Chapter Text
Sunlight cascaded through the long windows, dust particles drifting lazily in its path. Jesper sat sprawled across the couch, idly twirling a strand of Wylan's copper curls while Wylan doodled aimlessly on a scrap of paper.
Nina and Inej were huddled in one of the couches, reading a letter from Inej's parents. Inej was smiling softly as she read through the paper for the second time, her fingers smoothing the creases as if she was comforting the paper.
Nina leaned closer, resting her chin against Inej’s shoulder. “You’ve read that line three times now,” she murmured. “If you keep going, the paper might start blushing.”
Inej’s smile only deepened, quiet and warm. “My mother says the garden has grown wild without me,” she said softly. “She writes that my father insists it’s because the plants miss my singing.”
Nina flashed a playful smile. "If I were to sing to the plants, the poor things might actually die."
Inej glanced up from the letter, the corner of her mouth lifting just slightly. "If you want to put them through torture, you should probably eat them. If would be better for both parties."
Nina's jaw dropped slightly. "Why, you little-"
She was interrupted by a tap of Kaz's cane.
Kaz leaned back in his chair, gloved fingers steepled. "We have a job." he says cooly. "One that pays very well."
“A Fjerdan prince has disappeared,” he said. “Officially, he never survived the shipwreck that took him five years ago.”
He paused.
“Unfortunately for Fjerda, he did.”
"Unfortunately?" Wylan asked, puzzled.
"Let's just say in the Grisha-despising land of Fjerda, the prince was very...supportive of Grisha safety." Kaz replied.
"How old was he when he supposedly died on the shipwreck?" Matthias asked.
"Fourteen, i was told." Kaz replied
Jesper raised his eyebrows "You were told? by whom?"
Kaz sighed. "Coming to the main point of this- we were hired by an anonymous Ravkan noble to ensure this prince's safety and moving to Ravka. If we accomplish that, we will be handed 10 million kruge on the spot.
Nina raised her brows. "And what is the confirmation that we will be paid? We don't want to repeat any mishaps like last time, do we?" she asked.