"I think I'd like to keep the lamp, he seems friendly and cheerful." Rosalina hummed as she sipped her tea, Beckman raised a quizzical eyebrow and shook his head.
He couldn't stand the chattering furniture, it was unsettling and had an eerie vibe to him, it was only after he'd kicked every last one out of his room that he could finally relax. His firm belief was that if your furniture can talk then it's most likely capable of murdering you.
"Oh come on, I'm gonna be living with Homies soon so I should at least make friends with them. Least you can do is to tolerate them." She huffed putting her cup back down on its saucer.
Thankfully her night hadn't been as bad as she'd assumed. Galette brought tea and they discussed Totto Land, how each island had a food theme and how each had its respective Minister to govern it and how the rankings of soldiers and servants worked. The information was daunting and a bit hard to take in but in the New World almost anything was possible, even islands where everything was a candy.
The Homies in her room had been equally as welcoming, after the Minister of Butter had left for the night both the lamp and the chair were quite talkative, asking questions, singing joyfully about how lovely a bride she will be and how there would be lots of delicious cake to eat. In truth a lamp and a chair had made the night easier for her.
"Furniture shouldn't have opinions. It's unsettling; I don't need a damn cup telling me to stop drinking." Beckman grumbled, the final straw for him came after a small cup in his room had told him it was unwise to keep drinking alcohol so late.
Five minutes later every Homie that'd been in the room was unceremoniously tossed out into the hallway, much to Katakuris displeasure since he the Homies were an added precaution against a revolt.
Rosalina shook her head in response and crossed her arms, if it was up to a cup to be a voice of reason that should have been enough of a wakeup call for him to stop drinking. Though it was clear they'd never be on the same page concerning the Homies it was comforting to know Beckman was there to support her for the next few days.
Continuing with their tea and chatting it wasn't long before their peace was disturbed, it was still early in the evening and neither had seen much of the Charlotte Siblings since Galette said good morning to them. Both Rosalina and Beckman had been sitting at a small table on the deck, having tea and discussing mundane things for a large portion of the day.
Both Galette and Katakuri had contacted Big Mom and confirmed Rosalina was on board, sending the photographs and listening to what plans their mother had both were happy that it was Amande taking the position as Sweet Commander, both were relieved to hear that it'd be Amande sailing out to greet Shanks and to make sure he didn't cause any problems for the wedding.
It didn't take much for Katakuri to assure his mother everything was under control, Rosalina had been nothing but compliant and cooperative thus far and it didn't seem like she had any plans to cause trouble.
As long as she was compliant and behaving Big Mom would remain happy, if Shanks wasn't willing to go to war over his daughter that left some room for manipulation against him.
"And we were having such a pleasant time. What do you want?" Beckman sighed glaring up at Katakuri, it was clear Beckman had animosity towards him simply because it was Katakuri who came to take Rosalina in the first place.
Earning himself a scornful look from Rosalina she huffed, rolling her eyes at the sheer pettiness, before she was given the chance to nag at him for his unpleasant attitude Katakuri rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Rosalina, I need you to come with me. There are things I need to discuss with you, preferably without your chaperone or his bad attitude around." Grabbing the chair Katakuri pulled it away from the table, more or less making a statement that Rosalina had no choice but to go with him.
Jumping up from the chair she raised her hand before Beckman could start protesting "Not a word, if I need you then I'll start screaming bloody murder, finish your tea and relax." He words were of little comfort to Beckman, he'd been tasked with taking care of her but so far it was being made extremely difficult.
Crossing his arms Beckman grunted and turned his head, he didn't want to believe it but Rosalina was more than capable of handling herself, heck Beckman had been the one who oversaw her training as a small girl.
Without another word Katakuri walked off and Rosalina followed as best she could, having to either move at a brisk walk or a light jog to keep up with the tall man she struggled to keep pace.
Down corridors and upstairs Rosalina became more and more confused by the labyrinthine layout of the ship.
"I needed to speak with you alone in regards to the wedding and preparations; I thought it best to have no interruptions or unnecessary comments." Stopping in front of a door Katakuri shoved it open, peering inside Rosalina found it was a small office.
Bookshelves, file cabinets, a large desk with a gigantic armchair set behind it and two simple chairs on the opposite side. It seemed rather plain but then again it was probably seldom used.
Walking inside she climbed up onto one of the large chairs, after what Galette had told her last night she had a fair idea as to why she was needed alone. Maybe she'd finally learn who she was to marry and how everything was to be conducted.
Shutting the door Katakuri took a deep breath. With Rosalina successfully on board and en-route to Whole Cake Island it was time to tell her all she needed to know, whether or not this went smoothly depended on her opinion regarding Cracker.
Going to the oversized armchair Katakuri sat down and pulled a few pieces of paper from a drawer in his desk, there was no point beating around the bush any more than they had to.
"You're not a stupid little girl so I'm not going to treat you as one. In return you can give me the same respect and treat me the same by not playing ignorant with me." He spoke bluntly as he eyed her meticulously; her demeanour and mannerisms were that of a naive and innocent girl, Katakuri had become well aware that was simply a mask she wore.
Most likely a result of being a pirates daughter her only options were become cutthroat and heatless or hide herself behind a mask of pure innocence and ignorant passiveness, it was something Katakuri had seem numerous times over among his siblings and that he'd noticed upon joining the party aboard Red Force.
Seeing as the Sweet Commander had her all figured out she decided to finally stop playing defence via the act of pure ignorance. It was a relief to know someone had figured it out before she ended up in a marriage where everyone thought she was some ignorant sweetheart-
"Thank god someone noticed. Pretending to be a peaceful optimist is a damn challenge." She breathed "And hay, don't get yourself down, I think you're a very clever girl." With a smirk Rosalina sat back in the chair and began to swing her legs as they dangled off the edge.
Putting his head in his hand Katakuri accepted that he'd set himself up for that remark "Her and Cracker are going to get along great."
"Fair enough, let's get down to business." Clearing his throat Katakuri stood up and leaned over his desk, holding out a piece of paper which Rosalina quickly took.
Scrunching her nose she looked at the bounty poster, clearly this wasn't his but it did have the Charlotte name on it, Charlotte Cracker, worth 860,000,000 belli, an impressive bounty to be sure.
"You're set to marry my little brother and fellow Sweet Commander, he is Charlotte Cracker. Now, that picture isn't his, it's just what the marines mistook for him, the bounty is his though." Katakuri explained, in truth Rosalina was surprised.
If anything she expected to marry someone who was low ranking and basically useless within the Charlotte family but she was going to be marrying a Sweet Commander.
The name did ring a bell to her, when Strawhat Luffy had come aboard Red Force to talk to Shanks he briefly mentioned 'a biscuit man named Cracker' who he beat up in a forest of talking trees. Of course she thought it was some wildly embellished story half made of fairy tales, the New World was a strange place but how Luffy described it made it sound more like a children's story.
It finally clicked in her head that she was set to marry the 'disgraced' Sweet Commander that Luffy had beaten, setting off the chain of drastic events that engulfed Whole Cake Island, then again it wasn't as if the Strawhats were known for tactful or quiet rescue missions.
Another piece of paper was held out to her, quickly taking it she looked to Katakuri with curiosity "This is what Cracker really looks like, as fair trade since I've sent the photos Galette took on to Whole Cake, that way you and Cracker both know who they marry."
Looking down at the paper Rosalina was surprised by what she saw. When she thought 'Sweet Commander' she thought someone gigantic and foreboding, someone with an eternal resting bitch face and a no-fun attitude just like Katakuri.
When she thought of 'Sweet Commander' she certainly didn't think they could look so cute and cocky.
The hairdo was a tad much, as were the sparklers at the end of each pointed strand on either side of his head. The grin on his face was wide and full of delight, soft eyes that were a gentle shade of pink and the scar covering his right eye. No doubt he was capable of looking equally as sadistic as he could cute; he didn't get such a high bounty or title of Sweet Commander for being law abiding.
All in all Cracker did look like the sort of guy she could try date under normal circumstances, circumstances granted that her father left her love life alone and it was not a forced marriage.
Waiting for a response Katakuri sat back down, he knew it wasn't so easy processing these kinds of things, after all she was looking at the man she'd be spending her life with, that wasn't easily set aside.
After a moment a smile broke onto her face "He looks rather sweet but his bounty suggests he's no stranger to getting his hands blooded. I look forward to meeting him." Placing the photograph over the bounty picture she tilted her head, it was no surprise the Marines couldn't get a good photo; their incompetence had been made apparent in the past.
"I'm glad you think so, though, Mama hasn't been able to locate your bounty poster as of yet. Do you have one we can use?" Katakuri asked, it was his surprise that any attempt at finding the bounty poster for the child of a famed pirate had turned up no results; all mention of her seemed to be scarce or kept hidden. The World Government either feared making her identity public or was entirely ignorant to her existence; after all, the illusive child of Red-Hair Shanks was little more than a joke or a silly rumour in pubs.
To her embarrassment she had yet to receive a bounty from the World Government, Shanks had been a dutiful father in regards to keeping her safe from the Marines, the lack of immediate resemblance coupled with the fact of her not often being seen in public with him meant it was seen as a purely coincidental meeting.
Laughing sheepishly she rubbed the back of her head "Well, you see, I don't have a bounty. My father never wanted that to be a risk so he took all necessary precautions to make sure the Marines didn't know, though these days there are a bunch of people in the New World who know me so it's a bit overdue." With a nervous giggle Rosalina had to stop herself before she said too much.
Raising an eyebrow it didn't surprise Katakuri in the least, his mother had been the last Yonko to find out the truth about her existence and the added feature of two current Shichibukai having history with Shanks could explain the lack of Marine interference.
The last time the World Government dared target the child of Yonko it resulted in a mass prison break and the war that shook the entire world.
It was clear even without his Haki that it was by the will of her father that she'd remained entirely off the Marines radar, which as a luxury wouldn't be lasting much longer though. Not with Big Moms plan to 'accidentally' let slip about the coming wedding to The New World Gazette and Grand Line Gossip newspapers.
The news being made public knowledge would certainly recover any respect that was lost thanks to the Germa 66 incidents; the gossip and fuss over a wedding between two Yonkos children would cause chaos for sure, chaos that Big Mom wanted to use to her advantage, her plans being much furthered by the all too willing nature of the bride-to-be.
"Then don't get too upset if you receive a bounty soon, it's only a matter of time before you get noticed, being who you are will warrant you a high one simply on the basis you exist." Trying to sound comforting Katakuri fell short of the mark, coming off as rather sarcastic with his remark.
Lowering her eyes Rosalina pouted, it was only a matter of time before she was targeted and made to look like a villainous child of a feared pirate, at the very least she hoped they had a decent picture of her to put on the poster "I know, now I'm getting married that'll happen much sooner than later. If someone on your end doesn't slip up it'll be someone from my end who does it." From either side there was no doubt this would be made a sceptical of and panic would soon follow behind.
With an agreeing nod Katakuri shrugged, it wasn't his concern if she got a bounty; she'd soon be part of the Charlotte family and would have the protection of two Yonkos as a back up to her safety.
Getting a bounty for even affiliating with the Charlotte family was nothing new either, after his own marriage became public knowledge Dante had a bounty of over 100 million belli put on his head simply because of who he was forced to marry. Katakuri didn't even want to try using Haki to know how large hers would be.
Leaning back in the chair she let out a sigh, her father would lose his mind if she got a bounty without good reason. There wasn't much she could do about it, like a lot else that was happening she was pretty much powerless and forced to go along with it all.
"With that out of the way I can inform you of what will be happening once we arrive and where you'll go after the wedding."
At that, Katakuri went into a long winded explanation of Totto Land.
Its different island, how each island played a key role in the running of Totto Land by the produce it exported and who governed the islands. Along with that he took quite a while explaining the duties of a Minister and how she'd share the duties once married, as well as what would be expected of her as wife of a Sweet commander.
After over an hour of having information pelted at her Rosalina was mentally exhausted, there was so much for her to remember and so much for her to remain conscious of. Learning of how severely Cracker had been punished as opposed to everyone else only made the situation make more and more sense to her.
Cracker had been punished for losing to Luffy, Luffy had ruined Big Moms plan to exterminate Germa 66, Shanks had welcomed Luffy with open arms after they'd raised hell in Totto Land.
It has been one gigantic set up from the beginning to get petty revenge not only on Shanks but to try punishing Cracker even more, it was unfair to everyone except Big Mom.
With the most important thing out of the way Katakuri began a very long-winded explanation of who would attend the wedding, who held what rank, her future duties as a Ministers wife and how to properly conduct herself at the Tea Time tomorrow.
Once she'd finally been released from the largely one-sided conversation Katakuri led her back to her room, making up an excuse that she needed to rest for tomorrow, Rosalina wasn't going to complain about his excuses, the room had plenty to keep her entertained anyway.
Sitting on the bed she grabbed one of the books from the bookshelf, it was nothing extremely interesting to her, a simple book on the magnetic fields of the Grand Line.
Idly chatting to the lamp and chair Homie about the book it was quite easy for her to unwind and relax, the peace was strange for her, aboard Red Force there was always something for Rosalina to be doing or someone who'd want to talk with her.
Reading aloud for her new Homie friends it was close to another hour before a soft knock came on the door, before she could ask who it was the door was open and in came Beckman dragging a trolley behind him.
"Brought you some dinner, thought you might be hungry. You were gone so long I started to worry." Beckman mumbled as he kicked the door closed, ignoring the two Homies entirely he dragged the table and non-Homie chair over to the bed.
After Rosalina had been gone for more than half an hour it was cause for concern, sending Beckman on an agitated search of the ship, refusing to ask for directions it was a fruitless search that Galette had to put to an end. By the time she'd found the poor pirate Rosalina was already back in her room resting.
After a mild argument Galette led him to the kitchen and agreed that he could make whatever he wanted, provided he didn't blow up the kitchen or kill any of the chefs
Sitting up on the bed she marked her page and set the book aside, feeling quite delighted Beckman had thought to bring her some food, the chefs on board were rather decent but their specialty was baked goods and tea.
Scooting to the edge of the bed where the table had been placed she waited with a smile as Beckman set the two plates of food down "Decided we should have a bit of a home comfort for the journey. Minced Sea King meat with fried onions and some gravy with a few peas thrown in there too, just the way you like it."
Looking at the plates piled with food Rosalinas eyes practically lit up, it smelled so delicious, like it always had in the past, with all there was to worry about it was surprising Beckman remembered they needed to eat.
Clapping her hands with glee she squealed with delight "Oh you remembered! It looks absolutely delicious." Grabbing her fork Rosalina quickly dug into the meal, letting out a groan of joy once she tasted it "Mmh so good!"
Beckman rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he sat down "Heh, it's nothing compared to how she used to make it but I'm not an entirely lost cause in the kitchen." With a chuckle he sat down and began to eat.
For a large part of the meal both remained quiet, savouring not only the delicious meal but the fact that it would be the last time they would be dining together like this.
Finally breaking the silence Beckmans curiously got the better of him "So, what did the friendly giant want you for? You were gone so long I got worried." He asked, looking past her he glanced to the papers lying at the edge of the bed.
Reaching over she grabbed the papers, along with Crackers picture and bounty poster she'd also been given a map of Biscuit Island, a list of Ministers and who governed over each island along with a list of things not to mention in the presence of Big Mom.
"Oh yea! I know who I'm gonna be marrying, honestly I think he's pretty cute, even if his bounty picture is wrong he looks fun." With a smug smirk she passed over the photo and set the bounty poster on the table.
As soon as Beckman saw the bounty and picture he began to choke on his food, hacking and beating his chest to dislodge the food "Jesus fucking Christ! He's worth more than half our fucking crew, how the hell old is this fucker? He looks as old as your father!" Beckman shouted as soon as he could speak again.
He'd been keeping hopes up for Rosalina marrying one of Big Moms lesser known children and at least one with a modest bounty. She was to marry one of the 'Monsters' of the Big Mom pirates, a Sweet Commander known in the New World for his tact and trickery in battle.
The reaction wasn't far from what she had expected, sighing and shaking her head Rosalina hadn't thought to ask how old Cracker was, there had been more pressing matters to discuss at the time but how old could he be? He couldn't be that old.
"I didn't ask but there's no point getting your knickers in a twist, Beckman. This is who I'm marrying so you gotta deal with it. He isn't exactly over the moon for this either." Relieved that Beckman hadn't choked to death Rosalina returned to enjoying her meal, if Beckman wanted to rage and complain she wouldn't stop him.
With information from Katakuri she'd learned that Crackers punishment ended the day Big Mom made the proposal, she was told how Cracker was just as fearful of the marriage as she was and that it'd be best for both of them to find common interests and have a base of mutual respect to start with.
It had been a relief to know she wasn't the only one upset over the wedding.
"Katakuri gave me a lot of information and advice to make this all easier for me, some of that advice being that Cracker is just as freaked as I am, so try not to be too mean when we arrive, neither of us have much choice." Stopping for a moment she poured Beckman another cup of tea, hoping at least that he'd be indifferent towards Cracker instead of rude.
Opening his mouth to speak Beckman had no good argument against her. In his eyes this entire situation was another cruel game Big Mom was playing, trying to get another Yonko allied with her by way of blackmail and threats with Rosalina being just a pawn in everything.
Yet, to his surprise she'd been diplomatic at every turn, seeking to smooth everything over with as little damage as possible. He even felt a little sorry for the Charlotte Family; with how Rosalina was acting she had so far been perceived as a passive and timid girl who was sheltered by her father all her life.
He did wish he could be there when they discovered she wasn't entirely timid or meek, in truth Rosalina was as hard a fighter as any member of the Red- Hair pirates, tenacious and headstrong in how she could command in her fathers stead, her gentle heart was what made people underestimate her skill and her intelligence. It wasn't just by her fathers' hand she'd remained under the World Governments radar.
Grabbing the cup he chugged down the hot drink "Your father is gonna freak when he sees this. You're definitely gonna get a bounty once this is found out, fucking hell this will be Kagayaku island all over again." He whispered putting his head in his hands.
Nervously he muttered to himself about how bad this situation could become and what the Marines would do once they found out she wasn't just someone Shanks crossed paths with on a rare occasion.
While Beckman had his small freak-out Rosalina was content to keep eating, she'd already her marriage related freak-outs before they came to get her "How are you so calm about this, Rosie?" Beckman asked with a worried expression. Her calmness was nearing the point of real concern for him.
Sipping her own cup of tea Rosalina raised an eyebrow "I haven't got much choice so all I can do is remain calm. I'm getting married to Charlotte Cracker, from what I hear he's a decent guy so I have some hope of being happy in this. Freak out if it helps you cope, it certainly helped me." Her tone was calm and collective, it really had helped to freak out and panic, thinking over the worst case scenarios early on had left room for calm and rational questions when she was with Katakuri.
Nodding his head Beckman took a deep breath, between his Captains self-loathing and Rosalinas scarily cheerful nature he hadn't taken the time to properly freak-out about the situation like the rest of the crew had.
It didn't take long for him to calm down, as hard as it was to accept Rosalina was a grown woman and had made the conscious decision to go through with this, logic told him she had some sort of plan in mind, or at least a general idea of what she was doing.
Continuing the rest of the meal in silence it wasn't until Beckman pulled out the dessert that the conversations become active again, now continuing on a lighter note the two laughed and joked for quite some time.
Reminiscing on how many times Shanks had chased off young men wanting to date her, how many times the crew as a whole frightened away cocky pirate with intentions of romancing her and how many times Shanks had denied every other proposal made in regards to her.
Then again no one else had thought to back him into such a corner like Charlotte Linlin had, no one else had dared try blackmail in order to get his approval on a marriage proposal but Big Mom had the ego and the armada to back her up.
Getting lost in their conversation it wasn't until another knock came to the door they were brought back to reality "Come in." Rosalina called as she turned to the door.
Opening the door Galette walked in, her pleasant smile faded and was replaced with a discouraged look upon seeing Beckman in the room "I have some new for you, Rosalina, I think you'll like it." Approaching the bed she sat down and sighed, giving an irritated look to Beckman she gestured to the door.
"It's okay, Galette. If it's good news then he'll find out anyway, he's gotta know what's going on so he can do his job." Patting the back of Galettes hand it didn't take much to reassure her.
Taking a deep breath she smiled "My sister contacted us. Amande has been given the title of Sweet Commander; she'll be going to meet your father and escorting the Red-Hair pirates to Whole Cake. But, that's not all." With a playful smile Galette wagged her finger.
Now Beckman and Rosalina were curious, there hadn't been a forth Sweet Commander in a long time, most thought Big Mom would never have a Forth Sweet Commander again after what happened to Snack.
Taking a moment to breathe Galette spoke again "Mama has a strict rule that you and Cracker aren't to see each other before Tea Time at the Whole Cake Chateau but there is no rule against the two of you speaking before we arrive there... Granted it'll be less than ten minutes and there'll be a wall between you, it's enough time to settle your anxiety and clear the air."
Of course Galette thought the plan was genius, a genius technicality that ever so slightly bent the rules but still fully abided by them, since Amande would be passing their ship and collecting a report from Katakuri ad drop Dante off, it would be easy for Cracker to tag along under the assumption he too was receiving a report from a fellow Sweet Commander.
Rosalina hadn't expected any of the Charlotte children to go so out of their way to make things easier for her, after all at this point she was an intruder to the family and there would be no need to play nice and help her out.
"I- I didn't think it'd be. Wait, are you sure this'll work?" She questioned, if this went ahead and Big Mom somehow found out then there would surely be trouble, no one disobeyed her or tricked her without there being backlash.
"Of course, of course. Katakuri agrees that it's a wise decision and Amande has a solid reason to make a quick visit, as well as Smoothie giving a valid excuse as to why Cracker came along.. "Galette spoke in a cheerful tone before her eyes fell to Beckman "All we need is your alibi. Provided your chaperone will attest that you were in your room until we reached Whole Cake."
Stiffening in his seat Beckman felt it was more of an order to provide the alibi than a request, either way he couldn't refuse if Rosalina was willing to go along, he was there to make sure she didn't get into trouble not to sit back and cause it to happen.
"Tsk, haven't got much choice but fine. If anyone asks she was with me and we were here, packing and preparing to leave but if anything happens to her I ain't lying about it to my captain." Beckman huffed, as long as Rosalina remained safe and unharmed his job was practically done but he still had to act within her best interests.
"Speaking of which, I should go call him and let him know you're still alive and safe. Hopefully Red Force hasn't fallen into complete chaos without us to babysit." Rising from his chair Beckman set the empty plates and cutlery onto the trolley, making sure to put the chair and table back to their proper place before he opened the door to go.
"Goodnight, Beckman. I'll see you for breakfast in the morning and please make sure dad isn't worrying too much." She knew there was no helping her fathers worrying, as much as she wanted him reassured that all was well and she was coping it was still his job as a father to worry over her.
Waving goodbye Beckman left without a word as he dragged the trolley behind him.
Once he was gone Galette flopped back onto the bed and huffed "So, did Katakuri inform you of everything?" She asked with a smirk.
Tilting her head Rosalina shrugged, she was told what she was told, if Katakuri had left anything out then she'd be none the wiser anyway "He informed me of who was who, what my duties would be on Biscuit Island, who Cracker is and that I will wear the wedding dress Big Mom has chosen for me." Having gone into extensive detail on each subject Katakuri had left little room for more questions or the excuse of not knowing how it would work.
Even if she couldn't choose her own wedding dress Big Mom had been kind enough to let her have some say, something old, borrowed and blue were her choices, along with the flowers for her bouquet. A small gesture for having accepted the offer herself without interference from her father.
With a scowl on her face Galette shot back up "Oh that bastard! No wonder he insisted I pay you a visit tonight." She hissed grabbing one of the pillows and punching it.
Katakuri had purposely left out a few things, leaving it so Galette would have to put some work in for this instead of just coming along for her own amusement. That and it seemed Galette had grown close to Rosalina, some things would be better coming from her.
"I'm guessing Katakuri forgot a few things, well, least you can help." Trying to keep optimistic she patted Galette on the shoulder, pulling her knees to her chest Rosalina turned on the bed, curious to know what she hadn't been told. It was either unimportant small details if they'd slipped off the agenda earlier.
With a pillow on her lap and her forehead resting in her hand Galette grumbled under her breath "Well, it's probably better coming from me anyways, less awkward."
Scooting back onto the bed Galette kicked off her shoes, no point being uncomfortable for this.
Unsure where exactly to start she decided to approach it not so delicately.
"I'm not gonna beat around the bush with this like my damn brother did. We gotta discuss your sexual history, as well as the medications you take." As much as Galette would rather leave that conversation for a doctor to have it was now her task to get the information for Mama.
Blushing slightly Rosalina looked down at the bed sheets, she was now glad Katakuri neglected to bring up those topics, it had been awkward enough listening to him talk about Cracker needed to know he was not a failure and she had to try be close to him. If he'd started asking about those things she'd probably have hopped off the chair and ran out the door.
Pinching the bridge of her nose Rosalina knew this conversation wouldn't go away by simply ignoring it, as much as she'd like it to.
"Look, the pills are more to help with my period than anything, the pain was so bad I was bedridden for nearly a whole week. Without them I'm at risk of bleeding out too much." That part she didn't mind sharing, it'd been no secret to the crew when she started vomiting and screaming in her bed for a quarter of each month. There weren't many options aside from contraceptive pills to help ease the crippling pain, much to the disapproval of her father.
"We have pills that will do the same in regard to lessening the pain and bleeding but they are not a contraceptive. Mama will happily provide new pills but they won't lessen your fertility, it's sort of a rule among the family, no contraceptive after marriage." Trying to explain as clearly as she could Galette knew the rule was a ridiculous one, it was a rule inspired by Big Moms dream to have a large family that included all races.
Scrunching her nose Rosaline groaned, she didn't want to give up her pills in exchange for new ones, even if they did what she needed most the safety net the provided was one that she'd grown used to, it wasn't a safety net she fell back on often but it was nice to have none the less.
Seeing the displeasure on the girls face Galette gave a sympathetic smile, while she wasn't a fan of the rule it had led to her having three beautiful children whom she adored to no end.
Fearing what else there was to discuss Rosalina wanted to get ahead of the questions and not make this anymore awkward for her or Galette "As for my history. It's practically ancient by now, any guy who is interested in me is either run off or disappears after a while. I don't have many stories to tell but I will admit I'm not some angelic virgin."
Quizzically raising an eyebrow Galette was somewhat confused, with her fathers reputation and the fact she sailed upon Red Force she'd thought there'd be a line of admirers trying to make the daughter of Yonko Shanks swoon, then again, Shanks had seemed almost overbearingly protective when they'd arrived.
"Oh don't give me that look. I tried having a love life but you've seen the men I sail with, my options for romance have been severely limited, not non-existent but still limited." In hindsight maybe a few more risks would have been worth it, allowing herself to be romanced by a handsome pirate sounded better with her arranged marriage looming ahead.
Her father never approved of her dating anyone who didn't sail or live under his flag, more about knowing she would be safe than anything else. Of course she had disobeyed his wishes a few times, during her teenage years she had been quite rebellious, going so far as to try date a young Marine just for a new experience.
Listening intently Galette raised a finger, insisting that Rosalina pause, she wasn't one to pass up the chance to have a good gossip, especially with someone who was near enough family. Reaching over to the night stand she grabbed the den-den Mushi to call the kitchen.
Quickly ordering that some tea be brought to the room she nodded "If we're gonna get into this no sense we can't have a relaxing drink. So, what was your first boyfriend like? Aside from probably dead now." Gesturing for Rosalina to continue Galette leaned back and relaxed, it'd been some time since she'd had a nice gossip about relationships.
Finding Galettes new found interest more alike to a friend seeking some gossip than a woman fishing for information it couldn't hurt to tell her of the few romances she'd had. It was amusing that Galette assumed the boy had been killed.
"Okay. I was about fourteen, dad had taken a new island under his protection. The boy was from another pirate crew, he was sweet and brought me a little cacti he'd picked up from a desert island." Rosalina couldn't help but smile at the memory, as first relationships went she'd considered it to be a success, despite her fathers cagey and hostile behaviour to the boy "We parted on good terms though, I hear he's somewhere in West Blue these days."
Galette pouted and sighed, she'd expected there to be more blood considering how Shanks acted "Second relationship, did that end as well or is that when the romance became limited." She asked, she wanted to hear just how bloody Shanks was willing to get his hand in regard to his child.
Rolling her eyes Rosalina should have known Galette would want the more unpleasant details of her love life, a true gossip indeed.
"Second relationship fizzled out and we remain good friends.. Third relationship is when everyone else got involved. I was fifteen, he was a bit older, handsome, and a pirate, smug bastard too-"Grabbing another pillow Rosalina lay down on the bed and stretched out.
"-What I didn't know is he was just after me because of who my dad was, I shoulda known it was too good to be true, no guy is that interested in my chores. Dad found out after the guy was mouthing off in a bar, bragging about whose daughter he'd slept with. Dad killed him then and there, no warning, no words, just stabbed him in the chest."
Rosalina couldn't bring herself to be mad at her father for his actions; it couldn't have been easy learning such things from a drunken pirate in a shitty bar. But, Shanks had never been angry with her or upset, he'd been more concerned about a degenerate who'd been stringing her along.
Leaning forward Galette patted her arm, she knew all too well what that'd been like, one or two of her own sisters had been tricked by a pirate and used, they hadn't lived much longer anyway. With eighty-four siblings it was a regrettable choice to hurt any of them, especially the little sisters.
Once the tea arrived Galette got up and brought it in, thanking the chef before slamming the door shut, abrupt and unnecessary rude but she wanted more details and gossip.
The two continued talking for some time, Galette, in return for hearing more about Rosalinas love life divulged the details of her own, how her first husband was a nasty piece of trash that Perospero killed not long after the wedding.
It was comforting for Rosalina to hear that Galette had married a second time and had three children, the youngest of which was a few months old, the look on Galettes face when she spoke about her children was dreamy and full of delight. It made Rosalina a little jealous to see how happy Galette was.
But the look of shock on the womans face as she was told about the illicit fling with a young Marine was one Rosalina would treasure forever, she nearly choked on her tea upon hearing it.
As the night drew on they got off-topic and ended up talking about the recent events in the New World, three Supernova becoming allied with Kaido, the 'death' of Vice Admiral Vergo and his selfless sacrifice to save dozens of kidnapped children. Rosalina had kept tight lipped on her knowledge of Kaido, she wasn't going to open that can of worms.
"It's getting late, you have a big day tomorrow and being exhausted will only upset Mama." Galette finally said with a yawn, it was past midnight and they would enter Totto Land just before dawn. With the day she had ahead Rosalina would need both sleep and caffeine to get through it.
Saying their goodbyes Galette was soon gone, wishing her a goodnight and promising that Cracker wouldn't mistreat her.
Finally able to unwind she looked to her two Homie friends and sighed, this was as alone as she'd get for a while. Going into her bathroom Rosalina changed into her pyjamas before climbing into the bed.
Grabbing the book she'd set down Rosalina continued reading aloud to the Homies, both lamp and chair were delighted she was reading to them again. Continuing until she reached the end of the chapter all three seemed content with calling it a night.
"Good night~ Good night~ Tomorrow will be a good day~" Both chair and lamp sang in unison as Rosalina snuggled down into the blanket.
"I hope so. Goodnight, guys. Please wake me once we're a few hours away, I need all the rest I can get." She yawned before closing her eyes for the night
"Of course~ Of course~ Have sweet dreams, miss~" Was their response before going completely silent as Lamp switched off and Chair went back to his table.
Managing to get a good few hours of good sleep it was past dawn when the lamp and chair resumed their happy singing.
"Good morning~ Good morning~ The sun has risen~ We are in Totto Land~" Both sang softly as they bounced around the room.
"We passed the first island not long ago~ We sail past more now~ We're on the secret route~" They sang with delight.
Groaning as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes Rosalina reluctantly sat up in the bed, as a morning alarm went the singing furniture was better than the air horn used aboard Red Force.
Taking a moment to bring herself back to reality she stretched out and moaned as her bones cracked, dragging herself out of the bed she rummaged through one of her trunks.
"G'morning, guys. I'm gonna take a shower before breakfast, if Beckman comes by let him know." Taking two towels and a set of clothes she went to the bathroom, locking the door behind her spent a moment just sitting on the floor.
She knew it didn't matter what she chose to wear, Big Mom would have her outfit for Tea Time waiting at her Chateau, whatever she wore was for her own comfort until they reached Whole Cake Island.
"I can do this, I'm freaking over nothing. It'll be fine as long as I make an effort." Reassuring herself that her worry was for nothing she undressed and got into the bathtub.
Taking her time Rosalina made sure she was clean and going to look her best, first impressions meant everything in these situations. With extra attention to her hair she washed it twice over and debated if her scars would be considered unsightly.
Making every attempt to avoid mockery or disdain from Charlotte children she had to look her best. Though trying to shave ones legs on a sailing ship was a task in itself, every time a large wave hit the ship it risked a cut.
Sitting down in the tub she began to take deep breaths, the more she thought on it the more insane it all seemed "I can do this, it'll be over soon." She muttered, looking at the blood on her hand then to the small cut on her thigh, the amount of blood from a few localised cuts was more than she'd expected a stupid mistake on her part for being so clumsy.
Calming herself and steadying her nerves it was fair to assume she was right about that, her worry would end once she spoke to Cracker and they cleared the tension. But still, this was all inanity to her
Having the balls to talk to Charlotte Linlin herself, convincing her crew to let her do this, demanding her father not let anyone retaliate against her decision and actively packing up her entire life to run towards an arranged marriage. It was pure madness that she'd simply rolled with for the sake of peace.
Hearing muffled voices from the other room the Homies were speaking to someone, with the noise of the water she couldn't make out more than the two happy Homies and a third voice, barely audible.
Whinging softly Rosalina quickly left the warmth of the shower and began drying off, wrapping a towel around herself she began wringing out here hair then rubbing it with another towel to dry it quicker. A sudden pounding on the door nearly had her slip on the wet floor, whoever had been talking to the Homies didn't seem to want to wait for her to finish in her own time.
"Rosalina, we're a bit ahead of schedule and we're coming up on Jam Island, we are stopping near Nuts Island to meet Amande, she's waiting for us already. You need to dress quickly if you want breakfast." Galette called from the other side of the door.
Hearing they were approaching the meeting point Rosalina grew more nervous, she was grateful she'd get some time to speak with Cracker alone but the uncertainty of it all didn't help.
"Y-yea, gimme a few minutes and I'll be right out." She replied quickly, taking her towel off Rosalina took little time to get dressed. It didn't matter what she wore today since Galette informed her Big Mom had an outfit for her to wear for Tea Time, whatever she wore now was only going to be useful until arriving at Whole Cake Chateau.
With a pair of old jeans, a black t-shirt and a denim jacket Rosalina was ready, unlocking and opening the bathroom door she went directly for her hairbrush and started brushing her mess of hair "Brush and walk, breakfast is all laid out for you in one of the dining rooms." Galette grabbed onto her arm and was quick to drag her out of the bedroom.
"Relax, Cracker. Even if Mama wants Katakuri to make a direct line from Nuts to Whole Cake you still have twenty minutes to speak with her." Amande patted her brother on the shoulder as she set a plate down in front of him.
Cracker didn't want to eat, how could he? He was beyond nervous and couldn't think of a single thing he wanted to ask the poor girl he'd marry, with the added pressure from his mother to impress his new bride he couldn't do very much of his own accord.
Looking miserably down at his breakfast he could appreciate his sister going to the trouble of cooking it herself, the Mad Moiselle had many talents indeed; her skill with a sword was only the tip of the iceberg.
"Thanks, Amande. Twenty is better than nothing, dunno what I'll say to her, I mean, saying 'Yeah sorry I fucked everything up and you're marrying the family failure but at least you get a life time supply of cake' doesn't do much." He snorted, closing his eyes he leaned back in his chair, Cracker didn't have to look to know both Amande and Dante were unimpressed by him.
As stubborn as he was Cracker wouldn't refuse a meal from his sister, Amande knew how to make a good breakfast and arrange it like a face, and it was a nice touch.
Dante, having already dug into his breakfast had some advice for Cracker on the subject, advice he hadn't got to use considering the circumstances of his own wedding but it was advice for an opportunity he and Katakuri would have loved to have.
Swallowing a mouthful of bacon and gulping down some coffee Dante stopped his eating for a moment and decided to offer what he could "Keep the conversation light, don't overwhelm her with expectations. Maybe ask if she'd be up to spending time with you before the big day, getting to know each other can only be a good thing. I'll see what I can set up for you pair, a date or two can't hurt."
'A date or two? Great, more chances to fail' Cracker thought to himself, resigning himself to eating rather than giving a reply he picked up his cutlery and dug in, he'd never managed to get a date in the past but having one arranged for him seemed so humiliating.
Letting Dante ramble on it wasn't long before he'd finished his breakfast and a Chess Soldier came to announce Katakuris ship was in sight.
It was all hands on deck aboard both ships, Rosalina was quickly moved off to a private room and Cracker had to sit back down once he'd gone up onto deck.
Upon both ships coming alongside each other a platform was laid between the rails, Katakuri and Galette greeted their siblings and made short work of their exchange, any long winded conversations would arouse suspicion.
As soon as Cracker set foot on the ship he wanted to get back off and run, if it weren't for Dante pushing him along he probably would have too. Taking the report Katakuri had put together the newest Sweet Commander bid farewell to her siblings and readied her ship to depart, her first mission was to make sure Shanks wasn't planning anything and to 'escort' him to the wedding safely, a task she wouldn't take lightly given the circumstances.
With no time to waste Katakuri was bringing Cracker to speak to his bride, having already made a sturdy wall of Mochi there was no worry of them seeing one another, thus remaining firmly within the rules Mama had set forth.
"Try to keep it casual and don't be too defensive, I'm going to be right outside so don't worry. There is tea and cookies so if you can't think of anything else talk about that." Katakuri tried to comfort his brother but it was near useless at this point, he knew Cracker wasn't going to try anything stupid or mess up catastrophically, though he was prepared for some mess up.
Stopping outside the door Katakuri shook his head, it was up to Cracker now, he had done his part in escorting and informing Rosalina and now it was Crackers job to try finding his way.
Opening the door Cracker was met with a thin wall of Mochi; set by the wall was a table with a large plate of cookies and a pot of tea on it.
Practically being pushed inside by his brother Cracker took the hint and went to sit at the table, it was surreal to think she was on the other side of the wall, as the thoughts ran through Crackers head he suddenly realised he had nothing useful to say.
Clenching his fists Cracker couldn't help but grin 'Say something, say anything! Say hello at least, you fucking idiot!' his brain couldn't settle on just one thing to say to her 'No wonder Mama thinks I'm such a failure I can't even get a simple greeting done properly!'
Desperately trying to think of a good opening line the chance was taken away by noise from the other side of the wall
"Atchoo! Atchoo!" Rosalina had been trying to give him time to speak but her body had a different plan, holding back the sneezes wasn't as easy as she'd thought.
Almost on instinct Cracker responded "oh, bless you." With all the younger siblings he had there was always someone sneezing or sniffling at gatherings, over time he'd gotten so used to responding it was a basic response for him when someone sneezed hear him.
"Thanks, Cracker." Rosalina replied, slightly embarrassed she'd taken his chance to be initiator of the conversation away, though it was one way to get the ball rolling considering they didn't have too long.
Being thanked wasn't something Cracker was overly used to, the only ones who thanked him were close siblings, grovelling underlings or desperate victims. It'd never come from a sweet young woman before and he felt quite proud of himself. He'd said three words and not messed up, it was a new record for him 'Don't blow it now! Keep calm and don't fuck this up, dumbass!'
Taking a sip of his tea Cracker noted that it was one of his favourites, he wondered if Rosalina had been given her favourite tea too "You're welcome. So, do you have Hibiscus and rose tea as well?" He asked before his brain could overthink his words.
Looking into her teacup Rosalina picked the cup up and tasted the hot beverage "I think so. Katakuri said it was your favourite, we only have one kind of tea on Red Force so I never had it before but it tastes really nice" She had to admit the blend was different, fancy teas weren't much of a thing aboard Red Force, it was a standard gold blend tea or nothing.
"What!" Cracker half yelled, more out of shock thank anything else "Well I promise you're gonna be getting hibiscus and rose tea every day from now on. No future wife of mine is gonna settle for a single option"
Before his mind could stop his words they were already gone 'I got at least thirty words out before I fucked up. Was good while it lasted, now I want to fucking die.' Cracker mentally chastised himself for his ridiculous statement, how could he let himself say something so stupid and forward?
Putting his cup down Cracker was prepared to get up and run for the door before he said anymore ridiculous words when he heard laughing from the other side of the Mochi wall.
In truth Rosalina had found his claim to be one made in humour to try break the tension, she couldn't see him and therefor had no idea he was looking like a nervous wreck. To her it seemed he was merely nervous about it all.
She couldn't help laugh at his statement, after all her nervousness over meeting him it wasn't as bad as she'd thought, a little humour and kindness was all that was needed to settle her nerves "Careful, I'm gonna be holding you to that promise every single day from now on, future husband." She laughed with delight.
But poor Cracker wasn't laughing at all, he'd been serious with his claim, he didn't know how anyone could survive on one type of tea alone! Yes, hibiscus and rose was his favourite but he loved so many other teas he couldn't live with just his favourite alone.
The words 'future husband' were what almost sent him topping off his chair, of all the replies she could give he hadn't expected that to be one of them 'She took it seriously! She wants tea with me every day! I haven't ruined it yet!' Cracker was ecstatic, he'd been so terrified of his bride being some cutthroat pirate who would despise him entirely.
"I've got many different kinds of teas, we can sit and have a different tea every day when we get home to Biscuits Island." His delighted and eager mind was beginning to run away with itself, Cracker was imagining himself setting aside half an hour each day to have some tea with her.
When no response came Cracker realised how insensitive his words must have sounded, the girl had just left her true home behind and he was already calling Biscuits Island her home, if she'd consider calling it her home at all.
"I think I'd like that very much, Cracker. Having tea with you every day is a great idea." Even if his words had stung a little she wasn't about to make a problem out of it, it hadn't sounded ill intended at all but it was the truth. Her new home would be on Biscuits Island and it would be with Charlotte Cracker, his idea to have tea together was a nice idea to get to know one another.
Rosalina had kept her expectations low up until this point but given Crackers friendly and chipper attitude she was starting to raise them. If she'd ended up engaged to someone willing to make an effort then she in turn would gladly do the same, a little effort from both sides was all it would take for a peaceful marriage.
And if there hadn't been a wall of Mochi separating them she may have leaned over to kiss his cheek as reassurance that his promise was much appreciated.