And a plan for tomorrow

Green walked ahead of you, swaying her hips a little more than necessary with each step. You tried chatting to he but she was largely mute, giving you single word responses or vague answers. All you learned is that she's been with Mary all week as they trained to handle ship travel and combat. At Mary's room she opens the door but stands in the doorway making sure to let a hand wonder as you squeeze past her. There is a smirk on her face as she enters, closing the door behind you.

Mary is sitting at a desk looking remarkable like her mother. Her normal tight ready for activity clothing has been replaced with a loose tunic. Her short hair was neater than her mother but that has more to do with length than tidiness. She looks up from her paperwork and smile at you. "Christopher." She stands and walk over giving you a swift kiss on the cheek. "Didn't know you were here." She looked at Green who bowed.

"My mother only just told me." Green walked to over to Mary's desk and started gathering the paperwork.

"I'm not done yet." Mary hurried over to try and wrestle some of the papers free.

"The ink will still be here after dinner." Green replied ducking and weaving out of Mary's way. The tiny battle didn't last long, Mary got a hand on the stack and freed it from her doppelgangers hand. "Or do you want Christopher and I to eat alone?"

Mary looked over at you. "Fine, but I need to sort out the logistics." Mary relented walking over to you. Green looked happy as she neatly stacked the papers on the desk and walked to a wall and pulled a rope. "A sea campaign is harder to organise than I expected." Mary slumped down into a lounge leaving a space for you beside her.

You sat beside her and she started venting. Over the last weeks she has indeed been ship training her forces. And by training she meant getting almost a hundred women throwing up over the side of ship that was barely out of dock. Green sat opposite the two of you and made a joke about how she never expected Mary's personal guard to be so easily defeated by some gentle rocking. You decided to point out that Mary herself was usually pretty easy to beat with some gentle rocking of you own.

You admit that starting the teasing was more out of habit than desire to verbally play with Mary and Green. However, as the three of you build up some of the taunting you can feel Mary relaxing.

Dinner arrives in the form of the usual platters of fruit, meat and vegetables. Mary decides that it is best to feed you, since you apparently might get sea sick on land. The taunting might have gotten a little sillier than it normally does.

After dinner Mary goes back to her paperwork with the insistence that you massage her shoulder as she does so. Reading over her shoulder her issue becomes apparently. The ship has a weight and speed issue. Each ship needs to bring food, water, equipment and people. Too much of one defeats the purpose and there has to be enough for several weeks at sea to find the pirates.

The obvious solution of resupply ships is not a simple matter. Having a set meeting time and place for the fleet to resupply would work, provided no pirates found out about the resupply, leaving the fleet to starve.

You don't say much throughout Mary's working. Green disappears for some unnamed reason and the silence is comfortable enough. A stray thought strikes you, 'is this what married life with Mary would be like?' "I'll be bringing Delilah by the way." You take your hands off Mary's shoulders, that marriage thought made feel uncomfortable, you don't much like the idea of being the man in the relationship ... wow that was not a thought you'd have.

"Huh?" Mary looked up from her papers. "Did mum tell you to bring her?"

"No Aurora didn't tell me to bring them, I just don't want to leave them alone in the capital."

"This isn't a leisurely trip." Mary looked up at you with a critical eye.

"Trust me that won't be an issue." You didn't find the idea of fighting pirates all that enticing but if it's going to happen it might give Eve a much needed outlet.

Mary kept looking at you a long moment. "I trust you." She said looking down at her papers then leaning backwards in her chair to look up at you. "Christopher, why does planning a navel campaign have to need so much reading? Land campaigns are so much easier, supply convoys, local resources, terrain that can be scouted and planned for."

"At least you'll learn for the future." You say, combing her short hair with you hand earning a content sigh.

"You sound like my mum." She reached up and strokes your face as a broad smile comes across her face.

"Your thinking about her face when she caught us in her bed aren't you." You felt a smile on your lips as well and you both chuckled then your eyes drifted to her bed.

"Think you can managed a fuck without getting sick from some rough seas?" She asked.

"Like I'll be the one getting rocked around." You shoot back.

She laughs and you both retire to her bed for a quickie. Green appears the moment you pants come off. You ask if she was listening at the door and she says that is a part of her job as Mary's double.

The three of you spend a few rounds together before going to sleep. Mary does say she is glad you are here, she was going to send Green to get you this morning anyway. The soldiers who'd been wounded in campaign against Hanna were still were gathering at the palace this afternoon for your healing.

You said you'll be sure to be here but you need to drop by the academy first. You have a sword to collect and try to imbue. Green walked you out of the palace telling you she'll collect you from the academy when the time came.

You hurry to the academy and into Sarean's lecture hall. "Hello Christopher." The short stack from rises from the middle of her desk. "I take it you're here for this." The hilt of the sky metal sword emerges from the desk.