Chapter 41

Their three war galleys had left the Bay of Sanjaba behind and were sailing northward to Aloria. Kuwasi stood next to Shinta at the railing of the Storm’s Bride and the two were watching the sunset.

“I missed this,” he said. “There is peace at sea when the sun goes down beyond the horizon. On land there is never peace.”

“I see,” Shinta replied. “You were stranded but missed the peace at sea, so you decided to become a mercenary.”

“I must have been cursed by the gods for every woman in my life to be such a snarky beast,” the big man bemoaned his fate.

“You are friends with a god,” Shinta objected, “It’s the women in your life who are cursed.”

“You think the Nameless Son and me are friends?” Kuwasi asked. “When we set sail, I was working with our dead-man crew on the rigging. Jabbit was watching me and cold beads of sweat ran down my back. Then he asked me to show him how to tie a knot. I taught a god the bowline, the cross knot, the eighth node, and the fisherman’s bend. Afterward, he thanked me. Now I’m wondering if you might be right - could a shark and a baby seal have become friends?”

Shinta laughed out loud. “You, a baby seal? You’re a walrus!” She shook her head and smiled. “Kuwasi var Cannas, the philosophical pirate and marauder; I have to admit that I missed you.”

“A walrus?” Kuwasi asked, raising his brows. “That reminds me – it’s time for dinner and I’m hungry. Let’s go to the mess.”

The mess of the royal flagship was much more spacious than the one they used aboard The Sullen Mermaid. There was easily room for at least three dozen people at the three long tables. It made the absence of the var Dosha family members even more apparent.

“Did anyone ask our royal company to join us for dinner?” Evanis asked.

“I asked them,” Anseyla answered, “but Irja said they’ll eat in their cabin. I guess they are scared of you, Eva.”

“I rather think they want to stay away from the boss,” Sybelien surmised. “Especially from the bad influence he has on their daughter.”

“That’s a hopeless undertaking,” Evanis stated and pinched Jabbit’s cheek. “My bunny boy is just too cute; it’s impossible for parents to keep their little girls away from him.”

“As your poor mother can attest to,” Kuwasi merrily commented.

“Bunny boy?” Rhaseris huffed, glowering at Evanis.

“What?” Evanis asked with a smirk. “Don’t you like it when I call your god ‘my bunny boy’? Is it a sin for which you’ll make me atone?”

Jabbit smiled at Rhaseris. “Don’t get upset, please. I like rabbits. When Eva calls me by a name I don’t like, I’ll let you know.”

“Oh really?” Evanis asked with a glint in her eyes. “What about...”

Anseyla slapped her hand on her sister’s mouth and silenced her. “Damned, Eva, will you never learn when it’s time to shut up?”

“How will we split up between the cabins this time?” Sybelien suddenly asked.

Evanis stopped struggling and Anseyla slowly removed her hand from her sister’s mouth, rewarding her girlfriend with a thankful glance.

“How many cabins are there?” Rhaseris asked.

“Besides the captain’s cabin, there are two more on deck, and four below deck,” Shinta answered. “The four staterooms below are equipped for lower-ranking officers, with small bunks for up to four people. Although the two upper cabins are larger, they are only equipped with one bed each - a big bed - but we easily could move a few extra bunks into them.”

“Sybil and I are very familiar with each other,” Anseyla revealed. “We can take one of the big beds, can’t we, sweetie?”

“It’ll be a pleasure,” Sybil cooed. “Until you misbehave and find yourself sleeping on the floor, sweetie.”

“You’re such a meanie,” Anseyla complained. “Anyhow, I don’t care how many others will share our cabin. I have nothing to hide.”

“Yes, I noticed,” Shinta said, smiling. “I’ll share your cabin.”

“I, the Princess, and Jabbit will share the other cabin,” Evanis stated. “We’re used to it, too.”

“Are the three of you so used to it you won’t need an extra bunk anymore?” Anseyla asked, grinning.

“I bet that’s something you’d dearly like to know,” Evanis answered, mirroring her sister’s grin.

“Evanis and Jabbit won’t need an extra bunk in their cabin,” Rhaseris stated. “I’ll share one of the cabins below deck with Anjatta.”

“And does Anjatta know about it?” Anseyla asked, no longer grinning.

“I’ll tell her after dinner,” Rhaseris answered.

“Only you two, alone in a cabin?” Anseyla inquired.

“Yes, only Anjatta and I,” Rhaseris confirmed.

“No lock at the door, no chains, no whips, nor tongs and glowing coals?” Anseyla checked.

The Princess smiled. “No Anseyla, I won’t torture Anjatta.”

“Your smile just told me otherwise,” she replied and turned to Jabbit.

“No,” he said.

“You could at least wait until I ask before you reject me,” Anseyla complained.

“I’m sorry,” Jabbit replied.

“No, you’re not,” she accused. “Your grin betrays you.”

“My lord?” He asked, grinning even wider.

“Your grin betrays you, my Lord,” she adjusted with a pout.

“No one wants to share a cabin with me?” Kuwasi brightly asked into the ensuing silence.

A loud, many-voiced, and somehow relieved sounding “No” ended this discussion. At least during the rest of the joint dinner, since Anseyla used that time to sulk and regroup.

“You know what that was about!” Anseyla restarted as she and her two roommates entered their cabin.

“Whuiee!” Sybelien whistled. “This cabin definitely is more comfortable than our previous one on The Sullen Mermaid.”

“Rhaseris will punish Anjatta for her supposed sin!”

“Much more room and we even have windows!” Sybelien gushed.

“Sybil!” Anseyla cried. “Don’t you dare ignore me.”

“Of course I’ll dare,” the blonde replied. “That’s far less annoying than listening to you.”

“Because of the windows the air will be much better, too,” Shinta added her opinion.

Anseyla groaned. “I never thought you two would be such cowards.”

“I’m no coward,” Sybelien replied. “I just don’t share your point of view.”

Anseyla’s eyes widened. “You also think Anjatta needs to be punished for committing a sin?”

Sybelien shrugged. “I’m not very religious and wouldn’t call it a sin - but Anja betrayed the boss.”

“Do you also think she deserves to be punished?” Anseyla asked Shinta.

“If Anjatta had been a crewman on my ship, she would’ve walked the plank for her disobedience,” Shinta answered.

“I thought mutineers were hung?” Sybelien wondered.

“Nay,” the former pirate captain objected “You don’t hang a princess; that’s bad style.”

“You’re both insane!” Anseyla stated.

“You could ask your sister to get a sane opinion,” Sybelien suggested, grinning.

Unsurprisingly, Anseyla didn’t follow her girlfriend’s suggestion; instead, she decided to sulk some more.

After dinner, Rhaseris waited until everyone else retreated for the night before she left the ship’s mess. Then she went to the captain’s cabin where she asked for Anjatta. Agon told her his sister had gone already. It took a while but Rhaseris finally found her at the bow of the galley.

“I knew you’d come,” Anjatta said as Rhaseris approached her. “I was waiting for you.”

“Of course,” Rhaseris replied.

“Agon told me what he...”

“And I told you I don’t care about your mother,” Rhaseris interrupted.

“Yes, you did,” Anjatta accepted. “So tell me, First Priestess, what will be the punishment for my sin.”

“Don’t you know it?” Rhaseris asked. “You’re an oracle after all.”

“I have come to realize that seeing doesn’t necessarily mean understanding.”

“Then maybe you need someone else who’ll open your eyes,” Rhaseris replied. “Follow me.”

She led Anjatta to the four staterooms below deck at the stern of the war galley. She looked inside each of the cabins and chose one equipped to only house two people. It was the smallest cabin, with hardly enough space between the bunks to dress at the same time. Anjatta waited until Rhaseris sat down on a bunk and then followed her inside. Rhaseris wordlessly watched the Ibanee princess standing in front of her until Anjatta bowed her head.

“You pledged your life to my god but you only served your own intentions,” Rhaseris stated. “That is your sin and as your penance, you’ll be living up to the promise you’ve given. From this day forth, you will serve our god with everything you are - body, mind, and soul.”

“I’ll submit to your verdict, First Priestess,” Anjatta demurely accepted, hardly audible at all.

“We’ll see,” Rhaseris said.

A little while later, Rhaseris opened the door to a different cabin and let Anjatta enter the room. Anjatta only took one step inside and froze. Transfixed by the scene in front of her, she barely noticed the door closing behind her.

Jabbit lay on the bed in the room and Evanis was sitting astride him. She turned her head and even though her eyes refused to focus, she was able to quickly identify the intruder.

“Look, bunny boy ... I think the Princess sent us ... a present,” she surmised, her words broken by moans as she slowly rotated her hips.

“Rhaseris is a good priestess,” Jabbit approved.

“Mhmm,” Evanis licked her lips. “So small and dainty ... she looks like a treat. I want to ... unwrap our present but ... then I’d have to get ... up.”

The young Ibanee’s dark skin turned purple and she averted her gaze to the floor. But when Evanis suddenly squealed, Anjatta looked up. As she saw Jabbit kneading the busty woman’s tits and his mouth leeching on a nipple, she quickly looked down again. When the sound of flesh slapping against flesh became louder and faster, some groans were added to the squeals and some moments later every other noise was drowned out by a loud, drawn-out scream. When Anjatta only heard soft panting she slowly raised her head and looked once more.