They also had fine whorehouses and none of the prudery of Verde and Piedre and were a taste of something