23
- With the punishment?
- Yes!
- I agree with you... it is important that you be corrected but making a mistake is part of life, everyone has made a mistake! In my opinion... to make mistakes is a part of tge life! We only learn by making mistakes.
- Yep! You're right...
- You told me you're over Eleanor... why don't you try to find a first lady?
- I am trying... but these things don't happen out of nowhere I don't want to have a first lady like Cael... I want to find someone to love and build a future...
- What kind of future?
- With children running around the house, without several pallakis or pornes by the corners of the house competing with each other to be my first lady as if I were a prize to be won... I want to have a life different from the one I currently live...
- Being a Iudex must be very tiring...
- It's not just tiring... being Iudex requires many responsibilities. You have to deal with the expectations of others all the time! Everybore charge me results every day! The Emperor charges me stuff all the time! I spend all day stressed! Sometimes I just want to go to a distant place and forget about them just for a few days...
- Is that why you agreed to travel with Cael?
- Yes... dealing with Cael's excess of irritation is better than dealing with the many urgent messages from the Emperor or anyone from any noble caste.
- I also wanted to have this... to be at peace. Without Cael, without the absurd demands he makes me, without having to look beautiful all the time... sometimes I just want to put a comfortable dress, walk through a meadow and eat a nice picnic by a calm river with no one to decide as when or where I should talk or do what they want.
- The word is freedom... we both want freedom...
- Yes ... life being normal people with normal problems...
- Why are you so worn out? You just started your life as a pallaki...
- Yes but my obligations came very early... when a future pallaki starts menstruating everything changes. She starts following a series of demands on how she should eat, dress, talk, walk, refer to any man... so since I was ten years old I've been having a very similar life to this one... I always felt very suffocated...
- You will get rid of all this... just work for this and day to come into your life...
- How? According to the law I do not have a second option ! I will be pallaki until my menstruation stops coming and after that I will be sent to some peasant's house to serve as sklavoi until my last days of life...
- You can run away... Cael may lose his guardianship ... you can disguise yourself as a man and work in the field to achieve your independence... Cael is without Ilyada... if he does not find a new first- lady within one months he will lose the right to have you and then I can buy you so that you so that you have at least a little more freedom...
- Would you do that? Would you buy me?
- Of course! I will help you! You have my word! I will help you change your life Kris...
- Thank you Benjamin... you are an angel ...
- No need to thank me! You need to take off that nightdress that's already driving me crazy, put on your regular dress and come up with me on deck... Cael has to think that our night was great! Which won't be too hard since it was really... it's been a long time since I played Luzy and it was great to beat you...
- Liar! I won all the rounds!
- But you lost one and it was amazing!
- Your... your... your...
I was unable to formulate a good insult so I slapped Benjamin's arms several times so then in response to my attacks Benjamin began evade me while laughing at me and mocking my little strength. I didn't give up and I climbed on top of him and started to give some pinches on his Arms.
I was fast but Ben was stronger than me and so he very easily He has disposed of me and laid his body upon mine.
- No more playing Kris... let's go upstairs.
- Okay... - I replied panting.
- This time I'll dress in the bathroom ! Since I entered this room I'm controlling myself not to find out what the bathroom is like in this place...
- Go ahead... the bathroom is all yours...
Benjamin picked up his clothes from the floor with a quick movement and went to the bathroom, opened the compartment door carefully and admired the daylight-lit space for a few minutes.
- It looks like a work of art... - Benjamin whispered to trims the walls around us.
- I know... I saw yesterday...
- No... you need to see it! The morning light is reflecting in the bathtub... come see!
I got up with a little difficulty and ran to the bathroom to witness what Ben's eyes were seeing at that moment.
He really right . The daylight in the bathroom seemed wider, the mother-of-pearl in the middle of the white that covered the walls and the floor reflected the sunlight forming small colored beams that spread in all possible directions and the jade that contorted in a large bathtub glowed in small dots of green light while admiring the great ocean that opened beyond the glass paneling in front of it.
- I'm going to dress... and as you are very afraid to see a naked man I suggest you to step back a little bit unless, of course, you want to see me in a slightly more revealing way madam Kristma...
- Don't call me madam. - I answered away from the door as he slowly closed the big dark wooden portal.
- Why are you so angry? You didn't bother to be called lady last night... does that mean that only the night and when we're alone can I call you lady?
- No! You can no longer call me madam!
- Was that an order?
- Maybe...
- Unfortunately I will have to break that order, madam...
- Aired...
- Angry madam!
Before I could say anything else Benjamin closed the door while his hoarse and severe laughter echoed through the room.
Flirting with him irritated me and it was an irritation that didn't make any sense to my head. I didn't hate Ben I just hated that situation, those innuendos, those flirtations, that damned tan body.
Light knocks at the door awakened me from my thoughts.
- Hi? Sir Benjamin?
It was Arthur's voice echoing from across the games room.
- He is wearing his clothes...
- Yes... warn him that we need everyone on deck immediately! It is an urgent situation.
- Okay! I'll tell him.
- Thank you.
I heard Arthur's footsteps moving away from the door and every step far and paused my thoughts began to bubble within my mind trying to decipher what was the urgent situation Arthur was referring to.
As I didn't have much time to linger in my thoughts again I undressed and then I wore my dress that I used last night.
- Who was it? - Benjamin asked with a startled expression as he left the bathroom buttoning the last buttons of his shirt that had been thrown over his pants.
- It was Arthur... - I talked tidying my hair- He requested your presence on the deck immediately... it seems the situation is urgent...
- Okay... so you better stay here and I'll come up and see what's going on...
- I want to go up and see what happened...
- You are sure ?
- Of course I do! If I stay here I will get more anxious than I am already getting...
- Okay... let's get going then.
We hurriedly left the room we were in and walked as fast as we could towards the upper deck of the ship.
Upon arriving on deck the entire crew was tense and distressed. Cael was in the captain's place shouting with all crew. He was trying to lead the ship in some direction that only he knew where would be.
- What is the situation? - Benjamin cornered Arthur with his authoritarian and voracious tone.
- We spotted one of the black fleet ships...
- How far away?
- A few leagues north of our current position...
- Shit... they'll catch up to us with great ease... Kris! Come with me...
- Okay Benjamin...
- The correct is sir Benjamin... - Arthur corrected me.
- She can call me whatever she wants... come on Kris... I need your help...
I agreed and followed the footsteps of Benjamin to the cockpit of the ship. Cael welcomed us with some accusing eyes but did not protest my presence among them.
- Cael I need to be alone with Kristma...
- You've got to be kidding... you want to fuck her now ?
- I don't want to make love to her now I need her help!
- I hope it will be useful...
- And she will be... so please...
Benjamin pointed out the door with his chin and Cael obeyed him without delay.
The command room was closed, a large window that allowed us to see everything in front of the ship, the waves that formed with the slow and continuous movement of the ship and at the bottom of all this vision a black spot floating on the surface of the sea.
- Do you know the Black Fleet?
- No... what are they?
- They are pirates... but they are not normal pirates they are pirates of the East kingdom... if they came from so far to sail these waters we run a huge risk of not surviving enough to reach Nekrós.
- And what are you thinking?
- With Cael and Arthur in control on the ship we will not be able to get very far... we will need to pass some alternative route...
- The Red Islands... I suppose.
- This is our only solution...
Benjamin walked away from me and supported his hands on the large table set in the center of the room.
I approached the table where a large map was drawned throughout the extension of the furniture.