A Matter of Honor Chapter 4, an azur lane/碧蓝航线 fanfic

A/N: I love that I'm generating so much interest on who the mystery maid is, and I hope you are enjoying the mystery too, but sadly it is time for that part of the mystery to come to an end.

Part Four – A Face and a Name

As sunlight peeks into my room, I rub my face and groan. I'd been up for a while, but I just didn't want to go downstairs, the answer was simple really… the arguing I could hear from downstairs. Belfast and Gneisenau had been going at each other since Gneisenau likely arrived this morning. I sigh and roll out of bed, and get into the shower to go over yesterday afternoon in my mind.

I'd been lucky that the meeting with Nagato had gone well and I had been informed that she would select a represented from her fleet to serve as a direct contact for me for anything that will require the Empire's involvement and I should be able to meet them on Monday in my office.

Once I was done with my shower I headed downstairs and took a mental note that it was quiet, almost too quiet. I don't know what I expected, maybe the two of them trying to kill one another, what I saw when I entered the kitchen sent a chill down my spine.

In one corner I saw Belfast, pacing back and forth, in the opposite corner, Gneisenau with her arms folded under her bust, tapping her foot on the ground while glaring at Belfast. And between them, my mother, her back was to me and I heard her ask in a surprisingly calm tone of voice, "Now, will one of you tell me just what in the bloody hell is going on in here?"

Belfast spoke first, she hadn't noticed me yet it seems, "I was trying to figure that out, my Lady, this… trollop is claiming to be the master's assistant, among other things."

Gneisenau saw me out of the corner of her eye, I knew this was true as I saw a smirk start to play at the edge of her lips before she said, "I am no trollop you… you…"

I saw her trial off like she was looking for a solid retort before she centered herself and chose to go with, "What you are is the help. Herrin Bismarck has given him my hand."

From where I was I could see one of Belfast's eyebrows twitch and her eyes went wide… a direct hit for Gneisenau. Belfast adjusted her dress, before adjusting her hair as she said, "This is news to me, I have not heard confirmation from the Master to this yet. Till such time, I do not believe you and you should not be in the Master's quarters… I was tasked by Her Majesty to see to his needs, safety included and I will tolerate no transgressions against those orders."

"Mitchel, what do you have to say for yourself?" asked my mother without looking in my direction, it left me wondering how she had spotted me before.

Belfast stiffened and looked in my direction as if she just noticed now that I was here, before offering a curtsy to me as she said, "My apologies Master if our arguing woke you."

I shake my head and walk into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of tea before leaving and heading into the sitting room, this, this will need caffeine to deal with. As I started to drink it, I heard my mother from the kitchen say to the both of them, "One word out of either of you, and there will be hell to pay. I will be right back."

I sipped more tea as my mother crossed into the room, hands on her hips, lips pressed firmly together, issuing her question without actually saying anything and I tell her, "I didn't get a lot of choice in Gneisenau being hefted onto me."

She looks shocked, her red eyes going wide and her hands slipping off of her hips as she starts to look a little sad and I elaborate, "I had a meeting with Bismarck yesterday, and I made it clear I was not looking for a lover, but she gave me Gneisenau as an assistant and possible lover if things develop in that direction."

I can see my mother takes on a look of relief as she sits across from me and says, "Thank goodness. I was worried there for a moment… but why would Bismarck do that?"

I shrug before sipping more tea and telling her, "One of the reasons she gave had to do with me needing someone that could prevent the issue from Friday happening again… though she also has a task of keeping an eye out for things that could affect Iron Blood interests."

My mother nods, before leaning forward and saying, "Shrewd as ever Bismarck."

"Oh, for the record, she knows about our relationship… she figured it out on her own, as did Gneisenau." I tell her, sipping more tea.

Wales shrugs and leans back in the chair before saying, "Well to be fair, it was never going to be a secret… Likely much of the base will either be told or figure it out on their own in short order."

As the caffeine finally hits me, I tilt my head to the side and ask, "This is going to be a strange question, but do you know which maids were on this base when I was born?"

My mother shifts a little, looking out the window, her brow knitting together as she asks, "Why?"

I shrug and say, "Washington says she saw my father handing an infant to one of them one night before that maid fled out to sea in the night with me. I'm trying to figure out who she was so that I can start trying to track her down as the next piece of the puzzle."

"Curacoa." Says my mother as a tear starts to roll down her cheek she adds; "Curacoa disappeared for a few months not long after you were born."

Well, now I had a name to go with… now I just needed a face to go with the name… and hopefully some answers too. I reach over and pat my mother's hand as I say, "Then we should go and find her to get some answers, is she still here?"

Wales nodded at me, before wiping her eyes with the back of her right hand and saying to me, "That can wait for a few hours, right now you have a bigger problem; you have two kansen in your kitchen each have overlapping duties with each other…"

I sip my tea again and correct her, "Come Monday I'm likely going to have three."

My mother tilts her head to the side and I add, "I am being assigned someone from the Sakura Empire to work closely with me… Nagato wouldn't take no for an answer, apparently."

She laughed, leaned forward, and patted me on the shoulder as she said, "Welcome to Midway."

Once I had finished my tea, I returned to the kitchen to see Belfast working away on the stove, Gneisenau was at my table, sipping some coffee, looking out the window. I had to admit she is very pretty when not fighting with Belfast… When the two of us entered the kitchen, I ask, "Belfast, how well do you know Curacoa?"

Without skipping a beat or looking in my direction she informed me, "She is my senior, she held the position of head maid before I took over… she seemed happy to let that happen, why do you ask, Master?"

I take a seat at the table across from Gneisenau as I say, "Gneisenau, I would like you to clear my schedule for today, there is a personal matter I want to tackle today and I don't know how long it'll take."

For the first time, I notice she has a tablet with her, with a few quick finger movements she says to me, "Done, Kommandant. The next thing on your schedule is your office for oh-seven-hundred tomorrow morning."

I relax a little and notice movement out of the corner of my eye of something white, just as Belfast places down eggs and toast in front of me as she says, "Breakfast is served, Master."

It wasn't lost on me that Belfast did not place anything down for Gneisenau, guess this peace is temporary at best…

XXXX

When I and my mother got to the Royal Navy dorm, really calling it a dorm didn't do it justice… I mean it really was more of a complex… As we entered the main building of it we navigated the labyrinth that made it up to stand before the doors to the main hall, the hall that Queen Elizebeth claimed as her throne room and audience chamber. I wasn't sure if I needed to knock or have my presence announced in some fashion.

However that seemed to be a moot point, as my mother pushed open both doors; she had informed me on the way over that Curacoa would likely be near the Queen, serving as her personal attendant. As the doors swung open I could see the room was in the process of being decorated, likely for the upcoming gala that was being held for me. I follow behind Wales as she marches down the hall, making a direct line to the Queen.

Looking ahead I could see the Queen, her shadow Warspite and a maid in a white and dark blue uniform, long light brown hair and blue eyes, she seemed unfazed by our arrival, likely not knowing what was about to go down I think…

"Ah Wales, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company today?" asked the queen, eyeing up my mother.

Wales kept her face passive, looking to the Queen and not our quarry as she said, "Sadly Your Majesty, we are not here to provide you with that…" she paused turning her attention to Curacoa as she continued, "Rather we are here for some answers… Curacoa."

That did it… we have a runner.

The maid made a run for the back of the room, getting there before we could close the gap, but I had put a plan in motion before we even got here. Wales had protested that such a thing would be needed, Belfast protested the idea of letting her actually run for it, and Gneisenau… well Gneisenau actually seemed like she liked the idea.

"We are not amused Wales…" said Elizabeth as she stood from her chair, her hands going to her hips.

"I'm sorry your Majesty, but this is personal." Spoke Wales as we continued to follow at a slower pace and she added, "I want to know why Curacoa worked with Henry to take Mitchel away from me."

Elizabeth blinked her blue eyes at us in disbelief as we continued past her and towards the sound of a crashing and a woman calling out, "Unhand me you Iron Blood cur!"

My mother turned her attention to me and said, "You were right, she'd make a run for it."

I nod as I said, "I'm glad I made Belfast take Gneisenau around back then."

Once we got into the back I tilted my head to the side as I saw Gneisenau pinning Curacoa to the ground, Gneisenau's right knee planted firmly in the middle of Guracoa's back. As we got closer, my mother asked one word, "Why?"

"Why what?" asked the pinned maid.

"Why did my father give me to you to take from this base?" I ask.

When my words registered to her, she stopped struggling as she tilted her head up to look at me as she asked, "Mitchel?"

Good to know that's always been my name then.

"Yes?" I said back to her as I kneeled on the ground in front of her.

She smiled at me as she said, "You've grown so much, that last time I saw you, you were this little thing that snuggled against me and slept, consumed a liquid from a bottle, or needed their diaper changed."

Huh, well that confirms that I was in her care for a while.

"So are you going to answer my question?" I asked her as I motioned for Gneisenau to let her up.

Curacoa pushed herself off of the floor so that she could sit facing me, she kept smiling at me, it was almost like she was happy to see me. She took a moment to pat down and adjust her uniform before she said, "I followed the orders of Commander Henry Thatcher, he ordered me to take you to his home in Davenport England, and stay with you until he arrived."

I rub my head and sigh, back to square one it seems…

My mother cleared her throat and asked, "Why did he order you to do that?"

"Firstly my Lady, let me tell you how sorry I am for my involvement in what happened. My heart ached for you when I returned and you were mourning what you thought was the loss of Mitchel." the maid said, while not meeting my mother's eyes and she fidgeted with her hands in her lap.

"That doesn't excuse what you did." Wales said while she folded her arms under her bust and issued a stern expression.

Curacoa shook her head and said, "No, it does not…"

Taking a moment before digging in her uniform Curacoa took out what looked like an old flash drive, she said, "Commander Henry Thatcher told me to keep this with me and I would know when to hand it over."

I took the flash drive and sighed, this was another clue that I needed to figure out… the problem was I hadn't seen a port that reads these in almost ten years. But it was a start, at least… there must be something on the base that can read this, otherwise, why leave it on this drive?

I stand up and put the drive in my pocket while I say, "I'm not the one you need to make things right with Curacoa, but thanks for holding on to this."

Turning my attention to my mother I add, "I'm going to try and track down a computer that can read this flash drive, once I do, I'll let you know what I find."

Wales looks to me and nods while she tells me, "And I am going to have a long chat with Curacoa… about proper etiquette with members of the Royal Household."

As I'm leaving the Royal Navy dorms, I turn to Gneisenau and show her the drive and ask, "Any idea where I can find something that could read this?"

She takes the drive from me, rolling it over in her hands, I can see she's really racking her brain about it before she suggests, "From what I've seen so far sir, I don't think your father would leave this to chance…. Perhaps he hid something that could read this, someplace?"

I sigh and take the drive back as I say, "One step forward, two steps back…"

She shrugs before taking off her glasses and wiping the lenses as she countered, "Not so much, you know who took you, you know why she did it and you know that more information is almost in reach. IF anything, sir, you might be close to solving this."

Rubbing the back of my head, I let out another sigh as I say, "True… and I'd really like to find out what is on this drive."

"If you would permit me, sir, I am finding that I'm curious about this too." She says to me as we return to our pace back to my quarters.

XXXX

That night, I'm lying on my bed, looking up at my ceiling, racking my brain about this, Gneisenau was right; my dad would never leave this to chance. I picking up my phone I saw that it was already twenty-three- hundred hours, I had spent all day looking in supply and found nothing… I wish I knew… wait, I do know someone that was stationed here, and was in the same position I am now! I start counting on my hands to figure out the time difference before I fire up my lap-top and see if I can reach them for a video chat.

It rings a few times and I start to wonder if I'm catching them at a bad time, just as I go to close the application I see his face smile and ask, "How is life on the base going for you, Mitchel?"

"I have a favor to ask Uncle Johnathan…" I start to say, man does that ever feel strange to say…

Even without seeing him fully, I could tell he was working on his morning prep in his kitchen, not really paying close attention to me as he asked, "What kind of favor?"

I rub the back of my head and ask, "If you were to hide a computer that could read this kind of flash drive…" I paused to put the drive on-screen before adding, "Where would you hide it?"

He stops chopping and looks at the drive, his head tilting slightly as he said, "That's an old drive…"

"I know, but this is where the next clue in the mystery of why I was taken from Wales." I say to him, looking at the drive myself, as I shift on the bed.

I see him stroke his chin for a moment before saying, "I remember during my time there I stumbled across a loose floorboard one night in the office, but I never had a chance to check it out, some stuff happened that night that resulted in me nearly getting cut in half."

"Where in the office?" I ask him.

"By the filing cabinet on the north wall, near the corner." He tells me.

Well, tomorrow then…

He follows that up by asking me again, "How are things on the base going for you?"

I sigh and hang my head as I say, "My mother seems nice enough as does Washington. Bismarck and Nagato have both gone about putting someone in my orbit… At least Bismarck was upfront about it, she wants Gneisenau to report to her anything that impacts Iron Blood interests and to be someone that could become a lover with time…"

I hear him start chopping again as he says, "She didn't offer Tirpitz?"

I laugh as I tell him, "She said that she would if she could, but Tirpitz has rotated home. Nagato told me that I would have her selected liaison tomorrow."

He nods and asks, "What about the Eagle Union or the Royal Navy?"

Leaning back on my bed I tell him, "Well I met this interesting girl from the Royal Navy, she gets embarrassed so easily…"

"Swiftsure, she's a good girl, honest, dependable… just not the most confident girl there." He says.

"Yeah… then there is this girl from the Eagle Union with butterfly tattoos, I'm having trouble remembering her name though…" I say, racking my brain for her name again.

"Marblehead. She's a great example of looks can be deceiving. She looks and talks like a party girl, but she's anything but." He says, stopping his work again to look me in the eyes as he adds, "Just be careful, some of the kansen there can get overly attached, quickly and easily… I've heard stories about some of them."

"Thanks, Uncle Johnathan, I'll do my best to keep the pen out of the ink." I let him know.

This time he laughs, and laughs hard, before saying, "Yeah… I tried that for the first year… By year two I was seriously looking and then things just kind of happened with George, by accident. So keep that in mind Mitchel, sometimes the universe will have a plan for you and drop the right person into your lap and you won't even know it right away… so just be open to it, alright?"

"Alright, but I'm not actively looking… I've got other problems to deal with, and it's only been a few days. Thanks for the chat; I'll let you get back to your prep." I say to him.

"Good night Mitchel." He says to me before closing the application.

With the link dead, I close my laptop and turn in for the night, I had some digging to do in the office tomorrow.

XXXX

I went in early, much to the protest of Belfast about me leaving without actually eating anything, but I wanted to find this lose floorboard before anyone else got into the office. Once I got in there, I started to crawl around on the ground, checking the boards right where I was told to look, sure enough, I found one, sadly it was stuck under the cabinet.

With a heavy sigh, I started to pull out file after file, so that the cabinet was lite enough that I could actually move it. Once I had it out of the way, I looked down at the boards and noticed that it looked like three or four of them weren't right, my head tilted to the side and I got down to press on the end of one of them. As I did so, all of them lifted at the other end, made sense, they were set up to hide something…

Getting the compartment open, I saw what looked like a sealed case, with my name on it. I pull the case out of the compartment and put the cover back. Taking the case over to my desk I open it to see an older-looking laptop inside of it. I lift it out and take the power cable to plug it into the wall, no telling how long it's been since it had power…

Once it fires up, I see that it's asking for a PIN… great…

I sigh and think he knew I was going to find this; he wanted me to know what was on this… I run a hand over my head before I shrug and type in the month and day I was born, it worked! As soon as it finished loading the operating system, I plugged in the drive and it started to autoplay. I saw my father, he looked right around my age… He took off his cap, rubbed his head the same way that I do, and started to say, "Mitchel, if you're seeing this then something happened to me and you've made it to the Azur Lane base on Midway."

I watch as he shifted on his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose as he continues, "First off, you mother is one of the kansen here, her name is Prince of Wales… if you could show her this, if she's still there, I know she'll be overjoyed to know that you're still alive."

"Little late for that dad…" I say with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

"Now for something that is going to be harsh, but it's true… you were a planned accident." He pauses to sigh before continuing, "What I mean by that is, High Command wanted to know if kansen and humans were compatible, all the data suggested that they are, but you know about data is only in a vacuum."

He leans back in his chair like he's trying to look at something before continuing, "I was ordered to trying to see if they could, with who was up to me… Wales wasn't my first choice. We were working late in the office and we had a little too much scotch one night, then things happened and you were born nine months later."

I watch as he starts to rub his right arm with his left hand, looking away from the camera as he continues, "News that she was going to be bringing you to term sent alarm bells ringing at high command, as they worried that such an expensive asset like Wales was going to be combat ineffective for months, possibly years after your birth."

He gulps and looks down as he says, "So I had a choice to make, hide you and tell everyone that you died shortly after you were born, or let High Command take you by force and do god knows what with you… Now I just need to figure out a way to get you this recording when you're old enough to see it…"

I close the laptop, stuff it back in the case and turn to look out over the port as I let this information set in and figure out how or what I'm going to tell my mother, as I had promised her I would share the information with her.

XXXX

A/N: Chapter four done. There the major part of the mystery is over, now he just has to adjust to his life in his new home and navigate the politics in place now.