Page 292 of The Crown's Awakening
Junis exhales and turns slightly to scan the deck again. That is when he sees him.
It does not register at first. Just another figure among many, seated against the railing with his wrists loosely bound, his posture carrying something wrong that has more to do with time than rope. His clothes have been worn down into something shapeless. His hair has thinned. His face?—
Junis goes still.
“Baron Dyvarin?”
The name carries across the deck and the man flinches before he understands why, the way people do when they have spent too long waiting for something bad to happen. Slowly he lifts his head.
Recognition comes to him late, moving through something thick and slow before it arrives.
Junis steps forward. “Baron Dyvarin.” More certain this time. He crouches to bring himself into the man’s line of sight. “It’s me. Junis.”
The Baron’s mouth opens. Nothing comes out.
Junis waves one of the crew over. “Get these off him.”
The ropes are cut. Dyvarin’s hands fall to his sides and stay there, as though the concept of being free has not fully reached him yet.
“What happened to you?” Junis asks, his voice dropping.
Nothing. Only breathing, slow and uneven.
Junis straightens and looks to the crew. “He’s coming with us. Water, food, whatever he needs.”
Eravic looks over then, taking in the scene. His attention lingers just longer than it needs to, something moving through his expression before it closes off again.
Junis rests a hand briefly on the Baron’s shoulder. “You’re safe now. We’ll take you back to Veynar.”
The Baron’s head drops slightly. Movement, but nothing more.
The ruined coast sits behind them, not yet far enough to look small. Ahead the water opens up, wide and indifferent to all of it.
Junis stands there a moment longer, watching the man he believes he has just saved. Then he moves on, orders already forming, his mind already on what comes next.
Behind him the Baron sits very still.
And says nothing.
