Fickle as the Sky

Adriana was hanging onto the dinghy with blood slowly dripping from her face out of a shallow forehead injury. The other two mermaids started to teasingly circle around her until she grabbed Ionan by the throat and clawed her arm. They swam away from the trio, playing together in the distance, and Adanita got her undivided attention. For the first time she seemed to be taking things seriously while she explained the situation to her. All her teasing and little cruelties faded away. She listened in absolute silence.

Adanita's soul was paying off somebody's debt. Rosamund learned it from the devil that owned it when he came to him. The mermaid clearly had questions, but she didn't deserve further details. Rosamund was already feeling unwell just from having to be reminded of the night of the devil's visit, so he also wasn't speaking much.

"And here I thought you were joking when you mentioned devils," Adriana complained. She sighed, playing with a lock of hair. "How do you get in these situations, Nita..."
"Are you going to help?" she asked.
"Of course I am!" she exploded. "I care about you, you idiot! How dare you lose your soul?! You have no right! You- you-!" She let out a frustrated scream. "I'll waste weeks on this, I can tell! What do you need?"
"I have it here, one moment..."
"I'll get it," Rosamund said. He was already up, holding onto the mast. Going to fetch a bag was easy, and it wouldn't leave him near a mermaid that tried to forcefully kiss him. Meanwhile, Adanita could take a moment longer to rest and warm up after her swim. Win-win.

Adanita gave him a sweet smile as he looked through their things.

He found it, a leather bag secured to a simple belt, with three pieces of cotton fabric that Adanita spent embroidering all day yesterday. She wrote on them as if they were paper, and they were about the same size, too. Adriana accepted the bag from him and delicately handled the sheets with her claws.
"Your handwriting is as bad as ever," she said, looking at the spirals and glyphs. Her frown was deepening more and more.
"Can you get all this?" Adanita asked.
"Too far north. Ionan will need to go in my place... And this one is basically in the Gap's Abyss... fine. Fine! I can! I will, even if you don't deserve it! You will braid my hair whenever I tell you to when I return with these!"
"Rosamund?" she asked.
"That is-"
"You are asking him for permission?! I will work to save your soul! What will he do for you, sit around and be pretty?"
Rosamund calmly raised his voice. "Those terms are completely acceptable," he said patiently. "Provided there isn't a deeper meaning behind this?"
"Nay, she just wants her hair combed," Adanita said.
Well, he could absolutely relate. In fact, he was happy he started growing his out since he became the Governor. "In that case, I will be happy to accompany Adanita again. As for what I am doing, my contacts found the information that is on those fabrics. I hope that is enough to satisfy you."
She stared him down.

"So, you do have a use."

"I have many uses, none of which are any of your business," he replied coldly.
"Heh. Aye, you do ♥" Adanita said, and he could feel himself melting. She turned back to Adriana. "He has very gentle hands and likes to braid, too. You should be nice to him and maybe he will decide to be nice to you. Even if you don't deserve it. He is very forgiving when you earn it."
"Hmph. He needs to deserve my kindness first."
"Well, I tried," she said with a shrug. "Follow the instructions on how to store this stuff. It's important."
"Here I thought to let it rot in the sea," she said. She sighed.

"How did this happen, Nita..."
"I don't know," she said.
"And why did the devil visit you?"
"I don't know. It seemed he wanted something from me," Rosamund said. "Although he refused to tell me what it is. We are currently looking into it, but I assume that whatever it is, it can't be good. And we can't allow a devil to run around freely."
"If Adanita is supposed to be paying off someone's debt, though, shouldn't she be dead?"
"Trying not to think about it," she said.
"Unless... the devil couldn't fulfill its end of the bargain," Adriana continued. "I can't think of any other reason why it wouldn't take you. But that means that if it ever looks for you, it will probably be because it completed the deal-"
"Trying not to think about the possibility of dropping dead at any point," she snarled.
The mermaid flinched.

Rosamund gently placed a hand on Adanita's back. He could feel her shivering from fear and stress she was under. He sat down next to her to give her some support, and instead she wrapped the blanket around both of them. He was red in the face. He couldn't help it. She hugged him and her skin was so soft and tender under his hands. For a moment he thought to touch her all over to warm her up, but he got himself under control before he did something stupid.

He hugged her back ♥ And that was more than enough for him.

"It will be alright. We're working on it," he said. He could feel her calming down and warming up. She wasn't too upset, she just didn't want to think about it right now, it seemed. He could understand. He explained to her the concept of dating, and they agreed that it could be fun to call today's sail a sort of a date. She clearly just wanted to spend a day with her friends and with him, and combine it with doing something useful. There was no need to stress about things too hard right now. They were doing all they could, after all. "Step by step," he said. "And when you look back, you'll be-"
"-amazed by how far I got. I know," she said.

♥ She listened to him ♥

And she kissed him! A few light, soft little smooches on his cheek, jaw, and neck made him want to sail away with her far, far away. Somewhere where they'd be alone and spend time enjoying each other...

"You are unbearable," Adriana said. "But I am glad. It seems he knows how to care for you properly."

"Hah," Rosamund replied, breathless. She wasn't kissing him anymore, just enjoying his presence, and he'd be damned if he let her out of his embrace. Even if it meant they were the most obnoxious couple on the archipelago. He realized this little display was possibly in part to make the mermaid jealous, or to prove something to her. Adanita calmed down remarkably quickly, after all.

Not that he minded playing along.

"Are you going to offer me a drink?" Adriana asked.
"The bottle is hanging off in the sea. It's yours," she replied.
She went to fetch the bottle and returned to her spot. She drank straight from the bottle while Rosamund and Adanita made themselves more comfortable under her blanket. She was warming up fast. Good ♥

"This is better than your usual poison," she said.
"It is Tokay. I provided the bottles," Rosamund replied.
"That explains it. I agree, you are useful, although I don't understand that fishing rod. How did the two of you meet?"
"I saved him from drowning during the storm a few months back," Adanita said.
"The fishing rod needs to be there. Even if we don't catch anything, if we are on a boat, there needs to be a fishing rod in the sea."
"That is idiotic, no fish will swim anywhere near a mermaid."
"The point isn't to catch anything. The point is there needs to be a fishing rod," he repeated. "If we're lucky to catch something, that's just a bonus."
"I gave up on trying to follow his logic a while ago," Adanita said happily. "If you catch something for us, though, I will be most grateful. He is a wonderful cook, even if he is a bit insane."
"Hah! Rude. At least rhyme it by saying kooky," he complained. "And how did you two meet?"
"Ah," Adriana widely smiled and drank more. "I was just a fry when I started following her ship. She was pretty tiny, too. She was cleaning decks and she would throw scraps into the water for me." Her tail was swishing through the air gleefully, like a puppy.
"Goldenbraid warned me not to feed mermaids, but she was pretty," Adanita shamelessly added.
"Do mermaids often follow ships?" he asked.
"Only pirates," Adriana said. "They feed us. Most others think we're bad luck, so they anger us and end up dead on the rocks. But pirates looooove~ to fight. And after the battle is over, we feast on the corpses. And some even come alive~"
Rosamund could feel his hairs rising again. Did Adanita-
"And then Nita came in and changed their damned Codex," she continued with a depressed sigh. "The so called 'walking the plank' is now outlawed."
"I was never overly impressed with official methods of execution countries like to use. If someone angered you, lop their head off. Or make them stand in front of a cannon and fire, if they really deserve it," Adanita said. "Get it over with, you set an example either way. Making it last is just... unnecessary."

Rosamund could feel himself calming down. Brutal and impulsive, yes. Cruel... not so much. He could accept this. After all, even when he feared her at the start... he truly never was in any danger from her. Expecting anything more would be hypocritical. Nobody's hands will be clean after they are done.

"Were there any mermaids nearby during the storm?" he asked instead.
"No, we don't go near the surface. It's much calmer in the depths," Adriana hummed.
"And no, I didn't need help to save you, love. Wherever you are, I will always come for you," Adanita said, gently squeezing him in her embrace.
"Hmph. You truly seem to love him," Adriana said.
"I do."
"And he is just that dear to your heart?"
"The dearest of them all," she said, snuggling up to him. He could feel a soft blush warming his cheeks again. He was loved ♥
"Hmph. Fine. I will be nice, then. There will be some rain coming in the evening, so the two of you should start heading back soon," she said. "Some wind and waves. It's nothing you couldn't handle, but I know men like him tend to have a fear of the sea after they obtain their blessing."
Rosamund's eyebrows shot up. "I am amazed that you are capable of being considerate."
"Says a man who pointed a gun at my throat."
"Entirely justified. What you did is called harassment, people go to prison for that."
"Really? For trying to kiss someone?" Adanita asked.
"It's a bit more complicated-"
"No, no, this sounds great. I should bring it up on my next meeting when we draft laws. You are full of great ideas, as always." She gave him another kiss on the cheek.

Well- he really couldn't think of a response to that. Her country, her laws.

She left the blanket (and him) and went to get dressed. Adriana disappeared underwater for a while and returned with a gods-damned tuna the size of Rosamund, which the two of them barely managed to load on the dinghy in a way that allowed him to get to work, chopping off its head with Adanita's cutlass before anything, to quickly put it out of its misery. Three mermaids watched him curiously as he started cleaning the fish, while she started preparing for their return. Still, they stayed anchored until he was done.

He gave the head to the mermaids immediately, wordlessly mourning the loss of the best parts of the meat. He then started cleaning off its scales, fins, organs, and bones, tossing it all into the sea. Marina snacked on the fins as if it was chips, her sharp teeth making some truly uncanny crunching noises. He was covered in blood up to his elbows, but it really didn't bother him. It wasn't the first time he was preparing food. He cut the fish into nice massive slices, letting Adanita pick a few she liked the best. Two kilograms of fish. That was how much he could fit into a small enchanted cooling box he took with him from the kitchens. That much was sure to feed him, her, Ekliptik, Nivelir, and Teodolit when he cooks it tomorrow, and he could send a good amount to his parents, too. But this fish was comfortably over a hundred kilograms in weight. He needed to keep in mind how much the two of them could carry back, too. It was going to be a literal uphill walk...

Feeling horribly wasteful, but keeping in mind how tired they were bound to be when they returned to Hipparcos, he decided to split thirty kilograms into two sacks he immediately threw into the sea to keep it cool. It shouldn't spoil. He removed the organs and the sea was cold, and the servants will put it into the cooling boxes the moment he returns to the manor. The rest of the fish he gave to the mermaids, and Adanita helped him clean the deck.

Considering how bloodied he was, he decided he needed to at least somewhat wash himself off in the sea. With Adanita keeping the mermaids at bay and holding onto his hand as she was sitting on the dinghy, he quickly washed himself and at least somewhat got the blood out of his clothes before she pulled him back up. He was shivering from the cold, and maybe from something else, but she wrapped him in the blanket and sat him down next to the rudder. They sailed out, accompanied by the mermaids for about an hour, before they left to get Adanita what she needed.

"How are you feeling? Did you warm up?" she asked.
Here, on the open sea? The wind was picking up. It was chilly, a herald of the oncoming storm, but it was thankfully blowing in the direction of the city. "I don't feel too comfortable," he admitted. "This is a very small boat..."
"Aye, but she's sturdy. Hold onto the rudder for a moment, love." She went to tie a rope around the mast and returned to his side, gently wrapping her arms around him as she made a knot around his waist. "Feeling better?"
"Much. Thank you," he said quietly.
She kissed his forehead and returned to her seat.

"Adriana's nice. She's gonna get the things I need," she said. "But I am sorry she attacked you like that. I thought... she grew up by now."
"I can see you trust her," he said. "But this seemed to be a pattern of behavior, judging by her words and your reaction. I don't think it's too much to say she made me highly uncomfortable. A warning would have been appreciated. I should have called for you when she arrived, but I wasn't aware I was in danger."
"I'm sorry," she honestly said. "I- I'm too used to them by now. I know how they act, and I just assumed you would, too. I see they frightened you and I didn't mean for that to happen. And I absolutely didn't want her to try and kiss you. They're not evil. They're- they're just not like humans."

He could see that much. He sighed.

"I am aware this is probably an uncomfortable topic for you, but... I assume some of your previous lovers might act in a way that is dangerous to me. Or perhaps to you. I am not asking for a full list of people you spent a night with, I frankly do not care about such trivial things, but I need to know if someone is a danger for me. I need a warning in advance. Am I asking for too much?"
Her pained expression told him everything he needed to know. There were such people in this world that simply needed to die if he ever met them. It seemed that list suddenly expanded.

"It's not unfair. But I'm worried... your opinion of me might... deteriorate," she forced herself to say.
"Because of the quality of the people? Or their quantity?"
Another long pause. "Both."

Hmm...

"Did they hurt you?" he asked.
"Some, aye. Some were sweet. But... I don't know. I often had a feeling... that it wasn't me that my lovers wanted. My power, my body, my position... I often felt... unseen. I don't know how to put it to words, even. I'm sorry."
"What about Adriana?"
"She was hurting me in a different way. I- we were both young and stupid. I was in my twenties, or so. She's beautiful. It was painful. And wonderful, too. I needed to break it off, we barely lasted a few weeks. It was horrible and I still feel bad about it sometimes. It wasn't fair for me to expect what Goldenbraid achieved. It's not a good idea to have a mermaid lover," she rambled. "There is a folk story that once a mermaid gives her heart away, she can never have it back, you know? I never asked her if it's true. She hurt me, but what if I damaged her beyond repair...?"

She wiped her eyes, focusing herself on the sea and their course. She couldn't look at him, it seemed.

He wrapped his arms around hers, leaning his head on her shoulder.

"I don't care," he honestly said. "What you and your lovers did before doesn't matter to me. You were in love before, and so what? I was, too. And I made mistakes, too. We are together now, and that is what is important to me. As long as we can talk to each other, as long as we can sort out our differences and work together. As long as we don't hurt each other, we are fine. Be gentle to me and I will do the same. And if we hurt each other, that's alright. It happens. We will either resolve our issues or separate, and we will be alright. We make rather good friends and partners, I'd say." She smiled softly. Her body was so warm... "And I don't know anything about mermaids, but I wouldn't believe a folk tale. Superstitions make no sense and if this is something you worry about so much, you should simply ask her. And if it does somehow turn out to be true, you should work hard to fix it. Just like any other mistake you make. Simply learn and be better next time."
"Hah. As easy to say as always."
"Adanita. These words are all I have. Without them I would break. I need to believe in second chances, else I will truly lose my mind."
"I know."
"I love you. You know that. And I hope I've proven myself enough by now for you to know these doubts are unnecessary. I am not asking for details and I am not being unreasonable. I don't need you to share anything you don't want to. I just need to know who could pose a danger to us, in what way, and why. Please."
"Don't beg," she quietly said. "I don't want you to..."
"Alright. But I need you to talk to me. It's not fair otherwise."
"I know..."

The sky behind them was growing darker. At least the coast was in sight, he told himself. They were tightly holding onto each other, both frightened of different things, as she quietly told him about her previous relationships. Five people, one of them being Adriana, were dangerous. The rest was simply complicated, or decently normal. She seemed quite happy when she talked about a few of them. Dating around and making mistakes, falling in love... all of this was normal. He didn't mind anything she said and he made sure she knew it.

She was a sweet and gentle soul.

He loved her. He promised himself he will be a safe haven for her. No matter what.


He was shivering from fear and cold by the time they finally got to Hipparcos. It was already night, and it had been raining for over an hour. The waves weren't too high, the wind wasn't too strong, and the thunder was rumbling far in the distance. He was just overreacting, and she understood. She tied a rope around the two of them, too, just to reassure him, and held him close to herself. She expertly cut through the waves and did everything right. They reached the docks without losing a single hair from his head, and she made sure the ship is well secured before she picked him up and seated him on the dock. He was still shivering. She understood.

He needed a few minutes to get used to walking on land, before he was ready. The two of them picked up all their bags and the fish, and she left an additional gold coin between the ropes. They tiredly trudged on their way to the manor. She was exhausted from sailing and he tightly held her hand, matching her pace.

When they got to the manor, he took care of everything. Bluebell was still up despite the late hour, and he prepared clean clothes and baths in their rooms while Rosamund sent the fish to the kitchens. The majordomo made a wise choice not to comment on the strange situation. He then took a much-needed bath, too. They were both completely covered in mud and salt, after all. He made sure not to take too long. He got dressed and prepared a platter of nice, hot tea in the kitchens before going to Adanita's room. Right on time! She just got out of the bath.

"Tired?" he asked.
"Very much so," she said, gratefully taking the tea. "I think I will go right to bed now, love."
"How do you feel?"
"...better. I think I didn't even notice how worried I was, and now it feels so small," she said, tiredly sitting down on her bed. "Are you alright?"
He raised his hands to show her he wasn't trembling anymore. She smiled.

She allowed him to tuck her in, tiredly cuddling her plush pinecone. She could barely keep her eyes open now that she was safe, dry, and warm.

"Will you go to your room?" she asked him.
"I think I should. But I'll stay until you fall asleep," he said, sitting down by her bed.
"You're taking such good care of me, love..."
"Of course I am."
"Stay here, with me."
"Ah... but what if people notice?"
"Well, the door is locked, right? We should be fine," she said. She gently stroked his cheek and he closed his eyes, shivering from her touch. "I worry you might get a nightmare. You spent a day on that little boat, and now it's storming outside. Stay here with me. I will keep you safe... and if lightning wakes you up, you'll be in my arms. And you won't be frightened."
"I can't argue with that," he quietly said.
"And I'll know you're here, too. I want you with me. I want you to hold me, too."
"As if I could say no to that."

He got in the bed and she hugged him tightly, resting her head on his chest. He tangled his fingers in her hair, gently petting her as he made sure she was properly covered and warm.

Somehow, the wind and the rain outside didn't bother him at all. The soft scent of soaps Adanita used, and the quiet sound of her breathing, overwhelmed him completely. Perfectly at ease with her in his arms, he felt himself falling into peaceful, dreamless slumber.