Irena heaved yet again. She had been bent over the edge of the ship railing for the past day it seemed. Most of that time had been spent staring into the thrashing waves that had buffeted them all the way through their journey which only made things worse. Worse yet, when she wasn't feeling seasick and looking miserably into the water she was keeping a nervous eye on the coast of Aontas. She was being ridiculous, there was no way the fighting that was going on right now would come for them in their little diplomatic ship but she couldn't help but worrying.

This was an amazing way to start the new year at least. Irena was still just an apprentice in the Royal Academy's new education program, one that would see her with a guaranteed place of work once she graduated but that was several years off. Still, right now she was the top of her class and was among those chosen to be a part of this blasted trip to Attolia. Even if her inclusion was just a way of showing off the new open policy on the academy and a fresh generation of women students this was still a fantastic opportunity. She'd be the first daughter of her family to see a new country and she could find a whole range of future connections at this stock exchange place.

Now she just had to get there without smelling of sick. Maybe some light reading would help distract her from job the rolling deck was doing to her stomach. They didn't have much with them in the way of light literature, but access to such a tier of literature was still so new to her and Irena was willing to devour any form of writing that crossed her path. The latest piece she was going through was a series of essays on military tactics. It was by an anonymous author but there were plenty of rumors claiming it had come from a general by the name of Rogozin. Irena had never heard of the man but he had some interesting ideas on cavalry and infantry tactics, and a writing style that liked to wax poetical about the warrior spirit of the ancients and looking to the past for inspiration.

Looking to the past was not something Irena was a fan of. To her the past was the former Dean of the Royal academy, the man that had put his foot in his mouth and talked about how the inferior minds of women could never understand the academic arts... right when the Empress was visiting. What followed was an imperial edict to open the academy and all other institutes of higher learning across the empire to female students! People were still debating as to whether this was a wise move on the part of the empress or if her motivation was even valid.

As far as Irena was concerned the empress had won herself at least one supporter for life. After all, how could a woman be deemed capable of ruling an empire but too weak to go to school? Such ways of thinking were maddeningly outdated and belonged left in the past. And Irena for her part would dive into her studies and show people just why. She would start by amazing all those who met her in Attolia, perhaps she'd even find a young officer and start a whirlwind romance while she was there, all while rising through the academic ranks and publishing a new generation of scientific papers and making a name for herself. 

But for now she needed to be sick for the hundredth time.