Rantings and Speculation

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

Once they were aboard Espada, Alejandro gave terse instructions to the captain to make sail for Twinport immediately. The duc was annoyed. It had not gone at all as he had planned. Not only did they fail to capture their intended prey, he had managed to make himself a fool before the heiress of Twinport, no matter how fascinating she may have appeared. It would have far better, in Alejandro's opinion, to have met her under more neutral and agreeable circumstances. Such as a formal social event or an encounter in a marketplace.

Or perhaps in his bedchamber.

Dismissing that thought with an irritated grunt, the Duc made his way toward the aft of the vessel, intending to not only reach his personal quarters, but to pour himself a stiff drink. The little woman indicated that they may have moved on to Indigane, which was further south than their present position. He speculated that they may pass going to Triadon, but that would more than likely get him in trouble with the Duke found there. It was bad enough that he had been caught by the St. Claires.

"Bah," he grumbled as he threw the door open and searched for a particular bottle of wine. Upon finding it, he yanked the cork out with his teeth and snatched a glass. Fortunately, he had the good grace not to drink straight from the bottle! The man did have some standards, after all.

[NPC Knight]

Aware of El Capitan's likely foul mood after their foiled efforts to apprehend the smugglers, Carlos set the crew to their various tasks expeditiously and trailed his liege to the cabin. Arriving in time to see the cork drawn viciously free from the neck of the bottle before Alejandro had the good sense to at least select a glass, he entered and closed the portal quietly behind him. El Duq was in more of a mood than even he suspected, his features remaining smoothly neutral as he stood attentively at the door and waited. The barrage of words was sure to come, as inevitable as the tide itself, and he was patient as the shore onto which the storm surge crashed.

A large man, Carlos had been knighted years ago and then given to the young heir of Loria's service as de facto bodyguard, voice of reason and occasional problem-solver. He followed Alejandro faithfully no matter what, including to sea and now served as one of the Espada's mates. Arms crossing over thickly hewn chest, he continued to stand quietly. When Alejandro was ready, he would speak.

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

Carlos was a good man. Completely awkward and hopeless with the ladies, but a good man. In Alejandro's opinion, any woman would be fortunate to have Carlos as a husband for they would not feel safer or more appreciated by any other man. Indeed, upon seeing him, Alejandro immediately remembered the widow he had been spending plenty of time with lately. It was good for him. However, that respite from the anger he felt was brief. A deep drink of wine was consumed.

"I cannot believe we were misled, Carlos," he began, waving his hand in the air. "How could this had happened? We verified everything he said. A very clever double agent, obviously but if I ever find him I'm going to put his treacherous head on a pike and mount on the bow!" Alejandro continued to fume, "And to make a fool of myself in front of that woman. She must be laughing all the way home to her estate by now, as is her damned right."

Alejandro detested feeling like an idiot.

[NPC Knight]

Ladies were El Capitan's specialty. Carlos bumbled and fumbled like a schoolboy around the ladies, no matter whether ladies of noble birth or ladies at the bordello, so he tended to avoid them. It was a good thing El Capitan seldom took on passengers of the female variety, else he'd never get anything done... except for the lady-widow he'd taken up with. She was unfailingly patient and kind, a good woman. Perhaps some day, he'd scrape up the courage to ask her to marry him. The thought of her made him smile, until his liege spoke.

Straightening as he listened, he thought he understood the source of El Duq's ire. No man wished to look a fool before a woman, especially an attractive lady. Alejandro had a liking for the fair-haired señoritas, and the Lady of the Santa Claras was endowed with lovely gold-hued hair. "You were not alone in being lied to, Don Alejandro," Carlos's quiet voice reminded him. "Doña Santa Clara was equally dismayed to learn of the trick. There is no loss without some gain, si? You gain access to others who may know truth and spot your double agent at the Court."

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

"Bah!" He waved off Carlos's perfectly logical and reasonable explanations. Another drink was consumed, and then he opted for some more. Fortunately, Alejandro was not an angry drunk. He may have gotten more gregarious or amorous while intoxicated, but fortunately, violence was not one of them. "And now I have go before her and somehow save face with her. I was, ahherr," he waved his hand about, and then sighed, "I was brash and rude."

Alejandro straightened then, "You know as well as anyone that men of my family do not do poorly with women, and the first rule is treating them well." He plopped down ungracefully into one of the chairs, and seemed to ponder it for a long moment, "I'll need to make it up to her somehow. That way, I can enter their Court with a fresh face rather than a bruised one."

[NPC Knight]

Ah, so that was the trouble weighing upon Alejandro's mind moreso than the dupe perpetrated upon them by the double-agent. Carlos dimly began to grasp the situation, one with which he was all too familiar. Rather than fuel Alejandro's fire by agreeing with his assessment of his behavior, the man considered instead a means of saving face, offering apology for a less than courteous beginning and extension of an olive branch. "Gifts often can serve to soften a lady's ire, but I think in addition, if you offer la bonita doña a most sincere apology, it may go better." His assessment, however brief of the lady, was that she was an intelligent woman, one who wouldn't be soothed by flattery or unctuous compliments. "You have yet to inspect the cargo you seized from those pirates off Loria's coast. Perhaps something from there would do?"

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

"Mm, I suppose that is true," Alejandro grumbled into his glass once again and then sighed. "But I have to do it right. I do not want to appear as though I am giving in to her arguments, merely that I am sorry for how I reacted to them. I shall not give her the upper hand again! Oh no no no no no," he shook his head and then waggled a finger at Carlos. "That is a woman who is used to being in charge, you know."

Alejandro nodded thoughtfully, "Perhaps I should. In a way, it is like giving back to the lands from whence they were stolen, or some such." It was good reasoning in his mind, even if it as not the most moral thing to do in light of receiving stolen goods.

[NPC Knight]

It was a sign of his heritage, Carlos knew, that Alejandro refused to be bested by a woman. The Lintenese respected women, revered them, but the men seldom bowed to them. Hiding his desire to smile, he merely nodded to his lord's assessment of the lady. It was true - the lady was accustomed to being obeyed and heeded. The clash between them was inevitable as the tides itself.

Clearing his throat, he spoke carefully, aware that he was taking his own life into his hands if he put the wrong foot forward. "Si, she is accustomed to the wielding of power, but this is her homeland. We are guests, Capitan, and far from home. We may get further if we appear to defer to her for a time, until we speak to the man in charge."

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

"Ah," Alejandro nodded thoughtfully, and then smiled slyly at his friend, "But not unless I show her that I am perfectly capable of taking charge at just the right moment, you see." Granted, this was more than likely the port that was speaking at the moment. "I have found that some women who are in complete control at all times sometimes enjoy losing that control. It is an interesting phenomenon to be certain, but notable nonetheless."

He got up and went to pour another glass for Carlos. "Come. You must drink with me. It has been a long day for the both of us."

[NPC Knight]

"Ah..." Feeling alarmed by that remark, he hesitated before pushing off the door to join Alejandro. "Don Alejandro, I must caution you on your thinking. We are not in Linten, the ways of Demeria are not ours. Take care before you do something rash, por favor." At the rate things were going, Carlos was going to need that drink, thinking longingly of his sweet widow, left behind to await his return. Such lovely eyes, soft skin, sweet lips... Shaking his head to clear it, he hoped he wasn't turning red. "We speak of a daughter of dragons, after all. She may be like her padre, all fire, scales and sharp teeth."

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

"Exactly. If she is a product of fire, scales and sharp teeth, then she knows the value and power of passion. Mark my words, she is a woman who is keeping her passions very tightly in check. Tonight was one of the few instances in which she could let them be free, even if it was only to show that she was in power." A smile formed as he offered his friend a glass.

"Do not worry, Carlos. I am not going to hurt her or push too hard. I'm ... just going to push hard enough. Besides, you've been on me to get a proper wife for a while now, haven't you?"

[NPC Knight]

Taking the glass, Carlos started to enjoy a sip when Alejandro's words made him suddenly choke and stare at his lord. What was this? He'd just met the woman and already he was talking of marriage? He hastily lowered the glass, reluctant to waste any of the excellent wine that was inevitably found in Alejandro's care and asked cautiously, "Why do I have the feeling there is a plan forming, and it is one I will not like, Don Alejandro?"

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

Alejandro couldn't help himself. The man started laughing and thus he had to set aside his glass that he did not spill his precious drink. "I kid, Carlos, I kid!" And with that, he clapped the man on a massive shoulder. "I just the met the woman. How can I possibly have decided that I want to marry her? I should get to know her properly first at least, no?" And then he gave him a nudge, "Much like you've gotten to know that blessing of a woman, Susanna."

[NPC Knight]

Visibly relieved by the reassurance, Carlos relaxed and laughed sheepishly, knowing the joke had been on him indeed. "Si, that is so." Still, he intended to keep a close eye on his lord while they were in Triadon. Even in jest, there was a kernel of truth and he would not put it past Alejandro to mull over the idea if he decided he liked this Lady Julia.

The mention of his Susanna, however, soothed him as nothing else could, the smile returning. "Si, she is a blessing. I hope to persuade her to marry me when you are ready to settle down."

[Lord Alejandro Cerevotos]

"And I am going to help you with that, my friend," he drew serious, "A man should be able to provide for his wife. There is an old castle south of my estate that I have maintained since the last landholder died during my father's reign. He did not find a man worthy of the title. I believe that you are the man for that title, Carlos. You've been an endless friend." A hand reached out to touch his shoulder again.

"I shall name you Barone. And you can have her as a wife properly."