What Comes Tomorrow

First, cut tuna into slices about a centimeter or two thick. Marinate it in oil, salt, and pepper and quickly fry in hot oil for a few minutes until it catches a nice color on both sides. Take it out, dice onion and let it fry on the pan while you dice garlic and parsley. Garlic can fry with onion for a short time too, but it will burn if you aren't careful. Add water and white wine, a bay leaf or maybe two, considering the sheer amount of food he was preparing. Let the tuna steaks slowly cook and really soak in the sauce. Considering the amount of food they had, he decided to keep it simple with the side dishes. He peeled and cooked whole potatoes with some salt and pepper. To make it even healthier, he prepared a simple rucola salad.

He let the servants cook their own meal from the tuna that wasn't refrigerated, but only after he absolutely made sure the fish didn't spoil during their return trip. They seemed to be making some simple fish stew from it, easy and practical to prepare for large amounts of people. It smelled amazing. In the house of the Lord Governor, the servants ate just as well as the nobility. He was careful to stay out of their way and politely refused their assistance. The point was he made it.

And they loved it.

Nivelir was visibly mellowing out, willing to get over the fact he needed to pick up his work for the sake of his little cooking spree, Teodolit's opinion of him was improving, Ekliptik took seconds, and Adanita showered him in compliments during the whole meal. He sent some to his parents, and the servant returned with a note of gratitude for his thoughtfulness. Unfortunately, Lilac will have to wait for the next opportunity. He hoped everything was going well in Hannau...

He went to work after lunch and finished with the most urgent issues around eight. He retired to his room to find Adanita prepared a simple dinner for him. She chatted with him during the meal, both trying to outdo the other with light banter and jokes. Neither of them were in any rush, they took their time enjoying the evening.

She was so beautiful.

They had all the time in the world. She gently took his hands in hers, and led him to bed.


°♥° °♥° °♥°


Rosamund woke up early, from an unfortunate ray of sun that managed to reflect from an overly fancy glass vase straight into his eyes. Well, he couldn't really be annoyed, the vase was full of vibrant wildflowers Adanita got him. She was sleeping with an arm wrapped around him and her head resting on his shoulder. Her breathing was deep and slow, and she was completely at ease. He placed his hand over hers, careful not to wake her up. Somehow, his mind felt calmer too. Quiet, peaceful... they must've fallen asleep sometime after midnight. She really wasn't used to his sleep schedule, and it's not as if she didn't exhaust herself-

His face turned a deep shade of red when he started thinking about last night. He covered his eyes with his hand, unsuccessfully trying to hide it from nobody but himself, unable to suppress a wide, idiotic grin.

Gods. He was such a bottom.

And she enjoyed it!

Every little thing they learned about each other over the course of past few days were professionally used against him ♡ She was delightful, careful, gentle, and so, so sweet... He could feel shivers going through his body all over again, so he took a few deep breaths to calm down. He didn't want to wake her up, she deserved her rest. She toyed with him for hours, taking her sweet time and enjoying herself for as long as she liked. For as long as he could take it, and then a bit more. He hoped he was good enough for her. He had no idea what he did to deserve her. He didn't want her to ever leave him...

He carefully tucked a lock of her unruly hair behind her ear, admiring her beauty. She was amazing and he was in love. He loved how she looked at him, how she trusted him, how she teased him. Every little thing she did was irresistible.

She cared about him. It was amazing. She really loved him so.

And she was tired. Meanwhile, he felt better than ever in his lives. This had to have been the best sleep he ever had and he was overflowing with energy. Completely hyperactive. Maybe he should dethrone Sarmia. Or maybe he should make them breakfast! He gently took her hand and slowly moved out from under her. He felt as if he had a cat on him and need to carefully take her off without disturbing her. She stirred in her sleep, mumbling an incoherent question, but he kissed her shoulder and promised he'd return soon. He tucked her in and carefully ran his fingers through her bixbite hair. She seemed comfortable. Good.

He sat up on the bed and stretched his arms up, somewhat sore, but not uncomfortably so. Hehe, he had a soft trail of hickeys all over his neck and shoulders~ Just as he should. If he is loved, he should also be kissed. This was simply the way things were supposed to be. He untied the satin scarf on his wrist and went to wash up and get dressed. He refused to dress appropriately for his position at the ungodly hour of... seven in the morning? Huh, Adanita really was tired. Usually she'd be up by now. In either case, he wore simple clothes and a robe when he came down to the kitchens, and his hair was left loose. He happily hummed as he navigated around his servants to fetch ingredients to make some crepes. She deserved crepes, he decided while adding a few drops of vanilla into the batter. Oh, and tea. He knew where Teodolit hid his stash-

"My lord, are you feeling well?"
" ♪ Never better ~♪ " Rosamund happily said, pouring a ladle of batter onto the hot pan. "What brings you to the kitchen, mister Bluebell?"
"Your servants are concerned, my lord. They thought you had another attack."
"Huh?"
Bluebell pointed him in the direction with a somewhat annoyed look. A servant was standing a few paces away, nervously fiddling with his hands and looking uncomfortable and worried.

Oh for the love of gods, it was that poor man from when the devil came. What was his name... Ah. He remembered.

"Erin," he called. "Come closer."
"Y-yes, my lord."
"How have you been?" he asked. And a one, and a two, and a perfect flip. He easily caught the crepe on the pan and set it back down on the stove.
"I- I am well, my lord."
"Happy to hear that. It seems I got you needlessly concerned, but I am grateful you decided to look for assistance from Bluebell. It makes me happy to have servants who care."
"Uh... thank you, my lord."
"How do you feel about crepes?"
"They smell good, my lord."
"Thank you." He flipped it onto a plate and filled it with fruit jam and a bit of cinnamon. He rolled it up and handed it to the man before sending him away and getting back to work.

Bluebell was still there.

"Fetch me a plate, mister Bluebell," he said. "Or two, if you want a crepe."
"I am fine, thank you."
"Fetch me two plates, mister Bluebell."
"Yes, my lord," he replied. Somewhat annoyed, but he did as ordered. "May I ask what brought about this outburst, my lord?"
"Outburst? Of positivity, perhaps," he said brightly. "Can't a man simply be happy?"
"I assume your happiness is wholly unrelated to a certain baroness in your bedsheets?" he quietly asked.
"You tend to have more tact usually. You must be really angry," he said, equally quiet.
"My lord, you must understand that your servants are people, not idiots. I can't keep them under control if you don't intend to at least try to keep a lid on your affairs."
"My first affair... I really took my time," he joked. "But yes, I was careless. I apologize for the stress I caused you. I will be more discreet in the future. The lady wishes it to be so, I can only oblige."
"I think I'd go gray from you if I wasn't already. My lord."
"Aren't you a bit too young to act as an uncle to me? Remember who taught you how to cook," he replied. "Take a crepe, mister Bluebell. And make sure no well-intended maid with a key enters my room."
"Yes, my lord."
"Oh, and prepare the large bathroom."
"Yes, my lord," he said, visibly giving up.

Hehe~ With crepes and tea carefully arranged on a platter, Rosamund was now ready to return to his chambers. He set the breakfast down and sat on the bed with a cup in his hand, placing a hand on Adanita's shoulder. He was too chipper not to wake her up. She woke up slowly and stretched like a cat, slowly and sleepily blinking.

"Rosamund? What time is it?" she tiredly asked.
"Almost eight. Good morning, love. I made you tea. And breakfast."
"You woke up before me?! That's a first..." She sat up and stretched her arms and back. She took a sip from her cup and set it down on the nightstand before pulling him closer to her. "Good morning. I suppose I'd like to kiss you."
"Hmm. I suppose I'd like it if you did," he replied.
He closed his eyes as she leaned in, gently kissing him on the lips. She was warm from the tea and tasted of the herbs, and he was completely melting away from her touch. She pressed him against her, hugging him tightly, and he tangled his fingers in her hair. He was already short on breath.

"Hmm... It seems I have you under quite a spell, Rosamund."
"I'd appreciate staying like this. It is quite cozy."
She laughed, sliding a hand up his leg, enjoying a small shiver she gave him. "You are getting rather comfortable now, aren't you?"
"I hope that isn't a problem," he said. "I had a beautiful evening with you last night and I'd like you to know I enjoyed myself... I hope I managed to return the favour well enough-"
"Oh, you were perfectly pleasant," she said. "I had a lot of fun myself, you have nothing to worry about. I want to have my way with you again," he shivered from her breath on his neck, "and again," he quietly moaned from her tender kiss, "whenever I feel like it. And if you're up for it, well, practice makes perfect."
"Y-yes. Absolutely. But what about y-your breakfast?"
"Hmm... I suppose I don't mind it cooling, but you did work hard on it." She gently pushed him away and flicked his nose with a smile. "I love the way you look now. You are delightful ♥"
"You're gorgeous," he said. She playfully took a lock of his hair and started twirling it between her fingers.
"If you make yourself even more enticing, I might just have to skip a meal."
"I am overwhelmed with the amount of jokes I could make here."
"And just like that, I choose crepes."
"There are several jokes there, too, but I will restrain myself."
"No need to, I can do it better than you."

Damn it, she just kept winning. And he loved it, too. Nothing he could do about it. They had breakfast, they enjoyed each other's company more, and they went to the large bathroom for a bit of rest. It was more of a small pool than a large bath that was installed there, and Rosamund was resting his arms and head on the edge with Adanita next to him. She decided to try her hand at massage, and after a bit of trial and error she started positively dismantling him. The water was warm, the bathroom was full of steam and scent from candles, roses, and soaps, and in Adanita's hands he couldn't help but feel all his stress melt away.

Absolute bliss.

There was nothing better than this in the world, surely.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Rosamund quietly said.
"You can always come along," she said. He tensed up from the suggestion and she placed her head on his shoulder. "I know. But I think a break would do you good. Seeing the difference between you I knew in Hannau and you as Lord Governor, and you now... it is strange. I worry about you."
"Hah. A few weeks of sailing to tour the entire islands. A combination of work and vacation... maybe. Now is not the time for it, though. There is still so much work to do."
"Well, if you really think about it, not that much. All you need to do is handle the porcelain witch and make Alberic the Crown Prince. All I need to do is start a country and get rid of a devil."
"When you say it like that, it sounds like an unfair division of labor. Though I suppose we do both have a long-term issue and an immediate crisis."
"We will both handle what we're best suited for. Not that you won't have my help whenever you need me. I'll be back before you know it, love."
"Mmm... It feels good to be told that..."
"I'll reassure you whenever you need me to. I'm glad I managed to become a moment of respite for you."
"You know you can rely on me, too, right?"
"No, I didn't notice you working hard for my sake for the past several months. Or that you did your best to keep me calm, safe, and happy whenever I was upset by something. Let me be kind in return, Rosamund. You don't need to always worry so much."
"I love you," he said.
"I love you, too." She gently kissed his cheek and went back to massaging him. It felt so good... he closed his eyes, enjoying himself in silence.

"I've been thinking of organizing a tea party on my ship, but I ended up not having enough time for that. When I return, Mislav will already be gone halfway across the ocean. Do you think I could just... invite her aboard? Without any formalities? Lady Ansatz too, perhaps. I want to thank them."
He thought about it for a few moments. "Well, if it were a proper tea party, you'd need to announce it weeks in advance so the ladies would have time to prepare. I can help you plan one when you return, or point you in the direction of someone better acquainted with them... or you could ask Ansatz for her help. You come from arguably similar backgrounds, both of you were commoners who gained a title. She knows what it's like. I think if you were only to invite the two of them, that they would understand the intent. They are both old sea dogs, and they know not to expect some impeccable garden party from a warship. They'd come appropriately dressed as long as you explained to them what your intentions are. I am sure Ansatz wishes to see her old ship again, too. And Mislav will be happy to show off her new ship, so you might even see it up close."
"That would be lovely," she said. "And, hm. Regarding Lady Ansatz, I think she is aware of our relationship. If your mother's hints were anything to go by."
"I am sure she wouldn't gossip about you, but there is also Mislav, all the people at my party who saw me holding onto your arm for half the evening, and my servants who might be catching on. Bluebell warned me just earlier."
"We are doing a somewhat terrible job at hiding," she said, deeply embarrassed. "And it's not as if I wanted us to... but it's frightening. I don't want people to talk shit behind my back again. And I don't want them insulting you for being my lover..."
"We are being discreet, but not exactly secretive," he agreed. "If we continue like this, we will face occasional gossip, but there will likely be no direct confrontations. If we decide to be open about it, though, the people will have ammunition. On the other hand, if we do decide to be open and honest, that could be a disarming move in its own way. The closet would become a display for our skeletons. Pointing at obvious is boring."
"I'm sorry I am such a mess."
"It's alright to be anxious. I'd be worried if you weren't, after all you've been through."
"On one hand, I want to hide. I don't think I can stand the nobility more than I need to to get the Cove recognized and running. On the other hand, I want to show you off to whoever I meet."
"I'm sorry my position makes everything complicated."
"As if it's not both of us. I am still the Pirate Queen."
"My Queen," he said. He didn't need to turn around to know she was blushing. "You can talk to Ansatz, I suppose. She could have good advice on what to do. Take your time, gather your confidence and strength. By the time you return, if you choose it, we can always tell people. I want to show you off too..."
"But if we do, it will hurt your chances of getting married later."
"Hah. As if I'd want a little nobleman who'd turn me down for such a reason. I do have some self-respect, you know."
"I suppose that's good, at least."
"I don't want to worry about a lover I might have in the future," he said. "I want to worry about you. You're here now. And you are leaving."
"Are you worried about me sailing out?"
"Yes. And it's not my doubt for your skills, I am simply afraid something might happen to you-"
"Shh. You're tensing up. You're panicking."
"I am concerned," he weakly said.
"And I am the best there is. I'll be safe." She snuggled up to him.

"Ekliptik found Nino betrayed me. I will have to go and kill him. He is talking to Karpathians behind my back again."
"Aha," he said. According to her diary, last time he did that he enslaved some people from villages along the Teuta coast. Fishermen, poor commoners... slavery was seen as a sin, so owning people openly was illegal in almost every land. Nobility always found ways to get around such little details, though. The pirate then hid himself away into a keep on the sea- oh. "If I remember the map in your cabin correctly, his hideout is on Flatwick? Flatwick Keep?"
"Aye?"
"I have a floor plan of that tower, you know. Bretonians built it."
"Bloody hell. I need it."
"Of course. I'll get it for you," he said. She couldn't take over it the last time. They caught up to the man when he tried to make a break for it after a month long siege. "As for your soon-to-be-ex-colleague... this is a very risky plan, so I can understand his concerns. Perhaps there might still be a way to talk to him-"
"He's gonna break the Codex, Rosamund. He'll make slaves from people."

Rosamund went silent.

She... was right. And that was all there was to it.

"I apologize."
"I know. I get it. Second chances. I'll give him every opportunity, alright? It's not as if I enjoy killing my friends."
"But there is a limit."
"Aye," she said. "There is."
"I agree and I understand. If you ever need me, let me know."
"I need you," she said. "I need you to not worry. My death made me cautious. Paranoid, somewhat. I don't plan to throw myself into danger as if nothing can hurt me again."
"I don't know whether that is better or worse than mine. It has made me incredibly reckless. But I was a coward before. I suppose we are both overcompensating for our past mistakes..." he sighed.

Considering the gravity of the crime that was about to be committed, Nino Moretti would be sentenced to death either way. Deservedly so. Even Rosamund had a limit. He hoped that Adanita would manage to convince the pirate so her hands wouldn't be stained in blood again, but if it happened once... it might happen twice. It would all come down to the character of the man, and whether his fear of the future was stronger than his honor and his faith in Adanita. In the end, a quick execution with a sword would surely be better than prison and a hanging.

Which she'd know better than him. In her own way, she was merciful.

"It is your country. I believe you have the best interest in mind when it comes to your future citizens. I don't intend to stop you or order you around. Do as you feel is best. And if you need advice, I will always be there."