Chapter 3: Shark in the Water

"There is a formal event being held during the passing of the Island into our hands and we," Golden eyes turned to his aloof cloud guardian, "all have to be there." Blue eyes narrowed but Alaude held his tongue.

"Politics may not be appealing but they hold power and we must keep that power in our hands." Daemon grinned, "It's been far too long since I've played the game."

"Can't we just send him since he'd be the only one enjoying himself." Lampo grumbled.

"Then how will you learn spoiled one?" The mist guardian smirked, "You claim to be of noble blood but true nobles can rip you to shreds in minutes with their tongue."

"Rose will be accompanying us since we will all be making the journey." Giotto nodded at the assembled men, "We may also have a few days off to enjoy ourselves." He glanced over at Aluade, "Which I recommend before returning home."

"When are we departing?"

"In two days. There will be a ship ready to make the two day journey there." He replied, "Wrap up any necessary business or figure out a way to postpone it for at least a week."

Two days later Rose eagerly boarded the ship, running to the most forward point she could reach with a watchful Knuckles following closely behind.

"It's so big!" She said in awe and Knuckles wasn't sure if she was speaking about the ship or the the sea, probably both. "That's where the sharks live right?"

He raised a brow at the strange question, he replied, "Yes, but I don't think we'll be coming across any sharks anytime soon."

"Really?" She looked disappointed.

"Who do you want to see sharks Rose?"

"Daemon said that they spit out people, I want to see that."

The priest took a calming breath, but didn't bother correcting her. He had learned long ago that Daemon liked to lie to the girl about the silliest things and she trusted him so much she accepted it as the truth. Even defending the lie when others attempted to correct her.

A few hours later they had lunch after which Rose immediately crashed from all the excitement. Asari had put her to bed in one of the rooms that had yet to be claimed as everyone else went to the captain's cabin.

"Sir De Luca will be there with his mistress." Daemon pointed on the region of the map that the noble controlled, "His wife does not know."

"I assume you want to be the one to approach him." G smirked.

"I just wish to remind him that a woman so heavy with child shouldn't have her husband gone for so long. Especially when he is supposed to be running her family's land."

"Ricci will be the one hosting," Giotto sighed, "There will be a lot of business talk, it would be wise to keep an ear out to any hints at the Fiore."

The strategy meeting continued as each guardian was brought up to date of court scandals of the nobles in attendance before they separated to do as they will for the rest of the day. G had offered to take the room Rose was in and check up on her but at his return to the room she was gone.

Eye twitching he pulled out a cigarette and headed through the ship searching for the wayward child. He had chewed through to the tobacco and grimaced as he couldn't find a trace of her anywhere. When he moved to the deck a flash of red hair from the bow of the ship. She was leaning far over the edge and he felt his heart stutter.

"Fucking brat." He hissed, taking long strides towards her. By the time he got to her she was leaning forward more than before and he grabbed her collar, pulling her back from the edge. "What the hell are you doing, do you want to fall in?"

"Bu-"

"Do you even know how to swim or did you want to become fish food?"

"There-"

"Don't make me tie you to a post Rose."

"G!" She looked upset and that made him upset. How dare she make him worry only to get mad at him. "Look!" She pointed to the water over the railing.

Glaring at her, he took moved to peer over the edge and saw dolphins swimming alongside the ship.

"They're sharks!" She announced proudly, also peering over the edge.

He kept a firm hold of the ribbon around her waist as he scoffed, "They're not sharks you idiot."

"Yeah they are!" She glared at him, her cheeks puffing up adorably and he had to resist grinning at her. "Daemon said sharks have a fin on their back."

"Yeah did your perfect teacher also mention that dolphins have them too?"

"Dolphins?" Brows drew together as she stepped back and turned to run back into the ship but his hold on her stopped her.

"Don't go running off to that guy every time you have a question." G sighed, putting his unlit cigarette behind his ear. Using his now free hands he grabbed her by the waist and sat her down on the railing. His hold was firm as he leaned in next to her. "Dolphins are smaller than sharks." He then went on to describe the differences between sharks and dolphins before they were both interrupted and scolded by Giotto about being so close to the edge.

During dinner Rose turned to Daemon, "G told me that some sharks are dolphins!"

"Did he now?" Daemon turned amused eyes to the storm guardian who was doing his best ignoring everyone at the table. It wasn't often they all dined together, but boy did Daemon enjoy the chaotic tension in the air.

"Is it true."

"Well of course, dolphins are baby sharks."

Echoes of, "Daemon, Stop, don't lie to her." came from around the table as he watched them all with a sly grin on his face.

Giotto shook his head, still unsure why Rose placed so much trust in his words, which wouldn't be a problem if Daemon didn't seem to thrive on lying to her about anything.

He remembered entering Rose's room one day to find leaves stuck to the wall. When he had asked her why they were there she had said that it would make her walls greens because the color would rub off. She just had to wait because Daemon had said so. He had tried to explain to her that it wasn't the truth but his words fell on deaf ears. To stop the collecting of leaves he had Lampo take her out for a day as he got the walls in her room painted green.

He could practically feel Daemon laughing at him from across the country as Rose looked at him smugly with a, I told you so smile on her face.

It was when Daemon told Rose that Dom, their dog, used to be a human until he had turned him into a dog for upsetting him that he actually wanted to punch the asshole. Rose had avoided him for a week before the mist guardian told her that he was just kidding.

"I'm kidding," He ruffled her hair, "now finish up your dinner and maybe I'll take you stargazing."

She smiled at him and began to enthusiastically dig into her food. Daemon spent the rest of the meal radiating smugness.


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