Sometime Later...
"I feel like I'm being watched" Elizabeth was on edge although she had no reason to be. I was here to keep her safe and once she finally selected a dress, we could return home. "You most likely are. Fufufu. Do not worry darling. I am here to protect you" My comment could have easily made her upset however it must have been my lucky day since she ignored it. "The people were in shock to see you. Have you not come down here since your family left?"
"I came once in a while. It was not often although I can not remember it being as bright as it is" Being surrounded by that string cage always kept out the unwanted light and now I was regretting unwinding it. Sure, it had made Elizabeth happy but I was starting to think it would have been better to leave it in place. I could not change what I had done however it would always be a thought. "It's not bothering you, is it?" Elizabeth was the caring type and, in a way, I was fond of it. "No, but the noise is distracting"
"We won't be here long so bear through it for now. Have you heard anything about your family?" We had argued over that however I had agreed to at least attempt to find them. "I have Pica's vivre card with me. It will be the easiest way to locate them. Once you find a dress you like we can worry about that problem" In truth that card belonged to Elizabeth although what she did not know would not cause her grief. Of course, I would need to keep her in front of me to stop her from discovering the truth. That would come after and I just needed to distract her until she wanted to give up on the search.
"I wouldn't consider them a problem but whatever you say Doffy. As for my dress, I liked the second one I tried on. Can I get that one?" Thinking back, I slowly started to shake my head. That dress made her look like a whore and I would not be seeing her in such a thing unless it was in private. "I did not care for that one" At the end of the day I knew the dress selection was up to me. Elizabeth would have a small say although if I did not like it then she was not wearing it. "No, that was number three. I never showed you the second one"
"Why did you not show me?" I wanted to see this dress but as she spoke, I thought it over. "It is bad luck for the groom to see the bride in their wedding dress. That one was the one. I will not get married in any other dress" Just a moment ago I had told myself I needed to see what she was planning to wear but seeing her face changed my mind. I could not ruin her day or her smile by telling her no. "If you desire it then you may have it. Fufufu. This wedding will truly be special"
"I'll be right back. Are you paying for it?" She was still wearing one of the dresses although I knew it would not take her long to change. "No, the shop is giving it to me. You know a gift to the king if you will" They owed me that much and as Elizabeth started towards the back she stopped just before disappearing behind the curtain. "Oh, okay. I'll just tell the shopkeeper the one I want then we can leave"
"Take your time I am in no rush" She had gone to the back but I made sure to listen carefully to what was going on. I heard her rustling around so my best guess was that she was putting her clothes back on.
After a few minutes of silence, I heard the sound of footsteps followed by Elizabeth's voice. "Excuse me? I'm done shopping" I listened to what was being said and as I did, I could not help but grow curious. "Oh, what dress have you decided on?" Elizabeth did not want to tell me that information however even as she spoke with the shopkeeper her words kept that a secret. She must have realized that I could hear her. "The second one. Doffy is not allowed to know about it though. It's going to be a surprise"
"That is a lovely choice and it had fit you like a glove. I do not even have to alter it. He will love it but I am sure that man adores you regardless of what you wear. Are you taking it with you, or will you pick it up later?"
"I will find out" As Elizabeth made her way out from behind the curtain, I pretended to be looking out the nearby window. "Doffy, do you want to carry my dress or do you want to pick it up after we're done our business?" Giving her an answer would have been simple although I had a question of my own that needed to be asked first. "Do you expect a wedding cake as well Ellie?" I had not discussed it with her but I need the girl did like her sweets. "Usually at a wedding, there is a cake. Why are you not getting me one?"
There was a slight disappointment in her tone but I made sure to make things right before she had the chance to rip her engagement from her finger. "No, I simply wanted to ensure you wanted one. I will prepare you one myself if need be" Elizabeth should have been grateful for that offer but in the end, she was unsatisfied with it. "Is there not a bakery here in town?" Several bakeries operated in Dressrosa although I did not see a point in using them. Still, I did give Elizabeth the answer she was looking for. There is"
"We can get one from there. That way you won't take time away from me" I had given her a lot when it came to this wedding but I did not want to take the risk of having a cake from the locals. "No, they could poison it. I can not take the chance" Elizabeth could have been reasonable and allowed me to prepare the cake however I knew that would be too simple. "Don't worry I'll just have you take the first bite. Hehehe. What kind should it be? Chocolate? Oh, maybe vanilla? Cherry?"
"You lack caution Ellie" I did not see why a mere cake caused such a reaction from her although thinking about it too long would only cause me to be annoyed. "You never answered my question about the dress" That was correct but as I thought it over, I knew it was better to pick it up later in the day. "We can retrieve it later and if we run out of time, I will take care of it in the morning"
"Off to the bakery then!" I almost thought Elizabeth had a hearing problem. She had this habit of going against my wishes whenever they did not align with her wants. "Ellie, I told you no" I felt like I was scolding a child but that was not too far off. She had this childish demeanor to her however I should have known that given her neglected childhood. "Do you want this ring back Doflamingo? It can easily leave my finger whatever you tick me off" She used the threat a lot but I could not fault her for that. I had done a lot worse to her than simply taking a worthless piece of metal off my finger.
Still, I could not help when I tried to put a name to her behavior. "You are a spoiled brat" If she truly did not want to marry me, she should have turned down my offer. "That is your fault. You said I could have anything I wanted at my wedding" Maybe I had although I had been under the impression this had been our wedding. "Your wedding?"
"Yes, my wedding. You hated the whole thing so this event it solely for my benefit" I could not deny she made a good point however even if I had said this wedding was not in my preference, I still wanted to enjoy it as well. "I would not go as far as to say that" Speaking anymore of it would end up with me on her bad side so I was not planning on continuing our fight. Thankfully Elizabeth must have felt the same. "Right... Which way is the bakery?" She was not the type to give up however since I was in a good mood, I decided to let her have a cake. "It should be in that direction"
"Ahhh! It is the Young Master! What is he doing here!? Quick go that way before he sees us!" That voice was unmistakable although Elizabeth had also managed to pick up on the shouting. I did not want her to switch her focus so I pretended not to hear a thing. "Who was that Doffy?" Her eyes were locked somewhere behind me but I knew the threat was long gone. We needed to continue forward so I refused to acknowledge anything. "Who? There are too many sounds to remain focused"
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize. Come on we'll get my cake ordered and then I expect you to seek out your family. That is not up for debate either. You can carry me too. My feet are sore in these shoes" She had been walking slower although I felt like a fool for not realizing she was in pain easier. Still, even as I replied I scooped her up in my arms before continuing toward the bakery. "I thought those shoes were your favorite, am I mistaken?" Elizabeth had a special relationship with her shoes. She either refused to put them on opting instead to walk around without any protection or the girl would choose one pair that could be tolerated.
"No, I couldn't find my regular pair. These looked similar but this pair sucks. It feels like I'm walking on rocks and have zero support" That was not a good thing however at least she was wearing something to protect her feet. I remembered the last time she went out and ended up with a thorn in her heel. That was not pleasant for either of us. "Hm, your shoes could be outside. I remember you threw one at me last night when you were sitting on the balcony"
I had managed to annoy her a little too much last night so maybe it had been deserved. She had not hit me with it as I stepped to the side. I would need to check the courtyard later today for it. "Hehehe. You're right. It must have gone over the edge. I hope it survived the night" We were nearly at the bakery and my hold started to tighten as my ears picked up on little conversations. These people had no right to speak about me although I refused to listen any longer as my focus returned to Elizabeth. "I will look for it when we return home. Now, what kind of cake do you desire?"
"One that tastes good" Elizabeth had a love for sweets so it was not surprising to hear that from her. "Fufufu. You are quite easy to please when it comes to sweets"
'Ding'
"It's sugar, Doffy. You can't mess that up... Well, most of the time you can't" She was correct since as long as something was not burnt it still tasted fine. However, an uncooked cake was simply dreadful and inedible. "Your Majesty! What brings you here!?" This girl was slightly older however she appeared to be quite glad to see me. Her loyalty was clearly on display but it did not mean a thing. People lied; it was in their nature. "She would like a wedding cake. I offered to prepare one myself but she refused. Fufufu. Ellie, why do you not taste what they have to offer?"
"Don't make me sound like an ungrateful bitch" I always needed to be careful with my words although before I could apologize the baker asked a question. "Who exactly is this girl?" The baker must have thought Elizabeth was no one special but I made sure to answer her question quickly. "My bride. She is a feisty one with the beauty of a goddess" The look she had on changed immediately and as her hands gripped together my fingers twitched. "Oh, this is wonderful! I will prepare some samples for her! Wait here I will not take long!"
"The beauty of a goddess? I didn't know you saw me that way" Elizabeth was everything but as my eyes drifted to the door, I knew she would need to be on her own for a moment. I did not want to leave her however there was a group of people that needed to be dealt with. She wanted to see the good in me but there was not more than enough to share with anyone other than her. "Ellie, I need you to remain here" Her smile widened although she had misunderstood my request. "I already said I'd stay with you silly"
"No, I need you to stay in this bakery until I return. There is a personal matter I need to take care of. Can I trust you to stay here?" Elizabeth did not know Dressrosa although she was a ruler breaker. She tested my patience numerous times but with her being surrounded by sweets I knew she would stay put. "I wouldn't take too long if I were you. You might come back to me weighing ten more pounds from eating all the cake here. Don't worry, Doffy. I'll be waiting for you. Do whatever to need to do. I love you, darling. Hehehe"
Her words fell from her mouth without hesitation. However, I could not recall if she had ever said the last part out loud. We had been planning a wedding so she must have shared the same feelings I did. I thought she did but why had it only been now that she said those three little words? She must have said it once before. It would be ridiculous if she had not. Later I would need to think back. "Alright, but just know if you leave, I will punish you"
"Aren't you going to say it back?" She was staring at me but I did not know what she was asking. "Say what back?" Her eyes drifted to the floor, there was something on her mind. Elizabeth could have shared her thoughts however she changed the topic. "Neither mind. Run along Doffy and please let the door hit you on the way out"
"Fufufu. I will return shortly"
'Ding'
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To Be Continued...