A Princess, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Tavern...

Beau

When Beau realized it was in fact Clarity, a person of myseterious social standing with a sharp gaze she'd only seen on the most seasoned battle dignitaries, who stirred and left the cabin so early she sat down a moment and groaned. She rubbed at the sleep in her eyes and allowed the leisure of staring blankly out the window of the rising morning, almost with forboding. She wasn't entirely sure what she should be expecting to happen from here, she honestly felt a little bad mannered for imposing on the ship and their crew. Her chest withered slightly at the thought of creating a dent in the crew's resources, weather was unexpected on the waters, sailors needed all the food and supplies they could carry if they faced any misfortune on sea.
Hearing a little more life out on deck, she was inclined to join. Anymore sleep seemed unlikely, so she accepted her fate. Before she was really aware of it wash was out on the deck and rememebering she had no idea what to do with herself, the fretting of what she was getting herself into resurfacing slightly. She had made equally spontaneous decisions, but all were for duty and with soldiers lives in mind. This didn't involve soldiers, or anything she's familiar with for that matter, at all. She volunteered her own time, with very few lives in mind. Under the guise that this was for investigation for the safety of the King's land... but she could of just as easily put one of her own handle the matter just as efficiently.
Not to mention there were not one, but two royal lives in the thick of it. If Capitan West was as right as he confidently claimed so, that Prince Reik was in fact alright, then she would relax when she saw it. And the princess, maybe some proper protection advances should be taken. At least get the girl a short-sword and a way to use it, maybe a chest piece, to cover bases. She needed a little grounding, the girl seemed like she was about to blow away with the wind with how high her imagination seemed to fly. It was endearing. It was a relief that she was aware enough to know what she was getting into, gave less worry for Beau. West seemed harmless, at best, against most of the party involved even if she admitted to being persnickety about his mannerisms. He lead his ship well, his crew, had a sharp eye for things. He was calm in his decisions. She knew good men who had made perilous mistakes, but they were good men. West had as much possibility of being a good man as any other person in the world. She'd keep an eye out, just to be sure. Hawke was admirable in the leading of his men and his overall capability to keep things under relative order in the middle of crisis. He was reliable, strategic, if a bit reckless. But good leaders took risks, made the hard decisions, he was good at that. West and he would get along, she imagined. Clarity understood the ins and outs of a fight. She was alert and ready, it almost made Beau feel a little tired.
None of this meant she at all knew what she was getting herself into. Her mother must be furious that she didn't give word to her through Beau's own mouth, but the time felt retrained against such a possibility. She hoped Ghost had done so and he didn't just sneak on bored for kicks and giggles. She didn't put it beneath him. That report on her table about the crop skirmishes in Tendburry, oh she hoped her lieutenant took care of that, if he happened to see it at all. She remembered she didn't take Anita, her prized steed, for a ride the day before. She hoped Anita didn't get restless...
She had hoped the ocean air would do her good, and she was now aware that, in fact, it did nothing of the sort. She stood against the cabin's outer wall, folding her arms apprehensively.
"My Lady, you emerge again." She was startled out of her thoughts when a large body of ... body came into view, striding over to her. Or, it would have looked like striding if someone of smaller stature moved their legs as far apart as he, but evidently that was him simply walking.
Oh. She forgot. She needed to get herself straightened out if she was going to be this out of sorts already. Now that colors weren't distorted by lack of sunlight, unfortunately she got to see all of him now. Whoever he was. And she was only going to be seeing more of him if last night's planning was anything to go by.
Dark olive skin was clad in very simple, very appropriate styled dress. Something subtly imitating West's own uniform. A loose-sleeved tunic with a deep v-neck that wasn't bothered to be tied shut. He favored a saffron sash securely tied around his hips and waist, and dark brown breeches tucked into soft leather boots. Wheat blond hair framed a lean, masculine, face with twinkling eyes and a gentle smile permanently in place, the hair falling down and draping over broad shoulders. His entire silhouette was made up of straight lines and controlled posture. The most fleeting thought came that probably the few strands near his collarbone must tickle with how open he left his shirt. The more demanding thought came that she was paying more attention to his collar bone when there were real concerns to be concerned about.
His lips curled a little more, stopping short just two steps from her, "How do you fair this morning, my Lady?"
Beau would have tried to look away, at something else, but the man unnervingly put himself directly in the middle of her line of sight. And with her current pose she was located slightly lower than him, having to look up slightly to respond. Something she felt awkard at doing, since she never did much of it before. But he was inquiring of her day and it was appropriate social politeness that she responded in turn. "I've fair quite well, considering, thank you." And it's as if all her court training revved back into working and she realized her shortcomings. "Please excuse me, I've forgotten my manners." She let out a huffed laugh and straightened, "We haven't made proper introductions. I am Beau Adalburht Duhningham."
He huffed a gentle laugh, flashing the melted pools of amber down only to meet her eyes again, "There are few who step onto these lands and do not soon learn your name, Lady Duhningham."
Her ears warmed even in the ocean chill of the morning.
She allowed herself to look down at her own boots momentarily, "Yes, well, I'm afraid I haven't learned yours, Ser."
His face dropped in shock, "Please excuse my indecency, I had forgotten. I happened to find myself," he soon replaced the lost smile with a new one and for a moment she almost thought he may have drifted closer, "Distracted by other things, lately." Taking a step back and giving a formal bow, "I am Capitan West's right hand and second in command. To the crew, I am called Gov'ner."
She gave a short bow in return, smiling back a little more bashfully than he, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ser Gov'ner."
"The pleasure is mine," he traded back gently. He turned to scrutinize the advancements of the crew over the deck momentarily before turning his attention back to her, "I wonder, my Lady, if you'd care to join me for a cup of tea? I'm without myself if I don't have it to start the morning."
She wasn't aware of what dire need she was in for a proper drink until he had brought it up. The relief of such a possibility made a smile grow on her face, "As a matter of fact, I'd like nothing more."
-*-*-*-*-
A cup of good tea in the midst of just as good company was what she needed to lose all the tension she had been building up in her shoulders. By the time the kettle began to loose the majority of it's contents they were both in a deep conversation of the recently popular writings of the Equardo Musso over a good cup of elegantly brewed chamomile. Gov'ner had lead them to a small niche under-deck close to the kitchens, but away from the bustle of activity. She was amazed to know that Gov'ner had finer tastes in poetry than many she had met in the Queen's court. He had quite the library on board, half of it he admitted to the Capitan not knowing about.
Before they could get any further West burst onto the scene with a bolster only he could muster and began listing every problem he had noticed with his walk down the deck. Gov'ner sighed, "Duty calls." He hummed with a note of remorse.
West pointed directly at him, "And you! Where have you been? What, you think pirates do whatever they want and never deal with the reprimands?! Nonsense, get to work." Beau assumed that she should take her leave, as this wasn't where she was needed, before West swung his ring littered finger to her, "And you! Where do you think you're going? You're with him. I can't have the most beloved royal Knight Commander getting lost on my ship, nobody would ever leave me alone."
Before she knew it he blew out of the small eatery to push duty and business around on the other bedraggled (slightly hungover) crew members just crawling out of their beds.
Gov'ner chuckled before standing and offering her a hand, "Shall we? I'm sure we can find something for you to do."
She took it gratefully, letting herself be pulled up easily into standing, noticing she wasn't wearing gloves this time. His hands were hot from the tea-cup, thick and firm from years of hard labor, multiple scars running along the tops of his hands to his forearms. They were strong hands, and he really took his time in letting go of hers, that heat tickling its way back up to her ears. "Lead the way, Ser Gov'ner."
-*-*-*-*-
The work was demanding and physical, it got her mind off things, and she'd needed a good workout. At one point she got so invested in the certain chore of transporting resources from deck to storage, some of it nearing twice her weight, the others just stopped helping and were instead watching. Some scratched at their heads, some just gawked, until Gov'ner came to check on progress and spat fire and brimstone the moment he saw it. She was familiar with the feeling. Catching slacking soldiers was infuriating. She also noticed that he pointedly removed her from the task, forcing them to pick the pace back up, and moved her to a more solitary kind of work.
One where he happened to be hovering near by at all times. As they neared their destination she realized that they were headed towards the sails. And she knew what sails entailed. She knew what was to be done in order to maintain sails. She also knew the sails were very high up. He set one boot up on the small step up one of the tall masts and she felt her heart begin to race and her palms begin to sweat.
He smiled at her before climbing up a ways, and she swallowed thickly.
It was the second time she felt hesitation and that enough was rattling. Shaking it off, "It's just a damned ladder," she scolded under her breath. She caught up quickly, and stubbornly stared straight ahead at the woodgrain.
"Watch your step." He was too the right of her and she whipped her head around to see him offering her a hand onto the large beam where she presumed was where her work was to be carried out. She prayed for grounding and grabbed his hand quickly and tightly, too afraid she might fall with the absence of both hands present on the step. Luckily he was as steady as the ladder and helped her step onto the beam before immediately finding safety with her back against the mast. She also kept a stubborn hand on his wrist as he held it out.
If his eyes twinkled mischievously she missed it because she was too busy not looking on anything at all so she was not reminded at the height they currently stood. Clearing her throat and forcing to focus on the task at hand she gave a forced little laugh, "I'm afraid to admit I don't have my sea legs quite yet."
"That's fine, it's normal." He soothed cheerfully. "Here, I'll help." He took a step backwards and part of Beau wanted to yelp as he pulled her with him. "Come this way, it's alright." Was it? Was it really okay, or did Gov'ner secretly hold a grudge against her in the past and he was going to do away with her by tossing her off and plummeting to her death?
She gulped again and stepped forward, stubbornly staring ahead again. 'Ahead' more specifically being amber eyes.
"Good. Now again."
They stepped in tandem as he carefully lead her and sat down to where roped were draped. He kept her focused as he taught her the loops and tugs, and how apparently the direction you pulled changed the knot entirely. She was even reminded of how good it was to not always be the one in command.
Once they actually got down to the tying, the lifting, the hauling, the climbing, she lost the affect the height gave her the more she was forced to maneuver around the sails. Before she realized the sun was beating down on her shoulders and the wind had picked up in the sky.
Gov'ner was just heading up as she started to appreciate the scenery, "Ah, good you're finished up my Lady. The Capitan wants to see you."
They clambered down and made the way down to join the gathering of people.
Echo Isles. How many reports does she get about that particular place again? Just monthly is enough to get a sigh coming from even her quietest lieutenant. Misconduct, skirmishes, complaints from all sorts of social paraiahs.
While everyone seemed to take their sweet time in sharing the Capitan's spyglass, Gov'ner opted to just pull out his own, gave a good look through it to find it, pointed, and handed it to her. They both gave little amused looks at each other at the actions of Capitan West and the resident Princess in their midst.