A ship has been found off the coast of Nethisa! The large vessel was spotted by fishermen whose nets caught on the wreckage after heavy storms in the area brought it closer to land. Sending down anchors and attempting to hook onto the structure have been successful and sailors and labourers at the Nethisa docks have been working to bring the ship up onto dry land once more. Whispers are rampant as to what the ship is and where it came from. Is is a pirate vessel stocked full of gold, a military or slavers craft? If it turns out to be a part of the military's convoy whatever is inside will belong to the royal family. If the owner was a pirate or private seller then any wealth inside goes to the family that own the province it was discovered in... the Thanasis. It's been several days since the vessel was first discovered and only now is it breaching the surface. One and all have come to witness its rise from the deep...
"What does the ship contain?" Maximus heard a voice of a man talking to his friend. "I've heard it has treasure," the friend replied eating an apple. "From them Egyptians, statues made of gold and rubies the size of a man's fist!" Maximus frowned a bit brushing past the pair of people talking as he headed to the port. It's been a week since the festivities and the feeling of restlessness has once again taken over Maximus. He's been Colchis for a few months now and he still hasn't fully adjusted. He reunited with his best friend, he saved people from the Colchian Mine fire and conversed with his comrades. Yet he still yearned to be out there with the Fifth Phalanx fighting off Barbarian tribes.
The nightmares of his unit's ambush were less frequent now and it's been replaced with a burning desire to go back. Maximus wanted to fight back against the Barbarians who killed his brothers who nearly killed him. However like the majority of the Fifth Phalanx, Maximus is off-duty awaiting for his next deployment. The young man recently spent most of his time either training or exploring the marketplace it was starting to lose its luster until a few days ago. There was news that a sunken ship near Nethisa has been discovered by fishermen and the sailors successfully salvaged what was left of it.
Questions ran rampant across Nethisa: Where did the ship come from? What did it contain? The answers ranged from a Tangean merchant ship (unlikely) to a Pirate ship. When word of the sunken ship reached Maximus, his curiosity piqued. The question he had was how did the ship end up so close a Colchian port without anyone noticing? It was probably a very old ship that sunk hundreds of years ago but with his need to explore and the fact that he was bored, Maximus set off towards the ship so he can look at it with his own eyes.
Maximus arrived at the city to find a crowd of people shoving each in an attempt to see this marvel that lay before their doorstep. When there's a crowd of people cramped up together like that, it meant trouble Maximus was grateful to have bought his Iron Longsword with him in case the worst case scenario happened.
Ever since reports had first reached his desk regarding the ship off the coast of Nethisa, Zanon had felt something off. It was bad enough that it had been found on a Thanasi shore, but to have such interest and crowds already gathering to watch as first bits and then the entirety of the ship was finally to be raised today put higher stakes on it all. He'd traveled with Evras and Dion to the province owned by his wife's father, leaving his mother with Silas in Midas to handle the affairs that came across in the time he was gone. Instinct had told him to leave his wife and son at home, especially given the condition Evras was in, but at the same time if there was to be any trouble, having the Thanasi born woman by his side would help smooth things over with her kin.
Mounted up on his bay gelding, Zanon arrived at the shoreline with family in tow, wrinkles furrowing his brow and hair blowing in the wind as he narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the mass in the water. He wore simple dark breeches and a deep red Kotas colored tunic with a white himation against the bitter winds that were starting to blow forth across the sea. Custom dictated the placement of the gold circlet on his head though he wore no other jewelry save for his signet ring.
With a nod at some of his men, he led his advisors and other noblemen to where they could watch from the relative safety of higher ground as the laborers struggled to drag the thing ashore. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he looked back to Evras for reassurance, circling his horse back around and reaching out for her to help lift her up to sit astride with him. It was unorthodox to be sure, but he needed the Thanasi subjects to see that their lady was once again in favor and close to him as his wife. And truly he needed her small frame against his to feel secure in this. Something about it gave him a sense of wrongness, and if she was with him he could be certain she was safe for the time being.
"What do you think, my love? Pirates, with a store of new gold and things for your sisters to deck themselves in? Or military." He sighed against her neck at the thought. If it was military whatever bounty was on board belonged to the Kotas family, but it also meant it was his duty to discover who the sailors had been and to tell their families they were not coming home. A task usually left to Vangelis or any number of advisors, not himself.
Maleos headed for the coast, dressed in his Captains uniform, he was cleaned up and proper looking, his black hair falling in their natural curls, the majority of it that was long enough was tied back behind his head to keep it from falling in his face. His beard was recently trimmed, much to his dismay and his sword was sheathed at his hip, dagger tucked into his belt on the other side, both weapons polished until they shined. He was representing not only the Men of the Heights that day, but also Timaeus. He had escorted his friend to Nethisa a few days prior, waiting on this ship to be dragged out of the water so they could find out who it belonged to and what was in it. If it was what Timaeus thought it might be, then they were there to claim the contents of the ship as well.
As they sat around and waited for news on the boat, both Maleos and his friend had grown impatient, for their own reasons. Timaeus’ solution had been to send for his family, who were currently being escorted to the location by some of Maleos’ best men. Maleos’ solution was to spend most of his days in the courtyard of their housing, training simply to keep himself active. He was not great at sitting around, and so he did what he could to keep himself occupied, though without anyone to spar with, it was rather boring. Wooden targets were only fun to hit for so long.
So when word had reached them that the ship was almost at the surface, and soon they would know the answers to their questions, Maleos had practically leapt into his armour and ran out the door. He was eager for something to happen, for a reason to get out of the housing and stretch his legs a little.
And so, all dressed up and looking like a proper military Captain should, he made his way to the coast on foot. When he arrived, he could see a large crowd already gathered, common folk pushing and shoving to get a better view. There were arguments and discussions, all either involving what the ship might contain, or who arrived first and who stole whose spot. Maleos did not have time for their petty squabbles, instead he made his way through the crowd, most people parting to make room for him once they caught a glimpse of his uniform. Those who did not, were given a firm push to get them moving in the right direction so he could go forward.
He made it to the front of the crowd, and he stood there, watching from a safe distance as the ship was slowly being hauled from its grave. He waited impatiently, having half a mind to step forward and help them haul it up. He wanted to know if it was the ship that Timaeus thought it might be, and he was sure his friend was just as eager to hear word from the Captain whether it was or not.
Unfortunately he could not speed the process up, so instead he stood there, hands clasped behind his back as he waited.
Having spent much of her last month sleeping or catching up to her duties as a daughter in law and wife of a royal family, Evras had only heard of the news that had befallen Nethisa a day before they were due to head to the province itself. A province under the control of her father, or more accurately of her eldest sister in recent years, the province itself was a place that Dionysius had never let his offspring visit, despite it being part of their heritage. As such, Evras was not at all familiar with the place.
But what she did know however, was that her siblings would likely be in attendance when she went, so in away, Evras was excited. With the recent happenings in her life, she had little time to visit, especially with Nethis off in Taengea, and Mihail bemoaning his uncertain fate after the discovery of the mysterious letter questioning his birth right, Evras was somewhat worried of what was going on between her siblings.
So the whole ride in the carriage, while her husband was riding upon his gelding outside, Evras had been absentmindedly entertaining Dion's queries (should he have any), whilst at the same time, pondering on the what-could-have-been's with her siblings the whole way to Nethisa. Dressed in a maroon red chiton that reached to her knees, she had allowed no belt to cinch her waist, and instead allowed the material to flow. Her maid had advised against it should what they suspect really be true, and Evras followed her advice, not at all wanting anything to endanger it. Her black curls were piled in a chignon atop her head, only a few tendrils framing her face, and only a small, simple gold fibulae decorated her head to signify her position. Her upper arms were adorned with the usual snake-bangles that gleamed in the dim sunlight as the carriage rolled to a stop.
With an arm around Dion, she pushed the curtains of the carriage aside, watching the people gathering at the beach as the ship began breaching the water's surface - the people's interest were palpable, and Evras could see it. Even the lowest of low commonfolk were watching with interest as the laborers worked at the massive thing, and curiosity was abound. Many questions were tossed around the crowds, but none held any firm knowledge, and it was obvious what was in the drowned ship was anybody's guess.
When Zanon approached, Evras smiled to greet him, but surprise flashed in her blue-green eyes when her husband extended a hand at him, blinking a few times before realizing what exactly he was asking of her.
"Dion, you stay with your guards here, okay? Let Papa and myself see if its safe, and if it is, you can come along." she murmured to the young twelve-year old, a look enough for two of the half-dozen guards to come and stand on either side of Dion. Only then, did Evras take her husband's hand and allow him to assist her to sit against his front astride. It was a space she was comfortable in, leaning against his heat as she always did. Some people blinked in surprise in seeing the Thanasi lady so close to the prince, for the rift between the married couple hadn't exactly been a secret, but the amendment between the two was a newer situation that had not yet become common knowledge, and a certain measure of surprise was not at all uncommon.
Used to brushing off people's reactions to her by now however (considering the fact that she has had to dealt with rumors of her being a witch half her life), Evras merely focused on what Zanon spoke, turning her head slightly against him to catch his words against the strong seaside breeze. "Gold, I think. It would be a lot easier to deal with." she murmured in reply. While Evras was not exactly well versed in what work her husband had to do exactly, she knew that if it was military, it would mean Zanon would have even more things to do in the coming months, should Vangelis not return soon, and she did not wish more work on her husband's plate.
From horseback, Evras's gaze roamed, and only then she begun to realize that it was more then just the folk of Nethisa who had come to see the recovering of the mysterious boat. "Is the vessel completely unmarked, Zanon?" she asked, curiosity bubbling in her voice.
Nethis time in Taengea was long, but it was worth the week long journey to and from as the Lady of House Thanasi was able to meet with various nobles of Taengea, namely her close friend, Fotios of Leventi. It has always been nothing but good times with the calculative man, because for Nethis its almost a breath of fresh air to have someone at least on the same intellect level as you. Nethis respects Fotios very well and the two are a formidable duo that the other Kingdoms have yet to understand that those two minds together are dangerous. Although, the climate in Taengea is much different than it is in Colchis, though she is known in Taengea as the Lady Nethis of Thanasi, but in Colchis every knows and fears her. She is also someone not too many will trust with their deepest secrets, but that has never stopped Nethis from uncovering truths and gathering information. Nethis is a very intelligent woman, she has her eyes and ears in every province of Colchis, so it isn’t very hard for the Thanasi woman to get what she needs. It only gets harder the higher she goes in the chain of power, but Nethis is a very determined woman.
The journey from Taengea took only a week to complete and Nethis was very much aware of what happened since she was gone. Letters were kindly brought to her detailing everything that has happened from the fire to the Drakos conspiracy… Nethis knew that once she has returned home there were things needed to be done… People to correct and order to be brought back into her house. Not to mention she must check on her father and see if there was much progress or decline in his health. Colchis will always keep the elder child of Dionysios a busy woman, though her own family will prove to be another challenge she must deal with. Mihail so graciously made the time to send Nethis a letter expressing how he was no longer accepting the title of being Dionysios’s son and was off doing gods knows what. Reading the letter, initially, made Nethis smirk because she knows her brother wouldn’t last a day as a peasant. Although, she remembered the conversation last had with her brother and it didn’t end on good terms, so Nethis could only wonder the amount spite Mihail has for her. Nethis can take whatever her brother will give her, because she is looking at the bigger picture – immortalizing her family.
Nethis sat patiently in the Captain’s cabin as she waited for the vessel to dock at the ports of Colchis. She knows they have entered the waters of her homeland because the strength of the waves changed rather noticeably. The Lady was re-reading the letter Mihail sent to her with sharp focus, though the woman sighed, “Oh little brother, must you make a mess of things,” Nethis continued as she held the letter over a lit candle, “But don’t you worry, I have returned.” The Lady said as she watched the letter burn, before placing it in a ceramic container that sat on the desk. Before she could move on to something else, she felt the ship come to complete stop and a smile crept upon her lips as she knew she was home.
*Hour Later*
The Lady arrived at the Thanasi House with all her belongings being carried into the home by servants. Nethis was dressed in a white peplos and was adorned with golden jewelry with a slithering snake bracelet on her forearm. Nethis eyes were lined with kohl to emphasize her beauty as she gracefully walked in her tan sandal straps as she ventured inside the main part of the home, “Go ahead and send all of my belongings to my chambers, and be sure to have everything sorted where it once was.” The Lady said with an expectant tone as she stood watching the servants carry her belongings up the stairway. Nethis placed her hands on her hips as she looked around, “Now… My siblings.”
The news from Nethisa had been quite the topic of conversation even in Midas. Thea did not mind that many of the servants within the Thanasi walls were not proficient in the idea of a whisper, and she found amusement in their theories and speculations as the days passed. Overhearing one or two who wondered why the only remaining lady of the house had not set off to see the spectacle, she gently reminded them that ships are not raised overnight and that she would only set out when it was a day's ride away at least.
With Nethisa being a day's ride away, Thea was able to receive consistent notice on the status of the ship. With each passing day, it became more and more strange that no markings or heraldry was noted, and Thea's curiosity began to sharpen with each missive. As a dutiful daughter, she kept Dionysios informed of the raising, but after the third response of 'what ship?' she began to turn her attentions further to the letters sent to siblings.
Ever dutiful, Thea sent missives every few days or so to keep her sister informed of the events and whispers in the city. It was likely that her sister would return any day now and that some of her letters would have been sent in vain. She hoped that this news of the ship would reach the eldest Thanasi before she returned to Colchis.
Just the day before, she sent a missive to Mihail at the baron's residence in Nethisa, simply to let him know that she had made preparations to set out for Nethisa the following morning, having finally established good enough care for their father while she would be away. It was worded in a way that it was neither a suggestion or an invitation for him to join them on the cliffs of Nethisa, but knowing her brother's curiosity nearly matched her own entirely, there was little doubt that she would see his face upon arriving - though, far away from the water, to be certain.
That morning, after breaking her fast with her father, Thea instructed that the horses for herself and her guard were to be tacked and ready within the hour as they were to set out on Thanasi business in Nethisa. Not long after dressing in comfortable riding attire - a wine-red peplos with a creme-and-gold chamlys to cover her fair skin along the ride and her hair coiled and pinned off her neck and face - she heard a commotion in the courtyard. Stepping out of her room, she saw traveling trunks emblazoned with the Thanasi crest crossing towards Nethis' quarters, and quickly made her way to the entry of the Estate.
"Sister," she called softly as she descended the stairs, approaching for a delicate embrace. Their family was not an overly emotional or affectionate one, but Thea did care for her siblings' wellbeing and with talk of shipwrecks being so frequent, there was a significant sense of relief to see her returned home safely.
Before usual pleasantries, she stopped one servant with a quiet command, "Have my horse untacked and ready our carriage. Lady Nethis will be joining us for Nethisa." As she spoke, her eyes shifted to watch her older sister's expression.
"Oh, you must not have received my missive before disembarking," she began, a slight smirk turning the corner of her lips upward as she added, "After such a long voyage from Taengea, you must be exhausted of travel, but this is something you will not want to miss, to be sure. Come, let us get you ready."
**Hours Later**
It was still mid-morning by the time they set out in the carriage, and before they had left the estate, Thea informed Nethis of all she knew about the ship thus far, which all in all was not terribly much. However, a Thanasi presence on the beaches was necessary, as whatever was found in the ships belly - barring any possessions of a militaristic nature - would belong to them. Thea was filled with gratitute for the fates that brought Nethis home so quickly to represent them on this occasion. With Dionysios relatively unaware this morning and Dysius' mood being disinterested, it would have fallen to Thea to represent their House on the beaches and make the decisions on behalf of their name. Nethis, though, was far more adept and attuned to speaking on their behalf.
As they crested over the rolling, coastal hills, they could finally catch a view of the beaches below in the late-afternoon light. Quite a mass of curious onlookers as well as soldiers clad in colors not-only of Nethisa but from Laconia and Eubocris as well were assisting the recovery spearheaded by the local sailors on their smaller vessels. Her eyes then lighted on the colors of Kotas, noting the glimmer of metal crowning two heads of dark hair.
"Evras and Dion are here, as well as the Prince," she remarked, smiling. Glancing away from the water, her eyes sought out another familiar form - wiry and dark. A thought of humor passed quickly as she wondered if Mihail grew a beard, or even if he could.
Finally, as the rocky shore turned to silt and sand, the carriage came to at stop, and Thea gathered her skirts to step out of the carriage, her guard assisting her as she caught sure footing on the beach. It was organized chaos, and the ship itself - still mostly-submurged - seemed to on the precipice of of revealing its secrets to the world. Waiting for Nethis to exit the carriage and take the lead, Thea feel in step just behind her left shoulder.
Mihail had been hesitant when he had heard of the ship. Ever afraid of the unknown, bottomless expanse that was the ocean, he tended to avoid any situation that would draw him closer to the water. There were a few exceptions: the Colchian beach, with its high cliffs and comfortable distance from any danger, made for a delightful hunting ground in the quieter hours of the day; and he could about suffer through a short boat journey so long as he could keep himself hidden below deck. It was, in part, the reason why a trip to Nethisa in the guise of a temper tantrum was so easy.
He wasn't quite sure how long he had been at the baron's house, almost positive he had a semi-permanent home there at this point - Mihail had always stayed in the same set of rooms for every visit, to the extent that he had begun to leave some of his belongings on recent trips. It had been a long enough while that the light stubble which had started to form on his face before he had left the Thanasi home in Midas had grown further, no longer that scraggly bumfluff and now the beginnings of what one might regard as a proper beard. Or rather, that was how the youngest Thanasi had opted to define the thicker patches of hair around his chin and the pathetic wisp of a moustache. The only facial hair which seemed at all successful was his usual sideburns, now extended part way down his cheeks and twice as voluminous. Mihail thought it not only particularly successful, but an excellent echo of the beards worn by half the peasants he had seen in his lifetime, although the bright red of his chiton with its elaborate snake-embroidered hem told a substantially different story.
With the new life which he had been so adamant about forging as Mihail of Nethisa - at least until his sisters paid him the attention he felt he deserved for the traumatic news, and he was given permission to be with his beloved Euphemia - he had requested a horse be provided to him for his journey to view the ship, deciding a carriage would be too bulky and gaudy for his alleged birthright. No thought had been given to the fact that a horse would have been far too expensive for his claims; he had simply not been keen on the walk to the beach. Riding was not something he had ever been particularly interested in, and the journey, albeit short, was uncomfortable and he was almost positive he would have to go back on his word and demand a carriage for the return journey to the baron's estate. Not that this had been a common occurrence: Mihail had only changed his mind a few times, when the less noble food or the clothes had not suited him, but he assumed those were not significant factors in the grand scheme of things.
Mihail would have stayed at a reasonable distance from the water, afraid of wandering even too far onto the beach in fear that he would suddenly trip and fall into an oncoming tide, but as his gaze ran over the shoreline, he had spotted the unmistakable sight of elder sisters. Thea and Nethis were separate from Evras, who stood so irritatingly close to her husband, a man he did not wish to see him in this exaggerated state. Thus, he did not acknowledge the third for now, instead approaching the older pair. No doubt he would have the chance to speak with Evras later, but he suspected that she was, at present, here in a Kotas capacity rather than a Thanasi one.
It was another overdone spectacle. "Lady Nethis. Lady Thea. So lovely for you to grace us with your presence here in our humble province. I am honoured."
Kairos walked across the beach, watching the waves. Kairos had always loved the sea. It was calming, beautiful, and had relaxed her since she had been old enough to walk towards the water. She'd spent hours and hours as a young girl watching the docks at the capital, staring at ships as they brought goods in and out. Even then she'd wanted too just.. Sail away. And then one day she had. She supposed some dreams did come true, sometimes.
Regardless, she'd heard about the ship, and decided to investigate. She had come casually dressed this time, leaving her armor and weapons in a abandoned home she'd been staying in. Well. Not all her weapons. The dagger hidden in her boot went with her everywhere. She was otherwise dressed in light, very casual dress. Nothing special, her hair kept short. She hiked along the beach, coming up nearish to the crowd, looking around with some interest. She was using a walking stick at the moment, due too.. Well.
She scratched anxiously at her shoulder, the slight bit of exposed skin showing off a... somewhat healed gash. The long wound dragged along the skin and down towards her lower half hidden by her upper garment. Damnable bandits. They'd gotten lucky, slashing right through her linothorax with a lucky hit. It wasn't deep, but it had been horribly painful. She'd managed too get herself some treatment from a friend, and had hobbled her way through some time. She would probably be out of commission for another few weeks, but she'd bounce back soon enough. At the least, she'd managed too do worse to them. She genuinely hoped the heads might leave a message for the other bandits in the area.
And there were quite a few people, which was interesting. She wondered why they were all here. Was a ship really so interesting too them? Hiking down the dunes, she stood at the edge of the water, feeling the waves lapping around her, watching the activity. She was hoping there might be something interesting. A pirate ship would be interesting, to see if there was any loot.
When the rumors of a sunken ship being found off the Colchian coast reached Babis' ears, he couldn’t help, but let his mind wander with childish glee in regards to all the possibilities that this new discovery would bring. For the first few days that the news swirled about the capital city, all of the children’s games centered around this mysterious ship. One moment they were imagining how the ship found itself on the rocky seabed of the Nethisan shoreline. Nothing was off-limits for the boys, from the idea of massive, inescapable storms sent by Zeus and Poseidon to strike down the vessel to the exciting drama of a mutiny at sea gone wrong; this event crept into the imaginations of the children of Colchis and likewise every boy and girl with a sense of adventure longed to make the trek across the country to see this once in a lifetime event for themselves…
… And to be the first ones aboard.
Babis of Eliades was no exception to this. For the week before the ship had been drug to the shoreline, he couldn’t get all these exciting possibilities out of his mind. It was just far too intriguing for the child who had a deep-rooted sense of adventure and was known to push the boundaries. From the moment he had heard about the ship, he had been daydreaming about how thrilling it would be to be the one to claim whatever treasure was in its hold. Though, he didn’t want whatever was there just because he believed, like all children do, to fill with gold, jewels, and other shiny things, but instead he just wanted the adventure of it all. However, he knew that this was unlikely to happen under any circumstance. After all, here he was in the capital city when this boat was at least a day’s trip away. It would be impossible for him to see the ship for himself.
So, he was content with pestering others about it. His friends had to listen to him describe the adventures he wanted to have. Grandpa Harith had to answer a thousand questions about how a ship could suddenly reemerge from the sea and his father… oh his poor, poor father. That man had the worst of it, constantly being peppered with questions from the young lad about the ship and it’s contents. Day in and day out, Babis pestered Photis, knowing that his father would know more than others thanks to his position as a baron and the steward to the Master of War, who had taken an interest in the ship due to its possible military origins. There was no respite for Photis either as his crafty twelve-year-old had a knack for sneaking into rooms he shouldn’t be in and making his way around the manor without others noticing.
It was driving the whole Eliades clan batty with how obsessed Babis was over this ship.
There was no second-guessing the decision then to keep the news from Babis that Photis and Harith would travel to Nethisa to watch the ship come out of the waves. However, to the family’s horror, a servant mistakenly spoke about the plans in front of the energetic boy. Very quickly, Babis' constant questions turned into him endlessly begging to tag along. Any adult who had the misfortune of crossing paths with the boys was subjected to this and eventually, with a little help from the knowledge that his parents were far too doting to ever really say no to the twins, they cracked and allowed both of the boys to attend along with the others.
Babis was very simply over the moon with excitement. The entire way there, he couldn’t help, but bounce in his seat, eagerly going over all the rumors he had heard. His mother and grandmother had hoped that as they got closer to the shore that he would eventually tire, but his energy seemingly only grew as the air became heavy with the scent of the ocean. As soon as the carriage came to a halt, upon the high ground and away from the forming crowd, Babis practically lept out in order to catch a glimpse of the center of his adventures.
For a moment, he was stunned into silence at the sheer beauty of it. Granted it was not a pretty looking vessel, not anymore as it had spent god knows how long at the bottom of the sea, but it was still gorgeous to Babis as it appeared to be the perfect playground for the adventures he had only been able to dream of up until this point. He couldn’t pull his eyes off of it, not even when he felt his father lightly put his hand on the boy’s shoulder to get the child’s attention.
“There’s your ship, Bab.” He muttered quietly, squeezing the lad’s shoulder as he gave the child a small grin. Of course, they knew that the ship wasn’t his. The Eliades had no claim to it or any missing vessels that it could be, but still, the boy had talked about it so much that it was his in a weird sort of way. For a moment, the father and son just watched the men below drag the ship out of the water. It was a touching moment and Babis was so excited to be here, at this moment, looking at this ship, that he doubted that this was something he would ever forget. It was a thousand times better though that for a moment he was sharing it with his dad too.
However, the spell was broken when from somewhere behind him, someone called for Photis. There were obviously some things that the Eliades man needed to attend to that would probably bore Babis to death. The boy glanced up at his father and tried to ask before the man needed to head off, “Can I get --” He was shushed though by a small shake of the older man’s head as Photis already knew that the boy was asking if he could get closer which was simply out of the question given how easily a twelve-year-old could get hurt.
“I need you to stay up here until the ship is claimed okay? Then once everything settles down, we’ll see what we can do about getting you on that ship.” The man vaguely promised, personally unsure if he was going to keep it, but not wanting to curb his son’s excitement for such an event. Babis’s face fell at the prospect of staying so far away from the vessel, but the promise of getting to explore it later was enough to satisfy him for now.
“Okay,” He said quietly, not wanting to show how dejected he was over his father’s statement. However, his father heard it all the same and for a moment was silent, trying to think of something that might cheer him up a bit. Babis saw his father’s gaze drift over to a nearby Kotas sigil which probably inspired his next statement, “You know, I think Dion is around here somewhere… Why don’t you and your brother go find him?”
This certainly excited the boy as he didn’t know the prince was here. A big grin crossed his face as he nodded his head and instantly became antsy, a clear sign to his father that he was ready to run off. The man, pleased with himself, let go of the boy’s shoulder and quickly shooed him off with the instruction, “Don’t forget to bring your brother!”
It only took Babis a moment to find Aras and practically drag him after the younger twin in his rush to make it over to the Kotas carriages in order to find Dion. That was simple enough as Evras wasn’t as relaxed as Marissa was when it came to security and Dion was easy to spot among the retinue of guards surrounding him. Letting go of his brother, Babis practically bounded over to his friend and excitedly greeted his friend with, “Dion! Your parents let you come too?” His excitement was clearly written on his face as they tumbled out of his mouth at lightning speed. Dion would know as well how overjoyed the boy was to be here given how many times Babis had talked his ear off about it for ages prior to them arriving here. It seemed that his energy just simply wouldn’t be contained that day.
Neither would his ability to overlook obvious danger in the name of reckless adventure, “Do you think we can get closer to the ship? We’re so far away up here.” Any sensible person would say no, but the trio was not known for their brilliant logic when they were together. Though, it was likely that one or both of the boys would try to keep the Eliades child from doing something stupid.
But the window to get close to the ship was closing and if the trio wanted to go explore it firsthand, they would have to do it quickly.
A few months ago, the Valaoritis family had been dealt a devastating financial blow as one of their ships went missing at sea. The hold had been filled to the brim with the goods from the province that were destined to be sold in the other Grecian kingdoms; textiles of the highest quality and quarried blocks of stone to build structures that no Eubocrisian would ever get to see. Although it was difficult and somewhat costly to sell goods in this way, especially given the limited transportation options in the landlocked province, that ship provided a steady source of gold and other necessary goods that Eubocris needed. Then in an instant, it was gone. To make matters worse, none of the crew had been seen since which made it almost impossible to know exactly where the ship had slipped beneath the waves.
When news reached the Valaoritis household that a ship matching a vague description of the one that had been lost, there was no question about Timaeus traveling to the province in order to claim the vessel if it was his. In fact, the baron had set out barely within an hour after reading the missive, bringing along with him the one man he trusted with his own life: Maleos. A member of his inner circle, the military captain was a loyal soldier and a steadfast friend to the Baron who was secretly overwhelmed with his role and he had taken on the helm of running the Men of the Heights while the province’s other captain became its baron. In many ways, Maleos was more brother than a colleague to Timaeus.
So, it made sense that for the sake of speed and in recognition of the trust the baron had within him, it made sense that Maleos would be the only one that Timaeus had allowed with him on the journey. However, they may have moved a bit too quickly, arriving in the province several days before the ship breached the surface. Although the men had been housed comfortably as Timaeus had called upon his connections within the Thanasi lands as the guardian of Arcanes, the sheer concept of waiting did nothing but bore the two of them to death. After all, there was nothing they could really do so far from home as they waited to hear that the ship was finally near the surface. In fact, Timaeus had actually to call for practice dummies be brought into the courtyard so the men could do something before the boredom drove them both insane.
This absence of anything to do hit Timaeus particularly hard though. The Baron was well-known for being over-protective with his family and the separation from them, even if it was on;y for a few days worried Timaeus. He was terrified that something may happen to them while he was gone and there would be nothing that he could do, clear on the other side of the country. After a few days of worrying though, Timaeus had finally had enough and sent for his family, all of them, just so he could put his mind at rest for a few days. From Roxana, who was normally not welcomed into such events, to Silanos, locked away in the Valaoritis manor, he had told all of them to come to Nethisa straight away.
To his great relief, they did.
His mother and Silanos arrived first as they were closer with his cousins not too far behind. Seeing them all together brought a huge sense of relief to the Baron and for the first time in several days, he had been relaxed enough to carefully think through what needed to be done if the ship was indeed theirs.
All of that went out the window though when a messenger arrived, stating the ship had finally breached the waves. The whole house was thrown into a chaotic flurry of activity. Sospatria and Silanos were ordered to stay behind as they were both were in no shape to interact with the nobility while his mother and himself were outfitted with horses for the event. Timaeus had not had a chance to run into Roxana amidst the confusion, but he did order that a horse is ready for her as well if she wanted to follow the elder Valaoritis family members to the beach.
This is where the two of them had been for a quite a while, watching from a distance on their steeds for any sign that the ship was a Valaoritis one. From his distant vantage point, it was hard to make out specific details of the crowd, but Timaeus swore that he saw the curls of Maleos moving about in the crowd below. It was also easy for him to see Zanon and Evras nearby as well, both probably questioning what could be in the cargo hold. This wasn’t too unlike the gentle queries he had asked his mother, but she could hardly answer him. For most of the morning, she had an almost glassy look in her expression and Timaeus knew well enough that it was almost impossible to reach out to her when this happened.
Soon enough though, the crowd began to grow antsy, signaling that the ship was almost out of the water. With a quiet word to the guards nearby, instructing them to stay with his mother and cousin, if she arrived, the Baron decided that it was time for him to move closer so that he might claim it right away. Guiding his personal steed, a chestnut Andalusian named Thrasos, down the beach, Timaeus circled the crowd. He wanted to move through the crowd in order to be towards the front of the crowd when the ship was finally boarded once again. Timaeus knew that it would be unwise though as Thrasos was a powerful warhorse and putting him in a crowd of people was just a bad idea.
Spying the royal couple across the sand, he decided that it might be a good idea to be near them so that they may strengthen his claim against the Thanasis, by he was wary, of course, given … recent events. Maybe this reluctance to face the events that occurred that fateful night at the Kotas mansion, drove him to find a different distraction within the crowd.
Luckily for him, a most interesting one came in the form of a pretty woman lingering on the edge of the crowd. Well… her face was pretty enough anyway. Even from a slight distance, Timaeus could tell that the lady who had caught his eye was a bit different than other women. She was incredibly tall and built like a man. Even he could see that from here. Not to mention that she also carried a walking stick. It was a very peculiar sight indeed, but given that the only other amusing option was sheer boredom, Timaeus believed it would be a good idea to learn more about this woman who stuck out from the rest of the crowd.
Urging the horse forward, Timaeus was surprised to see that his initial impression wasn’t even the beginning of how odd she was. Once he was close enough, he could see the sheer amount of scars littering her bare arms. Not even he and his men, who lived for the glory of battle, had as many healed wounds as she did. This on its own was shocking, nevermind the fact that she looked younger than him. All of that paled in comparison though when he caught sight of the large wound running down her back. A small gasp escaped him when he realized how fresh it must have been. How on earth did a woman get a cut like that? It was too large and an in an improper place for it to be an accident of any sort. Someone did that to her. But who? And why?
For a moment, he felt a sense of anger on her behalf (even if it wasn’t wanted) washed over him. It was wrong to harm anyone, let alone a woman, like that. If someone in his province had dared to do that, well it was very likely that they would at least lose their hands for doing such a thing. At least.
“You there,” He said, calling out to her in order to hopefully drawn her attention to him. His tone was an authoritative one, signaling his status as a member of the nobility along with the sheer fact he was on a warhorse of all things. Once she turned to him, he asked with a small nod of his head as a way to point to her injury, “What happened to your shoulder?”
Kairos let her pirate related revelry drift away as she heard a man's voice call too her. She took moment turning around, looking him up and down for a second. Finely dressed. Nice warhorse. Confident he wouldn't get slapped for just coming up behind a woman. Definitely a Noble of some kind. Probably high, with how fine his dress was. He even looked a bit familiar. Had she worked for him before? No. Maybe she'd just seen him, or heard his voice. It was a small world, after all.
Regardless, she did feel a bit taken aback by his question. She hadn't been expecting anyone to really look at her shoulder. If it weren't for the constant dull roar of pain, she would have forgotten it herself. Unfortunately, even generous wine could only do so much to dull the ache. She took a moment composing herself, drawing up a bit from her slouch, making sure to keep the weight on her temporary staff. Kairos wasn't entirely sure how to respond to the situation, but at that moment, couldn't really just sit silently.
"Ah. A minor incident on the roads, My Lord. Traveling alone always has it's risks."
Kairos awkwardly smiled, not entirely sure what to do here. She watched his eyes trace her arms and felt a brief moment of discomfort, even as she suppressed the urge to cover them. While Kairos couldn't exactly be called feminine, not in any true metric of the word, having a man stare at her scars was.. Unsettling in a way. It was why she liked armor, masks. It helped hide who she was. When she wore the mask, no one asked about her cuts, or scars. She was just the killer you paid, and then forgot about. It was so easy to hide behind metal, because people often didn't want to see beneath it.
Like this? She was anomaly. Pitiable, disgusting, any number of words. People didn't like being reminded women could be anything other than the pretty statues they liked to look at. Regardless, she was notable enough in this collection of people (Some of whom Kairos even recognized) this man had decided to see her. And it was always somewhat worrying. And each noticeable scar was a damning account of her life, a tiny reminder of everything she'd done. The coast of Africa raiding that Egyptian Merchant, the bar fight in Athenia, a skirmish in the north.
And the new one was enough to question. A permanent reminder of a time where some petty bandits got the better of her. She felt the urge to take a step back, but stood resolutely. She supposed she'd have to see where this went.
Would he be offended by her manner of speech? Would he expect a bow, a kneel? Did he actually want an answer? It was impossible to tell, and her inherent paranoia kept her just on the verge of panic.
When the baron had approached the assassin, he never thought for a moment that his actions may have been considered rude or creepy. Were they? Definitely. There was no question about it. However, it was important to remember that Timaeus had been held to a different standard all of his life. As a nobleman, he was raised to believe that as long as his actions were honorable and just, there really wasn’t any limits to what he could do. He was above certain aspects of the law and as long as he didn’t bring chaos to either the Valaoritis or Kotas households there really wasn’t any sort of line that he couldn’t cross. After all, there was no one stopping him from governing Eubocris with an iron fist. Not as long as he followed the basic guidelines and his own moral compass.
In this instance, he believed that his actions and inquiries into what had happened to Kairos were entirely justifiable. After all, it wasn’t every day that he saw a woman with more scars than the majority of his unit combined with a few painfully fresh ones littered across her back. Given what he knew of right and wrong, it was off and Timaeus genuinely wanted to ensure that she was okay and that whoever had done this to her had been brought to justice. No one who did that kind of thing to a woman should be allowed to walk the streets.
At first, he had expected her to completely avoid his question or provide some sort of justification to protect whoever the culprit was. What he wasn’t expecting though was for the woman to place blame on account of her traveling alone of all things. Timaeus was visibly taken aback by this, his face contorting in shock as he glanced her up and down again, fully unprepared for such an answer that only led to more questions in his mind.
“What do you mean this was a minor incident?” He said incredulously, his voice rich in the shock that was currently circling his mind right now as he tried to make sense of what she said. How on earth could something that looked so dreadfully painful that she required a walking stick, be considered minor? That kind of injury in his military unit would earn a man bedrest until it was properly healed. If it would properly heal. Glancing at the rest of her scars, Timaeus couldn’t help, but wonder if the stories behind how she got those had been worse than this?
“Forgive my brashness, miss, but that does not look anything that is gained in a so-called minor incident.” Timaeus said with a small shake of his head, trying to recover from his initial shock. It took him a moment, but he was able to gather his wits about him as he pressed further, momentarily forgetting about the large looming ship that was now almost out of the water, “I do not intend to pry, but your answer has worried me greatly. What happened to you and why would a woman like you be traveling alone?”
He was not aware that his question may bring offense to the woman who traveled alone. Timaeus was not used to such a thing occurring. After all, the women he knew never went anywhere without some sort of male escort, whether it be himself or a guard. That was just the way things were done and as far as he knew, the lower classes were the same for the most part. Sure, an exception could be made if one was traveling to a market or something. Even recently he had met with a girl on her own right before the gods turned Midas into a bonfire. Though that didn’t exactly have a happy ending as the girl he was with and, for a moment, thought he had grown to love had perished in said fire. It was a lesson that he didn’t need to learn twice.
Regardless if it brought offense to the warrior or not, as Timaeus was still somewhat befuddled by her almost-manly appearance, but truly it didn’t matter quite as much as the other things that were presented; the baron still waited for an answer to his question as he kept glancing up at the ship. With any luck though, she would answer quickly and have the foresight to put his mind to rest and reassure him that the ones who had done this to her had been rightfully punished.
Timaeus believed himself to be a man of honor after all, even though his own track record said otherwise, and he just couldn’t allow for the scoundrels to not meet some sort of unfortunate fate for what they had done.
Essa had been doing what she did best when news arrived of a shipwreck. With a stack of books next to her and another in her lap, the girl sat in her favorite chair by her favorite window, her brown locks piled high atop her head in a messily, secured with pins, the style sure to enrage her servants who spent all morning braiding it prettily. It's not that the girl meant to ruin their work, it was just that the braids were tight against her scalp and, although very pretty, she couldn't read while feeling uncomfortable.
The book she was reading now was one of great adventures, new worlds, pretty men with dark curly hair and green eyes. What a story this was! Engrossed in her story, she doesn't notice her mother enter the library nor Aikaterine, not until her mother is grabbing the book from her. "What are you doing!? Get up, Essa!" Tythra said, voice urgent. She does not wait for Essa to rise, out the door in seconds before returning to squint at her youngest. "What have you done with your hair?"
Flabbergasted, Essa shared a look an equally confused Aikaterine before the other girl gave a huff and yanked the pins from Essa's hair before leading the girl out of the library and after Tythra.
Mother and daughter arrive. During the ride, Essa was informed that a lost ship had recently been found. With a quick squeeze of Essa's hand, her mother instructed her not to move before disappearing into the crowd. Essa's lips hard parted in protest, but her mother was already gone. What was she to do now?
The gravelly beaches of Nethisa are filled with the nobility and commonfolk alike of Colchis. For what could be more exciting than the possibility of a treasure, buried deep beneath the waters murky of the Kirakles Isles. As the people congregate, the dockland workers that have been brought from their wooden piers and pedestals to stand on the beach and heave with strength and sinew, appear to gain power from their audience, as they haul on long chains.
The anchors that have been cast into the sea to find purchase on the wreckage below are being pulled with deliberately slow force so as not to destroy the sodden wood of the vessel beneath the power of the strain. Slowly, very slowly, the chains and ropes start to move and the feet of the labourers are able to take a step back at a time, drawing the ship closer to the surface...
As the mast and sailing beams emerge from the water there are murmurs by little comment. The structure of the upper half of the ship is that used across most of Greece and while many whisper that it doesn't appear to be a pirate ship, the identity of the owner of such a vessel won't be revealed until more of its belly breaches the surface of the water.
As time goes on, the prow of the ship finally breaks the waves and the gravel of the beach starts to accumulate around the front of it's shape. The bow breaks up to the open air and there is a ripple of rumour and cries that slowly stop the men in their efforts, pausing with only the front point of the vessel above the water line and mounting beach.
The bow is carved with the insignia of the bear. The Kotas family crest.
"Bandits on the road, Lord. They have always been a nuisance when traveling."
Kairos gave an attempt at a disarming smile. She really hadn't expected concern.
"They attempted to take what was not theirs, and met an untimely end. A minor incident."
Kairos suddenly noted the ship breaching the depths of the waves, and most importantly, the crest on it's bow.
"Oh, My Lord, it would seem the ship is up from the waves!"
Well. She hoped this would work at distracting him for a moment. The promise of something shiny always seemed to distract most nobles. They were much like small children or birds in that way.
If there was one thing that this stranger was good at, it was annoying Timaeus with her vague non-answers to his simple questions. Truly, was it that difficult to explain what had happened and how she had come to be traveling alone? Especially to a member of the nobility who had the power to change her life for the worse with a simple nod of his head? It was almost incredulous that she seemed so intent on running circles around the Baron for some unknown reason that he certainly couldn’t fathom. After all, if Timaeus was in her shoes, he wouldn’t dare be anything, but straight-forward and direct with someone like him.
But then again, he wasn’t her. There was no way for him to know that the punishment for annoying him was greatly outweighed by the risk of her revealing her profession.
He shook his head a bit and furrowed his brows while listening to her deflections once more. His rising impatience was written clearly on his face as he regarded her words. However, his expression overall remained rather neutral, his anger hiding behind a trained blank expression and the concern that was now steadily fading. Kairos might have been fooled by the poker face that Timaeus put on, but the warhorse beneath him wasn’t. The chestnut Andalusian had been paired with the Baron for years and thus could sense small changes in the man’s behavior considerably faster than those who didn’t know him. Thrasos fed off the Baron’s annoyance and became antsy beneath him, growing more fidgety and pawing at the sand beneath him. Timaeus instinctively reached a hand forward to rub the beast’s neck in order to calm him, but still, the horse refused to be still again as little did Timaeus know, but the horse was reacting to more than just the Baron.
The ship had nearly breached the surface now and the shifting seabed was now shaking beneath their feet. Most of the people wouldn’t be able to consciously sense it, but the rumbling only added to the tense atmosphere of the beach as all eagerly awaited any sign of who the ship might have belonged to.
Ignoring all of this though, Timaeus focused in on her words, “An untimely end?” The Baron parroted back with an eyebrow raised, “But didn’t you just tell me a moment ago that you were traveling alone?” His words carried an almost accusatory tone to them as he believed that he had just caught her in the middle of some sort of lie. After all, it was simply unfathomable to him that a woman would be capable of taking the lives of several bandits that were clearly armed and skilled with a blade --if only by judging the cut on her back. It was far more likely in his mind that she omitting parts of the truth, hiding a companion or two that would reasonably be capable of killing the bandits instead of her.
“So, were you alone or were you no-” Timaeus started to say, intent on weedling the truth out of her in one way or another, but he was abruptly cut off by the deafening noise of the ship breaking the surface. The water fell off its sides in an almost poetic cascade, drawing everyone’s attention to the water. For a moment, a deathly silence fell over the crowd as their eyes searched for any sign of who may have owned the ship. Timaeus was no exception to this as he forced Thrasos to turn so that he may get a better view of the vessel. The watched with bated breath as the bow began to emerge from the water and the first clues of what purpose the ship served were lifted from its watery grave.
His heart immediately sank as he recognized, even from this distance, a carved bear. The ship was a Kotas vessel and not the missing Valaoritis one. Timaeus’s face fell with the disappointment of knowing that the precious cargo that he had hoped would have been recovered was still lost at sea.
Sensing the change in his mood, Thrasos shifted beneath him again, drawing the baron’s attention away from the ship as he attempted to calm the horse. However, with his mind pulled away from the ship, a more startling revelation began to creep in. There *shouldn’t* be a Kotas ship lost at sea.
A startled shock overtook him as his eyes darted between the ship and the prince further up the beach. Timaeus may not have been as well acquainted with the state of the Midas docks, but he knew that Zanon would have mentioned a missing Kotas vessel the countless times that Timaeus had mentioned his during their meetings. It seemed unlikely that the prince would keep such news to himself, especially as this ship was certainly an important one if the carving was anything to go by. In fact, as far as Timaeus knew, the Kotas insignia wasn’t put on any vessel that the family-owned, but instead was only used for transporting a political convoy… and right now there were only two of these ships out on the open water.
One for the crown prince and one for the king.
Once this horrifying truth hit Timaeus, he sprung into action. Nudging sharply into Thrasos’s side, he allowed for the beast to rear up as he held a tight grip, trying to catch the crowd’s attention. Several of those nearest to him, turned at the sound of the horse’s braying which was quickly drowned out by the Baron’s shouts, “If there is a man among you, find a place at the ropes!” His clear status as a member of the nobility helped to spur some of the other men to start making their way out of the crowd, some nearly tripping their own feet as the implication of this discovery rippled through the crowd.
Timaeus quickly turned Thrasos to where the workers were dragging the ship out of the water. He reached them with only a few thunderous strides from the beast and within one swift motion, he slid off from his back. His movement lacked grace, however, as the baron landed at an odd angle and nearly earned himself a face full of sand, but he quickly scrambled to his own feet. His dignity was not worth anything compared to who may end up being on the ship if his fears were correct.
Then with no concern for how it may look, as a baron was supposed to be above the menial labor he was no subjecting himself too, he found himself a place towards the front of the chains attached the to ship and lent his own strength to the effort, entrusting that others who cared for their crown would swiftly follow suit. As he struggled beneath the task, all he could do was pray to the gods that he was wrong.
Zanon gave a low laugh that held little humor, his arm around Evras tightening in security to hide from a fear he could not or would not yet name. Until he was given any reason for fear, he would simply look on in curiosity with the rest of the crowd. He had not been informed if there was any kind of sigil or crest found on the ship, it hadn't been far enough above water to see clearly if it had been marked or not. Otherwise not all of them would need to be here in the event of a claim being staked. In response to his wife's question he shook his head slightly, watching in silence.
He didn't know how long he sat in silence watching the progress, it could have been hours or seconds, all he knew was his eyes were securely trained on the ship as he mentally made count of his family members. Only two were absent. The only time his eyes left the ship were when he turned about to check on Dion every so often, making sure the Eliades twins didn't drag him into some sort of hairbrained scheme. The second prince had given the guards explicit instruction to keep Dion away from the boat and close to them at all times. Perhaps he was being an overprotective father, but given how absent he had been before, it felt as if he had much to make up for.
When the moment finally came, the bow of the ship bobbing above the surface and then back down, the laborers put their strength into the tug of the ropes until it finally came closer and showed the crest. A bear.
"Oh gods. Evras."
Zanon's heart dropped to his stomach and without thought he urged his horse closer, down toward the beach and the ship with Evras still clutched to his chest. He could faintly hear the sound of Timaeus urging the laborers to bring the ship onto the shore, that every able bodied man should join in. As soon as they were close enough, Zanon lept from the back of his mount, leaving his wife with the reins as he rushed forward to grab hold of the ropes himself. Curse anyone who thought he ought not to be doing this, that he should hold onto any sort of decorum in this moment. The crown that he had put on this morning felt like a heavy burden and he would give anything to throw it out into the sea.
Only two people could be on that ship. Two people that could determine a change in the fate of all of Colchis and Greece. With each tug on the rope, the ship came closer, and Zanon was glad for the spray of water and dirt and sand. Either his father or brother had been aboard, either his brother was now king before he returned, or Zanon himself was to be the next to bear the crown, and neither were eventualities he was ready for. Until Vangelis married and had children of his own or in the event he never did, he and his own family were next in line to ascend. It was not what he wanted for his son, or himself. He had always been content to be an adviser, a general and soldier alongside his king and kin, but he did not want the throne or that power for himself. The burden was too great for his shoulders.
From where they stood on the shore, Thea and Nethis could see in plain view the mast breaching the water, foot by foot. It would not be long before the rest of the ship rose to the surface and to the shore. The sun was no unbearable, yet Thea could feel the tops of her cheeks warming beneath its rays and she made a mental note to prepare a tincture to prevent any spotting that may occur as a result.
Her hazel eyes shifted over to Nethis' countenance, watching her sister's eyes follow the progress and take note of the various Colchian provinces represented on the beach. Once again, the question of the ship's contents fluttered through Thea's mind. It was not uncommon for ships to disappear at sea, whether by careless human errors or godly interventions that led to their demise. These things happened with frequency, despite the frequent advancements made by shipbuilders and navigators. It was a fact of life, one that never left Thea's mind whenever she or her siblings were to travel by ship.
Continuing in her introspection, for all she had known before her sister's timely arrival, it could have been Nethis' ship. Thea did not consider herself as emotional as her younger siblings, Evras and Mihail, but she did bear a sensitivity to things surrounding the eventual deaths of those close to her. Bearing many acquaintances in her life, she did not consider herself to have many who were 'close' to her outside of her siblings, her closest retinue, and a solemn few she could count on one hand with fingers left over.
Her eyes had been silently gazing at the rising mast unblinking, deep within her own thoughts, when a familiar voice hearkened her and her sister. Their errant brother had decided to join them looking some sort of way that was utterly indescribable. The contrast between his richly-colored clothing and the clear allusion to his Thanasi name with his juvenile attempt at facial hair resulted in a single, strong brow raised in curiosity, followed by a long stare as she sought out the appropriate words.
"Mihail," she started, a genteel smile on her lips and reaching out her hand to delicately take his, "I have missed your company. Has the Baron treated you kindly during your stay?" Thea intended to avoid the issue of his birthright being in question at all costs, knowing that Nethis and Mihail were more for those stern words. Still, she cared deeply for her younger brother and felt quite lonesome in the past days with only Dysius and their father for company - both of which were wretched companions and conversationalists.
Regarding both her brother and sisters replies near silently, her eyes once again became focused on the ship as the prow began to breach the waves. Streams of water poured from between the planks of the ship as if being emptied from a chalice. The wood carvings began to glisten as the Kotas crest became visible.
It was known that there were two Kotas ships away - that of the King Tython to the Northlands and of Crown Prince Vangelis to Taengea.
Despite the heat in the sun, Thea suddenly felt cold down to her bones. Almost against her will, her feet began moving forward towards the ship as it pushed forward onto the beach, starting slowly then speeding up to a point where her skirts fluttered behidn her. Most knew there was no love and true consideration between the Thanasi and Kotas families, despite the marriage between Prince Zanon and Evras. But, there were things that had very carefully been kept a secret from the world for many years connecting their two houses in a way that, if all went well, would never be known. If her mind were closer to Nethis', the thought of such things sinking to a watery grave would solve many problems.
Contrary to many beliefs, though, Thea was not Nethis, particularly in this moment. And her blood ran cold with dread at the thought of one particular soul being aboard that ship.
Workers, soldiers, and now barons and princes ran to the lines, to haul the ship in. Every soul seemed as breathless as she did, with her chest tight. Distracted only by the sight of Evras struggling to rein in her husband's steed, she diverted her path to her sister's side, taking hold of the mount's bridle to keep it from stamping in place.
"Evras...." Thea said, almost breathlessly, numbly reaching up a hand to offer her sister assistance in dismounting. Some other of their royal staff could take the steed if needed. As soon as Evras dismounted, Thea took grip of both of her arms to help steady her as the sand shifted beneath their feet. "Where's Dion?"
While her mind fluttered with her own personal attachments, she was still a Thanasi. One way or another, the tides had shifted within the royal family of Colchis, and the safety of youngest Prince - her nephew - was of the most importance.
Despite the humor that came with the low laugh of her husband, she could feel the tension rolling off him as he tightened his arms around her. It affected her as well, as she shifted in her seat to press closer against him. The whole time, their eyes did not leave the ship being hauled to shore. Still too deep within the waters to know who the ship was, questions and speculations still flew like wildfire. The punctuated silence was palpable, for what sort of words did one use at this time? She could not calm, for she was not calm herself as she watched, ever muscle on end. Only occasionally, Evras would glance back to make sure Dion was still with his guards, and to smile at her siblings, but otherwise, she was quite antsy as they all waited with bated breath.
And then they saw it. A bear.
She barely heard Zanon's breathed out words, only held on as he urged the horse closer down the beach. Evras had subconsciously covered the hand holding her with her own one, squeezing tightly. There were only two Kotas ships out.... and neither one being found sunken to the ocean floor denoted a good ending. She may have married into the royal family, but Evras had no wish to be Queen, nor wife to a Crown Prince. She simply had fallen in love with a man who laughed with her and made her laugh in return. Contrary to popular belief of those who knew of the Thanasi and Kotas rivalry, Evras broke the mould, and simply wished the best for everyone, especially after she had given birth to Dion, who seemed to encapsulate the best aspects of both families.
Only noticing Zanon had slipped off the horse when the steed beneath her shifted uneasily due to the loose way in which Evras held the reins, she tightened them, but her lips paled. Evras had always handled docile creatures, but the steed which Zanon had picked was not only antsy from the tense atmosphere, but not one of a gentle manner too.
Luckily for the woman, Thea was quick to make her appearance, and Evras gladly took her sister's hand and slid down the saddle as the equine began stamping its feet and throwing his head uneasily. Taking a step away into her elder sister's comforting presence, throwing a look at the carriage to ensure her son was still there according to Thea's words. "With his guards." she murmured in reply, double checking again, before turning to Thea. Worry lurked in the depths of her crystal gaze, as she looked at where her husband worked on hauling the Kotas-marked ship, and back at her sister. "Thea... that ship cannot bear good news with it, could it?" Her hands shook as she straightened up, and in her effort to stop the shiver, the woman gripped her hands into tight little fists, straightening her spine to once again gaze upon where the ship was being hauled up. Was hope a foolish wish, at this point?