''Come in!'' Gustave permitted.
The door slowly opened and Capricorn's head poked into the room.
''Good, you guys are awake.''
She snaps her fingers for the room to get lit by a golden light coming from the ceiling.
William's eyes immediately flew to the boys sitting on their beds. They all were wearing black PJ's that looked luxurious compared to what most pirates would wear. They also all had black and golden clothes near their bed. They probably were the dress-code Capricorn settled. After all she wore a black coat with golden corners and a matching hat since he met her.
Supposed of her usual outfit, she had taken those two items off before this conversation had started. She was only wearing the white shirt underneath and the same brown pants as when they had met. She had also taken off her circular golden earrings.
She was staring at William while walking deeper into the room with a black shirt and golden buttons. She threw it onto his bed beside him and smirked at him.
''You're on my ship. Meaning that you'll wear what I'll give you and listen to my orders, got it?''
William nodded with an arch of his eyebrow.
Was she still mad about what he had told her yesterday? He didn't mean to hurt her or make himself hated by her. And he sure did not want to her to look at him as if he owed her money…
''A-alright…
-When you'll be done wearing the shirt, come to my study. Gustave will show you the way.''
He slowly nodded as she left the room again, her brown cascading and flowing into beautiful, silky waves.
——————————————————————————————————————————
When William opened the door of Capricorn's study, his eyes swept over the room, and its decorations.
Books aligned the study's bookshelves with a concerning amount of dust covering them. Multiple planet globes were sitting on one of the cupboards with multiple maps gently resting over them. He turned his head to the other side of the room and found an opened chest revealing lots of gold and jewels in its mouth.
''Welcome to The Golden Temptress, William.''
His eyes locked with Capricorn's golden ones when he heard her voice.
Raising an eyebrow, he slowly made his way to the chair in front of her desk and sat down with a teasing smile.
''Are you talking about you or the ship?''
An unimpressed look painted her features.
''I'm aro ace.''
Those words cut him like a blade.
He immediately stood up, almost rattling the chair as he fidgeted with his hands.
''I-I'm so sorry—!! I didn't know! And I wasn't flirting—!!!''
She bursted out of laughter and buries her face in her arms.
''I'm teasing you!'' she sat straight again and wiped a tear off her eye. ''I mean, I am aro ace, but I know you're not Adam, and sure as heck not flirting with me.''
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
''But jokes aside, I asked you to come here for one specific reason.''
He tilted his head to the side in confusion as sat back down, his back straightening.
''What do you need me for?''
Capricorn's cat-like eyes drifted over the shadows lurking near her door before they landed black on him. She observed him closely, calculating, before her signature smirk curled at her lips.
''Just tell me, how did you manage to wrap Myrtille around your finger?''
William froze. He would keep his promise to Blue Berry no matter what. He rested his hands on his lap and looked down.
''I-I don't know… it's mystery to me too. She appeared out of nowhere and then vanished.''
The golden circles that are her eyes kept gliding over him, sensing the lie, but she dropped the act.
She sighed and cupped her chin with her palm.
''You won't tell me anything, will you?'' Her eyebrow twitched as she narrowed her eyes at him. ''You'll keep lying to me and the others no matter what…'' she smirked. ''Which I can respect, but… don't you dare ever underestimate me.''
William nodded and straightened up again.
''I would never do that, miss Capricorn.
-Captain.'' She corrected.
William laughed softly and nodded.
''Alright, then, Captain.''
Capricorn nodded approvingly and took out a piece of paper from one of the drawers of her desk. Some things seemed to be already written on it.
She then wrapped her fingers around a feather nearby and dipped its tip into some ink.
''So, when would you want us to start your training?''
William leaned in, surprise painting his face.
''You'd actually train me?''
Capricorn shrugged and played with her shirt's sleeve.
''Do I even have a choice? You're The Space's Goddess apprentice.'' She waggled her fingers with yellow stars twinkling softly around her.
She then crosses her arms again and dropped her head onto the top of her chair's backrest.
''And as much as I don't want to do it, as The Sun Goddess, it is my duty to respect her wishes… I'm a rank lower, even though I'm at the top.''
William's jaw dropped at those words.
Capricorn? Following rules? Doing what was right?
He couldn't help but wonder if the planets around Pottam were aligning.
He jumped out of his seat, knocking his chair in the process and clasped his hands around hers.
''I'm ready to train any time!!!''
She blinked at his sudden excitement and smirked.
''I'm usually free on Wednesdays. How about we make it a ritual?''
William pouted and sat back down with a sigh.
''But isn't training better when it's daily?
-In general, yes, but some of us are busy here.''
For the next five minutes, William kept pouting, Capricorn kept giving way too valid arguments, before she forcefully had to get him out of her study.
She slammed the door shut behind him and let out a heavy sigh.
Her boots gently clicked against the wooden floor as she made her way back up her chair. She flopped down on it and started adding William's lessons and training into her program. The feather's tip smoothly slid onto the paper before a pale hand reached out to hold it firmly.
She glared up at the person and pulled back from her desk.
''What is it, Adam?''