Ilona tossed and turned all night, giving up on getting any sleep just before the sun rose. She dragged herself out of her bed and stared at her haggard reflection in the mirror. How had Mason ever thought she was beautiful? She looked like a pauper.
After getting dressed, she brushed out her hair, noticing it now looked as dull and limp as she felt. With a sigh, she braided it in a tight braid and then wrapped it into a bun at the nape of her neck.
Walking to her cabin door, Ilona came to a stop with her hand on the latch. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the wood.
She needed to go out and be seen by her men. She knew she needed to. It was important. But the idea of actually doing it made her cringe, and her heart beat faster.
There was no avoiding it though. She couldn't hide out in her cabin until they reached The Red Lands. She was still the Captain... even if no one thought she should be.
