“Via?”

“Yes?”

“Tell me again how I ended up on this blasted cargo ship?”

“It was your own doing, Master Kallius.”

“Ah… and please stop calling me that. Nobody even knows who we are… so just use my name.”

“Will do milord!”

My lord? Somehow that’s even weirder… hurl!

“Oh…! You undid your hair again!”

Octavia quickly bundled my ratty locks into a fist as I coughed up what little remained of my lunch into the bucket before me.

“Ow! Be gentle…!”

She always managed to pull a little too hard when doing my hair. I had taken Alice’s expert touch for granted I see…

“Apologies Master Kallius!”

Again???

“Via! Drop the ‘master’!”

“Sorry milord! It was a slip of the tongue. Honest!”

“It's Kallius!”

She let out a muffled giggle as she started braiding my undone hair again. I know she is doing it on purpose now…

I put up with it back at the county because Devon would have called me a ‘disgrace for a noble’ if I asked the maids to use my first name. But she is not here anymore so… blargh!

“Why. Why did it need to be a ship??” I exclaimed into the half-empty bucket.

“There, there, Master Kallius. We are almost there,” Octavia assured me with a rub on the back. Her words were of little comfort though, as there had been nothing in sight for miles beside the distant farmlands adjacent to the Ebuna river.

“…”

Some may wonder what the son of a count, who lived in the desolate north for two whole years would be doing on a ship headed for the capital. I wonder that myself. Just two days ago, I found myself inside that wretched novel “Forgotten Love” as an unknown side character! I must have lost my mind when I found out, because not only did I almost blow my cover, but I also went head-to-head with the kindest man in the empire! And for what? To save a girl I have yet to meet!

Blech!

“Here, Master Kallius,” said Octavia as she offered up the last handkerchief from her array of dozens I had already used up.

“Thank… you…” I muttered as I wiped the corners of my mouth with the hanky.

I looked at the dark grey clouds outside. What an awful day for a voyage… The winds on open waters were so much worse than back in Alistair County. The northern mountains were a sturdy shield against the late winter winds. These, however, chilled me to the bone! Especially with the lack of heating in this damned ship!

“Ugh…”

I shivered at the thought of Ebuna’s waters, even with the multiple layers of clothing Alice had made me wear.

“A- ACHOO!!!”

Great. And on top of being seasick, I might have caught a cold as well…

I wish I had followed my father’s advice. This ship was the only one en route to the capital from northern Lila. Since hardly any tourists come to the north, there were not many options when it came to travel. Father had recommended we wait a few days so he could arrange several carriages and places to stop over until we reached the capital. There, we could switch to the ferry that regularly travelled up the Ebuna river from the port city of Wisteria. But I was stubborn and said I would rather spend a few hours on a ship than spend days travelling to the capital. How stupid. These few hours might just kill me before we even reach the capital!

Sniff…

My sickness had settled down; due to there being nothing left to throw up.

I looked up for the first time and saw Octavia smiling like an excited child learning something new. She was sitting on the high bench nailed to the cabin wall, enjoying the views of the grasslands that passed outside the back windows.

Via… always the optimist. Or perhaps… I am the pessimist?

Before I could decide which one of us was correct about these inhumane conditions, the sound of a horn echoed across the ship.

“THE CITY IS IN SIGHTS!!!” came the booming voice of the captain.

Finally!!

I quickly got up, nearly toppling over because of the pins and needles in my legs.

“Wow!!”

In a flash, Octavia had hopped outside the cabin before me. She hung from the side door with her eyes fixed onto something beyond the bowsprit. I too followed suit and craned my neck, peeking my head out above hers.

Gasp!

I had no words. I merely gawked at the majestic sight that was fast approaching us.

The capital city. It was bigger than I could have ever imagined. Ebuna cut it in half, but there were several bridges connecting the two sides of the city. In the east, I could make out a couple of the towers emerging from the imperial palace. If I could see them from miles away, then the palace would be easily the size of a city itself when comparing it to the rest of the capital. Considering the capital is home to a million people, that estimation is probably not far off from the truth.

I swallowed, thinking of the troubles two northerners would face trying to navigate this behemoth of a city. My brief moment of worry came to an end though, as I felt a light tug on my sleeve.

“What is it, Via?”

Octavia eyed me expectantly.

“Are you happy now, Master Kallius?”

“What?”

“You were complaining throughout the entire trip, so I hope you feel better knowing we’re approaching land soon.”

This girl…!

“I- I was sick!! And this ship is nothing to be childishly smiling over either!”

Octavia grinned and skipped away to the front of the ship. I could not help but sigh like an old man. This is going to be a long journey…