Backdoor discoveries

wherein Volger overhears something rather unexpected

There were certain moments, Volger reflected, when being the guardian and mentor of the heir to the Imperial throne of Austria-Hungary felt rather like he imagined repeatedly slamming his head into one of the Stormwalkers' metal walls might feel like.

He'd been searching this godless ship for his wayward charge for a good hour when he nearly collided with Dr. Barlow, who was wearing a sharp little smile in addition to her usual bowler hat. The smile brought to mind fangs and a feeling that she knew something you didn't. Uncomfortable woman, that one.

"Guten Abend," he murmured in greeting, and she gave him a polite nod. The smile stayed fixed to her thin lips, and that unnatural creature of hers rubbed against her legs. Volger was too well-trained to allow for any visible reaction, but but he permitted himself a slight uncomfortable curl of his fingers at the sight of the thing.

"I don't suppose you've seen-" he continued in English, and she immediately looked amused. He was left with the feeling that perhaps she truly had already known that he was about to ask something of her, and perhaps what he was about to ask as well.

She finished the sentence for him. "Young prince Aleksandar?" Volger kept the flash of irritation at being interrupted to himself, since he was reasonably sure she was about to divulge helpful information. "Why, yes. I may have spotted him and a certain young middy in one of the storerooms further down the corridor." She adjusted her bowler hat, and her eyes glittered in a way that made him more uneasy than he liked to admit.

"Vielen Dank." He continued past the woman down the corridor, ignoring the feel of her sharp gaze on his back. He had no reason to believe she was a traitor, that he was about to find his young prince in peril or worse, but he couldn't stop his steps from widening and his pace from quickening. The archduke had entrusted Alek to him, and any harm done to the boy was on Volger's head.

Not until he heard a murmur of voices did he slow down. There were three doors on both sides of him, and Volger was vaguely thankful for the fact that at least the doors in this place were normal. His focus sharpened at the sound of his charge's voice, and he tilted his head to catch from which door the sound had come. To his right, definitely. His steps slowed and quieted; he walked past the first door, then the second.

"-but we can't be certain," he caught from behind the third metal door. Most definitely the would-be archduke. From the sound of his voice Volger inferred that his charge was not in distress, and so leaned in beside the door to listen to the conversation. Aleksandar had been getting increasingly more private as of late, always sneaking off at the least expected moments, and though Volger understood that the boy was growing up, he didn't have to like this new tendency of Alek's. It made it so much more difficult to keep an eye out for him.

"You don't have to be certain all the time!" said Mr. Dylan Sharp, to Volger's complete lack of surprise. He didn't entirely begrudge Aleksander his friendship with the middy, but they were all but attached at the hip these days. It wouldn't do for the prince to forget his responsibilities in favor of cavorting about with a Darwinist commoner.

"I suppose that's not entirely untrue, but the consequences of discovery would be..." Volger's mustache bristled as he frowned, trying to work out the context of the conversation. Mr. Sharp did have the unfortunate tendency to pull Aleksandar into trouble - though to be fair, the prince himself was perhaps not the most shining example of cautiousness.

"Why would anyone come down to the storerooms at this hour?" Mr. Sharp sounded exasperated, and Volger got the impression that this was an oft-repeated conversation topic between the two. "Besides, you started it." Here the middy sounded smug, and Volger heard Alek sputter in reply. Most unbecoming for an archduke. The prince would soon be cursing and spitting like Mr. Sharp himself if this development wasn't discouraged in time.

"You didn't appear to mind, and you didn't protest," Aleksandar muttered, followed by a rustling sound. Volger's brows drew together as he listened, trying to make out the sense of movement the sound implied. He was prepared to burst into the room should that be required, but he still didn't understand the purpose of their meeting.

There was a sharp indrawn breath, and Volger was about to lean closer when he heard, "Ah, Alek-" And ended up taking an involuntary step back instead. What was-? It took him a second to realize that his mouth was open, and he closed it with a click of teeth meeting teeth. No. Nein. He had to be misunderstanding what he was hearing.

There was a hiss, another indrawn breath and Volger found himself frozen at the husky moan that followed. He took another step back, then another. A new moan, this time from his charge, and then a thunk that Volger tried very hard not to conjure a mental image to. Walking silently until he reached the middle of the corridor proved to be within his limits still, and the fact that he kept an even expression on his face the entire way back to the room provided for him was something to be proud of later.

He closed the door behind himself, then sank down on the bed. Never one for large, explosive expressions of emotion, Volger didn't allow himself even a curse. His mind was already spinning, strategizing. This would need to be attended to, the implications explored and his and the late archduke's plans adjusted accordingly.

So. The young master preferred men. Who in Mr. Sharp's case preferred him back, apparently. Volger didn't know whether that last bit was a curse or a boon, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about Aleksandar's eyes wandering among the shipmen, if the object of his... affection... returned the affection in question.

The Leviathan's crew already knew how deep the prince's and the middy's friendship ran, so there would be no suspicions about their closeness to alleviate. On the other hand, the female doctor obviously knew very well what was transpiring between the two, and Volger was ashamed to say that he didn't have a solid grasp of how well she could be trusted. Or bribed. She liked Mr. Sharp, he was aware, and seemed to have some fondness for Aleksandar as well. Perhaps that would give some leverage.

Wearily removing his hat, Volger sat back more fully against the bed, stretching his legs out in front of himself. This could be managed, of that he had no doubt. The slight concern that the line would die out with Aleksandar if the young prince was thoroughly unwilling, or perhaps even incapable, of laying with a woman he pushed to the back of his mind. The prince was young yet, and this unfortunate attraction might pass before then. Even if it didn't, his charge was an intelligent young man when he didn't let his emotions run amok with him. Alek surely understood the need for the Emperor to settle down with a woman and produce heirs.

Volger would have to remind his young charge that discretion was a virtue, and perhaps also of the consequences should him and his Liebhaber be discovered. Grunting, Volger removed his boots and laid down on top of the covers, knowing sleep would elude him but tired all the same. Stupid children. Always causing trouble.

Author's Note: Wrote this piece a good many months ago, and I figured I might as well post it. Not sure where exactly in the timeline it takes place (admittedly because I've only read one and a half books in this trilogy...) so you can go ahead and decide that for yourselves.

It's my first fic, and I'd appreciate any feedback you'd care to give. Or even just an "I liked it!".