Glimmer and Glam

The rest of the afternoon passed much more peacefully. Well, it was a gathering of politicians from several countries, so it was full of veiled threats, but nobody tried to fight anyone for the second time. He didn't manage to catch another moment alone with Adanita, to make sure she was doing alright, but she was surrounded by several admirers. A few young ladies and more polite lords came her way to congratulate her on her victories. She put up quite a show, after all.

"Ah, Lord Governor. Captain Vervain's skill is most impressive. Were you aware she would defeat her opponents with such ease?" one of them asked him when he approached.
"I am well aware of her outstanding abilities. I assumed none of them had any chance against her."
"Then why such an outrageous comment, Lord Governor?" a lady asked him.
"Humility is a learned skill," he coldly said.
Adanita cleared her throat. "I was being unfair," she said. "Fighting three people at once proves nothing. If I had won, it would be an embarrassment for them, if I had lost, well, it took all three of them to defeat me."
"Not to mention that I'd prefer my inauguration event to not turn into a bloodbath," Rosamund added. "Or a tavern brawl. If our dear Captain got injured, she'd have to receive her title in bandages."
"It would only be fair," a lady laughed. "I've heard she returned our Lord Governor home full of injuries."
"None caused by her, for what it's worth," Rosamund said.
"Lord Governor, is it true you lack any skill with a blade?"
"That is false," Adanita said. "Despite his rather pathetic attempt to defeat me, he did manage to hold his ground against one of my Captains. After using some more... unconventional methods, he did win against her, too. I am still amazed you managed to get out of the fight more injured than her, but be declared a victor."
"We all use weapons best suited for us. Captain Vervain is unmatched with swords, while I am a diplomat with no equal," he said.
"Humility is a learned skill," she replied with a beautiful smile.

...oh, right.

"Only when boasting is unwarranted," he smoothly replied. "You are indeed the finest swordsman in the world, but you hadn't defeated your opponents before speaking. Meanwhile, I stand here with the Pirate Queen."
"A most impressive achievement, considering how much trouble Captain Vervain was to your predecessor!" a lady said, clapping for him.

"You've already handled corruption in the Navy and made peace with the pirates! We are all excited to see what you'll bring us next, Lord Governor!"

At least he made a good impression on the nobility.


Around five o' clock, the guests began to disperse. Makeup needed to be reapplied, evening garments dressed, hair fixed. The event was set to proceed at seven, with Alberic's arrival from the Capital.

Rosamund was already thoroughly exhausted from all the people he needed to speak to. It wasn't just pleasantries, either. A lot of the nobles took this as an opportunity to talk business with him, so he needed to carefully listen and pay attention. The administrative work in the colony never ends, it seemed. There were also several diplomats from other countries that came here, few because this was an important event to participate in, and few because they knew him personally and wanted to congratulate him. So far, Adanita seemed to leave a positive impression on his guests... oh, who was he kidding, she was perfect. He could notice quiet signs of anxiety, but whenever she'd look at him, her confidence would spark up. She was a fire, and the people couldn't look away.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He needed to be perfect, too. For both of their sakes.

He undressed and freshened up, before he carefully started putting on the clothes he had picked for the evening. A white silk shirt. A gentle magenta-colored vest, embroidered with golden vines and white roses. Plain white silk socks. White breeches with golden seams. His favourite cravat, Adanita's present, along with the bixbite pin she gifted him. It went perfectly with his vest. He carefully combed his dark blue hair, tying it back with a gold ribbon and carefully observed his face in the mirror. The dark circles from poor sleep the previous night were beginning to show, so he started to carefully reapply makeup and perfume. He was the type of a man who preferred to leave his natural beauty speak for itself as much as possible, but considering the importance of this event, he took a page from Nivelir's book. A bit of sky blue eyeshadow and gold eyeliner should tie it all together. The color of his dark hair and silver eyes will be carefully accentuated with just a little bit of additional effort, and match well with the outfit that was created around the gem he treasured the most.

A weapon or no... He promised Adanita he will keep himself safe. He put on his shoulder holster with the revolver after a moment of hesitation. You never know.

He checked the knee-long coat for wrinkles or stains before putting it on. It was white, decorated with highly detailed embroidery of even more blooming roses of gold. He put a gentle pink sash with a white rim over his left shoulder, and secured to it a light ceremonial sword. He put on black shoes with a golden buckles and small heels. As a finishing touch, he put on white gloves. This was it, he thought as he carefully straightened the lace ruffles of his shirt peeking from the coat sleeves.

He was ready.

And he made damn sure everyone else had a chance to get ready, too. He arranged for changing rooms for Adanita, Teodolit, and Ekliptik. He put Bluebell in charge of helping her get ready, so that no idiotic maid could dare and try to meddle with her beautiful hair again.

And by gods. Bluebell did an impeccable job as always.

Adanita Vervain could be spotted from a mile away, tall and frankly frightening. She heavily leaned into showing off her position to the fullest while still keeping it appropriate for the party. Rosamund didn't know how she planned to dress herself, but the end result left him in absolute awe.

Adanita didn't hide the freckles on her dark skin, nor wear any sort of fancy makeup. Instead, the area around her eyes was completely blackened with coal, a way that pirates and some sailors protected themselves from the sunlight on the sea. It left her sharp orange eyes almost glowing, beautiful and vibrant as they contrasted the strange blackness surrounding them. She chose to wear a completely black shirt with a deep cut, and simple pants. Her embroidered boots were polished to the point they were glowing from the lights of the ballroom. Her black coat was long and fluttery, embroidered with gold seashells and sky blue waves. The sky blue belt on her hips carried real cutlasses, unlike his ceremonial sword. Her soft locks were left to fly freely in all directions they pleased, although the top of her head was hidden under a long embroidered bandana that had her usual gold beads hanging off of it, and a large black gold-rimmed hat.

Adanita Vervain, the Pirate Queen.

The hall collectively held their breath for a moment when she entered, and only spoke in hushed whispers as her appearance left everyone speechless.

"Captain Vervain," he politely greeted her upon entering. "You look as beautiful as the evening we've met," he quietly said. Let the world see her as he saw her. Stronger than the winds and beautiful as the abyss.

She should drown the room with her presence.

She flashed him a smile. "And you look even better," she said. He offered her a handshake, a gentle squeeze of reassurance. If she was nervous, she was hiding it perfectly. Even from him. Her hand was covered in gold rings, and he suddenly wished one of them had come from him. He needed to rectify this as soon as possible...

He let her go and continued greeting the other guests. The scent of her perfume lingered. He wished he could've come with.

Teodolit walked in as the definition of gaudy. The amount of bling the man put on himself made him look like a walking disco ball, which inexplicably made him fit in with the nobles perfectly. He wore a sleeveless shirt and three-quarter long trousers, and a simple shoe. The outfit would be completely unremarkable on the street, if that was all he had.

He had golden bands on his upper arms. He had large shiny braces on his lower arms, encrusted with tiny gems and decorated with filigree. He had a frankly ungodly amount of rings of all shapes and sizes - one of them was Rosamund's - hair filled with shiny beads, and a diamond necklace that wouldn't look out of place around the queen's neck. He even managed to find a fancier leg that went well with the cane Nivelir gifted him. The beautiful little man greeted Rosamund with a wide, idiotic grin. He got an inexplicable urge to grab him by the ankles and shake him until all the shinies fell off.

Dumbass. He couldn't help but smile when he saw him walk by. The others fell to his charming personality instantly, too, so at least it wasn't just Rosamund.

Nivelir walked in as an unapologetic aristocrat. His makeup was on point, gold and white just like when he went to arrest Khamil. As the Lord Secretary, he somewhat coordinated his outfit with Rosamund, although he completely left out pink colors. He was mostly wearing white, but the vest and embroidery were dull blue colors, casually complementing Rosamund and accentuating his own jewellery. His long dreadlocks were left to freely fall down his back, carefully decorated with the numerous golden clips that Teodolit secretly stole for gifted him. Stars shone in his hair, matching the large glimmering crescent moon earrings that he picked out. He stood with his back perfectly straight, not a hair nor a ruffle out of place, and waited for the guests by Rosamund's side. He picked out an ivory sword cane, Rosamund noticed. And his nails were painted with even more gold stars, following the theme to a T.

"You look beautiful," he commented.
"Thank you. You too, Lord Governor," he formally said, fully committing to his role.
Rosamund gave him a small smile. "I see you chose to wear the hair clips."
"Yes... I must say I am not quite sure why. I suppose I'd like to learn who gifted them to me, and this would be the easiest way to do so."
"Ever practical, Lord Secretary."
"I can't turn down someone I don't know, after all."
"Would you? No matter who it is? It could've been gifted by someone you know."
"Don't tell me they came from you." A note of pure pain cracked his voice, but he kept his composure.
"Don't be ridiculous. You already got your birthday presents from me, thank you very much. You got my answer years ago."
"Hm. In that case, I do not know anyone else who'd... want to profess their feelings for me. A stranger's infatuation isn't something I find flattering."

Hah. He really was as dense as a black hole. Rosamund wondered if Teodolit will ever be successful. The man was obvious to the point it was almost painful to watch, but Nivelir was honestly a fool. Only time would tell.

Ekliptik was perfectly adorable. The teenager decided to dye their hair black again, and it really brought out their cyan eyes and pale skin. They wore the dark blue evening dress that Adanita previously accidentally tore up. The dress was fixed and made considerably more modest on Rosamund's demand, and additionally decorated with real tiny seashells. The dress had an added glimmer to it thanks to the crushed nacre. They looked like a proper young noble debutante. Their makeup was tasteful and simple and they had long black gloves covering most of their arms, and only wore a simple silver necklace with a single tear-shaped aquamarine.

They gave Rosamund a polite curtsy and he nodded in return. They were here as a guest of Baroness Mayberry, and went to join her. Rosamund was happy for them. Their short hair was turning some heads, even men had long hair in this world if they were nobles, but it seemed people were behaving for now. He hoped it will stay that way after more alcohol starts flowing, but who knows.

Lilac came in with their parents, all dressed appropriately for the event. The Earl and Countess were old enough to be excused from overly heavy dresses and outfits that were difficult to move in, so they both chose matching but muted clothes. They were here to let Rosamund shine, after all, and support him and Adanita during their promotions. Lilac's short violet hair was as styled as it could be, and he wore his official robe of a recognized Mage Master. The dark green and silver... could have suited him better, to be honest, but considering his usual lack of any attempts to dress up, Rosamund could accept this. He wore no makeup and no jewellery, ever practical even in long flowing clothes that reached to his heels, and wide sleeves that would make it impossible for a man to work. They only had time to give him a short greeting before she came in.

Duchess Dorotea Almukantarat was by all means the most beautiful woman in the world. Her heart-shaped face with a slightly upturned nose, the large beautiful eyes with long lashes, and her full lips all looked like they were sculpted by the gods themselves. Her hair was long and black, a braid filled with pearls and diamonds that reached all the way to her ankles, decorated that way because Rosamund once told her what her crown looked like. It was oddly flattering that she'd match her jewellery to the translucent glimmer of an elegant silver crown that only he could see.

Her skin was a pale white complexion you could get only by jealously keeping yourself out of any ray of sun. From head to toe, Dorotea was covered in intricate blue tattoos of various herbs and flowers, intentionally making herself look as if she was made out of porcelain, and the delicate way she moved as she approached him only intensified the association. Her dress was sleeveless and shoulderless, intentionally revealing as much of her tattooed skin as possible without becoming indecent. Her long dress otherwise followed the fashion in the capital, the layers of black, white, and gold surprisingly matching Rosamund's outfit. Did she look into his tailor? Did she know what he would wear? It was off from his chosen outfit just enough for it to be a possible coincidence, but the pattern of blooming roses brought it all into question again. But, his name was Rosamund, and the two of them were the opening pair...

She stopped in front of him, giving him something that could only be classified as a smile if it was either on her or on Rosamund's face. They were both the kind of people that kept their cards close to their chest, but he couldn't help but notice her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Lilac. She raised her delicate hand and Rosamund accepted it, wordlessly bowing in front of her.

"Lord Governor," she said with a soft, silky voice. "It is a pleasure to see you again. Congratulations on your new position."
"Thank you, Duchess. The pleasure is all mine. I hope the chambers I provided you with were satisfactory."
"They are rather far from the rest of the house," she said neutrally.
"I wouldn't want you to be disturbed by the other guests or the servants."
"I am grateful for your consideration. Honorable Lilac..." she started as she turned towards him, but Lilac had already left. The Earl mumbled a quiet apology, which she accepted with a microscopic frown. His parents excused themselves, and even Nivelir looked uncomfortable. Rosamund sent him off and offered Dorotea his elbow, which she accepted.

Her hands were freezing cold.

He carefully kept a neutral expression.

"I hoped for a chance to speak with Lilac," she quietly said.
"A lot of his colleagues were invited here. I am afraid he will be quite busy tonight."
"I am one of his colleagues, Rosamund."
"I apologize. I was unaware you were working on a project together."

That angered her, it seemed. She gently squeezed his arm to let him know of her dissatisfaction.

"Is that her? The Pirate Queen?" she asked.
"Yes," he nodded. Adanita hadn't yet noticed her presence, she was laughing and chatting with some Karpathians. He saw a shiver run down her spine as she felt their gaze on her, and she turned around towards them. Even from half the room away, he could see she went pale before she managed to collect herself and continue the conversation.

Dorotea's face was perfectly unreadable, masked away with her noble upbringing and blue tattoos. Her eyes, he noticed, had changed. They used to be dark blue, but there was now a nearly white circle around her completely black pupils. Void of any emotion, with her hands refusing to warm up in the slightest, Rosamund felt like he was in the presence of a black hole. As the two highest ranking members of society currently present, though, he couldn't really get rid of her. No matter how strange he was starting to feel in her presence, no matter how the air around her crown looked oddly twisted as if it was boiling hot. Something was wrong with this picture, and it wasn't just the mental state that had previously made Adanita and Lilac so terrified of her. The way she acted looked completely normal to Rosamund.

But the unease which he failed to notice before was there.

This was insane, he was fine in her presence before. Did they make him paranoid? Surely she could still be reasoned with. Not now, though. Now, the two of them were greeting his guests.

For now, things needed to be fine.