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━━━━━━━━ 🏹 T E U T A 🏹 ━━━━━━━━
It was weird for Teuta to seeing him like this. She didn't want to believe that everything that was happening was true, but it made so much sense in a bizarre way. The way he was standing, how he talked ... Of course, he was of royal blood. How could she not have seen this coming? And yet, seeing Sturmhond - or Prince Nikolai - in the uniform of the first army, was strange.
She held a clean jacket for him as he changed into a fresh shirt in the woods near the capital. The group had stopped when they saw riders approaching, the prince assumed his brother wanted to greet him and accompany him to the palace. When he turned back around and threw his sweaty shirt over to Tolya, Teuta couldn't stop staring at him.
That ... wasn't Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Soldier of the King's Army, Grand Duke of Udova, and second son to His Most Royal Majesty, King Alexander the Thrid, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne, Sobachka, as they call him. He was Sturmhond. He even smelled like him, saltwater and expensive perfume she had always made fun of him for.
"Why does a pirate need to smell like a duke?" I had teased him a thousand times with it. "It's a waste of money, you'll stink of fish within two days!"
But everytime, he just smiled at me. "Privateer."
"Teuta?"
Even the sound of his voice was the same when he said her name. And yet, he seemed like a complete stranger.
She snapped out of her thoughts and realized he was standing in front of her, with his left arm out. He must have asked her if she could help him with the cuffs and she didn't even listen, she had been too focused on his appearance. She carefully put his jacket over her arm and closed the cuffs on both of his sleeves.
He was about to grab the jacket from her arm to finish the clean military look, but she unfolded the jacket and held it out for him. If he was acting like Prince Nikolai, she would act as the obedient servant. He could tell this was an act of protest and provocation, they looked at each other for the split of a second and Teuta was sure he was going to snatch the clothing out of her hand and tell her to stop it with an angry voice.
She wanted to hear that all of this was a game for him and when he was done playing it, he would return with her to Novy Zem, go on adventures, find ancient treasures, drink as much wiskey and wine until they laid drunk in a bed and enjoy the pirate life with every cell of their bodies.
"Whatever happens, I'll be there. By your side."
Foolish words, Teuta. And treasonous thoughts.
But he obaid and turned around. Teuta helped him into his jacket and as he buttoned it up, she made sure his collar was placed correctly and the places on the shoulders were in the right spots. He ran his hand through his golden locks before turning around to her.
