The wind ruffled her hair, and the salty air stung her eyes. Her head had cleared, but her limbs still dragged with fatigue. Out at sea, ships drifted lazily on the horizon.

“Come, come,” the chancellor called, waving her forward onto the deck. “Plenty of time to gawk later.”

She scowled, stepping off the boarding ramp and onto the ship.

It didn't seem like a navy vessel, but it had an air of importance. No uniforms on the sailors, yet the kingdom’s emblem was stamped across every crate and coil of rope. A royal trading ship, maybe? The lack of answers only deepened her unease.

The breeze shifted, sharp with salt. She inhaled instinctively and froze.

It reminded her of Harmon.

He always came home smelling of the sea, his clothes heavy with brine. Their mother would fuss, wrinkling her nose and demanding everything be washed before he tracked the smell of salt through the house. By the time he was packing to leave again, the scent would be faded, replaced by lavender and sun-warmed linens.

Scarlett blinked, the memory tugging at something soft and aching inside her.

She wondered if he was out there—aboard one of the ships drifting on the horizon. Maybe he was just beyond the skyline, sailing past without ever realizing how close she was.

Of course, that was impossible. His current post was on the Lady Marina, and that ship was hard to miss.

Still… it was a nice thought.

In her mind, Harmon would spot her. He’d bring the ship to a screeching halt—somehow—and demand answers. He’d insist there had been a mistake. She was supposed to be home.

But… would he really?

Her heart tugged painfully at the memory of her father—silent, stern, lips pressed tight as she was taken away. He hadn’t fought. He hadn’t even spoken. Just looked at her like it was already done.

What if Harmon did the same?

What if he stood there too, expression taut with helpless apology, silently watching her disappear?

She would rather never see him again than face that.

Mr. Dominique didn’t abandon me, she reminded herself, breathing in the salty air. He was just trying to... de-escalate.

“Please, this way.” One of the guards nervously herded the children onto the deck. “Watch your step.”

The three of them immediately flocked to Scarlett. Somehow—she wasn’t sure when or how—she’d become their informal leader. Their scrappy little captain. It was strange… but oddly comforting. They looked at her like she had all the answers.

She was starting to like the feeling. Even if it was a lie.

“Right.” The chancellor clapped his hands, glancing around as the last of the guards boarded. He adjusted his glasses and raised a finger, counting under his breath. “Everyone’s here. Lovely. Now then, shall we get you below?” He turned toward her, not quite meeting her eyes as he flipped open his pocket watch.

“Below?” She frowned, scanning the deck until her eyes landed on a nearby door. “You mean... below deck?”

He waved a hand as if it were a minor inconvenience. “Yes, yes. Unless you’d prefer to nap among the crates. I do hope none of you are prone to seasickness.”

There was a small tug on her dress. Via stretched up on her toes and cupped her hand around her mouth. "What's seasick?" she whispered.

Scarlett glanced down and realized all three kids were watching her, waiting patiently.

"It's… uh, it's when being on a boat makes you feel sick. The way it moves—back and forth—it can upset your stomach. He just wants to know if that might happen to any of us."

The chancellor made a noise of disinterest. "I never actually asked. It’s not like I can do anything if you do get seasick."

Scarlett shot him a sharp glare.

"Oh," Via said, exchanging a look with her brother. "I don’t know. I’ve never been on a boat."

"Yeah, me neither," Olive chimed in. "But I won’t get sick." He puffed out his chest. "I’m gonna join the royal navy someday and sail on boats all the time!"

Scarlett barely suppressed an eye-roll. He reminded her so much of Harmon at that age—so stubbornly proud. Olive was a sweet kid. Cute, but prideful.

Some of the men aboard had stopped to watch, laughing softly amongst themselves in that way grown-ups do when a kid says something too bold for their boots.

"Miss Scarlett?" Via tugged on her dress again. "Have you ever been on a boat? Do they really make people sick?"

"Well—" she started, only to freeze under the weight of the three eager, wide-eyed stares. "Only once. And I didn’t actually sail on it. My brother took me aboard a docked ship he was working on."

"A navy ship? Really?" Olive latched onto the other side of her dress, nearly toppling her.

She stumbled a little, steadying herself as the two children leaned against her like enthusiastic bookends. A quiet chuckle drifted in from beside her.

She looked up—of course. The chancellor was covering his mouth, barely containing his smug smile as he watched the scene unfold.

"What?" she snapped, sharper than she meant to.

He raised a placating hand, still smiling. "Oh, nothing. It's just—you all make quite the picture. One might even say... heartwarming."

Do you even have a heart to warm?

"Now then," he went on, gesturing lazily, "if you’d be so kind, please follow this gentleman here." He motioned to a guard, who stepped forward and tugged open the creaky door.

She felt a third tug on her dress. Glancing down, she saw Evelyn now clinging to the fabric behind her. With Via and Olive already glued to her sides, she wasn’t even sure she could walk—let alone make it down a flight of stairs. But she didn’t have the heart to ask them to let go.

Shuffling awkwardly forward, she felt like a mother duck, her little ducklings waddling behind. The open door revealed a steep staircase disappearing into shadow. She stepped carefully, doing her best not to trip herself or the children.

Where were they going? Were they being marched to the brig? Stuffed into the cargo hold like luggage? Her thoughts started to spiral.

"The hallway narrows here," the guard at the base of the stairs said, glancing back at the procession behind her. His gaze lingered on the trio still clinging to her.

She sighed and gently peeled her dress free. "Would you rather hold my hand instead?" she asked, offering it to Via. "Did you hear him? It's tight down here, so we’ll need to walk in a straight line."

She led the way, guiding the children through the narrow maze of corridors. The passage seemed to stretch on endlessly until, at last, it opened into a wider space.

The ship’s lower deck was bigger than she’d expected.

“In here.”

The guard stopped abruptly, forcing Scarlett to pull up short before she collided with him. He pushed open a door and motioned them inside.

She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting—maybe a damp, dark cell or a cramped, leaking cabin with stale air and stacked hammocks. But what she found wasn’t that at all.

Instead, she stepped into a modest yet shockingly comfortable room.

Two beds.

Not one, not a damp hammock, or rickety bunk—two clean, plush-looking bed.

Both were neatly made with thick, plush blankets and blue embroidered pillows. A small wooden desk sat tucked beneath a porthole window, a woven rug lay spread in the center of the floor, and against the far wall, a bookshelf stood beside a polished water basin.

The two youngest squealed with delight, racing inside, while Scarlett and Evelyn lingered hesitantly in the doorway.

“Apologies,” the guard said, his tone as gruff as ever. “We only had the one room available.”

Scarlett nearly scoffed. Apologies? For what?

Compared to the way she’d been traveling, the room felt almost too good to be true.

“No, no, this is lovely. Thank you.” She dipped her head in gratitude.

“The captain will be by to see you shortly.”

He didn’t wait for a response before stepping out and shutting the door behind him.

She noticed a small sliding lock on the inside of the door. There hadn’t been a click when the guard closed it behind them. Quietly, she reached out and slid the chain into place.

Just in case…

“Miss Scarlett! Look! Have you seen all the stuff?”

Via spun into the middle of the room, arms out wide. “Is it really all for us?”

Scarlett smiled faintly and crossed the room to sit on the edge of one of the beds.

“I suppose so. At least until we reach shore.” The mattress gave softly beneath her, more comfortable than anything she’d sat on in the past day. “It is rather nice. They even have a little bookshelf.”

She made a mental note to check it out, until Olive quietly appeared at her side again, clinging to her dress like a shadow.

Via hurried over to the bookshelf, eyes wide. She hovered her fingers just above the spines. “Do you think we can touch them?”

Scarlett hesitated, then nodded. “I’m sure it’s okay. Just be very careful.”

Via lit up, immediately pulling a worn red book from the shelf.

“Will you read one, Miss Scarlett?” she asked, clutching it close to her chest.

Olive looked up, his eyes sparkling, and even Evelyn—who had been quietly perched on the other bed—glanced over with interest.

“Will you?” Via chimed in again, now standing beside her brother.

Their combined puppy-dog eyes were far too much for her to resist.

She sighed, losing the battle of will. “If that’s what you want…” she murmured, reaching out to take the book from Via.

The two practically bounced in place, scrambling up beside her and flanking her on either side. Evelyn padded over more quietly, folding herself at Scarlett’s feet, gaze lifted and waiting.

Scarlett turned the book over in her hands. The red cover was faded and worn at the corners, but the gold-foiled title still caught the light. In the center, an intricate illustration of a ship cresting a wave—something about it tugged at her. It looked like the kind of book Harmon might have owned as a boy. One he’d read aloud to her when they were small.

Olive leaned in, eyes wide. “What’s it about?”

She traced a fingertip along the embossed ship. “Well… it’s called The Oceanic Crypt: Tales and Myths for the Avid Sailor.”

She opened it, revealing a carefully arranged table of contents and an elaborate illustration on the inside cover—a sea serpent coiled around a mast. 

“Looks like a collection of stories.” She turned the book so they could see. “Would you rather start at the beginning or pick one that sounds fun?”

The children leaned in closer, eyes fixed on the pages. Scarlett glanced at their eager faces, then down at the words before her.

"The first one, please," Via said, leaning into Scarlett's side, her small head resting against her arm.

Scarlett turned the page, finding the beginning of the first story. A dramatic illustration sprawled across the title page: a ship being dragged into a whirling sea by enormous tentacles.

"Whoa! Look at the monster!" Olive pointed excitedly at the detailed drawing.

Via immediately ducked, hiding her face against Scarlett's shoulder. "That's not real, right?" she mumbled into Scarlett's hair.

"Don't be silly," Evelyn piped up from her spot on the floor, her arms crossed. "Sea monsters aren't real."

"Are too," Olive argued, leaning dangerously over the side of the bed.

"Are not," Evelyn shot back, rolling her eyes. "Sea spirits are real, but not monsters. And they definitely don't look like that."

Via peeked out from behind her hair shield. "Are sea spirits scary?" she asked in a small voice.

Scarlett smiled and brushed some hair behind Via's ear.

"Don't worry, Vee," Olive said, puffing out his chest and standing proudly on the mattress. "I'll protect us from anything!" He thrust his arm into the air—and nearly toppled over backward.

"Careful!" Scarlett grabbed his arm to steady him. "Not much good you’ll do protecting us if you hurt yourself first." She gave him a playful poke in the side. "Then who will protect us from being gobbled up?" She pushed him playfully.

Olive squealed and collapsed onto the bed. Via wasted no time, diving onto him with a flurry of giggles as she tickled him mercilessly.

Scarlett couldn't help but laugh. For a moment, it felt like she was back home, taking care of Marie. Olive and Via were almost exactly like Marie and Collin— spirited, mischievous, inseparable. The thought made her chest ache if she lingered on it too long.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Evelyn peeking over the edge of the bed, a faint smile tugging at her mouth. Scarlett still didn't know much about her. About any of them, really.

"Scarlett! Scarlett! Start reading!" Via crawled breathlessly across the bed, her hair a wild halo around her head.

It was the first time any of them had called her just Scarlett—no Miss or Lady tacked on the front.

She smiled and readjusted the book in her lap. "Okay, okay," she said, smoothing down the worn pages.

Olive and Via wiggled back to her sides, still giggling. Evelyn propped herself against the edge of the bed, her chin resting in her hands, waiting.

Scarlett tilted the book so they could all see the first illustration and cleared her throat. "Long ago, when the ocean was wild and the seas still ran untamed, there was only one ship that could face the bellowing deeps…"