#hetaliararepaircentral

In the dead of night, at the bottom of the ocean floor, Christian roamed freely amongst the graveyard of sunken ships alone. Every night he returns here, looking for lost treasures and jewels to return to his partner. It was dangerous to come here alone, no matter what time of the day it was. This spot was a popular spot for criminals to raid and sharks were known to swim about looking for food. But the danger didn't frighten him in the slightest. He had a goal that he was determined to complete—one of which was dear to his heart.

He had found the greatest gift of all, a sapphire ring, lost to the sea aboard one of the many ships. But in a quick escape that could have cost them their lives, that ring disappeared for good when Eduard had dropped the box somewhere along their route. Ever since then, Christian had been dead-set on finding something that could match the gift of Eduard's eyes glowing amorously as they did that day.

But every night he returns to their home empty-handed. Christian felt defeated each time but he did his best to never let it get him down. “The best always comes when you least expect it,” were words he lived by. It was after all how he met Eduard on that day when Christian found the man resting in his favourite spot up near the shore. He had to keep going, even if there were days he felt as if he was wasting his time searching the same spots repeatedly.

In the early morning hours, rumours circulated that a new ship had arrived to the famous graveyard and Christian wasted no time checking out the spot. He wasn't alone in these waters—others had heard the rumours as well and were all looking to discover treasures and goods from the forbidden world above. He was careful to avoid being seen; he often turned corners rather cautiously and was highly attentive to his surroundings. Mingling with the wrong crowds could get him in a lot of trouble or worse—death.

Christian mostly stayed within the areas where light could easily flow in. Going further into the decks below alone was too dangerous. He had heard many stories of merfolk getting lost and becoming trapped or killed by either their own kind or by prey. It was safer to stay closer to the top of the ship and they provided many good fortunes to him and Eduard and their ever-growing collections.

In a decaying room, several bodies floated about in an open room—one of a man and two young children. The spot looked already raided as there was not much left of the room. Most of the furniture had disappeared and the large cabinet doors were wide open with nothing inside. Christian didn't stay for long, not because of the possibility that nothing would be left, but because the sight of deceased children always made him uncomfortable and misty-eyed.

He continued on to the next room. He had gotten lucky as it had not been touched yet and there were no bodies (or other merfolk) to be seen. Much of the furniture in the room had slid down to the corner of the room on the angle of of which the ship had sunken. A large painting of a young woman dressed in elegant wear was still securely on the wall. Christian had found the woman to be fairly attractive and wondered if they happened to live on the ship and that this was her personal space. Grabbing the painting was extremely tempting but it'd be next to impossible to avoid being seen with it. Instead he kept his focus towards the furniture. Amongst the mess, a small wooden dresser caught his attention. In the past he had gotten lucky and found some beautiful and unique treasures inside.

His intuition didn't fail him when his eyes lit up at the sight of several boxes in the top drawer.

The first box didn't give him much to look at. It was mostly filled with pearl necklaces and rings with similar cuts of gems that he already had in his possession. Pearls were not worth much in their world. They were the “commoner's gem” as they were so easily accessible to the public. Some pearls were more elusive than others but these ones in particular were nothing special in their worth. Eduard only received the best from him and these just wouldn't do.

But the second box proved to be much more valuable.

Christian couldn't contain his excitement. Inside were many colourful gemstones: all bright, beautiful, and cut to precision. They came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from circular, rectangular, square, and even tear-shaped. They were just like the ones he had found months before in the other ship. It was exactly what Christian had been waiting to find. He knew Eduard would fall in love all over again with the sight of these alluring gems.

The third box did not contain any jewellery but rather letters of importance to whoever was living within these walls. He was curious to know what the contents contained but Eduard was more knowledgeable of the languages spoken on the surface and much of the paper was already falling apart with the ink smudged and faded. He didn't bother with the other drawers, this one box of gemstones was all that he wanted and needed and wasted no time leaving the ship, swimming away as fast and far away as he could. He frequently checked behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed. The further away he got, the less he checked his surroundings and his pace had slowed considerably. It wouldn't be long until he was back home and in the arms of his partner. The butterflies in Christian's stomach were almost too much for him. He really hoped Eduard would love the gift he spent so long and hard to find for him.

Inside the home Christian and Eduard shared, there was a special room just for Eduard. The walls were decorated with shelves and shelves of stone tablets, many of them full of merfolk history, culture, and folklore. Eduard enjoyed the peace and quiet on his favourite rock with one of these tablets. Many treasures decorate the room; a golden bust of a captain's head standing proudly on a stone pillar was the most noticeable and made a strong impression sitting in the middle of the room. Eduard was in a pleasant mood and found himself singing a tune, a classic folk song sung amongst his kind. Whenever he sang, he could never sit still. The music took him along a journey and in the midst of his reading, he found himself swimming around rather casually. Unbeknownst to Eduard, Christian was watching from the corner of the entrance. He was mesmerized by Eduard's movements as he felt his heart soar. There weren't enough words to express how much he loved Eduard. He was so intelligent and charming, he could do anything he could put his mind to. Everyday he wished he could give Eduard the world.

But while he couldn't do that, Christian could at least start with the box of treasures he uncovered. He was quick to swim over and surprise him, cutting him off in his song as he lovingly tackled him into a tight hug and a loud “Oomph!” was heard. Christian always underestimated just how strong he truly was and the force was enough for them to fly backwards and nearly knock over the golden statue. When Eduard came to his senses, all he could see was Christian's hair in his face while his partner nuzzled into his chest.

“Christian,” Eduard whined, “You almost made me knock over Villem!”

Christian snickered, “I still think it's cute you gave that statue a name.”

“Hey, you're the one who picked it! I'm just using the variant that's most commonly used back home.”

It was true, while Eduard had thought it would be fun to give the statue a name, Christian was ultimately the decider for it. They had stumbled upon it on a large ship that had sunk far away in the middle of nowhere. On the side of the boat, “Vilhelm” was written on the side in large letters. Even though Eduard wanted something that was more common where he was from, they both agreed that it was a nice fit. Still, Eduard never seemed to call it that. He always used “Villem” in its place.

Christian was naturally affectionate but the way he left his kisses on Eduard's upper body and face were sultry at best and tender.

“Hey, what's gotten into you?” Eduard asked curiously. There was some playfulness in his tone as he didn't mind being spoiled by all the attention.

“I've got something special for you.”

Christian broke their loving embrace and his hand, he shows off the beautifully crafted box. He flicked the metal clip open and lifted the lid to expose the collection of gems.

Eduard was left breathless as his eyes lit up with life. It was the same look as he gave just like before when Christian showed him the large chest of treasures. It was exactly what he had hoped to see again.

“These are all...” Eduard paused, “for me?”

“Every single one.”

“Can I touch them?”

“Of course. They belong to ya!”

The collection featured an assortment of colours but Eduard was fixated on the greens, blues, and purples—some of his personal favourites. He loved the feel of them in his hands. They felt so smooth and even with the lack of light in the room, they carried a shine like he hadn't seen before. He was sure he could stare at them for days at a time and never be tired of them.

“They're beautiful Christian, thank you. Did you find this at the graveyard?”

Christian nodded, “Yep! A new ship showed up there. Ever since we lost that ring, I've been determined to give ya the best treasures around.”

“I hope you didn't go alone.”

“I've been going alone to these places alone fer a long time, you know that.”

Eduard looked up at Christian with a worrisome expression, “And you know how dangerous it is to go alone. You got lucky back there. If someone had saw you swim away with this box, there's no telling what they would have done to you.”

He sighed as he looked away, “I know, I know, but I was willing to that chance fer ya. Losing that ring really brought ya down for a while now so I wanted to find something that would maker yer eyes light up again. I'm glad it did the trick!”

Christian let out a jolly laugh. His partner's joy was highly contagious as Eduard got caught with a silly grin and a chuckle. “Yes it did, thank you. But don't forget, items can be replaced but I can't replace you. You said that yourself when I lost that ring.”

To Christian's surprise, Eduard leaned in a quick sweet kiss to his cheek before sneaking away as he held the box close to his chest.

“Where you going with that?”

“To put this in a safe place!”

“Wow Mattie! You look like shit!” Trust Alfred to state the obvious. Matthew rolls his eyes and adjusts his laptop screen so he can better see his brother. Alfred has a schedule for calls from the ISS, in addition to everything else on his plate. Between the public engagements when the whole team up there has to speak to students, or the professional ones where they speak with Houston, Korolev and other cities, other personal calls such as Al having to speak with Aunt Polly and their Dad, well, Matthew and Alfred speak once a month. It was time that Matthew ensured he never missed, even if he was sick and feeling terrible. Such as today.

“Thanks Al.” Matthew croaks carefully, it didn’t take much to send him into a coughing fit right now. “You look…tired but, happy. That’s important.” He sighs. “Ugh, sorry I’m going to be kinda medicated for this call but yeah, this bug just caught me by surprise a few days ago.” It was ridiculous. Matthew had finally decided to take some time off thanks to the leeway he got from the accident, maybe make time to go on a solo hike but no, two days after Daan became his newest friend, Matthew woke up with the telltale signs of an oncoming flu - body aches, exhaustion, a sore sinus and throat.

“Don’t apologize for being sick Mattie,” Alfred being upside down really wasn’t helping. “Like, at least it’s an excuse for you to take some time off. You work too hard.”

Matthew laughs, then coughs and regrets it. His brother literally lived his job and Matthew worked too hard? “I’m sick because I had time off. You ever get the feeling that-” Coughs, “Sometimes when you stop, your body decides to take the moment to get revenge on you?” He didn’t want to explain that the doctor had called it stress - a combination of the physical and mental burden heightening in one time that made his body weaker and more susceptible to external bugs. It was ridiculous - stress. There were millions of people he was sure, whose lives were far more stressful than his and they weren’t sick. Partners should never work, Alfred wouldn’t be in space. Matthew didn’t want to argue, he just wanted his medication and to leave, so he nodded without listening much, then left the doctor.

Of course, Alfred had to inevitably ask. “Well, it’s good that you’re taking a break anyway. What made even you decide to stop for a moment?”

Matthew smiles despite it all, imagining the echo of Daan’s laughter still bouncing off his walls. He takes a sip of the hot honey lemon he’s cradling in his hands. “I’ll type it. I wouldn’t mind telling you it’s just…” He stops again to hack up a lung. “I don’t think I’ll be able to. Though could you do me a favor and um...try not to be upside down?”

“Sure thing!”

Matthew did his best to type out the events of the previous week, but found that the old competitive streak made it hard. He didn’t want to tell his accomplished younger brother that he missed his promotion, he didn’t want to admit that he kind of got dumped but he hadn’t even told Alfred he had been dating in the first place. In the end, he settled for almost getting hit by a car for being a dumbass who didn’t look both ways before crossing the street, and making a new friend...and getting sick.

“So let me try to get this straight...you took time off because you nearly got run over by a car and that’s why you think you got sick?” He hears his brother ask over the speakers.

For all people complained about his brother being unable to ‘read the atmosphere’, the truth was well, Alfred could...selectively. Also, the selectiveness overall changed after Alfred joined NASA - the mission was important enough, the organization’s culture made up in such a way, that Alfred learned to at least be self aware and check his natural competitive aggressiveness into mere assertiveness (though Alfred sometimes still didn’t know the difference between the two). There were many at NASA and others in space programs all over the world who were smarter than Alfred (though Alfred was still the youngest, if he continued, he would lead his field at the same age most astronauts were on average), and as strong as Alfred - that kept his brother in check. They couldn’t completely get rid of the competitive man that Alfred was, but they encouraged the dreamer in him, which was arguably Alfred’s best quality when it wasn’t combined with righteousness. They also didn’t let Alfred always get his way without a good challenge. It was good overall, forcing Alfred to mature in ways that Matthew had never convinced him to, so Matthew’s pretty grateful to space for that too.

Except that now his brother was actually perceptive when Matthew didn’t want him to be. Alfred has an expression on his face, neutral save for the slightly raised eyebrow. Matthew can read Alfred well enough to know that his brother knows something isn’t being said and prepares for the needling. To his surprise though...

“But like...the flu is why you’re staying in bed, you didn’t like...break anything when you almost got hit? You sure you weren’t hurt from the car accident?” He asks in a neutral tone - neutral from Alfred means suspicious, but at least he’s not pushing it for now.

Matthew lets out a slight sigh of relief, “I got checked out after the accident, I’m fine.” Maybe he underestimates Alfred. Maybe he doesn’t actually know his brother all that well and should give him a bit more credit Maybe it’s because he’s finally noticed his brother actually trying so he feels inclined to return the favor. “It’s just...I guess…”

“Yeah?”

Matthew gives in and types out what he left out before as quickly as he can, but he’s still trying to make it sound more positive than he actually feels - he was expecting a promotion but didn’t get it, but he had been fast-tracked to begin with anyway, making Associate Director in five years would have been great but it didn’t have to happen now, he can take his time. He leaves out Lukas and simply says ‘I met a guy, it didn’t really work out but we still get along’, rather than ‘I got dumped the same day I wasn’t promoted and I felt like shit’. He’s still not entirely honest but some things, like feelings of despair, those things you keep to yourself when you speak to your competitive brother. This was a compromise of sorts. He finishes and scrutinizes the screen and the grainy video of Alfred concentrating on reading his message. He sees his brother  go slack-jawed. “WHAT!!!?”

Maybe Matthew’s trust had been a little premature. He takes in a deep breath. As Alfred keeps reading the screen, then his brother’s face morphs into one of deep thought. Alfred’s ‘thinking face’ scared most people, which was probably why he tried to smile as much as he did. Matthew isn’t prepared for what he hears next though.

“You have this dopey smile on your face Mattie, are you like...into this Dan guy?”

“WHAT?! NO!” Matthew manages to yell but it causes yet another coughing fit so he stops while Alfred rattles on.  He’s NEVER told Al about his crush on Daan, NEVER. How did he? Oh God, how obvious is Matthew?

“As for the dumb boss, fuck it Mattie! Just...finally claim your US citizenship, you’re eligible thanks to Dad, and move down here, earn more money and like...live better.”

Matthew rolled his eyes. Live better his ass, at least he could get most treatment at a hospital for free and expect reasonable amounts of leave compared to what he would otherwise get if he moved down south. “Al, I’m not leaving Canada just because my boss didn’t promote me when I wanted him to. And Daan isn’t actually my boss, he’s just another Partner in the firm.”

Alfred shrugs with a humorless laugh. He had never really appreciated Matthew’s job, eyes glazing over before talking about space and the next frontier. It occurs to Matthew that they haven’t actually talked about space yet, they’ve just been talking about him, it’s oddly refreshing. “Oh before I forget, do you know a lady called Yekaterina Braginskaya at PK&DE? She may be in a different city.”

That was another surprise, how did Al know about Yekaterina? “She sits on my floor actually.”

“Really?! No way! You guys have something in common!”

Matthew thinks a moment. “She knows someone on the ISS?”

“Ha. Yeah, her brother. We were talking the other day and found out that you two may actually know each other. Ivan is one of the cosmonauts here. Creepy guy if you ask me but he seems to love his sister, and he does know his stuff. Not as good as me of course, because he has no moral compass, but whatever.” Alfred grudgingly says, which makes Matthew think that whoever Yekaterina’s brother is, he’s a lot more competent than simply ‘he knows his stuff’. He knew his stuff enough that he had awakened Al’s competitive streak.

“Oh that’s…” The coincidence was pretty cool actually. Matthew had no idea but maybe he’d knock on her door whenever he recovered well enough to go back to work. “Interesting. I don’t know her well, but…I know you may scoff Al, but sometimes I do get worried about you up there. It may be good to be able to speak about that with someone.” Matthew also wonders if it is natural to be simultaneously proud but jealous of a younger sibling but that probably wasn’t something to open a first conversation with.

Alfred shrugs. “Probably how Ivan and I don’t see eye to eye on most things but we do agree that...you two deserve more. He makes her sound like sweetness incarnate but scary when she’s mad, and you’re...ha! We actually got into a bit of a competition over who has the nicer sibling and whose sibling is scarier when mad. I know you’re looking at me like I’d pick a fight over anything but man I’ve never had a real conversation with Ivan before this that wasn’t about work. Like, I told him about you and he helped me appreciate that, yeah, you’ve been promoted mad fast. I get that now, of course you have because you’re you.” Oh. It’s nice to hear praise from his brother for once. Matthew tries to remember how often he praises his brother for his accomplishments...not much to be honest. Alfred never seemed the type to need it. “But it’s also hard to imagine what you guys do over there, and I know you explain it but I just...look Mattie I try, but I glaze over. And YOU glaze over when I get beyond the surface on dark matter, so it’s not just me okay? But like...it’s kind of cartoonish I know, what we try to think up, like dull and grey and numbery, surrounded by boring dull people who give you more numbers and you’re the only splashes of color there. It’s probably not like that at all.”

Matthew laughs and coughs again at the image of two men living in space being unable to imagine something as mundane as professional services when he can barely wrap his head around what they do. “How poetic. I’m...thanks Al. I don’t really say this because I kind of think it’s a given but even though I glaze over when you try to explain it to me, I’m proud of you. I am. I feel kinda privileged to have been part of a conversation in space I mean, you two discuss your boring siblings when you’re studying dark matter, time travel or...I dunno, everything you do up there in space?”

Alfred laughs too. “We have mice up here. I don’t directly work with them but you know, they’re the closest things we have to pets up here...if you don’t get too attached to them anyway. Well, these are sibling mice. Some are up here, the others are down below as part of the control setup. We got mauldin one day I guess, and just ended up talking about the mice during our break. It was weird.”

Matthew can’t help the fond smile breaking out on his face. It was an odd story but... “I miss you too Al. And I know you’re you but...take care of yourself up there okay…”

He still feels a little sad after the call ends, well, happy and sad. It’s been nice to talk to Alfred since he’s been on board the ISS. He wonders if his newly-matured brother is someone that will remain once he returns to Earth but either way, it’s still nice to see his brother growing up. Alfred didn’t always take challenges gracefully, being a genius he was always in a class of his own. But the state of genius is a lonely place, so Matthew thinks that maybe Alfred may understand more now than Matthew ever gave him credit for before. Besides, it seemed to him that as much as his brother complained about this Ivan guy, he was probably happy to have company, even if that company is mostly manifesting as a rivalry. He tries to ignore what Alfred said about Matthew’s dopey smile

As Matthew checks his messages, he sees the email from an old classmate - someone open to taking on the job of working with Mathias. Matthew sighs and hopes for the best. For a moment he contemplates sending the promised contact to Mathias through Emil but quickly dismisses the idea. He’s not a moody teenager, he’s an adult damnit, he’s not involving a kid and besides a promise is a promise. Lukas was his friend, first and foremost and he wished him, them, the best.  No matter how awkward he feels, Matthew virtually introduces Matthias and his old classmate as professionally as possible by email and hits ‘send’.

Afterwards Matthew realizes he’s bored. He’s sick enough that he can’t really go outside, tired enough that he doesn’t feel like moving about, but still restless. He supposes he should cook himself something though and realizes that he does happen to have enough for chicken soup, and hey, aren’t tomatoes full of vitamin C? It was time to finish them all up anyway.

He’s in the middle of slicing up onions and wiping tears when his phone dings.

*

DAAN: Universe still hate you? DAAN: Flu DAAN: Also, Mathias is grateful but is hounding me for my opinion on whether or not he should call you to thank you, or if that would be rude DAAN: I’m not going to waste time trying to imagine what’s going on in your head DAAN: So what do you want? Text or call? DAAN: Had a good talk with your brother?

The last question surprises Matthew. He had mentioned the call the Alfred in passing after watching videos of cute bunnies for about an hour but didn’t expect Daan to remember. Then again, it’s space, and also, Partners had to remember key things, so Matthew shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s Saturday, and Daan must be bored as heck when he doesn’t work. That’s the only reason Matthew can imagine for why his phone is being attacked with messages, but it brings a smile to his face all the same. After a few moments of tossing the onions into the pot, washing and drying his hands, he types a few replies.

YOU: Text YOU: Would probably have a coughing fit if I tried to talk YOU: Despite that, had a pretty good talk with the brother. Apparently Yekaterina Braginskaya’s brother is a cosmonaut. He’s my brother’s colleague. DAAN: Small world DAAN: ‘typing…’

--

*1 MESSAGE NOTIFICATION*

Mathias Kohler: Thanks for the intro Matthew! Heard you’re sick, that sucks man, hope you feel better soon. There’ll always be maple syrup danishes for you here once you feel better.

Matthew types out a quick reply: “Hope he manages to help you out, and thanks.”

--

DAAN: Need me to bring anything over so you can continue resting up?

Yeah there was no way Matthew would be able to handle that right now.

YOU: I’m contagious, but thanks. I have enough I think. And according to the doc, I’m sick because the universe loves me. Go figure.

Matthew lowers the heat to let the pot go at a simmer and shuffles over to his couch.

DAAN: I honestly don’t understand how you can call that love

There’s not much he can say to that so he just leaves it. A few minutes later though, there’s an adorable picture of Maple having a nap on a coach under a sunbeam.

DAAN: This is the universe loving a creature. Notice the difference.

Feeling oddly petty and lighthearted, Matthew pulls the curtains open wider and falls back on his old couch, letting the light fall across his face. He’s squinting and it’s an ugly picture - he’s still in his pajamas, with unkept hair, red eyes and nose, and a sickly pallour. Matthew never takes selfies, but he does let himself get pulled into them when Michelle takes them. Anyway, this isn’t meant to be a beauty shot, this is proving a point to a guy who always needs the last word.

YOU: I know it’s hard to accept the obvious sometimes, but there’s no need to be jealous.

There’s no immediate response so Matthew leaves the phone be. If he doesn’t rip himself from it, he won’t put it down all day. A few hours later after he’s happily fed and medicated, Matthew lies back down on his bed and smiles in drug-induced relaxation. It’s only then that he checks his phone again.

DAAN: Oh God you’re really gone DAAN: Go to sleep

With a shrug, Matthew does just that.

“It’s nice to see you in good spirits mate. You’re the happiest sickie I’ve ever seen.” Jack says by way of greeting. Matthew has to laugh in response. He’s finally back to work after more than a week off and he’s not completely recovered but he’s on the mend.

“Yeah well, when you almost die a few days before getting a little flu, it does put things into perspective.” Matthew shrugs. “It’s good to be alive, even sick, you get to you know, feel things.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jack laughs. “Gotta stay positive right?”

Jack settles down in his chair. This lunch appointment was for furthering the plans for Arthur’s celebration.

“Speaking of staying positive, with how limited our budget is, we can’t even get a bottle of good congratulatory champagne, or we can, but then we’d only have champagne, or we could have an actual party. I’m hoping we’re missing some zeroes because that can’t be right?” Matthew asks. Daan is known for being cheap but even Matthew thinks this is ridiculous. He had thought of asking Daan about it before he remembered he was working with Jack specifically so Daan wouldn’t have to worry about planning this thing after he approved a budget for it.

It’s not that Matthew wants the party to be a drunken celebration, he shudders thinking of some nights carrying Arthur home after office parties or even client parties (sometimes he felt that clients kept Arthur around because he amused them so much when he had a few drinks in him), but this was the ultimate promotion and it was for Arthur, there had to be *some* good drinks. People had to let loose once in a while and heck, Matthew was willing to carry  Arthur home if it came down to it.

Jack smiles but his face is tight. “There’s no mistake. Look it’s a riot when Arthur is drunk because he’s so different, but bossman is pretty finished with it.”

“Still…” Matthew muses. “It’s a celebration, if we get a good bottle of champagne that’s harmless.”

“Ha! Don’t worry about it. Just blame it on Daan being cheap. That way Arthur won’t be mad at you.”

Matthew rolls his eyes. “We can’t blame everything on Daan being cheap! Has he actually been as cheap as they say? Or is it you guys using him as an excuse?” He demands, oddly defensive. To his own knowledge, he’s never personally seen this miserly side of Daan that seems to be so famous. Maybe he’s also being protective over his new friend.

“That’s right, you only met him after he made Partner. Nowadays it’s not as bad. Daan believes in hard work and earning your keep, but he’s seriously judgemental over what you spend money on. He’ll pay for your training no problem. But Arthur loving to drink obviously doesn’t qualify. The budget for a newly minted Partner should be more than this but Daan’s probably strangling it specifically so Arthur doesn’t get embarrassingly pissed, at least not on department money because...Arthur drinks...a fucking lot.”

Matthew frowns. “Can’t blame Daan I guess, and I’m not crazy about how much Arthur loves his alcohol, but he is a grown man and if that just means dragging him back for an occasional night or two…”

“Was that all you had to do before?” Jack interrupts, curious. “A night or two?”

Alarm bells are ringing in Matthew’s head. “How often is it now?”

Jack shrugs. “Well in Europe we reached a point where it was pretty much everyday. You think I got these arms from gym and rugby alone?”

Matthew’s eyes widen.

“Look mate, he can handle it, but they drink a lot in Europe and Arthur was wining and dining clients every night.”

Matthew doesn’t want to judge, he really doesn’t, but “Everyday! Look a glass of red wine everyday is normal, enjoying drinks on weekends and Friday nights probably isn’t great but it makes sense, but being dragged back because you’re passed out drunk everyday is alcoholism.”

Jack shakes his head. “Nah, I know alcoholics, they’re a mess and they always smell like alcohol. Arthur can still get to work and get the job done, and he does it well too. Wouldn’t have made Partner if he couldn’t handle it.” He thinks more and frowns. “I was only worried about him one night - that night was wild, the boys in blue were called in and some fines were paid. I dragged Arthur home while he was dressed in some porny nurse Halloween costume, still have no fucking clue where that came from. Since then, bossman has forbidden Arthur from even touching a cider at work. They cut a deal - Daan said, finish Maplecorp, deliver the best work the firm has ever seen, and he’ll make Partner as deserved. Bossman also said he doesn’t care what Arthur decides to do with his private life, but don’t embarrass the team like this. So yeah, I kinda forgot not everyone knows, it is a secret I guess. But that’s why this is going to be the most boring ass promotion party ever.”

Matthew can only stare wide eyed with his jaw drops. “What the...when did it get so bad?”

Jack shrugs. “Didn’t mean to scare you. Look I think he has a handle on it but I think it just picked up during Maplecorp. Now he’s back in Canada he should return to being the occasional social drinker since he doesn’t like going out much. Maplecorp was different - Arthur wanted to be responsible for it, and he was, and you know him...he was solely responsible. But, it was a fucking huge project. Back in Europe he just started...drinking a lot but it was client relationship stuff. That’s the best I can guess, I’m not exactly in his head. Arthur is...I dunno if this was it when he was with you guys but, Arthur is a walking mass of contradictions, but he does the job well, and he’s been a mentor to me too so I respect him but... he just doesn’t cope with stress as well.”

Jack at least seems concerned now, even as he tries to reassure Matthew but Matthew still looks away, confused. Now that he thinks about it, Arthur has been different. He didn’t know about the alcohol until now but Arthur has been more aloof even by his standards. Matthew had never seen him since he returned from the end of the Maplecorp project, spoken to him on the phone and all yes but not seen him, that also was rude of him. Matthew told himself that Arthur was busy, and maybe operating off some old etiquette book where junior staff had to go see him before Arthur said ‘hello’. But Matthew hasn’t had time to deal with that with all his problems, and maybe was scared that his old mentor would be disappointed in him, so he didn’t exactly reach out.

“Fuck.” Matthew swears in agreement. “Fine, quick fix then. Anyone in the department have kids?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, invite them, we’ll make this a big celebration, but a warm and simple one. The kids being around will give us an excuse to just buy non-alcoholic drinks like that...sparkling juice stuff packed in champagne bottles that aren’t champagne. We still get the ‘pop’, Arthur loves kids, and as far as I know, he won’t let himself go crazy around them, though he may tell them scary stories or whatever. I’ll make sure Francis brings Jean. She’s a doctor, and she’ll be able to guess if he actually has a problem or if I’m over-reacting. Kids and Jean, they’re pleasant, it’ll be pleasant. He may even enjoy himself. We’ll also invite people whom he used to work with like Belle, or friends like Lukas, if they’re free. A party doesn’t need to have alcohol to be fun, but if work is making Arthur drink like there’s no tomorrow, I don’t want him solely surrounded by work, even though this is a Partner party.”

Jack’s eyes light up. “Belle as in, my boss’s hot sister?”

Matthew rolls his eyes and laughs. “Yeah. Does Daan know you have a crush on his sister?”

Jack shrugs. “Everyone has a crush on her, it can’t be a surprise. But...good plan about the kids. I’ll let Daan know about it when I get back from lunch. If it’s non-alcoholic, we can save on drink money and actually cater real food.”

“Or make it a potluck. Get this as homey as possible.” As far as he knew, Arthur lived alone and wasn’t the best cook, as much as he tried to improve, but he wouldn’t say no to home-cooked food.

“Hey hey!” Jack laughs. “Don’t spoil my boss with the discounts! No wonder he likes you so much!”

It was a harmless statement but because of his embarassing history with crushing on Daan, it made Matthew freeze a little. Thankfully Jack just barreled on.

“My cousin makes damned good ice cream, he knows Arthur too, looked up to him once. Maybe I can convince him to make a whole lot for us at a special price. Keep the kids happy.”

Matthew nods, deciding that he’s too jumpy today. “I’ll never say no to good ice cream. Could you also think of a venue that could accommodate all this? Because I’m drawing a blank.

Jack grins. “Leave that to me. So, next week, follow-up meeting?”

Matthew nods. “Sounds good. Is Arthur in today?”

“Yeah, though he’s only free by around four if you were planning on dropping by.”

“Thanks.” Matthew sighs and leans back in his chair. It was good to be doing things again rather than just lying in bed and watching Netflix, but the human drama it seemed, was never-ending. Maybe he should leave it alone but he can’t. “You all knew?” He had to ask.

Jack purses his lips and shrugs. “It just didn’t occur to us as a problem. If it ever affected work or led any of us to harm, Arthur would be gone. But Arthur’s still great at his job.”

“So you guys are just going to wait for it to get that bad.” Matthew sighs, he can’t help himself and Jack bristles.

“Look Matthew. It may be a problem, it may not be, but even if it is, we can’t fix Arthur. The only person who can fix Arthur is Arthur. It’s nice that you’re concerned. Maybe it’s different in your team, but we don’t really baby each other in M&A, we make our own achievements. There’s a point where you have to take what you want, where you make changes to yourself. Arthur knows that.”

Matthew shakes his head and forces his anger to subside, breathes in and out. Arguing over this wouldn’t solve anything but he responds with a slight glare. “I’m worried. This is news to me I really need to see him.”

Jack nods, a little more seriously now. “Knock yourself out mate. Hopefully this is all nothing, and like you said, we’re not doctors.” After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Jack adds lightly. “Hey Matthew, you’re going to the management conference next month right?” Maybe Jack is changing the subject to erase the tension that had built.

Matthew laughs. He may not be an Associate Director but only Directors and above got to have rooms to themselves so it hardly mattered to him. “I slave away for this firm all year, I’m not missing it when they decide to treat me to a beach resort.” Not to mention, next month is July. Matthew doesn’t usually announce his birthday because he’s more than happy to share it with his country, it feels like the whole nation is celebrating with him, but a beach getaway during his birthday month is a nice bonus after all the setbacks.

Jack smiles and nods. “Great? Gotta roommate? I’ve usually been stuck rooming with Gabe, but we’re not allowed to room together again this time. Last year we stayed up late watching the Wallabies-Springbok game and apparently we were so into it that our neighbours made a formal complaint to their Partner, who took it up with Daan! Damn, they have no life! As if whenever Stanley Cup season rolls around it isn’t worse.”

Matthew smiles in amusement but isn’t sure what Jack is talking about. “Wallabies-Springbok? Is that...” He remembers the jersey he borrowed so long ago now. “Rugby?”

“That’s right. Rugby Championships, it’s a big rugby competition that’s just between four countries. When I grew up it was just called the Tri-Nations, and it was just Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - huge rivalry between those three and Gabe’s South African. It’s not like we’ll be watching next month, there’s no game, but a complaint is a complaint.”

“Oh...sure. Yeah let’s room together.” He doesn’t mind, and he figures, no sports, no crazy Jack. And besides, he has more pressing matters to be concerned about right now.

Matthew makes his way to the 7th floor at four o’clock. Arthur has been moved into a room that is two rooms over from Daan’s but it’s somewhat nice to see Arthur’s nameplate on the glass door. Unfortunately, Arthur himself doesn’t look happy. He’s on the phone at his new desk and it looks like he’s been on the phone for a while.

Arthur looks up and appears a little surprised but heartened to see him, then points at his phone and rolls his eyes. Matthew nods, understanding that Arthur is going to be held up for a while. Maybe Matthew ought to just be proactive and try to set up a lunch appointment with Arthur. As he turns around, he feels he’s already seen what he’s come to see anyway.

Arthur looks like he’s aged 10 years in the past three. He’s chubby now and has probably increased three or four clothes sizes, his gut strains against the belt that cinches his waist. Arthur’s hair looks almost grey and his skin has taken on a splotchy pink color. It could be stress alone wreaking havoc on Arthur’s body, but that probably isn’t it.

“Hey Matthew.” Jack greets, “Sorry we’re all going to be bad hosts, there’s some emergency that’s popped up, and with two different projects at the same time. That’s the breaks. Look at them, they’re both spitting flames.”

Through the glass doors, Matthew can see Daan pacing around his room and speaking at his phone in a curt tone, presumably on speaker. Echoes of his voice drift out into the main seating area and Matthew realises he can’t understand a word of it. It doesn’t sound like a European language either. That’s not really important though, what’s striking is that Daan is older than Arthur, and right now Arthur looks like he’s Daan’s pissed-off uncle, well no, there’s no resemblance between the two of them, but it’s still shocking. Matthew finds he can’t really speak so he just nods. He looks around at the stressed out team - they’re oddly quiet by their standards, rapidly typing on their computers or holding phones to their ears, presumably also taking part in the calls that their ultimate bosses are commenting on, or on some other business. It’s normal for them, no one seems to think there’s anything odd with the picture. Matthew can understand new staff not being concerned, but the guys like Jack who have been here for a while and have seen what Arthur used to look like?

Maybe it’s stark only because they saw Arthur’s transformation gradually, whereas Matthew saw him three years ago and can see the drastic change.

Matthew doesn’t know if he should be asking Lukas for help. Arthur is his old mentor and their relationship is mostly professional, but Arthur and Lukas are former MBA classmates. They had apparently formed some kind of folklore or naturalist club (he can’t recall the details) together with another Romanian student, or so Lukas had informed him when they first met. Matthew also doesn’t know if it’s his place to seek an intervention. He’s not Arthur’s family or friend, and it appeared his entire team had decided to respect Arthur’s autonomy. Maybe that’s the right thing to do. What he wants to do kind of smacks of Alfred, interfering with things because he just wanted to help, sometimes going where he wasn’t welcome.  Either way, maybe Lukas would have an opinion on that, it wasn’t exactly something Matthew could figure out on his own.

Ultimately, Matthew pressed the call button, because Lukas wasn’t attached to the firm. If Lukas decided to have a sit down with his friend well, that would be more appropriate.

“Hey Lukas, is this a good time to talk?” He’s sitting in his car driving home, and hoping that Lukas is either sitting in the quiet of his office or also on the way home.

“It sounds like something is wrong?” Lukas answers with concern. “I’m still at the office but I can talk.” There’s an edge of uncertainty or questioning in the voice. Matthew can’t blame Lukas, he didn’t expect himself to be calling so soon either, but some things were bigger than you.

Matthew hears a door closing. “Have you seen Arthur since he’s been back?” He asks.

There’s a pause. “No. Either he’s too busy or I’m not free. Haven’t tried my best to be honest. A lot’s been going on.”

Yeah no kidding. Matthew takes a deep breath and explains what he just learned about Arthur, at least what he thinks. “So...what do you think? Am I overthinking this? Is there actually a problem with...alcoholism here? Is this something that’s happened before? You know him better than I do, to me he was mostly a mentor and mentors usually try to be the best versions of themselves to the kiddies.” He tries to joke to lighten things.

Lukas doesn’t immediately answer. “...can you pick me up at the office?”

That didn’t sound good. “Uh yeah, I’ll just turn around.”

Later, when Lukas climbs into the passenger seat, he’s all business. “Hi.” He greets.

“Hi.”

“We’re going to speak to Daan.”

“WHAT?” Maybe Lukas feels free and easy to just drop in on the man, but Matthew has only been his friend for a week. Granted he didn’t answer any of Daan’s messages today because he’s been thinking and worried and kind of angry as well if he’s honest. Sure, Arthur’s state isn’t Daan’s fault but anger doesn’t know logic and Matthew gets that. He also knows he’s merciless when he is angry so wanted some time to sort out his feelings before snapping unnecessarily.

“Arthur drank a lot during the Masters.” Lukas starts to explain. “It was still university days, a lot of us did that, who doesn’t? But there were points that got embarrassing. He stopped after the first year, and changed his image from the punk kid I first met - that’s just appearances though. So yes, it could be a problem, Arthur’s always had the potential. Daan should know if this is actually a problem, and if there needs to be an intervention, the three of us together can come up with a better plan.”

“I’m not sure how...I mean, his boss? His friend and his former junior staff member? I’m concerned but I also don’t know how much of a right I have to be here I mean-”

“You cared enough to call me. Who cares about rights?” Lukas cut in. “People are...people. When it comes to things like these, people care about you or they don’t. Which isn’t to say that the people around Arthur don’t care about him, I’m sure they do, but they probably feel restricted by certain boundaries, like you just mentioned - boss and employee, acquaintance, mentor and student. But if you’re concerned, you’re just concerned. If Arthur responds angrily to that and let’s face it, he might, it wouldn’t be forever. He’ll come to his senses eventually.”

Matthew grips the steering wheel and just nods. “Should we tell them that we’re heading over?”

Lithuania rested comfortably on the sofa with his feet up on the black coffee table, a warm cup of tea in his hands and his head fallen back. The sounds of the cello take him away to another world—one for his eyes only. He dreamt of the long hilly summer fields of Alytus, the vast waters of the Baltic Sea off of Klaipėda's coast, the picturesque scenery of Trakai as a whole—

And Estonia is always with him.

Sometimes they are sailing on the sea, other times it's on the river that flows through the smaller villages, the ones that still look as they did more than a century or two ago. Sometimes they are relaxing with a glass of fruit vine in the countryside, or sharing a large pitcher of beer in the big city. There were trips to festivals, museums, and the end rows of books and antiques in the old-fashioned shops.

Because that's just how they liked to do things. They were an old-fashioned couple who enjoyed the simple things in life. The endless nights in the dark by the fireplace cuddling under the same knitted blanket, the cottage runs every Midsummer and more, and the holidays spent with friends over dinner in the long winter days. He doesn't see Estonia as often as he should and this world he created was just for him. The music guides him wherever he goes, no matter how somber it sounds. He finds comfort knowing there's something waiting for him here.

And suddenly, it was all over.

“Why did you stop?”

“Because the song's over.”

“That felt so abrupt.”

Estonia laughed, “Did you forget that I said it was a work in progress? It's not finished yet.”

He rested his cello against his chair at an angle he felt was safe and left the bow on the table. He walked over and leaned against the sofa, brushing Lithuania's locks of hair with his long fingers.

“What were you thinking about?” Estonia asked curiously as fell a sense of warmth in his chest staring at his lover. Lithuania grinned playfully, he was ready to call him out.

“You call yourself an intellect and yet you still need to ask that?”

Estonia huffed but knew he was just playing with him. It was his turn to smile back at him.

“You got me there,” he replied before going down and stealing a kiss. He was happy to let Estonia's lips linger against his own for as long as he liked, despite the occasional bump from his partner's glasses. It wasn't everyday that Estonia was this forward.

It had been ages since he last heard Estonia play the cello, not since those times living under Russia's roof more than a hundred years ago. Though Lithuania knew he was talented at it, he also knew well that the piano was his musical love. He didn't expect for Estonia to make a comeback anytime soon. He didn't even believe him when Estonia said he picked up a used cello from a seller online in Tartu. It was a little beaten up with some scratches and dents but it played exceptionally well (as expected with Estonia being the one operating it).

Lithuania was glad that he was wrong. He missed hearing these sounds so much.

“Will you play another for me?”

Their faces were so close and Lithuania had hoped Estonia would give in and kiss him again. Disappointment followed when he didn't but his answer certainly filled a void.

She was in dire need of a drink and asked for a martini glass. The server obliged and quickly prepared it. When he placed it down on the table, the drink was a nice pink colour and had a light fruity taste. A lady was sitting to her left and as Asta drank, her eyes took a peak of the woman's figure. She was beautifully dressed in a white frilly flapper dress and dawned a stylish blonde page-boy hair cut that was currently all the rage. Rows of pearl necklaces decorated her appearance and her black rimmed glasses added a nice touch to her delicate facial features. Asta found her to be quite the looker; an attractive woman like her didn't cross her path that often.

She was eager to get a conversation started.

“Hey, haven't seen ya around these parts before.”

The woman looked up at Asta rather surprised but with a kind smile, she keeps the ball rolling.

“I could say the same for yourself,” she replied. “Do you come hear often?”

“Clearly not enough if I'm missing out on a cute lady like you.”

Asta took a chance in charming her and her gamble appeared to have paid off. Her laughter was like music to her ears.

“Aren't you quite the talker? I wasn't expecting to find such a charismatic lady like yourself in a couples bar.”

“I was just about to say the same thing. I hope that your partner didn't just get up and ditch ya. What a crime that would be!”

The woman laughed again, “No, no, I'm as single as they get. I like to come here for the good music and drinks. It's nice to come here and not be annoyed by rowdy patrons.”

“Oh,” Asta replied somewhat nervously, “I certainly hope I didn't disturb ya.”

“Absolutely not. You're an exception,” She grinned as Asta felt a wave of relief rush across her. There was nothing worse in her book than invading someone's space and trying to flirt with them when really they only want some solitude. She was quickly gaining her confidence back and was eager to get her game back on track.

“I never caught your name.”

“Call me Asta,” she replied. “And you?”

“Õnnela.”

Asta was taken back by such a foreign name. “I'm sorry?”

“Õnnela,” she repeated.

“Önnela?” Asta struggled to pronounce the first letter of her name, making several attempts but failing each time. Õnnela didn't seem to mind and was unfazed by it, even giggling at her failures.

“You sound just like the islanders back home! They can't say the Õ that well either. Some people just call me Ela if it makes things easier.”

Asta was a little embarrassed by the flub but she doesn't let it show. Instead she continues on with their conversation. She found herself feeling a little infatuated with Õnnela. She was not just a good looker—Asta discovered that they had much more common than she had thought. They enjoyed the simple things in life: baking sweets, curling up by the fire and knitting with a record on, and summer nights out in the country side. But Asta was learning so much more; she had only been here for a few months and was living with her cousin—a Finnish woman by the name of Aino, and was both a vocal and piano teacher at a local music school further west of the city. The pay was awful but she was doing what she loved most and that's all that matter to Õnnela. She loved books and was fascinated by the evolving world around them. Asta was impressed with just how intelligent she was and watching her eyes light up as she spoke of machines, astronomy, and chemistry and made her heart flutter. She knew nothing of these topics but she loved listening to her ramble on. The grin on Asta's face couldn't be wiped away.

It was after midnight but the night was still young and Asta couldn't stand the thought of not having Õnnela by her side. She offered her a chance to join her on the dance floor, and while Õnnela happily took the offer, Asta quickly learned that dancing wasn't her strong suit and quickly apologized for laughing at her attempts. Õnnela wasn't bothered it at all however; the music was too upbeat and she was a little tipsy from the drinks she had. The two women were on cloud nine as they danced closely together. Õnnela's arms were wrapped over Asta's shoulders and it was driving her wild. What she wouldn't give to share just one kiss with this alluring lady who she was quickly falling for.

They stayed till the venue closed at two in the morning. They walked out together arm-in-arm as if they had known each other for ages. But the ladies were brought back to reality when the sounds of black vehicle repeatedly honked in the parking lot. Õnnela immediately recognized the figure as Aino in the driver's seat. She didn't ask for a ride but she hadn't planned on staying long, only coming for the cheap drinks. Õnnela felt a little guilty for letting her cousin worry without saying anything (not that she really could anyhow).

“Ya know that lady?”

Õnnela nodded, “Yeah, that's my cousin. She must have been worried since I don't normally stay out this late.”

“Oh!” Asta went wide-eyed when she realized just how long they had stayed at the bar. She panicked as she spoke, “I'm sorry! I should have kept ya this long-”

“No need to apologize,” Õnnela interrupted. “We had fun didn't we?”

The way Õnnela's lashes fluttered as she blinked made her blush and lose her cool. She was always so confident around the people she was interested in. But here was this woman, about the same height as her, who could reduce her down to a bundle of nerves. How could one woman be this adorable?? Asta said to herself as she struggled to stay composed.

“The best I've h-had in a long time. Could I maybe... see ya again?”

Asta's tone was very timid and Õnnela was grinning from ear to ear as she giggled ever so quietly. She reached into her tiny clutch purse and pulled out a small little card and a pink lipstick, the same kind that matched the one her lips were coated with. She used the lipstick to write something on the back and then sealed her writing with a kiss before handing it to her.

“I hope to hear from you soon,” Õnnela said as she waved goodbye before making a dash to Aino's car.

Asta was at a loss for words as she watched her run away. She looked at the card with such strong eyes, memorizing each and every detail. On one side was Õnnela's number, written in shaky writing but Asta could still make out each number clearly while the kiss was largely faded. On the other side, she quickly learned it was her business card from the school she had worked for:

Õnnela Tamm Piano & Vocal Teacher Nordea Academy of Music Øsel 2, 0524 København SV

“What are we doing here? We were just here yesterday,” Eduard said.

“Just trust me! You'll see it in just a second!”

Sure enough in the distance, Eduard spotted a large wooden ship that was clearly new to the graveyard. A massive hole on the side of the ship served as the entrance. Eduard had wondered if a battle ensued on the surface as the hole was large enough for the two of them to go through together. It was not the only one on the ship as he quickly noticed multiple spots where the ship received damage. Some of the holes on top allowed some light flow through and reflected off Christian's bright red tail. Eduard found it hard to look away from such a stunning sight and it was enough for him to ignore some of the bodies floating lifelessly around them.

But his daydream was not to last when Christian broke away and went towards a door tucked away near the corner of the ship. He used his strength to push it open and waved him over.

“Over here! Hurry!”

Eduard couldn't imagine just what had gotten Christian so aroused over such a mediocre ship but he gasped when he was greeted to a glorious sight that was an open chest filled with coins and jewels. Two closed ones were also sitting nearby in the same room but were impossible to open.

“Oh wow...”

“Nice eh?” Christian smiled. “Never seen so much of this kind of treasure in one spot before. Maybe that's why this ship went down. Someone else wanted the goods.”

Eduard loved the feel of the treasures against his fingers. He loved the jewels the most. The coins came in gold and silver while the jewels came in all colours of the rainbow. Eduard had learned to appreciate the sight of these things as they quickly dulled or broke apart in their environment.

“But that isn't the reason why I brought you here.”

“It's not?” Eduard replied in a confused tone as he looked up towards him. His eyes followed Christian swimming towards a desk and pulling one of the drawers open. Christian pulled something small out and quickly returned to him looking as if he was about to burst from all the excitement.

“I saw this inside and it was kept away from the chests. I think you'll like it.”

Eduard took the box curiously and fidgeted with it before he figured out how to open it. His eyes went wide when he discovered the ring inside. He had seen treasures like these before, but none as beautiful as this. The ring featured a silver band while the jewel on top was dark blue. The colour reminded him of their home, the ocean itself. He was left speechless by such an astounding gift.

“I heard humans give gifts like these to the one they love the most! That's why I found this for ya!” Christian said cheerfully. “See? It even matches yer tail! Just as I thought!”

Eduard was touched by the gesture and couldn't stop smiling. He tackled him into a hug and Christian held onto him tightly when he pulled Eduard in for a lingering kiss. Whenever they kissed, their tails always seemed to appear intertwined with one another. But their moment together was not to last when a booming noise startled them and quickly moved apart. Though this was a popular spot for merfolk to spend time at, it wasn't the safest. Sharks were known to roam freely around these parts and other merfolk from rival communities would come looking for a fight. They wasted no time in leaving the premises, zooming as far away from the graveyard as quick as they could. Neither of them noticed at that moment that the ring was gone, forever lost to the ocean floor.

Cécile remembered the day her parents brought her into the court to make an important and urgent announcement. The war with a rival country was over, but it came with a price—her hand in marriage. She was devastated; she never wanted to be a married woman. Her wish was to be sent to a convent, one further up near a neighbouring county, and her parents had come to respect her decision but were now going back on their word. She was terrified of being shipped off to a foreign land, especially one that had been at war with for the last year. She begged and pleaded with her parents to change their mind but the deal was done. Cécile was due to be married in three months.

That same week she was off with several of her belongings and a small crew of staff. She was so nervous and bitter that she barely slept through the weeks-long journey to her new home.

Cécile had never met Erzsébet. But she was familiar of her infamous name. She was said to be a frighting woman- ferocious on the battlefield and hotheaded, she could make anyone quiver in their shoes. She was loud and fussy and was said to dress like a man. But when Cécile had arrived to the castle in her best-dressed gown, she was greeted to a completely different person to what had been fed to her. Erzsébet was beautiful in a dashing green dress with her long brown hair all done up, with added flowers to give a charming touch. Her voice was soft, pleasant, and welcoming. At no point did she ever feel threaten by her.

Despite that however, she still remained cautious. They had just met and first impressions didn't always show how a person truly is.

Cécile and Erzsébet spent a lot of time together in getting to know one another and she was quickly learning everything she knew about her future partner. She had come to understand that the things people had said about Erzsébet were heavily exaggerated brought on by years of rivalry between their homelands. Erzsébet was indeed a strong fighter, but she certainly wasn't loud or fussy. She was opinionated and had big ambitions and visions of how things should be done. She was active; she loved archery and horseback riding. She was intelligent and was fluent in several languages. She acted like a maternal figure to the younger children living in the palace. She loved to laugh and be with the people she loved most.

But it was the little things that Cécile loved most about her. She loved to sneak into the kitchen and make little snacks for the both of them. She loved long walks in the palace gardens and reading late into the night. She would leave her little messages of love in random places of the palace which Cécile found endearing.

The bit about her wearing men's clothes? It could not have been more correct. Erzsébet them to be extremely comfortable compared to women's clothing. She often wore them when she was relaxing in her study while reading up on some of her favourite books. She encouraged Cécile to come and join her many times and sometimes she'd dressed her up. She had to admit—they were indeed quite comfy.

Cécile was charmed by Erzsébet. She was beautiful in every way possible and far from the image she had conjured up. She doesn't feel as nervous as she once was when she first arrived. The thought of being a ruler alongside her was still a terrifying image in mind. But with Erzsébet by her side, she is sure she'll be fine.

Cécile was caught in her thoughts when the music ended and the applause brought her back to reality. Erzsébet held her close as she whispered in her ear.

“What's on your mind?”

“Nothing,” she replied as she lay her head against Erzsébet's chest. “Just thinking about the first day we met.”