Sails unfurled, ropes creaked, and the ship began to pull away from the dock, its bow cutting through the harbor's shallow waves. The dock shrank behind them, and the world began to quiet, replaced by the steady rhythm of the sea.
Ludwig didn't move. He stood alone at the front, unmoving, letting the salty air wash over him like a forgotten memory. He knew they'd speak to him again. They always did.
And they did.
"You there," called one of them, "You must be some kind of noble."
Ludwig turned his head slightly. "Is that a problem?"
"N-no," came the awkward response. The same man who had tried to sound stern now found himself staring into an expression that didn't care. It wasn't confidence. It wasn't arrogance. It was detachment. As if Ludwig didn't consider him worth fearing.
The unease spread like frost.
