"How are you feeling, Sir?" A stout man asked, looking up at the tall blonde through his thick glasses. "Is the ocean air treating you well?"
The blonde chuckled, eyes trained on the rippling waves that broke apart at the front of the ship, sending a mist up into the air around them. He leaned more against the railing, ignoring how the stout man would panic, and inhaled deeply.
"Quite," he said firmly. "Nothing is better than being aboard the same small ship for two weeks. The ocean and I have indeed become…thick as thieves."
"Are you prepared for tonight?" The stout man asked, removing his glasses off his pudgy face to clean the mist off the lenses.
"I've yet to unpack. I'd be ready to get off this boat now, if you asked me to," he continued with a brush of his fingers through his wavy hair, removing his heavy, black dinner jacket off of himself. He handed it to the man, slipping his thumbs under his suspenders. "Mother and Papa are probably running around like chickens."
"Headless chickens, Sir," the man corrected.
"Theo, how many times do I have to tell you? It's been twelve years, you can call me Drew."
"Master Mapleton, your father would not-"
"My father wouldn't notice if it bit him square in the nose!" Drew said with a sinister smile, poking the aging man beside him. "Please, call me anything but master. You're not a slave, Theo. You and I are as equal as anyone else."
"Tell that to your mother."
"The headless chicken you were referring to?" Drew Mapleton countered, slipping his hands down to shove in his pockets. The pink tinted sky around them had begun to turn a light purple in the beginnings of a sunset, and he knew dinner would be called soon. Stepping down from the edge of the ship, Drew turned completely, smiling politely at a woman who passed by. "I'm afraid mother and I don't share the same views. On…many things."
"So I've heard-…"
"So you've heard I don't approve of betrothing a poor girl to me who probably doesn't even know my middle name?"
"Yes, Sir."
"-Drew."
"Yes, Mister Ma-"
"Drew, Theo. Drew, Drew, Drew!" The young adult countered, walking around the ship with a boundless amount of energy. "Mister is my father, Master is my grandfather. I'm just Drew. Simple, easy, Drew."
"Sometimes you're so much like your father, and other times, I wonder if you were adopted. Your willful manner and unusual interest in science make me assume as much."
"Wouldn't that be news?" He chuckled, taking his jacket back from the man as they returned to the upper class lounge area. All eyes were on the tall boy with the vibrant blue eyes as he strolled along the deck, the smallest of smiles constantly plastered on his lips. "Young heir to the Mapleton fortune, soon-to-be-husband of a Japanese heiress, found to be the bastard child of a naughty school girl incident. That would be interesting news to iron."
"No one would be able to prove it if it was," Theo added, chortling at his own words.
"Which worries me more than it probably should. What if I didn't belong to them? It was a rouse all along to get money by marrying me off. Though, even if I were theirs, they'd be doing the same. Power hungry, money craving, high-strung lunatics, they are."
"Nonetheless they are your parents, and they will be looking for you if you don't head back to your stateroom soon, sir."
"Oh hell," Drew sighed breathlessly, eyes scanning the people walking around him. Again, he managed to find his way to a railing, watching as the ship got nearer and nearer to the giant landmass in the distance. "I have a dwindling amount of hours left of freedom without being in a house I've never seen, with a girl I've never met, being followed by a chaperone who doesn't know what's what. I think I can be five minutes late to meet them."
"They wont be happy with your decision," Theodore reminded the blonde, reaching up to fix the slightly popped collar on the man's jacket.
"Not fond of my decision…" Drew said, pondering the idea for a moment with a cocked eyebrow. "Well where have I heard that before?"
"Sir…Drew, they're just doing as society expects them. You will be twenty next month, a perfectly ripe age to find yourself a wife and-"
"And continue the family lineage. I know, I know, I know. Except I should not find myself a wife, but instead have one thrust upon me. So much for choice, hm? But a wife is not what I want!"
"What do you want, Sir?" He asked, watching as the heir leaned out over the edge, hands gripping the rail so tight his knuckels turned bright white.
Drew paused, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not sure. Maybe I'd like to study…to travel…see things, become someone. But whatever the circumstance, I feel bad for the girl. What was her name, again?"
"Mika Kogo," Theo reminded. "Daughter of-"
"Mika," Drew frowned, "poor Mika. Neither of us have the slightest bit of a chance. And isn't that all girls want? To fall in love and get married, like in those books? Well, a reality like this is far from fairytale."
"She's been raised to want this. She doesn't know any difference, Drew. Women of this age are bargaining chips, another source of income."
"Forgive me, dear Theo, but I must disagree with this age. While she might have been raised like this, poor Mika should have the opportunity to dream of wanting more. I want more."
"You always want more, Sir. Your greed far outstands your guilt for taking more."
"If being greedy for a life is a crime then imprison me, dear Theo. That is a world I have no interest in."
"You're allowed to dream, of course. Just don't get too close to the sun. You'll only get burned. And when you're done dreaming, remember that the ground is the safest surface to tread upon."
"Of course it is, but in what situation does being safe ever measure up to having fun?"
"It doesn't, sir. But respons-"
"-Drew."
"-But responsibility conquers all. You were born into a family of power, so you must act accordingly. Especially tonight. First impressions are tough, and you must make the best of yours."
The sound of the dinner bell ringing brought both men to a halt. As the women all stood, flouncing gracefully towards their designated doors to prep and decorate themselves, Drew and Theo just watched. Theo's eyes were trained on Drew, the angular outline of his jaw as he gnawed on his bottom lip, nose scrunching in concentration.
"Time to get ready, Sir. I'll bring your bags to the door so you'll be ready to depart when we land at eight."
"Two weeks on this ship, Theo, and I haven't felt more seasick than I do now," he finally admitted in a hurried, quiet voice.
"It will be fine. You're a charmer, she's bound to like you."
"Her impression of me worries me least, but more so how I think of her. Spending fifty years with someone I can barely stand worries me."
"Apparently she's very pretty, Sir."
Drew straightened his tie, rubbing the back of his hand over his forehead. He strolled slowly towards the dining room, throat tight as he tried to gasp for a mouthful of salty tasting air. "Her looks don't matter."
"She's smart."
"What's the true definition of intellect, Theo?" He sighed, resting a hand on the perfectly polished gold handle that lead to the main dining room. "Will I be happy?"
"For your sake, Drew, I hope. Now go eat, a little food in the system should calm your nerves."
"I need a glass of brandy," the taller chuckled breathlessly, opening the door.
"Good luck, Sir."
"Thank you," the young aristocrat murmured with a sheepish, nervous grin. He turned the knob, eyes looking around at the sea of black suits that swarmed the beautifully furnished room. "I'll need it."