Part three – Cold Feet

I've always found the phrases of a 'watched pot never boils' and 'time fly's when having fun' to be very odd. I understand the meaning behind them, but it is amazing how both can happen at the same time. We were less than a week out from the wedding date and it was both coming up fast and not fast enough, in the five months since we got the invitations sent out, Victorious and Formidable have joined our fleet here in the pacific. This gave Illustrious and her siblings time to chat, shop, and do whatever it is they do together. Me on the other hand, my relationship with Sovereign is still frosty, we have a working relationship, but not much of a familial bond so to speak.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as one of my visiting sisters speaks up with that Scottish accent she's got, "Come on, little brother, speak yer mind to me."

I turn my attention to her as she runs a hand through her long red hair before I sip from my beer and say, "A lot is going on Conqueror, most of it has to do Sovereign."

She downs her beer before gesturing to the bar for more as she says, "I've been getting' that feelin' from ya. Not to mention she's been complainin' about ya too."

I roll my eyes as I lean back and say, "No surprise there."

Conqueror sighs and turns her empty pint glass as she leans forward to rest her chin on the palm of her left hand as she said, "If ya dunna like not being the flagship, then ya shouldn't've turned it down."

I shake my head before I say, "It's not that, I'm much happier not being in that position, I hate politics."

When a fresh glass arrives for her, she sips from it before asking, "Then if that's not the problem, then what is?"

I sigh and drink more before I say, "It seems that no matter what I do, it's not enough for her."

Conqueror nods and I was about to say something when I heard an Irish accent from the other side of the boot wall, "Oh come on, Sovereign, it can't be that bad."

I raise an eyebrow at Conqueror and she shrugs before leaning forward and whispering, "We're all family, best to solve our issues with one another."

I sigh and finish my pint before I say to her as I get up to go, "When you get the information, let me know."

She sighs and sits back before saying to me, "I'll find ya later then."

XXXX

As I open the door to my flat, I see a collection of shoes that I know are not all of Illsutrious' shoes. And my ears pick up a bit of laughter before I hear Belfast say, "Alright, mine next."

I take out my phone and check my calendar and sigh inwardly, I had forgotten that her shower was going on tonight. I hear the ripping of paper before some squealing comes from the living room and I start to leave, just as I hear my mother say, "I wish Mitchel's sisters were here for this."

"It's alright, I had a private one with them earlier. There was something important that Conqueror and Dominion wanted to do with Thunderer tonight and it was something that I approved of." I heard Illustrious say.

I nod to myself and quietly slip back out of my flat; well at least I know she was in on it. With little choice right now, I head out to the field that overlooks the port and sat down on the grass, propping myself up with my arms before I look up at the sky and sigh.

I'm not sure how long I sat there before I hear someone sit down beside me and she says, "What am I going to do with you?"

I smile and turn my head to look at her as I greet her, "Hey Forty-seven, been a while."

She smiles at me and bumps her shoulder against mine as she says, "Sorry about that," she pauses and puts a hand into her wet suit to take out an envelope before she adds, "it took Herrin Bismarck a while to get this to me."

I shake my head as I say to her, "No problem at all, I'm glad you're going to be there."

After a minute, she looks at me and asks, "You do this, and it's a forever thing, are you one hundred percent sure you want to go through with this?"

I sigh and flop onto my back as I say to her, "I am. When it comes to Illustrious, I know I am far better with her than not. If she hadn't been shoved down my throat by the half-pint, I don't think I would've lasted this long."

She flops down beside me, leaning her head against mine as she says, "Probably not, you were spiraling down a dark path."

The two of us laid there looking up at the stars for a few moments before she asked, "So, how is it going to happen?"

I shrug as I say to her, "She wanted something both large and small, we've got our guests as well as media attention coming. But we are not doing something traditional for humans; both I and Illustrious will be arriving at the same time to the hall from opposite sides."

She nods and teases me with, "If you want to run away, I'm sure the Iron Blood will still take you."

I laugh as I say to her, "I've missed you."

I feel her reach over and pat my shoulder as she says, "Me too, big guy. But you know me; I've got to patrol the waves." She pauses for a few moments and then asks, "So what's got you out here tonight?"

I roll my head to look at U-47 as I say to her, "Illustrious is having her bridal shower tonight, and I needed to get away from my sisters for a bit."

"Not much for family, are you?" she asks me with a slight smirk.

I shrug before I say, "When I was a kid, I'd always wanted a big family, I never knew my mother, I never had siblings, I didn't even know my grandparents… it was just me and my father…"

She nods and adds on for me, "And now that you've got a big family, you want to get away from it?"

"Sort of, things are easy with my mother and aunts, things are easy with Conqueror, not so much with Dominion. But things with Dominion are a damn sight easier than they are with Sovereign." I tell her.

U-47 rolls to her belly and says to me, "I heard that she made you her number two and she allows you the freedom to voice your thoughts."

I nod as I sigh out, "Only in private, I need to toe the line in public."

"That's not a bad deal." She says to me, pausing in the middle before saying, "There is a reason why Tirpitz rotated back home, from my understanding Herrin Bismarck refused to afford her that ability."

"Huh, I would've thought that kind of arrangement would be more common." I say to her.

She shakes her head and says to me, "From what I've managed to figure out it's only you Royal Navy types and the Eagle Union fleets that seem to get that. The rest of them seem to have more strict ways of doing things, hence why I'm out at sea a lot."

I reach into my pocket and check the time and my eyes go wide as I say, "It's already going on for oh-two-hundred!"

U-47 pushes herself up and offers out a hand as she says, "Then let's get you home."

XXXX

When I got home I carefully and quietly opened the door, to my surprise the light was still on in the living room. My head tilted to the side and made my way in there and I was greeted by the sight of Illustrious cleaning up bottles, plates, wrapping paper, and party games. She stopped and wiped her brow as she twisted slightly to look at me as she asked, "Would you mind helping a bit?"

I nod and go over to start helping as I ask, "Did you have a good time?"

She smiles and takes a seat on the couch as she says to me, "It was fun, but I honestly had no idea that Belfast had such a," she pauses and tries to figure out how to say something before smirking a little as she added, "dirty mind."

I blink a couple of times and she laughs, taking out a little box and handing it to me as she says, "She said she uses one just like it."

Opening the box, I close it quickly before I clear my throat and do my best not to laugh as I say, "Well, I am sure we all feel that itch at some point."

Illustrious gets off of the couch to place her arms on my shoulders, before she pressed herself against me as she whispers to me with a wink, "Not all of us have been lucky enough to find someone else that can scratch that itch for us." I drop what I was holding to place my hands on her hips, lifting her off the ground as she locks her hips around my hips and adds, "Shale we?"

"We shale." I whisper to her before carrying her to our bedroom.

XXXX

XXXX

Later in the day, I was strolling around the port, mostly since I didn't have anything else to do, my first stop was the fish and chip stand, it was amazing how often I chose to stop here. It had been a source of comfort for me really, a reminder of where I came from really. After I took the little package over to the fountain someone came and sat down beside me and put down a little box as she spoke to me, "Congratulations, Mitchel."

Looking over I see my aunt George sitting beside me, looking at my beer-battered cod. I make a gesture towards it as I say to her, "Thanks."

She smiles and picks up a piece of the fish, popping a bit of it into her mouth before asking me, "Is everything alright?"

I look down at my feet and sigh before I admit, "I am having difficulties with Sovereign."

George nods, crossing her knees and saying to me, "Family is complicated, but that is not what I'm asking."

I pop a bite of fish into my mouth before I look off to the side and say, "I am worried that I will be worthy of Illustrious, I never had a good example of a working home life with a mother and father."

She nods, taking another bite of the fish as she said to me, "Marriage is not easy. And honestly, I am sad that one day, Jonathan will die and I will live on. Yet as sad as that thought makes me, I'm better being with him than not." She pauses and leans back a little, placing a hand on her belly before telling me, "But I know that in several months I will have another person in my life that I will love. So, tell me aside from that one worry, what else is on your mind?"

"I'm worried she will grow bored of me or find someone she cares for more. We kansen do not have a biological age limit it looks like." I sigh out.

My aunt George places a hand on my shoulder as she says, "That is always a possibility, but I have seen the way she looks at you Mitchel, I don't think that is something you have to worry about."

"What if the inverse is true and I grow board of her?" I ask.

My aunt reaches over and opens the take-out container, taking out a slice of tart and handing it to me as she says, "Eat this, you'll feel better."

As soon as I get it close to my nose, I know what it is, my favorite treat, one I haven't had in what felt like a lifetime now, treacle tart. I sink my teeth in, and a smile starts to hit my face as the familiar taste rolls over my tongue. After I swallow the bite I say to my aunt, "Thank you."

She reaches over and rubs my shoulder as she says to me, "Mitchel, sometimes I get the feeling you are prone to spiraling out of control, yet from what I have seen, Illustrious really is your other half. She is usually optimistic and is less prone to spiraling out of control. The two of you really are well-matched with one another."

I shake my head as I say, "I'm not so sure about that, I don't know what I do for her."

George laughs as she says, "Aside from the back rubs? You gave her the confidence in dealing with Littorio when you were in the med, she could be the carrot and you the stick." She pauses for a moment before saying to me, "Honestly, Mitchel, cold feet from what I've learned is extremely common before getting married; it's a big commitment."

I nod putting my bite of tart down before her news finally hits me and my eyes go wide, "Wait a moment, did you just tell me that I am going to have a cousin?" She nods and I smile and say, "Congratulations!"

She laughs and says to me, "Thank you, but I haven't even told my sisters yet. But more to the point, Mitchel, I know you are making the right choice, you and Illustrious are perfect for each other."

I nod and reach one of my arms around her shoulders and pull her in for a hug as I say, "Thanks, Aunt George."

She pats my back before saying to me, "Anytime Mitchel. But next time you are anywhere near the UK, I expect you to stop in."

I nod and try to relax a little as I say to her, "I will be sure to try and do just that Aunt George."

She pops another bite of fish into her mouth as she stands and turns to face me before saying to me, "Now, your wedding is but a few days away, you need to relax. Your side of the aisle will not be empty, I know that I and my sisters will be there, as will your sisters. Sadly Johnathan had to stay in Davenport this time."

I shake my head as I stand, taking my food as I say to her, "That's alright Aunt George, I am content to know that it will not be empty."

She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiles brightly at me as she says, "Now, go and enjoy the day, I am off to gather my sisters and break some news to them."

Rather than simply nod this time I pulled her into a tight hug as I say to her, "Thanks."

She softly pats my back before kissing my cheek and stepping out of the embrace as she says, "We are all very proud of you, now, off with you." And she makes a shooing motion with her hands before turning and heading off to find my mother no doubt.

With a deep breath I look out over the port and let it out slowly, knowing that in a few days, everything will be so different, yet so very much the same.

XXXX

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A/N: And here we are at the end of Chapter 3, setting up for my first crack at what is going to have the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding (and a dress rehearsal for the Italian Honeymoon). I hope you have been enjoying this return to the world of A Matter of Honor so far! As always, if you are on Reddit, if you want to follow me on there (u/MetusR) you will see previews of what I'm working on as well as a massive collaboration I'm working on with a few Reddit Exclusive story lines there.