Tuesday, June 28, 1066 SE, continued.
As the Cardinal’s Blessing and the Zhytomyr’s Siren travel the Katarina Fjord, fast-moving storm clouds soon block the sun, turning everything gray nd damp. Winds blowing from the west swell the waves, and the ships are propelled forward as the rolling vessels exit into the sea. A curtain of heavy rain catches the ships as thunder and lightning strike in the distance.
Marigold, like most of the second crew, is affected as the ships pitch in the storm. Luba is particularly vocal about her discomfort, informing everyone she’s unhappy and is surely dying. Igor, captain of the Cardinal’s Blessing, requests that all passengers stay below deck as the meteorological conditions worsen.
Out at sea, the Tall Tales is also affected by the roiling seas. Dhuka is green around the gills, so Mon uses lesser restoration to make her feel better. Anya is not significantly affected. Popov mentions to Mon that this storm is unnatural and will worsen before the night is out. Spotting the Cardinal’s Blessing in the distance, Popov expertly maneuvers his small fishing boat and comes to the side of the much larger passenger ship. Rigging a rope across both ships, Mon tells Dhuka and Anya that they will travel in a harness across the vessels every time the Tall Tales finds itself on a wave. Anya seems resigned to her fate, but Dhuka tells Mon she looks forward to this new experience, even if it seems a little scary. Mon assures her he will jump in the water to rescue her if something goes wrong.
Seeking to escape the lamentations of the folks below, Branna and a much maligned Marigold make their way to the deck despite Captain Igor’s request. They spot the Tall Tales next to them on the port side and notice that Anya is about to cross in the driving rain. As soon as the Tall Tales crests the wave, Mon pushes Anya across, and she is caught by two strong sailors who unhook her before sending the harness back across as the Cardinal’s Blessing reaches the top of the next wave. Dhuka and Mon are next, and Branna is glad to see they are together again.
Mon takes the girls below deck and finds them a place to sleep. With the storm raging outside, many of the passengers, not used to sailing, much less to choppy seas, are miserable, if not sick. Using lesser restoration, Mon heals as many people as he can, including Luba, who finally quiets down. As members of the second crew attempt to sleep, Marigold fills Mon in on what happened at the Katarina Docks, and Mon is thrilled to hear about the Cardinal’s treatment of Herald before the ship’s departure.
Wednesday, June 29, 1066 SE
The night passes in misery for most as the ship sways from one side to the other. Even those who don’t feel sick have a hard time finding sleep. As dawn creeps in under stormy skies, thunder accentuates the feeling of dread that the passengers feel. But one of the booms does not sound right to Mon. Instead of thunder, it sounds more like cannon fire. Mon climbs to the main deck. Spinning on the rolling deck, Mon sees two royal warships behind them with cannons blasting. Mon briefly wonders whether the Cardinal has finally determined to get rid of him and his meddlesome friends, before he sees, about a mile away astern of the Cardinal’s Blessing, the Zhytomyr’s Siren and a large black ship, tangled together. Marigold, who followed the actor on the deck, recognizes the Hangman, Captain Lafoy’s vessel proudly flying his pirate flag, and the target of the royal navy’s cannon fire. She points the ship to Mon before rushing back below deck to inform the passengers they must prepare for a possible pirate attack. Mon sends a message to Captain Igor, informing him of the tactical situation.
On deck, Mon watches as one of the royal ships heads straight for the Hangman, which disengages from the Zhytomyr’s Siren and heads south. Despite the large waves, the royal navy ship soon comes alongside the Cardinal’s Blessing. A cable is strung, and two passengers are transferred over. Mon recognizes the first one welcomed aboard as a very drenched Sir Sergeii, looking somewhat greenish but thrilled to be greeted by Mon. The second person is hidden beneath a dark cloak, hiding his face, but Mon suddenly fears that Dr. Sadistik has also come aboard the Cardinal’s Blessing. Immediately, the cloaked figure disappears below deck. After a heartbeat or two, Mon escorts Sir Sergeii below deck.
In the common room below deck, Marigold and Branna see the cloaked stranger descend the stairs. They hold their breath as the person removes the hood covering their head, and exhale sharply as Zoryany glances around the room. Spotting them, she comes over and inquires if Mon made the ship, as she did not see him board in Katarina. Marigold informs her that he came on board yesterday afternoon, but is now nowhere to be seen. Zoryany smiles and tells them she has a message for him.
Entering the common room with Sir Sergeii, one of Mon’s repressed memories returns to him. He remembers being on board a small fishing vessel with people whose faces are blurred, but whom he knows are his family. They were out fishing on a large river near the mouth of the ocean, and on that day, the catch was plentiful.
Happy to see Branna and Marigold, Sir Sergeii tells them that he had meant to come aboard the Cardinal’s Blessing yesterday, but that, inexplicably, he woke up mid-afternoon with a raging headache, and the ship had already departed. As he had made all of the arrangements in Konstantina, Sir Sergeii wanted to arrive with them and show them around the new accommodations and their new theater for the next three weeks. So he contacted the King and received permission to board a royal navy ship to catch up with the Cardinal’s Blessing. Coming out of the fjord, the vessel he was on was joined by another, which was on the hunt for a pirate ship. But they lost it in the storm, and as night fell, they only spotted it this morning attached to the Zhytomyr’s Siren.
As he listens to Sir Sergeii, Mon suddenly remembers another memory. This time, he was still on the fishing boat, but the waves were big and choppy. The rough weather was tossing the boat around, and his father worried that the ship was about to go down. Distressed, Mon walks away as Zoryany attempts to speak with him, and he does everything he can to avoid her the rest of the day.
With the storm continuing unabated, the ship’s crew begins to whisper that yesterday’s arrival of Anya and Dhuka has brought them bad luck. They bless themselves as they pass by the girls, and most of them now avoid them. Hoping to combat this superstitious nonsense, Mon brings the girls on the main deck and casts major image, creating the appearance of saintliness and blessing. The illusion is convincing enough that the sailors immediately begin to seek Dhuka to ask her for advice and counsel. Mon suffers her displeasure for the rest of the sailing.
Now feeling better after another round of lesser restoration and inspired by the epic storm raging outside, Luba begins to write a new play, and she’s excited about it.
Following the pirates’ attack on the Zhytomyr’s Siren, Marigold mentions to Branna that they should start thinking about making new props and costumes in case some of the equipment was damaged, or, heaven forbid, the ship goes down in the storm. Branna agrees and begins sketching drawings to replace costumes that might be lost. Marigold then turns to the actors and organizes them to practice their lines now, so they can help with unloading the sets when they arrive in port. Wondering if there will be the possibility to build sets and props if the Siren does not come to port, Marigold asks Sir Sergeii, who tells her that with 8 days to opening night, it would be expensive, but double, to replace missing sets and props. Armed with this information, Marigold finds a quieter space, and she designs a plan to address any missing props and sets. This way, if worse comes to worst, the crew from the Legendary will be able to perform a pared-down version of Masha and the Bear.
Thursday, June 30, 1066 SE
During the night, the storm finally breaks, and the seas calm down. For the first time in over a day, Marigold can eat some food. Captain Igor informs them that the storm has blown them off course, and they won’t arrive in Konstantina until late afternoon.
While breaking fast with Branna and Mon, she questions the actor on his plan to get Dhuka and Anya off the ship. Mon gives her a puzzled look, before sheepishly acknowledging he didn’t plan that far out. Concerned at this oversight, Mon looks for his sister Zoryany, whom he finds on the deck with the color restored to her face.
He apologizes for his behavior. Zoryany accepts his apology. Mon shares with her his happy memory of the fishing vessel, and she's pleased that he’s able to remember something of his previous life. She confides that she has no such memory of a time before. She then tells him Sir Paul Stal sent her on a personal errand, but he did send a message to Mon. Zoryany shares that Mon should spend some time in the royal archives and also visit the Port Authority building. Perhaps he would find information there that would answer some of his questions about the young girls he brought aboard. Zoryany also hands him a valid Sezjan passport for each girl. Katarina’s richest man also told her that Mon should review the logs for the Cardinal’s Blessings. Mon thanks her profusely, and Zoryany tells him that ignoring her will usually be to his detriment.
As Zoryany walks away, Mon realizes the Siren is nowhere in sight. Returning to the cabin, Mon finds Anya and Dhuka, and he hands them both their passport. Dhuka’s eyes shine brightly as she hugs the document. A single tear runs down Anya’s cheek. Communicating magically with the girl, Anya shares with him that this passport restores part of the identity the Cardinal took away from her. Mon tells her he would like to show her how to cast the cantrip message, so she could communicate with her sister whenever she wished. Anya perks up at this. Mon spends the morning teaching Anya how to tap into arcane power. Eventually, she successfully casts message for herself, and she is thrilled to be able to communicate with Dhuka. Throughout this training, Mon notices that Anya often loses track of her environment. It's as if she's retreating within herself every time she is confronted with a difficulty. He could teach her more if she wanted. She is appreciative and tells him she will think about it.
While Mon was busy teaching Anya the rudiments of magic, Marigold and Branna worked with the acting crew to rehearse their lines. As the Cardinal’s Blessing enters the Lavra River, the passengers’ excitement increases, and they begin to pack up their gear. They should be in Konstantina in less than two hours.
Finally, in the late afternoon, the Cardinal’s Blessing berths at the Port Authority on St. Olha, the island where the city was founded. Unfortunately, the Siren is not in port.
The passengers disembark and are controlled by inspectors, who review passports, ask questions, including where non-residents are staying or heading, and document all of those details in arrival logs. Though Branna’s family is from Konstantina and currently resides in St. Gleb, across the river, the clothier chooses not to reside at home while here with the Legendary but will instead stay with everyone else at the South Gate Hotel, located in the St. Olena district.
Sir Sergeii accompanies the Legendary’s crew to the South Gate Hotel. He introduces them to Hennadii, proprietor of the establishment. The man is in his mid-fifties and is jovial and eager to ensure their stay is pleasant and relaxing. Sir Sergeii tells them that the theater occupies the entire building during their stay in Konstantina. Marigold suggests that Sir Sergeii should hire a few page boys to notify him and the hotel when the Siren docks. Sir Sergeii readily agrees.
Mon discusses Konstantina with Hennadii. The owner provides him with a guidebook and a map of the city. He inquires whether two of their pages could spend the night in one of the rooms currently held for the Legendary crew still on the Siren. Hennadii agrees and hands over a key to the room that Dhuka and Anya will share.
Branna sends a message to her parents, letting them know she is in town. She receives a reply an hour later inviting her and her friends over to St. Gleb for dinner tomorrow, if she’s available. Branna replies with an enthusiastic yes, she will see them at dinner tomorrow.
Friday, July 1, 1066 SE
When Mon wakes up, his first thought is that he has never slept so well. That mattress was very comfortable. Descending the stairs, he seeks Hennadii out and questions him on where he purchased his mattresses. Hennadii looks up the information and tells him that the mattresses come from St. Boris’s Blessed Rest Mattress Factory, located in the neighborhood above. He gives Mon the address and shows it to him on the map, indicating where they are located.
While they eat breakfast in the South Gate’s cozy common room, a page enters and delivers the news that the Siren arrived early this morning, cleared the Port Authority, and is now docked at Riverside and has started to unload its cargo. The crew cheers at the news, and everyone’s mood is buoyed.
Sir Sergeii arrives at the South Gate right at the end of breakfast. Once everyone is ready, he escorts the Legendary’s crew to the Grand Royal Opera. Entering the hallowed halls, they are greeted by Marta, director of the Grand Royal Opera. She shares a short history of the building and its famous and infamous residents before taking them on a tour of the facility. The Grand Royal Opera is older than the Legendary, but the building itself is not as significant. Unlike the Legendary, the Grand Royal Opera does not have a second stage where productions can rehearse while the current show is performing. As a result, the Legendary’s crew will have to prepare Masha and the Bear while ensuring that the evening production can occur. This, Sir Sergeii tells them, will be challenging.
After showing the various workshops, Marta tells them to let her know if there are any issues with the Opera's employees, no matter how minor. She wants the crew of the Legendary to feel welcome, and she wants to snuff out any rivalry or conflicts that might occur. Marigold remarks to Branna that she gives off better vibes than Yurchik.
Pulling Sir Sergeii aside, Mon explains the presence of Dhuka and Anya and describes their current situation. He tells the philanthropist that the Cardinal has stolen Anya’s voice. Sir Sergeii remarks that this would make a good play, before agreeing to add the girls to the payroll. Anya and Dhuka are now paid employees of the Legendary.
On the way out, Mon bumps into Herald, who traveled on the Siren. Herald tells him he looks forward to bunking with him during their stay in Konstantina. Determined to send Herald away, Mon tells him about the various types of entertainment available in St. Boris and even hands the cad a map. Herald departs the Grand Royal Opera with a grin on his face.
Boxes and equipment finally arrive from Riverside, and the crew sets about unpacking and verifying all of the gear, costumes, and props. Amazingly, nothing is missing despite the pirates’ attack on the Siren.
Following a hard day of work, Branna, Marigold, and Mon leave the Grand Royal Opera. Walking through the Walled City, they descend to Riverside, where they catch a ferry across to St. Gleb. The picturesque village is on the opposite side of the Lavra River from Konstantina. They walk to the farm of Branna’s parents and are greeted by two affable elves. The farm is pretty and functional, and the evening meal is delicious. Branna’s parents discuss local happenings, share news of friends and family members, and question Branna and her friends on life in Katarina. After a wonderful evening, they take the late ferry and return to the South Gate.
Entering his room, Mon is unhappy to see Herald is back. Nevertheless, Mon sees an opportunity to hear what happened when Captain Lafoy’s men boarded the Siren, given that nothing was missing. Herald describes how the Hangman came alongside the Siren in the dead of night and secured both ships through stormy seas. It took excellent skills not to wreck both vessels. Once on board, the pirates took control of the boat but did not injure or loot anything. When the royal navy's cannons were heard, the pirates released the Siren and sailed away, taking two passengers with them.
As his impatience builds, Mon centers himself and then continues to question Herald. Who were the people that were taken? asks Mon. Herald reveals that Mayviyko, Mon’s former understudy and the person Mon had once anonymously framed as the villain who had planted bombs at Khoroshim by charming and manipulating a city guard into making a false statement where the guard claimed that he "clearly saw a man closely resembling Matviyko hurling something in the window and that the man seemed intent on committing an assassination.” Mon himself assumed this false statement was the reason Matviyko was arrested. Matviyko had been detained by the Cardinal’s men and taken to the Cathedral for questioning. He was held in jail there and appeared “haggard and disheveled” upon his release. Later, a rumor spread that he had escaped from Cathedral prison, with Mon also implicated as his accomplice. At the time, Mon had suspected that Matviyko might be a "plant," sent to spy on the Legendary and its crew for the Cardinal or another "nebulous power," especially given his quick learning and apparent lack of prior acting experience.
Herald then drops a bombshell on Mon. The second person was none other than Verushka, the Archduke’s eldest daughter. He’s not sure what the two of them were doing on the Siren, and, because he was below deck with the rest of the Legendary’s crew, Herald did not notice if Verushka and Matviyko went willingly or if they were dragged to the Hangman under duress. Mon remembers that when Matviyko had been arrested, Verushka, who happened to be touring the Legendary, had implored Dima, captain of the city guard, to intervene on Matviyko’s behalf. As the understudy was being dragged away, he had desperately yelled to Verushka to do something to help him. Their secret relationship had been confirmed after Matviyko's release, and Mon recalls that at the time, he thought this relationship would become a problem. Even at the Archduke’s ball, Verushka had questioned Branna about Matviyko’s health as the understudy hid in the Legendary and beseeched her to keep him safe.
Mon wonders. The Cardinal and his men searched both vessels. Did the Cardinal purposefully allow Verushka to leave Katarina, knowing this would, at a minimum, embarrass the Archduke? Or did the two lovers have powerful magic that hid them from Tarasenko’s special glasses? Either way, how will the Archduke react? And, more importantly, with the King present in Katarina, what will be the political fallout once this event becomes widely known?
Saturday, July 2, 1066 SE
At breakfast, Mon tells Marigold and Branna what he discovered about Verushka and Matviyko. They compose a message that describes the event, and Mon uses message to deliver their text to Lady Sirenko, requesting she pass the message along to the authorities. The message is then placed into an envelope and mailed to Katarina. Mon realizes he would like to talk to Zoryany, but he doesn’t know where she is staying, nor why she hurriedly boarded a vessel that had left the day before …
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