He didn't like waiting around for anything, he despised having to sit doing nothing while others had to do all the work, if he had his way he'd be in the room mediating the entire conversation between Rosalina and Cracker, goodness knew what Cracker would say if left to his own devices.
Being forced to stay outside wasn't entirely unbearable for him though, after making a comfortable Mochi chair outside the door Dante had come running down the hallway to greet him
A box of cookies in hand he was pulled onto Katakuris lap as a full report was more or less demanded on how Cracker had been coping "All considered, I think he's doing fine. He's eating, he got a lot of rest and he hasn't cried once today so it's looking good." Dante sighed, of course he was worried about how Cracker would cope talking with the girl on her own, it certainly couldn't be worse than the first time he and Katakuri had been left alone together.
It wasn't long before a raised voice followed by laughter was heard from within the room, breathing a sigh of relief Katakuri was glad it hadn't all gone pear shaped "Relax, Cracker can handle this." Dante murmured leaning back and stretching out, with nothing else to do but wait he made the most of what little time he'd have with Katakuri.
"Mama was pleased with the monthly produce reports, she even praised us for doing well with all the chaos that happened." The young man grinned, it was rare Big Mom outwardly complemented how Komugi island was doing, she expected no less than constant perfection from her second son.
Katakuri felt uncomfortable receiving such praise from his mother when he had been neglecting his Ministerial duties since the Strawhat incident, with everything mother demanded and how he was needed to help on Whole Cake he'd barely returned to Komugi since the day of the wedding.
If anything it was down to Dante that things hadn't fallen into sheer chaos in his absence, then again Dante had helped with governing the island for years. He couldn't help but feel a little bad for leaving everything to his other half, it was one thing to help govern an island but being left to do it alone in the wake of utter turmoil wasn't an easy task
"I'll make it up to you when we get back home, just a bit longer and things will calm down. I'll make up for the lost time." Katakuri huffed, he didn't see any major disasters in the immediate future but if things continued as they were it'd all go smoothly.
Raising an eyebrow Dante looked up at his husband "What for? Leaving me as the temporary Minister or forgetting our wedding anniversary?" Avoiding eye contact Katakuri knew the truth would only serve to dig himself further into a hole. He had entirely forgotten about their anniversary until his sister mentioned it in passing and asked what plans they had.
"I- uh- well- How do you know I forgot? I could have had a wonderful surprise planned." In a vain attempt to think up a better excuse Katakuri could practically see himself sleeping on the floor for the next month.
After a few seconds Dantes' expression changed to a scowl and at that moment, Katakuri knew, he fucked up.
"You lying shithead, you forgot our anniversary and I know you did. Be glad you're so fucking cute or I'd kick your Mochi ass." Feigning an expression of sorrow Dante slumped forward until his head rested on Katakuris knee.
Realising Dante wasn't as wounded as he let on the Mochi man snorted and crossed his arms "You can barely reach that high with your hands, never mind your damn legs. I, on the other hand, can do whatever I wish to yours and you can't do a damn thing to stop me." A smug smirk was hidden beneath his scarf as he knew Dante was much more accessible than he was. Whether it be low to the ground or on the other side of a room Katakuri could extend his long enough to playfully annoy or distract his husband, knowing he couldn't do the same in return frustrated Dante to no end.
With a disgruntled growl Dante gave up, settling for lying on Katakuris lap and eating cookies instead of trying to argue any further. Happily munching the box of cookies both enjoyed the near silence and peace, it wasn't much different to what they did in their spare time anyway, though Dante did wish he had brought a book along.
The relaxation and ease of the two lasted until Benn Beckman finally found where they were.
Having been delayed by Galette nagging about his rude behaviour it didn't take him long to find the Mochi man.
Beckman had to admit to himself, it was quite a strange sight, the terrifying and feared Charlotte Katakuri being used as a lounging chair to a young man eating a box of cookies. The more he learned about the Charlotte family the more weird they seemed to get.
Eyeing the pair suspiciously Beckman leaned against the wall opposite the door, he didn't like having to wait outside any more than Katakuri did, both were equally worried about the pair inside, the only person not being anxious seemed to be Dante.
"You want a cookie?" Dante offered to Beckman, unlike Katakuri he had a more open and friendly approach to strangers, having much knowledge of Yonko Shanks and his highest crew mates it was only logical to make an introduction.
Taking the lack of response as a sign of distrust Dante could hardly blame him, he hadn't done anything overly memorable outside of the Charlotte family or anything to have him recognised by his face alone "Fair enough. I'm Charlotte Dante by the way, it's really cool to meet the first mate of Red Hair Shanks, pity it's not under better circumstances." By himself Dante was another mundane and forgettable member of the Charlotte family, the only reason no one forgot him was due to his marriage status.
Raising an eyebrow Beckman realised who the strange but polite young man was. He remembered the mass of rumours surrounding the marriage of Charlotte Katakuri, at the time it had been a big deal.
Hearing Big Mom marrying off one of her most powerful children to the meek and timid son of an underworld mobster had been big news back then.
From what he heard Beckman imagined quite a different relationship given Katakuris reputation and status, it gave him some hope for Rosalinas impending marriage.
Even so, Beckman felt it couldn't hurt to be on first name terms with the young man, they were all going to be allies soon and despite his refusal to accept the truth he would have to answer to Charlotte Linlin at least a few times in the future.
"Dante, huh. Can't say I've heard a lot about you, has he kept you under lock and key the past few years or what? Wouldn't be surprising given his reputation." Beckman asked, he was curious as to why there'd been little to no word heard of the strange boy for some time, most assumed he'd been killed or was under some kind of house arrest.
Katakuri resented the comment that he was doing such a thing, the assumption that he was an unfair husband was something Dante could never stand to hear, he wouldn't stand for anyone calling Katakuri anything other than a dutiful and kind husband.
"I assure you Dante is free to come and go from Komugi Island and Totto land as he wishes. I don't appreciate what you're insinuating but instead of making gross assumptions about the relationships of others why not just ask? We'll all be allies soon so senseless gossip will have no place among us." Before Dante could get a word out Katakuri was already containing the situation, his temper in regards to Katakuri being insulted was known for being short through all of Totto Land.
Feeling underwhelmed Dante pouted and let his arms hang limply over his husbands' legs, no matter how much he wanted to jump in and defend his Mochi Man it was useless once Katakuri started defusing the situation, Dante much preferred to see the sadistic and argumentative side of his husband over the diplomatic side. Either way it would be easier in the long run if everyone remained friendly.
Sitting himself up Dante leaned back to rest against Katakuris chest, having such a giant husband had more perks than one would think "People find it hard to believe that I love him but what's not to love? He's an absolute sweetie who'd raise hell for me." With a coy smirk it was clear to Beckman that was a rhetorical question, as much as it wasn't his business he needed to get as much information as he could on Big Moms crew, which included the spouses.
Remaining quiet Beckman tried to hear what was going on inside the room, he worried Rosalina was going to be put in some danger or have her life threatened during this little meeting, despite the promise of safety and secrecy he wasn't yet at the point where he would blindly believe what any Charlotte child told him.
There wasn't much to be heard from inside save for vaguely discernible words and muffled voices, voices were enough to take the edge off his anxiety, shaking his head Beckman cursed himself for agreeing to this.
The quick glimpse he'd caught of Cracker when he boarded was enough to make his stomach drop, he couldn't imagine that sweet and tiny girl marrying such a brutish man, respected pirate or not to Beckman he wasn't worthy to marry her. A sentiment he knew his captain would share.
Noticing the annoyance growing on the old pirates face Dante and Katakuri exchanged a worried glance, the plan would only work as long as suspicion was minimised and it would certainly maximise if Beckman started to cause problems for them "Instead of looking so annoyed, be grateful they're even meeting before the wedding. Mama is being generous, not even Mamas favourites get that luxury" Dante nagged throwing a cookie at Beckman.
Having been the undisputed favourite at the time Katakuri wasn't given such a luxury as to even see Dante before the wedding, the fact that Cracker was being given almost three days to get to know Rosalina was more to taunt Shanks than anything else. There hadn't been much jealousy as a result since Cracker had taken such a severe punishment; almost all the siblings could agree that their brother deserved something good.
Before another word could be said Galette was running down the hallway "Mama has sent Brother Oven to greet us, we're dropping anchor in a moment." She warned sprinting towards them.
Katakuri hadn't seen this! It must've been a sudden last minute decision in case anything went astray on the voyage, or maybe Mama had gotten suspicious as to why Cracker left with Amande, either way he wouldn't agree with their secret plan and would probably tell Mama.
Quickly getting off his chair Katakuri sent Dante face first into the floor, with no warning and the sudden shock there was no time to react or demand to be set down. Sadly, it had become a common occurrence in Dantes life.
"Cracker, we need to go now and we need to hurry. Oven has come to greet us, get up and move quickly." Katakuri ordered, he knew that if Oven caught wind of what they were doing it'd mean a mountain of trouble for them all.
Almost immediately the door was flung open, Cracker poked his head out, looking up and down the hallway he scrunched his nose. He'd been having such a nice time and it was to be cut short by Oven arriving unannounced, though the thoughts of actually seeing Rosalina in person in a few hours was enough to keep him from pitching a fit "Sorry but I'll see you later. Thanks for being so cool about all this." Cracker called back into the room, feeling that running off without a goodbye was somehow rude.
Without another word both Cracker and Galette ran off down the hallway and turned at the first corner they came to, with little time to spare Katakuri stepped inside the room to remove his Mochi wall. Placing his hands against his confectionary creation it was quickly absorbed into his body, as the wall began to lower and disappear he could hear Oven yelling somewhere nearby.
Watching with fascination Rosalina witnessed the wall before her disappear entirely, trying to hide the smile on her face she hid it behind her teacup "Beckman, come here and try this tea. It's super yummy." Setting her cup down she lifted the teapot and filled the spare cup that sat on her table.
Finding Katakuri on his self-made chair holding his tiny husband Oven rolled his eyes, upon closer inspection he found that Dante was bleeding and Katakuri was muttering to himself "Trouble in paradise?" Oven asked as he approached, his comment earning him a quick glare from both.
Thankfully they'd managed to cover their tracks before Oven arrived, Katakuri didn't like lying to his brother but when push came to shove Cracker needed him more than Oven did right now "Tsk, he forgot I was sitting on him and he stood up. On the plus side I found out the floor wax is lemony." Dante scoffed holding a blooded handkerchief to his nose.
Silently judging the pair Oven dismissed his earlier thoughts of hearing Crackers voice, he knew Cracker was somewhere on the ship with Galette and Katakuri took his missions too seriously to let Mamas orders be disobeyed "Mama has rescheduled the Tea Time so we haven't long to get the brat to the Chateau." Oven felt mildly annoyed that he was expected to polite with another possible traitor.
So soon after what happened with Chiffon and Pudding he wasn't too keen to have another wedding, Oven wasn't eager to see his family betrayed or attacked once again under similar circumstances, after hearing how furious and upset Shanks was he and a few others were expecting some retaliation.
Giving a weary sigh Katakuri shook his head "Brother Oven, she has been nothing but compliant and understanding thus far so be respectful, it'd be bad if Shanks heard we had mistreated her, worse if it is witnessed by his first mate.." He warned gesturing to the door, Oven did have quite the temper on him and the last thing they needed before stepping onto Whole Cake was an argument or a fist fight.
Wrapping one arm around Dante he stood up and quickly disposed of his Mochi chair, between setting Dante down safely and getting rid of the chair he had no time to stop Oven barging into the room.
"Oi, change of plan we're going no, move your fucking ass before I move it for you, bride." He ordered, with a less than pleased expression on his face Beckman shook his head, it was one thing having Katakuri calling the shots and barking the orders but it was another for a stranger to start doing the same, what was worse still was how he'd spoken to Rosalina.
Raising the gun that had been sitting on his lap Beckman finished his tea and set the cup back down on the table "First off, we aren't moving until she finishes her tea. Second, who the fuck are you? Third, speak to her like that again and I shoot you." Beckman replied in a calm tone, more concerned that Rosalina could be mistreated in the future if any threat was ignored.
After all, he was only her chaperone until the wedding and it was unlikely anyone else would take that position after her marriage.
As Oven and Beckman had a competition of angry glares and sour faces Rosalina quickly gulped down her tea and got up with a huff "Honestly, it's like I never fucking left Red Force." Grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair her gaze turned to Beckman "Oh for go- Beckman put it away! I can shoot someone myself if needed." She barked.
Displeased at not getting to say goodbye to Cracker and having her tea with Beckman cut short she stomped past both men and out into the hallway "Apologies for my little brother, he's quite forward but he means no harm." Katakuri chuckled as he began leading Rosalina back towards the deck.
Rosalina had heard the stories of Totto Land being a culmination of sweet treats and delights where nearly everything was edible but she hadn't truly believed such childish things. The mountains of cakes and the frost covered ground were so much more than she'd dreamed, the sweet smell of baked goods, cream and frostings filled the air around her, it was like a childhood dream come true.
Eyes wide with pure delight a wide, open mouthed smile formed on her face as she ran to rails and looked out that the cake filled wonderland "Holy shit! This place really is made outta cakes, oh this is so cool! And it's all edible!" She exclaimed, looking up at the towering confectionary she squealed with excitement.
As Katakuri fashioned a staircase out of Mochi to save time Oven grumbled to himself, he didn't understand why Katakuri was acting so patient and polite towards the girl, she was just another pawn for their mothers' game and related by marriage or not he wouldn't make the same mistakes he had with Bege and Chiffon.
"No time for daydreaming, the Tea Time has been moved up and I'll be damned if you're going to meet our mama looking so dishevelled." He spat reaching down and pulling her along by her jacket, growling under her breath Rosalina crossed her arms. She couldn't count how many times a member of the Red Hair pirates had dragged her along by her clothing or berated her for her outfits.
Despite Ovens unwelcoming nature it was making her feel more at home, she wasn't being treated like a glass doll or a piece of cargo; she was being treated like a bratty kid once again.
"Fuck me, it really is like I never left Red Force." She grumbled as she, allowing herself to be dragged, or more lifted, across the deck. If time was short then arguing over a lack of manners could wait until later, at least she was getting transported without having to make a single effort.
Seeing no major problems with this in the future Katakuri ignored his brothers actions, descending down the stairs he was glad to finally be back in a familiar place, as per usual the Port of Whole Cake Island was bustling with activity.
Everyone had started going about their usual business once more, speaking little of the recent upsets they all knew it was safer and better to not discuss the topic in public or near any Charlotte Siblings.
Their arrival hadn't gone unnoticed, the whole of Totto Land had heard this morning that Lord Cracker was to be married in a few days, Big Mom had made the joyous announcement herself and asked each Minister to inform their respective islands. Though the full identity of his bride was to be announced via the newspapers there was much speculation as to who the lucky lady was.
Seeing the residents beginning to make a crowd around the port Oven set the girl down, being seen to manhandle his future sister-in-law wouldn't go down well with their Mama at all, as Oven stepped away Beckman finally appeared on deck.
Arriving onto the deck he saw Rosalina looking out over the island, to say he was shocked would be an understatement. Never had he set foot in Totto Land before and never had he believed the wild and outlandish tales of it being a place of sweet treats and whimsical happenings. Blinking with surprise he made his way over to her and leaned in close "Am I having a fucking stroke or some sorta brain aneurysm? This place is made of cake." He whispered to her, somewhat horrified to find the main island was indeed a Whole Cake.
Leading him to believe the names of the other islands weren't just for aesthetics and they were all indeed foods too. With a massive grin on her face Rosalina nodded and made her way down the Mochi staircase. To her surprise the docks too were made of candy, it looked to be made of thick, hard candy, she was half tempted to try breaking a piece off just to taste.
After a moment of taking in her surroundings Rosalinas gaze was drawn along the coast, just past a large cake she could see the tops of green trees. Shuddering as she remembered the tales Luffy had told her father upon arriving, the 'haunted' forest and the 'mirror witch' within it.
"C'mon, kiddo, don't give them any reason to gawp at you anymore than they are. We're too far gone for second thoughts and regrets." Coming up behind her Beckman placed a hand on her shoulder, with the crowds growing larger it wouldn't be long before someone made the right connections.
The thoughts alone of what waited ahead were enough to make her stomach drop; as much as she appreciated Beckmans comfort Rosalina knew it wouldn't last much longer.
Being escorted from the docks the whispers and murmurs of the surrounding crowd only grew louder once Beckman had been recognised.
Not one citizen had thought the first mate to another Yonko would set foot in Totto Land without a declaration of war being made, along with the happy news of Lord Crackers engagement speculation was quickly cast as to why he was there and if the bride-to-be was in fact a member of the Red Hair pirates.
A rather large carriage stood waiting for them just off the docks, yet again, made entirely out of confectionary. Biscuit exterior, liquorice roof, doughnut wheels, rock candy floor and large seats made from Mochi.
Ahead of the carriage with bubble-gum reins attached to a large, green salamander. Another strange sight that seemed to faze the residents in the least, as many questions as the amphibian steed raised both Rosalina and Beckman remained quiet.
Climbing inside the carriage they were surprised at how comfortable it actually was, the back seat stretched the width of the carriage and had two large separate seats towards the front. Once inside Rosalina sat at the window and peered out the sugar string curtains, marvelling at the design and creativity of the island the carriage soon began to move, giving her new and more wondrous things to admire.
Beckman simply sat next to her, resting back in the seat he was surprised at how comfortable the chair actually was, it wasn't long before he came to his own grim realizations. After the wedding he would resume his duties as a First Mate.
After the wedding Shanks would no doubt be either excessively hungover or paralytic. This place would be like some sort of wet dream for Lucky Roo, dragging him away wouldn't be an easy task. If his captain was going to react how he imagined then he would have to haul the rest of the crew out of Totto Land as well.
Pinching the bridge of his nose Beckman sighed inwardly 'I'm getting too old for this shit.' He thought to himself.
In the front seats of the carriage sat Oven and Katakuri, Dante had once again decided that his husbands lap was the preferable place to sit. He couldn't understand why his elder brother allowed his small spouse to climb all over him, in Ovens eyes it was unbefitting of a Minister and Sweet Commander to allow someone of lower status such liberties.
As Oven opened his mouth to speak Katakuri raised his hand to stop him "One word and you may get out and walk to the Chateau, the inner-workings of my marriage are not for your speculation or judgement. Besides-" Katakuri looked down at his sleepy husband and smirked beneath his scarf "-no one can hurt him again if he remains in my arms."
Rolling his eyes Oven flared his nostrils, his brothers threats weren't to be taken lightly, he knew full well Katakuri would throw him out of the moving carriage if he spoke against Dante or what his brother had said. Never mind the fact he was already on thin ice after his treatment of Rosalina.
Going through the Mirro World has been Galettes idea, not only did it solidify the story that Cracker only came to get a situation report but it helped follow the rules of him not seeing his fiancé. Of course Bruleè had been against partaking in the plan for fear Mama would find out and blame her.
The refusal didn't last long when Galette not only reminded her of Cracker taking the blame for allowing her capture at the hands of Luffy but she also brought up the fact she knew of Bruleè and Diesels secret relationship and how she was happy to 'forget' seeing them together if she helped Cracker.
Galette had always been truthful to her word so if she would forget what she saw Bruleè could trust not a word would be breathed to anyone else, not even Galettes husband would find out about it.
Bruleè was pleased to see Cracker with a smile on his face upon entering the Mirro World, he'd looked so forlorn and desolate when she visited him. He hadn't spoken much when she visited, just that he was glad to see her safe and unharmed, and as his elder sister she felt somewhat guilty for not doing more to resist capture after his defeat.
Walking through the Mirro World both sisters were subject to Crackers near incomprehensible ramblings, he was ecstatic over getting to talk with Rosalina, despite not being able to see her the conversation had gone better than he had expected.
His promise of making tea for her daily had been met with her own promise to make him breakfast once a week, after that the pair had talked idly about hobbies and interests they may have in common.
Many of his siblings had held their own marriage together on the basis of common interests and shared hobbies; it had seemed like a good starting point for his own marriage given the circumstances.
Of course the short lived conversation did have a low point to it, Cracker had gotten so caught up in his joy of finding his bride wasn't likely to kill him he'd mentioned the irony of remaining entirely single up until his wedding day.
For that Cracker had been tempted to, once again, get up and run as far away as possible out of the sheer embarrassment he'd caused himself.
Thankfully his embarrassing comment was met with Rosalina joking about how her father was the reason no relationship of hers lasted very long due to his overprotective nature and impossibly high standards.
"I can't wait to see her! Oh, she sounds so sweet and kind! She likes to garden and grow things but since she mainly lived on the Red Haired pirates ship she couldn't grow an awful lot so I'm gonna get the garden of Biscuit Manor all set up so she can grow whatever she desires." He exclaimed with delight, his cheeks turning a sporting a slight shade of pink as she spoke.
His sisters nodded along in agreement, Cracker had always been strange around potential girlfriends and too focused on his work to bother getting one either. It was a relief to both women to see he hadn't messed up yet and wasn't panicking so much as before.
"I'll have to get more varieties of tea for her too. I mean, can you believe they only got one kind of tea on Red Force, one single kind of tea?" Cracker sounded almost offended at his own statement "I'm gonna spoil her so rotten Shanks will have no choice but to accept this!"
Reaching up Galette patted her brothers' arm, he was getting far too ahead of himself now, she'd heard enough from Rosalina to know impressing her dad was no easy task.
Three dead ex-boyfriends was more than enough proof of what standards he held "Calm down, Cracker, calm down. Let's not fly before we can crawl, she's not the sort of girl who takes to being spoiled." Galette sighed and chuckled.
Bruleè had no prior knowledge of Rosalina so all she had to go on was what Galette and Cracker had said, though she'd be sure to do her own investigating later, Bruleè had to make sure this girl was the real deal and not some two-faced brat stringing her soft hearted brother along.
Chuckling nervously he rubbed the back of his neck, he knew he was getting a bit ahead of himself but he was just glad he hadn't humiliated himself beyond redemption "Ah, sorry, I'm a bit overexcited now."
With his new found confidence that he wouldn't fail Cracker was more than ready for Tea Time with his mother, her demands and expectations of him to make a good impression had him scared stiff but since he'd already made his first impression there was no need to torment himself with worries.
Coming up to the required mirror Bruleè felt somewhat proud of Cracker, he'd pulled himself together quite well after his punishment and his newfound joy would help him all the more. Galette was the first to step through the mirror and into Crackers room of the chateau, she had her own business to attend to before she reported to Mama and had no time to waste.
Checking that Bruleè had sealed the portal behind him once he'd followed Galette through Cracker was grinning from ear to ear, after the short conversation with his future bride as well as having her picture he was thrilled at the idea of getting married.
Not only was his bride cute but she was understanding to the situation and willing to make an effort for a peaceful relationship. Of course, to Cracker that had sounded completely different, to him it sounded as if she wanted a marriage of romance and love. With nothing prior to compare it to and only having the relationships of his siblings as a guide Cracker was certain all would go as he wished.
"Wipe that grin off your face and get dressed, Mama is expecting you in ten minutes!" Galette barked from behind, with so little time to spare before he was to arrive at the Courtyard there wasn't a second to be wasted. Rosalina was yet to arrive at the chateau and change before Tea Time but Crackers presence was required as soon as possible so Big Mom could speak with him.
Snapping out of his daydreams Cracker looked to see what clothes his mother had chosen for him to wear. Laid out on the bed was the outfit he was required to wear, finding his usual pauldron and cape weren't laid out he pouted childishly, though he was thankful the majority of his usual attire was left untouched.
With the exception of his pauldron everything else was accounted for with the addition of a lilac coloured dress shirt, breathing a sigh of relief he was glad to see his sword had been cleaned and set next to his outfit, despite his Devil Fruit he did feel more at ease having Pretzel close at hand.
Being left alone once more Cracker let the grin slip back onto his face, he knew Mama wanted him to look his best for Tea Time so he wouldn't complain about the minor outfit changes, a shirt wasn't that big of a change after all.
Whilst getting dressed Cracker let his mind wander, including today, he had three days before the wedding, three days of opportunity to sweep his bride off her feet. He prayed he wouldn't accidentally do it in the literal sense. Running through ideas in his head he still had so little knowledge of Rosalina and couldn't decide what would be best to impress her or to spoil her.
"Maybe I can ask Galette, she should have an idea or two.. Maybe I can take her out to the Seducing woods if she likes creepy places or to Apple Juice Falls for a picnic." He muttered to himself as he dressed, without a lot of knowledge he couldn't plan a date very well.
Continuing to mutter ideas it wasn't until he was buttoning his shirt that a knock came on the door, no doubt an escort to ensure he didn't try sneaking a peak t Rosalina before tea time "Come in." Cracker called, only turning to see who had come when he had buttoned his shirt.
Gladdened by the sight Cracker was also relieved to see Randolph closing the door as he entered; it had been on his mind what happened to his subordinate, Cracker was glad to see the rabbit Homie was alive and well and had not been put to death as a punishment.
"It is good to see you looking well, Lord Cracker, Mama has sent me to escort you to the Courtyard. I also must give my congratulations on your recent engagement, I'm sure you two shall make a lovely couple once wed." The rabbit spoke, in truth he didn't understand the concept of marriage or the significance it held, such rituals meant little to a rabbit but since it meant a great deal to his human friends it was a ritual he would partake in.
Grabbing Pretzel off the bed Cracker slid it back into its proper place behind his back, it felt good to feel the weight of the sword again, helping to stabilize his nagging anxieties and feel as if things were getting back to normal.
"Thank you, Randolph. I'm glad you're escorting me, seeing as you're alive I have an important job for you from now on." Since Randolph was a direct subordinate of his he was to obey Crackers orders unless overruled by Big Mom herself.
For the past day Cracker had been thinking of ways to make things easier for his bride, going on the assumption that his subordinates had been spared the worst of his mothers' wrath Cracker made his own plans on what he would do next.
Leaving the room the two began heading towards the candy staircase, for Cracker it was good to be walking around without his siblings fretting over him. Composing himself as they walked Cracker forced the smile off his face and replaced it with a neutral expression, a gigantic grin would be a tell-tale sign something was amiss.
Cracking his knuckles as they began to ascend the stairs Cracker glanced to Randolph. Polite, direct and well trained in a fight he was just the right person, or bunny, Cracker needed "Once I am married I'd like you to become the personal guard of my wife, I've been told she's a good fighter but I'd feel much better knowing one of my most trusted subordinates had her back if needs be."
Being called a most trusted subordinate and being given the honour of a personal guard was too much for poor Randolph, after his recent failures in protecting his Lord and failure to apprehend the Strawhats he never thought he would get a second chance at proving himself. His expectations had been set low after he was spared from death, without thinking he would retain his position under Crackers command.
Dropping down to one knee the Homie rabbit bowed his head "Thank you, Lord Cracker. I am grateful to be kept in such high regard by you, I swear by my life I shall redeem myself and be a worthy guard to her new Ladyship."
Rolling his eyes Cracker continued up the stairs, he knew Randolph had been given a Soul-Piece from some ally who was a cavalry knight and his mannerisms were much the same "Don't mention it, I want it kept quiet until I tell her myself." Cracker replied as he quickened his pace, jumping up Randolph was soon walking behind with a smile on his face.
"An elevator system made of candy. That's so cool." Rosalina muttered as she stepped inside the glossy, golden elevator.
After a peaceful and uneventful ride to the Chateau she'd been given a brief rundown of what would happen next before Katakuri left to take Dante to the infirmary, leaving her in the primary care of Oven; much to Ovens own protest.
Beckman remained stoic and quiet, refusing to comment on the fact that Big Mom lived in a gigantic cake or the fact that a candy elevator was, in the long run, an impractical idea.
"Your room has been prepared on the second floor, once you're more presentable you're going straight to the Courtyard on the third floor for Tea with Mama. Clothes are laid out and a maid is waiting to assist you, I trust you can take less than twenty minutes." Oven huffed before pressing the button for the second floor.
It didn't bother Rosalina very much that Oven didn't like her, she wasn't marrying him and had no plans to get on his good side. Getting along with all of the Charlotte Siblings was simply impossible; she knew this, though she did want to befriend a few for the sake of a peaceful life. Oven certainly wasn't on that list.
Exiting the lift at the second floor she was escorted down the long corridors until coming to a door
Guest Room 015
"Get in there and make yourself presentable for the Queen of Totto Land and don't have me to come in there." The large man ordered, swinging open the door Rosalina was more or less forced into the room, which earned him one hell of an icy glare from Beckman and annoyed grown from Rosalina "Alright, alright! You don't have to be so pushy, you're worse than both Beckman and dad combined." Rosalina snapped back, growing tired of the orders and snarky tone she'd been met with.
With the door slamming behind her she sighed and began looking around the room.
A young woman in a maids outfit stood by the bed, her head bowed and a soft smile on her face, Rosalina never had any maids or servants to wait on her. Sure, the crew had taken care of her but never had they gone so far as to treat her like she was somehow better than them for simply being born to their captain.
Remembering that time was short she set to preparing. She wasn't happy about this arrangement but knew she had to make a good impression on Big Mom, it would reflect badly on her father if she was to be seen as ungrateful or rude towards her host
Going to the bed she looked at the outfit chosen for her, scrunching her nose, the outfit certainly wasn't something she would normally wear but it did have an appeal. A light blue dress had been laid out on the bed, adorned with patterns of red tulips Rosalina had to admit it was a charming dress.
Picking the garment off the bed she held it to herself, it was off-shoulder and barely stretched to her knees.
A dressing table with a mirror and chair was set by the window, lined with make-up, perfumes and hair accessories it fit well with the cheerful and fancy attire of the room.
"Hay, what's your name?" Rosalina asked, turning her attention to the young maid by the bed she decided it was worth getting to know the staff.
The young woman looked up with a smile, a cheerful smile was painted on her face and blue eyes full of delight "My name is Polly, Ma'am. How may I assist you?" The woman asked.
Glad for the polite attitude she'd been met with Rosalina threw off her jacket and quickly began undressing. There was no time for awkwardness or shyness, she'd gotten changed in front of the other ladies aboard Red Force so many times it hardly made sense to be shy at this point.
Thankful that assistance had been offered Rosalina kicked her shoes off and glanced around the room "I need to be ready in less than twenty minutes. Just zip this dress up once I get it on and help me with my hair." Focusing now on her limited time it wasn't long before Rosalina was slipping into the chosen dress.
She'd never been more thankful for removable bra straps in her life.
The dress size was a perfect fit for her and once zipped up it was a comfortable and snug fit. Sitting down at the vanity table she was surprised at the amount of makeup she was met with.
Once again Rosalina was grateful for the teachings of her crew, the female members of the crew had made certain she knew how makeup worked and what looks worked best for her; she made a mental note to thank them once they arrived for the wedding.
"Mama wants your hair styled a specific way for the Tea Time, I'm sure you'll love it." Polly spoke softly as she picked the hairbrush up from the table, it didn't surprise Rosalina that something else had been chosen for her on her behalf.
The dress was nice and she had never been too fussy about her hair, it reached down to her lower back but the most she'd ever do with it was put it in a ponytail or a messy bun "Oh, sure, do whatever you need to. I gotta fix my face anyway." She muttered back.
Not one to wear a lot of makeup she kept to simple and light colours. A bit of soft pink eye-shadow and a nice shade of pink for lipstick was all she needed but this time she needed extra help, it wouldn't look good showing up without making an effort.
Applying eyeliner and a bit of mascara she grabbed a nice glossy coating to keep her lipstick from smudging during Tea Time
As the nice maid brushed and began styling her hair Rosalina couldn't help but feel bittersweet about it, no one had brushed her hair for her since her mother passed away, it felt so strange having someone do it again after so long.
Once finished Rosalina looked at herself in the mirror, she knew if the rest of the crew saw her in a pretty dress, makeup and with a nice hairdo they'd never let her live it down.
An up do with side ponytail had been something she never tried before, seeing it on her there was nothing she could complain about.
So far she couldn't flaw one thing Big Mom had prepared for her. The voyage had been pleasant, the welcome had been warm and friendly, the room was luxurious, the dress was delightful and even the hairdo decided for her was nice.
Getting up from the chair the young pirate grabbed the shoes she'd been given with the outfit, a small pair of heeled pumps, thankfully the heels were low, Rosalina slipped them on before going to the full length mirror in the corner of the room.
Looking herself she couldn't help but frown, seeing her reflection it didn't remind he of herself at all. Too well dressed and not enough layers for her liking.
"Thanks for helping me get ready, I really appreciate it. See ya round, Polly." She waved before heading out the door.
Cracker was nervous, more nervous now than he'd ever been before. The table was laid out with an assortment of baked treats and teas, his mother had been insistent to have Rosalinas favourite cakes and Crackers favourite teas for this meeting.
Big Mom, however, was not nervous at all, she was quite excited to meet the daughter of Red Hair Shanks, even more so when she remembered the girl would soon be her daughter-in-law. She thought how clever a plan it had been, dealing with the chaos and turmoil that Strawhatt caused seemed like a small sacrifice to havinganother Yonko on her side.
"Now, when she arrives what are you to do, Cracker?" She asked sipping on her tea, staring down at her fidgeting son, as annoying as it was to watch Cracker shifting in his seat and looking to the door every few minutes she knew it was well worth it.
"I stand to greet my bride, I introduce myself and welcome her to Tea Time, and then I pull out her chair and try to be nice." Cracker replied, his mother had been painfully specific in what he should and shouldn't say during this meeting.
As much as Linlin took pride in her children Cracker was one of the softer ones, a loyal and driven with a Devil Fruit ability he had perfected for a fight she did consider it a shame that he'd turned out less bloodthirsty than others of his strength, still, he was useful to make a new alliance.
Nodding her head Big Mom smiled, sometimes that softness did work in her favor, for now it might just have Cracker working twice as hard to prove his usefulness "Good boy, Cracker. I trust you won't waste this chance and fuck it up, you have a wife to consider now." The matriarch reminded him.
"Y-yes, Mama. I'm grateful for being given another chance, I promise I'll do better from now on." His voice lowered to a whisper as he spoke, no doubt his mother would do to Rosalina what she had done to him if he was to fail like he had against Strawhat.
Before Big Mom could speak again a knock came on the door, grinning with delight she couldn't wait to see how Tea Time went.
Oven was the first to enter the room "Mother, I've brought the girl. May I present, the daughter of Yonko Shanks, Miss Rosalina." Ushering her into the room Oven more or less pushed her along.
Almost immediately Cracker got up from his chair, nervously he turned to finally see his bride-to-be, half expecting to wake up and half expecting this to be some cruel joke his eyes slowly fell on her.
Seeing her in person was much better than any amount of pictures. His first thought was how pretty she looked in that outfit, the dress did bring out her eyes and show off her hair nicely.
Her hair, her eyes, her smile and even her scars looked beautiful. Cracker was shocked at the realization that he was the one getting to marry such a lovely looking young woman, to Cracker it seemed almost unfair. A beautiful young girl with a Yonko for a father being forced to marry a disgraced Sweet Commander, yet, when they spoke earlier she held no resentment towards him for this arrangement, she'd been quite understanding.
"It is an honour to meet you, Your Majesty, thank you for welcoming me into your home." Rosalina spoke softly as she bowed to the Queen of Totto Land, pirate or not Big Mom was still entitled to respect simply for governing such a large and diverse kingdom for so long, that and it was probably best to remain on her good side.
Big Mom hadn't expected the girl to be courteous or kind given the circumstances, she'd expected to be met with a sour-faced child full of resentment at the prospects of being married, though being met with politeness could work in her favour.
With a massive grin Big Mom let out a loud laugh "Mamamama~ what a polite girl you are! Oh don't stand on ceremony, my dear child. We're going to be family soon, so you call me Mama." She cooed, somewhat glad the girl wasn't putting up a fight or causing any problems.
Still, Cracker stood and stared at her, remembering what was expected of him he slowly moved forward "Hi there. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rosalina. I'm Charlotte Cracker, your future husband." Greeting her as politely as he could Cracker took her by the hand and led her to the table.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Cracker. I look forward to spending time with you before the wedding." Sitting down as the chair was pulled out it wasn't long before Beckman took the seat next to her.
In his opinion this whole thing was just a worthless ruse to that served to further torment his captain and Rosalina, forcing her into marriage was bad enough but to try forcing the pair together was cruel. But, he would remain faithful to his promise, he would make sure Rosalina was safe and find out what he could on the Charlotte Family.
As Oven took his leave joyful singing and dancing soon filled the Courtyard as the tableware and food came to life, singing and dancing they greeted the engaged couple and sang a happy song about how fun the wedding would be.
Rosalina and Beckman were equally unsettled by the sudden song and dance they were witness to, now, she understood well, Beckman had been right about furniture and foods not speaking. Having a cupcake tell her about how delicious it was made her question how ethical it would be to eat the thing.
It wasn't until the little musical ended that the jars of tea started asking which she wanted more, dancing in a circle they changed softly
"Black tea~ Hibiscus and rose tea~ Green tea~ who shall you choose, oh who shall you choose?"
"I- uh.. I'll take hibiscus and rose, please." Pointing to the pink container she looked at the array of foods available at the table, in the centre there was a large chocolate cake, thankfully it didn't seem to be alive at all, on the table it was the only non-sentient food available.
Watching nervously as the little container poured tea into the grinning teapot her gaze slowly went to Cracker. The poor man was fidgeting in his seat and nervously glancing around the table, Rosalina could hardly blame him. Beckman had been giving him glares since he sat down and his mother would scowl at him every now and again.
Rosalina couldn't help but pity her future husband, from what little she'd heard from the Strawhats it was clear Big Mom saw her children as no more than political pawns and powerful fighters. She'd had endless amounts of love and encouragement through her life and had rarely seen a severe punishment.
At this point she felt Cracker was getting the worst of this deal. He'd been suffering for weeks on end and was now expected to make a marriage work well.
Thankfully Big Mom was in control of the conversations for the most part. She asked how the voyage was and how well she had been treated by her children. Rosalina had no complaints to make about either, she'd been allowed to do as she wished for the most part and hadn't a bad word to say about her treatment from Galette or Katakuri, though, Oven was a completely different story.
Satisfied that there were no complaints Big Mom insisted the girl try some of the chocolate cake that Head Chef Streusen had prepared for her, Rosalina was happy to accept a cake that didn't speak back to her but was still wary of the Matriarchs kind attitude.
To her surprise the cake was delicious, feeling bad for thinking it Rosalina couldn't help but admit to herself, how it tasted better than anything else she'd eaten, she didn't want to make comment and end up hurting Lucky Roos feelings if he ever found out.
"If you think that's good just wait until your wedding day, my dear. Your wedding cake is going to be so sublime, I guarantee it'll be the best you ever tasted, such delicious wedding cake we shall have." Big Mom cackled, it amused her to watch the girl, kept hidden from the world and sheltered under the protection of her father it was surprising indeed that she'd so willingly accepted the proposal.
Watching in silence as they ate Big Mom noticed the sly glanced and smiled shared between Rosalina and Cracker, perhaps the two did like each other already, perhaps her other children were giving their brother a little extra information to help ease into the marriage.
Either way, Linlin preferred her children to have tolerable or happy marriages over indifference or hateful ones; though she was not opposed to causing trouble here or there to test the strength of it or where loyalties laid .
Deciding it best to leave them be for now Big Mom continued to eat and talk about how joyous it was that after the recent troubles there was going to be festivities once again.
There were some details of the wedding Big Mom wanted to keep a surprise but she was happy to divulge a few things to the bride and groom.
Every child of the Charlotte family was to be in attendance, there were ample extra seats for any allies or old friends Shanks brought along and all guests from Rosalinas side would be granted one week of accommodation within the Chateau.
Rosalina didn't doubt her father would be bringing some extra guests along, if not those who were as good as family then some extra muscle in case of trouble. She could think of two or three non-crew members who would definitely make an appearance and that gladdened her.
Before Rosalina could thank Big Mom the large woman was already getting up from her seat "I have some business to attend to so I'll be off. But, you two stay and have more delicious cake~ I'll have something special sent down from the kitchen so do stay put. I'll be speaking to you both later." Waving her hand as she left it wasn't soon enough until the door was closing behind her.
All three at the table breathed a heavy sigh of relief and sat back in their chairs, everyone besides Big Mom had been nervous and on edge the entire time.
Beckman had no nice things to say so had opted to keep his mouth shut.
Cracker was fearful of saying something wrong in front of his mother.
Rosalina hadn't wanted to speak out of turn and cause an issue.
"Fuck this, I need a smoke. Behave until I get back." Beckman grunted getting up, looking around he spotted a door to a balcony, a few minutes of peace was much needed after sitting tense with nothing but unpleasant thoughts in his head for the whole meeting.
Cracker breathed another sigh of relief as Beckman stepped onto the balcony and closed the door behind him 'Finally, I didn't think I'd survive both of them glaring at me' he thought to himself.
His attention then focused on her, his bride, now he could freely look at her without the nagging fear of being shot or scolded.
Unable to help himself, he sat staring at her for a good minute.
"So, I guess we should use our time wisely. Is there anything you'd like to know about me, Cracker?" Pulled from his blank thoughts Cracker nodded quickly.
There was so much he wanted to know, he didn't know much about her and he needed every bit of information he could for his dates.
With her elbows resting on the table and her chin in her hands Rosalina smiled softly, in truth Cracker wasn't at all what she'd expected.
He was tall, more muscular than she'd expected, the hair was a surprise but it did have its charms. Certainly something that made him stand out from the rest of his siblings, Rosalina couldn't help but admire him a little.
"Uhm.. I guess.. I mean.. I wanna know everything about you and I suppose it's the same for you." He shrugged as he crossed his arms, trying to play it cool was an easy fall-back strategy for him.
"Favourite colour, favourite food, favourite flower, favourite kinds books.. Just, you know, the little things." He specified.
Humming as she thought Rosalina pursed her lips "Green, sea king mince with gravy and onions, lollipop lilies and I love to read but my favourite is good murder mystery.. What about yours?" She answered, listing each off on her fingers as she tilted her head to one side.
Beginning to feel more at ease Cracker was quick to give his answers "Purple, jam, umh.. I dunno, like, daisies. I kinda like books with a lot of murder." He really didn't know anything about flowers or much about books, neither had been of interest to him growing up, though he did enjoy some of Mont-d'Or special books.
It didn't come as a surprise that he enjoyed books about murder, from what little she knew it was safe to assume he'd committed a few in his time. By his own hand or with his Devil fruit she was curious as to how he liked to kill, it did tell a lot about a person, their preferred methods of killing.
"When you kill someone, do you do it yourself or with your devil fruit?" Without thinking on it she asked the question.
Catching Cracker off guard he almost dropped his cup, he didn't expect murder to be a topic while having tea, even if she was a pirate and Yonkos child she didn't seem the type to be interested in straight up murder.
'It was bound to come up eventually, if not from me then from someone else. She's probably killed a few people herself anyways'
"Depends, I tend to operate from within a Biscuit Warrior. It's easier and my true identity is concealed. I guess I kill using a mix of both but sometimes I do it with my sword. What about you, how do you kill, if you've ever killed before that is?" Gesturing to the large sword Cracker eyed her curiously.
Surely she must've killed at least once in her past. She was a pirate after all.
Yes, Rosalina had killed in the past, always out of necessity she was raised to see killing as a fact of life. To survive you must sometimes take the life of another, if her life was threatened then she felt little remorse for her actions.
"Not often but I have killed before. Only when my life was threatened, I do prefer to incapacitate or injure if I can. Preferably I go for weak points, a clean cut of an artery guarantees a quick death, messy, but I'm not chancing being hit back."
To kill was something Cracker learned at a young age, now it was no different to uprooting a weed in a garden, it was at ask that simply had to be done. Being a Sweet Commander meant he pulled weeds frequently on his Mamas orders.
Nervously, Cracker reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder, he didn't know what her life had been like before, or any circumstanced surrounding her killings. It was the look on her face that told him it wasn't something she made a habit of.
Now his idea to have Randolph as a person guard sounded almost perfect to him "If they attacked you then they had it coming. I doubt they'd live much longer if your father found out anyways." With a smirk on his face it was clear to Cracker this girl wasn't a cold blooded killer, more a peacemaker than anything else.
And for that he was grateful, grateful to end up marrying someone who wasn't a cold hearted murderess or a docile weakling. Someone he had a chance of getting along with was the best he could have hoped for, and from his point of view it was the best.
Finding some comfort in his words Rosalina chuckled, from where she was sitting it was fair to assume a political marriage was something they could both live comfortably with. She didn't expect anything from a romance novel or a fairy-tale love story of any kind.
Then again, it was worth a shot by trying, neither had anything to lose simply by attempting a relationship.