Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

☁️ Seven Days [6/7] ☁️

King Arthur's POV:

In front of the general public, Tia lived up to her reputation: Intimidating, strong, cold, and calculated.

Her friends saw the facade and broke past it, revealing a diligent captain who simply likes to be around people she considers her friends.

However, behind the curtains, I saw something completely different.

She had kept her real emotions bottled up for so long that she couldn't just let them go on someone.

She needed someone to trust.

I had the honor of being her trusted one, and Tia has always been open of sharing her feelings with me.

Now was one of those times where she needed to talk to me, and I posed as the quiet listener.

"Like, I feel guilty for not being nicer to Edward." The captain sighed, laying down on the new mattress in the room. "He was a jerk and all before, but did he really deserve to get the moonlight beaten out of him every time he said something ridiculous?"

"I'm assuming he was quite annoying for you guys to simply just tolerate him." I chuckled, watching her throw off her captain's coat. "Tell me, what would he do to you guys?"

"Want me to make a list?" Tia groaned, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling. "He'd try to woo me into falling for him even though I clearly didn't like him (and still don't), say witty remarks about us when we try to correct him on being nicer, whine about every little imperfection regardless of the event..."

She went on, and I stifled a laugh.

They were very, very fed up with my son from what I was hearing, and I could tell just from her tone of voice that she was, too.

"Worst of all, he kept referring to me as his wife!" The captain shuddered, pulling the blanket over herself. "I'm sixteen, I don't want to think of being married or a relationship at this age... Maybe when I'm thirty or something it'd be a lot better, when I'm more mature."

I gave her a nod, dipping one of my paintbrushes into the jar of water I prepared for the easel. "I respect your decision, Tia, as well as what you did. However, I don't know why you feel guilt for standing up for yourself."

"It's because he was practically a defenseless creature with no way of fighting back." Tia sighed, tentatively tapping the square patch of gauze that sat on her right cheek. "Not to brag, but compared to me, your son didn't have a chance."

"My son inherited most of his mother's traits." I replied, swiping streaks of diluted blue paint across my canvas. "You can see more of Cordy in him more than you can see me. All he got was my gender."

She laughed at my joke. "You're not wrong!"

"But seriously though," I continued, dipping my brush in the jar of water. "You're in the right, Tia. You did what you had to do and put him in his place. You've got guts, kid."

Even though she kept her body completely still, her wagging tail betrayed her happiness at my praise.

"I can see your tail in my peripheral vision," I commented, watching as she tried to hold it down with one hand. "Speaking about your tail, you rarely display happiness with it in public. Why is that so?"

She gave me a look. "As the Riptide Ranger, do you think I should appear like a lost little puppy wherever I go? Imagine an intimidating guardian such as me comes up to you, about to strike the finishing blow, and her tail is wagging like a dog. Does that look scary anymore?"

Yes, Tia received a name for becoming the new kingdom guardian.

Everyone knew that she was our new defender, but not as Captain Tia Aquaticlaw.

She was the Riptide Ranger, and she went out in public as such.

Her captain's coat turns into a hood, which hides her face, preventing anyone from recognizing her by the her signature x scar.

The palace tailors are working on a new set of clothes she gets to wear outside, like a new coat and several outfits to choose from.

Is she royalty? No.

But will we treat her with equal respect? Yes.

"Not scary, but it makes you look like a rookie assassin." I chuckled, visualizing the thought. "Or, even better, a tiny pup trying its best to seem like the big dogs."

"The happy, yet menacing guardian of Northwynd." Tia rolled her eyes. "Somewhat ironic if you ask me."

Knock knock.

"Your Majesty?" I recognized Sir Nyx's voice through the door. "I have a delivery for you."

"Which kingdom?" I asked, putting down my supplies and balancing them on the easel. "Don't tell me it's something from Pyronica or Spiritvale. In these times, I'd expect it to be a hand grenade in the package."

The knight chuckled. "Not to worry, Your Highness. This one is coming from someone within the palace."

I blinked at him. "Who?"

After I unlocked the door, he handed me an envelope with a wax seal keeping it together. "You'll see, Your Majesty."

He cast Tia a brief wink before he exited, leaving both her and me confused.

"I wonder what that was all about." I mumbled, slowly tearing off one end of the envelope.

"Maybe it's nothing too bad," Tia began, flicking her tail and rolling herself under the blanket. "Wait, obviously it can't be bad. This person is one of your people! Unless they're addressing a complaint, then..."

There was a handwritten letter inside, and the ink was clearly still fresh.

I pulled it out, unfolding it and scanning the note.

It was from Edward, who was still in the infirmary.

After briefly analyzing it, I let out a deep sigh.

"Tia." I began, setting it aside. "Edward wrote the letter to address both you and I."

She seemed amused. "Is it a complaint? I wouldn't be surprised if so and the spell didn't work."

"No, it's not." I shook my head, setting my painting supplies aside and sitting on my mattress. "He remembered everything about who he once was. Nyx convinced Whitecap to restore his memories. All that happened was a personality change."

The captain gave me a questionable look. "You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was, but I'm not." I laid on my bed, taking off my obsidian crown and setting it down on my desk.

"He wants to apologize."