"Mr. Baldwin!" Edward greeted, rising to his feet as the man was shown into the tearoom. Will got to his own feet and waited patiently to be introduced. Edward shook the other man's hand. Baldwin was a nauseating figure of a man, with a pale wise face, and heavy-lidded eyes. His hair was just as greasy as his entire persona and Will found himself once more faced with another issue at hand. But he supposed that ruling a kingdom was simply games on games and it was his job to be the smartest in the room. "How good of you to join us. Let me introduce you to His Royal Majesty, King William."

Edward motioned towards Will and Will waited for the normal courtesy that came with his position, though he only found a raised brow from Baldwin.

"So, the rumors are true then," Baldwin muttered, though his voice was not kept low. "King Sanford has passed away. May he rest in peace."

"I hope he won't," Will chirped back, hands folded in front of him. He could wait. He was due his respect. Especially with these too seedy men. They were going to learn their place and it was not above him. He did not hold these men in the same graces his father did, and it wasn't about to change any time soon. "Mr. Baldwin, is it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The bow finally came, though it was weak in its attempt. Nothing that would implore any sort of respect to Will. "Is it true what has been whispered around the court?"

"And what would that be, Baldwin?" Will inquired boredly, taking his seat at the table again. The two men traded glances with each other before sitting at the table as well. It had been laid with a spread of fine meats and cheeses, fruits and breads as well as cups of wine. Will picked at a grape and looked over it with feigned interest before eating it.

"You were crowned wearing the king's blood with his head in your hand?"

There was a sputtering and a coughing from Edward as he choked on his wine and Will waited patiently for the outburst to settle before he returned his attention to Baldwin.

"I am not here to put courtier rumors to rest," Will dismissed with a wave of his hand. He picked up a gleaming and freshly sharpened knife to begin cutting a slice of pear that he procured from a lovely silver tray. He ate it from the blade of the knife that was steadied with his thumb. "The only prominent information that you need to be aware of is that my father has been disposed of and I am king. Is that settled?"

There was a darkening of Baldwin's eyes and Edward was still lightly coughing as he dabbed at his mustache with a cloth. Baldwin gave a single nod and Will let his knife glide through the pear once more before taking another slice of the fruit between his teeth.

"The reason that I am here has to do with the Mary Rose."

"What about her?" Baldwin's fingers drummed against the tabletop.

"There were important documents on board that I am in need of. Have you pulled anything like that from the wreckage? I have been informed that you were the one in charge of gathering everything salvageable."

"There were documents on board, yes." Baldwin tipped his head to the side. Will watched the man look him up and down in much the same way that Edward had earlier. As if he were hungry and Will was fresh meat. "Was there any in particular you were looking for?"

"I would prefer to inspect all the documentation myself." Will finished off the last bite of pear and let the core fall to his plate. But the knife he cleaned with a cloth before looking over the blade curiously. "I expect them in my hands within the hour."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The agreement was hissed between clenched teeth and Will wondered if perhaps he had stumbled upon something that these two men had been wanting to keep to themselves. Some sort of investment opportunity. Possibly selling everything that was on board that was salvageable.

"How fortunate we are that the ship found its way to your cove," Will continued, shooting Edward a smile. "Imagine if our enemies had somehow gotten a hold of the thing. The strain we would be under." Will laughed and there was a hesitant smile from Edward. Baldwin sat stiff and still, eyes still cutting through Will. "There was something else I am needed before you're dismissed, Mr. Baldwin."

"What might that be?" His fingers had stopped tapping and had closed into a white knuckled fist. The air was a strange mixture of fear and anger and Will breathed it in, letting it fill him.

This was how they got their money. If they weren't cozying up to his father, then they were taking things that didn't belong to them and selling them. How many other incidents have there been of royal accidents or random items going missing? How long had these two men been participating in these actions? Will supposed it didn't matter. He simply had to put a stop to all of them.

"I want a list of the crew and the whereabouts of their bodies. If their families had been informed of their passing and if there were any funeral arrangements for them. That ship was full of some of our greatest soldiers, and I want to see that they are honored for what they have done for our kingdom." Will sat up fully in his chair, knife still firmly in hand.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Baldwin nodded and got to his feet, but Will was swift to lunge across the table. In a single movement, the knife pierced through the flesh of Edward's hand, pinning it to the tabletop. There was a loud yell of pain. Crimson flowed from the knife and the room shifted. Several of the duke's personnel tried to rush forward, but at a wave from Will, they faltered and fell back to where they had been before.

"What the fuck?" Edward demanded through gritted teeth. His other hand clutched the edge of the table so harshly Will wondered if the man could splinter the wood in his grip.

"I need you both to listen to me very clearly," Will hissed, looking between the two men. Baldwin looked ready to run whereas Edward had gone pale and sickly looking. "I am tired of the courtly games and the deceit that you have plagued this kingdom with for years. I expect everything from that ship to be returned to Whitehall Palace within a fortnight. If you have sold it, buy it back. I do not care to what lengths you must go to, but I will find the ledger with everything that should have been aboard the ship, and I will go through it one item at a time to make sure that everything is accounted for."

Will's hand turned the handle that was still embedded fully in the wood of the table and there was a cry from Edward. His other fist struck the table and Baldwin took a step back, skin somehow whiter than milk. Will yanked the blade free, but snatched up Edwards hand before the man had the chance to pull it back to his chest.

"I will take my first payment here and now and then subsequent payment in the future if my property is not restored in its entirety," Will warned.

"Paym-" Before Baldwin could get the word out, there was another scream of pain.

The blade of the knife pulled more blood to it as Will cut through one of the duke's fingers. The ring that had been sitting there glistened as it was coated, but Will didn't care about the blood. He needed his message to sink it. Needed these two scheming cretins to ponder the consequences of your ambitions.

"My reign is not a pawn in your financial games." Will let the knife clatter to the table and released Edward's wrist. The man was swift to cradle his hand to his chest as the blood began to soil his pompous outfit. Will picked up the severed finger and collapsed back in his chair, pulling the emerald laden ring from the finger. The finger was tossed aside, falling God knows where. "Baldwin, I will not ask again. I want all documentation from the Mary Rose and a list of all crew and if their families have held services for them."

Will placed the silver band on his finger and held it up in the dimming sunlight to admire. There was no movement and Will's gaze flickered over to the two men opposite him. Edward was on the verge of passing out, skin sickly and sweat beading across his forehead. Baldwin was gripping the back of his chair in an effort to keep standing as his cheeks slowly turned a shade of green.

"I will not ask again," Will stated strongly. "Fetch me what I ask for and we shall have no more issues. And get a physician for Edward here. We don't need him bleeding out over tea. It would be quite rude for the host to die on his guest."

The room fell into a harsh silence as Will continued to slowly inspect the ring that now adorned his finger. He did his best to ignore the way that Edward's gaze burrowed into him. It was unpleasant. Will felt like he was being read like a book, but he made sure to keep all of his emotions hidden away. This aristocrat would not get the upper hand over him. He refused to be under anyone's boot ever again.

The minutes ticked by the silence growing heavier the longer it lasted. Will refused to break it. He simply sighed into the room and folded his hands on the tabletop until finally the sounds of footsteps could be made out from down the hallway.

The doctor rushed into the room first without so much as a glance at Will. His disrespect didn't bother Will in the slightest. Keeping Edward alive was the priority and Will wouldn't have it any other way. The man needed to stay living to be an example to other aristocrats that had possibly been doing the same things under his father's nose. It would no longer be tolerated.

While the duke was being checked over, Baldwin rushed back into the room with an armful of scrolls and papers all of which were water damaged, but Will hoped they were still legible.

"Will someone please come and clear this table for us? We have more important business to attend to than cheeses and wines." Will glanced around the room and watched as more of the servants rushed forward and began clearing the table as instructed. Several had busied themselves with cleaning the blood that was pooling on the floor and staining the tablecloth.

The moment the table was finally fully cleared and cleaned; Baldwin dropped the documents onto the tabletop. Will pulled them closer to his person and began unfolding the first of the scrolls.

"Is this all of them?" Will questioned, eyes flickering up to Baldwin before returning to the words written in front of him, most of which were so badly waterlogged that they were illegible.

"Everything that was gathered and still within our possession, Your Majesty," Baldwin agreed with a nod, his voice trembling a touch. "The rest will be retrieved by your deadline. I swear it."

"Good." Will cast his glance over to Edward whose bandages were already beginning to turn red with the blood still seeping through them. He sat pale in the chair as the doctor continued to busy himself with his work. "I would hate to have to teach you the same lesson as Edward."

"Th-There's really no need," Baldwin assured swiftly with a shaking laugh. "Your message was perfectly clear."

"Wonderful." Will placed the document aside and reached for the next one. "And do I have a list for the crew?"

"The list for the crew...?" Baldwin trailed off, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. "There was never a list made for the crew. There were several who did not survive. Their bodies were put in a mass grave in our cemetery. There have been no efforts to contact families as their identities are-"

"Retrieve the bodies," Will ordered, his jaw tight as heat flooded through his body. There was a chance. It was a small one, but there was a chance.

"Excuse me?"

"Go dig up the bodies and contact their families. Inform them of the accident and that the Duke of Wessex will be handling the arrangements and payments for the proper burials out of the goodness of his heart."

The document in his hand-held little interest to him and he added it to the discarded pile before snatching up the next one. When he unrolled it, he exhaled heavily. Though it was difficult to read, it was exactly what he had been looking for. The treaty was intact. It was more than he could ask for. Peace between his home and Spain took a large weight off his shoulders and made it easier for him to breathe.

"Did you find what you were looking for, Your Majesty?" Baldwin questioned hopefully.

Will rolled the treaty back up and rose to his feet. He held the paper out to James who took it with understanding. They were almost done here and could return home. There was relief in the eyes of his friends and Will knew just how difficult the day had been for them. They had to watch Will act out in these ways and it brought a pause to Will. Would Hannibal have approved of his actions? He doubted it, but then again, Hannibal was a soldier. He had been through just as much bloodshed, if not more. He had no room to speak.

"What happened to the rest of the crew?" Will turned back to face Baldwin and the Duke. "The ones who survived. What happened to them?" Baldwin's mouth turned to a thin line, and he threw a glance over his shoulder and to Edward who rose weakly to his feet. Will's heart raced in his chest as time seemed to scrawl to a halt as the answer was held from him. "Well? I do not have all night, gentlemen. Nor will I continue to be so patient."

"They were sold, Your Majesty." Edward's voice was frail, and he stumbled, grabbing the edge of the table for balance so he wouldn't collapse to the floor. Will blinked several times as the words washed over him. They took a long moment to finally sink in, but Will still found himself asking:

"What?"

"We sold them."

"T-to who?" Will's hand slammed onto the tabletop, his chest constricting at the images forming in his mind. Images of Hannibal chained up like some sort of animal and being shipped off to God knows where on the globe. Sold like cattle at an auction or in a quiet, private party.

"The highest bidders." Edward licked at his lips and Will's eyes narrowed as the man slipped from the table and to the floor. The doctor stepped forward, but Will reached the duke first. His hand snatched up a fistful of bloody garments and he wrenched the man to his knees.

"Where were they sent to?" Will hissed.

"France, Portugal, the Americas. I don't know. I did not inquire after them."

"Those are my men, Edward." Will tossed the man aside, rage boiling brightly in him. The same rage that had been present in his veins when he had killed his father. "My soldiers are not your property to sell at your leisure!"

"Please forgi-"

"You have no room to speak here!" Will yelled, turning his attention to Baldwin who had the gall to utter a word. "These men will be found and returned to me. I do not give a fuck what they cost you. If you are sent into ruins, I do not want to hear a single complaint about it. Each one of my men will be returned to their families and to my service. If even a single one of them is missing come this fortnight, your heads will be the next ones to roll, and I will not feel a moment of guilt."

Will's jaw clenched and he closed his eyes tightly, finding it difficult to fully inhale. His chest ached with the rage. His hands shook. When he opened his eyes again, he raked his eyes over the men. Baldwin and the physician had helped Edward back into his chair.

"Have I made my demands understandable?" Will asked with a huff of annoyance. Baldwin and Edward stiffened, and each nodded their head in turn. Will's hands clenched to fists at his side. "I cannot hear your heads move. Do you understand my demands, or shall I reiterate them?"

"We understand, Your Majesty," Edward assured, his hand still clutched to his chest as the bandaging continued to grow more ruby as the time slipped by. "All of your belongings returned to your estate in a fortnight."

"It will be done," Baldwin added quickly. "We swear it."

"Good." Will stepped over to the rest of the documents on the table and gathered them up into his arms. He strode from the room, his paces faster than they needed to be. He could hear James and Brian coming after him, keeping up with his harsh pace. "Where is my carriage?" Will questioned loudly when he reached the front courtyard. Several of the staff jumped into action and rushed away, leaving Will to begin pacing as he waited for his orders to be fulfilled.

His breathing was hot through his nose and a hand went to his curls as he strode back and forth at a speed that would have caused ditches to form in the stone beneath his feet if he wasn't stopped.

"Your Majesty?" Brian asked cautiously, but it did nothing to pull Will from himself.

"Will!" James called outright.

Will's concentration broke and he stumbled as he tripped over his own feet. Will's attention rose to his guard who both wore concern like it was their only emotion. His grip on the documents in his hands tightened and he tried to steady his breathing.

"What if he's alive?" Will whispered, causing Brian and James to move a bit closer to hear the words. "What if he's been alive this whole time?"

"He could be in the mass grave," James pointed out. Apology dripped from his words. "Or if he was sold, he could be on his way to the Americas by now. How do you ever expect to find him?"

"I have to try." The tears were beginning to burn as they snuck up on Will. "He wouldn't give up on me."

"You barely knew the man," Brian said, looking down at the ground. "How could you know what he would do?"

Will's mind raced as he thought over everything the two of them had been through together when they were children and then meeting again now. They had barely spent more than a month together in person, but they had spent years with their souls tangled together. Will didn't need to spend any more time in a room with Hannibal to know exactly what kind of man he was. He would rip the world apart for Will if Will needed it and Will was willing to do the same for Hannibal if there was still something to fight for.

The creek of wood on gravel sounded as his carriage was finally brought to him and he turned to face it. James and Brian's eyes burned him as they stared at the back of his head. Will ignored them, though he was grateful for the worry from his friends.

"I know him deeper than anyone else in this world could possibly imagine," Will said with a firm nod. "And I will not give up on him."

"Please try not to clench your teeth, Your Majesty," Chilton instructed as he worked on slowly cutting and removing the stitches from Will's cheek. "It's only going to make this take longer."

Will closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the edge of his tub. The warm water was doing nothing to help sooth his nerves like he had hoped it would. Instead, he felt like he was cooking alive in his own personal soup.

His ribs were aching dully, the bruising having begun to fade to a nauseating yellow color. His arms that had deflected some of his father's kicks, were also beginning to turn the same yellow. He supposed that was a good sign. His body healing itself, removing any piece of his father's touch that still adorned his skin. Save for the scars. His back still bore the beatings and now his face would too.

Will hissed at another stitch being pulled free and his eyes squeezed shut. His hands clutched the edges of the tub, the water around him shifting at the movement.

"Fuck," he gasped out, doing his best to relax again for Chilton. He hated the way he could feel the twine being pulled from his skin, as if they were worms and he were an apple. They felt sticky and like they didn't want to come free. It made his whole spine shiver.

"Only a few more," Chilton assured as he went back to work. "And they are healing wonderfully."

"I'm sure," Will grumbled as his cheek was pulled again. His hands stayed tight in their grasp on the tub until the last of the knots was cut and the binding pulled free. He sighed when he was released and slipped under the water, air turning to bubbles as he blew through his nose. He rubbed at his face, fingers tracing the new scarring.

When he surfaced again, he rubbed the water from his eyes and pushed back his curls before taking the mirror that was being held out to him by Chilton. His eyes took in his reflection, and he turned his face this way and that, fingers poking and prodding at the marks now there.

The first scar, a jagged and uneven line, ran from his left eyebrow down to the corner of his lips. It had nearly outshined the first scar he had received from his father's rings. It was hardly noticeable on the fleshy part of his cheek. Something silver and fading.

The second scar was contrasting in its nature to the first. It was a smoother, more delicate mark, a thin line cutting across the cheekbone and intersecting with the larger of the two.

Will glanced down at the ring that now graced his finger, head tipping to the side as he took in the way the metal clung to the emerald with sharp points ready to tear at flesh if they had the chance. It had already tasted blood once. Would it be hungry again?

"Thank you, Chilton." Will sighed, handing the mirror back to the man. "I would like to be alone now, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Chilton got to his feet, gathering up his tools before leaving with a bow.

Once the door was shut and the room was empty save for him, Will once more slipped below the surface of the water. He stared up at the reflecting surface that shifted this way and that with his movement, distorting the artwork across the ceiling.

He watched as the water calmed, though not fully. It seemed to still move with every beat his heart gave. But it was steady enough for him to study the morphed partings above him.

He could hear the steady rhythm of his heart in his ears and feel it fully in his chest. He stayed there long after the pain in his lungs became uncomfortable. His face went hot and his ears felt like they would burst.

He surfaced with a gasp, water raining down around him and back into the tub. He brushed his hair out of his face and lowered his face into his hands. His fingers were beginning to wrinkle and felt odd against his face.

"Will?" a voice called from somewhere behind him and he jumped, turning in the tub to find Beverly walking towards him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he assured, He blinked as his chin was seized up and his face was turned side to side.

"It doesn't look quite so bad anymore," she muttered as she inspected him. "I'm sure they will get better with time."

"How are you doing? Did everything run smoothly while I was away?" Will gently pulled her hand from his face and pressed a kiss to it before releasing her.

"It went just fine. I heard you found the treaty. Jack was rather impressed, according to Bella." Beverly pulled the empty chair that Chilton had left closer to the tub and sat beside Will, her hand resting on his shoulder. "I also heard from James and Bria-"

"He might be alive, Bev," Will cut in, trying to pull her attention away from the incident with the knife. She didn't need to know and if she already did, there was no reason to discuss something that small when there were so many other larger things that were coming at them. Beverly blinked several times, and she shook her head in confusion.

"What?"

"Hannibal might be alive." Will twisted in the tub to better face Beverly and snatched up her hands in his, getting her wet in the process. "They said that the crew that hadn't passed was sold off. He could still be alive."

"As wonderful as that is, the chances of actually finding him would be-"

"Astronomical, I know." But Will couldn't keep the smile from his face. "I don't care what the odds are. He could still be out there."

Beverly nodded thoughtfully and gave Will's hands a squeeze.

"Alright. Then how do we find him?"