"The seas are not our enemy!" Hydrangea could see the scoff in his eyes as soon as the words left her mouth. She blinked the rain from her eyes, "Listen to me; Samadur came to me. Trust the storm, Bastian. He'll protect us."
The grip on her shoulders slackened the second the Primal's name left her lips.
He looked up, surveying the deck and the rough seas, his eyes blinking in the harsh rain. Snapping his gaze back to hers, "Get below. I mean it."
She nodded quickly and rushed off to the stairs and shot one last look over her shoulder to see him mounting the stairs. More orders exiting his mouth.
A small, unheard yelp exited her lips as the world suddenly careened and she found the stairs rushing towards her. A wave crashed into the side of the ship and her feet flew out from under her before she crashed into the hard wood.
"Your majesty!" She blinked then grimaced and saw Aidana's blonde hair before her worried blue eyes filtered in. "Come, we must get you to your cabin." She helped her to her feet and Hydrangea breathed out a breath of relief when there was no sharp pains.
Aidana attentively brought her to her room and Hydrangea immediately sat on the bed, her ears trained on the sound of footsteps up top. Her fingers and toes began tapping in impatience, her hands clenching every few seconds. After what felt an entire afternoon passed, but was likely only a few hours, she noticed a subtle shift in the rockiness of the waves.
'Samadur?' She asked herself mentally. She wanted to believe the Primal—
She felt the boat lurch and her eyes widened. Had he heard her? Oh goodness.. a thought of a long passed time surfaced in her mind. Hadok, Daphne and Alisha had brought her to Bastian's old harem and Adhira had tossed a brick at her head. Her hand slowly rose to touch her temple. Whatever the healer had used had left a hardly noticeable scar; she'd never even noticed it in the mirror.
Hadok. Daphne. Alisha. And even Adhira. All of their lives were forfeited, or at least close to being forfeited. Hadok was gone. She smiled weakly to herself at the sadness that she felt bubble up within her. She hadn't felt this way about her protector's death in many months.
Daphne. Daphne was practically being sold by her father to become an assassin for him, and to kill her husband. Her husband that Hydrangea knew she was being forced to unify with. Guilt wrapped around the sadness and she pulled her book back into her lap.
It was on Bentuki history and she was currently reading about the two great heros; Pahlawan and Wirawan.
But her thoughts inevitably returned to the innocents who suffered. Alisha, how was she? She had not even gotten the chance to learn about the woman too much and she had only spoken with her a few times. But she had been a positive person and Hydrangea worried for her.
And strangely, Adhira surfaced in her mind. The last she had seen of her was her being dragged off to the dungeons. She didn't feel the same guilt she felt for Daphne, or her siblings, or for Hadok. But it was there.
She finished her book and went to sleep. Her dreams filled with her short time at the palace. When she awoke the seas were still storming and she frowned.
She needed something to do besides sitting there. And reading wasn't what she had in mind. She stood and dressed into a very simple dress that she had made, with Bastian's help. If he could never return to being Sovereign, he could certainly make a living off of being a tailor, she thought with a wry smile.
Walking to the door she opened it and jumped when she saw Aidana standing there. Her lips spread into a smile, "Good morning, your majesty."
"Good morning." She replied, her confusion surely leaking into her eyes. "I just need to use the privy. Excuse me." She said and stepped around the unmoving woman. She blinked a few times, perplexed, but she still continued walking.
When she was finished and exited the privy she jumped upon seeing Aidana again. The last time the woman had acted like that was when she told her she was pregnant.
"Can I help you?"
"No." She replied with a carefree smile.
"Alright…" She said and after an awkward breath, asked, "Do you know of anything I could do—to help?"
Aidana's eyes finally revealed an emotion besides the cavalier one she had been wearing, and she said, "Well… Balta sprained his ankle last night and so cooking duties have been thrust upon a poor cabin boy who practically poisoned us at dinner and breakfast."
"Alright then." Hydrangea exclaimed, "I'll be in the galley." She walked down the hallways and stairs, her feet knowing where to go. Her nausea had diminished greatly, but it still tended to flare up when she least needed it.
She entered the small room and began breathing deeply, to calm her nerves, but it only caused an uncomfortable feeling in her throat that had her skin blanching. Instead of dwelling on how ill the task might make her, she set to work. The cabin boy had evidently not cleaned up after himself, so she began scrubbing the large pots and wooden counters with as much strength as she could manage.
She had been pampered for far too long and her muscles were complaining from lack of use. If Balta didn't mind, she would like to regain that strength cooking in the galley for the remainder of their journey. She also wouldn't mind cooking more accommodating food.
"Do you want to help?" She asked Aidana, who lurked in the hallway beyond the galley, amusement in her voice.
"I'm quite alright. Thank you, your majesty." She responded and Hydrangea smiled dryly.
"Did Bastian command you to watch me?" She asked as she began to simmer water in the newly cleaned pot. The thought warmed her chest.
"He requested that I keep an eye on you." Aidana corrected and the warm feeling diminished until Hydrangea realized that she was likely downplaying Bastian's words for some reason.
"You may call me Hydie."
"I am more comfortable using your title."
Hydrangea nodded. It piqued her curiosity; the woman refused to use her husband's title in any way besides mocking, yet she respected using her title.
"Why do you not call Bastian by his title?"
She laughed, "I prefer not to."
"I see." Hydrangea replied. She was surprised to discover that it bothered her. She should respect him, more than her if anything.
She sighed and focused her mind on the storm and occasional prayer to the Primals and her hands on the meal.