Much to his dismay, Victor never slept better than when he had a woman by his side. The pull that the fairer sex had over him was daunting, making him feel weak. But it was much easier to give in to his desires than to fight him, so there he was, in a deep slumber with the warmth of Alice lulling him back to unconsciousness anytime he began to wake up. It was an especially good distraction with what was happening around them – curses, potential war, a multitude of decisions to make. Why would he attend to such matters when he could lay in bed with a beautiful woman all day? 

Unfortunately though, the time did come where even Alice by his side couldn’t keep him asleep. He awoke slowly and groggily, staying in bed for a little while. She was still fast asleep on his chest, her breath light and rhythmic, and Vic did not want to wake her. She must have been exhausted; life on the sea took plenty more energy than one on land, especially the way Alice’s family lived. He slowly attempted to move his body from underneath her until he was successfully standing next to the bed. His eyes scanned her, lingering for moments on certain spots. She really was beautiful, deserving much more than she was being given. A girl like her did not belong on the sea with brutes like Vic and his crew.

He sighed as he wrapped his hair back up into a knot and made his way out of the room, eventually landing into the dining room of the inn. They had slept longer than he planned, as he noticed dinner being prepared with the women running around setting up the long wooden table. Victor searched for Madam Blue until he found her working feverishly in the kitchen preparing the food for the guests. Once he spotted her, he walked up behind her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Blue,” he whispered, “whenever you have a moment, I need some advice.” 

Blue wiped her hands on the cloth that was thrown over her shoulder and nodded, using a hand to lead him out of the kitchen to the dining room. They both took a seat at the long table. “What’s wrong, boy? You look happy and sad at the same time.” 
This made Victor chuckle. “Ah, yes, that is probably accurate.” 
Madam Blue gave him an understanding nod. “You do not know what to do with the girl, aye?” 
He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Blue always had a way of reading him like a book. “Yes, Blue. I lose her either way. She will die if I keep her out at sea with me. But, I will never see her again if I return her back to her father.” He frowned faintly as he stared at the floor in front of him. 
Blue reached a hand out and rubbed his knee, trying to comfort him. “Your ability to not sympathize with the enemy has always brought you much success, Victor. But no one can remain stone cold forever. There will always be someone, in your case, a woman, who will make you second guess yourself. Your morals. What you would die for. That is natural, boy. You know in your heart she belongs on land, with her family, her society. But, this witchcraft being used against you is going to make the effects of what is happening to you tenfold. You need to get to the bottom of not only your issues with the governor, but who else could be trying to harm you.”
It was a lot of information to take in. Blue was right, of course, she always was, but that didn’t make Victor feel any better about what was to come. There was still a fog of mystery lingering, making the view of the future quite blurry. 

Madam Blue kissed his forehead and excused herself from the table, leaving Victor alone, picking at his nails, while the girls bustled around him preparing the table. A few of the girls made comments or brushed his neck or shoulders, but all Vic could do was force a smile. Once all the men sat, he'd have to lay out the options and get bombarded with feedback. He sighed as he rested his head in his hands and shut his eyes.