Issac was the first to awake the next morning. He slipped out of Nimi's grasp and stood next to the bed, stretching and rubbing his back.
"Good morning, Master." Belfast said as he turned to see her at the door.
"Good morning Bel. How are you this morning?" Isaac asked.
"I am well. I have prepared breakfast in the galley for any that wish to attend. I have come to collect you personally however." Belfast said.
"Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Isaac asked.
"Her Majesty wants to speak with you before you get too invested in your day. So I am to get you dressed and fed before taking you to her." Belfast said with a slight smile and a bow.
"Oh. Alright. Well, I can dress myself." Isaac said as he looked around for his uniform pants and jacket, noticing now that he was in boxers and a t-shirt.
"Looking for these?" Belfast asked as she walked over and laid his uniform on the bed next to him.
"Why did you have it?" Isaac asked.
"It is my job as a maid to anticipate the needs of my master. So I took it upon myself to care for your uniform after yesterday's fiasco." Belfast said.
"Ah... that explains the jacket." Isaac said.
"I found the pants on the floor when I came in earlier to deliver your jacket. So I took them both back and washed them through again." Belfast said.
"Huh." Isaac said as he quickly dressed himself and looked over the small collection of girls spread throughout the crew quarters.
"Should I wake them up as well?" Belfast asked.
"I wouldn't want all that food you made to go to waste." Isaac said as he knelt down next to the bed he had slept in.
"Nimi... wake up." Isaac said softly, stirring her from her slumber with a soft smile on her face.
"Liebling... good morning." Nimi said softly as she reached up and pulled his face over to kiss him.
"Good morning, my love. Would you mind waking Norfolk and Bismarck? Breakfast is ready in the galley. I have to eat quick so I can meet with Lizzie." Isaac said
"I will join you! After all, we are heading to my ship later today." Nimi said with a smile as she made her way over to Bismarck.
"She seems happier." Belfast said.
"I think the prospect of having me on her vessel for a few days has raised her spirits. I won't complain. It is a lot better than how she has been recently. She's been through a lot." Isaac said.
"I have to agree, Master." Belfast said with a bow.
Isaac watched as Nimi gently shook Bismarck awake.
"Lord Bismarck. Wake up. It's morning already." Nimi said as Bismarck woke and rose to her feet quickly.
"So it is. To what do I owe the wake up call?" Bismarck asked.
"Belfast made breakfast. Liebling asked me to wake you and Norfolk so him and I could go eat before we meet with Queen Elizabeth." Nimi said.
"Ah. A royal breakfast, huh? Haven't had the pleasure of enjoying one. I think I will join you two." Bismarck said with a small smile.
Nimi nodded as she made her way over to Norfolk. Nimi shook Norfolk gently.
"I'm not asleep, Nimi." Norfolk said as she opened her eyes.
"Oh, okay." Nimi said with a smile as she ran over to Isaac and Bismarck.
"Shall we get going?" Isaac asked as the two Ironblood girls nodded.
"Wait for me!" Norfolk said as she quickly stood up and followed them.
Isaac and the four girls made their way from the crew quarters to the galley.
"Wow. When did you start this, Bel?" Isaac asked as they walked into the galley, seeing a massive spread of food.
"A maid is always busy, Master." Belfast said simply.
"Norfolk, send a message to the fleet. Breakfast on the Norfolk ASAP." Isaac said as Norfolk transmitted the message to the fleet.
Several minutes later and the galley was packed full of sailors and Kansen alike, all of them partaking in the breakfast that Belfast had prepared.
"I made plenty more, considering the size of the fleet. So please, eat your fill." Belfast said as Elizabeth made her way into the Galley as well.
"Ah, looks like we don't have to go far." Isaac said as he and Nimi grabbed their plates as well as one for Elizabeth and went over to where she had sat herself.
"Ah, commoner, Good morning. I have it on good information that you will be spending the day onboard Z-23." Elizabeth said.
"That would be the case. Bremerton believes that it will help me find a place of peace and purpose aside from commanding the fleet." Isaac said.
"Excellent! That Bremerton knows her stuff. If that is the case, I will be taking Bel for the day." Elizabeth said.
"That is no issue. I am thankful you assigned her to me in the first place." Isaac said.
"Well, what good am I as a queen, if I can't even do my part for the commoner?" Elizabeth said.
"I appreciate your concern, Li... Elizabeth." Isaac corrected himself.
"Say, you only have four members of this fleet who have rings from you, right?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes. Eagle, Nimi, Odin, and Friedrich." Isaac said.
"It wounds my pride that your affairs tip heavily towards Ironblood." Elizabeth joked.
"Hey, I don't make the rules. I love all my girls, but the ones that love me back are the ones wearing rings." Isaac said.
"I for one, think it's wonderful. So many sisters of Ironblood united under one flag... and one man." Bismarck said stoically as she drank a nearly pitch black cup of coffee.
"I didn't think you were one for that kind of thing, Bismarck." Isaac said.
"I don't express emotions well, Kommandant. But I am still a woman." Bismarck said.
"That you are..." Isaac said. "... and a German bombshell at that." He muttered under his breath.
Nimi looked up at him with a sly smile, but chose to say nothing.
"Have you taken the time to check in on Eagle, commoner?" Elizabeth asked.
"Not recently. I had Malan go and get accustomed to staying onboard her vessel while the Bulins work on his experimental aircraft." Isaac said.
"If you cannot, I would send your second in command. Eagle has been silent for the better part of two days." Elizabeth said.
"Now that you mention it, she has been awfully quiet. And she hasn't shown up to breakfast either." Isaac said.
"Well, as I said, I would send someone to check on her." Elizabeth said.
"I'll send Odin over. Nimi and I should be heading out right about now." Isaac said as he looked down at Nimi.
"Well, don't let me keep you. I have plenty of things I must tend to today anyway." Elizabeth said.
"See you later, Elizabeth." Isaac said as he and Nimi left the galley, taking their empty plates up to the sink before leaving.
Nimi turned to face Isaac as they walked down the hall towards the upper deck.
"You have a thing for German girls, don't you, Liebling?" Nimi asked.
Isaac turned red.
"What makes you say such a thing?" Isaac asked.
"It is so painfully obvious! Nobody in their right mind has ever called Bismarck a bombshell before! You keep wooing all the women in the fleet, you'll run out of rings... and bed space." Nimi said with a chuckle.
"So what if I do have a thing for Ironblood girls? You all fascinate me, but you Ironblood girls are that much more... complex." Isaac said.
"I am so telling Bismarck." Nimi teased.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Isaac said frantically as Nimi took off down the hall. Isaac broke into a sprint to quickly catch her and scoop her into his arms.
"Aww, you're no fun." Nimi said as she rested her head on his chest.
"I'm not going to push anyone for marriage. If it happens, it happens. If not, I have four of the most beautiful women in the world who love me just as much as I love them. I already have more than I could ever ask for." Isaac said.
"I think your actions will draw more girls to desire you. You are far too outmatched to refuse, Liebling." Nimi said as the made it above deck.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, for now, let's get to work." Isaac said as Nimi nodded, pointing over to the bulin waiting by the railing.
Isaac and Nimi walked over and climbed down into the same small yellow boat that the bulins had now added a single mark in specific places.
"What's with the mark, little one?" Isaac asked.
"Well, we killed Oceana, so, a point for us!" The bulin said as Isaac shook his head.
Nimi and Isaac both shared a small chuckle as the Bulin sailed them over to Z23 to begin their day of work.