Chapter 33:

  After a night of exploring each other, Ael had almost expected things to change between them. She had heard many times in her youth that becoming physical changed a retionship. But besides waking up with Nereida’s wild hair completely covering her face and attempting to get in her nose, nothing seemed to change. They still got dressed separately, still did their own hair, Nereida still sat to breakfast with the boys and sang silly songs to them to get them moving. If it weren’t for the ever-present blush on her beloved’s face, or the secret smiles, Ael would not have been sure the night had even happened.

  The Admiral put her desires and feelings aside, and left the cabin to check on the repairs. She was not precisely itching to leave port, but part of her mind was uneasy. New Moons were a time of ill luck. You did not start new things on the new moon, it was tempting fate.

  Oh no. She looked back at her cabin. They had started something new st night.

  “When will the repairs be done?” She demanded of the head of the crew. He smiled at her amicably, no doubt used to demanding “military types”.

  “Soon, ma’am. The mizzenmast is ready, but ya have some damage to the sides that needs to be seen to, and two damaged floorboards on the main deck.”

  “Sooner would be good,” the Admiral replied, trying to dial back her immediate frustration. “Perhaps by tomorrow?”

  “Day after, I’m afraid. Sorry ma’am.” And when she dismissed him, he returned to his crew to work.

  There remained a pit deep in the Admiral’s stomach. Something has set her off, something was bothersome and she couldn’t identify the problem. She found Evander on deck, her first mate staring into the distance, a contemptive look on his face.

  “What’s eating you?” She stepped in beside him.

  “We’ve been here a week, Admiral.” Evander’s voice was far away. “My husband and Epelda ain't seen the light of day once in that time. And the mizzenmast was done yesterday. So why're we still here?” Why indeed, she wondered, gncing back at the crews who seemed hard at work.

  “Can you be subtle, Evander, about getting all the crew back from shore leave? We’ll leave with high tide in the morning, before the repair crew gets here.”

  “Yes ma’am,” he replied with a relieved smile. He trotted off.

  “Oh, Evander? Did Admiral Matthias leave port?”

  “Two days ago,” he confirmed, “after Basiano won half his monthly sary.” She snorted a ugh. Served the fop right for underestimating the Samander Prince. It was unfortunate that the clipper hadn’t returned with news of their letter. She didn’t want to leave before she had news. But there was always a chance the clipper had been intercepted, a chance the letter was never delivered. She would have forgotten the whole thing, if not for Nereida. Nereida deserved to have a legitimate marriage.

  She went through her day trying not to think too hard about the pit in her stomach that continued to grow. She spent time with Epelda below deck. The girl hated being confined below. Ael was pleased when she said Nereida and the boys had been down to see her , bringing games and cards.

  “Little-Blue is a card shark,” she compined, her hands expressing her frustration with sharp movements. “He can count them!”

  “The cards?”

  “Yes! He told me how many tens were left in the deck after two rounds of py!” She shook her head ruefully. “He’s four!”

  They signed back and forth for a while longer. Ael told Epelda that Nereida and the boys now slept in her cabin. There was a moment where something like jealousy flirted across Epelda’s expression, but it was soon repced with a teasing smile.

  “Bracelet?”

  “Purchased,” the Admiral sighed back with a wistful smile. “I’m waiting on the Queen.”

  “You’re happy?”

  “Lots,” Ael signed as she said “Deliriously.” She grinned at her not-quite daughter. “Will you stand beside me when we wed?” Epelda’s face lit up and she signed yes repeatedly. It was a high honour; standing beside a bride or groom meant you had their backs against those who would harm them, those who would deny the marriage. “Brush up on your sword work then,” Ael joked. “In case the Queen said no and is sending knights to stop us.”

  “I’ll push them back, Big Samander will set them on fire. It’s fine.” She giggled softly.

  Feeling lighter, after chatting about inconsequential things and things of import, she set off to have lunch with her beloved and the boys. She couldn’t quite think of them as “their” boys. She wanted to be there, wanted to be their step mother, but Alejo still kept his emotional distance. Until the seven year old accepted her, they would stay as Nereida’s children.

  The boys were conspicuously absent when Ael arrived for lunch. Nereida was dressed according to her station; her hair done in complex braids that Ael knew she had not done herself. Nereida was actually terrible at braiding. Her dress was the one they had worn to dinner with Matthias. She wore her human guise, which was slightly disconcerting.

  “I have something to ask, and I am not sure if you will take it the wrong way or not,” Nereida began. Ael felt her face twist into concern, but she headed to her chair to sit across from her beloved. “I want to, well, circumvent one of your traditions… but only if you don’t mind.” Ael stared at the princess, her mind reeling. Nereida’s bearing gave no clue to what she was thinking, but she had a parchment upside down in front of her.

  “Out with it love, we don’t all do the court dance.”

  “I want to adopt Epelda.”

  Ael’s mind froze along with her body. She blinked at the princess, not understanding. Nereida turned over the parchment. She passed it over for Ael to read. It was a formal decree of adoption, signed and bearing the seals of both Basiano and Matthias.

  “I… love I don’t understand.” She had not thought Nereida was that close to Epelda. Protective of her, certainly, but adoption? That was a statement and a half, even Ael knew that!

  “It will give her legal protection as if she were my natural born daughter, in my nds,” Nereida expined softly. “It would make her my heir, technically.” She had a sad little smile. “And because you can adopt a widow’s children… you could adopt her once we were married.”

  The air was gone from her lungs. She was dying, hallucinating, dreaming. This could not be real. But Nereida was suddenly at her side, taking her hand.

  “Did I overstep?”

  “Overstep?” Ael repeated. “Dragons breath, love, you… you did this for me?”

  “And for her. But I haven’t asked her yet.” She shrugged, a motion clearly practiced. Her shoulders were too tight. This was not nothing to Nereida either. “Will you come with me to ask?” Ael nodded, fighting tears.

  The tears won out when they went to speak to Epelda. Nereida approached her first, signing, not speaking.

  “Epelda, will you be family?” She smiled, her expression warm and welcoming. “I want to adopt you, protect you.”

  “Me?” There was confusion on the young woman’s face. She looked to Ael for expnation, and when Ael haltingly expined it, the confusion became tears. Epelda looked past the princess to Ael.

  “I thought you were repcing me.” The Sylph trembled when she admitted her fear. Ael felt the blood rush from her face.

  “No,” she signed, said, signed. Then, with a deep breath, she signed a word she had learned but never dared use. Adoption was forbidden except under very strict circumstances. Miracles. “Daughter.” Epelda began to cry at that, which meant that Nereida began crying, which, in turn, meant the Admiral lost the battle with her feelings, and tears began to flow.

  “I’m not giving up my bunk,” Epelda signed after a moment, her tears transforming into a cheeky expression. “Not to have to pretend I’m not seeing or hearing things.” She winked at Nereida, who ughed. Ael felt her cheeks flush. Dragons’ eggs, why were all the women in her life trying to kill her with embarrassment?

  The rest of the day passed calmly. The boys were thrilled to be getting a new sister, and they peppered her with a hundred questions, all signed instead of spoken. It was the quietest they had ever been, and they only spilled their drinks twice. They ate dinner as a family. Ael smiled as her heart flooded with something she couldn't name, didn't dare name. But they were family.

  That night, after the boys went to sleep, Nereida told a story around the fire about a Sylph sailor who had lost their only daughter to a raid of demons. They searched for many years, but only found a wayward countess instead. The sailor died protecting the countess from a bandit, and so the countess swore to find and raise the Sylph’s daughter as her own. Ael, for once, saw exactly the point of this story. Most of the crew knew she told stories with grains of truth. They’d believe that she was the countess in the tale. A neat way of expining the adoption, one that would spread from port to port, so that the validity of Nereida adopting Epelda never came into question. A life debt would be a reason to adopt outside of family lines. Indeed, there were still a few men from the fixer crew aboard when she told the story, and they stopped to listen to her. It was masterful, Ael thought, smiling at her beloved as she took her seat once the story was done.

  “Did she ever find the sailor’s kidlet?” called one of the crew. Nereida smiled a soft, enigmatic smile.

  “I choose to believe that story has a happy ending,” was her reply.

  They turned in early, exhausted from the emotional toll of the day, and the Admiral fell asleep next to the siren, secure and safe in each other’s arms.

  Until, just past three bells, a pounding of her door woke Ael from sleep. She bolted up, grabbing her sword and motioning to Nereida to get to the boys. The crew would ring bells or blow whistles. This was someone else.

  “Hurry,” came the voice on the other side of the door. It was Matthias’s voice! Ael unbarred the door and let him in, forgetting that her beloved was not currently wearing her human guise. Once she realized it, the damage was done, and so she simply hoped Matthias did not see Nereida.

  “You have to all-hands and get out of here, and now,” Matthias hissed. “By morning the port will be surrounded.”

  “What? Why?” The Admiral gaped at him.

  “The other Admirals, Kieran and Lucien, captured a demon ship that flew a white fg. It was full of freed sves who sang your praises… and two very frightened old soldiers who cimed you had a pet siren.” He hissed the st word. In the darkness, Nereida swore softly. “I know that you’d never be so careless, to ensve a siren. You need to get out of here, or there will be trouble. I will run interference with Her Majesty, and make sure you are cleared.”

  “More trouble than you know,” Nereida said from the darkness. He looked up toward her, as if to reply, but his face dropped. Nereida had lit a mp, and stood beside her sons protectively. “And I’m not a pet.” Matthias gaped at her for a long moment, taking in her blue skin and fangs, and then he just began to ugh uncontrolbly. He produced a scroll case, his hands still shaking as he ughed maniacally. He passed the scroll to Ael.

  “Oh dragons' saggy tits, Ael, you like to make things difficult,” he gasped out. “I need to leave. I saw none of you. Princess, Admiral, I will… I will be far far away in just a moment.” He paused at the door, got control of himself, before he turned and grinned at Nereida. “Invite me to the wedding if you survive this.” She ughed but it was a hollow sound. He turned to Ael. “Give me five minutes before you sound the all hands. I can’t be seen with you right now.”

  “Understood.” She touched his shoulder and he looked startled by the familiarity. “Thank you for saving us.” He nodded, no longer trusting his voice, and then he fled into the night.

  Ael hugged Nereida, found her beloved shaking like a leaf.

  “Take the boys to your brother, and then present for all-hands in five minutes,” The Grand Admiral said, standing straight. “It’s time to run.”

  FionaRobinsong