Captain Winter’s office, dimly lit by the first rays of dawn sneaking through the open balcony door like a chill breeze, was emptier than it had ever been despite the presence of five men. Two entrenched firmly in the past saw moments that could have been different and so changed the world. Two looked to the future, one with hope and one without. And one stood on the deck of a boat a thousand miles away, swaying uneasily.

The door opened, and four heads turned, eyes fixing on the very present pageboy holding a rolled scroll.

“Old fashioned,” murmered Zaphar.

“He writs with surprising care for one so bloodthirsty,” observed Jayden. 

The king stood, accepting the letter as one might a rotten fruit, holding it gingerly away from himself. “Thank you, Mereditt. That will be all.”

The boy bowed and left.

“I do not suppose we could pay him.” He dropped the letter on the desk.

“You do-” Jayden’s eyes and mind left the room to read the letter as the ink flowed steadily across the yellow parchment. 

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“We have no money for bribing despots. The payment he requires would be far too dear,” Thorne clenched a fist in anger and released it.

Eliot Winter stood.

“No, Eliot,” Keagan spoke weakly. “There’s no call…surely…”

Zaphar picked up the letter, breaking the seal. He read it, age caught up to him, and he sank into his chair an old man. “War.”

The river was calm as if it had never stormed. Sailors manned their posts, adjusting ropes and eying the red sunrise with distrust. “What I wouldn’t give for one of them steam-ships,” one complained to a bird that he then shoved from its perch. “Even oars is better’n sails.”

“Two phases lost.” The man at the top glared at the water.

“City’s a-coming alive,” another called down from the crow’s nest.

“Sleep, for tomorrow we drink!”

This conversation was lost on the girl leaned against the railing watching the sun rise in full color. “How different it is to have eyes.” She marveled.

“Have you not always?” Selena joined her with the cross expression of one who had not slept. “It is only the sun. Rising. Yet again.”

“Yes, but I only saw blue.”

“What?”

“Hm?”

Confused eyes met amused ones. “You said—”

“Have you not rested? You appear mentally weaker than usual.”

Selena swallowed her irritation. “I have never seen so tumultuous a river journey.” She aimed her annoyance at the water.

 “Yes, how offensive.” The princess turned away, a careless hand lifted for fiery butterflies to land on. Her lips curled into a smile. “I quite like this.”