"I don't wanna wear it Mr. Zeref. Can't I wear my normal clothes." Roslyn whined pulling on the nice dress he'd forced on her.
"Roslyn i've already explained this to you." Zeref sighed. "Were going to go met with an Empress and dressing nice gives a better appearance of our country."
"But we're gonna-" Zeref smacked a hand over her mouth before she could finish the sentence.
"We're not to speak about that Roslyn." Zeref said sternly.
"But-" Roslyn mumbled muffled by his hand.
"No but's. I told you we're not going to speak about it out of the meeting room in Alvarez." Zeref said. Roslyn pouted pushing his hand off her mouth.
"Why me? Why isn't Larcade on this trip?" Roslyn huffed., Zeref sighed looking at her.
"Well i've heard that the Empress of Dunwall has a princess. I figured you two might work out a friendship more than Larcade could." Zeref said.
"So…. I'm here to make friends?" Roslyn tilted her head confused. "But Larcade's fun."
"It's always nice to have friend in other countries." Zeref said calmly.
"Could do without the boat trip." Roslyn huffed as another wave came up to splash her.
"Well it's one of the more efficient ways to reach the Isles, where Dunwall is." Zeref sighed. "So please don't complain to much, they use boats more often than we do as well."
"Well then who's that guy over there. He looks sicker than I am." Roslyn huffed pointing off in a far corner of the boat at another man. "So much for being used to boats."
"That would be the Lord Protector who came to Alvarez to give word of the situation in Dunwall." Zeref said looking over at the rather tired brunette man, who very much looked like he'd rather be anywhere but on this boat.
"So what's he doing with us. He doesn't like boats much." Roslyn pouted her arms crossed.
"Well probably going back to Dunwall to tell his Empress that someone has answered to their letter of help." Zeref said.
"I thought that's what I was for?" Roslyn looked confused. "I was gonna help people right?"
"That's what we're here for. He's simply a messenger." Zeref sighed.
"Hm. We can speak for ourselves." Roslyn huffed crossing her arms wincing as the man finally emptied his stomach into the ocean. "Fish are eating good today."
"Well of course we can." Zeref sighed looking away from the man. Roslyn had slowly wandered over to him, where Zeref had tried to stop her as she fell a few times from swaying.
"H-h-hi mister." Roslyn mumbled walking up to him, trying to dry out her dress somewhat. The man seemed to glare back at her with obvious misery of being on the boat showing on his face. The man had simply groaned back as a response to her. Roslyn pouted before raising one hand up to him, letting a soft yellow glow over his stomach.
"There. All better- eek!" Roslyn dodged as he vomited more. "Hey! This is my nice dress!"
"Sorry." The man mumbled with an obvious accent once he was done. Roslyn blinked in surprise, giving several minutes of a stare.
"What?" The man growled seeing her stare. He was answered with only more staring. The man seemed displeased to be stared at glaring back at her.
"You…. speak?" Roslyn blinked in surprise. The man sighed shaking his head in disbelief.
"A little." The man huffed rolling his eyes.
"Your Alvarezian is very good! I barely even noticed the difference!" Roslyn said happily as it was now his turn to look confused.
"Uh thanks?" The man said confused and kinda looking off to the side.
"Could use a couple of lessons but no need to worry!" Roslyn continued speaking faster and somewhat starting to lose the man in translation. The man blinked looking conflicted and confused.
"I've been on boats forever! Love em! Well. more lake boats not really sea but i really like the water." Roslyn continued somewhat leaving the man behind. "I've seen a lotta people drown though, so that's not good. I'm kinda scared of falling overboard."
"Uh that's good?" The man said confused obviously hoping that his response was correct to what she was trying to say to him.
"Good? How's that good?" Roslyn looked startled at him.
"Was that wrong?" The man said seeing her startled expression.
"How is people drowning good?" Roslyn gulped looking more frightened.
"Oh...Sorry thought you said something else." The man mumbled. Roslyn blinked for a while before laughing all of a sudden. The man narrowed his eyes at her hearing her laugh.
"Hah. You're funny." Roslyn giggled.
"And you're a weird child…. Like most." The man said switching languages not knowing some of the words.
"I am?" Roslyn said confused.
"Yes." The man huffed rolling his eyes.
"Hm. What's Dunwall like?" Roslyn asked. "Ya said you came from there. I've never heard of it."
"It's a far cry from what it used to be." The man hissed in the native tongue, his face showed his dislike for how the city had started to become. "It's now just a battle ground of who lives and who gets tossed to the streets to die. Jasm- The Empress is trying to stop it from getting any worse than it is now."
"But it's in the water right? Just boil any water you use." Roslyn mumbled.
"Water isn't the issue. It's the swarm of rats that carry this nasty plague into Dunwall." The man growled.
"... You can't kill the rats?" Roslyn looked confused.
"You can try, if they don't eat you alive first." The man scoffed.
"And you need our army for that?" Roslyn blinked in confusion.
"Look this plague is getting worse and worse every day. Food and clean water is starting to become scares. No one knows how to help or is willing besides your kingdom." The man huffed looking away angrily.
"... Do you have it?" Roslyn looked worried backing away.
"If I had it you'd know. I wouldn't be coming back if I did. I wouldn't risk the Empress getting it." The man sighed.
"What if she has it?" Roslyn looked worried.
"Doubtful. The castle walls are almost impossible to get into even for the rats." The man said but his own obvious concern could be seen on his face.
"You're awful confident in the people she surrounds herself in." Roslyn mumbled.
"I don't trust them. Much like I don't trust strangers." The man huffed, almost glaring at Roslyn. "But I have to have faith that she is safe."
"Huh." Roslyn mumbled looking out at the approaching Dunwall tower. "So who's this Emily girl i'm supposed to get friendly with." The man narrowed his eyes at Roslyn, his face showed how uneasy he was.
"The princess." The man growled almost protectively.
"Princess Emily. Hm. Doesn't sound very fun. Does she like fighting?" Roslyn huffed oblivious to his distrust.
"She doesn't partake in such training." The man said starting to stand up.
"She doesn't fight?! What kinda princess is that?!" Roslyn looked shocked at the idea.
"Her other studies come first." The man huffed.
"Oh. She's one of Those." Roslyn huffed.
"What do you mean." The man growled angrily.
"Boring princess who does nothing but sit up in her tower watching the world go by with everyone waiting on her." Roslyn scoffed at the mention of such princesses. "Trusting her guards when the only one who can defend her is herself."
"She isn't like that." The man hissed annoyedly. "I'd watch what you think and say kid. You might anger the wrong people." The man started to walk towards a man who was directing others around the boat as well as talking to the captain.
"I just don't see the point in getting to know her. She's not going to be princess for long." Roslyn grumbled causing the man to stop. He turned back to look at Roslyn, a bit to quickly.
"Mind explaining what you just said." The man said in almost a growl not taking his eyes off of her for one second.
"Well she's not going to because i'm going to-" A hand from nowhere quickly covered her mouth.
"Sorry sir she can be quite the talker." Zeref chuckled awkwardly as the man glared at them, his obvious distrust was clear as day to Zeref. Roslyn was still trying to talk through Zeref's hand as he just gripped tighter on her shoulder. The man narrowed his eyes, looking over the two before turning back around to continue to the front of the boat. Zeref quickly dragged Roslyn down below the deck where noone was around, brining a guilty looking Roslyn to face him.
"Ros." Zeref sighed. Roslyn looked up at him shyly.
"You need to be careful about what you say." Zeref said looking at her with a serious expression.
"I know….." Roslyn mumbled looking at her feet.
"Now we probably have to keep a very close eye on him as he'll be suspicious Ros." Zeref sighed.
"Well…. I couldn't keep it to myself." Roslyn pouted.
"You'll need to learn to keep your plans in your head when in the enemies field." Zeref said with a serious expression.
"But….. okay…." Roslyn pouted.
"Just try to keep your tongue when speaking here, okay Ros." Zeref sighed
"... Yes sir." Roslyn sighed.
"You do understand why right?" Zeref asked.
"... Kinda." Roslyn mumbled.
"And what don't you understand?" Zeref asked a bit surprised.
"Why do we gotta sneak in? Just crush em as they are." Roslyn huffed crossing her arms.
"They may be weak and even weaker now it's better to look like your helping before actually taking over." Zeref explained.
"But then you're lying. Lying is weak." Roslyn huffed. "Why hide when you can be upfront and kick em around!"
"It's not lying, it's using your resources." Zeref said "Because people will fight back and sometimes people will surprise you with there quick thinking. It's best to find your main targets and take them out of the equation first."
"But we know our targets! The Empress and her men!" Roslyn huffed a bit too loudly. Zeref put a finger over his mouth quickly looking around to make sure no one had heard.
"Having to go through the guards would be more bloodshed than necessary." Zeref said calmly.
"Right. Inside voices." Roslyn grumbled quieter. "But bloodshed is cool!"
"This isn't a battlefield Ros and i'd rather not make it one." Zeref said sternly.
"This is boring though! I hate pretending." Roslyn huffed.
"It is much better this way Ros." Zeref sighed shaking his head.
"Hmpf. If you say so." Roslyn grumbled yelping as the boat came to a bumpy stop.
"Thank you Ros." Zeref sighed as the boat stopped. "Well guess it's time now."
"Ugh." Roslyn huffed crossing her arms again as Zeref had to practically guide her off the boat.