Day 4 | Afternoon | Castle Orchard | Need to Know

[Hadrian Martikova]

Hadrian was surprised by how quickly he'd recovered. He certainly hadn't figured he'd be up and moving just yet. And while his pace isn't what it would have been. He was still relieved to be out from inside that cold ugly fortress.

"I couldn't imagine having to live here." He said to Laila, who had been winding along with him arm in arm, "I always feel as if the walls are actively listening. And the way they're angled makes me think this place might be the belly of some terrible monster."

He sighed.

"If I could I'd leave here tonight."

He said this with no small measure of apprehension. Believing it only a matter of time before his handler found him. Tearing him back into a cold dreadful world of intrigue.

[Laila Bridger]

"So what's stopping us? I mean... besides the damn ocean in the way. And the fact that I'm a lousy pilot, and..."

She grinned, clearly trying to lift his spirits.

"Suppose I could try to swim it, but I kinda like being alive..."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Heh, don't forget the long arm of the devil himself." He said meaning Hawat. "Once he's no longer preoccupied, I did have a trip scheduled for the end of the month. One I was looking forward to before the festival. Now?" He shook his head. "The trip has me nervous."

[Laila Bridger]

"Oh? And why might that be?"

She paused and nudged him in the ribs.

"And what did you do that he's ever not preoccupied, anyway?"

[Hadrian Martikova]

He grinned at the playful gesture. But then reality rarely affords joy for long so he shook his head.

"It's a devil of a different kind I'm afraid."

There's a dreadful realization that he'd never told Laila about his side business.

"So listen." He leads her over to the fountain, where he could keep up the pretense of romance while having some measure of noise cover. "There's something you should know about me. If you're serious about being with me long-term..."

[Laila Bridger]

Ah, so it's time for this part...

"I am. And in fairness, I need to tell you mine. There's probably some things you should know about the foul-mouthed offworld mercenary you see something in."

[Hadrian Martikova]

He pulled her in even tighter, "You know you don't have to beat me at everything right?" Before kissing her cheek softly.

[Laila Bridger]

"I wasn't aware I could beat you at anything."

She flushed- more of a happy glow than any sort of embarrassment.

"Well. I probably look better in a dress, but otherwise..."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Honey," he cocked an eyebrow preening, "have you seen this figure? You haven't known hot until you've seen me in heals."

Arriving at the fountain he pulled her in tighter so they could hear each other over the water.

"So if we both have something to confess, which one of us starts?"

[Laila Bridger]

She leaned into him.

"Mine's short, but... I was in House Vidal's army. Technically hostile to... well. Everything Atreides. We switched sides after Leto killed our Duke, and since Vidal was an Ecazi vassal, I'm not lying when I talk about my background, but... I'm not sure how much Hawat's guys know I'm leaving out. Maybe they know it all, maybe they don't, but I'm not going to volunteer the information."

There was more, of course, about what she and Kiran had... learned? Always known?

But that wasn't the same sort of confession.

So she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Your turn."

[Hadrian Martikova]

He thought about that for a moment. It's not like he cared all that much about Sanya Ecaz's assassination. And in the end he hadn't lost anyone during the fighting.

"Hawat probably already knows. Which will make him like me less I imagine. But the Atreides, for all their faults, aren't ones to hold a grudge."

He took a deep breath and sighed.

"But like any house they will use you until you're all used up." He grimaced. "I'm an agent of the Atreides. Hawat's goons caught me allegedly smuggling. And since then I've been running grey-market trades on their behalf."

[Laila Bridger]

"Allegedly, huh?"

She shifted her posture enough to give him a peck on the cheek.

"And now they have you doing it a lot less allegedly. Well. Can't be helped. No escaping the nobility without going full-on criminal. Still."

She settled back to her prior posture, her head on his shoulder.

"Having an offworld mercenary with a shady past in your life could be good for that. It's even true. Except that I'm done being a mercenary."

[Hadrian Martikova]

"Allegedly, huh?"

"Ehhhh, ya know how it is." He shrugged mischievously.

Then after the peck he held her and listened. Nodding in resignation at the reality of their station. She'd taken it better than he'd expected. But given their lives up until today, perhaps he saw an odd kind of sense in it all. Then when she declared that she's done being a mercenary he grinned.

"Ohh? You sure that's a good idea?" He teased. "I mean mercenary pay isn't anything to sneeze at. Course I do know a vineyard that's hiring. Boss is kind of a dick, but he'll show you the ropes."

[Laila Bridger]

"Ohh? You sure that's a good idea?" He teased. "I mean mercenary pay isn't anything to sneeze at. Course I do know a vineyard that's hiring. Boss is kind of a dick, but he'll show you the ropes."

"You know how it is, I kind of want to be alive to deal with this boss's dick. Oh, sorry! Slip of the tongue, how awkward..."

She grinned, and if he couldn't see it from that angle, he could definitely hear it in her tone.

"And... look. Jokes, flirting and banter aside, when they pay me off for this job, assuming they don't say Yueh patching me up took it all, I've spent three years not knowing how to be smart with the money I pull down, so... how bad are the vineyard's finances, Hadrian? Can I help, even a little?"

[Hadrian Martikova]

He smiled but he's also very serious when he says, "It depends. One thing you learn from being a farmer is that nothing is ever guaranteed. Least of all financial projections."

There's... a very deep sigh.

"When I left we were on track towards the black. After this, hopefully, last trip for Hawat that I'm going on. We'll be at break-even for the year. And anything I was going to make here, even however much Bern was going to give up, I was going to squirrel it away." He rolls his eyes, "Cause even with everything coming up Hadrian, I still have no idea. And you won't fully appreciate why until you meet my dad, my sisters, and their husbands. The three horses of the financial apocalypse, and my day-to-day struggle."

He holds her closer for comfort. "If you'll take care of me, I'll take care of us. It's the one thing I know I can do."

[Laila Bridger]

"Deal."

She sighed.

"Your sisters... I'm guessing they're sure everything will work out fine since it always has? Maybe I can talk to them."

[Kannon]

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Hawat had several pieces more to set. No rest for the wicked. After the staff meeting, he dragged his old bones to where his man told him to. Arriving by the fountain, he looked at the flowers with keen appreciation that at least one of them could be turned into poison in knowing hands, and was polite enough to let Laila finish her sentence.

"I've been told you both have no plans for tomorrow."

[Hadrian Martikova]

As he was about to elaborate on the intricacies of southern women and their terrible taste in men, the devil interrupted him. Despite the irony Hadrian was in no laughing mood. He let Laila go and assumed his typical mannerisms when addressing Hawat.

"Lord, no plans that can't be rearranged."

[Laila Bridger]

"Well, sir, we were kind of hoping to make the beast with two backs for the entire solar cycle, but as Hadrian says..."

When dealing with someone devoted to skulduggery, knowing secrets, and shadowy operations, Laila liked to be as subtle as a boot to the face.

[Kannon]

"As if. My background is humbler than yours, Hadrian. I've just lived long enough to make it entirely irrelevant for my position."

He paused. "We must all adjust to the circumstances of our making. And since you've been quite proficient at making those, now the adjustment. How about an early honeymoon on Harmonthep? The quaraa eggs are something, milkbugs too if cooked right."