nautical

[aetheling]

Cymbeline doesn't really like boats, but they're the only way to get anywhere in a reasonable period of time, especially when "anywhere" isn't on the mainland. Today he is sailing to Vectis, to oversee the change of governorship; his father the king is needed for courtly matters back home and his mother the queen, despite being the source of his royal blood, declines to involve herself in affairs of state when she can avoid it. Zoyah takes more after Ranae than after Charles in this department. So, it falls to Cymbeline.

Walking on a boat is even more difficult than walking on land, and Cymbeline is no great shakes at the latter to begin with. Unfortunately, neither he nor Kerem, the court magician and Cymbeline's confidante, have been able to figure out how to apply the principles of practicable magic to alleviating princely clumsiness. So Cymbeline is clinging to the railing of the boat, watching the waves, trying to avoid having to walk anywhere.

Comments

[treasuresuntold]

The waves are watching him back.

Ariel is a deep-water child, and it used to be that she couldn't even see up this high - too bright, the water too clear, the air stinging her eyes with its breathtaking lightness. But she likes it too much, coming up to watch the boats. She does it whenever she sees a shadow. And look, there's a cute human hanging over the side of this one, like a reward. She wonders if she could leap high enough to drag him into the water. No - they can't breathe it, that's right. That's why they need to go across on those enormous rotting hulks.