I slipped away briefly on our way down to the port to say goodbye to my family. Saying goodbye to them was never easy, but unlike previous times, when war loomed on the horizon, I could leave knowing they were safe. They didn't have the same reassurance about me. Tandrin's idea to send Tannix away had ruined what I hoped would be years of peace and frequent visits back to Zianna. While I was excited by the idea of more travel, I was disappointed at the idea of being so far away from my family for so long.

I made it to the ship with plenty of time to spare, where I took up my usual habit of staying out of the way. From a safe perch near the front of the ship, I watched Tannix discuss something with Captain Roland, the last few crates get loaded, sailors returning from their shore leave, and finally, Jindev being escorted aboard.

Then, Roland called out orders. The anchor was hoisted, sails were dropped, and the huge ship maneuvered out of the crowded port. I moved to the back of the ship then, so I could watch Zianna drift further away. Bits and pieces of Tannix and Roland's conversation drifted my way, but it was all about the navy and therefore not very interesting.

I thought he might come talk to me when he was done with Captain Roland, but before he could, someone else appeared at my side. I gave a start.

"Lady T—"

"I don't think that's necessary." She sounded almost exactly like her mother. Looked like her too, except that Tairia's long hair was a more typical Telt blond. At the moment, it was bundled up into a bun at the back of her head, and she had changed out of her fancy breakfast dress for something only marginally simpler. It reminded me pleasantly of many conversations I'd had with Tannix. The Tandrans were so rich, they had trouble looking like they weren't.

I turned my attention back to watching Zianna, but it didn't escape my notice that Tairia was slowly eyeing me. After a moment of that, she leaned against the railing beside me. "I suppose you're handsome."

I couldn't help it. My eyes darted back to see that she was grinning. She looked more like her brothers when she grinned. When she saw me looking, she laughed.

"What? It's my Goddess-given right, as a younger sister, to judge my brothers' spouses. Now, there's very little to judge about Esmeranda. She's beautiful, intelligent, and extremely powerful. I like her. Now, you." She turned to face me, leaning on the railing with only her right elbow. "I can judge you a little differently. Because while I can see that Esmeranda is beautiful, she's not exactly my type. If only Tannix had told me about his predilection years ago, we could have discussed all the men at our family's banquets and balls."

The idea of Tannix and Tairia gossiping about noblemen was a funny one, except— "I don't think..." I hesitated, then worked up the courage to keep speaking. "I don't think he's like that."

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged. Sometimes I caught myself admiring other men, but I had never seen Tannix doing the same. It was all so complicated. "Maybe it's... just me." It felt incredibly narcissistic to say, but it also felt true.

Tairia frowned. "Well, that's not fair. Who am I supposed to gossip with?" With a dismissive wave of her left hand, she turned to rest both elbows on the railing again. "Maybe we can gossip, then. Which of his knights do you think is the most handsome? Because I used to think it was Sir Atricen, but Sir Evrik's country habits are quite charming, don't you think?"

I did, actually, but I was too stunned to reply.

"The twins, too," she continued. "Very handsome, if a little immature at times. But it's hard to imagine splitting them up. And Sir Mandell looks like he could pick me up with one hand. Sirs Joen and Jalor—Lord Jalor, I supposed I should say—are also quite good looking, but a bit on the older side. And married."

"Yes," I tentatively agreed. With what, I wasn't sure. Maybe all of it.

Tairia shook her head in exasperation. "Even the unmarried ones are too caught up in their duties. Do you want to know what's really unfair? Noblemen can be so boring. Not all of them, but a lot of them. How am I supposed to meet anyone worth marrying when the most interesting men I frequently interact with are my brother's personal knights? Maybe I should just go down into the city and walk around until I find someone handsome. Worked out well for my mother. And Tannix."

"We didn't meet in the city."

"Oh? Do tell." She clasped her hands together.

Enough people knew the full story that it felt unnecessary to hide it from her, and it would help pass the time as we sailed to West Draulin. After a moment of thought I nodded. "All right. So, I was running away from some guards and I climbed over the wall into the Order. I didn't know what it was, or I wouldn't have gone there, but..." I shrugged. "Tannix attacked me."

Tairia gasped. "He did not! Without even trying to talk to you first? That's very unlike him."

"It was part of a training exercise. He thought I was involved," I amended quickly. "We talked after. I lied about who I was and followed him in so he wouldn't get suspicious. I stayed for a few days, but eventually he caught on and I had to run away. And I stayed away, for four years, until—"

"You found that letter," Tairia said. "I've heard some of this part."

"Well, after that I visited him from time to time."

"That's very romantic," Tairia said. "Until the part when he arrested you."

I was warming up to the story. For whatever reason, she felt easy to talk to. "It didn't feel romantic at the time. And the first time he arrested me it didn't—"

"The first time?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow in exactly the same way I'd seen Tannix and Tandrin do it. "And you still liked him after that?"

I laughed. "It was my idea. Both times, actually."

Her jaw dropped. "Well, now I need details."

I settled against the railing more comfortable. This was certainly going to be an interesting conversation.

***

West Draulin always looked impressive, perched on the end of New Teltar island.

The fortress stood high on the cliff, overlooking the city, which sloped down to meet the water in the busiest port in the kingdom. The city was bigger than Zianna, although not all of it was visible from the ship. Zianna was contained in walls, whereas West Draulin spread out into the countryside. I wasn't sure exactly where the edges of West Draulin's territory really were, but they must have been quite far away. There were only two other cities on the island.

West Draulin stood on the only place where the land sank down to touch the water. The rest of the island was lined by tall cliffs, similar to the Cliffs of Loth. It was for that reason that Tannix, while only the lord of West Draulin, had influence over the whole island. The people of Lothin and Vasel couldn't easily leave New Teltar without travelling through his city.

Landing on the docks felt almost as much like a homecoming as landing in Zianna had. My thief family was in Zianna, but the knights were family too, and this was where we lived.

As always, there was a crowd when we arrived. Guards stood firm, keeping the area right around the dock clear so the Tandrans could be safely escorted to a waiting carriage. The three of them walked together, waving and smiling at the crowd. Clairia and Tairia hadn't been gone long, but this was Tannix's first time in the city since leaving for the war. People cheered and called out. Some braver people tried to reach past the guards. Mostly they were pushed back by guards, until Tairia briefly took a hand that was held out to her and smiled at the young boy grasping her fingers.

The knights and I were all walking along as well, but I hung further back in the line with Evrik. The crowd didn't make me nervous, they usually didn't, but I wanted to watch rather than be involved in what was happening.

Things became more chaotic after Tairia touched the boy's hand. More people tried to reach through the guards. The three Tandrans bent their heads together to exchange a few words, and waved Acen over to join them. When they broke apart, all three of them were smiling, briefly grasping stretched hands and speaking to the people. Acen made a quick signal with his hand and the city guards relaxed. Still, they held back the bulk of the crowd, but allowed people to reach out.

The other knights spread out, but Evrik stayed with me. "Are you on Finn duty?" I asked, joking.

Evrik chuckled. "Whoever you attach yourself to is on Finn duty, my friend. Unless we need to go on active Tannix duty."

"Wait." I dragged my gaze from the interesting show in front of us and looked at him. "Really?"

"Well, that's the general understanding that we work with," Evrik said. "In times like this. Whoever's closest to you is on you primarily, everyone else is on him."

I frowned, unsure of why I found the admission annoying. "What about in times not like this?"

"When you're with him, whoever's on duty is watching both of you," Evrik pointed out. "When you're completely separate, you either have an escort or you don't, depends on the situation. But right now?" he gestured at the crowd we were slowly working our way through. "You're mine."

"Well... I appreciate that," I said, because I did. Even if it made me feel less like part of the team. Or maybe like an afterthought. I really couldn't tell, and I didn't have long to puzzle my feelings out anyway, because there was new commotion in front of us.

Two little girls with curly black hair had slipped past the guards. The older of the two, about seven, jumped into Joen's arms with an excited shriek. "Papa!"

Joen's stern, knightly demeanor disappeared in an instant. Smiling widely, he transferred Lylah into one arm and leaned down to scoop up his younger daughter, Jeena. He glanced around, quickly catching sight of his wife somewhere in the crowd. Guards and the spectators all shifted out of the way as he walked through them as if they were water, his gaze glued to his wife. Catia was quite a bit shorter than Joen. He had to lean down, still holding both girls, to envelope her in a hug. Even over the shouting from the crowd, I could hear his warm laugh as he hugged his entire family.

The gap he had made through the crowd stayed open long enough for the woman beside Catia to dart forward. She pushed through the guards with the kind of authority nobles seemed to effortlessly possess, and immediately had her arms wrapped around Acen's shoulders. Gallea pulled him into a kiss before he even seemed to realize she was there; his attention was so focused on Tannix. But the moment he realized, he turned, wrapped her in his arms, and kissed her so passionately I felt the need to look away.

"Family men," Evrik scoffed affectionately.

I thought of the Navirian woman he kept seeking out. "I don't think Kel Valari would be happy waiting around for you to come back from war."

Evrik laughed. "Hmm, probably not."

Ahead of us, I noticed Mandell slipping closer to Tannix, likely to compensate for Acen being distracted. A moment later, the Tandrans had reached the carriage. A servant opened the door, and Tannix helped both his mother and sister step up into it. Then he scanned the crowd until his eyes met mine. He gestured at the carriage, asking a simple question.

But I'd had enough attention to last me a lifetime. I shook my head, telling him to go ahead without me.

Tannix nodded. His attention then shifted to Mandell, and they exchanged a few words before Tannix pulled himself into the carriage. The servant closed the door, and the driver flicked the long reins. Mandell accepted a horse from a group of guards and mounted to follow the carriage up the wide road to the fortress.

The crowd shifted out of the way with some encouragement from the city guards. As the carriage rolled past, people fell in behind it to follow along, as if the whole thing was a parade. It didn't take long for most of the crowd to disappear, some people up the road, some just heading off to get on with their days. Soon, it was if nothing special had happened. Most of the people around us were sailors getting to work.

Evrik and I joined the twins and met up with Acen, Joen and their wives.

"Mandell's with him?" Acen confirmed, eyeing those of us left behind. "We should double up. At least until we get back into the rhythm of being here. I'll join them when we get up there." His wife shot him a sideways glance, and for the first time ever, I watched Acen immediately back down. "Evrik, join Mandell for this evening shift. Kor and Ender can take the overnight, and Joen and I will take the morning shift. Then I'll look at reworking the schedule."

"You want me'n Ender on the same shift?" Kor asked, flashing a smile at his brother. "When's the last time that happened?"

Evrik nudged him. "We could trade."

"I said what I said." Acen nodded at Evrik. "Go catch up. Take Finn."

"Yes sir," Evrik replied good-naturedly before clapping me on the shoulder. "You might regret not taking the carriage, my friend. Come on."

I trailed after him.