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Margaret looked out over the ocean from the front deck of the Zelda, her eyes trained on the setting sun as the sea breeze gently blew past. This was her first time seeing the ocean despite being from a state that borders one. Her family preferred to stick to the country side and rarely ventured far, even when she was a small child. When she joined the guild and arrived here with her partner, she was truly able to see the ocean and feel the breeze for herself. It was a soothing and calming experience.
As she continued to look out at the sunset, Margaret could faintly hear the sounds of approaching footsteps. She paid no mind as they grew louder, nor did she respond when she sensed someone standing next to her. The footsteps from earlier were ones she knew well, and she didn’t need to turn to her side to know who was standing there.
“What brings you here, Minister?” she asked, a drawl to her words as a small smirk appeared on her lips. “It isn’t like you to leave your study, or that book of yours.”
The man next to her bristled, like he always did when she would exchange barbs with him. “Lord Francis wishes to speak to us, so I was sent to find you, Miss Mitchell.”
It was then that Margaret chose to turn her head, locking eyes with Nathaniel as the smirk remained on her lips. “Does he now? Awfully late for a meeting, is it not?”
“He wishes to get it over with before dinner,” Nathaniel replied, inwardly agreeing with her but refusing to admit such a thing aloud. “Figures. Leave it to a man tor ruin a woman’s more peaceful moments,” she drawled, turning her gaze back to the ocean before her before opening the parasol that she had with her. The setting sun caught her hair, highlighting its colour and making it shine in a way that she did not notice. Her partner, however, did, and it took a great deal of effort to pry his eyes away and out to the ocean that seemed to captivate his partner so.
He was tempted to respond to her comment in kind since he had a feeling it was a jab at both him and their boss, but when he chanced a glance to his partner and caught her expression, he decided to keep his silence. In all the time they spent together, he had not once seen her so at peace and calm as in this moment. From her relaxed posture to the distant gaze in her eyes and the content smile on her lips, it would be unbecoming to disturb her for the second time, or so he told himself. If he were truly honest, he was taken by this side of her and didn’t want to see it disturbed anytime soon, but it was far easier to convince himself of his previous excuse.
She had sensed his stare and noted his silence, prompting her to turn and meet his gaze once again. Her smirk grew when she noticed Nathaniel taken by surprise at her sudden attention, and it took great restraint not to laugh as he tried, and failed to discreetly and quickly look away. “My my; you’re awfully silent, Minister,” she said, her tone teasing as her partner tensed.
“I wouldn’t want to ruin the moment, Miss Mitchell,” he replied, paraphrasing her own words and causing Margaret to laugh despite herself.
“Well aren’t you the considerate one? Or did you finally learn to listen to my words instead of dismissing them for a change? Or maybe,” she paused, her smirk growing more pronounced as Nathaniel focused on keeping his gaze ahead. “you’re enjoying this moment as well?”
“One should take the time to enjoy what God has created.”
“And which creation would that be, my dear Minister?”
Without missing a beat, or giving it much thought, Nathaniel turned to her. “That which He has set before us.” He kept his gaze trained on her, a small smirk of his own forming on his lips as her eyes widened. It seemed she had not been expecting such a reply, and it was enough to both remove the smirk on her lips, and bring a slight heat to her cheeks.
Realizing that he again turned the tables on her, it was Margaret’s turn to quickly look away, letting out a small huff to mask her embarrassment and maybe calm her now rapidly beating heart. The previous moment had clearly past, so now would be a good time to meet with Francis.
Turning her gaze from both the ocean and her partner, Margaret began to make her way towards the entrance of the main part of the ship. “If he wishes to speak to us, let’s not waste any time,” she said, still cursing the warmth in her cheeks and the pounding in her chest as his words echoed in her mind.
“You are finally seeing sense at last,” he commented before following after her, hoping that she wouldn’t look back to see his own, slightly flushed face.
“Well someone has to.”
“Better late than never, I suppose.”
She stopped in the doorway, turning to send him a glare when the last rays of the setting sun caught his hair, bringing his previous words to mind. With another huff she turned away and headed inside, determined to enjoy the view properly next time, and pay him back.
She wasn’t going to let that flush of his go unnoticed, after all.