Author/Uploaded by Victoria McCombs
Acclaim for The Royal Rose Chronicles “It’s a rare gem, a second book that’s better than the first in a series, but this is definitely one of them. And that’s saying something, because Oathbound is so, so good.” —S.D. Grimm, author of the Children of the Blood Moon trilogy and A Dragon by Any Other Name “In this nautical fantasy, McCombs keeps the stakes high,...
Acclaim for The Royal Rose Chronicles “It’s a rare gem, a second book that’s better than the first in a series, but this is definitely one of them. And that’s saying something, because Oathbound is so, so good.” —S.D. Grimm, author of the Children of the Blood Moon trilogy and A Dragon by Any Other Name “In this nautical fantasy, McCombs keeps the stakes high, maintaining a melodramatic dynamic between the protagonists that emphasizes their youth . . . alongside the threat of mutiny.” —Publishers Weekly “This story has all the beloved elements of a classic pirate tale, including ferocious sea monsters, captivating merfolk, legendary treasure troves, and haunting black ships.” —Manhattan Book Review “Filled with danger, romance, and a good dose of piracy. Arn’s ship, The Royal Rose, is a good backdrop for laughter and heartache alike . . . A story that’s sure to awaken readers’ thirsts for adventure.” —Foreword Reviews Books by Victoria McCombs The Storyteller’s Series The Storyteller’s Daughter Woods of Silver and Light The Winter Charlatan Heir of Roses The Royal Rose Chronicles Oathbound Silver Bounty Silver Bounty Copyright © 2023 by Victoria McCombs Published by Enclave Publishing, an imprint of Oasis Family Media, LLC. Carol Stream, IL. USA. www.enclavepublishing.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, digitally stored, or transmitted in any form without written permission from Oasis Family Media, LLC. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental. ISBN: 979-8-88605-026-4 (hardback) ISBN: 979-8-88605-027-1 (printed softcover) ISBN: 979-8-88605-029-5 (ebook) Cover design by Emilie Haney, www.EAHCreative.com Typesetting by Jamie Foley, www.JamieFoley.com Printed in the United States of America. TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Acclaim for The Royal Rose Chronicles Half-Title Books by Victoria McCombs Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Chapter 1: Arn Chapter 2: Arn Chapter 3: Emme Chapter 4: Emric Chapter 5: Arn Chapter 6: Emric Chapter 7: Emme Chapter 8: Emric Chapter 9: Emme Chapter 10: Emric Chapter 11: Arn Chapter 12: Emric Chapter 13: Emme Chapter 14: Ontario Chapter 15: Emric Chapter 16: Arn Chapter 17: Emric Chapter 18: Arn Chapter 19: Emric Chapter 20: Arn Chapter 21: Emme Chapter 22: Arn Chapter 23: Emric Chapter 24: Emme Chapter 25: Arn Chapter 26: Landon Chapter 27: Emme Chapter 28: Emric Chapter 29: Emme Chapter 30: Emric Chapter 31: Emme Chapter 32: Emme Chapter 33: Arn Chapter 34: Emme Chapter 35: Arn Chapter 36: Emme Chapter 37: Arn Chapter 38: Emric Chapter 39: Emme Chapter 40: Emric Chapter 41: Emme Chapter 42: Arn Chapter 43: Emric Chapter 44: Emme Chapter 45: Arabella Chapter 46: Arn About the Author Acknowledgments To Kinnick Thanks for being the one to wake me up in the morning. Without that, I wouldn’t have had the time to write this book. The gold buttons beneath my fingers felt oddly familiar, as if they’d tricked my mind into believing I was sixteen again and preparing to fight for the king of Julinbor. The once-vibrant blues were now faded, the buckle stripped of its shine, and the shoulders were tight—that part pleased me—but the look was the same. Behold, a man of the law. Ignore the tattoo of a bleeding rose on my forearm. No relation to the pirates who sail under that flag. I swung to face Emme and spread my arms as wide as the tight blue coat would allow. “There you have it. A proper navy man.” Emme absentmindedly traced a finger along the strip of octopus tentacle inked into her skin. I tried not to let my eyes linger on the way her arm’s strength had clearly decreased as her disease continued wearing her thin. Even now her sea-green tunic appeared to hang off her shoulders rather than cling to them as it used to, and her bronze skin seemed paler. Life was fleeing her body. She claimed we still had months together. I feared it was less than that. If we didn’t get the healing tonic from the Elmber Nut soon, she’d fade away, and if we didn’t fulfill her oathbinding, the ink would kill her. Two perilous means poised to end Emme’s life, and yet she smiled fondly at me as if her mind knew nothing of worries. “It’s what you were wearing when I met you,” she said. “Almost.” I tugged on the lapel with my right hand, finding it harder to place correctly now that I’d lost my other hand. The echo of my missing fingers was still there, and more often than not, I’d move to use them before remembering what I’d lost when we fought on the Island of Iilak. That list was lengthy. For now, I refocused my mind elsewhere as I shoved my stubbed wrist into my pocket. “That particular outfit got a fair amount of blood on it and had to be destroyed.” Her smile faltered. “Right. Well, you look the part.” Emme’s attention stayed on my attire—the deep cream-colored cuffs, the knee breeches and stockings, unstained by sweat or sea, and the cerulean sash pulled taut across my waist. It was far more constraining than my open-chested tunic, and my trusted cutlass would be left behind, but for good reason. Tonight I had a role to play. She moved away from the table in the middle of the captain’s quarters. “Can this sleeve come down further? Your pirate tattoos are showing.” She fixed the cuff, then stood back with a hand pressed against the table for stability. “There,” she announced. “I’m frightened of you already.” “You should be. I’ve never seen the king so determined to rid his lands of pirates. We are taking a risk by docking at Resyor.” I closed the silver latch to the box that had held my naval outfit for so long. This box contained the only memento I had of those few years with the king’s navy,