Before you ask: yes, the bacon was heavenly. It was even paired with delicious English muffins (English muffins! Like we were nobles!!!) and clotted cream (clotted cream!!!!! What even was that!!! It was goood!!!!!!). And that lemon meringue pie? Brought me to tears. I barely managed to keep myself from vowing allegiance to Rosa and declaring I'd save the world with her. 

"Mom," I vaguely remember saying (everything but the taste of that beautiful breakfast was pretty vague now, to be honest), probably mid-sob with a forkful of the pie in my mouth, "Ahm sho happy ah could die."

To which, if my sugar-addled brain was remembering correctly, she'd responded with wiping a tear away and gasping, "I, I think I can see better!"

Ahem, anyhow, that was over now.

Mom was happily knitting away in our room with a full stomach, and Rosa and I relocated downstairs, sitting on one of the tables for continued conversation. And me? I was, well, still coming off my sugar high and in very good cheer.

"Spill," I ordered, my entire body loose with satisfaction. "Come at me. What do you want to say?"

Rosa cleared her throat. "Yes, about that. I wanted to apologize again for being sort of forceful. I didn't mean to come off that way."

I raised an eyebrow. "What made you realize?"

She pulled at her light brown hair, looking guilty. "Like, right after I said we're going to save the country. You looked so out of it."

I snorted. "Yeah I was." More like, falling into a pit of despair. I locked eyes with her golden ones. "If it wasn't for Lindent, I'd be hopping mad at you right about now." And the lemon meringue pie, of course. 

"Lindent? The guy with the funky hat?"

"Uhh, sure. I guess the hat's a bit funky. But yeah, he let me rant about you yesterday." I shook my head gravely. "Your position as best friend and sister for life is in great danger, Ro. Be very careful."

"No!" she gasped, recoiling. She then narrowed her eyes and slammed a fist onto the table, all hunched over and seething. "Lindent with the funky hat," she hissed, "look out."

Laughing, I reached over and bonked her lightly on the head. "I'm kidding! Now go on. Was that all?"

She straightened back to normal. "No. I wanted to first let you know that I'm not going to try to force you. But! Would it be alright if I explained what I meant by your help?" She pursed her lips, shaking her hair back. Some sparkles came loose in the process, so I swatted them away. "I think I made it sound too grand."

I considered what she said, completely ignoring how she was now shining puppy-like eyes my way again. Shielding my eyes from the sudden brightness, I searched for the right words to say. "Okay, to be honest," I finally said, "When you told me about your plan to save the world--"

"Save the country, these are two very different things--"

"--save the country, excuse me," I rolled my eyes, "I was really mad. Like, really mad, Rosa. It's been..." I sighed. "It's been really exhausting for a few months now, and I finally feel like I can rest. Thanks to you, of course, and your allowance."

She proudly puffed out her chest at that, and I chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks," I repeated, wry grin stretching onto my lips.

"You're welcome," Rosa said, flipping her hair back.

"Anyways, I think--" I hesitated, crossing my arms. I bit my lips. "Hmm. How should I say. I think," I continued slowly, "I might have blamed a whole bunch of stuff on you. I was way too tired to think, and you were right there as my easiest target, so I took it out on you."

I looked up at her, but she was only listening seriously.

"I guess I also want to say sorry," I offered.

Rosa opened her mouth to take a breath, then announced, "I don't get it."

"...huh?"

"I don't get why you're saying sorry. How were you taking it out on me? I didn't notice a thing."

I blinked. "What? Really? Wasn't I being, like, extra sarcastic and stuff?" I was pretty sure I remembered being extra mean to her, like when she'd come late for the meat dinner party. I waved a hand towards the kitchen. "You know, like when you came late to dinner?"

She gave me a look. "Yeah, but also, I was late to dinner," she pointed out, flipping the other side of her hair to the back. "Plus or minus zero. Same same. We're good."

I stared at her for a while as she inspected her fingernails, looking bored, then burst out laughing. "Great! Then thanks." Smiling brightly, I said, "You know what? As a testament to our lifelong friendship, though I kind of don't want to do anything, and I don't know how much I'll be able to help you, I'll at least hear you out. How about that?"

Rosa jolted up in her seat and beamed at me, her golden pupils shining, so suddenly that even I had to squint a little. Thank goodness there weren't anyone else in this restaurant at 8 AM! They might have died from this!

"Really?" she sparkled.

"Really," I laughed. "But whew, Rosa, tone that down a bit, will you?"

She frowned, and the effect lessened. "Tone what down?" she demanded.

"Never mind. You just did."

"What? I did?"

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly and waved at her. "Now what?"

Rosa brightened again, but this time I was ready, so I languidly watched her as she pulled a piece of paper from... her sleeve? Without thinking, I unfolded my arms and leaned closer. Did that just happen? I peered at her sleeve, but I couldn't see anything. But how was that possible? How did that paper stay there this entire time without falling out? Did she have a pocket sewn into the insides of her sleeve? If she did, how did that work?

Blithely unaware of my sudden bewilderment, she unfolded her piece of paper onto the table. She also got some string from her other sleeve (?!?!?!) and began tying up her hair, oozing out her usual determination and enthusiasm. She pinned the paper down with a scrutinizing stare as she made a ponytail and said, completely business-like, "The plan is deceivingly simple."

"Umm, okay," I said, still staring at her sleeves.

"First of all, it's practically impossible for two girls to stop a war by themselves, so write that down."

My gaze snapped back to Rosa's face with a frown. "Um, hello? I can't write?"

"Write it in your brain."

My frown deepened. How did one do that? I tried to imagine the sound being engraved into my forehead as squiggles. Each squiggle represented a sound-- that's how writing worked, right? "Okay, consider it written."

"Good." Her ponytail now fastened in place (perfectly, of course; her hair was never not perfect), she glanced up at me. "Second of all, remember the prophecies I told you about?"

I nodded. "Seventeen different prophecies, right? And depending on what choices you make, you get different results?"

"Yes. Those prophecies will serve the basis for this plan. I've also employed my maids as spies, and they've more or less confirmed what I remember from those prophecies." She grimaced. "Unfortunately, it's been sixteen years since I got those prophecies, and I skipped a lot of dialogue, so some very important parts are not available to me."

"Understandable." I didn't even remember what I ate last month, so that sounded accurate. I leaned backwards. "Then what are you going to do?"

"We don't have much resources. What I'm trying to do here is prevent a war from happening, which occurred in every single prophecy, so it seems inevitable. However, I'm thinking we'll make use of the only resource we have now." Her golden eyes flashed as she flashed me a grin. "Knowledge."

I waited for her to continue, but she seemed pretty content to stop there. "And?" I prodded. "What are you going to be actually, physically doing?"

Her grin widened, and her voice hushed in excitement. "That's the thing, Filly, that's the thing! We-- sorry, I barely need to do anything! It's all in the knowledge. I know who the important people are. I know where to snoop. And if I can get the right information to the right people at the right times, we-- I will not have to do anything. They will take care of it themselves."

"Ohh," I breathed out, caught in the excitement myself. That actually sounded like it could work! "But why would you need me for?"

Rosa grimaced. "There are two big problems in this plan of mine, that I wanted your help with." She raised one finger. "First, I'm judging that it'll be hard to find out what information I should be getting to whom at what times. That's the key part of this plan, and I thought two heads would be better than one."

I could probably help with that. I nodded. "And?"

She held up another finger. "Second, one of the people I've judged to be a very important bridge to this plan is someone I can't meet, in case I end up killing him."

"What?!"

"No, not directly," she said, giving me an exasperated look, as if I should know better. I sputtered indignantly, and she relented. "But maybe you don't remember. He's the One I Must Not Meet."

"Ah, Glitcherman?"

"No! Leonard Avelaide, the Prime Minister's son! You know, the point?"

"Right!" The point is death! I'd completely forgotten about that! And him! Haha, oops. I tilted my head thoughtfully. "Is he super important to stopping the war? He's only the son of the Prime Minister. Shouldn't you be using your relationship with the Crown Prince instead?"

"Aha! That's what one would think, without the knowledge," Rosa crowed. "But I have the knowledge, and I know he's more than just the Prime Minister's son." Her eyes darted around and she leaned closer to me. I did too, and she whispered, in her quietest voice, "He's a spy."

I blinked. "Whoaaa."

"I know, right?"

"That's... wow."

"Yeah, he's the one who stole the letter I gave you way back at the beginning of the semester."

"Whoaaaaa!" I cried, for an entirely different reason. "That's not cool!"

"It was all part of the plan." Rosa's eyes shifted left and right again. "But now we have a new plan. Oh, sorry, now I have a new plan."

Going back to our own seats, we exchanged a long glance. "Then what would you have me do?" I asked after a beat. "Where do I stand?"

She thought about it for a second. "I was thinking you'd act as my official advisor and a sort of messenger, to meet with Leonard Avelaide and be second-in-command for when I am... indisposed."

My eyebrows shot up. "Indisposed?" I echoed, worried. "That doesn't sound good."

"Oh no, I'm not going to die or anything. I just meant when I'm hiding from Glitcherman or trying to capture the Crown Prince." She shrugged. "Still gotta go with that plan, too, for now. In case I fail this one."

"I see," I said, then lapsed into thought. Hearing Rosa out on things and setting up meetings with a person didn't seem that bad. "Will I need to call out of work often?"

She shook her head. "Probably not. I'll only schedule you in for things that you're able to work with me on."

"When are you expecting to start?"

"Next week or so. I already have a lead."

"Will I be expected to act as 'second-in-command' often?"

"No, most of my maids and footmen know what they're doing. They will not need much instruction, and even then, you won't be expected to be present at all moments of your life."

Suddenly, it felt like I was at a job interview, debating whether to take the job or not. I straightened, and Rosa did the same. "How would a typical day look like as your advisor?"

"Basically as you are at the moment. I'll still rant about things to you, but I would need to explain everything about the prophecies so you know what we're dealing with."

That didn't seem so bad. "Do I get any compensation for my time?"

"Yes. I am getting my allowance, and I will sufficiently cover for your debt payments." She paused. "I'll still do that, even if you don't help me, though."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

We came to a standstill as I thoroughly ran through everything again in my mind. I nodded after a while, and I flashed her a polite smile. "Then it's a deal," I said, sticking out my right hand.

Rosa gave me a satisfied smile herself and reached out to shake my hand. "Great. Glad to have you on board."

And thus, though I did not know at the time, at approximately 8:30 AM that day, Rosa and I began a journey that would take us to castles, shark tanks, and hidden underground sewage systems. (Haha, just kidding. Of course we wouldn't go to hidden underground sewage systems. They're way too smelly!) When would it end? I had no idea-- but I did know one thing, and that was that wherever we went, whatever we did, I would probably never stop rolling my eyes at Rosa's strange and crazy antics.

And you know what? That was okay. I was probably a bit crazy myself.

---

Also, I managed to post this by hiding away at work today. Hehehe >:)