"Maria…" Rafael began tentatively.
"Yes, dear Rafael?"
"I think I should go back to the Ministry," Rafael said, as serious as announcing that war had come, or that yes, he could see those many-limbed things climbing the buildings on Yharnam. "Not that I haven't been enjoying being together with you—" It was sweet how he still managed to blush like a maiden despite having finally unleashed his lusts on her for three day straight "—but right now, the existential terror of what Larna could be up to unsupervised is becoming too great to ignore…"
Maria raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you've been thinking of other women when we've been together?" she said as she idly stroked Sadako's head, her maid curled up at her side. Maria hoped the woman didn't mind how sweaty Maria was…
Rafael's face flushed slightly. "I'm serious, Maria."
"No, you were Sirius when we met, now you're Rafael."
Rafael paused and stared at her, finding a small smile on her face.
"Maria…" he sighed.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Yes, I suppose you must go, lest all you have wrought come to ruin."
"N-not that I didn't enjoy the past few days, but…" Rafael began, trailed off, and sigh. "Look, that woman is really, really irresponsible. I'd rather have Katarina in charge of the country then Larna. Katarina would actually try to be responsible."
Maria nodded sympathetically. "Yes, we've probably indulged long enough," Maria said wistfully.
"We can continue tonight when I get back."
Maria blinked. "Was that ever in doubt?"
Rafael opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "We're going to have to start going to bed earlier…"
Maria glanced towards the window. "Katarina should be starting her morning drills about now. She has probably relaxed enough. A challenge to her skills is needed."
Rafael nodded. "You take a bath first, then," he said.
Maria tilted her head. "Why?"
After a refreshing bath and a little Light Magic, Maria headed down to the knight's training yard, humming a pleasant little tune to herself. She nodded at the knights stationed on guard, showing her badge, and they let her through, adhering to the protocol that had been established despite the fact it was her estate. As almost expected—because she could have been kidnapped or wandered off to accidentally seduce some poor Dark Soul without meaning to—Katarina was hard at work on her sword drills, saying "Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" with every movement. Maria would have to train that habit out of her. It would leave her vulnerable and predictable, as each movement came with a different inflection of "Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" to signal how Katarina would attack. Even becoming a thrity foot-tall giant with an enormous sword and perfect parrying ability wouldn't save her if she became predictable…
"Squire," Maria greeted.
The "Heigh-ho! Heave-ho!" cut off, and Katarina greeted her with a big smile. Maria had looked, and there was actually nothing in any edition of 'The Noble's Proper Etiquette Reference and Manual of Propriety and Action' about the propriety of big smiles. Perhaps Maria was just inclined to think they were indecorous because it was Katarina doing it?
"La—er, Dame Campbell!" Katarina greeted. Then she blinked and frowned. "What's that you're humming?"
Oh, she was still humming. "Oh, it was something I heard A—Miss Shelley humming," Maria said. "I wasn't familiar with the tune, but it was strangely memorable."
"O-oh!? Ah! That's why? Well, I suppose that makes sense…" Katarina shook her head, as if shaking the thought away. "Where were you? Did someone need to be rescued? Evil Dark Magic? Uh…" She seemed to be trying to think of something else. "Incomplete paperwork?"
"I needed to deal with issues that arose during the party," Maria said. "It was a bit time-intensive. I apologize for not properly informing you I would be away. Have you been continuing your drills?"
"Yup!" Katarian said proudly. "I did it for ten years, I'm not going to forget now." She didn't even sound mildly insulted at the insinuation.
Maria nodded, drawing her wooden practice saber and short sword. She hadn't been able to have a pair made that snapped together into a twinblade, but that could wait for live weapon training. "Shall we spar, then?"
Katarina nodded, though a serious look came over her face, and her hands tightened on her weapon for a moment before duke's daughter remembered to relax. "Please take care of me, Dame Campbell," Katarina said, facing Maria holding her sword out between the two of them. Blade pointed down.
Maria repressed a sigh. It wasn't even a polite gesture of acknowledgement, It was just Katarina's opening stance. Well, it worked for her.
"Let us begin then. You are being invaded."
Maria lunged.
A Rafael Interlude
The Ministry wasn't on fire, flooded, sunken into the earth, crawling with hollows or being devoured by the abyss.
Rafael didn't allow that to lull him into a false sense of security.
He walked into the Magic Tool Department, fully expecting suffering Ministry workers stuck at their desks, overwhelmed with paperwork and praying for the sweet, sweet release of death or madness.
Instead he found Larna sitting at a desk—oh, right, she did have her own desk—a large pile of non-euphemistic paperwork in front of her being cut down with the air of casual competence the Third Prince used to exhibit when he was trying to get all his work done before everyone else so he could be alone with Katarina Claes. The day had barely started and either Larna had a lot of paperwork left over from the day before while waiting for today's, or else she'd already gotten today's and was cutting through it like a dragon over a bridge.
"Director Rafael! You're back!"
Everyone looked up, and Rafael soon found himself crowded by other department members.
"You're alive!" Laura exclaimed. "When you didn't come to work this week and Larna said you asked her to do your paperwork for you, we thought she'd killed you, dumped your body and was trying to take over the department again!" Everyone else in the department nodded.
"Hey!" Larna Smith protested. She gestured down at herself. "What about any of this unlimited talent and genius looks like a killer to you?" she demanded, holding out her arms and turning back and forth as if showcasing herself.
Everyone immediately pointed at the wide smile on her face.
"I'm sorry everyone, there were matters at home," Rafael said.
"Yeah, there were," Larna Smith grinned and winked. Everyone rolled their eyes.
"Everyone, please get back to work, and if there's something you need to bring up with me that's not immediately urgent, you can speak to me after lunch when I've sorted through my desk," Rafael continued. "Last chance to bring up an urgent, important matter. Anyone?"
One or two people looked thoughtful, but everyone shook their heads, even the actual director of the department, still chained up at his desk so he wouldn't get lost. Rafael had moved to stand near said desk so the man wouldn't feel left out.
Everyone went back to work, but they looked much more relieved as they did so, as if they'd been expecting the Ministry to catch fire, flood, get sucked into the earth, start crawling with hollows, or be devoured by the abyss.
Larna Smith was pouting. "Rude. I ran the Magic Tool Department for years. Why are they acting like I'll lead to some kind of disaster?"
"If you can't solve the puzzle to that, then that's why," Rafael said. He paused. "Thanks."
Larna Smith grinned. "So…"
Rafael ignored her. "So, what happened that caused so much paperwork?" He gestured at the pile at Larna's desk.
"Don't know, I just did all the paperwork people were taking to your desk that didn't need director approval," Larna Smith shrugged.
Rafael stared at her, then went to the in-tray, rifled through it, and pulled out a sheet in the middle at random. He glanced at it.
"Larna," he said. "Take the day off."
"Eh? But I did all the paperwork! Don't make me go home!"
Oh, right, it was Larna. "I meant, go down to your lab and don't come out for the whole day. I'll bring you lunch."
Larna Smith pumped her fist. "YES! Thanks Director!" She ran off.
Rafael waited for her to leave, until the office was filled with people studiously working at their desks.
"All right, everyone who slipped their paperwork for Larna to do, come over here, get it and do it yourself! I'm not punishing anyone, but don't do it again!"