[b]Dolce![/b]

It’s a surprise when you almost literally run into her, because there she is: fist raised, about to knock, and how she reacts to you! It’s one you’re familiar with: the way her eyes go wide and her mouth goes thin, the way she freezes up and goes stock-still before awkwardly shuffling backwards a half-step; the way her eyes light from you like they were burned.

She’s been a bad girl, and she’s scared of you. You! She’s trying very hard to be tense and firm and unbreaking so she doesn’t start crying. Even odds that she’ll just start bawling in the middle of trying to speak. It took all of her courage just to be here, in front of your cabin, saving you the trouble of going to seek her out.

“Sir,” Redana says, and spreads her feet like a sailor, staring determinedly at a point somewhere past your shoulder. “I am here to tender my resignation from the post of ship’s champion, sir. As a result of my behavior in said post. Sir.” She’s on the thin ice, waiting for the crack, waiting for a rebuke.

From you, of all people. Just because she was so worked up, she thought her options were to kill you or to stop existing. Because she was upset about [i]Bella.[/i]

***

[b]Vasilia![/b]

“vaaaaaassssssiiiiiLLLYYYYYY—“

There’s nowhere to escape from being tackled into a hug by Redana moving at high speeds. Not unless you were to turn and run away, but you don’t do that, do you? Not to the princess.

“I saw the whole thing!” She blurts out, hugging you like she’s trying to snap you in half, face half-buried in you. “You, and Bella, and the tree, and the knife, and the bed, and—!!” She shakes the hug from side to side, which shakes you from side to side, and then she looks up with those big, tearful mismatched eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me? All I heard about that day on Ridenki was that you had a fight, and of course you had a fight, Bella was being [i]beastly,[/i] but I didn’t, and you wouldn’t have even been there if she didn’t want to do it to [i]me,[/i] and I just— you know how to do ships and I don’t, and you’re so cool all the time, and, I’m sorry for not finding out earlier!”

She’s making a scene about, well, [i]that,[/i] and her voice is carrying, and if you don’t reroute her somehow there’s going to be rumors. Well, more rumors.

***

[b]Alexa![/b]

The letter you receive back is short, and wrapped in a thick black cloth. When unwrapped, it simply states, in Redana’s hurried cursive, with as many swoops as Ti-jm’s hand but at much higher speed:

[i]Why don’t I just order you not to follow any of his orders?

I know it would put a lot of pressure on my command seal, maybe even burn it off, but if I can use it for that then good. I don’t want it anymore.

I don’t want to overthrow or kill him. You know me. I hate killing people! I just want him to leave you the [s]fuc[/s] depths alone! So let’s just figure out a way that you can spend the rest of your life away from him!!

Or I could just change my name to Molech and trick you into thinking I’m him, and take back all “”my”” orders in order?

Ti-jm has BEAUTIFUL handwriting and I am very jealous, please tell her how pretty it is!

- Your Friend(?), Redana

P.S. if it’s on sight, maybe the blindfold will work? I miss you already![/i]