Capítulo 4: Wrong Move
With a length of 120 feet, three floor decks, and three masts, the breezing Ania, a blue-colored barquentine made for a standard ship.
With her sleek hull, squared rigged sails on her foremast, and fore and aft rigged sails on her main and mizzen mast respectively, the Breezing Ania boasted speed and relative stealth.
Capable of carrying close to 50 men and sporting 16 good and ready cannons, the ship made for a great combat vessel, but for the occupants, it carried at the moment, it fell short of being called an okay vessel, but she was manageable.
The ship's destination wasn't a too far one and with the windy nature of its route, and the ship's ability to seemingly merge with low winds and charge through the sea silently, its lack of formidable firepower could be somewhat ignored.
While the captain's cabin lay at the back of the ship, resting at the highest room, all the space beneath it was dedicated to the royal or noble family depending on who you asked that resided on the ship at the moment.
In one of the rooms on the second-floor deck of the ship, located just below the captain's cabin, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in" a soft but stern voice of someone who was not Amelia sounded, and a second later the door was pushed open and the two persons on the other side walked in.
"Lady Amelia, I have brought lord Don as you requested," Rita said after performing a bow.
While this happened, Kruxe who was just behind Rita went about twisting, turning, and pulling the bow tie on his neck, raining curses on both its inventor and the red-haired woman who was peering at him with both her eyes, inspecting every inch of his dressing.
"Thank you, Rita, you can leave" Amelia's soft and cheerful voice sounded.
At the moment, Amelia stood just a few meters away from the door, going about setting a two-man table.
With Amelia's words, Rita performed a small bowl, and then giving Kruxe a bright look, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Kruxe stared at the closed door for a few minutes, an unhappy look in his eyes, but then he turned and quickly headed over to the table.
"You should have just had a servant do this Mom" Kruxe halfheartedly berated as he walked over.
"If you're so worried, then come over and help me, it will do you good to know how to set the table."
Though Kruxe had no interest in setting up a table, he couldn't bear watching his mother work, so he quickly walked over and helped her.
"It's only a matter of time before the God of statues curses you to be a statue given how much you imitate his statues," Kruxe said as he went about helping his mother, his words meant for the red-haired armour-wearing woman silently standing to the side.
Other than a muffled chuckle from his mother, Kruxe got no reaction from the woman, something which he expected but the unintentional laughter of his mother and intentional irking of Cletina was enough for him, after all, he successfully vented some of the frustration he felt.
"Let's eat," Amelia said, Kruxe quickly moving over and pulling a seat for his mother.
She nodded to his effort and took her seat, and then after, Kruxe moved and took his seat, one which was opposite his mother.
Since he came in, several thoughts had been going through Kruxe's mind, so he had been a little distracted and angry even as he helped his mother, but now that he was seated, he happily let the sweet smell of the food before him hit his nose, stimulating his taste buds and leaving his mouth watering, yet before he could begin filling his plate, Cletina had her revenge.
"Princess why not have a look at this before you begin eating," Cletina said, handing a stack of papers to Amelia.
Unlike him, Kruxe's mother didn't seem bothered by the change in title as she looked to Cletina with a smile and reached out for the papers, papers which were pictures Seth found out as his mother placed them on the table, and these were not just any pictures, but pictures of young beautiful women.
"These are?" Amelie asked.
"The various Women whom the viscount has selected as suitable wives for Kruxe, you wanted to read them later, but it's been some time and you haven't done so, so I decided to bring them along, and I thought it best to remind you now as I feared you also forgetting about them."
"Cletina this…" Amelia started with a sigh, though she wasn't sure why, she was aware that Kruxe and Cletina were having one of their spats again.
"I am not marrying any of them" Kruxe cut in.
"Damn it. I should have controlled myself and not pissed her off" Kruxe lamented internally.
The annoyance of having to be all dressed up for a meal with just his mother coupled with having to watch Rita leave the room like a mere maid got to Kruxe so he decided to vent a little on Cletina who was responsible for the first grievance but he should have known better.
Like some seer, it would seem the woman knew the reason for his earlier joke, so as payback, she brought up the topic of his least favourite topic.
"You are now 19, you ought to begin getting ready for a wife," Cletina said, and though she maintained a neutral expression, Kruxe could swear he saw a gleam in her eyes.
"Don't care, I am not interested."
"You aren't interested in women," Cletina asked suspiciously.
"I am, I love Rita and I'm marrying her."
Kruxe's feelings for Rita wasn't much of a secret and though this was the first time he was outright saying it, it didn't bring much of a reaction out of the two women before him.
"No, you won't, you have a duty to fulfil as prince of Dahara" Cletina shot back.
"You can't decide for me, you're not my mother"
"Then why didn't we ask your mother."
Throughout their argument, Cletina had kept a straight face, but Kruxe could swear her every word dripped with mockery and teases, and now she had cornered him.
He could squabble with Cletina, but what was he going to do about his mother, he couldn't bear to think of straining her by engaging in an argument.
"Damn it, I should have just swallowed my grievance and kept my mouth closed."
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