Unearth the Tides: A Retelling of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Alissa Zavalianos

Author:Alissa Zavalianos [Zavalianos, Alissa]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Alissa J. Zavalianos
Published: 2023-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

Hard Truths

It seemed an eternity had climbed on board with Prince Clark’s arrival, the unrelenting time embodied by his physical, comatose form. It was as if the entire Neptucadis waited with bated breath for the moment we all hoped was coming.

And twelve days later, it did. Though not in the way I imagined.

The prince woke up, yelling—screaming, more like—and rattled the entire vessel with his raucous fit of unbridled confusion.

Willa was at his bedside in an instant, Monty and I close behind. Captain Aldo was nowhere to be found. In truth, I hadn’t seen him since the night the prince came aboard.

But to my immense relief, Prince Clark’s eyes were open. The man was actually alive! Though at the moment, a wild fit of hysteria overtook any sound reasoning that could be had from him.

“What’s going on?” Monty asked, his brow pinched.

I watched as Willa mixed some herbs and tried administering them to the prince but, with all the man’s flailing, couldn’t even get anything past his lips. Instead, his hand accidentally smacked her cheek and sent the tincture flying. It smashed on the ground, the contents spilling everywhere.

“Your Highness, you need to cooperate,” Willa said, her voice gentle but obviously strained. She tried holding him down, but he was too unpredictable in his movements.

“Here. Let me.” I took her place and pinned Prince Clark by his forearms, an action I’d never imagined I’d ever have to do. He kicked with his legs instead, a look of panic in his wide eyes, so I gestured to Monty, and he sat on them. Though much weakened by being bedridden for so long, Clark was strong in his hysteria but not strong enough to take on two grown men.

Willa was quick, too. She gathered everything she needed and mixed a new tincture before readministering the medicine to unwilling lips.

Prince Clark, hair slicked with sweat against his forehead, sounded like he was gurgling the liquid, some of it dribbling down his pale chin and onto his cheeks. But after Willa held his head back and placed a few more drops down his throat, he had no other choice except to swallow.

In a matter of minutes, his panic died down, and he stopped fighting. He slumped back and closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm.

“What on Braka…” Monty started.

I had never seen the likes of this before, either. Slowly, I extricated myself from the prince’s limp form and stood. Monty was a bit more hesitant, but he did the same.

“He’s delirious. A high fever can drive even the most rational of people mad.” Willa rubbed her red cheek, her voice growing hoarse. “Now that he’s awake from his coma, some normal sleep should do him some good. Fluids every hour should help to bring down his fever, too.”

I studied her, watching her expression as it shifted from pain to holding back tears. I was about to take a step closer, hesitating only a moment, but Monty beat me to it.

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