It hadn't even been five minutes since Theo had made it back down to the city that she was badgered with questions. There was so much preparation going into leaving, and most of the smaller arrangements for their journey were still being decided; there were lots of concerns to be addressed. It was late but that didn't mean anyone was getting any rest. She wanted them all to take it easy but the excitement of getting back on the sea was in the air. Xyra wasn't around the rest of the night for Theo to delegate the more intricate questions to, so Cooker picked up the slack for her. She didn't even need to be told anything. Theo was giving her more and more responsibility as the suns went on and she wasn't cracking. Not that Theo wanted her to. She was just expecting Cooker to turn to substances to cope but it wasn't happening. They had spoken about serious matters with each other but the sudden change in behavior hadn't come up yet.

Amongst the nighttime bustle were the issues pertaining to fitting the new lightbringer to their needs. It was a massive vessel and if Theo didn't understand how ships worked, she would have believed the ability for it to float was an act of the gods. Thankfully, and in anticipation of a disaster in the fight with The Center, the Scorned Woman had been stripped of anything personal that the crew had built or put in. The library, the new relaxation room, all personal belongings, and furniture had all been saved and fitted into the new ship. Instead of a stuffy, noble lightbringer, they had brought new life to the ship. The mark of the crew of the Scorned Woman had been made.

All questions had been directed her way about designs to the new ship, Cooker had reminded everyone that Theo was particular about the aesthetic of things and while she wasn't wrong, it made Theo seem superficial. But, she couldn't care about it that much because it felt good to have control over something she was going to be living in. Yet, while she gave the commands and called the shots she had yet to step aboard the ship. It wasn't anything that people had noticed. Perhaps it was because she slipped in a few comments about the great work that people had been doing to the ship to guide people into assuming she had been by the new addition to check on their progress.

She couldn't face the ship. Even the thought of it brought back a rush of memories. None of them were good. But the official move for all crew to be allowed back on the ship instead of staying at a tavern was the following night and Theo would be expected to sleep in it the first night it was operational. As she went to bed that night, and throughout the next morning the thought of the ship was a cloud overhead. On the exterior though, she was collected and greeted every question and update with a smile.

As the sun was setting, the final touches were put on the ship. That night, some of the crew would be sleeping on the ship and in the morning they would officially, and quite ceremoniously, accept the ship into their fleet. That night they were to celebrate the finishing of the project, a party around the taverns of Corinspe to appreciate each other's hard work. Theo had promised her crew that she would catch up with them eventually, she wanted to give the ship her first pass through. Under the guise of wanting to have a few hours alone with her new ship, her new pride and joy, she convinced most everyone to head on out without her. The reality was she wasn't sure how she would react to walking through the lightbringer and wanted to be alone in case it put her in a sour mood.

Evana had handed her the master key set for all the rooms and doors on the ship early in the afternoon and finally, after running through every excuse in her mental playbook she made her way to the docks. It was a feat of the gods, of Navi, and of some very talented sailors that the crew was able to bring the ship through the reef and into the bay and an even bigger feat to try and dock it safely. Yet, it had been managed. Amongst the crowd of ships, the lightbringer was unmistakable. It was massive, dwarfing even the largest galleons inside and outside the bay. Subtly was not a word associated with the ship, with its polished wood and gold accents. Some parts of the ship had been painted over with a black to accent it, making it more rugged and less pristine. A temporary marking before they could paint it all black.

Theo walked down the length of the dock, turning down the lane the ship was docked at. The trek up the plank and onto the deck seemed daunting. It looked longer than it was, Theo's mind was already playing tricks on her. She felt small again, like the little girl she once was, staring up at the massive ships and wondering how she had ended up there. She took her first step, and then another, and another until she had climbed onto deck and took her first look around. Her heart was beating at a slightly increased pace, but she was keeping her emotions under wraps. Nothing too shocking or reminiscent of her time on the ship came to sight and it was easy to block out any bad memories. There was no one on board, the lights in the infirmary were lit but Theo had passed Tuni on the docks heading into town.

Without any interruptions present, she began her first pass. She started on the main deck, heading for her room. She figured she would at least familiarize herself with her living quarters. Opening the door, she found nothing new. Any trace of Ulises and the Center had been ripped away. A replica of Theo's old room sat in its place. Damn, Evana was good. Besides the room being bigger, and things being more spread out, nothing seemed out of place. There was definitely room for rearranging and room to expand her interior tastes. Perhaps she would leave the furniture less spread out and give carpentry creative freedom to create a lounge area within a section of her room. With the next few lengths shaping up to be busy, she would need her own private space to relax.

The balcony called to her and as she stepped out, the first thing that stood out to her was the size. Everything else on the ship was astronomically large, she should have expected the balcony to be no different but it didn't stop her mouth from going agape. The wood was high quality and polished to perfection with a set of chairs and a small table on one side of it. The sitting area looked new, like Evana and the carpentry girls had made it just for her. Theo took a moment to sit down in the chair but it proved to be a mistake.

Her eyes trailed over to the empty seat next to her and her heart was hit with a canon ball. All she could imagine was a bright smile and curly red hair sitting across from her, a delicate laugh followed by a snort filling the air. That is what could have been. She shook her head and pushed herself up from the chair, pushing the thought away. Theo stepped off the balcony and exited her room.

She spun around, taking sight of the deck and trying to form a plan for how to tour a ship that seemed impossible to go through. Her eyes landed on a room she knew well. Next to her quarters was the room she remembered being pulled out of before she collapsed. She felt nauseous, her head was light all of a sudden and she felt flush. It was cold outside and yet she felt a flash of heat run through her body and the skin on her back felt sweaty. Theo took three deep breaths, shaking out her hands and finding a way to adjust her bodily reaction.

She couldn't face the room just yet.

Instead, Theo walked into the belly of the ship. The new mess hall was large and could seat hundreds. The library that was on board had been stuffed with their books but the Center's furniture now mixed in with theirs. What was once a small room with two armchairs and a table was now triple the size, with more shelves than they could use and chairs for at least half a dozen readers at a time. One by one, each of the rooms were inspected by Theo and she had spent so long going through her new vessel that the candle she was using to guide her way had to be replaced twice. Finally, she came to a row of rooms on one of the upper levels of the ship. From the plans of the ship that had been laid out for her, she knew that the hallway she had left for last housed what was once Ava's room. The floor actually contained rooms for all the Vaith children but Ava's was the only one she was interested in.

Theo, having final approval on all actions taken to alter the ship, had banned the crew from entering, touching, or working on Ava's room. For some reason, she had hesitated to mess with it. She didn't quite understand the significance of why she had done so. Perhaps, it was because it was one of the last things she had to remember Ava by. Or maybe she had wanted a glimpse into her life as a noble. Or maybe she felt that if she touched anything that was once Ava's, it would be like hurting her. It was nonsensical but her actions had been following that trend in the past cycles. Ava's door was locked and it took some fumbling to find the right key.

When she heard the lock click out of place, she paused for a moment to prepare herself before opening the door. It creaked as she pushed it open and Theo took the first few steps inside. Turning to one side, she found a light fixture and put her candle to it. The room brightened and she took it in for the first time. Theo didn't know what to expect but she had been hoping that the room resembled Ava in some way. That the room would allow for Theo to somehow atone for her mistakes.

It was the opposite of who Ava was. No books in sight. Over-the-top furniture, a bed too tall for anyone to reasonably be able to get in easily, and flashy decor that seemed to be the antithesis of what she would have liked. Theo took her first steps into the room trying to get some sort of feeling of catharsis from the experience but it didn't work. It only made things worse. This is what Ava would have to go back to. A place that wasn't welcoming of who she was, a place that would force her to be surrounded by the things in that room, force her to be someone she wasn't. Theo had done that, Theo had been the one to doom her to her new fate. The thought made her nauseous and she struggled to take her next breath without keeling over and breaking down.

She had messed up. Theo spun around the room again, hoping to find some evidence of the real Ava in there. Of Red. But there was only The Center, there was only Avery, there was not Red. Theo turned on her heel to walk out and that is when she saw writing etched into the walls around the door. She walked up to the doorframe and let her fingers run over the rough texture. She wouldn't have been able to read it had it not been for Ava. She felt tears spring to her eyes and the guilt she had been holding back hit her all at once. All around the doorframe, Ava had etched in words that could get her hung if anyone from The Center would have seen. 

Death to The Council

Fuck Baethos

The Vaiths have no claim to power

I am a renouncer

The Center kills innocents

I am no Vaith

There was a glass orb with a small crack in it sitting on the wardrobe next to the door. She picked it up and threw it at a wall with a yell. The effort burned a hole in her side and she dropped to her knees as the ball hit the floor and split in two. The time Ava had spent in her room, most likely trapped in there, she had used to take a stand against her family. She didn't know what the consequences would be and yet she had had the courage to do so. Not even a few suns later, Theo was accusing her of being a spy working for her family. She put her head in her hands and covered her ears, trying to center herself and stop spiraling. But it didn't work, the tears were falling from her eyes and the feelings of what she had done hit her all at once.

She was inconsolable. She could hear her own sobs but she felt outside of her body. She could feel the pain of being on the floor, hunched over, but she couldn't truly feel the pain. Everything felt like a dream. As she stared at the backs of her eyelids, in darkness, she had begun to convince herself that it was all a hallucination. She would open her eyes and she would be on the Scorned Woman, with Ava sleeping on a bed next to her, with all of her officers present and accounted for. Except when she opened her eyes there was nothing except for the ridiculously decorated room and two halves of a crystal sphere. She picked up one of the pieces and turned it over in her hands. Her distorted reflection stared back at her, a scar running across her eye and a frown etched on her face. It was the face of someone she didn't recognize. She was supposed to be Captain Theo, the carer of those that needed a place, protector of the unprotected, fighter of expectations. She broke every tenant of who she was and pushed herself away from everyone in the process.

"I'm sorry," she found herself whispering with a small hiccup and put the sphere down, "I'm so sorry, Red."

The words that Xyra had said were running through her head. It was too late to do anything. They couldn't go get her. They couldn't penetrate the estate walls. But there had to be a solution. There had to be a way to reach her, to apologize, to get her back.

"I promise I'll find a way to get you away from your family," Theo looked up at the door frame, the only remnant of the real Ava that was left behind from her stay there, "I don't know how or when but I will get you away from them."

———

Theo found herself back on the deck a few hours later. She had given herself time before pulling herself off the floor and locking Ava's room up once again. She finished touring the ship, making mental notes of the projects that could be undertaken to upgrade the ship and fit it to their needs. The stairs, for example, had ample room next to it to fit in a pulley system for a wheelchair. That way, Morgana would easily be able to get around as would anyone else they recruited that would need it. They had never had a ship that was able to house that sort of accommodation but it was always something they spoke about when expanding. Now, they had ships that could be fitted with anything they needed.

As she stood on the deck, she faced the room right next to her quarters. The room she had avoided during her tour of the ship. The room she had been avoiding since she woke up. The room that she would most likely continue to avoid. She walked up to it and put her hand on the doorknob but her heart rate increased and she could feel a chill wash over her. Like she had been shocked by lightning, she snapped her hand away from the handle and took a few steps back. A loud crashing sound occurred that caused Theo to jump. She had been getting startled so easily, it was infuriating. She couldn't discern where it had come from but spinning around on her heel, she could see the infirmary lit up through the windows with a frantic shadow running back and forth. Tuni was back.

Theo made her way across the deck, which took longer than she was used to. Theo warned Tuni of her entrance with a brief knock before opening up the door. Scooping up herbs that had been strewn across the floor was the healer. She looked frazzled, as if her spilt jar of herbs was the worst thing to have ever happened to her. Theo knew how on edge she had been. So many long nights of caring for patients that sometimes didn't make it. Morgana, to her knowledge, had been distant with her, and with everyone busy with their own things, Tuni was not checked in on as much as she should have been. Theo was also guilty of that.

She bent down without much hesitation and began to help her pick up. Theo would have asked why she wasn't out with the crew, drinking and celebrating, but she knew better. Tuni rarely drank and she would never have abandoned her duties as a healer to do so. They didn't speak as the mess was cleaned. Theo handed the lid of the jar to Tuni as they finished and Tuni went to her new cabinet to put it away. The shelf, however, was a bit too high for her and the vase of herbs seemed two seconds from tipping over once again. Theo wasn't the tallest but around Tuni she felt giant. She took two large strides and then took over, pushing the jar into place and securing it.

"Thank you," Tuni cleared her throat and slipped out from under Theo, rushing to her desk.

Theo didn't let her go though, she grabbed her hand and pulled her back against Theo's chest. Tuni let out a huff but Theo ignored her and wrapped her arms around the healer. She held her tightly and put her chin on Tuni's shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

Tuni tried to pull away but Theo, once again, didn't allow it to happen.

"Theo, I'm not in the mood."

"In the mood for what? Talking about how you are feeling?"

Tuni sighed and shook her head, "To be distracted. I have things to get done."

"Well," Theo let go of her, "tell me what they are and I will help you."

Tuni turned around and crossed her arms, looking Theo up and down with narrowed eyes. She looked to be considering the offer but then continued walking towards her desk, "Captain, go be with your crew."

"Is this what it feels like with me?" Theo followed her, "Trying to get me to take a break and I won't?"

"No, it's worse with you," Tuni commented and began to rummage through her drawers, trying to find something.

"Fortune, can you stop what you are doing and have a conversation with me?" Theo asked.

Tuni frowned and slammed the drawer shut, displaying anger that wasn't often seen with her, "Theo please! Just leave me alone! I'm trying to get things done."

"Let me help!" Theo found herself matching Tuni's energy.

"You can't," Tuni shook her head, "I'm trying to make things perfect for when I bring Morgana to sleep here tonight and you can't help with that."

Theo's gut was wrenched. Tuni was stressed about Morgana and Theo was sitting on information that would only stress her out more. But Theo had made a promise to not let her relationship with Tuni get in the way of supporting Morgana. Instead of saying anything, she simply nodded and took a few steps away from Tuni.

"Is there anything else you need to take care of besides preparing for Mor?"

Tuni shrugged, "Have to go do my rounds and check-in on my patients."

"Let me do that for you."

Tuni scoffed a bit and shook her head.

"I'm serious. Give me a list of what I need to ask and check for and I'll do it," Theo offered.

She could see the hesitation written on Tuni's face. The need for help was evident.

"Go find Rihed," Tuni requested, "he's the healer from Blue's crew that has been helping me with some things. Tell him that I asked you to go on a round with him because I can't make it tonight."

"Why not just have him pitch in more to help, Fortune?" Theo asked, "if he is an experienced healer who has already been helping you why do you have to be the one doing everything?"

"Because the last time I let Rihed do something by himself, someone died," Tuni explained, "I need you to keep an eye on him and what he does. Don't let him give any of the patients their medication."

Theo nodded and stepped forward again, reaching a hand out to place it on Tuni's arm, "Oi, please know I'm always here for you."

Tuni faltered in her anger a bit, her face melted into one of slight sadness. She flashed a weak smile to Theo and nodded, "I know, Cap... Thank you."

Theo walked out of the room and left Tuni standing by her desk. It took her a bit of time to gather herself enough to resume her task of preparing for Morgana. The tension between her and Morgana, and about all the patients she would eventually leave behind as they still recovered had dissolved slightly at the thought of being able to spend the night in bed with her partner once again. A small smile came to her face and the thought was all the motivation she needed to get started again.

Luckily, as was standard with most Baethan ships, the infirmary was connected to their room so there was not a lot of running around to be done. Tuni was able to find all of the things she needed to make it a comfortable stay for Morgana within the infirmary and it was an easy transfer to the bed. She had made a blended concoction of aromatic herbs and flowers that were associated with calming effects. She had candles that would be lit before she picked up Mor. And finally, she had Morgana's favorite blanket and pillows all set up in bed for her. The drawer in Morgana's nightstand had a myriad of snacks that Tuni had personally selected knowing her favorites quite well.

It took her less than an hour to set up and she was already feeling lighter by the time she finished. The promise of her promised coming to spend time with her was the highlight of her sun. She couldn't wait. A bigger smile had overtaken her face and she was practically skipping by the time she left the infirmary to go pick Morgana up. She kept her smile as she passed through the city, nodding at familiar faces and waving at some others. She arrived at the island's infirmary and waltzed in; with all of the taverns only having rooms on the upstairs levels the infirmary had been Mor's home since she couldn't climb the stairs.

Except when she entered, Morgana wasn't home. Her bed was empty and as Tuni toured the facility, she found no sign of her partner. The smile had slowly been waning from her face as she realized Morgana was nowhere to be found. It took a lot for Tuni to not scream. She just rested against a wall in the back of the infirmary, away from prying eyes, and pressed her palms into her eyes. There were tears that were forming and even with the pressure, they fell down her cheeks. She had gone through so much worse in the past cycle she didn't know why this would make her cry.

It wasn't the first time that she didn't know where Morgana had been. It had been a repeated occurrence since Morgana was cleared by Tuni to be out and about. Her and Navi had gotten closer than they were before, which Tuni didn't think was possible. It was hard to see, it wasn't a good feeling to come to the infirmary from a long sun of work to find her missing. Tuni had been dealing with so much that sometimes all she wanted to do was come to Morgana's bedside and spend some time together. But that was difficult as of late. Tuni felt abandoned. She had barely had a chance to talk to Mor, to bond, to debrief about everything that had happened. The person who had always been there to support her, to listen to her, to lift her up at times where she felt she had failed was not there.

Tuni wiped her tears and took a deep breath, "You're okay, Fortune. Get it together."

She shook out her hands and rolled her shoulders back, taking calm and even breaths. Morgana was allowed to go out with friends. She was allowed to do things without telling Tuni. She was allowed to have her own life. But even she couldn't convince herself to fully get over it. Tuni had told Mor that she would be by tonight to pick her up and take her back to their room, to spend some time together and have a night to themselves. Morgana had agreed to it, she had said that she would be there waiting. Maybe she forgot, there had been a lot going on in her head. Tuni would just have to go find her. A bunch of rowdy Scorned Woman crew out on the town wouldn't have been hard to spot.

Tuni passed by the washroom, making sure to splash water on her face and lessening any evidence that she had been crying. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to ask her if anything was wrong. Once she checked herself in the looking glass, she made her way back to the increasingly busy streets. Weaving her way through the people, she checked one, then three, then five taverns and could not find who she was looking for. Finally, she saw the first signs of her crew. Skins and Rita were outside in a yelling match with a poor sailor from another crew. Tuni shook her head with a smile and walked over, getting in between the two girls and the sailor.

Whatever had been going on, the man probably deserved it but Tuni still saved him. Without a word, she tilted her head towards the inside and Skins nodded before whisking Rita inside. She turned around and gave the man a once over, letting her know that it wasn't for his sake that she intervened and then followed her crew inside. She regretted the decision, however, because the scene in front of her made her heart sink. Navi, Blue, and some of the other new recruits they had picked up from Alenroux were on top of a table, singing a shanty at the top of their lungs. Morgana was sitting under them but no less a part of the festivities. She had a flagon of ale raised and she was shouting the lyrics with a large smile on her face.

Tuni stood at the entrance for a few moments, taking in the chaos of the scene. A few moments after entering, and perhaps because Mor could sense her, she looked over and locked eyes with Tuni. The smile was wiped off and the look that flashed across her face made Tuni sick. There was a time when Morgana would have given up a dozen night-outs with their friends to spend the evening with Tuni. It wasn't that long ago, actually. Tuni didn't know what had happened. What was wrong? Why did Morgana look so unhappy to see her?

She turned around and walked out of the tavern. She wasn't in the business of making people do what they didn't want to. Clearly, Morgana had chosen to go out and celebrate. Which was alright. Everything was okay. She was allowed to enjoy her time before a big, scary voyage singing shanties with other pirates. But the image of the smile being wiped from Morgana's face was engraved in her mind and she couldn't even wait until getting back to the ship to let her tears flow. She rushed into the alley next to the tavern, pushing herself into a dark corner, back facing the entrance.

She could hear her own small sniffles and deep, shaky breaths she was taking in between her soft sobs. She lost control of her emotions and couldn't regain her composure as quickly as she could the last time. Her hand came to cover her mouth to try and hide her noises but she didn't think it did much.

"Tuni!" she heard her name being called out, it was Morgana.

She didn't answer but she heard an exchange between Morgana and a man outside the bar. The words were not clear, but the context was. Morgana had asked someone about her whereabouts and the gratefulness in her voice indicated that Tuni had been sold out. Rather than be caught off guard and look like the jealous lover who couldn't let their partner do anything by themselves, she wiped her tears and turned back around. She hoped that the darkness outside would cover up any evidence of crying.

Looking at the entrance, she could see Navi rolling Morgana over. Tuni walked up to meet them halfway.

"Hello, love," Tuni cleared her throat, "You didn't have to leave the party. Nav, you can take her back."

Tuni placed her hand over Morgana's shoulder and squeezed it, flashing her a sad smile even though she had tried to muster a better one.

"Fortune, come on," she shook her head, "stay."

Navi took a few steps back and the crunching of gravel was heard beneath her boots, "I'm going to go back inside and leave you two here."

"Mor, really, you can go back. The crew is celebrating," Tuni kept a smile on her face, "I've got some stuff to finish up in the infirmary. Gotta check on Rihed, who I left with Theo, so I won't be joining the party tonight."

"Tuni, I know you. You're upset," Morgana shook her head.

"I am, but it's fine. I don't want to ruin your night, my love."

"Fortune... I-" Morgana sighed a bit and the energy between them made Tuni's stomach revolt. Something wasn't right, "We need to talk."

Tuni let her hand fall from Morgana's shoulder and nodded a bit, trying to keep herself from panicking over those words that were never a good indication.

"The floor is yours," Tuni took a step back and they looked at each other– really just looked at each other– for what felt like the first time in a cycle.

"I am going home," Morgana stated and Tuni watched her swallow, "by myself."

"Oh," it took a few seconds to process what was said and Tuni was glad for the delayed reaction, it helped her keep a calm demeanor, "when?"

"When we arrive at the first port in Nefriti, I'll be finding a ship to the Twins," Morgana said and pulled her coat closed.

"It'll be good to spend time with your family," Tuni mustered up a smile and she questioned if Morgana could even tell it wasn't genuine or had she forgotten how to differentiate, "do you know how long you'll be gone?"

"Not really," Morgana shrugged a bit and broke eye contact, "I was just going to spend time with them 'til it felt right to come back. Probably won't be back until everyone's in Niveal."

Tuni could feel her throat choking up so she cleared it, "We are due to leave soon. How are you thinking of telling Theo?"

"She knows."

Tuni didn't hesitate to process those words. It hit her in the chest.

"How long have you known that you were going to be able to leave?"

"Fortune, that isn't important," Morgana was still looking everywhere but at Tuni.

"Mor," Tuni pleaded, causing her to meet her eyes, "I want to know."

"A few suns after Theo woke up," she admitted and her lips were in a slight downturn but she still didn't look as remorseful as Tuni felt she should have been.

Her heart recoiled at the thought that Morgana had kept something from her. But, she didn't feel it was fair to pick a fight about Morgana wanting to go home. She was just going to grin and bear the sadness, "Alright...Well, I hope the time at home is what you are looking for. I know it brings you peace to be there. And I am sure your father misses you."

"What are you thinking right now?" Morgana ignored her well wishes.

"That you should have told me..." Tuni admitted without much prompting.

"I just needed some time to sit with it."

Tuni was speechless. There was nothing going through her head except that she didn't want to have the conversation right there. Not when standing in a cold dark alley put timed pressure on their talk but Tuni had yet to process what was happening. It didn't feel real, that Morgana had kept something so important from her. No matter what they had gone through, all their trials as a couple, they had always promised to be honest and communicate.

"Can you say something?" Morgana asked.

Tuni pursed her lips then sighed with a shrug. She took a moment to rub her forehead and collect herself, "I don't know what there is to say, Mor. We are promised to each other and yet you withheld from me that you would be leaving somewhere, taking a voyage across the sea without me."

Morgana rolled her eyes a little bit and Tuni had to blink a few times to assure herself she was not hallucinating.

"Excuse me?" Tuni was so shocked she laughed even though she had been left breathless, "I had nothing but respect for your decision. When that was not enough for you, I was prompted to speak my mind. The eyeroll was uncalled for, Morgana."

Morgana shook her head with a frown and once again looked past Tuni, not facing her directly, "It wasn't. Don't say you are promised to me like it means anything to you, Fortune. You have all of these restrictions set for us. You don't wear my mother's ring. You've told one person and didn't even let me know she knew."

"These are restrictions that you've always known were going to be in place. You agreed to them. You helped me set them," Tuni was beginning to feel a bit queasy. The conversation didn't seem to be going in her favor yet she didn't know what she had done, "You know my beliefs about being in a union. It isn't fair that you are trying to hold it against me, Mor..."

"I am allowed to feel slighted that my partner hasn't wanted to plan our union," Morgana argued but Tuni had never thought it to be an issue. Morgana had always been supportive.

Tuni cleared her throat again, trying to get past the lump that was there, "This night alone together was supposed to be about our union. Part of what I wanted to talk to you about was planning the ceremony."

"That is convenient," Morgana laughed a bit, a pseudo-scoff, "Now? All of a sudden?"

"It was always the plan to wait until after the fight... It could have been earlier, if you had even bothered to speak to me," Tuni shot back.

"That's not fair. I've been going through a lot."

Tuni threw her hands up, she was growing frustrated. It was like Morgana couldn't see how she had been treating her, "And usually, that is something you would share with me. Mor, you would tell me every time you drank a glass of fucking water and now I have to put an hour of effort to get a sentence."

"Aye, and why do you think that is?"

Tuni blinked a few times, staring blankly at Morgana who had grown irritated, "From what you've been telling me, you've had a hard time adjusting since what happened on the lightbringer. But apparently, that's not it. Please, Mor. I just want to know what's wrong with us. What did I do to you?."

"Your actions before the fight, I didn't recognize who you were," she finally admitted and met Tuni's gaze.

Tuni's mouth opened slightly from the shock of the statement. She fishmouthed a bit before pushing her hand through her hair and letting out a deep breath she had taken, "Because I didn't stop Theo? Mor, she would have done that anyway. I know I should have tried to be a voice of reason but she is my captain and someone had hurt her."

"That decision to send Red back to prison landed her in that brig during the fight, it made Theo go after her, which made me go after Theo, and then I ended up on the lightbringer," Morgana laid it all out and everything clicked for Tuni.

"You blame me for your torture..." she spoke but it came out as barely a whisper, "say it. I want to hear you say it instead of tiptoeing around the accusation."

"Fortune," Morgana sighed and once again averted eye contact, "that's not fair to me."

"And blaming me for something that you won't even talk to me about is fair? If you have an issue with me, I would prefer for you to tell me."

Tuni had gone from emotional and tender to a rock. She had hardened over their conversation and as her arms came to cross over her chest, she glared down at the girl in front of her. Morgana looked up to meet the cold gaze, "Fine. I blame you. I blamed Theo too but she got her punishment."

Tuni paused for a bit, not knowing what to say, "You say my actions are unrecognizable but have you reflected on your own?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she frowned even further, the lines on the sides of her mouth were pronounced.

"You don't speak to me. You promised to show up at a certain time for something I have been planning for a while and then went out drinking. You kept that you were going home from me which is something I believe I at least have the right to know before you tell others. Not speaking to me, treating me coldly, and then doing it all because you felt the need to be the judge and jury for my punishment," Tuni tried to list her reasons but it looked to her that Morgana had checked out of their conversation. She was looking down at her arm cast and picking at it, "Mor, you haven't even asked me once how I was doing. I have watched people die because I couldn't save them almost every sun since the fight ended. You would have never let a single night pass you by without asking me about how I was feeling. I know that you have been through a lot but this isn't the Mor I know."

"Then leave," Morgana snapped and looked back up but this time her expression was one of anger, "If I can't be what you need me to be, then go."

Tuni was stunned. Being nice and letting Morgana have some space hadn't worked, neither had confronting her, neither had presenting her with logic. If the response to criticism was to tell her to go, then that is what she was going to do. Tuni was at a loss. Not really understanding the weight of what she was doing, she pulled out the ring she was guarding in her pocket. She had been wearing it in anticipation of their night together but took it off when going to find Morgana.

"Five lengths together and it all ends in an alley," Tuni shook her head and she could feel her lip quiver but she couldn't let herself cry in front of Morgana. She couldn't show her weakness to someone who wanted her to suffer. In Mor's mind, Tuni was getting what she deserved. Tuni walked past her, pausing for just a second to place the ring in Morgana's palm before walking out of the alleyway. It was a brisk walk at first but once she made it past the crowd of people in front of the tavern she broke out into a semi-jog, trying to see the path in front of her through blurry eyes.

Even with her light running, she didn't think she attracted much attention. She stuck close to the parts of the streets that were shadowed and not crowded. Her plan was to just grab a bag full of stuff from the infirmary and go to a tavern for the night, to avoid having to see Morgana if she decided to come there. However, once she was on deck, it changed. She saw Theo's quarters were lit and she looked to be there. Tuni matched over and all but kicked the door open.

"You knew?" Tuni asked and by then she could no longer flow to the stem of ugly choked sobs that were leaving her mouth.

Recognition registered instantly on Theo's face and she shot up from behind her desk.

"You knew?" Tuni asked again but softer that time, sniffling and holding back another pathetic stream of tears.

"I knew she was leaving," Theo confirmed.

Tuni wanted to run back to her infirmary but she knew that Theo hated seeing her upset and she would follow her right into her room. So she chanced a question, "Why?"

"Why didn't I tell you? She told me that she wasn't ready to tell you yet. She wanted me to respect her wishes and put my relationship with you to the side," Theo admitted as she stepped out from behind the desk and walked towards her, "Fortune, I wanted to tell you every time I saw you but I had to keep my word, as a captain."

Tuni turned her face slightly and covered her mouth, trying to stifle the emotions.

"Tuni, she'll be back with us in Niveal before you know it," Theo tried comforting, "I know it's shocking she didn't tell you sooner but I know she loves you, she is just working through some things."

Tuni uncovered her face and took a shallow breath, "Did she make you privy to the fact that what she was working through was her resentment towards me? She blames me for her torture."

Theo looked shocked but not because it was news to her. It was something else, "She told you that?"

Tuni realized quickly that Theo had also been made aware of Morgana's feelings, "You knew... You knew that too and you didn't think to warn me?"

"I already told you why I couldn't," Theo said and Tuni didn't answer and instead began to walk out.

Theo blocked her way and tried to bring Tuni into a hug but Tuni struggled against it and punched at Theo's chest before giving in and sobbing into it. Theo held onto the back of her neck with one arm and wrapped the other around her. She was held in a tight embrace, the pressure quite literally relieving some of her own.

"Tuni, she'll come back from her family refreshed and in a better place for you both."

"It won't matter," Tuni shook her head, "It's over."

"Did she end it?" Theo sounded shocked "I didn't know about that, Tuni. I would not have broken your trust like that by not telling you. That is too far."

"I don't know who ended it... She told me to leave her and so I did..." Tuni said and saying it out loud made it so much worse. It was real. It had really happened.

The realization that the words exchanged at the alley were permanent had inspired a new wave of tears. Maybe she should not have said anything. She could have waited until Morgana was back and willing to talk before bringing anything up. Tuni should have seen that Morgana was in an emotional place and not snapped back. But she was allowed to be hurt. Morgana had never done stuff of that sort before. Morgana could be hurt because of Tuni's actions but it didn't give her the right to be as rude as she was. As mean as her attitude was. As cold as she had been. The less she allowed herself to make excuses for Morgana's actions, the more apparent her mistreatment in the past cycle had been. Morgana had some points, Tuni had made some poor choices but she deserved the chance to talk through it with Morgana.

"Stay with me tonight, Tuni," Theo said as she rubbed her back. She kept a tight hold and it felt nice. It had been so long that she had experienced any sort of affection or comfort and she felt herself sinking further into Theo's arms. She should have been angrier at the captain but she understood she had a duty to Morgana. Morgana was the one she should have directed her ire at but there was nothing to direct but sadness, "I don't want to be in my big bed all alone and I'm too lazy to go find Cook and Xyra."

Tuni let out a small laugh because she knew it wasn't true. Theo was just framing the offer to stay with her as being helpful when really it would only benefit Tuni.

"I'll stay," Tuni sniffled a bit and pulled away from the embrace slightly, reaching up to wipe her face, "I'm okay."

"Tuni, you've been with her forever. You aren't expected to be okay," Theo consoled and rubbed her back.

That threw her off balance and once again a choked cry escaped her lips as she rushed to cover her face. It had felt like forever. She barely remembered a time without Morgana. Tuni had made just one mistake. She was allowed to mess up. In all their five lengths of a relationship, Tuni had only messed up a few times. She had picked a fight over something stupid or forgot to do something Morgana asked of her, but it had been far and few between. It wasn't a game to keep track of but there were always more errors coming from Morgana. An insensitive comment that didn't consider Tuni's feelings or being dense about a situation. But Tuni always forgave. She never dwelled. They always spoke through it and solved their issues. She was allowed to make a mistake but Morgana didn't see it that way.

Then leave

It bounced around in her head. Morgana had never said something of the sort. Did she mean it? Did she mean it in the way she did? Was it just bait to test Tuni's resolve and she failed.

"Can we just go to bed?" Tuni asked as she looked up at Theo.

Theo nodded and pushed some hair out of Tuni's face before placing her hand over her cheek, "Need anything else? Drinks? Drugs? A mace to go destroy someone's property?"

Tuni couldn't help but laugh, "I could do with a light bit of arson."

"Let's go. Who will be our first victim?"

"A rival ship?"

Theo took her hand and began to tug her jokingly towards the door, "Let's go. We have to take advantage of the dark of the night."

It wasn't all better. But she didn't immediately feel like dying. Even though her chest was tight, she could literally feel her heart breaking, and she wasn't so sure the next sun was worth waking up for, she knew she would survive. Then, she remembered the candles she had left lit in the room. She wouldn't survive if they were trapped in a fire while they slept.

"Actually, we do need to go to my room," Tuni began to walk out with Theo's hand in her own, "or I will have accidentally committed arson."

"I don't understand what that means," Theo laughed a bit but followed.

"Now," Tuni let go of Theo's hand as they crossed the deck, "tell me how it went with Rihed.