Scoundrel - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter XV

Logan took a deep breath in through his nose as he tried to remain levelheaded. This is the easiest way to get the prince back, he told himself. If we can find at least one of these keys Captain Black is after we may be able to exchange it for his freedom.

He watched from the dock as Patton prepared his small ship to sail. The two of them had bickered further over who would sleep on the bed and who would take the couch once they returned to their room. Eventually, the baker convinced him to take the bed, but he felt guilty about it. He was already gone when Logan woke up the next morning; recalling their conversation about setting out to find the keys, he made the inference that he would be out at the docks. This was correct, but he felt even guiltier as he watched him. There was a weariness in his movements as he tugged on the sail's ropes, as though he didn't get much sleep.

The royal advisor sighed and crossed the connecting plank to the ship. "Salutations," he greeted, earning a surprised gasp from him. 

"Oh! Morning!" Patton responded cheerily. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept well," he replied, attempting to stay formal. The few times he'd spoken with this man over the course of the past day he was nervous. He didn't get nervous; this was the first time in his life he wished he could ask Prince Roman for advice. "How did you sleep?"

The baker paused, looking surprised that he asked. "Um, great!" he said, a slightly forced smile appearing on his face. Logan raised a skeptical eyebrow. He got a guilty look on his face as he scuffed his foot against the wood of the ship. "Okay, so I woke up a few times throughout the night, but it's okay, I'm fine!"

"You know, neglecting your needs is a very bad habit to get into," he told him, straightening his glasses. "Not to mention, it usually starts with refusing to admit when something's inconvenient to you. It's okay to express discomfort or distaste for things, Patton. You should prioritize yourself over the satisfaction of others."

He looked taken aback by his words, blinking in shock. "Y-You're right..." he said, shrugging as he laughed with an embarrassed expression. "I guess I really need to get better about that..."

"Well, that takes time, you'll have to break yourself from those habits that can be harmful to you," Logan explained, smiling sympathetically. "For example, I may have been the guest last night, but if the couch caused you discomfort, you should've taken the bed for yourself. I was already in your debt for allowing me to stay in your room. It would've been perfectly fine with me to sleep on the couch."

"Okay, I just kinda... always feel the need to make others happy," the baker replied, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. They were quiet for a moment before he shook his head out. "Anyway, I think I know where to find the sapphire key, so whenever you're ready to get going, we can set sail."

The advisor nodded, disembarking from the ship. "Right, I'll go give my crew their instructions and bring my belongings aboard," he told him as he walked back toward the inn. 

His men were eating breakfast in the inn's sitting area, so he got their attention by clearing his throat. They nodded to him as he explained to continue on route and alert their neighbors of what happened if they arrived their before himself. He explained again where he'd be and what their plan was, earning more nods of understanding once he'd finished. Logan nodded to them one final time as he exited the inn, walking back to the docks where their vessel was. He boarded it with clear intent to get his clothing and journals. As he searched through the drawers of the cabin, he stumbled upon something he'd never seen before. 

There was an old, beaten brown notebook. It looked worn and used, but he had no idea who its owner was. Curiosity got the better of him, leading to him pick it up and brush off the slight layer of dust that covered it. 

"Curious..." he mumbled to himself, opening the cover. There was slightly faded handwriting covering the first page and many that came after it, but what drew his attention was the familiar spirally cursive writing on the back of the cover spelling out a very familiar name. "Prince Roman?"

Logan frowned, staring at the worn notebook. This didn't look like anything suited for a prince and he was shocked he'd never seen it before. How long had he had this? What was written inside it?

He was about to read through the pages when Patton called out to him from the docked. "Hey Logan? Do you need any help with your belongings?" he asked. The advisor quickly shoved the notebook in with his bag containing clothing, books, and journals, making a mental note to analyze it later while he and the baker were traveling across open ocean. He exited the cabin, looking down at him on the dock. He was grinning happily in a way that was infectious enough to make him smile slightly as well. "Need any help?"

"No, I've got it," he told him as he disembarked from the royal vessel. "My crew are going to continue on route to our destination, so I only need my clothing and some of my journals for this separate journey."

"Okay! Let's set sail then!" Patton said cheerfully as they stepped back onto his small ship.

It was about the size of an independently opened trading vessel. There was a small cabin area, but it appeared mostly used for the transportation of goods. "Might I ask how you came by this ship?"

"Oh, Remy helped me invest in it," he explained as they gradually distanced themselves from the docks. "Yeah, my employer at the bakery offered extra pay to anyone willing to voyage out to bring back ingredients like flour and wheat. Sure, we can buy that stuff at the market, but it's cheaper to buy it in large amounts from one of the kingdoms nearby."

This raised more questions from the advisor. "Does your employer know where you're going now?" he asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. Patton's cheeks colored as he nodded.

"Yes, it was hard to convince him at first, but once I told him who you were he backed off," he said bashfully. "He seemed really set on the fact that it sounded like I was abandoning my job until I told him about the missing prince. It's the most news we've gotten in months, so naturally he'd heard about it and believed me. It was just a little awkward to explain, but hey! I'm glad he was willing to let me go and not fire me!"

Logan nodded. "That is a good thing, I wish you'd told me though, I could've spoken to him myself and given him compensation for borrowing one of his workers," he muttered more to himself. "I'll give you some money to bring back to him when you return, as well as obviously a reward for your help."

"Oh, I don't need money for this," he said, blushing as he laughed a little. "It's my pleasure and privilege to help a royal advisor like you."

"Well, I will see to it that you receive at least some kind of reward for your assistance," he replied with a smile. "I appreciate this immensely, and I feel it would be wrong for you to go through all this trouble and not receive a payment of some kind or another."

Patton smiled brightly. "Maybe my payment can be a hug," he suggested with a giggle. 

The advisor's heart jumped as heat rose to his cheeks. That was undeniably adorable and had only added to the growing amount of questioning feelings in his chest. He plaid it off with an amused huff as he looked away, earning another laugh from the baker. 

I wish Prince Roman were here... he thought to himself as he found himself staring at his smile. He'd be able to tell me if what I'm feeling is what I think it is.