Book 2 Chapter 17: Romance

Tristan

July 2, Earth Time, Palermo, Sicily

After paying their respects at the main cathedral and paying for a special mass dedicated to the souls of their departed friends, the group split. Mario went to take care of his assignment, while Caterina and Tristan headed toward her family's villa, taking a leisurely stroll. He could feel the discreet presence of three bodyguards and a police car. The bodyguards were following, and the police were driving ahead, very slowly. It was not a bad thing, as they could filter out smaller threats before they reached them.

"It's a beautiful day," she said, smiling at him.

Every day next to you is beautiful, he thought, but said a bland, "Yeah," instead.

"I have a theory," she said.

"Yes?"

"It's about your stats. Your Mind ones are lagging behind, right?"

"I guess so? I read a lot of Shakespeare, and it helped—"

"Yes, but how much did it help?" she said rapidly. "What if there is still room for improvement? Have you tried math?

"Dorian tried to teach me, but failed."

"Would you let me try?" Caterina asked, her eyes widened, and her cheek flushed.

"He tried to teach me kids' math, and I mean really easy stuff," Tristan said. "I must be dumb, but I didn't get it."

"Please let me try," she said, making puppy eyes, and Tristan suddenly realized that a private lesson meant they were going to spend more time together. If that meant being her guinea pig, it was okay with him.

Worst-case scenario, this math torture will raise my endurance...

"Promise you won't be disappointed if I fail," he said nevertheless.

She laughed, tilting her head back and exposing her beautiful neckline. Tristan swallowed a lump, and she noticed. All of a sudden, she stopped and grabbed his cheeks, pecking his lips in a kiss. Tristan's heart started to beat very fast. He tried to kiss her back, but she had walked on before he could recover from his daze, and he hurried to catch up.

"That was for saving me," she said without looking at him.

"T-thanks..."

"I like you," she said. "You grew on me very fast. You are... unique."

"I like you too," Tristan said. "The thing is..."

"Yes?"

"Two things, actually. I'm... not accustomed to your culture. Compared to Earth's guys, I'm—"

"Rough and tough," she grinned. "That's what I like about you."

"And the second is about my... err... romantic status."

" Are you seeing someone?" Caterina slowed her pace, facing him with a frown.

"Not really," Tristan sighed.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

"I just went through a breakup."

"A bad one?"

"No, an easy one. She has a kid and decided they should move back to Earth for his education. Sam gave me her letter while that French knight spouted nonsense about harems. I..." Tristan swallowed his words. He would have broken up with Sandra too, but she had done it first.

As long as his heart was free, he considered there was no harm in dating someone with a bit of life experience and seeing where things would go. Now, he was smitten with Caterina, and it seemed she liked it, too. Was it love? It sure felt like it, but his love was a word for later, not just a few days after they met. Attraction and admiration were more appropriate. Hurrying things carried the risk of ruining their relationship in the bud.

"I was seeing someone too," she said, starting to walk again. "A kind, nice guy, by all standards, who made me laugh a lot."

"Made you laugh... Hm... Do you know the joke about the paladin who walks into a bar? 'I'm here for Justice!' he bellows. 'Sorry, we have only ale,' the bartender says."

"HAHAHA!" Caterina laughed.

"I made it up just now."

Her smile warmed Tristan's heart, and he searched for her hand, taking it in his.

"Laughs don't stop bullets," she said more seriously. "That's why I broke up with him. It... didn't feel right to put him in danger. And," Caterina sighed, "I also knew he wasn't the right one for me. A relationship should start from the main problems, then go down. Dealing with danger beats reading the same books."

"Do you like Shakespeare?"

"I do," she let out a small burst of giggles. "That checks out two boxes out of three."

"And the third is?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

She frowned again, sketching a movement toward him, then stopping when he didn't reciprocate. The third box was all his own. Making his own move.

For a while, Tristan walked near her in silence, fondling her fingers while thinking about his feelings. To go with the flow, enjoy the moment, or take the hard path and risk ruining the vibe. The villa remained behind, and they went on through the sunny streets, then entered a small park.

"This was my parents' favorite spot," she said.

"Are they..." he asked tentatively, because her voice was sad.

"They died in a plane crash, ten years ago, together with Pippo's parents. Sabotage, probably. His parents were in the business, and..." she sighed.

"My parents died too," he said, empathizing with a fellow orphan.

"Do you have siblings?" Caterina asked.

"Two brothers. I'm the middle child. The youngest is at the university to become a lawyer. My oldest will inherit the small plot of land and the mansion, so he's into the farming business. I went into the army to make a name for myself. My parents died from one of the plagues the Kingling spread."

"I'm sorry," she said. "Are those plagues still a problem?"

"We have vaccines for most of them now. The Outworlders helped. There was a new one that..." the subject remembered Tristan about Mariuka and the toddler, making him let out a deep breath. "I need to make order in my private life," he said out of the blue.

"You still have feelings for your ex?"

"I suppose something always remains behind, but that's history now," he said, shrugging. "There's something else."

"I'm all ears," she said, stopping and hopping up to sit on a stone balustrade, behind which there were pines, palm trees, and a nice view of the city.

"Here. I received this yesterday, at the hotel," Tristan forwarded her a stamped paper. He knew the content by heart. Mariuka von Futak, sixteen years old, was suing him for breach of promise of marriage, seeking a thousand ducats in damages. A hearing was scheduled a few weeks forward, in Earth's Nice.

Caterina read the paper twice, slack-jawed. Her emotions were clear on her face, as sure as the sun was up and the sky was blue. At first, she was going to laugh, and Tristan preemptively moved a hand to the railing, to catch her if she fell backward. Then, a deep line covered her forehead. Now, she was thinking Tristan had abused the young girl. In the end, Caterina shook her head.

"Tell me everything," she said curtly.

Tristan let out a breath of relief. At least she didn't judge me guilty before I spoke.

"She's a young Vlach girl, a former slave. Her sister died of hunger, her mother hanged herself. I don't know about the father, but if he let his kid die, he either was dead himself, or a drunk. The Kingling took the castle, killed her masters, and sent her on a mission: deliver a toddler, the only surviving noble, to her grandfather. Count Futak."

"Did she steal the child's identity?" Caterina asked.

Tristan shook his head. "The Count was blackmailed to lure the Emperor to his domain, so the Kingling's people and some mad French could assassinate him. The child was the reward for his treason. Mariuka started to love the child, because she reminded her of her sister. She used mind magic on Futak, made him shoot himself, and ran away."

He could see Caterina's eyes widen more and more. She was about to ask something, then gestured for him to continue.

"We met during the assassination attempt. It was a hard fight, but we were victorious."

"You and her?"

"Sam and I. She cast a hiding spell to help the Empress escape. We made it to Pressburg—"

"Where is that?"

"It's Bratislava. She was hired as help at the Guild."

"Like the Adventurers Guild?"

"Bounty Hunters. Sam's wife—not Eliza, the new one—is the boss. The child was sick almost all the time. The Kingling had put a plague inside her to hit Austria."

"What?" Caterina yelped.

"Yeah, he's a mean bastard. I considered going and killing him, but Sam convinced me not to. Making him a martyr would only strengthen his cause. Then, the relatives of the count came to reclaim the child. I helped find a solution for the sickness and the relatives."

"You killed them, and then she stole their identity?"

"They adopted her too. They are nice people... I hope that," he pointed at the paper, still in Caterina's hand, "is a whim, and they indulge her because she's a bit... assertive. One of the cheekiest persons I've met." Annoying, really, but let's avoid that word... "If it's not that... she might have a crush on me. She always thought I was helping her to get under her skirt. She stayed at the Company's castle for a while, then moved with the Futaks. We kept in touch, and I visited them every other week."

"She thinks you like her, but is not sure, and this is a way to find out... An assertive way, I give you that. Do you have feelings for her?" Caterina asked, looking into his eyes.

"No," Tristan shook his head. "I mean... she's cute, but... I can't think of her, you know..."

"Sexually?"

"Yeah, that. All I feel is the need to pat her head... 'cause she's..."

"Adorable?"

"Like a child who does stupid things, and deserves a scolding, but you don't have the heart for it. I swear to you, I never had any desire to bed her."

"Patting heads is a big thing," Caterina said seriously. "You should watch anime; that's how love starts."

"Thank you very much," Tristan sulked, crossing his arms. "That's exactly what Cedric said, word for word. I'm not into anime; I'm all for the real thing."

"But why make the complaint on Earth?" Caterina asked.

"Before the tunnel closed, there were mixed courts, especially founded to deal with Earth versus Realm legal troubles. I asked around. This judge was assigned to the Realm for two years but returned before the portal closed. I have no idea how they contacted him, but I bet Sam put a system in place and the Futaks found out. Anyway. Legally, even if he works here now, he could issue a ruling."

"I'll pay the money if it comes to that," Caterina said. "I hope you're not offended."

"It's not about the money," Tristan said a bit nervously, seeing how his decision to speak the truth was ruining his chances to romance the perfect woman.

"Then why don't you explain it to me?"

"She's a kid who has been through a lot. If she really has a crush on me, I don't want her to get hurt. If not for meeting you," he sighed, "I would have agreed to marry her, even if I don't love her. She's tough and courageous, and good wife material. The kind who can stand her ground, and come to the pub and bring you home when you're drunk, pulling you by the ear."

"You admire her," Caterina said.

"Yes," Tristan nodded. "But I don't love her. I... just don't want her to hurt, and don't know how to do it. I think I didn't even start to realize what true love is until I met you." Shiiiit! His mind screamed in a panic. Why did you bring out the big words, you idiot? You don't know yet if this is love, only that you haven't experienced anything similar before.

"I feel the same... I've met men who made me laugh before... But never one who could make me laugh and cry at the same time," Caterina whispered, fondling his cheek while leaning forward until their foreheads rested on each other. Her eyes were watery, but she was also smiling. Leaning their heads sideways, they exchanged a brief kiss.

"Thank you for being so honest," she said. "You're really something special."

Wisdom +5. Ripple effect: + 1 Int

You must be joking!

"Don't worry, we'll find a solution together if you... you're sure about how you feel for me," she continued in a low voice. "We'll take it with small steps."

Honest, but not stupid, Tristan settled on his new motto and kept silent. In the end, there was a good chance that what he felt was true love.

"It's good we got all this out of our chests. Now we can do math with a clear mind, and enjoy every bit of it," Caterina said energetically, looking like a fresh wave of energy had washed away all the previous weight of the conversation.

Tristan had his doubts about whether math and enjoyment could go together. Nevertheless, she looked so enthused about the idea that he swallowed his worries dry, with no water, and a lot of apprehension.