As soon as the tour was over, Rose parted ways with the group. Two weeks of traveling with these crazed people was plenty for her; it was time to seek solitude. Before Meru had even run off, Rose had sneaked away toward the bow of the ship, finding the ladder that led to the crow's nest. A perch seemed like a wonderful idea to her.

After a couple minutes of climbing, she reached the first platform. There was sitting space here, the large area clearly meant for casual observing of the horizon, and there was already a sailor reclined and enjoying the dwindling sight of land far off. When he saw Rose, he jumped and stood at attention.

"Ma'am," he said hurriedly.

"No need to salute on my account," assured Rose. "Am I allowed up there?" She pointed to the next platform that sat another fifteen feet over their heads.

"Uh, I believe so. As far as I know, you lot are allowed anywhere on the ship."

"Thanks." She moved toward the ladder again and took her place on it.

"Do you want any company?" asked the sailor hopefully.

"No," replied Rose without acknowledging him any further. Then she climbed the ladder and squeezed into the small area.

The view nearly took her breath away. From this height, she could see over the horizon, and the sun's reflection on the water was stunning. Behind her, she saw Donau, the grasslands, and even the brown splotch of the barrens beyond, though she could make out no detail. Not for the first time, she wished that dragoons were not mere tools of war, and that transformations could be at will rather than forced through combat. She was of half a mind to throw herself from the crow's nest so that she would transform and be able to fly high into the sky.

But then she cringed as she remembered the last time that she had tried such a feat and failed, much to the chagrin of several of her bones that had shattered.

At least Shirley was there to help that time, she told herself. With grief, she recalled the lecture she had received about being careful. I miss being willing to take risks, she thought.

That part of her was long gone. Now, she felt like a husk of a woman, drifting along only to await the next event to befall her.

She sighed and glanced below. Dots of people milled about the decks, some working furiously and some – her companions – enjoying their freedom. She watched several dive below decks, but a few remained above. On the stern deck, she spotted Shana watching a flock of seagulls as they dived into the wake of the ship, and the starboard bow hosted Dart, now staring facelessly into the ocean. Rose wondered if they knew how far apart they were at this moment.

Of course, everyone could sense the two's emotional distance. It was a difficult thing for Rose to process, not knowing whether she should encourage or discourage their potential relationship. On the one hand, she understood the importance of holding onto those you love most. And on the other, she knew the importance of letting go of a draining relationship. In the end, the thing that made her unsure was her doubt that Dart was as toxic as Shana believed him to be. How much of Shana's hesitation was her refusal to see how far Dart had come? How much was her inability to forgive him for his past offenses?

Rose sighed. She was frustrated that she even cared. Again, she was caught up in the middle of multiple friendships. She only hoped that it wouldn't all end like it had last time.

For quite some time, Rose stayed in her perch, watching the goings on of the ship. An hour or so before noon, a loud crash rang out followed by a barking dog, and she gazed down at the main deck to see multiple crates having toppled over. She couldn't make out whether anyone had been injured, but Kongol showed up promptly and began helping to right the crates. As she watched, she remembered that Kongol had no proper training in dragoon magic beyond her efforts to have him control some sand in the barrens a few nights ago. She was about to descend the ladder and seek him out when she watched Meru approach him instead. The two walked off together, and Rose sighed.

Meru still felt like such an unknown. She was so boisterous and talkative, two of Rose's least favorite traits. When she came to visit Rose shortly thereafter, Rose fought to contain her surprise at Meru's comments about throwing herself off the crow's nest. Still, she couldn't help but ease Meru's anxious mind, even if her hair color matched that of their adversaries.

Lunchtime came and went, and Rose finally resolved to find some food in the kitchens below. Regretfully, she climbed down the ladder and then through the door leading into the ship. The wide dining hall opened to her, still containing a dozen or so people, though they were all sailors. A couple of them noticed her as she walked in, but she ignored them and instead lined up to pick her food off the buffet lining the left wall. Grabbing little more than some roasted chicken and broccoli, she escaped the attentive eyes of the crew and found her way to the deck. The upper deck was empty – Dart must have wandered off – and Rose took a place at a table there. Quietly and solemnly, she picked at her food until it grew cold, but she ate it anyway. When she had finished, she deposited her plate back into the dining hall, and on her way back to the crow's nest, she spotted Kongol leaning on the port railing.

"Thinking about anything in particular?" she asked as she moved to stand next to him.

"Contemplating the waves," he replied. "I am wondering if perhaps they are a metaphor for life."

"What do you mean?"

"You see the infinite ocean before us, and the waves that sweep across it." He pointed toward the horizon. "There are these small waves that strike the ship often, and there are larger waves that push the ship up and down every minute or so. People are like these waves. Some have small impacts, and others larger. But in the end, they are only a passing thing, and they crash upon something and fade away."

Struck by the poetry of his response, Rose raised an impressed eyebrow. "I see. Maybe you're right."

"Do you have something you'd like to say?" asked Kongol.

"I was going to offer to train you some more. I know that magic has been a struggle for you, and you've never transformed."

"Transformed?"

"Like Dart did in Hoax?"

"Ah. Yes, I have not considered that."

"I'm not so sure that we should try that on a boat in the middle of the ocean, but it is something we should work on at some point."

"How can I practice magic here?" asked Kongol. "Don't I need rocks?"

"In a way," said Rose. "Unlike most of us, you can't just create earth. But we happen to have something on board that you can use. There's a lot of coal in the engine room."

"Is that why I felt calmer there?"

Rose nodded. "Most likely. Closer to the earth. Don't you feel anxious being out here? Open space, no firm ground to walk on?"

Kongol paused before he said, "In a way. But no more than you." He gave her a soft smile. He must have been talking to Shana.

"Fair enough," conceded Rose, whose skin began to itch slightly at his comment. "Shall we?"

She gestured to the engine room, and Kongol nodded before heading toward the door.

Only a half hour later, a tired Kongol emerged with a frustrated Rose and parted ways with curt nods. Try as she might, Rose could not determine what was blocking the giganto's ability to use magic. She was about to give up on the brute, though she still held onto hope that a transformation would turn him into something more useful.

For a moment, she paused to watch Haschel and Dart walk by. Haschel waved passively to Rose, a wide smile spread over his face as he led Dart across the deck, pointing at various posts and ropes hanging over them. Dart appeared completely unamused, but Haschel didn't seem to mind.

Just as she was shaking her head and turning toward her hiding spot again, the door to the dining hall opened, and Albert strode out, looking around until he spotted her. She sighed as he waved and made his way over.

She wasn't sure how she felt about the king. On one hand, he had shown great wisdom, battle prowess, and kindness. But his intellectualism was almost too much for her. He bore too many similarities to an old friend who had been so caught up in books that he had almost refused to acknowledge people. Over and over, she'd tried to convince herself that Albert was different, and that he did care about the others, but then he would say something so pretentious that she had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes.

All this ran through Rose's mind as the king approached, and she steeled herself for whatever conversation he had planned to have.

"Rose!" he called as he drew near. "I am glad I caught you. I have been thinking over many things, and my mind kept coming back to you. May we… sit and talk?"

Vacations, she thought derisively. In these situations, she normally stayed in her room for the entire duration until travel forced her back out. As it was, her room was not only accessible to others but also shared with Shana and Meru who could come in and out as they pleased. The crow's nest was the closest she would come to her own room, and she wished that she could go back there now instead of obliging Albert of his need for conversation.

"Sure," she replied simply, and he stepped onto the stern deck and sat in one of a pair of cushioned chairs. She followed suit and then waited for him to speak, her mind almost being pulled into a daze by the sloshing of waves on the hull. Looking up, she was grateful for a large, puffy cloud that served to block the harsh sunlight momentarily.

"I was hoping to speak to you about two matters," he began. "Three, I suppose, but I suspect that you will not answer my second question. First, I wanted to apologize for my selfish behavior over the past several weeks. I have been so preoccupied with the princess that I have been neglecting my own friends."

"And what makes you say this now?" probed Rose.

"I have been reading… thinking… I tried to convince myself that my preoccupation with Emille was in the service of Tiberoa, but I see now that I pushed only for my own self-serving means. Once we learned of Lisa's concern, fixing Emille was the sole focus of my thoughts. Since then, including our time traveling, I have not been able to speak with anyone about anything else. Even Shana clearly struggles with her own pain, and I abandoned helping her in favor of my own heart. For many years, I have considered myself to be of the highest character, but I have proven this false, I think."

"Why tell me this? Why not talk to Dart?"

"Because I have wronged you," he said simply. "You have been suffering, at least since the incident with Lenus."

Rose tightened her jaw, but continued to watch the clouds as they puffed up in the sky. The wingly's words had irritated a flame long dormant within Rose's chest, and she hated that it was visible enough to push both Dart and Albert to interfere.

"I will not pretend to know of your past torments," continued Albert as he watched her carefully. "And I will never push you to reveal something that you are not yet ready to reveal. But I will urge you, as I have urged Dart many times in the past, to lean on us, your friends. You have faced many things that I cannot fathom. And if what Lenus said is true, I do not envy that of you, either. But allow us to support you as you wrestle with these inner demons. And forgive me for not offering this support to you sooner. Indeed, I should have spoken with you that very night, but I cast my worries aside in favor of Emille."

"I can't blame you for that," said Rose. "She's not the kind of woman you meet every day."

"It is true," smiled Albert.

There was a pause. He was waiting to see if she would say anything else. She debated on leaving the silence for him to fill, but she supposed that forgiveness was something he deserved, at least. It was better than reliving her past with a confession of sorrow.

"The apology isn't necessary," said Rose. "But I appreciate it. Love does strange things to a person's mind."

"Indeed…" His voice trailed off. He was watching her again.

"Your second question?" she prodded. "That I might not answer?"

"What do you know of love, Rose?"

It was as she feared. Albert had recalled too well the words that Lenus had spoken to her. He was prying.

She scolded herself as she looked down at her lap; he was encouraging, not prying. The years had made her bitter, but this man, at least, had made it clear that his goal was to help, not scorn. Still, any information she could offer was limited in scope. Dare she reveal more of herself? What would he think of her?

She turned to him, searching his eyes for what lay behind. Though he nearly pulled away from her gaze, he fought to maintain eye contact, and she could see no deception there. No, this man, odd as he was, truly cared about her response. Within those eyes was a care for her sorrows coupled with a desire for her wisdom that he had yet to reveal. For their first real conversation, he wasn't doing so badly.

"A lot," she finally responded, now-painful memories flitting through her mind.

He leaned forward, searching her eyes for something. "Your experiences… They are far beyond my understanding, are they not? Something about you is… different. You appear Shana's age, and yet your eyes carry wisdom befitting an elder."

Abruptly, she turned away, denying him any more access to her soul. "I get that a lot," she said sourly.

"I am sorry; I do not mean to pry. I only mean that I believe that I could learn much from you."

"What do you want to know?"

"What?"

"You want my advice on something. What is it?"

"Oh," said the king, leaning back in his chair again. He frowned in disappointment. "It is about Emille. Our time together in the Twin Castle was promising, but I worry that we are merely dancing back and forth. I would like to make a formal declaration of my intentions, but I do not know how. I believed that you would be the only person who would be able to offer substantial counsel, given that you are the only one with any experience on the matter."

"Oh? Haschel wouldn't have good romantic advice?"

Albert chuckled. "One can never be too careful."

"Very well," sighed Rose. "I haven't known Emille very long, of course. But she is not the type to play games. She has deep feelings for you that have been apparent almost as long as your feelings for her." A glance over revealed color rushing into his cheeks. "My advice is to be straightforward with her. Let her know what you want. Tell her how you feel. If you don't, she might believe you to be indifferent and move on." Rose paused. "If she's the person you see yourself spending your life with… don't let her go."

An unexpected lump formed in Rose's throat, and she swallowed in an effort to displace it.

"What happened to him?" asked Albert quietly.

For a long moment, Rose considered how to answer that question. In the end, she simply said, "He died."

All at once, the memories came rushing back to her, desperately as she tried to fight them. Fleeing from them, she stood abruptly and made for the steps toward the main deck.

"Rose!" called Albert from behind her. She paused and heard his footsteps approach. "Please do not force us away. We—I want to be able to help you."

"Why do you care so much?" she snapped, a little more harshly than she had intended.

"You are my friend," he replied simply.

Rose's eyes drifted across the deck and landed on Dart, who sat on the far side in a chair, dozing off as the sun inched toward the western horizon. The light played with his hair, brightening it just so, and for a moment, Rose was frozen with a striking familiarity. His hair had been exactly that color.

"We have suffered much together," continued Albert, wrenching Rose back to herself. Her anger had dissipated, replaced by a powerful grief that she had thought long buried. She closed her eyes as Albert spoke. "The death of Lavitz was a burden we both shared, and you fought by my side against Emperor Doel. You are the reason Dart healed of his own grief, and you are the reason Shana is alive now. Your support and efforts are the only reason this group is still together. You have given us so much. Allow me to give back."

The pain threatened to overtake her, coupled now with a gratitude toward Albert and the efforts he was taking. The emotions were almost too much for her to bear. After a deep, steadying breath, she turned around and found his earnest eyes boring into her.

"I… want to," she said slowly. "But I'm not ready yet."

He gave a small smile. "I understand," he said. "And I will not pressure you anymore. This invitation is open henceforth, and not to be closed. When you are ready, I will listen."

"Thank you. It means a lot." She looked away.

"And thank you for your advice," grinned Albert, the thought of Emille making him giddy again. Rose refrained from shaking her head. Such puppy love was something she hadn't experienced for… a long time. "I will be sure to follow it."

That evening, with the sun hidden behind the horizon and the moon glowing high in the sky, Rose left her perch once again only to be waylaid by Shana, desperate for conversation regarding what she had told Dart. As much as Rose wanted to help, she wasn't sure what to say, and in the end settled on honesty. It was a strange feeling, to be sure, but she believed that Shana was worth it. She was so like Shirley, her mind always focused on others, and yet she lacked that strength of will that had always been part of Shirley's character. Now, Shana appeared to be floundering under the weight of her calling as a dragoon and the emotions that swirled around her odd relationship with Dart.

They headed to the sleeping quarters together, and Rose ensured that Shana was safely deposited in her bed before seeking sleep herself. Meru snored heartily on the other side of the room, and it was all Rose could do to tune out the hacksaw and find her own slumber.

She arose early the next morning, Shana and Meru still asleep as she tiptoed into the dining hall. She found a little alcove exposed to the fresh sea air through a window, and she settled in with a mug of tea and sat mulling over her earlier conversations with Meru, Albert, and Shana.

It appeared that she had once again fallen into the realm of friendship. Still, it wasn't so detestable as it had been before. After all, these people were all dragoons, save Meru, and dragoons were destined to exist together. Now, she wasn't merely entertaining herself; she had a purpose.

The involvement of Lloyd was troubling to her, although she hadn't expressed her concerns to the others. If Dart were correct, and Lloyd was planning on reviving the wingly empire, Rose shuddered to think of the implications. So much had been sacrificed to end the winglies before; what would it take this time?

She shifted uncomfortably. Images of her newfound friends and their potential untimely deaths drifted across her mind within mere moments, and she rubbed her forehead to try to force them away. She held her hand in a tight fist. Could she lose anyone else and be able to keep going?

Thankfully, these thoughts were interrupted by the approach of Dart, who insisted on engaging her in conversation. She flinched when he mentioned the Black Monster, but she did her best to hide it and hoped he didn't notice. Unable to give him what he wanted, she instead offered vague advice, hoping it would satisfy him for now, and returned to her troubled silence.

After lunch, she settled back into the crow's nest, eager to get away from everyone else once again. With the engine explosion that afternoon, she watched as Dart and then Shana entered the engine room and Meru ran around wildly asking questions of anyone who would listen.

When the time came for dinner, Rose noticed Haschel as she descended the ladder and decided to sit with him. There, she apologized for her rude behavior, realizing as she said it that even Haschel had become her friend. Wayward as the old man may have been, he had still done everything he could to help her. She remembered his assistance in the Twin Castle throne room after Lenus had escaped, and he had even been kind enough not to pry.

Now, she willingly gave up information that she hadn't spoken in as many years as she could remember.

Her father had wounded her in a way that no one else had, and yet sometimes, she still missed him. Amid the condescension and illicit affairs had been a thread of care that almost never manifested until sometime after she had left home. He had struggled through apologies that she hadn't wanted to hear, and yet she couldn't turn him away.

The day that she'd heard of his death had been a dark one indeed.

She hoped that Claire would be as receptive to Haschel once they finally met again.

The third day of their travels found Rose contemplating once again. Meru, Kongol, Albert, Shana, Dart, and Haschel had all managed to weasel her into conversations, and she had found herself more candid as they went along. The time had come for her to decide how she felt about them. There would be no more hiding, no more pretending, no more rude coverups.

She sighed. The part of her that cared, that tried, that smiled, that cried had died so long ago, and she wasn't sure if it could ever be resurrected.

When thick and dark clouds gathered on the eastern horizon, Rose scampered down belowdecks, stole a book from the library, and settled in to read in her bed deep in the belly of the ship. As the storms approached, she rocked back and forth, her mind far away in a distant land where people would not bother her.

Not even realizing that she had fallen asleep, she was wrenched awake as something large struck the Queen Fury. Her book had fallen onto her chest, and she quickly set it aside before springing to her feet, ready to face any danger.