hawk & sable

CHAPTER ONE,

HAWK & SABLE | ONE

CIRINIQUE DIAO HAD SPENT much of her life on ships.

It had been a ship that brought her parents on trip after trip until they were struck down by a disease in some foreign, exotic island. It had been a ship where she and her sister, Cass, were separated from their family all those years ago and sent wayward to Arecia to care for themselves. It had been a ship that brought her away from Cass after that, to strange Sai, the place that was once their home from which they were exiled from, to the care of Lady Kuroki.

And here she was, making that journey once more.

The sea was quiet tonight. The wind blew in soft breezes, caressing her cheek. Her hair blew behind her, loosely tied up in a simple fashion. She wore a clean, silk gown, the ones they wore in Arecia. Besides her, Asteria, Countess of Zi Yan, dressed in luxurious emerald silk, was talking.

"Princess Irina will meet us at the capital," she said, tilting her head, "but she'll send out a few carriages for us. We will have guards for Hua Jueying." Asteria was one of her dearest friends. Among the girls of her age, the two of them were the most experienced, both having been trained long before they arrived at Lady Kuroki's doorsteps. And Asteria was powerful. In a few decades, she'd be one of the most powerful women in the world. And even now, she had the ear of both the Empress and a princess of Sai.

"Irina would be overjoyed." Ciri's presence in Sai remained under close wraps. Most people assumed Lady Kuroki's school was in Asayama, in which they did have a campus, but the true school was in the mountains of Sai. It was thanks to Princess Irina she was allowed to step foot in the country in the first place, her family having been exiled almost a decade ago. Another friend.

Ciri knew some of the most dangerous women in the world. Maybe she could be counted among those esteemed numbers. The thought always made her feel a little bit giddy.

Asteria scoffed. "I'd be surprised if she wasn't. A traitor, Ciri. And a lead for an elusive mole. We're bringing back a treasure trove for her."

"Perhaps she will break into Prince Ruge's private collection and give us some good wine in return," Ciri said dryly. Asteria's eyes danced with mirth. The Crown Prince had the best of the best, but none of them were quite daring enough to risk his rage for a bit of alcohol. Princess Irina, his devoted and loving cousin, was quite another story.

"I will be sure to ask," Asteria chortled, mouth twisting into a grin. "Or maybe Ryan would do it willingly." They spoke Arecian on this ship. She wasn't sure why. The sailors were all Saian.

"He owes us too," Ciri shrugged. The few of them technically belonged to Irina's Circle of Herons, or were at least affiliated with it, but they worked closely with the Crown Prince and his allies. There was no bitter, envious rivalry between the two cousins. Ruge was the heir, and Irina— Longyu was his loyal advisor. It was a seamless partnership.

"And now we discuss your viscount."

Ciri raised a brow. "He's not my viscount, Asteria. I hadn't seen him for two years before that dratted cell."

Asteria shrugged. "The viscount, then. He's charming. Irina would act annoyed but be secretly amused. There are few foreigners in the Bone Court at this time of year."

"He'll be alright. I worked with him in Kon Ria. He was fine there, and that was more than two years ago. His father is Jack Dumont, Asteria." Laurence's father was a legendary spy. Ciri was not worried. The Bone Court was not treacherous unless you were an enemy, and the Arecians came this time as allies bringing gifts.