The St. Paul Cathedral on 5th street was an absolutely breathtaking piece of architecture, from it's high vaulted ceilings to it's carved wood and brightly painted drawings of Norberg's sacred scriptures. It was also foretold that a giant man, who swam across the freezing bay waters to bring back the trees from the nearby Gibsbeak Island, built this Cathedral for himself and the first settlers to survive the winter.

Anyone who visited Norberg should have a chance to explore it.

Naomi wished she had an opportunity to fully experience the beauty of it. But, she only had gotten a glance at the interior before she was rushed to one of the few small dressing rooms usually reserved for happy brides and babies preparing for their Name Day ceremony, and had been ordered to 'get ready.'

She still had no idea what exactly she needed to do to 'get ready,' since she had figured they would just be standing in front of the officiate, say a few words, kiss, and sign the certificate. Simple and to the point.

When she took in the small, lightly furnished room, she noticed there was a small dressing table in the back corner. She walked over to it and glanced in the mirror, and upon closer inspection decided that she could take a seat and at least pull out her leather hair tie, and use the complimentary brush that was lying on the table to get the knots out of her blonde hair.

She had just finished completing this task with her hair now smooth and loose around her shoulders, when the door to the room squeaked open. Naomi's hand instantly flew to the handle of her dagger.

However, she recognized the flash of dark red hair in the mirrors reflection, and quickly released her hold on the weapon. She swiveled around on the chair to gaze upon the comforting presence of her mother.

"Noams," She said in the same soft and gentle way that she used to when she was calming Naomi down from nightmares about Sirenas dragging her off ships and into the ocean. Before she would wrap Naomi in her strong arms and they would count their matching freckles together until Naomi drifted off into a more peaceful sleep.

The smile that had been growing on Naomi's face from that calming memory fell when she realized her mother was holding a white dress and white satin slippers. She tried not to grimace as she realized it was a wedding dress, there was no mistaking it.

It was long sleeved with a low square neckline and covered in white floral designed lace with a few large slits towards the bottom of the dress to reveal the more grayish colored underskirt. It was finished off with some small pink ruffles that decorated the neckline and down the large slits.

"You didn't have to waste your time getting one," Naomi said as she averted her eyes from the garment and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's already too dangerous for us to be seen."

Scarlett draped the dress over the back of a chair. "Nonsense. Even I had one for my wedding," She said nonchalantly and then gestured for Naomi to stand.

She followed orders and even managed to work up a small smile, hoping it would alleviate her mother from feeling guilty. Naomi began to remove her belt and dagger, waist cincher, shirt, boots, and breeches with quick ease and handed them to her mother. It was a skill she had to learn since danger could spring at any moment on a ship, and she didn't look very dignified trying to steer a ship or raise a sail in only a chemise and undershorts.

Naomi lifted up her arms as Scarlett pushed the dress over the top of her head and got her arms through the sleeves, similar to when she had helped Naomi get ready for their annual family portrait. Well, they had tried to have an annual family portrait up until Naomi was about 13.

"Mine, of course, needed to be of a little looser style since I was already a couple months pregnant with you." Scarlett continued as she worked on smoothing out the dress and seeing how it laid. "I gave them your size, so it fits pretty good. It might be a little long, but we can hem the bottom. I might not have the steady hand as your father does with a needle and thread, but I know well enough how to tie and pin up the ends of skirts."

"I know." Naomi bluntly said as it was all she could think to say in that moment.

That seemed to put a stop to Scarlett's uncharacteristic rambling as she simply nodded and Naomi felt a deep pang of guilt in her chest, as she may have said it a little too harshly. Turns out neither of them were being very good liars right now.

They both fell momentarily silent with the busyness and clatter of the city center filtering in through the large open windows to thankfully drown out their awkwardness. Naomi reached up to fiddle with her choker gems, something she usually didn't do when her mother was physically with her; since the whole reason they had matching chokers was so Naomi could feel close to her when she had missed her dearly and longed for her embrace.

"You don't have to do this, we can try and figure something out Noams," Her mother then said as she stepped forward and clasped Naomi's hands. She tried not to flinch from the shock of how cold they felt.

Naomi shook her head insistently and tightened her grip on her Mother's rough and worn hands. "Mom, I already said I was doing it and I don't back down. It's what I was always raised to do."

Scarlett let the corner of her mouth quirk up briefly and moved up to rub Naomi's arms before turning her around to start buttoning up the back of the dress.

"Perhaps your father and I should have also raised you to be able to be a little more selfish," Scarlett said abruptly.

Naomi's eyes widened as she looked back to the mirror and saw the reflected solemn expression on her mother's face. She had never seen these bleak sides of her mother before that it all felt so jarring, especially when Naomi recalled the way Scarlett had turned as white as a ghost during that conversation with Oswall.

Naomi bit her lip as she dreaded asking the question that was now on the tip of her tongue. But she needed to know what exactly they were facing and why.

"Mom...what was that creep Oswall talking about when he mentioned a Royal Pardon?" Then in a more hopeful tone she asked, "Was it a lie?"

Her mother remained silent for a few moments as she continued to button up the back of the dress while Naomi's gaze never left the mirror.

"No, it wasn't a lie."

Naomi felt her knees buckle slightly.

"What did you need one for?"

Another beat of silence passed before her mother leveled herself up and took a firm stance, similar to a warrior getting ready to head into a battle.

"When I was a young Captain, a few years into my military career, and your father was a young sailor under my command, we had orders to catch a blacklisted criminal, Captain Robert Lye. He had been a Privateer for the Crown, but then switched over to being a Pirate as he turned to attacking our allies and even our own ships, and keeping all the treasure they acquired for himself. He was becoming so much of a threat that Abby, while she was still new to ruling, put out an order to find him and bring him in, dead or alive."

Naomi was instantly puzzled. This was because of a Pirate? Why hadn't she heard this story before? Her parents had never shied away from telling her stories about being boarded by ruthless criminals or battling horrific sea monsters that had caused other kids to start crying, but only made a little Naomi sit still with intense rapture and excitement.

A growing panic started to settle in as Naomi began to feel that she already knew the reason why they hadn't said anything as she crushed handfuls of the delicate lace fabric tightly in her fists.

"Everyone took up arms, but my crew and I were able to track him off the coast of the town of Winter's Edge thanks to a helpful tipoff," Scarlett said as she intently focused on continuing to button the back, and therefore avoided having to look at Naomi's face. Just how many buttons did this damn dress have?

"It was a bitter cold season that year, but it hadn't stopped the burning fire that had been in my blood when I saw the destruction he had just done to this innocent town. I thought for a second that we had lost him, but then I saw his ship not too far out into sea. And all I really remember after that was the determination to go get the son of a bitch. To increase our knots by any means necessary, even if that meant taking damage to the bow and strain on the main mast."

Her mother then stopped to curse, undo the last couple of buttons, and start over again as she resumed her story. "My crew was good and we caught up to them easily. Then I-I was hasty in my calls, I was so sure...so reckless in getting rid of him and protecting others that I ordered we open fire and sink the ship."

She finished the top tiny button with slightly shaky fingers before bowing her head a little and made her appear as if she were smaller than even Naomi.

"The plan was successful and the ship sank, no survivors." Her mother let out a shaky breath with her head still bowed. "However because I was so hasty in my plans, so adamant to be a hero without doing any kind of negotiations with him, that I didn't know that Lye had taken aboard 10 hostages from the town until we fished Lye's body out of the sea and docked at Winter's Edge."

Naomi must have drawn in a sharp breath, for Scarlett looked back up and their eyes met in the mirror and caught her shocked expression. Her mother swallowed hard.

"I was horrified by what I had done that I would have fainted right then and there on the dock if your father hadn't been there to catch me and keep me upright." She rubbed Naomi's arm, but this time, it was in a way as if she was trying to comfort herself rather than Naomi. "I did spend the rest of the night throwing up and disoriented after I forced my crew to tell me the names and lives of those innocent people. Because of that, I also ended up coming down with a fever on our voyage back to the Capital City that kept me confined to my cabin, which didn't exactly help with what I knew everyone was thinking, that I was entirely ruthless and coldhearted."

"But you've saved so many people since then, surely that counts for something?" Naomi blurted out in desperation, surprised that she could still talk even though the rest of her body felt stiff as a board.

"Aye, I have dedicated my life to making sure I save as many people as I can. To see every person as human, no matter how much a villain they were branded as," Scarlett said, her voice now hollow, as she untied Naomi's choker and carefully placed it on top of the pile of her belongings. "But what is the true weight and exchange of a human life...of a soul. I fear I will never be able to repay that debt."

She was right. And that only made the tightness in Naomi's chest clench so hard that she felt asphyxiated by the truth.

Naomi went to go pull on the two long pink ribbons that came down from the bodice's neckline. But they slipped through her fingers as Scarlett picked them up and crossed them over Naomi's chest before tying them in a tight knot behind her neck.

"I had been content on answering for my crimes, so did most of the crew, including your father, all saying that they held accountability for going along with my orders rather than question them. But, instead, I got a Royal pardon, because, from what I was told, of my already extensive list of military achievements." Scarlett then inhaled a harsh snort. "But I also knew it was because I had been a maid-in-waiting to Abby for a good year and she knew me so personally, the only good thing to come out from that pathetic plan from my family to get me married off to some high ranking Duke or Lord."

"So, I decided not to squander the chance I had been given to keep living, but I knew I couldn't go back to the glamorous military life I had envisioned for myself, not with that big of a red stain on my ledger. So, I left Norberg, your father following me, that foolish and kind man, hoping that if enough time passed and enough deeds were done, that it would be at least forgotten in time by others."

Scarlett gripped Naomi's arm tighter. "And now here I am, a fool for believing that, and having this shameful secret used in such a way that I couldn't protect you, my most precious treasure, when you needed me most. I am so sorry that I failed you there."

Naomi opened up her mouth to try and console her mother as she had done many times in the last couple of hours, however, no words came out. Instead, she felt her cheeks run hot and saw that the deep blush not only colored her face, but also ran down her entire neck. A vivid sign of that discomfort she now felt.

How could she be expected to offer any kind of solace at this moment when she wanted some of her own.

She felt like the whole world was slightly tilting on it's side. Like her life was beginning to tilt as well. Every decision that had affected her life was now all because her parents had committed a war crime. All that moving around. All that time separated from one another. Everything.

Even as she saw tears rimming not only her mother's green eyes, but her blue ones as well, Naomi wasn't sure she could look at her parents the same way again.

After they each had time to hastily wipe away their tears, hoping the other hadn't noticed, and Naomi had gotten her shoes on, she and her mother came out of the dressing room and into the front entrance hall of the Cathedral. Esteban was already there in the foyer.

He had changed out of his usual burgundy colored jacket and yellow cravat, but not into his bright yellow colored jacket and white cravat that he always wore to formal functions. Instead, he had on a black jacket with light brown trimming and large bright gold leaf patterns, and a cream colored cravat. She had never seen this one before.

Esteban caught sight of them and drew himself up to a rigid stance, but he didn't put his hands behind his back as usual because he had something bright red cupped in them.

"Captain Turner. Miss Turner."

He then awkwardly presented his cupped hands forward and revealed a little pile of small, fresh, red roses. "It's tradition for Flores brides to wear roses in their hair."

Naomi didn't take the flowers though, all she could do was stare at them.

Flores brides.

It really hit her in that moment that she was marrying into a Royal family. She knew them on such a personal level, like her mother did - had - with Queen Abigail, that it was easy to forget their Royal status and great legacy. A legacy that had traditions that spanned back hundreds of years to when their Royal house had been born. Or maybe even longer. While the closest Naomi and her family had to "traditions" was eating crab for dinner when they were all reunited together and lighting colored lanterns for Navidad.

"That is very kind of you," Her mother then said, mercifully taking the flowers in her stead and putting them in Naomi's hair in a laurel-like fashion.

Naomi's hand instinctively went to her side to rest on her dagger hilt, and in a temporary panic forgot that she wasn't wearing it, nor her lasso, nor anything else that made her feel protected.

A little girl in a white robe that identified her as a Cathedral Child then stepped towards Naomi to present a bouquet of pink roses to her. After wiping her sweaty palms on the skirt of her dress, she smiled at the girl and gratefully took the bouquet, clutching the thornless stems tightly.

"Okay!" Scarlett declared, putting her hands on her hips and taking a step back to observe them. "I think you're both ready. I'll just go make sure Ruthie is ready as well and then you two can make your grand entrance together."

"The Chief Engineer?"

Scarlett nodded. "She was in training to be a Sage before she left to join the high seas."

Naomi shook her head in disbelief. Apparently everyone wasn't what they seemed today.

Scarlett cracked open the closed door that led into the Chapel enough to slide her body through. The brief sound of commotion and people escaped the crack before immediately being silenced once it closed.

Narrowing her eyes at the door, she asked Esteban. "We're not the only ones here?"

He had the audacity to just shrug his shoulders. "We needed to have witnesses."

"A witness," Naomi said fiercely. She may have not been to many weddings, but she knew that much at least. "Is the whole crew in there?"

"Of course not," Esteban retorted, jutting his chin out. "Only half the crew is here, the other half is back aboard guarding the ship. And the ones here I also gave them quite a few gold coins to pay some locals to also fill in some more seats."

Naomi was completely floored. She knew the kind of people who would and could attend a strangers Wedding in the middle of the afternoon for one gold coin. Which meant that the other half of their witnesses were Tavern wenches, drunks, and delinquent teens. She could see his intentions had to be sure that if need be, an indisputable amount of people could claim that they had witnessed this wedding. However, Naomi also wondered if any of those locals would actually remember being here after tonight.

Still, Naomi felt valid in the annoyance bubbling deep in her chest as rather than the gradual trickle of the gossip circle that could have happened when only a few crew members knew the situation, was now completely shattered and she could imagine this news spreading from here to Satu by the morning. Something Esteban would have never understood since he barely spent anytime on a ship. Really, anytime outside of the Royal Palace.

"I see they were able to find a dress for you as well like I had requested."

Naomi's head snapped up to him. "This unnecessary getup was also all your doing? Why?"

"Because a sham or not, this is still a Royal wedding, and my wedding at that."

She gripped her bouquet even harder, half tempted to throw it right in his self-approving face. Leave it to a man who supposedly had a marble bust of himself in his own bedroom to make a bigger deal of this whole situation.

All these extra preparations had been so needless. Now, this felt like a real wedding. And it was. It was her wedding, as Naomi was reminded again.

Naomi sighed deeply. "You could have at least told me about all of this. We had enough time to talk in that alleyway."

"There was no room for debate about these things and I knew you would probably want to object to them."

"I deserve some respect though! We've known each other long enough that I am more than owed it by you!" She then added spitefully, "And it's what a good spouse is supposed to do."

That statement sucked out all of the bravado that Esteban had had up until that moment. Pulling him out of whatever blasé head space he had put himself into and bringing him back to the harsh reality of what they were about to do.

There was no more time for arguing however, as the doors to the Chapel began to open. Pushing whatever barbed words they still might have for each other aside, Naomi and Esteban put on a stone façade and joined hands that were raised up high, for all to see.

After a slight stumble in their steps at the first note of the entrance organ music since both of them wanted to lead, they quickly recovered and were able to do walk down the aisle in matching, even strides. Another lesson Esteban had ingrained deep into her during her Royal quinceañera training.

Naomi began to feel disorientated as her mind tried to look and process all the faces in the pews that were watching them as they passed. She decided to keep her eyes fixed ahead until they were at the pulpit where the tough and tall Ruthie stood with a small book with the Avaloran crest printed on the front of it.

Once the music finished, Naomi heard the shuffle of everyone sitting down and wished she could do the same. She kept herself upright though as her and Esteban released hands, and Ruthie opened up her book and the ceremony began.

"My fellow Avalorans, we are gathered here today..."

It was after a few minutes however that Naomi began to let her mind drift. Hearing the long drawl of the traditional Avaloran prayers of goodness and health once again, reminded her how much of a drag it had been during Elena and Mateo's wedding.

At that time though, it had also sounded so beautiful and poetic, as she had sat in the front row while her two friends gazed into each other's eyes, smiling and mouthing a silent conversation to one another despite being in front of hundreds of guests that ranged from nobility to common.

It was hard to believe that what was being performed now was the shortened version of the ceremony as they were forgoing the personal vows and lighting of the union candle for obvious reasons.

As the anxiety started to creep up from the pit of her stomach, Naomi desperately wanted to make a reach for her choker and fiddle with the gems. She refrained herself though remembering that she wasn't wearing it and instead focused on drawing in the heavily perfumed scent of the roses from her bouquet.

That ended up being a bad solution as that scent mixed in with the thick incensed air made her feel a little lightheaded, and she almost missed when Ruthie said it was time to exchange rings.

Another one of the Cathedral Children, this time a little boy, stepped forward and lifted a purple satin pillow up to the couple. In the middle of it sat two identical silver rings. Naomi picked up the bigger one and was shocked by how light it felt. Rolling it between her fingers, it was highly probable that the crew had bought these clearly cheap rings from one of the dozen of less than savory people with big yellow smiles on the street sidewalks that sold all types of counterfeit jewelry off their questionably stained blankets. But, she supposed all that mattered was that it served its purpose right this second.

"Do you, Naomi Grace Turner, take this man, to have and to protect, to be your partner in all things and to be bound by the magic of old Avalor, from this day until the end?"

"I do." Naomi's voice came out in a small squeak as she pushed the ring with some effort onto Esteban's finger. She wasn't a particularly religious person, but couldn't help but worry if she would get smited this very moment for saying such a blatant lie during a sacred ceremony.

A few of the locals misinterpreted her response as her being choked up by a more loving emotion and let out an affectionate 'awww.'

"And do you, Esteban Francisco Ricardo Flores, take this woman, to have and to protect, to be your partner in all things and to be bound by the magic of old Avalor, from this day until the end?"

"I do." His response was in a much stronger tone than hers, but was just as derived of any real feeling as the ring easily slid onto Naomi's finger as it was slightly too big.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, Husband and Wife." Ruthie motioned to the two of them. "You may kiss the bride."

The same small girl from earlier came to take Naomi's bouquet. Then, they each moved in one simultaneous movement. His hands went to her waist. Her hands went to his shoulders. They came together for what was only supposed to be a ceremonial touching of the lips.

However, perhaps it was because of their nerves being so high that they both instinctively pressed more towards each other until they were kissing. Really kissing. Getting immersed like they had in the alley. Grasping onto something that was surprisingly now somewhat familiar. Something that felt safe.

And she was safe. Her family was safe.

"Thank you," She immediately whispered to him when they softly parted, eyelids still closed. And she heard him chuckle just as softly, a real and warm chuckle.

They opened their eyes and their gazes met, familiar tawny brown and bright blue that couldn't be mistaken for anything but theirs, an alarming realization settled over them.

They released each other's touch with the same speed as if they were touching a poisonous plant or a feral animal.

Luckily, this visceral reaction went unnoticed to the crowd at large, who were letting out cheers and whoops of encouragement and enthusiasm.

Naomi must have started to sway, because Esteban grabbed her elbow and firmly looped it through his arm as they turned to face the crowd.

The more she looked at the crowd of faces that began to blur together, the more their loud exclamations started to become muted to her, and was instead replaced with a loud buzzing noise she had heard before. But where?

And then it hit her.

It had been right after she had just sailed off from a small Polynesian Island in the Languid Sea, deciding whether to return to Avalor as she had done, or keep going further South. Naomi hadn't even taken the bandage off her new wrist tattoo before she had lost the wind in her sail.

She ended up being stranded in the middle of a motionless sea and endless horizons for almost two weeks.

Looking back, she couldn't really recall what she had spent each of those monotonous days doing. All she could remember is how she felt during the times that she would stare up at the bright, unforgiving sun:

Alone, scared, and with hope slowly fading.

The best thing about Port side pubs was that they were always lively and entertaining when the sun went down. A perfect place to trade sailing tips, win money, or to have another sizable crowd of witnesses to call upon to verify that they saw a newly wed couple head up to a room together and stay there the whole night.

Naomi sat on the windows edge with one leg dangling outside, the chilly evening air making the room not feel quite so claustrophobic, even though this was the biggest room they had, according to the owner of the Stewed Fish Head Inn.

Esteban was on the opposite side of the room by the fireplace, just staring into the flames of the fire that danced along the logs.

They had claimed these spots as soon as the door to the bedroom had closed behind them. And in the past hour, each had only moved so that Naomi could take off her slippers and Esteban his jacket while he gave the seedy room a dignified sniff.

He shouldn't really complain though, as this was the best they could do on such short notice. That's how this whole day could be summed up though she was reminded when the light had bounced off her cheap ring that was already starting to itch.

"I'm sorry about all this." Naomi then croaked out, trying to keep her voice steady. She realized as she starched at her ring finger that she hadn't actually given him an apology since so much had happened in the last few hours. And even with the deed already being done, she still felt like she owed him one.

"Elena would have never forgiven me if I had let anything happen to you," Esteban responded back flatly.

A little miffed that her sincere apology had been tossed aside so easily, Naomi crossed her arms and slumped back against the window frame. "Well, I'll be sure to thank Elena when we get back to Avalor."

She heard him exhale loudly. "I...I didn't want anything to happen to you either, Naomi."

Turning her head back to him with a crease in her brow, she was pleasantly surprised that he was now looking at her and leaning against the fireplace's stone frame in a way that exuded a more casual manner.

Naomi smiled faintly and gave him a light hearted quip. "Thank you for bestowing me with one of those oh-so-rare and sought after compliments of yours." He rolled his eyes at her in an exaggerated way, and she rotated herself so that her whole body now faced the inside of the bedroom. "I do still feel bad that I took away your first. That your first marriage had to be a loveless one."

"Most Royals marry for political reasons anyways, mostly to stop wars or have allies." He motioned his back to the direction of the sea. "If you remember, Elena even decided she would do that, if it came down to it for whatever reason."

Naomi did remember that announcement during a Grand Council meeting before she had left, but she had never believed it would actually happen for a second. True, Elena always seemed to have that natural ability and charm to make everyone fall in love with her, but she herself had never given out her heart to anyone except Mateo. And once their relationship was official, all Naomi had to do was bet on how long it would take for them to get married. As it should be for everyone.

"Didn't you ever want passion and love?" Naomi asked, even though she was more of an expert on the former rather than the latter, especially during this last year of traveling. And while he was a grouch, but he didn't deserve to be unloved, and she knew he was capable of it based on those small moments she had seen when he interacted with his family.

"Don't you want to share your life with someone who would sail through the 17 seas just to be with you?"

He averted his eyes from hers to look down at the floorboards. "I've never had that with anyone."

He then loudly cleared his throat and walked over to the table where a jug of red wine had been left for them and poured a little into the two wineglasses. "Besides, I've lived my life. I don't...didn't think I needed to fit that into the hand fate had dealt me."

Grabbing the wineglasses, Esteban walked over to her perch and handed her one of the glasses.

Naomi accepted his offer and took a large sip of the dark contents. She couldn't hide how her face scrunched up in disgust at the dry taste, but at least it left a good burn in the back of her throat.

Hopefully, if she drank enough of this, it would give her enough of an appetite as well, and she could eat some of the meat, cheeses, and bread that had also been set up in their room along with the refreshments.

"So, what are we supposed to tell people when they ask us how or why we got married? Especially these phony royals when they come for me tomorrow?" Naomi asked, thinking how they could save the earlier damage Esteban had done by letting the whole crew know about the marriage. And while she wouldn't mind telling everyone the absolute truth, after that truly awful and horrific encounter with Oswall and Edward, she knew she couldn't afford a second time of saying the wrong thing. Not every again.

"That we had a secret courtship," Esteban began as he turned dramatically on his heels and began to stride away from her. "We have known each other for four years, working as members of the Grand Council together that met very frequently. We've gone on Royal holidays together and you are a close acquaintance with the Queen. It would be more than enough evidence to use for why we decided to get married so suddenly."

"Why do I get the feeling that won't be enough to completely fool them," Naomi said skeptically and pushed herself to sit upright. None of what evidence he had provided had been untrue, they had done all those things together, but there was so much more about him that she didn't even know that could make or break this lie. She hadn't even known what his middle name was until she had heard it at the ceremony.

"Because it probably won't for those pretenders, unless Oswall has gotten senile in his old age," Esteban said with an actual catty grin on his face. "But it will fool everyone else outside our close friends and families. And that will be enough."

Naomi felt like he needed to elaborate a little more, especially when he sounded so sure of himself. But for now, she had one other question that was more pressing.

"And how are we supposed to spend the next 365 days?"

Esteban's first response to that question was to take a few sips of wine, and honestly, she couldn't blame him. One year had sounded so small and manageable when there had been no other option. But now, saying that three digit number out loud, suddenly made the ring on her finger itch even more.

"I still have my work as a Chancellor. Plus, I have also been running the Royal household and also the Royal Treasurer position. Well, I had been until Isabel found out and got me to lessen the responsibilities and -" Esteban cut himself off. "My point being is that I still have a firm position at the Palace, so it would only seem fit that you come and live at the Palace too where we'll set you up in your own Royal apartments."

"But I don't have my own official position at the Palace anymore."

"It's tradition that ladies who marry high ranking Royals become ladies-in-waiting to the reigning Queen."

"A lady-in-waiting? That's my job?" Naomi repeated back with a scoff as images of sipping tea and giggling in poofy dresses came to mind. "I suppose it's better than being mistaken for a handmaiden."

And, Naomi also considered that this type of "official" position would keep her close to Elena, which is where she wanted to be more than anywhere after this whole ordeal.

Naomi cupped her forehead. "So, let me get this correct: we'll wake up in the morning in our separate rooms, have breakfast together, do paperwork, eat dinner, go back to our rooms, and repeat."

"Yes, that sounds about right."

He said it so apathetically that Naomi almost wanted to ask if he was fooling around. There was no way someone could expect to live their life so monotonously. But since his dry attitude was still the same even after all the turmoil that the day had brought, she knew he was serious. And that arrangement would make this situation the most bearable.

"Alright. Deal." Naomi said as she raised her glass to him.

Esteban raised his glass as well and they each took a sip of their wine, sealing this agreement.

Naomi felt herself begin to finally relax, when Esteban had to suddenly ruin it by saying.

"Also, it would not hurt me in anyway if you were to continue your relationship with Captain Nunez."

She choked lightly on her sip of wine and turned to gape at him. Once again, his expression was serious.

"Surely you don't think that my honor to vows so flimsy and my consideration to other's people's feelings non-existent?"

His eyebrows creased. "What in the EverRealm are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about!? What are you talking about!?" Naomi exclaimed and leapt off the windowsill. "You're telling me that it's okay to commit adultery."

"It's not really adultery if I tell you-" Esteban pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm telling you it's okay. And if anything, for my pride, I would only ask that you act with some discrepancy."

"We're already in some rough waters right now, and I'm at least being responsible by making sure we do this right." Naomi put a hand on her hip. "So, not only is there no way that I'm going to even think about doing that, but I'm also not going to do anything to jeopardize this marriage, especially since our 'consummation' of it is in the hands of people who wouldn't know their ass from their elbow right now!"

Esteban only huffed in annoyance at her rant as he drained the rest of his wine and put the glass back down. He then set to work on unbuttoning and rolling up one of his shirt sleeves. Before Naomi could ask him what he was doing, he picked up the small knife by the food platter and did a shallow slice across his forearm. Without hesitation, he then threw back the covers of the bed and pressed the fresh blood to the sheets, creating a small red spot.

Esteban gestured his arm to the bed. "There, seemingly consummated."

"Oh Gods above, man!" Naomi put down her glass and quickly grabbed the napkin from the same food tray. "You didn't need to be so dramatic!"

She forced him to sit down on the bed while she sat down beside him, and wrapped the napkin tightly around his cut. "And, it's not supposed to hurt, let alone bleed if you do it right. So there's no need to seem so brutish."

"This is nothing," Esteban said, his eyes going to the blood spot, but there was also something now faraway in them. "And I don't mind appearing to be a villain to other's if it means surviving."

He hissed slightly as Naomi tied the last little knot too tightly. She hadn't meant too, but Esteban prided himself on always being right that it often resulted in disastrous situations that had luckily been saved by herself or Elena or pretty much anybody near by. So it sounded so un-Esteban like for him to say that, that it threw her off.

"What do you mean by that?" Naomi leaned in closer to him. "What are you hiding?"

That question brought him immediately back to attention as he clenched his jaw and hastily got up from the bed.

"Just put down the bedding and you're free to take the bed." Esteban went over and poured himself another glass of wine. "I'll be staying up to finish that Prune Trading Agreement."

He dug into the pocket of his discarded jacket and took out the rolled up scroll and pen from earlier before taking a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire, and without another word unrolled the parchment to begin working. Leaving Naomi even more confused than she had been before.

She clambered to her feet with the intention of continuing this conversation, but the pounding headache that immediately pulsated in her head from a mixture of wine, lack of food, and immense fatigue put a stop to any fire she might have still had.

Reluctantly, she did as he suggested at flipped the top quilt back down and laid down on the firm bed. Naomi let out an audible groan as she squeezed her eyes tightly and snuggled deep into the pillows as the candlelight in the room only made her headache feel even worse. All of this was accompanied by the sound of infuriatingly loud and annoying pen scratching penetrating the air, courtesy of her...husband.

Only 364 more days to go.