"Unlike those in Ravka who reserve their skills for the king and all of the peasants living outside the castle walls?" She doesn't mean for her tone to sound sarcastic, but Zoya can't help but point it out. It's not like Nikolai had his chefs cook for the villagers bordering Os Alta. Why would he expect anything like that here?

He's never experienced life outside of the castle like she has. The First Army is different from living outside in the villages among the people day in and day out. Zoya doesn't wish to think about Pachina, so she doesn't.

Comforted by him walking beside her, Zoya looks around, glancing at him. "What have you been doing for the past… year?"