Page 12 of A Wrecking of Salt and Fire

She couldn’t blame any of them for disappearing around her. What with all the maids running about, making sure Katrin had this dress, and this crown, and reminding her of the words she must recite at the Acknowledgement. They plied her with food and drink and practice, with little time for sleep.

Little sleep—Katrin did not mind that part so much. If she avoided deep sleep, she avoided nightmares, and if she avoided her nightmares then maybe, just maybe she would actually be prepared enough to claim her rightful place on the throne.

It was not that being in front of people frightened her, it was more the idea that the other leaders of the isles would not want her, a girl just approaching twenty-five, as their leader. Especially after Kora.

Her mother was one of the most fair and just rulers in not only the isles, but all of Odessia. Not only that, but she had ruled Alentus for the last one-hundred years. Those were shoes Katrin was worried she could not fill.

“There you are!” Katrin broke away from the maids who were showing her swatches of more fabric to race over to her sister. “You’ve been hiding from me!”

“I haven’t been hiding…” Ember’s eyes shifted from her sister to the commander beside her.

Mud coated her sister’s face and her hands were wrapped with worn out cloth. Normally delicate styled blonde hair was now matted down to her sweaty face and neck in a tousled braid, strands falling out from every plait. Purple bags now puffed under her dimmed golden eyes.

“You were fighting!” Katrin almost regretted her surprised tone the second the words left her mouth, but Ember did not dirty herself. Not ever.

Once, her sister complained an entire week about a speck of dirt that got on her silk slippers. That was the whole reason her mother was so concerned about leaving them soon. She thought Ember would not be ready to be Prytan of the Spartanis, that she would never swap her schooling lessons for training, yet there she stood in fighting leathers, a sense of determination dancing behind the exhaustion in her eyes.

“Don’t look so surprised, sister. It was only a matter of time before I traded in the fancy gowns for this lovely attire.” Ember nudged the commander in the side and he smirked right back at her.

Now that was something Katrin would need to ask about once they were alone. Her sister had a crush on Commander Ajax since she was a child watching the older boys in training to be soldiers, even if she denied it every chance she got. By the way Ajax smiled, his brown eyes warming at the tiniest joke from her sister, she felt like that feeling was mutual.

A week was barely enough to learn everything you need to know to be Prytan. Even Katrin’s years of training would not put her in a much better position. But Katrin was proud nonetheless.

Her heart filled with worry at why her sister became so inclined to finally start her training. Why now? Was it really because of the Acknowledgement? Or was something else the driving factor? Did Katrin’s words have such an impact on her sister that it spurred her into action this quickly?

“Excuse me, Commander, but I must sweep my sister away to help with preparations for tonight. You see, she was supposed to be helping me for the last week, but turns out she’s been spending all her time with you.” Katrin winked at him. If she was to find out her sister’s true intentions then she would need to keep things lighthearted. No accusations, no arguments.

“Of course, Your Majesty, I would never want to stand between Ember and her clothing duties.” Ajax bowed to them with a smirk splashed across his face as Ember narrowed her eyes in disapproval. He turned to her then, “Princess, I will see you back at the barracks tomorrow.”

When Ajax ventured around the corner, Katrin whipped around to face her sister, but Ember was already trying to worm her way through the maids and away from her.

“Excuse me, Ember, where do you think you’re going?” Her sister stiffened at the words before Katrin caught up and grabbed her arm. “What is this about you starting to train, not one week before the Acknowledgement? We have been trying to get you down to the barracks for years, but this is what causes you to start?” Katrin stuck her hands out on her hips, a slight pout forming on her mouth. Ember cringed, her throat bobbing up and down.

“You found out Ajax was courting some girl and you couldn’t stand it, could you? Had to tempt him to like you by showing how much of a badass you are? It’s alright, sister, seeing you two together right now, well he might not say it, but the feeling is mutual,” Katrin shot out in a laugh.

“It is not!” Ember protested. Although her face showed a lighter sense of worry than it did before. “I couldn’t care less about that shallow heap of a man, and him toward me,” her sister’s voice cracked, a shallow scowl formed on her lips.

“Alright,” Katrin wiggled her eyebrows at her sister, “if you say so. But truly, I am proud.”

“It was your doing. You did say you’d need me after all.” Ember rolled her eyes and she mocked Katrin’s words.

“I meant it, sister. Every word.”

They turned down the halls toward Katrin’s chamber, followed closely by maids still flashing silks of red, orange, gold, turquoise, deep green, navy. She was supposed to choose for the ball tonight, but in reality she did not have much of a choice. It would have to be a fancier version of the hideous red and orange gown she already wore, otherwise it would be a direct insult. Even though the Alentian colors were much more suited to her olive complexion, and even though it was her being Acknowledged this week, not the Athanas family, it would be rude to wear anything else. Katrin’s lungs clenched. It was no wonder Kohl always had those headaches; dealing with his family was almost unbearable.

When they entered her chambers, however, the thought of what to wear quickly vanished. Lying on her desk in the living room was a large golden box tied with a large black ribbon. No note adorned the box, neither was there one lingering beside it on the desk. Katrin slowly untied the ribbon.

“Don’t open that! You don’t know what’s inside!” Ember screamed as she leapt across the room toward her sister.

“That’s quite the reaction to me receiving a gift. Do you want one too?” Katrin laughed as she slid the last of the ribbon off.

A firm hand pushed Katrin aside before Ember opened the box instead, revealing a lovely black silk gown folded inside.

Katrin looked at her sister, brows raised. “Like I said, it’s just a gift, nothing to fret over.” But her sister's breath was choppy, and her brow furrowed along her usually happy face.

She pulled out the gown, its laced-up front sparkling with black and gold stitches, the sleeves narrow until they reached shoulder length then billowing out in a vee.

Katrin turned the dress around, a large delicately stitched viper in gold thread looked as if it was slithering along the back like a tattoo. Two piercing eyes were shaded in orange, its fangs and tongue a delicate red protruding from the mouth. Her eyes widened. It was beautiful—yes—but daunting as well. Wearing this was the true symbol and declaration of her alliance with Morentius. Not that everyone didn’t know that she was betrothed to Kohl, but it was always her kingdom they would rule, her banner they would rule under.

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