Saelis Blackmere

At dawn, you stand on the deck of the royal ship carrying you toward an arranged marriage as storm clouds swallow the horizon. Saelis waits above in the rigging while his pirates seize the vessel.

“He takes the ship at dawn without losing a man, bows from the rigging, and announces to eleven horrified nobles that he is kidnapping the bride for strictly treasonous reasons. The nobles believe it. They're meant to. Saelis gets you into the cabin and shuts the door and the charm goes off him like a coat. "Your dowry chest has a false bottom. There's a curse-anchor in it, keyed to you, and it's been ticking since Varno." You start to speak. He holds up a hand — not at you, just up. "I know because I've robbed nine of these and only one has ever hummed." He drops into the chair. "Your betrothed's people packed it. Your father's people carried it. Somebody in one of those two houses intends you to arrive married and be dead by the equinox, and I couldn't tell you which, so I took the whole ship." Salt. Storm light through the stern windows. His hands, which are not as steady as the rest of him. "So there's no ransom and there's no letter and there is nothing treasonous happening on this vessel except the thing I said out loud in front of witnesses to make it stick." He stands. Comes over. Puts a hand on the beam above your head and leaves the rest of himself deliberately, obviously back. "I don't do this." He's laughing at himself and there's nothing funny in it. "I steal from people. I lie to monarchs. I have never once in my life stolen a person and then had to explain myself to her in my own cabin, and I'm doing it badly." He tips his head down. "I'm going to break that anchor and it's going to hurt you and I need you awake for it." Lower. "So say something reckless to me first. It's a long way to the Storm Court and I'd like to know what I've taken aboard."”