The footsteps came just after Daenerys had slipped from the captain's quarters, her pace quick, though she forced herself not to run. The door she'd left ajar creaked wider as a tall man stepped into view.
He was broad-shouldered, his frame lean but packed with muscle, and stood half a head shorter than Elric. Blond hair, slicked back and tied, framed a sharp, angular face marked by a neatly trimmed goatee. His indigo coat hung open to reveal a bare, sculpted chest. A white sash was knotted around his waist, keeping his light-gray trousers in place, the legs tucked into worn brown boots. A sword rested comfortably against his hip, its grip showing the wear of years.
Elric glanced up ftom behind his desk as the man appeared in the doorway.
"Rey, come on in, door's open," he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
Rey stepped inside without hesitation, his eyes flicking toward the desk before meeting Elric's gaze. His arms folded across his chest.
"What're you planning?"
Elric shrugged lazily.
"If she is who she claims to be…"
Elric let the thought hang, then reached into a small chest on his desk. Without looking up, he tossed a folded letter across the desk.
Rey caught it neatly, his eyes scanning it quickly before he flicked it back.
Elric snatched it from the air, setting it back inside the chest.
Rey's sharp gaze caught a flash of something familiar before the lid shut, a gold ring encrusted with rubies, carved in the likeness of some strange figure.
"She give that to you?" Rey asked.
"One of the boys found it in the captain's quarters," Elric said, reaching into a drawer. He pulled out a dark glass bottle, uncorked it, and drank deeply before offering it over. "It was with her and her brother's other belongings."
Rey took a swig, then handed it back.
"So… it's actually her."
"It appears so," Elric replied, rolling the bottle in his hand. "Most likely why they killed her brother. Didn't want their attack reaching the Cheesemonger."
Rey's gaze didn't waver. "So… what're you planning?" He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to start a Targaryen restoration, are you?"
Elric gave a dry laugh and extended his palm for the bottle. Rey passed it over reluctantly. Elric took a long sip..
"You can't be serious," Rey pressed, his voice sharpening. "Forget the Cheesemonger, Robert Baratheon will raise the entire Seven Kingdoms against whatever restoration you could possibly muster."
Elric studied the bottle for a moment, as though the rum might hold an answer. "I always wanted to go out in a blaze of glory."
Rey's anger flared, he unfolded his arms and slammed his palm hard against the desk. "What glory? We'll be cut down before we even get past the docks!"
"It was just a thought, I'm still not sure what I'll do," Elric said holding up the bottle up. "For now… she'll stay as my woman."
"No one can know who she is, as we are now it's a certain way to get all of us killed," Rey said with certainty.
"That's why I killed everyone aboard that ship," Elric said, almost lazily. "So no one would find out."
Rey let out a sharp breath. "What about the rest of the cargo? The cheesemonger will know we have her the moment we try to fence it anywhere in Essos."
"About that, remember the play we pulled some years back, in Gulltown? Well, do the same, but this time we'll head north, to White Harbor."
"You're insane, that barely worked then. And if it fails it could be our heads" Rey muttered. Crossing his arms again. Which is when Elric tossed the bottle at him, forcing Rey to uncross his arms to catch it.
"Wasn't this the one you won on Basilisk Isle?" Rey asked.
"It is. I'll let you finish her," Elric said, settling deeper into his chair, signaling the end of the conversation.
"I still need to figure things out," he added, his tone softer.
Rey studied him for a heartbeat longer before turning toward the door. He stepped out, closing it behind him. In the quiet of the corridor, he looked at the bottle in his hand.
"I hadn't seen that look since…" He stopped himself, lifting it to his lips and taking a long drink.
When he reached the deck, the moonlight washed the sea in silver. He glanced at it, muttering under his breath. "Figure things out, huh." He took another swig before heading off into the night.