金瓶梅第2部

⟬ A half-bell later. Twenty-three bells until Cersei's Rest. ⟭

Coraline was granted possession of the Captain's Key by unanimous vote. She hung it by a thin chain on her neck, lent to her by Lady Lucrezia.

She felt a little overwhelmed by the other passengers' trust of her... It made a little sense, as she was the only person actively trying to solve the murder and robbery. But still... she openly declared that she'd only travel in a group for accountability purposes.

Olesya was imprisoned in the hold, in the ship's single jail cell. Inquisitors from the Church of the Eternal Flame would deal with her when they landed in Cersei's Rest. She, a Nemayan, had killed a Tyrion citizen. Incarceration would be the least of the consequences she would suffer under the Church's draconian laws.

Miss Maisie was devastated by the news of Nikandros' death... and she took her anger out on her. She screamed in her annoying, high-pitched voice, she cursed in every language she knew-- she did everything short of hitting her.

That was fine. Coraline felt terrible, anyroad. Without anyone yelling at her for her mistakes, she would have just felt more guilty.

Dinner... looked absolutely amazing.

Lady Lucrezia and Felicity had put their love and care into her meal-- vegetarian, this time!

It looked soooooo good... But... she could neither smell nor taste it.

She figured she was suffering a physiological effect of depression.

Food was supposed to make her feel better... but her own body seemed to be sabotaging any attempt at cheering herself up.

Halfway through the meal, Miss Maisie excused herself.

Coraline silently watched her go.

Mister Lone looked to her, pouting his lips.

It was up to her to do or say something about it... As miserable as she was, it seemed she was the only one willing to address it.

"Someone should go with her..." She muttered, "To make sure she doesn't do anything she regrets... or try to do something to Miss Olesya..."

She was feeling not-so-great, herself! Coraline knew to stay in a group. Even if she didn't have the Captain's Key, she wouldn't want to be alone with only her own dark thoughts keeping her company.

"Yeah, you right," The tiefling, Ramon, took a last, large bite from his meal as he stood up. He thumped a heavy fist to his chest, gulping it down. "I ah... volunteer as tribute."

Coraline pursed her lips, "That's not funny, Mister Ramon... Miss Maisie's hurt."

Ramon rubbed the back of his head, "Well... yeah! I know that."

"Someone else should go..." She grimaced.

Tychon quietly placed his utensils down, looking over with a serious expression.

Coraline sighed wistfully, shrinking down in her seat. She really wasn't interested in what the young master was going to say... but she couldn't stop him from voicing his opinion.

Tychon tilted his head slightly upward, "Mister Ramon, you are a gentleman, are you not?"

"Yeah," Ramon furrowed his thick, red-skinned brows, "YEAH! I am! Why? Wanna fight about it?"

"No, I do not," Tychon turned back to her. "That should allay your fears, Miss Coraline. As a gentleman, Mister Ramon will not take advantage of Miss Maisie's fragile mental state."

"Oh, that?" Ramon crossed his arms, tilting his chin up, "I know not to mess around, girlie."

Coraline fixed her seating posture and twisted her lips to the side. She still wasn't entirely certain-- could she really trust Mister Ramon?

She put her faith in Olesya... That was a mistake.

It didn't seem like Olesya was the one who murdered Lord Highblade... so that somehow made the situation even worse.

"(The demonblood knows honor,)" A voice in Elven reassured her. "(What he speaks will come to pass.)"

The half-elf, Elladan, had spoken in support of his companion. That... was unexpected.

"H-hey! I can-- I can kinda understand what you guys are sayin'!" Ramon grumbled. "Quit it!"

Elladan rolled his eyes, "(Trust not his looks. I know no man more honorable.)"

Coraline nodded, her spirits very-slightly lifted... "Very well, Mister Elladan..."

Ramon slapped his palms on the table, leaning over and blocking Coraline's vision of his companion, "I'm gonna cream your corn if ya don't stop talkin' smack, tree-hugger!"

Across the table, Tychon audibly sighed. Sitting beside her, Felicity giggled.

"Lone! Felicity! Green-hair guy?" Ramon yelped, "You guys gotta back me up!! I'm a good person! Hey, come onnnn!"

Coraline steeled her heart once more... Just as Elladan could vouch for his companion, she could at least trust in hers.

...Even if it was Mister Lone.

Together, they'd get through this... somehow.

...

Coraline got her sense of taste back around dessert time.

She silently thanked the heavens for that...

Lady Lucrezia had baked a chocolate cake.

It was... so, so sweet... but oh, so wonderful...

There was something about the cooking of a sweet old, Auntie-type lady-- it always tasted good, for some reason.

All that love and affection found its way to Coraline's heart. Also, her no-longer-flat tummy... and eventually, her thighs.

Cake was evil.

But evil... was necessary in order for good to exist.

Coraline had no regrets.

"Coraline, dear..."

After dinner and dessert, Lady Lucrezia approached her, looking up with a troubled expression.

"Oh? Auntie Lu, thank you so much for the cake," Coraline smiled, expressing as much joy and gratitude as she could. "It was absolutely lovely."

"Oh, I'm glad, dear..." Lucrezia smiled, folding her gloved hands in front of her collar... but that smile didn't reach her eyes. "Could you come with me, please?"

Coraline immediately grew worried... "Y-yes, of course."

She placed her hand in her Auntie's and allowed herself to be led towards a side corridor.

"Oh, are you two going on an adventure?" Mister Giorgio nearly leapt off his chair. It was a spritely action that, for a moment, Coraline was deathly afraid would find him injured.

He was fine, though. Phew.

"Can I come along, too?" Giorgio raised an eyebrow.

Usually, Mister Giorgio doted on his wife like a devoted puppy. But currently, he wasn't so much curious and playful-- but more... insistent.

"Oh, Giorgio," Lucrezia gently shook her head. "We're going to the powder room. Unless you'd like to stand guard?"

"Oh, haha," Mister Giorgio laughed politely, placing his hands behind his head, "Maybe not, then."