Ash and Dusk

Chapter 28

We returned to Ravka the next day.

This time I was conscious crossing the sea. I spent most of my time on the deck, watching the water pass by in waves and splashes of foam. I could tell the sailors were at first tense by my constant presence and were probably wondering what was the queen of Ravka doing day and night in the same spot outside. But as the time passed, they became accustomed to me, just as I had to their late night drunk songs.

Most of the time, we were unintentionally ignoring each other. In the daylight, the crew had to maintain the ship in a perfect state, lookwise and functionally altogether, even more when the Darkling was on deck. They had work to do and I had mine.

Still, they sometimes managed to surprise me. After a day-long stare standing up, when the night came and I still hadn't moved considerably, I sensed one of the sailors approaching me from behind. He stopped and cleared his throat to catch my attention.

The boy, because he couldn't have been much older than me, was carrying in both his hands a small, wooden chair.

"The crew thought it would be much more comfortable if you'd enjoy the view sitting."

I continued to watch him without a word when he seemed to remember something right before turning red in embarassment.

"Your Majesty," he added.

It must have been an act of bravery from him to look straight into my eyes, but when he did, the blush instantly vanished from his cheeks, leaving behind a strange paleness. He almost dropped the chair.

I decided to end this encounter for his sake.

"I won't need it. Thank you, Viktor."

"Y-You're welcome... I mean, it was my pleasure, our pleasure."

He couldn't keep his surprised expression from his face even as he turned to leave.

The following days were the same. Sailors would bring me food, drinks, blankets in the colder nights and sometimes even books. I refused them all.

I noticed that they were sending Viktor to me more often than the other sailors. One night, I remained on deck later than usual, sitting down and leaning with my back on the ship's railing. I must have closed my eyes at some point, because I was woken up by the sound of footsteps coming closer to me. I kept my breath steady and my face relaxed to look as if I was sleeping, but sharpened my senses to have an idea on whom it might be standing near me. A pair of hands touched my shoulders and I couldn't help an unwilling flinch escaping my body. The hands froze mid-action and I relaxed again when I realized I was being covered with a blanket.

When I heard the person going down the stairs from the higher space of the deck that was now my daily spot, I opened my eyes slightly to peek at their back. The only light was coming from the moon, being a cloudless night, but I could still make out the curls and the figure of the person. It was Viktor.

After the ship remained in complete silence I stood up and went to my room.

The next night I was the one who went to the crew.

~~

It was the night before our arrival and the majority of the sailors gathered together below deck to celebrate another successful trip. I knew because I could hear the sounds of laughter and music through the wood of the ship.

Making my way from the highest levels to the lowest, I didn't exactly know what I would say or how I would let myself in.

Eventually, I didn't have to think about it at all. The door to my destination was slammed to the wall when two sailors stumbled from the room, holding each other by their shoulders to avoid tripping. They didn't even notice me so I just entered after I bent the light away from me.