I must have fallen asleep at some point because I felt my heavy eyelids slowly squint open to the sound of my cell door opening, I groaned as I heard two or three people file into the cell.

"I thought you said she was asleep," one of the voices accused, I was still too tired to make out any familiarity in it.

"Doesn't matter we have to go, just do it," another voice answer, I didn't like the sound of that, but before I could do anything about it or even think over my options I felt the all too familiar sence of my heart rate being lowered and drifting into a forced peaceful sleep.

My eyes opened, looking up at a clear blue sky as I slowly sat upright, my eyes widened at the scene that lay before me. Tamar was leaning over a Squallers body, he was covered in blood, "Everyone get low and hold tight," I heard Sturmhond order from somewhere off to the side.

"We aren't going to make it," I heard someone whimper beside me.

Before I could even ask what was going on I saw Sturmhond launch himself in my direction, landing in a tangle of limbs beside me and some other people I had yet to identify. He just had time to say, “This is cozy,” before we struck land with a bone-shattering jolt.

The impact threw everyone into a heap ontop of one another while the ship I presumed we were on hit water and started skimming across it.

Eventually we came to a stop, I opened my eyes as arms pulled me back and the section where I was previously seated snapped off the main structure. Water started flooding in and I heard splashing and people calling out to each other.

I quickly got my bearings and struggled out of the hold of whoever was holding me. "Oh good you're awake," I heard the familiar voice of Sturmhond say as he let me go, "I'm assuming you can swim?" I grunted in response and climbed out of the cockpit, I heard someone slip beside me and I caught their arm, helping them back up, he lost his footing and hit his head on the side of the ship, hard, I struggled to keep hold of his unconscious form, if I let him go no one would be able to go back down and retrieve him, no matter what these people had done, imprisoning me and such, it was a lousy way to die. Sturmhond came up behind me and helped yank him onto the deck of the slowly sinking ship. "Go," he ordered me, taking the man in his arms, I hesitated but saw that he was more than capable and dived into the water, swimming to the shore.

I landed on a rocky shore covered in pebbles, their surfaces eroded smooth by the water. I turned onto my back and looked at the sky, it was just turning dawn, the sun starting to rise in the distance, I stood up as I heard voices, people talking, and against my better judgement I walked towards them.

A stream from the river ran beside a cleared path, I started to wipe my eyes free from the water that began to sting them, "Could have given me a bit of a warn-" I stopped short, the people I had walked to were not Sturmhond and his crew, but instead a gaggle of first army soldiers filling up their canteens.

I backed up slowly as they all stared at me, about three in total, until a foot tripped me, I landed on my butt, my hands flying back to cushion my fall, a man loomed over me, the other three laughing as they slowly got up and surrounded me.

"Looks like we 'aught ourselves a runaway Grisha," his tongue slurred slightly, he'd had some drink but not enough to make him entirely drunk. "That's a fancy kefta you have on there lovely," I felt myself being hoisted up by two sets of arms, securing my wrists away from each other, "From what I know," the man continued, "Only two Grisha wear that colour. Where's your papa?" he mocked as I struggled against the two men holding me, saints they were stronger than they looked.

"Rumour has it," he sneered, "That you escaped from Os Atlas, imagine if-"

"Let the girl go, Arman," someone cut across him. They all scoward the tree line for the source, Sturmhond, or at least someone who looked vaguely like Sturmhond, walked towards us fitted in military dress.

He winked at me as he faced the man called Arman, "Moi tsarevich," he fell to his knees, the men holding me released their grip and followed example.

Sturmhond, or whoever it was, looked at me with a cocky smirk, "If you think I'm going to start groveling at your feet aswell, think again," I told him crossing my arms infront of myself.

"I didn't think so, come on before Colonel Raevsky gets here, I've had quite enough of trying to stop him kill your family for today," I rolled my eyes and followed him, just what had my mother done? Before we got too far away he turned to the men, "If I find out any of you are bothering Grisha like this again," he stated, "Well, let's hope we don't get to that. The Grisha are soldiers here and deserve such respect as you." He stared each of them in the eye and a chorus of mumbled, 'da, moi tsarevich' could be heard from their mouths.

"I'm no expert," I started as we walked down the path, "But I'm nearly one hundred percent sure, moi tsarevich doesn't translate to privateer."

He chuckled, "You'd be right in saying that," he turned his head to me, "I would say I'm sorry for not telling you but a prince shouldn't lie, I've grown quite fond of Sturmhond, he had quite the persona about him."

I ignored his comment and said something that had been bothering me since I met those soldiers, "If I go into that camp I'll be arrested for treason, which is quite barbaric since I'm not even Ravkan."

"You are second army though," he reminded me.

"Didn't have a choice in the matter," I grumbled.

His lips pressed together, considering his options, "I suppose it would give you a one way ticket back to Os Atlas," he ventured.

I scoffed, "What it will give me is a one way ticket to a dirty cell underneath the grand palace where your brother will once again be able to sneer at me."

He stopped and turned to me a few yards away from the entrance to the military camp, "I'm sorry, Rena, I can't stop them from arresting you, it's been ordered by the king, I have no authority," I sighed and looked down to my boots, I had expected this, "But I can give them orders not to hurt you during the ride, and a letter for my father that might hopefully give you a pardon."

My head snapped up, "Really? You'd do that?" He nodded, and I let out a happy breath, "I would hug you but I still don't trust you."

He laughed, "I'd take you for a fool if you did."