Symbols to Him

The situation did not look good when Serenica went to bed, and it didn't look much better once she woke up. Even the prince was on his last nerve, snapping at everyone, even his beloved, and the healer didn't feel like she could get a whole lot of sympathy from anyone.

She had been saving a bottle of Karshaan wine, as many people did, since Karshaan was always a good bet. Those wines aged well, almost without any exceptions.

She decided against her better judgment to drink alone in her workspace and keep to herself for the entire day.

It did not go quite as she had planned.

The first mate came knocking on her door. She hid the bottle.

What she forgot to hide were the red stains on her white shirt and the rings on the table, those rings of liquid that were so often caused by careless handling of tankards.

"If you go on like that, I will throw you overboard so you can swim your way to Neul," the Admiral said as he sat down.