Nikolai and Alena's cabin was nicer than hers, but not by much. It had two night tables covered in books and even more books on a bookshelf. Two armchairs were placed by the window. The bed was much larger, fit for the king and queen. They also had an in-room privy. All of which may have made the royal family comfortable, but was also incredibly inefficient on a ship. Yet another example of the wasteful greediness of nobility.
Had Arrow traveled with so many luxuries during her tour? Her parents hadn't come along with her, hence how George and Arrow were able to develop a relationship at all. Was that why Nikolai and Alena had chosen to accompany their daughters? To prevent something like that from happening again? Or had they accompanied the tour because of the unrest the Kingslayers were stirring up?
Ashen closed her eyes and tried to push away her thoughts about her mother. If she kept thinking of her mother, she might lose her temper again. She couldn't afford another incident after what happened with Veran. Behaving was important if she wanted to rescue George.
Opening her eyes, she saw that her aunt stood by the window. The twins were with her, also facing the window. Ashen noticed Veida wasn't with them. If she really was like Markael, Ashen understood why they would hide her away.
"Alena," Nikolai said. Alena jumped and whirled around. Ashen's cousins turned as well. While Nadya and Alena seemed pleased to see her, Natalya narrowed her eyes when she saw Ashen and her father. Crossing her arms, she looked Ashen over and pursed her lips. Ashen raised an eyebrow. Finally! Someone didn't want her there.
"Oh good!" Alena exclaimed. "Ashen, did you see your friend?"
"I did," Ashen said. "I also saw that Veran tortured him. He lied to you."
"Veran tortured someone?" Nadya asked. Everyone glanced at her. Her eyebrows knitted in concern.
"Yes," Nikolai told her. "I saw for myself. What he did . . . there will have to be consequences."
"Consequences?" Nadya repeated.
Natalya scowled. "Worried you cannot marry him now?"
"You're marrying him?" Ashen asked.
Nadya nodded. "We have been engaged for a year now. Father wanted us to wait until after my tour so I would be of age."
Ashen's eyes narrowed. That couldn't be right. Nikolai tried to persuade Arrow to marry him before the tour but failed. Age had not mattered to him then, why would it now?
"Looks like you will be waiting a lot longer now," Natalya said, glaring at her sister. Nadya huffed.
"A few months is nothing for love. Of course, you would not know; no one has ever loved you."
"Girls," Nikolai snapped. "You are princesses; your behavior is unacceptable."
Natalya gave her sister a sideways glance. Nadya, however, was staring at Ashen.
"Have we met before?" she asked suddenly, tilting her head and looking over Ashen again.
"No," Ashen said quickly. If Nadya remembered their meeting on Carmine, she might be suspicious. A suspicious Azurian was one of the last things Ashen needed.
Fortunately, her cousin didn't ask any questions or seem curious in the slightest. Smiling, she said, "I suppose you must look like your mother. I never met Aunt Arrowena, but I did see a portrait of her at Dorogoyev manor." Nadya straightened her dress and continued, "It is very nice to meet you, Ashen. Father and Mother told me a great deal about you and your family.
"Yes," Natalya agreed. "I am sorry for your loss."
"Thanks," Ashen said, frowning at her cousin. She didn't quite know what to make of Natalya. While she had seemed much more antagonistic, she also seemed more considerate than her sister.
"Mother told us about the Viridian prince," Natalya continued. "She says we can retrieve Aunt Arrowena's body when we visit Viridian for the tour."
"I thought you had to skip Viridian."
"We did!" Nadya explained. "Well, we postponed it, actually. Father says we will come back after we visit the Siennas."
If Ashen hadn't been planning an escape already, that one sentence would have made her jump ship. After all she went through to get away from Peder, she wasn't going to let them bring her straight to him.
"I do not see why we cannot go back to Azure," Natalya said crossly. "This trip has been a disaster, and we have Ashen now. We should get her home before something else happens."
"Nonsense, dear," Alena said, stroking her daughter's hair. "The tour is the most important part of your education."
"For the heir's education," said Natalya. "We are not the heirs anymore, Ashen is. I bet George took her all around the world."
"Oh! That must have been splendid!" Nadya exclaimed. "Except for being a prisoner, of course."
"Of course," Natalya muttered.
"Girls," Nikolai warned.
"What?" Natalya asked.
"Oh my goodness!" Nadya continued, disregarding her sister entirely. She circled Ashen, looking over her bloody clothes. "My, my! This will simply not do! I am sure I have a dress that will fit you. You might look pretty in it." She glanced over Ashen's face. "You have a decent face, nothing cosmetics cannot fix. And that hair!"
"What is wrong with my hair?" Ashen asked, smiling and trying to be light-hearted about it.
"It has a very nice natural curl," Nadya told her, "but . . ."
"But," Ashen pressed. She did not have patience for people who pretended to spare other people's feelings.
"It would look so much nicer if the front was down."
The princess reached up and snatched Ashen's cord. Her hair fell around her face in waves.
"Oh yes!" Nadya exclaimed. "You even look better than Talya! Not better than me, of course, but presentable. A dress will fix a lot though. Mother says you can borrow some of ours until we can buy you new. Natalya's will fit you better. You look rather muscular, and she is bigger than I am."
Ashen said nothing, again reminded of the Carminian princess. At least Inara seemed as though she was trying to demean Ashen. Nadya just seemed to lack tact, or any consideration for someone other than herself. Ashen glanced at the girl's parents. Alena looked proud. Nikolai looked mildly annoyed.
Smiegal was right. All royalty was the same.
"Nadya," Natalya snapped. "I am sure Ashen is very tired. Seeing what Veran did to her friend, the fight on that ship, it must have been quite exhausting."
Ashen blinked. Was Natalya being nice to her? Getting her away from Nadya and Nikolai certainly constituted as nice in her book.
Realizing Natalya expected an answer, Ashen quickly replied, "Yes, I'm incredibly worn out. Getting a tad irritable, too."
Nikolai seemed to untense. Perfect. He would think her attitude earlier was the result of said irritation. Now he might let his guard down.
"Well, if you are tired, we should let you rest," Alena said. She had returned to the window, tracing its frame with her fingers.
"I can escort her, Mother," Nadya said. "I can show Ashen the dresses on the way."
"I will take her back," Natalya cut in. "I am less likely to talk Ashen to death before we reach her cabin."
Nadya scowled, but didn't object. Ashen sighed in relief when Nikolai nodded his approval. She followed Natalya eagerly from the room.
"Thanks for that," Ashen whispered as she walked. Natalya didn't look at her.
"I have known Nadya all my life and I still find her incredibly maddening. I thought you could use a break."
"You thought right," Ashen told her. "I guess she's always like that, huh?"
"Ignorant and condescending, yes, dreadfully so."
"Sorry you have to deal with that. You're the older, right? The heir?"
"You are the heir now."
"Sorry about that, too. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be here right now."
Natalya raised her eyebrows. "I thought you would be glad to be back and able to take the throne."
"I liked being a pirate," Ashen admitted. "It was . . . exciting, thrilling. I felt more at home on the sea than I ever did at home."
"Except for the kidnapping."
"Right, that," Ashen said awkwardly. Fortunately, Natalya didn't push the subject. She paused in front of one of the cabins. The door was ajar. Candlelight flickered from inside the room.
"This is Veida's room," she said. "Would you like to meet her?"
Ashen shrugged. "Why not."
Natalya pushed open the door and nodded for Ashen to go in first. Hesitantly, Ashen stepped inside.
Veida's room had to be one of the nicest cabins. She had a relatively large bed, a trunk, a wardrobe, a night table, and a desk. A crimson-haired girl lay with her face on the desk's surface. Her eyes were closed. Some of the ink from her paper had come off on her face.
"She must have dozed off again," Natalya said quietly. She grabbed a handkerchief from the night table and dabbed at the ink on her sister's face. Natalya had barely touched her face when Veida began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered. When she finally looked up, she gave her sister barely a glance before staring at Ashen.
"Is this her?" she whispered. Natalya nodded. Ashen gave her younger cousin a small smile. Veida's eyes darkened, then looked down. Her gaze returned to the piece of parchment in front of her. She began scribbling furiously across the page. Ashen peered hesitantly down at the words. They seemed to describe some sort of vision. Reading a few sentences, Ashen found she could hardly read it; most of the composition detailed utter nonsense.
It sounds just like Markael's hallucinations, Ashen thought. She closed her eyes, not wanting to read anymore. It was bad enough she was trapped with her stepfamily. She didn't want to be continuously reminded of her brother, or how she had lost him.
Ashen opened her eyes and saw that Natalya was watching Veida. Her face looked so sad. Ashen felt a twinge of sympathy for her cousin.
Clearing her throat, Natalya said, "We can come back later." She glanced at her little sister again, then headed back out into the hall. Ashen followed. Neither said a word until they reached Ashen's cabin. When she got to the door, Ashen's cousin turned back to face her.
Leaning against the doorframe, Natalya said, "Perhaps I can convince Father to let me keep the throne, if you really do not want it."
"I don't want the throne, the crown, the kingdom, any of it," Ashen assured her. "I just want my old life back."
Natalya gave her a small smile.
"It really is nice to meet you," she quietly, "Unlike my sister, I mean it."
"It's nice to meet you as well," Ashen said. To her surprise, she meant it, too.