...and Adanita

Rosamund took a deep breath, intent on calming down.

Alright. He was feeling... something. He can process this. He had years of practice managing himself.

Let's think about this clearly. What did he like about Adanita?

...everything...?

The words he had for her, and all the compliments he thought of and gave her were swirling in his head. He loved making her laugh. He loved chatting with her, spending time with her, doing little things for her, and the little things she did for him. He loved the way she was patient with him, the way she trusted him, the way she protected him. He felt safe in her presence. He was... at ease. She was the first person he knew that went through anything remotely similar as him, damn it! She understood. And he understood her, too. He wanted to be there for her.

And she was beautiful. Gods, she was stunning.

She was strong and gentle, she was sweet, sassy, caring. He loved the way she dressed, the way she carried herself, her playful smile while she was very persistently teasing him. He loved how tall she was, how strong she was, and how beautiful she was. He wanted to run his fingers through her soft hair, to sleep by her side and wake up to her kisses. He wanted to...

...and he thought Nivelir was dense.

When did he allow his feelings to get so deep without ever noticing? He should've been better.

It started so soon after meeting her...

He couldn't help it. His face softened as she approached. Gods, what a fool he was.

"Captain Vervain, Captain Verlice. I see you are enjoying yourselves," he said.
"Quite so, Lord Governor," Mislav said. "I presume you wouldn't be interested in spending more time with us?"
"I'd be more than happy to," he said, offering Adanita his hand. "Unfortunately, I believe I will be taken for the rest of the evening."

Honestly? He was done. Alberic can take it from here. His parents can take it from here. He did so much already. He wanted a moment of happiness for himself. His heart skipped a beat as Adanita offered him her elbow. She looked absolutely overjoyed. Radiant. The damage Dorotea caused tonight was gone, and he will make sure it stays that way. He tightly wrapped his arm around hers, placed his hand on her, and generally stood to her closer than it was strictly necessary. Her warm body and the gentle scent of the sea that followed her made him dizzy. For once, he knew why.

He was in love.

She led him to the floor and they gave each other a respectful bow. She placed her hand on his waist and held him as they danced.

"Is this alright with you?" she checked.
"Yes," he quietly said, hoping she wouldn't let him go. And she didn't. "There are so many people here," he continued. "I can't wait to get rid of them all. But I will need to mingle for a bit longer, until Alberic decides to call it a night. I'd like it if you would accompany me."
"Of course. I'm sorry I had to leave. I wasn't feeling well."
"Please, do not apologize. You did nothing wrong."
She gently squeezed him. "Do you know where that woman is?"
"No clue," he honestly said. "I got rid of her."
"How?"
He told her.
Her loud burst of laughter was music to his ears.

He will tell her. He needed to, so she could turn him down and set her boundaries. But... it could wait until tomorrow. It could wait for a quiet, private opportunity.

As if. This was pure self-indulgence, the least he should do was to be honest with himself.

"How terribly clever you are," she said.
"Hardly. I am simply letting her bury herself," he said with a smile.
"And Lilac is where?"
"On his way to the Cove. I am sorry. I didn't know any other place he'd be out of her reach."
"He will be safe," she firmly said. Just like that, his worries melted away. "I will need to return there soon, too. There is so much work to do... An upside to all of this is that I can predict the fashionable styles of furniture before they hit the market. I have some other plans in the works, too, I must use all my knowledge to my advantage." He wondered if that would count as insider trading. Would a fortune teller go to prison if they could predict the market...? "I trust you will help me with advertising tonight?"
"Of course." Anything for her. He gently squeezed her shoulder. "There is something else, however." Something that couldn't wait until a later date.

"I do not know to what degree, but I believe Dorotea is aware of the previous timeline."

She froze. Just like that, her smile was gone, replaced with sheer terror. He was sorry. He was so, so sorry. But he couldn't lie or omit from her, he promised he wouldn't. Not for a moment. He squeezed her shoulder, bringing her attention back to him as she was tightly gripping on the fabric of his coat. She was shaking.

"Adanita. I will keep you safe. Nothing will happen to you."
"She will come for me again," she quietly said.
"She won't get far. I am here. You are safe," he promised. "Leave her to me and focus on Hannau. Trust me. I can handle her." It was just another petty psychopath to him. Nothing new under the Sun. He will keep her safe.

It took Adanita a moment to be able to continue to dance. She held him tightly.

He was sorry.

"Does that mean," she asked, "that the devil that attacked you is an accomplice of hers?"

How did that not occur to him?!

Gods. He couldn't take on that thing again. But if Dorotea had anything to do with him, if she was doing his bidding- no. He already owned Adanita's soul. Was there some magical logic that required for Adanita to be dead to claim it? No... this wasn't a fairy tale. If he wanted it that way, Adanita would be dead. Adanita was alive because he needed Rosamund's assistance with something. He still had no clue what it was.

Did Dorotea also lose her soul to him?

Did she need help? Something was clearly wrong with her crown, and that devil showed at least some proficiency in hiding magic from him.

Did she die, too?


No... no. Even if she did, it wasn't his problem. Whatever happened to her before, she was after Lilac and Adanita now. He gave her a chance and she refused to back down. He needed to protect the people who mattered to him. He wasn't a perfect hero. He had priorities.

"I... have no clue. Are you alright?" he asked.
"A bit shaken. I am grateful for your honesty, though. I will manage."

Of course she will. She was strong.

"Hannau is still going to be a safe haven for your brother, though. We have our own mages. We will keep that thing out," she promised.
"Thank you. For everything."
"Anything for you."

She meant it...

"Would you perhaps be interested in visiting me again after this? I have some quality bourbon in my office."
"Hmm... As tempting as that is, I've already agreed to an afterparty with Captain Verlice."
Drinking alone it was. How nostalgic. "I am glad you've made a friend."
"She is quite a charming little lady. I'm not sure what I expected, to be honest. You have such a strange group of friends."
"She is a good woman. I like to surround myself with good people."
"And one Pirate Queen," she joked.
"Yes, you are an outlier. You are the best of them."
She gently squeezed his hand.

The music stopped, and they bowed to each other. This time, she placed her hand on his and allowed him to lead her onwards.

He found his father. He told them about the Duchess and her attempt on his life. Dorotea was lucky she wasn't back yet, because the crown on his father's head was glowing its deep crimson color as he was visibly holding himself back. Adanita's hand was firmly resting on her cutlass and she held his arm tightly.

After that, he followed her around and introduced her to all the important people. Nobles, captains, diplomats, merchants. A few commoners that were invited commented on the lack of any clergy present, but he wasn't about to invite the Church to the business of State. Nobility understood it. After all, it was in their interest to keep their power. And it was in Rosamund's interest to ensure his friends don't get outed as devil worshipers and witches.

He allowed her to lead him around, barely ever joining the conversation. Adanita was discussing business and trade, things that he had a highly limited knowledge of. It was best he didn't get involved, he'd only interrupt her work. Thanks to the lessons she was receiving on etiquette, she charmed her fellow nobles with ease. She had support from Viscountess Kuplung and Baroness Mayberry, too, not to mention his mother, meaning that the end result was more than favorable. Her vast knowledge of the sea, trade routes, and troubles that came with them was impressive by all standards and she easily stood her ground in her new company. She didn't need his help. He was content with the role of an arm candy, limiting himself only to small talk, or (rarely) providing additional information from the perspective of a politician.

That is to say, until a man started proposing an honest to gods Ponzi to his face.

He kept a perfectly neutral look on his face as he turned to see Adanita's reaction. Of course she immediately saw the problem with the scheme, but she kept quiet and tried her best to keep a poker face.

"What do you think, Lord Governor? Is this the kind of a man who deserves a chance?" she asked him neutrally.
"I suppose we could make some use of this opportunity. How many people did you tell about your business?"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly answer that. We've a strict privacy policy in our company-"
"Tonight, Mister Proporcionales," he said. "How many people at my event have heard of this?"
"Oh. I suppose I spoke to maybe twenty people?"
Adanita made a sound. She was trying her best not to laugh and he appreciated it despite feeling an ulcer form in his stomach.

"Who exactly invited you here?" he asked.
"I am accompanying my paramour, Lord Parsifal."
Who else? "I am very interested in your proposal. There is someone I would like to introduce you to who will surely love to hear more. Captain Vervain, please excuse us for just a moment."

Hexkey located, criminal handed over. The prick didn't even have the time to cause a commotion. He was back before he knew it and Adanita was still trying to suppress her laughter.

"How efficient," she said.
"How outrageous. On my event? The gall of some people," he said, taking her arm again. "I think I can find some use for him later. Give him to Alberic, or have him do something for me. There are people in Dorotea's circle who could fall for this."
"Her, too?"
"Perhaps."

She returned to the ballroom while they were together. Rosamund kept an eye on her as she spoke to more and more ladies. The women were either relaying messages from Lilac or letting her know where was the last they saw him. She fell for it for the first two or three times before she realized what was going on. Her cheeks were bright red when she caught him looking, though he wasn't sure whether that was due to her running around like a headless chicken, or due to the absolute embarrassment that she was. The people who noticed what was going on were quietly laughing behind her back, although a few were brave enough to be heard by her.

What a pathetic sight.

He tipped his glass to her in return before tuning back in to Adanita's lively conversation with another captain. She was telling her more about the way the Royal Navy operated, which was the only part of naval exploration that he was familiar with. Sea Lord Khamil, despite being invited, thankfully didn't come to the event. He was meant to take a great offense to that, but he was just happy there was one conflict less tonight.

A little after ten, Alberic announced his departure. People were permitted to stay, of course, but that finally meant that the official part of the event was over. People were allowed to come only before him, and leave only after him. He needed to make it through a few more minutes, but Rosamund was finally free.

"You look tired," Adanita said.
"I am tired," he replied, gently squeezing her arm. "Thank you for taking over for me."
"It was nothing. I'd say we left quite an impression."
"All thanks to you, Captain."
"You haven't been drinking," she noticed.
"No. I was waiting for- here she comes. I can handle her. You should leave."
"Absolutely not." She placed her hand over his, refusing to allow him to let go of her.
"Adanita..."
"She's my enemy too. I won't leave you alone with her twice."

She was afraid. He could tell. He was, too, and she could probably tell as well. But he couldn't back down. For her sake.

What a pair of fools they were, courageous only in the presence of the other one. But he was grateful. He didn't want to be alone with Dorotea.

"Lord Governor," she coldly said as she approached them. "Baroness Vervain. I trust you've had a lovely evening?"
"We did," Adanita replied in an equal tone.
"I would like you speak with Lord Governor alone, if you do not mind. I promise it is just for a moment."
Adanita stopped him before he could ask her to leave. "A moment isn't worth my departure," she said.
"You are being exceedingly rude. Lord Governor?"

Above all else, the nobility dreaded causing a scene. Even if someone was your most hated enemy, you would hear them out far from the people rather than denying them in front of everyone. It seemed Dorotea was expecting him to act accordingly, considering she was escalating the situation. Soon, the people will notice. Soon, the eyes will be on him, too.

Fortunately, he wasn't a nobleman. And he was too much of an old fart to care about opinions of others.

"We can speak when you sober up, Duchess Almukantarat. Stop this before you embarrass yourself further," he said, very careful to raise his voice only a smidge louder than hers, escalating by an equal amount.
Her beautiful eyes slightly widened from pure shock. She wasn't drunk, he knew it and he knew she knew it, too. However suddenly it wasn't about Lord Governor refusing an audience with a woman of higher standing. Suddenly it was about dealing with an intoxicated idiot. Her face flushed again.
"Rosamund," she quietly said. If she was going to dial it down, he could do it too.
"What is it?" he asked politely.
"You've embarrassed me twice today. Do not think for a moment that I plan to forgive this."
"You've embarrassed yourself, Dorja. I didn't need to lift a finger."
"I suppose you think you are very clever."
"It doesn't take a genius to reveal a fool. Stay away from Lilac, from me, and from Captain Vervain."
"Or else what?" she haughtily said.

"Try it. See what happens," Adanita quietly said.

Dorotea instinctively stepped back as Adanita placed one hand on her sword, and raised the other one to shield Rosamund. She was tall. She was big and strong, and frighteningly capable in a fight.

Next to her, Dorotea looked like a child. She couldn't fight her head on. Adanita couldn't do it, either, otherwise they'd be in serious trouble, and Dorotea knew it. She stood her ground angrily, staring them down and clenching her fists.

She had invisible weapons. If they push her too far, perhaps she'd dare to use them again.
Rosamund calmly placed his hand on her arm, looking up at her.

"That's enough. Thank you, Captain."
"Rosamund, where is Lily?"
"I don't know," he said. "Go home, before you embarrass yourself further." He turned his back to her, walking away with Adanita. He had enough.

He was tired.

And sad. This was sad. Downright pathetic. Absolutely terrifying, but so, so pathetic. She was a Duchess. A Royal Magician. She could do whatever she wanted. Date whoever she wanted. And instead she was here, tormenting him and his family.

He knew the type. He saw situations like these. This will come back to bite them later. Adanita knew it too, but she was widely grinning next to him. He could feel her shivering, but she seemed to be in a great mood.

"You stood up to her," he said. "Good job. Thank you."
"I know! Isn't it great? I didn't think I ever could. I did it! And I survived. And you did, too! I won't let her hurt you twice," she promised. She was smiling, vibrant and energetic.
"I won't let her hurt you, either." He wanted to lean his head on her shoulder. He wanted to hug her, or be carried by her again. He was so tired... "I'd ask you to dance with me again, but I am completely drained."
"That's alright. We can dance later. Whenever you'd like."
Screw his stomach, he could feel butterflies all over. He held onto her arm tightly. He didn't want to let her go.

"I think I will leave now. There is a bourbon with my name on it in my office," he said. "And I'm sure Mislav is waiting for you."
"Will you be alright?"
"Absolutely. I am only tired, nothing else."
"Hmm... alright then. Don't drink too much," she teasingly said.
"This? Coming from the Pirate Queen? I don't deserve that," he dramatically replied.
She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "Careful, Lord Governor. You never know when she might decide to visit you."

A shiver came down his spine.


"Whenever you do," he said. "You are always welcome."