They ride the eel for two days and stay generally quiet. At some point, Willow falls asleep and when she wakes her seaweed hat is gone. She assumes Ludovic threw it into the ocean rather than it slipped off her head, but she has no way to confirm this and she doesn't really care. It was a stupid hat.
They all need food and water, so when they see an island in the distance they're almost ready to jump off and swim the rest of the way. Willow urges the eel on and is the first to leap into the shallows and climb the sandbank towards a sweet and familiar scent that makes her mouth water. She crests the hill and her eyes fill with tears. A vineyard. They must have landed on one of the many DavenGallow satellite sites. She crawls to the closest vines, heavy with fruit, and rips an entire bunch down. She shovels grapes into her mouth, ripping them from the stems with her teeth, not tasting them until she's halfway through. When she does, she freezes mid-bite and the tears start to flow. They're delicious. They taste nothing like the wine that's been thick on her tongue for their duration on the ocean. It reminds her of her childhood and the batch of grapes that had made her want to grow them in the first place. They're ripe and sweet and so much better than the ones at home. Why do they taste so different? She'd have to ask the overseers what they did to acquire such a flavor. She needs to taste this again and again. Ludovic and Baldwin finally catch up and she shoves the grapes at them. "You have to try these," she says. "They're exquisite."
They don't have to be told twice. They dig in immediately. As they're taking down a second bunch of grapes a man runs towards them. He gives an indistinguishable call and Ludovic leans down towards her. "Be cautious about telling them who we are," he warns. "We can't get an eel on land." She wants to ask why she should be cautious on her own land, but he straightens and calls a greeting to the approaching man. "We apologize for eating the harvest of your fields. We have been stranded at sea for many days and are in much need of hospitality."
"Water," Willow demands hoarsely. "Bring us water."
"Please," Baldwin adds, tone suggesting more agreement than plea.
"Oy." The stranger rubs the back of his head once he's close enough to get a good look at them. "You've really been through something, haven't you?" He turns towards the fields. "Olen!" he calls. "Bring us a keg of water would you?"
Soon a man comes over with a small barrel of water and uses a pry bar to remove the lid. They are handed metal mugs and they dip them in and drink greedily. It's cold and refreshing and tastes slightly of oak. Willow catches a glimpse of her reflection in the water and blanches. She looks worse that she'd ever seen. Her hair has bits of seaweed tangled into it and she resembles a steamed tomato. The cut on her cheek is long and the scabs are cracking. Her clothing is faded and torn. Her nails are cracked and her skin is flaking. If it weren't for the style of her dress she would be unrecognizable as a noble, much less a Celestial Dragon.
"Trillion?" A woman comes from around the nearest row of vines. "What's going on?"
"Ah," the man before them exclaims. He puts his hand around her waist in a loving gesture that makes Willow cock her head. Do couples really embrace each other like that in public? Ikaika was certainly never that affectionate, no matter the location. She doesn't remember her father ever doing so to her mother either. He explains the situation to her, calling her "honey" and giving her affectionate glances that make Willow feel uncomfortable. The men don't seem bothered by their display, so she keeps quiet. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Shamira." The three of them introduce themselves, giving their first names only. "My wife and I own the Harriet Wine company. We would like to welcome you to our vineyard. You're welcome to stay until you've recovered. Is there someone you'd like to call? Your families must be worried."
Willow's eyes scan over the grounds and she knows he's telling the truth. There isn't an overseer or slave in sight. There are several workers. They're all smiling and working together, carrying baskets full of grapes towards a large three-story house in the distance. It's smaller than Gallowcomb Mansion, but it's well-kept and clean. All the grapes look larger and healthier than the ones DavenGallow produce. It must be something in the soil. She'd have to take a sample and have it analyzed. Willow looks over everything again. So this is the "Harriet Wine? You mean this isn't a DavenGallow vineyard?" Willow asks. Harriet vineyard. She'd seen the brand before but had never sampled their wine herself. She wonders if it tastes as amazing as the grapes. She sees now how the barbarian company can be one of their top competitors despite their smaller and simpler stature. There's some secret here and she has to have it.
The man laughs in response to her questions. "DavenGallow may have a lot of vineyards, but quantity doesn't always lead to quality, if you know what I mean."
Willow tries to not let his comment bite. "How much do you want for it?" she asks softly.
Trillion blinks at her. "Excuse me?"
"I'll buy this vineyard!" she says, almost desperately. "Give me a number. Money is no object. Just give me a transponder snail and I'll have it transferred immediately!"
The man shakes his head, holding his wife a little closer to him. "I'm sorry but our land is not for sale. You're welcome to call someone to come get you and we'll house you until they arrive, but we cannot sell to you."
Her hand flies to her empty side where her pistols always hung. Her eyes dart between Trillion and Olen. She can't take them in hand to hand, nor would she want to damage her beautiful hands any further. The cut on her palm is still burning from when she sliced it open. The rope and seawater had irritated it and it had swollen during the ride here. She'd have to use her biting words to change their minds. Willow is about to threaten them when Ludovic puts his hand on her shoulder. "Willow, call your husband."
Her lips press together as she takes the hint to give it a rest. "Very well." Her eyes flit back up to the family in front of her, who watch her warily as Olen runs to the house to retrieve their snail. She feels a surprising level of guilt. "I'm sorry." Their eyes soften on her and the woman even smiles. The large man returns with a small, generic snail and holds it out to her. Willow takes it and dials the familiar number, not even saying the digits in her head as her fingers move the rotary wheel. It beeps three times before there's a click and Ikaika's unpleasant voice comes through the receiver.
"Who is it?"
"Who do you think it is?" Willow snaps, feeling irritable that he would ask such a question when she's calling on their private line. "Those pirates threw us from San Faldo and we were strand for days. Ludovic, Baldwin, and I washed up at a vineyard on…" She looks to the couple.
"Harriet Island," the man says.
Willow repeats the name into her receiver. "We'll need you to send someone to pick us up. Did you intercept that crew on your way in? Did they have Karmen with them?"
"Willow, the banquet was nearly two weeks ago. I've already returned to Valcour," he says. A cold chill runs down her spine. "And the pirates didn't take Karmen. An assassin came and he fell over the balcony with her. I received a report that a body was recovered and has already been buried at sea."
Willow's breath comes out in ragged gasps. "Are you sure it was her?" she breathes.
"Her ring was returned to me with pictures as identification."
How could he sound so calm? How could he sound like he doesn't care that the child they spent eighteen long years raising has been killed? She sits down against a vine and draws her knees to her chest. How would the Warlords react? How would Karmen's parents react? Is there anything that could stand between them and a slow and painful death? Somehow, that possibility pales to the information he'd given her. Karmen is dead. "Are you sure?" she asks again. "Are you absolutely sure?"
Ikaika's sigh comes through, loud and exasperated. "I can hear that you're having a hard time coping. I anticipated this reaction and have taken appropriate actions."
"What are you talking about?" she asks harshly, grief adding weight to her tone.
"I'm taking full control of the company. Mr. Antwan and his team will also be working for me from here on out. I know you'd like to fight me on this, but the matter of the fact is that I've removed that complication. I've already spoken with the shareholders and bought your half."
Anger, sorrow, and disbelief war in her mind and chest for dominance, creating a torrent of emotion inside of her that she can't process. It leaves her feeling so numb and empty that she can't even cry or scream. "I want a divorce."
"I think that would be for the best. You said your brother was there with you? I'll send the check to his place along with your things."
There is a click and the snail droops with the broken connection. Willow lets the hand holding it sink limply to her side. With her other hand, she picks up the bare grape stems they'd dropped previously and squeezes. The tiny sticks dig into her cut in a painful and welcome distraction. Shamira covers her mouth and Trillion's jaw clenches in empathetic rage. How strange, Willow thinks, that they should show such emotions for her.
She looks up at Ludovic and extends the snail. "Here."
He takes it and grips her hand tightly. "He'll pay for this. I'll take care of it myself."
Willow shakes her head. It's a sweet offer and maybe at some point she would find herself desiring to accept it, but right now, she just wants to lie down and be left alone. "Let's just go home," she says. The emptiness inside her gives her voice a hollow tone that makes Ludovic's eyebrows knit with worry. "Take me to Itmeron with you." Her brother nods and makes the call. He hands the snail to Baldwin and sits next to Willow, stroking her hair gently. She lays her head on his shoulder and stares out at the ocean with dry eyes. She wonders how long it would take before the grief and anger come back.
"Come to the house with us," Shamira offers when Baldwin is finished. "You can bathe and join us for dinner. We have plenty of spare beds." Ludovic pulls Willow to her feet and leads her after the couple as they head inside.
Shamira takes Willow into a bathroom and fills the tub. She helps Willow undress and wash, turning the water a sickly green. The woman is gentle with Willow's injuries and spreads ointment on them to reduce the scarring. While she's combing the tangles out of Willow's hair, she finally asks the question she'd been holding back. "Who was Karmen?" Her voice is tender, concerned, and warm. Caring. Willow's heart gives a twinge of feeling in response.
"She was my daughter." She looks down. Her daughter. "I tried to raise her well, but I don't think I was a good parent. There's so much more I could have done, so many things I could have done differently." She covers her face and crumples inwards, breathing ragged.
"Don't do that to yourself," Shamira says gently. "Parenting is the hardest job in the world. Everyone thinks there's something more they could have done, but in the end, things turn out just fine. I'm sure you were a great mother."
Willow curls her hands to her chest and shakes her head, face contorted in despair. "You don't understand. I'm not the type of person that people like. Normally that doesn't bother me, and I pretend not to notice, but Karmen hated me." She gives a wan smile. "She's not even my real daughter. The government wanted to control her parents so they stole her and gave her to Ikaika and I because I can't have children of my own. We gave her everything, but every time I looked at her, I only saw the child I could never have. I did something so horrible to her before she died. I'm sure she hated me."
"You don't seem like a bad person to me." The woman's voice is overly cheerful, as if she hopes some of her optimism will seep into Willow and make her feel the smallest bit better.
Willow gives a defeated laugh. "You really don't understand." She looks over at her with tears in her eyes. "I'm a Celestial Dragon. Ludovic and I are Davenwell's. The company my soon-to-be ex-husband stole out from under me is DavenGallow. I kill to get what I want and shoot those that stand in my way. I walk the path of a god and barbarians like you tremble like worms before me." She rests her forehead on her knees. "If you want to kill me, go ahead. Just make it quick. I don't want to suffer like the Donquixote's." She closes her eyes and waits for pain.
To her surprise, she feels a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I will not harm you. I knew who you were the minute you tried to buy our vineyard. I'm not sure my husband does, he's not the most observant man in the world, but he's kind and wouldn't turn you away or mistreat any person in your situation. I know you're going through a stressful time right now, but don't offer to give up your life so willingly. If you don't like the person you are, then you can change. It won't be easy, but it's a way to find happiness again. It may be too late for Karmen to forgive you, but not for you to forgive yourself. You're a World Noble, which means you have the influence to make changes. You may not feel up to it for a while, maybe even years, but you can be someone whom Karmen would have been proud to call a mother."
"Lady," Willow mumbles. "Your sentimental bull is nice and all, but behavior like that gets Dragons disowned, and disowned Dragons get lynched. We guard dangerous secrets. If I took your advice, eventually someone would have me killed. Maybe it's what I deserve." She takes a deep breath and leans back, letting herself sink lower in the water as she stares at the ceiling. "If I do find a way to make those kinds of changes, I probably won't, but if I do, I'll try to keep what you said in mind."
Shamira gives her a gentle smile. "Your secret is safe with me."
They finish the bath, they get fresh clothing, they eat, they sleep. Willow doesn't say much and the empty feeling lingers in her core. She watches the workers in the vineyard blankly to pass the time and wonders how they can look so happy, so cheerful, and how such a place could produce such delicious grapes. At the same time, she can't help but wonder how the sun can continue to shine so brightly, how the flowers can continue to be so fragrant, and how the world can keep spinning. Her senses seem numb, but she can tell that nothing has changed except that she doesn't find any enjoyment in any of it. Everything is the same, but she feels like she's experiencing it through a thick pane of glass. It is simply there and happening, nothing more. She doesn't even feel the burn of her skin or the itching of her cuts as they heal. Thinking about this vineyard keeps her mind off everything that happened until she's lying in bed. On the second night, she finally cries. Ludovic does his best to comfort her, in his own way, but it does little to change how she feels. Baldwin does his best to avoid her and her brother until his transport arrives. They don't bother to see him off.
The next day their ship finally pulls into the harbor. Trillion and Shamira present Willow with a cutting from the vineyard. "For your fresh start," the woman says, giving her a wink. Willow thanks her, surprised that she feels genuine gratitude, and manages a small smile as they step aboard. They return to the family mansion on Itmeron, a winter island in the New World. The climate is not suitable for a vineyard, but there is a greenhouse. Willow spends most of her time in the humid glass room and most of the servants have enough common sense to not enter the room while she's there.
The check from Ikaika comes with her things. She arranges the divorce papers with one of the family lawyers and sends them back with the ship. As she watches it disappear, she feels a great weight lifted from her shoulders. Her daughter is gone. Her legacy is gone. She doesn't understand humans and their tendency to care for one another, but Ludovic had been kind to her in her despair. She may not be ready to change completely, but perhaps she could learn to understand him better.
The thought runs through her mind again with a tinge of shock. How long had she thought of another Celestial Dragon as a human? She'd have to keep these thoughts to herself, lest she becomes an outcast like Doflamingo Homing and soils her family's good name, what's left of it, anyway.
Maybe she'd learn to understand Karmen's desire to preserve life and her love of things that could have killed her, even if Willow never feels that way herself. Maybe, if she found out what it was, she could learn to understand the humans who would rather kill Celestial Dragons than bow down or accept them into their own society. Maybe she could sit in the same room as Karmen's real mother and learn to apologize for everything she'd stolen from her and her husband, everything that she can no longer give back. If they wanted to kill her, then they'd have every right. She just hopes she gets to see Ikaika get what he deserves before she gets hers. The thought of putting a bullet through his skull is the only thing that makes her smile.
A little over two weeks later, Ludovic steps into the greenhouse where Willow is tending the grapevine sapling. He holds a newspaper up for her to see and grins darkly. The headline reads: Vengeful Ghost takes Noble's Arms to the Underworld. Willow takes the paper from him and reads the attached article. Her mouth spreads into a toothy grin that widens with each sentence. And when she's finished, she can't stop laughing.
AN: I'm curious to see what you think of Willow so far. All PM's and review responses will be spoiler-free.
I've been trying to find a balance between two jobs and writing. Let me just say that lunch breaks and slow hours are magical things.
In the next chapter, we start on Geraldo and Ikaika and why I love to hate them.