Chapter Text
Katakuri was never afraid of the dark.
There was something unsettling about it perhaps – it hid something in its depths, something that couldn't be perceived by human senses – dangers that lurk inside the black curtain and wait for the right time to attack their prey in its most vulnerable moment.
Most people fear the dark. But not he. Perhaps it was the fact that he possessed an advanced observation haki, that allowed him to perceive all kinds of impending danger before they even happened. It was like a sixth sense, one that allowed him to excel above his enemies. Thanks to this ability, he had never been afraid of what lied in the depths of darkness. He never even had to be constantly on guard, afraid that his enemies would catch him by surprise – for what kind of surprise would work against someone who could see a few seconds into the future?
But it seemed he had relied on his ability a little too much these days. Today, for the first time in a very long time, he had run into situation where his observation haki couldn't help him much. And he was beginning to feel a sense of restlessness.
There had been another attack, just yesterday, at Futoru Island. Just like the other attacks earlier, someone was killed (a dock worker this time) and his remains was found at the beach at a most gruesome state. Mobile, the minister of the island had reported the incident to his siblings, but it was too late. By the time Katakuri had arrived on scene to investigate, there was nothing to be discovered. It was just like the other murder at Fruit Island – there was no clue, not even his advanced observation haki could pick up anything. And at that moment – a sense of uneasiness began to grip him.
It was not fear – rather, he was rather disquieted by the fact that the culprit could slip out of his observation haki, undetected. Who – or rather – what exactly is this mysterious killer? And why were they carrying out such random attacks in Tottoland? What could possibly have been the motives? The victims so far have been unrelated, sure they were all residents of Tottoland, but they haven't been in contact with one another.
In the meeting today, it was decided that they could no longer hide these series of recent attacks from Mama – and for good reason too. He doubted Mama would be pleased that there was a random serial killer at loose in Tottoland, and much less because her children had failed to capture them, which would put the reputation of the entire Charlotte family and Big Mom pirates at hand.
Katakuri sighed. He didn't want to do it if he could, but it seemed they had no other choice. If they had tried to keep it for longer, Mama would have found out about the attacks one way or another. Surely, she wouldn't like the fact that her crew and her children could be viewed as incompetent morons who were unable to even catch a serial killer. And then, she would be much, much less pleased with them – it could even end up with one of them dying at her wrath. He recalled his siblings' faces in the meeting when they had unanimously decided they should tell Mama – it was as if they'd been forced to eat a mouthful of awful-tasting devil fruit. No one wanted to do it, but they knew they had to. For Tottoland, as well as their own safety, everyone had agreed to tell Mama about the incidents.
The question next was how to tell her, and the second that question was brought up, everyone fell silent. It was a much harder question to answer, the way they told her could mean they either get to live or die. This time, the siblings couldn't arrive at an agreement, so the meeting ended without any clear conclusion, and it was decided that they will continue again tomorrow. And that was how Katakuri decided to stroll along the beach at night, looking for some fresh air.
And that was how, he – quite by honest accident – ran into Leia at the beach, during the wee hours of the night.
"William!"
At first, he didn't really pay attention to that voice. He didn't quite recognize it, after all, it wasn't really his name. He let the voice slip to the back of his mind, still walking aimlessly along the beach, deep inside his thoughts. But the voice was quite persistent. The second time it called the same name, Katakuri stopped on his track. He'd recognized that voice – it brought about the memories of maze made out of piles and piles of flour bags, a flash of moment when he perceived danger and let his body react out of instinct, and the hint of vulnerability that he felt as he cradled a certain girl's small body inside his arms.
Thank you.
Are you Superman?
"William!" there it was again – that voice. Now he was sure that he remembered it. He turned around, and sure enough, there she was – Leia. Her long, black hair swayed behind her as she ran on the sand behind him, trying her best to catch up to him before he got out of sight. But even more than that, he was surprised to see her face as she ran toward him: breathless, red, and – smiling excitedly at the sight of him. Perhaps it was the first time anyone would show such keen, open excitement when they met him.
"Leia…," he uttered slowly in surprise when she finally stopped in front of him, tired and out of breath. He didn't know what else to say. It caught him by surprise that he would meet her here, at this hour – but he also couldn't lie that it made him somewhat happy. Somehow, meeting her here felt like a refreshing breeze of change after a long and tiring day full of arguments at the meeting. For a few seconds that stretched as though they were infinite hours, they both just stood silently, looking at each other. It was as if they were waiting for the other to say something. Then, out of nowhere, they both started to speak at the same time.
"It was good to.."
"…Good to see you again."
"Oh!" They both turned red at the impeccable timing, then, after a few moments of silence, uttered awkward apologies at each other, again at the same time, leaving Leia feeling even more embarrassed than the first time.
"Uhh, maybe you… you can speak first," said Leia, still reeling in from her embarrassment. Katakuri smiled behind his scarf and politely replied, "Ladies first, if you'd please."
"Okay, I'd take the chance then," Leia smiled, grateful at the opportunity. "I'm so happy to see you here, William! I went looking for you in Chiffon's factory last week, but they told me you have retired and no longer worked there! I seriously thought I would never see you again, and I – well, I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye."
"I see," said Katakuri, not knowing what else to say. After all, it wasn't really him, but the real Mr. William who was retired. "I'm sorry to leave without any sort of notice."
"That's okay! I get to meet you here again, after all!" Leia smiled. "So – how are you these days? How was retirement coming along for you?"
Katakuri tried his best to keep up with the barrage of questions, all while not disclosing his real identity. It wasn't as easy as he thought, he had to take a few moments of pause to figure out the answer that would not make it as obvious.
"I'm doing fine," again, Katakuri smiled behind his scarf, though she wouldn't be able to see it. "Retirement has been… a period of adjustment, I would say. I have been exploring different aspects of life outside the factory, trying to find new interests. These days I have found solace in mostly solitary activities, like reading and spending time in contemplation. It is a welcome break from the constantly busy life at the factory."
"Glad to hear that you're keeping busy even after retirement," said Leia.
"And how about you, Leia?" Katakuri inquired. "How is life treating you in Candy Island? What brings you here?"
"Oh, I'm here to help a friend of mine run her inn! She had an accident a while back, and she needed help to take care of things while she is recovering," Leia answered. She hesitated for a while, trying to decide if she should tell William about her encounter with Perospero, but finally made up her mind to leave those details out of her update. She didn't want to spoil the mood of their reunion, after all. "I'm loving Candy Island so far! It's been amazing here."
It wasn't completely the truth, but not completely a lie either. After all, her chance encounter with William just made her stay here one hundred times better. "How about you, William? What have you been doing lately?"
"Well, I've just come out of a crew meeting today…," he started, but as soon as those words came out of his mouth, he regretted it. He stopped abruptly, staring at her expression, which showed hints of mild shock as she tried to process his words.
"What do you mean… a crew meeting?" she said slowly, as though still trying to process it. He knew she was putting two and two together, when she finally spoke again, her next question was what he dreaded the most.
"William, are you… in a pirate crew?" she inquired. She wasn't saying it in a judgmental, fearful kind of way – more like she was curious about his real identity. He finally sighed. It seemed there was no way he could keep things any longer from her, and he decided to reveal things as necessary.
"You are right. I… am a member of Big Mom's Pirate crew," he said, finally telling her, at least, part of the truth. "In fact… I was not one of Chiffon's workers. I just happened to be there that day because I had a meeting with Chiffon. And the package you delivered that day was for another Mr. William… and, he was the one who retired," he ended his speech, leaving his note hanging somewhat awkwardly in the air. He couldn't help but wonder if Leia was upset with him somewhat for keeping the truth hidden from her. "I – I'm sorry for not telling you the truth, Leia."
"Oh," Leia started, but then paused. So… William was not a factory worker after all. She was mildly surprised at the revelation, but also felt a bit silly for not recognizing it earlier. "I see," she said, putting her hair behind her ear and looking at her feet sheepishly. After all, one good look at his tall figure, broad shoulders, and buff muscles would tell her that William was not a mere factory worker. She should have been able to pick up the hint. "So… the meeting was what brought you to this island?"
Katakuri nodded mutely, "It is," he said. "Can't say more than that, though." He decided not to tell her yet about his real identity as Katakuri, one of the Sweet Commanders of Big Mom Pirates. Why he did that, he wasn't really sure. Perhaps he didn't want her to see him differently, it was nice being treated like just any other normal person instead of being on the receiving end of honorifics all the time.
"Figures," Leia responded at his words rather cheerily. It was strange. Considering that she once hoped not to ever run into any members Big Mom Pirates, she didn't know why she was quite at ease in the presence of one now. It's just – William was quite different from how she imagined a pirate crew would be. She had thought that they would be all ruthless and unruly, the kind of people that would kill and rob without mercy, always hungry for chaos and blood. But William was… kind. There were no other words to describe it. It wasn't easy for Leia to believe that he was part of a pirate crew.
"Umm, anyway… there is something I've been meaning to ask you, William," said Leia after a while, and William, or rather Katakuri, nodded. "Ask away," he said, still feeling somewhat funny at his new name – not that he disliked it though.
"Well, if you are alright with it – would you like to go on a picnic with me sometime?" she asked, and Katakuri raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting this question.
"I've… actually been meaning to ask you since the day I found out you weren't working at Chiffon's factory anymore – even though that's… not really you," Leia quickly explained, seeing that 'William' looked a bit lost. "Just… consider it a token of my thank-you, would you? I'd like to express my gratitude because you… well, you saved me from those falling bags of flour, and if it wasn't for you… I wouldn't be here now."
"I understand," said Katakuri. He found it rather hard to believe that this certain girl, who still believed he was just another ordinary citizen, would invite him to picnic out of sheer goodwill. No one had ever done that for him – being nice just for the sake of being nice. Most of the people he knew would be nice to him because they'd had some ulterior motives, mostly to curry favor on Big Mom. It something he was growing rather tired of, to be honest.
So to have this person here inviting him just because she wanted to thank him and be kind to him for no reason – was something he didn't quite expect. And yet, he was rather flattered, and pleased at the invitation.
"I would be pleased to accept that invitation, Leia," he said. "Although, to be quite honest with you, I don't know if I will ever have the time. My schedule here in Candy Island is rather packed."
"Don't worry about it – you can just let me know via Snail whenever you have time!" Leia responded. "I will be here for another week or so at Candy Island, before returning to Funwari Island."
"Sounds fair enough," Katakuri said. "Then, I shall let you know."
Just then, the chiming sound of the nearest clock tower signaled that it was already midnight. Leia and Katakuri exchanged surprised glances. Time had passed quickly, and the revelation of the late hour caught them both off guard.
"Well, it seems time has slipped away from us," Leia remarked, feeling a hint of disappointment that his meeting with Katakuri had to come to an end. "We should… probably head back for now."
Katakuri nodded in agreement. Granted, his meeting with Leia was rather brief, but it was a welcome change from his usual routine as a commander of Big Mom's crew, and he found himself oddly at content in her company. "Good-bye for now, Leia. I shall notify you when I have a free time on my schedule," he offered her a handshake, and she took his hand, glowing in excitement. "I shall be waiting," she said with a lingering sense of optimism. She felt some kind of conviction deep inside, that their paths would inevitably cross again, one way or the other. And that from this point on – things would only get better.
Katakuri nodded mutely at her words. He couldn't help feeling wholesome after his accidental encounter with her, the genuine kindness she displayed contrasted sharply with the life that she knew of so far as one of the most central figures here in Tottoland. He had a feeling as though something good would come out of this, but still – he wasn't really sure if keeping his identity hidden from her was a wise thing to do.
"Well then," Leia said finally after a moment of silence between them, "Good night, William."
"Good night," Katakuri replied, his tone softened considerably at the end. "Leia."
The next day, as promised, Perospero picked Leia, Mabel, and Mrs. Guava up from their hotel with his carriage and gave them a tour around the island. Leia had to admit that she didn't find this tour as much of a waste of time as she initially had thought it would be. The weather on that particular day was nice, making the island scenery look even more beautiful. And Perospero, as the proud minister that he was, would point to objects of interests along the way and explain what they were to his guests. When he was not busy telling epic heroic tales of himself, at least.
First, the carriage passed by an enchanting candy garden. Here and there, candies of every color and flavor grew as though they were exotic blooms. They looked exactly like a flower garden, except instead of flowers, it was candies springing up the ground. And instead of the fresh flowery fragrance, it was sweet confectionery aroma surrounding them. Past the flower garden, there was a big open field where various types of candy creations were harvested with meticulous care. Leia watched as crowds of homie workers rushed past her in all directions, busily trimming the branches off a toffee tree and twigs off peppermint candy bushes, then tending to row and rows of swirl lollipop flowers that stretched as far as Leia could see with her naked eyes. Indeed, it was quite a magnificent sight.
Next, they stopped at a large factory, which was pumping out smokes of bright colors that smelled strongly like sweet confectioneries. Leia couldn't help but ask Perospero what they produced there – if it had been a candy-making factory of some sort. Perospero laughed and told her that she was right, though it was not quite the candy that she'd expected. Chest puffing slightly, Perospero explained proudly that this was where they made the windows for all of Tottoland, from prettily decorated stained-glass windows, to ordinary glass windows – all of them were made out of candies.
The party then hopped into the carriage to head to their final destination of the day. Inside the carriage, again they were entertained by Perospero's heroic tales of how he (and his brothers Katakuri and Snack – though he gave them very little credit, if at all) took down an entire enemy fleet who were foolish enough to invade Tottoland.
"Weiss Gunmann thought a fleet consisting of one hundred ships under his command was enough to wage war on Tottoland and the Big Mom Pirates, but he greatly underestimated us, Perorin! As their fleet grew nearer to the waters of Tottoland, I received words from the scouts that they were coming – and so I came with my ship – ready to confront them! Well, my brothers Katakuri and Snack did come along with me of course," he paused, and Leia noted that he sounded annoyed. "But! That was only because Mama told them to tag along. Honestly, I could have taken the entire fleet by myself, Perorin! As their ships sailed nearer to our border, I said to them 'turn back now or you wouldn't have to be hurt!'" he animatedly imitated his own gesture as he warned the enemy pirate crew. "But of course… fools wouldn't listen to warning, would they? And so – with my devil fruit powers… boom, boom, boom! I sank their entire fleet, even without as much as a single resistance! And Tottoland was safe… once again!"
At this, Mabel and Mrs. Guava exploded into cheers and Perospero bowed down politely, pleased by the warm reception he was getting for his epic heroic tale. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Leia had joined in on the applause, clapping politely and even smiling softly. She looked much different from yesterday, and Perospero couldn't help but point out the fact.
"You do look much more cheerful today, Miss Leia," said Perospero, adjusting his position on the carriage's cushion couch, and Leia blushed slightly. Could her change of mood have been so obvious? Truth was, her late-night encounter with William yesterday highly boosted her mood that she didn't even feel anxious being around the minister anymore. But, of course she didn't want to share that secret encounter with anyone.
"I'm… just more well-rested, I think," Leia replied politely. "I see," Perospero replied, looking rather satisfied at himself. "It's good to see you enjoying my company at least, Perorin!" Leia didn't reply to Perospero's over-confident statement – but Perospero was so full of himself that he didn't need her reply to assure him that she was indeed finding his companion enjoyable.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Leia heard the crew who was steering the carriage speak from the front, addressing Perospero. "Sir! We have a problem reaching the gemstone mine from this side. The bridge seems to have collapsed. We will have to take another bridge up ahead, around one hour from here."
Perospero's expression soured considerably, and he clicked his tongue out of annoyance at the unexpected news. "Blast it!" He slammed the end of his candy cane stick on the carriage floor. "Stupid maintenance crew couldn't even finish their job on time! I haven't one hour to waste – let us just stop here. I'll handle this."
"Yes, sir."
"Well then everyone, if you please," Perospero opened the carriage door, then gestured to his guests to follow him out of the carriage. Curiously, Leia and the others stepped out, and found themselves standing on the banks of a heavy-flowing river. Leia peered down around the rocky edge and stared at the strong current of water flowing past, gurgling and bubbling, ready to sweep away anything that dared to even as much as came in contact with it.
"Well, as you can see, we have run into an unexpected issue at this tour. We are supposed to be visiting that gemstone mine," said Perospero, pointing with his candy cane stick toward a cavern entrance that loosely resembled a mine in the distance, across the river, "But the maintenance workers haven't been able to finish their jobs on time, so we don't have a bridge."
"Then how are we going to reach it?" Mabel asked, and Perospero chuckled. "I am glad you asked, Miss Mabel," he replied, though he was looking ever so slightly at Leia. "I think you forgot who you are with – I can safely get you all across. Behold, my devil fruit power!" He then proceeded to make a big wave with his candy cane stick and yelled, "Candy Bridge!"
To her amazement, Leia saw pink, sticky liquid substance pouring out of the end of Perospero's candy cane stick. The liquid conveniently morphed into the shape of a bridge, that placed itself on top of the river. The liquid substance then hardened, solid enough for them to pass by, but it still looked quite different from the metal bridge she used to see back home. A few seconds later, after noticing how the bridge glinted in the sun, did Leia finally realize that Perospero just made an entire bridge out of candy. And then everything clicked inside her mind.
The power to make anything out of candy! So that's what his devil fruit power is, Leia thought, wondering if he'd used his powers to decorate Candy Island according to his taste as well. She had heard of devil fruit power many times, but this was the first time she'd seen anyone directly demonstrate its powers. It was indeed quite impressive, but one side of her was feeling intrigued at how suitable this power was for Perospero… after all, his extraordinarily long tongue and the power to create anything out of candy seemed… oddly fitting with each other.
"Well then, shall we?" Perospero interrupted Leia's train of thoughts by displaying his gentlemanly manner and offering his arm to Leia to help her cross the bridge. Hesitating but not finding any reason to reject him, Leia finally took his arm. Wordlessly, Perospero ordered two of his men to help Mabel and Mrs. Guava cross the bridge as well. "It is made out of candy, so it can be a little slippery, Perorin," Perosper chuckled. "We don't want you falling into the water, so hold on tight!" Leia wasn't keen on holding on to the minister, but she wasn't looking forward to fall into the waters either – so she did as she was told. Thankfully, the journey across didn't last as long as she'd expected. Soon, they'd reached the entrance of the mine – and Leia found out that the so-called gemstone mine was actually producing gemstone out of (surprise) candies.
"Candy gemstones!" Mabel exclaimed in surprise as they entered the mine. The group found themselves standing in a huge cavern with glistening candy stones of different colors, jutting out of the wall in different places. In front of them, the cavern split into three different passages, and Leia could see homies going in and out of each passage with their hammers, chisels, and pickaxes in hand. "This is the first time I've seen them myself! They're so beautiful!" Mabel couldn't hide her excitement, and Perospero couldn't help but chuckle. "Indeed, they are Miss Mabel, but I'm going to show you something more beautiful. Now let's move deeper into the mine, and stick together with me, Perorin! These passages are like maze, we wouldn't want anyone to be lost here – it could take days to get out."
Nobody wanted to get stuck in the dark mine cavern for days, so they made sure to stick together with Perospero and his crew. After what seemed like endless turns inside the dark candy stone cavern, they finally reached a wide-open space. Leia blinked, for a few moments she wondered if they might have been outside, but she looked upward and noticed a high ceiling, which meant they were still inside. The walls all around them were sparkling with candy gems of different colors, and right in front of them was a magnificent pool with crystal clear water.
Mabel squealed at the breathtaking scenery, and quickly dashed off to inspect some gemstones she'd found on the walls, Mrs. Guava coming with her. The two seemed to have shared a common interest for candy gemstone, and Leia wouldn't blame them, for those stones did look incredibly pretty. However, for her who'd had no interest over such shiny things, the pool with crystal clear water was more appealing. Its surface was calm and clear, as though it was a mirror instead of a body of water. She was contemplating to dip her toes in it, wondering if it might be a bad decision. After all, she had learned to never put her feet in water where she couldn't see the bottom. She was deep inside her thoughts that she didn't notice Perospero approaching her – she was only aware of his presence when he suddenly made his remark.
"Ahem! Miss Leia, I see you have quite a good taste in fashion. You look lovely in that yellow sundress," as he complimented her, his eyes fell on her curves – the way her hips would curve out to form her bums, then curve in again toward her pair of slim legs, though Leia didn't seem to notice it, as she was still busy looking at the pool. "Thank you, Sir," she said, almost out of obligation. She turned around and looked at the minister – he was still as creepy as ever, with his tongue protruding out of his mouth, and a somewhat sinister aura surrounding him. She compared him to William, and wondered inside how come members of the same pirate crew could have been so different. But perhaps – and she felt a little guilty at this – she had judged him too harshly. Because, had he not been very kind toward her and her friends the entire day, by showing them around the island, even bringing them to some of the most magical places that they couldn't have gone in without him? Perhaps, it was best for her to learn one thing or two from him, and so, knowing just how big-headed he was, Leia decided to return Perospero's compliment by complimenting him on his power.
"Your devil fruit power is impressive, Minister," she said, and she could practically almost see Perospero's nostrils flaring as he puffed his chest – he was taking Leia's compliments most seriously. "Ah… you mean the power I demonstrated out there? That was nothing, my dear," he chuckled, trying his best to receive her compliments humbly. "You see, I have received my powers since I was little, Mama found the devil fruit when she was still young – during her adventure with another pirate crew… the Big Mom Pirates didn't even exist yet back then! So it was a long, long time ago… and I have been trained to use it for quite some time… I could perform even more marvellous feats with my devil fruit power if I wanted to, Perorin!"
"I see," said Leia. She didn't expect that her single compliment would result in him spilling so many facts about himself, but it seemed Perospero had a looser tongue than she had thought (perhaps due to the long tongue). She was still thinking of how to respond to his remarks, but Perospero seemed to like to talk about himself, a little bit too much even. "I might have said it before, Miss Leia… but I am Big Mom's eldest son," he continued, gesturing at himself. Leia simply nodded, not sure where this conversation was going. "That means I am the rightful heir of the Big Mom empire, and I will take over should anything happen to Mama, because… not only I am the oldest, but I am also his strongest son."
"But," Leia couldn't help but blurt out in response, "Why… aren't you a Sweet Commander then? If you have defeated plenty of enemy fleet, surely you would –" she stopped immediately because she saw Perospero turning red as a lollipop at her words. "I – I mean," she quickly backtracked, seeing just how flustered Perospero was, "I just – I heard a lot of Katakuri being the strongest commander and the second in command of Big Mom Pirates due to his strength and I just… I just wondered. Sorry, I didn't mean any offense, Sir," Leia said, waving her hands in front of her apologetically. Perospero seemed to have calmed down a little. At least, he didn't seem to lose his composure when replying to Leia.
"No offense taken, Miss Leia. Indeed, the tales about my brother Katakuri had reached far and wide. Sadly, that heroic tale is a tale made out by people who idolize my brother, Perorin. The truth is, I am just as strong as Katakuri. As to why I am not a commander, it is a decision entirely made by Mama – and I found the title of Minister to be equally of importance. Besides," he chuckled, and leaned in closer to whisper on Leia's ear. Leia had to resist the urge to back away immediately so that the long, protruding tongue wouldn't be anywhere near her ear, "Not holding the title of commander made it easier for me to keep a low profile. You see, I am secretly the ace of the Big Mom Pirates. And if the enemies don't suspect me – it would be much easier for me to tear them down, Perorin," he smiled cunningly, and though Leia didn't believe an ounce of his words, she forced herself to nod in response.
After spending some time in the candy stone cavern, it was finally time for them to head home. Tired but energized after the island tour, Mabel and Mrs. Guava thanked the minister repeatedly for such a fulfilling day. Perospero tapped the edge of his hat shortly and bowed in response, pleased at the warm response he was getting. As they exited the carriage however, Perospero decided to stop them.
"Just a moment… I have something to say to all of you," he said. Leia, who had already put one leg out of the carriage, couldn't help but turn to look at him as she noticed his serious tone. Putting her leg back inside the carriage, she took her former seating position and exchanged looks with Mabel and Mrs. Guava, who looked just as clueless as she was.
"Let me explain this to you shortly," said Perospero, "There have been strange happenings unfolding in various places in Tottoland lately, and because of that, we are tightening security, Perorin. I suggest don't go out after dark. We might even have curfew starting tomorrow."
Leia raised her eyebrows at this cryptic announcement. It sounded pretty serious. What could be so urgent that they decided to implement a curfew? "If I may ask – what strange happenings do you mean, Sir?" Mrs. Guava asked, and Perospero replied simply – to which his other three companions gasped in horror, "Murder."
"M-murder, Sir?" Mabel asked, her voice tinged with fear.
"Yes," Perospero replied. His ever-charming smile had disappeared, and he looked much more serious now. "The details are not going to be released to the public before tomorrow, but there have been three random attacks targeted at innocent citizens. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to apprehend the culprit. So that's why – we're tightening security until we can get our hands on this nasty murderer."
Murder. Leia felt her blood chill, knowing that there was a loose killer out there who was randomly attacking and killing innocent citizens. And to think she was out very late on the beach by herself yesterday! She was lucky nothing happened to her, and she ran into William instead. Things could easily have been a lot worse. She shivered. She was only half listening when Perospero proceeded to tell them to report any strange happenings they observed here, or in another island. Mabel and Mrs. Guava agreed, and soon they had stepped out of his carriage. Just as Leia was about to go after them however, Perospero stopped her.
"I had a splendid time today thanks to you, Miss Leia," he said, and Leia had to pause a few moments to think of a polite reply. "Likewise," she said finally, "Minister." She wasn't sure why Perospero would thank her for making a splendid time – she didn't feel like she'd done anything particularly special that deserved a thanks. She was prepared to step out of the carriage, but, to her surprise, Perospero took her by the hand and led her out of the carriage carefully. Once again, she had no choice but to thank him out of obligation, and Perospero returned it with a polite bow, looking mighty pleased at himself.
"When are you supposed to return to Funwari Island, Miss Leia?" he asked, and for a split second Leia considered lying and saying that she would return tomorrow, but she realized such lies would quickly be noticed.
"Next week, Minister," she said, and Perospero nodded pleasantly.
"Very well then, I shall invite you for tea these days before you return to Funwari Island. Good night for now, Perorin. I hope you have a nice rest."
Perospero climbed back into his majestic carriage, and Leia stood still as the wheels rolled, and the carriage disappeared in the distance. Inside her heart, she was hoping with all her might that his ministry duties would keep Perospero busy – busy enough so that he would forget that he ever extended a tea party invitation to Leia.