Despite Carabiniere's repeated apologies that they only had "standard" guest quarters, I found the Sardegnian accommodations more than sufficient. Big, plush bed, soft pillows, and a fairly large desk that I could use to comfortably get work done for the few days we would be spending here. If these were standard, I idly wondered what kind of amenities the VIP suites came with…

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and for a half-second, I wondered who it could be. Then I remembered Littorio's promise to take me out tonight.

"One second, Littorio," I called out as I made my way to the door, making sure my uniform was presentable as I did so. Once I was certain everything was in place, I opened the door to find her standing there, that bemused grin on her face.

"Buonasera, Ammiraglio, " she purred as she leaned against the doorframe. "All settled in, I take it?" She leaned in closer, her face coming closer to mine, close enough for me to catch a whiff of a new scent. Had she been wearing this perfume when we first met? Granted, the smell of the sea can sometimes overwhelm subtler fragrances, but I would imagine I would have remembered this one. The unmistakable combination of gardenias, roses, and orange blossoms, combined into a heady aroma that was downright intoxicating. It would seem she was going all out in her efforts to seduce me.

Still, I wouldn't back down now. I was committed and I would play my part until the bitter end. If one could call being seduced by a beautiful, charming woman "bitter". "I did, thank you," I said, keeping the tremor from my voice. "Are you going to tell me where we're going, or are you going to keep me guessing all the way until we get there?"

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you, Comandante," she grinned as she finally leaned back. "But first, I was thinking we could stop by a little ristorante on the way there for a bite to eat. You haven't had anything since before I came aboard Enterprise, si?"

The sudden pang of hunger in my gut served to drive her point home as I nodded. "Now that you mention it, I could go for some food."

"Bene," she said, holding her arm out. "I know just the place…"

It was a short walk from the base to the restaurant, and as we strolled down the street, I found myself torn between the beautiful old buildings, the open harbor with the beautiful stars in the sky, and Littorio herself. She, herself, seemed to keep her eyes focused ahead, a proud smile on her face, content to let me simply bask in the sights of what I'm sure she considered to be "her" port.

I still wondered what she was up to, was this all to get in better standing with Illustrious and her sisters, was this a challenge to be overcome for her, or was this more nefarious? She wouldn't be the first woman to use her charms to spy for her country, and I doubt she would be the last, but something about that didn't feel right. Nothing I could point to and use as hard evidence, it was more of a gut feeling. But considering that gut feeling had saved me on more than one occasion, I was more than willing to trust it for now.

As I was ruminating, we came to a halt in front of an old building, with the sounds of bustling dishes and quiet conversations coming from inside. That, combined with the heavenly aromas wafting out of the door every time it opened, told me that we had arrived at our destination. Well, our first one, that is.

As we headed towards the entrance, I withdrew my arm from her and stepped forward, opening the door for her. As I turned back to her, I saw the look of confusion on her face vanish just as it was replaced by a charming smile.

"How chivalrous," she declared, gracing me with a gentle caress of my cheek as she went inside. I quickly followed, trying not to smile like a love-struck fool as I did so. Once inside, we were seated fairly quickly in a quiet little candle-lit corner and left to peruse the menu. I tried my best to recall my smattering of Italian as I looked at all of the choices. Littorio, however, simply gazed lovingly at me, resting her chin on her hand.

"By the way, Comandante, how did you find the accommodations?" she asked. "Not too sparse, I take it?"

"Not at all," I answered, looking up from my menu. "I can't believe you consider those 'standard'. What do you consider VIP quarters, silk sheets, and a minstrel who serenades you to sleep?"

She grinned and leaned back. "You know, that's not a bad idea. Perhaps I could make it up to you by serenading you to sleep tonight?"

I self-consciously cleared my throat and pretended to study the menu once more. "No need for that, it's been a busy day and I imagine I'll have no problems falling asleep tonight."

"As you wish," Littorio smirked. "In the morning, then." She giggled at my flustered expression before quickly changing the subject. "Is this your first time experiencing the glory that is Sardegnian cuisine?"

"First time in a long while," I answered, and when she gave me an inquiring look, I continued. "As I said, my grandmother was from Sardegna. She moved to the Eagle Union with her parents when she was just a girl, but she remembered the recipes handed down to her by her family. Any time she'd visit, or we'd visit her, she'd make us some authentic Sardegnian dish…" I got a wistful smile on my face as I remembered the warm, inviting smells, the sounds of water bubbling away on the stovetop.

Littorio watched me, a soft, unguarded smile on her face. "And what was your favorite dish?"

"Dinner or dessert?"

She gave it some thought before answering, "Dinner."

"Probably the seafood spaghetti. I don't remember what it was called in Sardegnian, but it was clams, mussels, shrimp, all this seafood on top of spaghetti, and this delicious, spicy tomato sauce. When we'd get to her house, you could smell it from the moment you walked in the door."

"Frutti di mare."

"What?"

"The dish," Littorio explained with a warm smile, "It's called Frutti di mare. It means fruit of the sea."

"Seems apt," I conceded before glancing down at the menu again.

I heard the playful smile in Littorio's voice well before I glanced up when she said, "It's on the menu."

A sheepish grin crossed my face as I set the menu down. "Well then, I guess that settles what I'll be having. And what about you? Any special dishes?"

"Anything with pesto brings back fond memories of Genoa, where I was built," she smiled. "A good pesto pasta with seared scallops? Perfetta. And any place that serves a good risotto. Did your grandmother ever make risotto?"

"No," I shook my head, "She was usually cooking about a half-dozen different dishes by herself so she didn't have the time to keep stirring risotto. I don't think I had risotto until I graduated from the academy. Delicious stuff."

"It's Sardegnian, how could it be anything but?" Littorio proudly declared. I couldn't help but chuckle and nod in agreement with her. She smiled for a moment, then peered intently at me. "Is this your first time in the Meditteranean?"

"It is not, although it is my first time in Sardegna."

She let out a quiet, yet dramatic gasp. "You came to the waters that bore your grandmother and you didn't even stop in Sardegna?"

"I wasn't the one in charge," I protested. "We were on a training cruise and I couldn't be off the ship for more than a few hours. The only place we stopped was in Crete before shipping out through the Suez Canal."

"And what did you think of Crete? Did you find the beaches to be beautiful and the women on them equally so?"

I grinned sheepishly as I answered. "I, uh, I spent most of the time exploring some of the ruins."

To my surprise, Littorio didn't look at me as if I were crazy this time. Instead, she got a very smug smile on her face as she leaned back, tapping a gloved finger against her lips. "I suspected as much. Is history one of your great passions?"

It was a good question, and after giving it some thought, I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Ancient history, myths, that sort of thing, have always fascinated me. Just haven't really had time lately to enjoy it."

That smirk became a full-blown grin, like that of the cat that had eaten the canary. "What?" I asked, wondering what she was so pleased about. "What's that smug smile for?"

"Oh, no reason," she casually said with a wave of her hand, still smiling. "You'll find out in due time…" Without giving me time to respond, she quickly steered the subject back to food. "So Frutti di mare was your favorite dinner of your grandmother's, what was your favorite dessert?"

As soon as she asked the question, the memories came flooding in, putting a warm smile on my face. "As much as I want to say lemon meringue pie, mostly because hers was the best and she made it every time, it's gotta be struffoli."

Littorio's eyes lit up at the mention of a familiar dish. "A dish we're very familiar with around here," she grinned.

"Oh, I'm sure," I agreed with a nod. "The recipe she used was handed down by her mother and her mother before her. Before she passed, she handed it down to my mom, but she's never been much of a cook so it's really just in her hands for safekeeping. In theory, it'll pass to me in time. But I haven't had any of it since Grandma passed away and I do miss it…"

Littorio fixed me with a sympathetic smile and nodded. "It's usually a Christmas dish, and it is just the beginning of summer. But I will keep an eye out for you."

I shook my head, feeling rather overwhelmed by her generous offer. "I can't ask you to…"

"You didn't," she cut me off. "I am offering."

I looked her in the eyes and saw the resolve behind them. She wasn't going to take no for an answer, and I didn't think it was worth starting a fight over it. I relented and smiled, nodding to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, what do you make of the wine selection…?"

Dinner seemed to fly by after that. The Frutti di mare, while not exactly like Grandma's, was exceptional, and my dinner companion continued to be excellent as well. Even if she wouldn't tell me what she had planned next.

As we stepped back out into the cool night air, Littorio slipped her arm around mine again and began to guide me back down the street, away from the base. I let her lead me on for a few minutes before my curiosity once more got the better of me.

"Now are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked.

Littorio merely laughed and shook her head. "As I said, Comandante, it is a surprise, and one that you'll love, I promise." She glanced over at me, a teasing smirk on her face. "Are you afraid that I'm trying to kidnap you?"

"Well, now I am," I quipped, half-jokingly. "But I have to admit, as kidnapping attempts go, this has been an overall pleasant experience thus far."

"Nothing but luxury and decadence for our guests, even our unwilling ones," she said, punctuating the statement with a haughty, yet melodious laugh. "Now, tell me, who do you think settled Taranto first?"

Caught off guard by the sudden history quiz, I wracked my brain to make an educated guess. "I'm gonna say the ancient Greeks."

"Si," she agreed. "But which ones?"

I had absolutely no clue, so I decided to take a complete shot in the dark. "Uh...the Macedonians?"

"The Spartans."

"Really?"

"Mhm," she hummed as she nodded her head. "They settled here and named it after Poseidon's son, Taras. Some of the structures still remain, mostly underground chambers, but still open to the public for tours."

"That's amazing!" Then I realized where this was going. "Wait...is that where we're going?"

To my surprise, she smiled and came to a stop. "No," she answered. "It's where we are."

I looked around, confused. I didn't see any signs of any ancient Greek architecture nearby. Just old buildings to one side, and the open harbor to the other. "Here?"

"Here," she confirmed, pointing just above the door next to us. I followed her finger to the sign placed just over the entrance. While my Italian was next to non-existent, I was pretty sure that "Museo Spartano'' translated into "Spartan Museum."

I couldn't hide the broad smile from my face nor the excitement in my voice. "You're kidding? Now? They're open at this hour?"

Littorio smirked as she knocked on the door. "Normally, no, but I called in a few favors to get a private tour, just you and I."

The door cracked open, then swung wide as the person behind it recognized my host. An older gentleman with thinning white hair and a weathered face stepped out, smiling broadly at both of us.

"Signorina Littorio, so good to see you again! And this must be the famed Ammiraglio you spoke of earlier."

"This is," she confirmed. "Admiral, this is Sergio Bergamini, curator of the museum here. Signor Bergamini, this is Admiral Inigo Vian, Comandante of Azur Lane."

I reached out to take his outstretched hand, surprised at just how strong it was. "A pleasure, sir. And thank you for staying open so late for us."

"It was no trouble at all, Amiraglio," he replied with a kind smile. "Signorina Littorio has done so much for the city, I was only too happy to repay her in kind. Now come in, come in, and we'll get started."

Considering the humble sign and inconspicuous building housing the museum, I wouldn't have expected it to be such a treasure trove of historical artifacts and information. And yet, it was. Not only was it fascinating from a historical perspective, but the lower ceiling and dim lighting gave the entire place a somewhat intimate aura. I found myself sticking close to Littorio, and when she wrapped her arm around my waist, I wrapped my arm around hers in kind. As the tour concluded and we said our goodbyes to the curator, I found myself smiling happily, admiring the full moon and the way it illuminated the harbor in front of me.

"That was...amazing," I sighed. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Comandante," she smiled back. "I had a feeling you might enjoy something like that."

"You're quite good at reading people, considering I don't think I gave away any clues to that sort of thing in the brief conversation we had."

Littorio smiled and shrugged. "It is a gift I have. One of many, and what good is a gift if you don't put it to good use?"

"Fair point," I conceded. "Do you do this sort of thing often?"

"Which part? The seduction or the museum?" she asked, a mischievous smirk on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

I chuckled and answered, "Now that you mention it, both."

She laughed softly, low and melodic, before answering. "The museum I have not been to in some time. I discovered it during my long recuperation after my first encounter with your radiant Signorina Illustrious. I had been looking up the major cultural sites so that I could take her to one of these places when I found the museum. It's quite interesting, but not my forte. Still, I, how do you say, 'stuck a pin in it', should the occasion call for it one day. As for the seduction," she grinned wolfishly at me, "that is only for those who take an interest in me, whether they realize it or not."

My cheeks became hot as I felt myself blush, and I could only hope that, in the moonlight, it wasn't too obvious. "Yes, well," I began, doing my best not to stammer. "As I said before, you can be very charming when you want to be."

"Grazie. Now, let's get you back to your quarters. I would hate for you to lose any sleep on my account. At least, for now…"

She laughed as my blush deepened and we headed back down the road. As we were walking, something occurred to me and I asked, "Is your sister as good at reading people as you are?"

"No," she shook her head with a grin. "Don't worry, you won't have such a formidable opponent as Littorio at the negotiating table. But don't underestimate Veneto, she's managed to keep the Senate under her control and negotiate with both the Azur Lane and Crimson Axis without either truly turning on her."

She had a good point there, and I idly wondered if she was feeding me information, or if she was just being open about her sister. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you. How come you never got into politics with your sister? I get the feeling the two of you would have dominated the Mediterranean by now."

Littorio sighed, and lost some of her confidence and cheer as she answered. "While it's easy to read someone, it is much more difficult to get them to cooperate if they're unreceptive. Take Enterprise, for example. She's no great fan of me, and very protective of you, easy enough to spot. But getting her to change her mind? Much more challenging. Vittorio's much better at it than I, and even with her abilities, it can be hard to sway the human heart…"

"Very true," I sighed. "In any case, thank you for the advice. Hopefully, the negotiations will go smoothly, but any help is welcome."

"Of course," she replied, bowing her head slightly. "And afterward, perhaps you would like to visit the castle tomorrow?"

"You guys have a castle, too?"

"We do!" she chuckled.

I almost immediately agreed, but something suddenly occurred to me. "What about you?"

That seemed to catch Littorio off guard, and she raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Is that what you want?"

Her smile faltered slightly. "I-I live here, I can go see anything at any time! You are our guest here."

"Yes, but the only time to go see things with me is now. Is there anything here that you would want to go with me?"

She paused and thought it over, her gloved hand idly stroking her chin. When she responded, her tone had lost much of her confidence, but it was replaced by a sincerity I had yet to hear. "I would love to be able to show you around Littorio, to show you how luxurious and powerful a true battleship can be. Maybe take you on a quick sortie?"

To be honest, she'd already piqued my curiosity with the mention of a couch and boasting of how plush her living spaces were, and her sincere tone simply made my decision that much easier. I smiled and nodded. "Yes," I answered, "I'd love to. Enterprise may wind up chaperoning this little outing, but yes."

A smile, genuine and warm, crossed her face before it changed into her usual, confident grin. "Meravigliosa! I was thinking of bringing Vittorio Veneto along anyway, so perhaps she can keep Enterprise company."

"Sounds like a plan. What time should I meet you?"

"Come to the docks immediately after the negotiations. We'll have little daylight left, and while we are no longer as disadvantaged at night fighting as we were against the Royal Navy, shell splashes are much less impressive at night."

"Very true. And I take it you've got a romantic dinner under the stars planned for us on the way back to port?"

Her eyes lit up and her grin grew larger at that suggestion. "Already with me less than a day and you know me so well, Comandante."

"Perhaps you're not the only one who's good at reading people," I bluffed and shrugged for dramatic effect.

She let out a short, barking laugh and shook her head. "Or perhaps I should try to keep you on your toes more. But that must wait for another day."

I was about to ask what she meant when I followed her gaze and realized we'd made it back to my temporary quarters. "So it must," I agreed sadly. "Until tomorrow then, Signorina Littorio."

Littorio smiled and leaned over, kissing me softly on the cheek. "Until tomorrow, Ammiraglio. Sleep well and dream of me…"

A/N- Ah, so good to see love beginning to bloom. But is it truly love, or is this Littorio playing the Commander like a mandolin? Until next time, fair winds and following seas!