The scent of salt and sea reached Althea before the sight of it did. She stepped down from the carriage and froze.

Before her stood the grand ship of Lunaris, docked proudly against the wooden pier, its massive hull gleaming despite the winter-gray sky. The vessel was far larger than anything she had imagined.

Tall masts rose like sentinels toward the clouds, their dark sails neatly bound, bearing the silver crest of Lunaris that caught the light even in the cold morning. Thick ropes were ...