Impractical (Complete)

Chapter 16: The Only Message

"And then I heard that Jaylyn was engaged to the King of Nasta. I felt a bit sorry for her to be honest. The rumours about King Logan are a bit terrifying."

"Yes..." Aiyana mumbled noncommittally, not really interested in discussing King Logan with the Princess.

"Apparently, nations are starting to ally. I mean, obviously Rova and Tequas are enemies which mean Tequas is allied with us. Rainesta is trying not to be involved and be a buffer between us and Nasta but then Nasta will just attack them and they'll go around anyway. Treshna is also with us! But they're a bit far away..."

Princess Ravenna loved to talk. She was sharp and quick, obviously open to new ideas but she was still young. She could not really be part of the war discussions yet. To Aiyana, her constant chatter about the upcoming conflict felt stressful, increasing her anxiety levels and making her fret about how much more difficult it would be to find Arkin if all of Xera was involved. However, she listened dutifully, hoping that Ravenna would drop an occasional gem.

"You know what I would love to know?" she said, her eyes bright with excitement at having such an attentive listener. "What happened in Rova? Do you think it's true that the Crown Prince has magic? And King Saito used it?"

Aiyana glanced around, pretending to be scanning the bedroom chambers as they entered it. "I couldn't possibly comment, Princess."

"Jason would never lie. And I'm sure Jaylyn would never either. She's just..."

That caught Aiyana's attention. She had started to extend her mind to the possibilities that Arkin was not in Glacio. They weren't going to leave until the ascertained that but if he wasn't, what was the chance that he was in Rova? Princess Jaylyn would know that answer.

She waited expectantly for Ravenna's answer expectantly, knowing that for her constant stream of words, Ravenna was incredibly perceptive. "What were you saying, Princess?"

"I don't want to say anything bad or anything. All I meant to say is that she's hiding something. I can see it in the way she is. She walks like she's on hot coals, she won't have a guard and she doesn't really speak much to anyone but Jason."

Aiyana had also noticed this when she had guarded Ravenna during meal times. Though she was exhausted, only stealing a few hours of sleep when Ravenna was in court, and though she missed having Fox as her confidant, she couldn't deny the information she had gathered on the Glacian court.

"Could you say that she feels unwelcome here? I believe she is struggling with the idea that she started the war with Nasta."

"And she misses her sister. That's what Jason told me. Apparently, Princess Zahra stayed in Rova to try and diffuse the situation. And since the situation wasn't diffused..."

"She thinks something happened to Princess Zahra."

Ravenna nodded her head and reached for her sketchbook. She had long finished her drawing of Aiyana and she had to admit that it was stunning. Accurate to every single hair, it caught the way Aiyana held her shoulders back, how her short hair fell over her ears and eyes and how she smiled. Fox had eyed it with admiration when Ravenna had given it to Aiyana. Since that drawing, the Princess had been invested in a drawing of the city from her window, disallowed to leave the Ice Palace after the assassination attempt. She was using ink and watercolour and she had been chastised, much to the amusement of Queen Cynthis, for having ink on her hands.

She perched on her window seat as she set up her colours and ink carefully on a small table beside her. She was a careful person, Aiyana had noticed, expect with her words. And ink. She had time though. Ravenna was young and in the future, she would be a powerful and tactical leader.