Cards on the Table

Adanita came in like a real queen - that is to say - royally late. Rosamund didn't notice the time passing due to the lecture he was giving to Teodolit, but the sun was already setting when she finally graced him with her presence once again.

She was also queenly in other ways, to be fair. Her signature sky blue coat was back, and from up close, Rosamund could tell it was old, but taken care of. Perhaps she inherited it with her position. She also wore her tricorn hat with a fancy feather pinned on it. A picture of a true Captain.

Both Rosamund and Teodolit got up. "Gentlemen," she greeted, taking off her hat. He could hear the people below singing what sounded suspiciously close to a drunken song of praise to her. She closed the door behind her.
"Captain Vervain," Rosamund greeted back.
"Hi Nita!" Teodolit brightly said. "Did you know the Governor talks a lot?"
"In what way?" she asked, confused.
"I held a bit of an impromptu lecture on the work I did behind the scenes of the Verlice Experiment. This young man requested it from me," Rosamund said.
"Oh. Well, you asked, then," she said. She sat down on Teodolit's chair, while the man was left standing behind her shoulder. Rosamund sat down as well. "I am happy to see you're feeling better," she told him.
"Thank you. In the end, all I needed was some proper rest." Small talk. This wasn't what they were here for. "Thank you for accommodating me."
"Happy to hear that, too. So, regarding your previous request."

There we go.

"I am considering putting all my cards on the table. However, that will require some promises from you," she said. "As well as Teo vouching for you. What do you think, Teo?"

"I wouldn't call him trustworthy, but I'd say my impressions are reasonably positive, sir," he said. "He didn't try to shoot anyone on our way here, or to kick a beggar."

"There we go. The standards are low, but as you can see, we are being reasonable."

"The standards are low enough to trip over them while taking a stroll on the bottom of the ocean. I'd like to request a list of whatever nobles or merchants visited you and behaved in such a way. I need to add them on my list of people to avoid during the social season," Rosamund said calmly.
"How would you walk - nevermind, I'll allow it. Teo?"
"I'll have to ask our spymaster for the complete list," Teodolit said. "But it will be done."
"Thank you," he said. He hoped they didn't think he was joking. He rubbed his eyes. They - Adanita specifically - seemed to be treating this as some equal exchange. He had no clue what changed since their last conversation, but it didn't quite feel like an interrogation of a prisoner. He'd ask, but he wasn't about to look a gifted horse in the mouth.

The innkeeper came in again, bringing more drinks. When he left, it was time to continue the conversation.

"So, what is it exactly that you want me to promise?" he asked.
Adanita seemed to be carefully choosing her words. "Right. I believe it would be too much to ask for your direct cooperation."
With a pirate rebel city-state that grew within his land? Yes, it was a bit of a reach. He stayed silent and allowed her to continue.
"However, I believe it would not be too much to ask for your help in analyzing the events that have- will have occurred. I believe we could use your advice and insight, even if you aren't interested in openly helping."

Interesting. Very interesting. The language she used wasn't explaining his role at all, really. Analysis, but then advice and insight, and finally, accepting he's not interested in helping? A bit of a bag of mixed beans, wasn't it? He, too, needed to think through his response. He, too, spoke slowly. This woman was far more clever than what he originally gave her credit.

"I'd like you to specify more on what I should be promising to you. There is also an issue of you being a wanted criminal - cooperating with you no matter the terms may bring terrible consequences upon me. Frankly, I am not interested in becoming a corrupt politician." Did he need to say that out loud? He wasn't planning to be misunderstood by this duo.

"You are... unaware of the future. I must keep it in mind, I apologize. What is coming came for both of us, in the end. I see now there were mistakes in my understanding of the events at the time. The information I am offering will be of the benefit to both of us should we assist each other," she said.

Well this was completely different than last night. She wasn't even willing to tell him she came back in time until he spent quite some time trying to pry it out of her. His position was, in her eyes, something new now. Not a mere hostage anymore. Interesting. "I am aware we're negotiating over information you can't explain further than this without it losing its value. However," he said. "Did you not tell me you were the one who killed me yesterday? From my point of view, whatever will come will come for you alone." Why should I assist you?

"I mean this in no way as a threat," she said. "But what came after, came after your entire family."

Aha. "I see." That looked like the truth to him, but she could be leaving something out. However, she was correct if she thought this was a perfect way to get his attention. Suddenly, her information came far more valuable. Her unspoken words rang in the room. If she gave him the information, then he could prepare himself as well.

It seemed that the two of them were meant to hold a duel or few every time they met. A duel of swords, a battle of wits, and now this little negotiation. He was in no way about to allow himself to rush into anything. Cooperating with her was still dangerous.

She leaned back and drank some of her ale while he was in deep thought.

He was looking in her eyes, considering his options, and she was looking back at him, cool as ice.

"I see," he said, leaning back as well. Ouch, bad idea. He leaned closer with his forearms on the table instead, there was no need for his poor, bruised back to suffer. "In that case, let us return to the original issue - what precisely do you want from me?"
"I want you to explain to me the things that happened. The details I've missed and misunderstood. That much will be enough to give us both something of equal value," she said.

Aha. Finally. "I could agree to that, to some extent. I cannot discuss secrets and I may not be able to give you all the necessary information." If it's just a dialogue she wanted, he wouldn't be in as much of a precarious position.
"I think you'll be able to. I'm almost certain."
"Well, I hope I live up to you expectations." Oh, a pun. "However, I'd rather refrain from giving you any sort of suggestions on what to do. Something like that would require extreme circumstances and more negotiation. I am aware your insight may change my opinion, but I'd rather wait before I make more promises."

It was now her time to think it through. He patiently waited. It was all about equal exchange and weighting options. Should she decide that she is certain her information will change his mind, then she will tell him everything.


She ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright. I think I can agree to this."
Well then, all hell must be coming for them. He raised his hand and gestured her to begin her tale.


~ ♠ ~ ♠ ~ ♠ ~ ♠ ~ ♠ ~


It took her all night to get through her story. Rosamund mostly listened in patient silence, filling in the gaps as they came. Occasionally, he's ask her a question, or to clear something up for him. Teodolit left them without either of them noticing, while they were deeply focused on their discussion.

As she was nearing the end of both her story and her life, she spoke more slowly. At that point, Rosamund waited for her, allowing her to go at her own pace.


He had all the time in the world.


. . . ♣ . . .

The dawn was breaking, painting the sky in soft pastel colors.
They had been sitting in silence for a while, both exhausted from the story she had to tell, and from being awake for the whole night.

Neither of them cried. In Rosamund's case, the case was too distant for him to drive him to the extremes of his emotions, although he hated most of what he was hearing.
Meanwhile, Adanita seemed to have other ways of coping. The more she spoke as time went, the more distant her voice sounded.

"I'm sorry," she said. She was looking out the window, not at him.
"Don't. I am too tired and angry to accept apologies for things that didn't happen," he said. "If you don't plan to repeat your actions, I've decided to ignore them this time around." Legal systems often had punishments for planning a crime. He could argue for both sides on whether they should apply to someone who committed crimes in the future, and then came back to the time before doing them.
In Adanita's case, she didn't seem to be planning to repeat her offenses against him. He could work with that, for now.

He sighed.
A good chunk of the future was caused by her actions. But, she was correct. There were things going on in the background, working against both of them. She wasn't the focus, though. Instead, she accidentally got herself involved into everything. Originally he died yesterday, meaning that him being alive right now painted a target on his back. What happened to him the first time was just him dying ahead of time. He couldn't see it coming this time either, now could he?

It wasn't Adanita's fault.

Annoyingly, she was right. He did seem to need her help as much as she needed his. A mere exchange of information would not suffice. However, he wasn't thinking clearly at this time. Numerous thoughts were buzzing around in his head, and he was suffering from a bit of an information overload.

And he still had questions.

"What did you originally plan to do with me?" he asked.
"Well, as I said. Thought you'd be some pretentious posh prick. So, I thought, if I nabbed you this time and kept you alive, I could negotiate with your brother."
She'd have used him as a bargaining chip. "He doesn't do well in high society," he said. "It wouldn't have worked."
"Aye, I can see you're competent. You proved me wrong."
"Should I thank you for the compliment?" he asked.
"Probably not," she agreed. "Ain't much of one."

She couldn't suppress a yawn, although he could see she tried.

"Why'd you give me a weapon?" he asked.
"What?" she asked. She was showing genuine confusion, and it spread to him as well.
"My - my flintlock. You let me have a weapon. Teodolit told me to pick one from the cabin."
"Well, well yes. You kept saying parlay last morning."
"In my sleep?" Didn't Teodolit mention he was having a fever?
"Wait, you don't remember?"
"Things said when you're asleep aren't exactly legally binding, you know."

Slow reaction once again, a bit of disbelief. It took her a moment, it seemed. Perhaps because she wouldn't expect it from him. Nonetheless, in time, she let out a quiet chuckle, and in a bit, a tired laughter.

He drank some ale from his tankard. There we go, she was back.

But honestly, what a stickler for the rules. Parlay, parlay, and boom, a man whom she'd have killed yesterday for marginally annoying her got a flintlock. Not only that, but he had a very distinct feeling that this entire conversation had happened only because he was talking nonsense in his sleep, and she took him seriously. "Some criminal you are," he tiredly said.
"Yo-ho," she agreed, rising her tankard.
He gently bumped into it with his own, accepting her toast.

"I need more time," he said. "To think on the things you said. Give me a few days, I know we're on a tight schedule, but rushing into this would certainly kill us." For the third time, in some cases.
"Aye, I understand."
"There are more things to discuss, too. But it's too early... or too late." He squinted at the sky. It was the same color of her coat already. The day will be beautiful, he could tell.
"Agreed. I am very tired," she said.
"Where should I stay?" he asked.
"Wait, we didn't figure that out?! Where would you like to stay?"
"Not to sound elitist, but I don't like the looks I've been getting around town."
"Ah, right. Uhh, how about my cabin, then? Only my crew goes on my ship."
"Sure. Wait, where do you usually sleep?"
"...my cabin. But between the two of us, I'm less likely to get stabbed in the neck by a pickpocket when I'm sleeping in the inn."

He really overestimated the Pirate Republic. Did nobody live in that fancy manor up on the hill?!

"I'll take it," he agreed, getting up. "Would you walk me there, Captain Vervain?"

"Gladly, Lord Governor."

He opened the door for her, and they went downstairs. The sleepy keeper was just opening up the place, so they could leave without having to wake him up themselves.

The town was waking up. The few people on the cobbled streets were greeting Adanita and wishing her well as they slowly walked down towards the docks.

She came all the way onto the deck with him, to make sure he made his way safely. There was a man cleaning the deck when they arrived and Adanita waved him good morning.

"Thank you," Rosamund said.

"Rest well. Take the time you need. We can talk later."

"You as well." He needed to send a letter to Nivelir, didn't he. He will, he will. The mountain of work that waited for him was already making him dizzy. He bid her farewell. As soon as he took off his shoes and his coat, he went to bed.


Sleep.