I guess this is a OT but the fact that Althea never got to be captain of Vivacia and in fact Brashen ended up being captain of the Paragon - something I don't think he had a particularly strong ambition for (it kind of fell into his lap) - made me very irritated! I suspect that was fully intentional on the author's part! (although apparently a lot of people didnt feel like that at all and saw Althea as a spoiled brat and a poor sailor who deserved no such thing! So I could be totally wrong on the author's intent)