She seemed like she was displeased but trying to be a good sport about it, and Alfred supposed he'd been correct in his assumption that she would want him home for Saint Valentine's. "Just Greece," he said carelessly, as though Greece were only as far as Wales. Compared to some of the places he had sailed before, though, Greece wasn't too exotic; he was familiar with all the waters between here and there, and only once had they presented any danger. The sea monster having been handled by Portugal (or so he had been told), there was little to concern anyone between England and Greece. (In the end, the sea monster had been good for business, despite the damage it had caused the Voyager; merchants were more interested in hiring naval protection now than they had been two years ago).

"We could have a bit of a Valentine's celebration before I go," he offered. "Cocoa on the Wanderer, maybe? Sort of a call back to that Christmas?"

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