Lea's Liberation

Growth and Change

Growth and Change

Lea crossed through one of the three state rooms aboard the new ship. Separate from the captain's quarters, the rooms were connected by a shared bathing room, but they were each quite fabulous, especially for a war ship. All three were of equal grandeur and beauty. Darian truly had superior taste when it came to décor. They couldn't even be called small, even considering as relative as that definition was on a ship.

"So? What do you think?" The man himself asked where he stood in the doorway of the room, arms crossed. He was wearing his work clothes and didn't want to smudge anything, not even the polished doorframe.

"It looks like a palace room," Lea breathed in wonder. "I should have asked you to do the decorating in my home instead of struggling through it myself."

"I might not be able to fit you into my schedule anyway," he chuckled. His smile faded as he continued to watch her turning around the room. Despite her words, her expression was nonplussed. "You do like it, don't you?"

"Hm? Of course." Lea forced herself to smile. "Sorry, I'm just tired. It's wonderful, Darian. You've done an amazing job here."

"Are you all right?" He asked, arms dropping back to his side, almost stepping into the room, worry crossing his brow.

"I'm just fine. May I see the other rooms?"

"Certainly," he mumbled, stepping to the side so she could proceed him back into the hall.

The new ship was nearly completed. The kitchens – there were two – were fully equipped and would be stocked in the coming days. The engineers and crew were, as they spoke, familiarizing themselves with the engine and its functions. All the ballistae had been secured in place, their bolts due to arrive tomorrow, while the fire barrels that would be attached to the side would get here the day after. Today, Darian's men were affixing iron plating to the outside of the hull that served the double purpose of a shield and décor.

After showing her the other two rooms – which were nearly identical, differing mostly in the placement and color of the furniture – the two of them returned to the deck. The wood was shining from recently being waxed and, alongside Darian's workers, Skipper's crew were rushing about, training the newest recruits to be up to their standards. Lea heard that all of them had moved onto the ship by this point, leaving behind their temporary lodgings in the city.

"If I can have a bit more of your time, my lady," Darian asked as they walked towards the docks. "I wanted to show you your room in the Paladin's Suite to make sure it's up to your standards. If there's any changes you would like, you can tell me now."

It really wasn't necessary. The both knew that her permanent home would be her house in Silver, but as a paladin, she had a right to a room in the Suite and since it was being built anew, there was no reason not to tailor it to her tastes.

She was eager to accept the offer. Not because she was so concerned about the state of her rooms, but because she was eager to do anything that would keep her from the palace.

She was being childish. She knew that. But she was still doing everything in her power to keep from crossing paths with Emilien.

It wasn't that easy, as Emilien knew where her home was, as he had been there before. But she was deliberately keeping odd hours, so she wasn't home when he came to see her. And she knew that he came to see her as her small staff informed her of his attempted visits.

This was definitely not the behavior of a grown woman, a proud paladin, and a military commander, but she just didn't think she could handle the pain of hearing his rejection to her face. She would rather just let them drift apart. Never face the end. That had to be easier than looking him in the eyes and hearing him say that he didn't love her, never did, and that he was letting her go.