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He could not now go to Athenia for any reason if he wished to keep away from the Stravos family. Well...he could go but it was a risk not worth taking at present. This meant that, in Greece, at least, he was limited to Taengea and Colchis. Currently Taengea was in turmoil and not overly interested in buying much of anything that they did not need. They were not pleasure spending the way they normally did and this meant that most of his business was confined to Colchis. And Colchis was really, really boring at times.
His ship was docked, offloaded, and most of his men were already off to the whore houses or taverns. He sat on the top railing of the ship, not wanting to go to the whore houses. It was...a hard step down from what he’d been used to up to now for the last year. Lukos shifted his thoughts away from that subject. He’d been a fucking idiot. Getting into all those politics over a woman and now it had come to nothing at all. She was dead. He was back to square one. No more incoming gold from Stravos. Queen Persephone was on the run, so there was no payment from that quarter and Thalia was dead. Oh yes, life was just fucking grand.
From his vantage point on this top rail, he could see the whole harbor. It was new and much cleaner than the old one had been, having been rebuilt from that terrible storm. His gaze followed person after person as they meandered their way around each other and he saw a slender woman with light brown hair. She looked out of place and at first, he thought she was that Drakos woman. There were only a few Imeeya’s in Colchis and only one ‘Lady Imeeya’ among those. It wasn’t hard to track down who she was and where she lived. He’d all but promised a visit.
In one fluid motion, he moved from sitting to standing with perfect balance, trying to see if the woman was Lady Imeeya or not. It would be just about perfect for his current black mood to give her a little bit of a taste of how badly she’d made the mistake of not taking up his ‘generous’ offer of walking her home. He disliked not succeeding in swindling her. It was beneath him, of course, but anyone could be petty and that’s what he felt like being currently.
The woman half turned a bit, as though drawn by his gaze and looked up at him. Then her eyes slid away and she walked on. Lukos sat back down. Not Lady Imeeya.
Loud thumps resounded up the stairs coming from the hold and he glanced over in time to see Arktos’s bald head emerge ahead of the rest of the man’s mammoth frame. He said nothing as his first mate stumped onto the deck and looked vaguely about as though assuring himself that there were only the appropriate members of the crew on guard, and then stumped his way down the the gangplank and onto the docks.
“Going to the whore house?” Lukos called. Arktos whipped around and gave him a grin and a rude gesture.
”You ought to do the same, captain,” he called back. When Lukos returned an even ruder gesture and a smirk that meant he wasn’t actually kidding, Arktos laughed, waved him off, and continued on his way.
With a sigh, Lukos realized his options for the coming night were rather limited. He could stay here on the ship and just go to bed early, or he could join the whoring and gambling his crew was doing...or….Here his eyes caught sight of that Drakos woman look-alike again. Or, he could cause some real mischief.
With a shark’s grin, he slid off the railing and onto the top deck. From there, he went down the stairs on to the middeck, gave orders that no one but crewmen were allowed on the ship whilst he was gone, and made his way onto the docks. Because Colchis was a city that was half built into the very rock it sat on, he had quite a few levels and stairs he’d have to hike. He looked up at the richer houses that looked down from their higher tiers. The buildings were nearly red in the evening light.
It took the better part of an hour to sift through the evening crowds and make his way up the stairs, winding his way through the streets of Midas. He could have reached the house before the gray of dusk if he’d not happened upon a few different men he knew who insisted on placing their new orders for whatever it was they wanted right then and there. A fair bit of gold was now in his pocket and he was considering that perhaps he should roam the city more often by the time he got to the front gates of the Drakos house.
He rattled the metal gates with his palm and waited until a servant hurried out to stop the noise.
“What is it you want?” the servant was giving him a suspicious glare because he was clearly a sailor. In a shirt of faded red and wearing trousers, rather than a respectable chiton, he gave himself away as someone of heavily inferior rank to the people who owned this house. His dark skin betrayed that he was in the sun often, which further sunk him in the estimation of this house slave.
“Tell Lady Imeeya that Lukos is here,” he said without bothering with subterfuge. And he said it loudly, just in case any of her more nosey neighbors wanted to hear.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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He could not now go to Athenia for any reason if he wished to keep away from the Stravos family. Well...he could go but it was a risk not worth taking at present. This meant that, in Greece, at least, he was limited to Taengea and Colchis. Currently Taengea was in turmoil and not overly interested in buying much of anything that they did not need. They were not pleasure spending the way they normally did and this meant that most of his business was confined to Colchis. And Colchis was really, really boring at times.
His ship was docked, offloaded, and most of his men were already off to the whore houses or taverns. He sat on the top railing of the ship, not wanting to go to the whore houses. It was...a hard step down from what he’d been used to up to now for the last year. Lukos shifted his thoughts away from that subject. He’d been a fucking idiot. Getting into all those politics over a woman and now it had come to nothing at all. She was dead. He was back to square one. No more incoming gold from Stravos. Queen Persephone was on the run, so there was no payment from that quarter and Thalia was dead. Oh yes, life was just fucking grand.
From his vantage point on this top rail, he could see the whole harbor. It was new and much cleaner than the old one had been, having been rebuilt from that terrible storm. His gaze followed person after person as they meandered their way around each other and he saw a slender woman with light brown hair. She looked out of place and at first, he thought she was that Drakos woman. There were only a few Imeeya’s in Colchis and only one ‘Lady Imeeya’ among those. It wasn’t hard to track down who she was and where she lived. He’d all but promised a visit.
In one fluid motion, he moved from sitting to standing with perfect balance, trying to see if the woman was Lady Imeeya or not. It would be just about perfect for his current black mood to give her a little bit of a taste of how badly she’d made the mistake of not taking up his ‘generous’ offer of walking her home. He disliked not succeeding in swindling her. It was beneath him, of course, but anyone could be petty and that’s what he felt like being currently.
The woman half turned a bit, as though drawn by his gaze and looked up at him. Then her eyes slid away and she walked on. Lukos sat back down. Not Lady Imeeya.
Loud thumps resounded up the stairs coming from the hold and he glanced over in time to see Arktos’s bald head emerge ahead of the rest of the man’s mammoth frame. He said nothing as his first mate stumped onto the deck and looked vaguely about as though assuring himself that there were only the appropriate members of the crew on guard, and then stumped his way down the the gangplank and onto the docks.
“Going to the whore house?” Lukos called. Arktos whipped around and gave him a grin and a rude gesture.
”You ought to do the same, captain,” he called back. When Lukos returned an even ruder gesture and a smirk that meant he wasn’t actually kidding, Arktos laughed, waved him off, and continued on his way.
With a sigh, Lukos realized his options for the coming night were rather limited. He could stay here on the ship and just go to bed early, or he could join the whoring and gambling his crew was doing...or….Here his eyes caught sight of that Drakos woman look-alike again. Or, he could cause some real mischief.
With a shark’s grin, he slid off the railing and onto the top deck. From there, he went down the stairs on to the middeck, gave orders that no one but crewmen were allowed on the ship whilst he was gone, and made his way onto the docks. Because Colchis was a city that was half built into the very rock it sat on, he had quite a few levels and stairs he’d have to hike. He looked up at the richer houses that looked down from their higher tiers. The buildings were nearly red in the evening light.
It took the better part of an hour to sift through the evening crowds and make his way up the stairs, winding his way through the streets of Midas. He could have reached the house before the gray of dusk if he’d not happened upon a few different men he knew who insisted on placing their new orders for whatever it was they wanted right then and there. A fair bit of gold was now in his pocket and he was considering that perhaps he should roam the city more often by the time he got to the front gates of the Drakos house.
He rattled the metal gates with his palm and waited until a servant hurried out to stop the noise.
“What is it you want?” the servant was giving him a suspicious glare because he was clearly a sailor. In a shirt of faded red and wearing trousers, rather than a respectable chiton, he gave himself away as someone of heavily inferior rank to the people who owned this house. His dark skin betrayed that he was in the sun often, which further sunk him in the estimation of this house slave.
“Tell Lady Imeeya that Lukos is here,” he said without bothering with subterfuge. And he said it loudly, just in case any of her more nosey neighbors wanted to hear.
He could not now go to Athenia for any reason if he wished to keep away from the Stravos family. Well...he could go but it was a risk not worth taking at present. This meant that, in Greece, at least, he was limited to Taengea and Colchis. Currently Taengea was in turmoil and not overly interested in buying much of anything that they did not need. They were not pleasure spending the way they normally did and this meant that most of his business was confined to Colchis. And Colchis was really, really boring at times.
His ship was docked, offloaded, and most of his men were already off to the whore houses or taverns. He sat on the top railing of the ship, not wanting to go to the whore houses. It was...a hard step down from what he’d been used to up to now for the last year. Lukos shifted his thoughts away from that subject. He’d been a fucking idiot. Getting into all those politics over a woman and now it had come to nothing at all. She was dead. He was back to square one. No more incoming gold from Stravos. Queen Persephone was on the run, so there was no payment from that quarter and Thalia was dead. Oh yes, life was just fucking grand.
From his vantage point on this top rail, he could see the whole harbor. It was new and much cleaner than the old one had been, having been rebuilt from that terrible storm. His gaze followed person after person as they meandered their way around each other and he saw a slender woman with light brown hair. She looked out of place and at first, he thought she was that Drakos woman. There were only a few Imeeya’s in Colchis and only one ‘Lady Imeeya’ among those. It wasn’t hard to track down who she was and where she lived. He’d all but promised a visit.
In one fluid motion, he moved from sitting to standing with perfect balance, trying to see if the woman was Lady Imeeya or not. It would be just about perfect for his current black mood to give her a little bit of a taste of how badly she’d made the mistake of not taking up his ‘generous’ offer of walking her home. He disliked not succeeding in swindling her. It was beneath him, of course, but anyone could be petty and that’s what he felt like being currently.
The woman half turned a bit, as though drawn by his gaze and looked up at him. Then her eyes slid away and she walked on. Lukos sat back down. Not Lady Imeeya.
Loud thumps resounded up the stairs coming from the hold and he glanced over in time to see Arktos’s bald head emerge ahead of the rest of the man’s mammoth frame. He said nothing as his first mate stumped onto the deck and looked vaguely about as though assuring himself that there were only the appropriate members of the crew on guard, and then stumped his way down the the gangplank and onto the docks.
“Going to the whore house?” Lukos called. Arktos whipped around and gave him a grin and a rude gesture.
”You ought to do the same, captain,” he called back. When Lukos returned an even ruder gesture and a smirk that meant he wasn’t actually kidding, Arktos laughed, waved him off, and continued on his way.
With a sigh, Lukos realized his options for the coming night were rather limited. He could stay here on the ship and just go to bed early, or he could join the whoring and gambling his crew was doing...or….Here his eyes caught sight of that Drakos woman look-alike again. Or, he could cause some real mischief.
With a shark’s grin, he slid off the railing and onto the top deck. From there, he went down the stairs on to the middeck, gave orders that no one but crewmen were allowed on the ship whilst he was gone, and made his way onto the docks. Because Colchis was a city that was half built into the very rock it sat on, he had quite a few levels and stairs he’d have to hike. He looked up at the richer houses that looked down from their higher tiers. The buildings were nearly red in the evening light.
It took the better part of an hour to sift through the evening crowds and make his way up the stairs, winding his way through the streets of Midas. He could have reached the house before the gray of dusk if he’d not happened upon a few different men he knew who insisted on placing their new orders for whatever it was they wanted right then and there. A fair bit of gold was now in his pocket and he was considering that perhaps he should roam the city more often by the time he got to the front gates of the Drakos house.
He rattled the metal gates with his palm and waited until a servant hurried out to stop the noise.
“What is it you want?” the servant was giving him a suspicious glare because he was clearly a sailor. In a shirt of faded red and wearing trousers, rather than a respectable chiton, he gave himself away as someone of heavily inferior rank to the people who owned this house. His dark skin betrayed that he was in the sun often, which further sunk him in the estimation of this house slave.
“Tell Lady Imeeya that Lukos is here,” he said without bothering with subterfuge. And he said it loudly, just in case any of her more nosey neighbors wanted to hear.
With her heart in her throat, Essa sat alone in her family’s private library. Any servant walking by happened upon nothing out of the ordinary, or so they thought. The young Drakos girl was in her favorite chair that provided her with a lovely view, legs curled up, light brown hair let loose so it fell around her face like a curtain and lastly there was a book in her hands. What they didn’t see, however, was that between two pages lay a letter. Essa’s brows were pinched and she was gently playing with the pendant around her throat, pulling the gem from one way to the next. Essa hadn’t meant to find it, she had no idea it even existed until earlier. But now that she had it, she was left in a state of utter confusion.
When Essa woke this morning, she discovered while being dressed by her loyal maidservant Aikaterine that her favorite pearl hair ornament was missing. The ornament had been a gift given to her by her mother on her fifteenth name day, it was precious to her and seldom was she seen without it braided into her hair. Because she knew almost every servant that walked her halls, not once did the thought that it might have been stolen cross her mind. Instead, she was cross with herself for having misplaced it. Aikaterine, who grew up with Essa and had become a sister and close friend to the young Drakos girl, did all she could to comfort Essa, who was rightly upset for having lost it. After all, this wasn’t just any piece of jewelry; it had been given to her by someone who loved her. “We’ll find it, my lady, you’ll see! Come on, let’s go look!” Arm in arm, both girls began to search high and low for her missing hair ornament, Aikaterine’s optimism infectious.
Eventually, their search would lead them to Essa’s sister’s room, now unoccupied. Aikaterine glanced at Essa with a pout that clearly said she didn’t approve of entering Imeeya’s private space, especially now that Imeeya was away on her trip. “I know, but you just said you think the last place you saw me wearing the pearls was when I was spending time with Meeya while she was packing. You can wait out here, I’ll be fast, promise!” Aikaterine pouted again, blonde brows still furrowed but she said nothing and waited out in the hall as Essa slipped into her sister’s room. It felt wrong to be here without her sister, intrusive. But she needed to find her hair ornament, she would feel so guilty if she couldn’t find it. She wore it nearly every day, Tythra was sure to know something was amiss if she saw Essa without it.
On her hands and knees, Essa searched the ground, searched under chairs, under Imeeya’s bed, under tables and desks. When she found nothing, she carefully looked through Imeeya’s sheets and under her pillows, making sure to place everything back where she found it. When she still couldn’t find it, she gave a deep breath and prayed for forgiveness before she began her search through Imeeya’s drawers, specifically in the one that held all of her sister’s jewelry. She thought that perhaps Imeeya might have found it and, not having enough time, put it away. “What’s taking so long?” She heard Aikaterine hiss from behind the door. “I’m going as fast as I can!” Essa mewled back, letting out a sigh of frustration. Where could it be!? With pouted lips, Essa opens up another drawer, this one filled to the brim with papers. Imeeya’s important papers…
Meeya would kill me if I touched these! Essa knows she’s gone too far in her searching and goes to shut the drawer, ready to accept defeat when a certain paper catches her eye. It’s been folded close although it was placed in such a way that the letter was on its back and in the process of coming undone.
“Lady Tythra,” it read. What was Imeeya doing with a letter addressed to their mother? She told herself it was none of her business and yet reached for it anyway. Before she can read what the letter entails, Aikaterine peeks her blonde head into the room. “Essa, if I have to come in there--” Essa cuts her off with a wave of her hand, quickly placing the letter back in the drawer before shutting it. It’s none of my business, she tells herself again before scurrying out of the room. “I’ll take it you didn’t find it.” Aikaterine murmurs as the girls make their way back to Essa’s bedroom. With a defeated shake of her head, Essa finishes getting ready for the day without her pearl ornament and a need to know what that letter says.
Hours would go by, morning turning to noon, noon to dusk. She spent time with her mother, trying very hard not to be obvious with her glances. Did her mother know about the letter? If not, then why was Imeeya hiding it? What did it say? Tythra eventually left, claiming she had things to do in town and Essa was left all alone with just her servants. Eventually, she shakes off Aikaterine and her other maidservants, claiming she wants to read alone before she makes her way back to Imeeya’s room. “It’s none of my business…” She takes the letter and goes.
Now sat in her favorite chair in the library, Essa glares down at the letter.
“Lady Tythra,
I regret to send you this missive whilst I am not within the Kingdom itself, however I have news to bring to you which concerns your daughter, Lady Imeeya.
As I was arriving upon the docks in Midas in my previous voyage, I happened upon Lady Imeeya with some unsavory characters of which I think you would need to know, if only to ensure your daughter's safety, and I feel tis my duty to you, my lady, to bring such news to your ear. I apologize for the lateness in my informing you of such transgressions, as duties to the crown have kept me otherwise occupied, but I wish to pay a visit to your residence on the morrow in order to update you on what I have seen.
Magnus of Chaossis Master Informer”
Imeeya with unsavory characters? Who? Why? What could Imeeya possibly be doing with “unsavory characters”? This didn’t make any sense. Could it be that Imeeya has a...No, Essa shook her head. If Imeeya was in love, surely she would have told Essa. Besides, Imeeya wasn’t like that. She didn’t associate with unsavory characters...So what was she doing at the docks? And why hasn’t she confided in Essa? Pinching the bridge of her nose, Essa glances out the window and suddenly wishes her mother were here. Not so Essa could deliver the letter to her, but so she had someone to wrap her arms around. She really needed a hug. This letter did nothing to satisfy her curiosity, it just left her confused and somewhat hurt. She shuts the book, letter safely inside. It was probably for the best that she returns the letter to Imeeya's room, she'd hate to misplace it like she misplaced her hair ornament. Just as the girl arches her back in a stretch, there's a knock on the door and a servant peeks his head in. "Forgive me, my lady. There's a man here for Lady Imeeya." Oh? Essa blinks. "Well, let him in, I suppose."
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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With her heart in her throat, Essa sat alone in her family’s private library. Any servant walking by happened upon nothing out of the ordinary, or so they thought. The young Drakos girl was in her favorite chair that provided her with a lovely view, legs curled up, light brown hair let loose so it fell around her face like a curtain and lastly there was a book in her hands. What they didn’t see, however, was that between two pages lay a letter. Essa’s brows were pinched and she was gently playing with the pendant around her throat, pulling the gem from one way to the next. Essa hadn’t meant to find it, she had no idea it even existed until earlier. But now that she had it, she was left in a state of utter confusion.
When Essa woke this morning, she discovered while being dressed by her loyal maidservant Aikaterine that her favorite pearl hair ornament was missing. The ornament had been a gift given to her by her mother on her fifteenth name day, it was precious to her and seldom was she seen without it braided into her hair. Because she knew almost every servant that walked her halls, not once did the thought that it might have been stolen cross her mind. Instead, she was cross with herself for having misplaced it. Aikaterine, who grew up with Essa and had become a sister and close friend to the young Drakos girl, did all she could to comfort Essa, who was rightly upset for having lost it. After all, this wasn’t just any piece of jewelry; it had been given to her by someone who loved her. “We’ll find it, my lady, you’ll see! Come on, let’s go look!” Arm in arm, both girls began to search high and low for her missing hair ornament, Aikaterine’s optimism infectious.
Eventually, their search would lead them to Essa’s sister’s room, now unoccupied. Aikaterine glanced at Essa with a pout that clearly said she didn’t approve of entering Imeeya’s private space, especially now that Imeeya was away on her trip. “I know, but you just said you think the last place you saw me wearing the pearls was when I was spending time with Meeya while she was packing. You can wait out here, I’ll be fast, promise!” Aikaterine pouted again, blonde brows still furrowed but she said nothing and waited out in the hall as Essa slipped into her sister’s room. It felt wrong to be here without her sister, intrusive. But she needed to find her hair ornament, she would feel so guilty if she couldn’t find it. She wore it nearly every day, Tythra was sure to know something was amiss if she saw Essa without it.
On her hands and knees, Essa searched the ground, searched under chairs, under Imeeya’s bed, under tables and desks. When she found nothing, she carefully looked through Imeeya’s sheets and under her pillows, making sure to place everything back where she found it. When she still couldn’t find it, she gave a deep breath and prayed for forgiveness before she began her search through Imeeya’s drawers, specifically in the one that held all of her sister’s jewelry. She thought that perhaps Imeeya might have found it and, not having enough time, put it away. “What’s taking so long?” She heard Aikaterine hiss from behind the door. “I’m going as fast as I can!” Essa mewled back, letting out a sigh of frustration. Where could it be!? With pouted lips, Essa opens up another drawer, this one filled to the brim with papers. Imeeya’s important papers…
Meeya would kill me if I touched these! Essa knows she’s gone too far in her searching and goes to shut the drawer, ready to accept defeat when a certain paper catches her eye. It’s been folded close although it was placed in such a way that the letter was on its back and in the process of coming undone.
“Lady Tythra,” it read. What was Imeeya doing with a letter addressed to their mother? She told herself it was none of her business and yet reached for it anyway. Before she can read what the letter entails, Aikaterine peeks her blonde head into the room. “Essa, if I have to come in there--” Essa cuts her off with a wave of her hand, quickly placing the letter back in the drawer before shutting it. It’s none of my business, she tells herself again before scurrying out of the room. “I’ll take it you didn’t find it.” Aikaterine murmurs as the girls make their way back to Essa’s bedroom. With a defeated shake of her head, Essa finishes getting ready for the day without her pearl ornament and a need to know what that letter says.
Hours would go by, morning turning to noon, noon to dusk. She spent time with her mother, trying very hard not to be obvious with her glances. Did her mother know about the letter? If not, then why was Imeeya hiding it? What did it say? Tythra eventually left, claiming she had things to do in town and Essa was left all alone with just her servants. Eventually, she shakes off Aikaterine and her other maidservants, claiming she wants to read alone before she makes her way back to Imeeya’s room. “It’s none of my business…” She takes the letter and goes.
Now sat in her favorite chair in the library, Essa glares down at the letter.
“Lady Tythra,
I regret to send you this missive whilst I am not within the Kingdom itself, however I have news to bring to you which concerns your daughter, Lady Imeeya.
As I was arriving upon the docks in Midas in my previous voyage, I happened upon Lady Imeeya with some unsavory characters of which I think you would need to know, if only to ensure your daughter's safety, and I feel tis my duty to you, my lady, to bring such news to your ear. I apologize for the lateness in my informing you of such transgressions, as duties to the crown have kept me otherwise occupied, but I wish to pay a visit to your residence on the morrow in order to update you on what I have seen.
Magnus of Chaossis Master Informer”
Imeeya with unsavory characters? Who? Why? What could Imeeya possibly be doing with “unsavory characters”? This didn’t make any sense. Could it be that Imeeya has a...No, Essa shook her head. If Imeeya was in love, surely she would have told Essa. Besides, Imeeya wasn’t like that. She didn’t associate with unsavory characters...So what was she doing at the docks? And why hasn’t she confided in Essa? Pinching the bridge of her nose, Essa glances out the window and suddenly wishes her mother were here. Not so Essa could deliver the letter to her, but so she had someone to wrap her arms around. She really needed a hug. This letter did nothing to satisfy her curiosity, it just left her confused and somewhat hurt. She shuts the book, letter safely inside. It was probably for the best that she returns the letter to Imeeya's room, she'd hate to misplace it like she misplaced her hair ornament. Just as the girl arches her back in a stretch, there's a knock on the door and a servant peeks his head in. "Forgive me, my lady. There's a man here for Lady Imeeya." Oh? Essa blinks. "Well, let him in, I suppose."
With her heart in her throat, Essa sat alone in her family’s private library. Any servant walking by happened upon nothing out of the ordinary, or so they thought. The young Drakos girl was in her favorite chair that provided her with a lovely view, legs curled up, light brown hair let loose so it fell around her face like a curtain and lastly there was a book in her hands. What they didn’t see, however, was that between two pages lay a letter. Essa’s brows were pinched and she was gently playing with the pendant around her throat, pulling the gem from one way to the next. Essa hadn’t meant to find it, she had no idea it even existed until earlier. But now that she had it, she was left in a state of utter confusion.
When Essa woke this morning, she discovered while being dressed by her loyal maidservant Aikaterine that her favorite pearl hair ornament was missing. The ornament had been a gift given to her by her mother on her fifteenth name day, it was precious to her and seldom was she seen without it braided into her hair. Because she knew almost every servant that walked her halls, not once did the thought that it might have been stolen cross her mind. Instead, she was cross with herself for having misplaced it. Aikaterine, who grew up with Essa and had become a sister and close friend to the young Drakos girl, did all she could to comfort Essa, who was rightly upset for having lost it. After all, this wasn’t just any piece of jewelry; it had been given to her by someone who loved her. “We’ll find it, my lady, you’ll see! Come on, let’s go look!” Arm in arm, both girls began to search high and low for her missing hair ornament, Aikaterine’s optimism infectious.
Eventually, their search would lead them to Essa’s sister’s room, now unoccupied. Aikaterine glanced at Essa with a pout that clearly said she didn’t approve of entering Imeeya’s private space, especially now that Imeeya was away on her trip. “I know, but you just said you think the last place you saw me wearing the pearls was when I was spending time with Meeya while she was packing. You can wait out here, I’ll be fast, promise!” Aikaterine pouted again, blonde brows still furrowed but she said nothing and waited out in the hall as Essa slipped into her sister’s room. It felt wrong to be here without her sister, intrusive. But she needed to find her hair ornament, she would feel so guilty if she couldn’t find it. She wore it nearly every day, Tythra was sure to know something was amiss if she saw Essa without it.
On her hands and knees, Essa searched the ground, searched under chairs, under Imeeya’s bed, under tables and desks. When she found nothing, she carefully looked through Imeeya’s sheets and under her pillows, making sure to place everything back where she found it. When she still couldn’t find it, she gave a deep breath and prayed for forgiveness before she began her search through Imeeya’s drawers, specifically in the one that held all of her sister’s jewelry. She thought that perhaps Imeeya might have found it and, not having enough time, put it away. “What’s taking so long?” She heard Aikaterine hiss from behind the door. “I’m going as fast as I can!” Essa mewled back, letting out a sigh of frustration. Where could it be!? With pouted lips, Essa opens up another drawer, this one filled to the brim with papers. Imeeya’s important papers…
Meeya would kill me if I touched these! Essa knows she’s gone too far in her searching and goes to shut the drawer, ready to accept defeat when a certain paper catches her eye. It’s been folded close although it was placed in such a way that the letter was on its back and in the process of coming undone.
“Lady Tythra,” it read. What was Imeeya doing with a letter addressed to their mother? She told herself it was none of her business and yet reached for it anyway. Before she can read what the letter entails, Aikaterine peeks her blonde head into the room. “Essa, if I have to come in there--” Essa cuts her off with a wave of her hand, quickly placing the letter back in the drawer before shutting it. It’s none of my business, she tells herself again before scurrying out of the room. “I’ll take it you didn’t find it.” Aikaterine murmurs as the girls make their way back to Essa’s bedroom. With a defeated shake of her head, Essa finishes getting ready for the day without her pearl ornament and a need to know what that letter says.
Hours would go by, morning turning to noon, noon to dusk. She spent time with her mother, trying very hard not to be obvious with her glances. Did her mother know about the letter? If not, then why was Imeeya hiding it? What did it say? Tythra eventually left, claiming she had things to do in town and Essa was left all alone with just her servants. Eventually, she shakes off Aikaterine and her other maidservants, claiming she wants to read alone before she makes her way back to Imeeya’s room. “It’s none of my business…” She takes the letter and goes.
Now sat in her favorite chair in the library, Essa glares down at the letter.
“Lady Tythra,
I regret to send you this missive whilst I am not within the Kingdom itself, however I have news to bring to you which concerns your daughter, Lady Imeeya.
As I was arriving upon the docks in Midas in my previous voyage, I happened upon Lady Imeeya with some unsavory characters of which I think you would need to know, if only to ensure your daughter's safety, and I feel tis my duty to you, my lady, to bring such news to your ear. I apologize for the lateness in my informing you of such transgressions, as duties to the crown have kept me otherwise occupied, but I wish to pay a visit to your residence on the morrow in order to update you on what I have seen.
Magnus of Chaossis Master Informer”
Imeeya with unsavory characters? Who? Why? What could Imeeya possibly be doing with “unsavory characters”? This didn’t make any sense. Could it be that Imeeya has a...No, Essa shook her head. If Imeeya was in love, surely she would have told Essa. Besides, Imeeya wasn’t like that. She didn’t associate with unsavory characters...So what was she doing at the docks? And why hasn’t she confided in Essa? Pinching the bridge of her nose, Essa glances out the window and suddenly wishes her mother were here. Not so Essa could deliver the letter to her, but so she had someone to wrap her arms around. She really needed a hug. This letter did nothing to satisfy her curiosity, it just left her confused and somewhat hurt. She shuts the book, letter safely inside. It was probably for the best that she returns the letter to Imeeya's room, she'd hate to misplace it like she misplaced her hair ornament. Just as the girl arches her back in a stretch, there's a knock on the door and a servant peeks his head in. "Forgive me, my lady. There's a man here for Lady Imeeya." Oh? Essa blinks. "Well, let him in, I suppose."
The day was hot but the near constant sea breezes sweeping up through the streets from the sea below, carrying with them the scents of salt water, roasting meat from the market, and the fragrance of flowers from the surrounding houses kept him cool enough to be comfortable. Just inside the Drakos manner, there was a fruit tree that was much, much bigger than he remembered it. With a cursory glance around for the servant, he moved over away from the gate to the wall, braced one boot on the stone, and then found a handhold. It was no trouble at all after that to pull himself up onto the top of the wall and drop down into the courtyard. He remembered that tree being planted when the old one had been harmed in a storm. The memory was all the more vivid because he’d been the one tasked with hauling away baskets of root and dirt when they removed the old one and then hauling dirt back when they planted the sapling. He’d been seven at the time.
Moving over to the tree, he walked around it, noting the twenty five years it had grown while he was gone. Was gone? He wasn’t back and he hoped to the gods he never would be in the same capacity that he left in. There was nothing worse, to his mind, than having to live as a slave again. With a ship and a crew and the freedom to go and be anywhere he chose, captivity was not an option. He’d die first.
Crouching down, he took his knife from his boot and pressed the knife’s tip to the soft bark of the tree. His dark eyes followed the progress to make the very easy to remember first letter of his name. All it took was two deft strokes; one up and one down to make the Lamda symbol. One thing he could do was at least sign his own name.
“Hey!” he glanced up with absolutely no remorse as the servant streaked across the courtyard and stared at what he’d done. “You marked on Lady Drako’s tree!”
“I did,” he pocketed the knife and stood. The servant’s eyes darted from Lukos to the marred tree and back again, blatantly unsure of what to do. The pirate took advantage of the indecision, knowing that the man was considering throwing him out of the front gate. “So she said yes to seeing me,” he said with a smirk, thinking this very funny. His smile dropped and he frowned when the servant shook his head emphatically.
“No. Lady Essa will see you. Lady Imeeya is not home.” And without another word, ignoring any questions Lukos put to him, the servant threw a last angry look at the tree, spun on his heel, and led Lukos into the house. He’d been in rich houses before and did not gawk at the splendor around him. It did feel incredibly strange to glance around and see with adult eyes the things he only half remembered. Some things had changed - furniture placement, new vases or statues, and then there were things that were forever fixed. The flow of the rooms and he might even have managed to make it to the library without this man leading him.
Once in the library, he took a quick look around, sorting in seconds how much this room was worth The books that filled the shelves, the rolls of papyrus, the very furniture that was placed in here. He stayed where he was until the servant left but after that, he was in motion. Though he was aware of Lady Essa’s presence, he didn’t immediately look at her. Instead, he prowled quietly around the room’s perimeter, trailing his fingers across the leather bound spines of the books, taking mental inventory of what he was seeing. Only once he had assured himself that there was one way in and one way out of this room, he moved back to the door and placed himself between it and Lady Essa.
His gaze settled on her, moving slowly over her, assessing. She was young, pretty enough, and absolutely uninformed as to who he was or what he wanted. A smile crossed his lips and he placed his hands behind his back. She was not tall like her sister but she was slender in the same way. Delicate looking with the sort of innocence that made him want to crush that demeanor right out of her being. For the right person, she’d be worth a fair bit. Not enough to be worth the trouble of bothering to take her right from her house. That wasn’t the point of this visit anyway. He hadn’t known she existed until five minutes ago.
“So Lady Imeeya is gone,” said with the smile still in place. “What a shame. I had to much to discuss with her.” There was a chair near the door, a bit to the side. He settled himself there, sitting with his arms comfortably on the sides of the chair, his wrists hanging off carelessly and one leg resting over one knee, as though he was sitting on a throne instead of someone else's library chair.
"You're Lady Imeeya's daughter?" he asked, knowing she was no such thing. This girl could be a cousin but the more likely answer was a younger sibling.
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The day was hot but the near constant sea breezes sweeping up through the streets from the sea below, carrying with them the scents of salt water, roasting meat from the market, and the fragrance of flowers from the surrounding houses kept him cool enough to be comfortable. Just inside the Drakos manner, there was a fruit tree that was much, much bigger than he remembered it. With a cursory glance around for the servant, he moved over away from the gate to the wall, braced one boot on the stone, and then found a handhold. It was no trouble at all after that to pull himself up onto the top of the wall and drop down into the courtyard. He remembered that tree being planted when the old one had been harmed in a storm. The memory was all the more vivid because he’d been the one tasked with hauling away baskets of root and dirt when they removed the old one and then hauling dirt back when they planted the sapling. He’d been seven at the time.
Moving over to the tree, he walked around it, noting the twenty five years it had grown while he was gone. Was gone? He wasn’t back and he hoped to the gods he never would be in the same capacity that he left in. There was nothing worse, to his mind, than having to live as a slave again. With a ship and a crew and the freedom to go and be anywhere he chose, captivity was not an option. He’d die first.
Crouching down, he took his knife from his boot and pressed the knife’s tip to the soft bark of the tree. His dark eyes followed the progress to make the very easy to remember first letter of his name. All it took was two deft strokes; one up and one down to make the Lamda symbol. One thing he could do was at least sign his own name.
“Hey!” he glanced up with absolutely no remorse as the servant streaked across the courtyard and stared at what he’d done. “You marked on Lady Drako’s tree!”
“I did,” he pocketed the knife and stood. The servant’s eyes darted from Lukos to the marred tree and back again, blatantly unsure of what to do. The pirate took advantage of the indecision, knowing that the man was considering throwing him out of the front gate. “So she said yes to seeing me,” he said with a smirk, thinking this very funny. His smile dropped and he frowned when the servant shook his head emphatically.
“No. Lady Essa will see you. Lady Imeeya is not home.” And without another word, ignoring any questions Lukos put to him, the servant threw a last angry look at the tree, spun on his heel, and led Lukos into the house. He’d been in rich houses before and did not gawk at the splendor around him. It did feel incredibly strange to glance around and see with adult eyes the things he only half remembered. Some things had changed - furniture placement, new vases or statues, and then there were things that were forever fixed. The flow of the rooms and he might even have managed to make it to the library without this man leading him.
Once in the library, he took a quick look around, sorting in seconds how much this room was worth The books that filled the shelves, the rolls of papyrus, the very furniture that was placed in here. He stayed where he was until the servant left but after that, he was in motion. Though he was aware of Lady Essa’s presence, he didn’t immediately look at her. Instead, he prowled quietly around the room’s perimeter, trailing his fingers across the leather bound spines of the books, taking mental inventory of what he was seeing. Only once he had assured himself that there was one way in and one way out of this room, he moved back to the door and placed himself between it and Lady Essa.
His gaze settled on her, moving slowly over her, assessing. She was young, pretty enough, and absolutely uninformed as to who he was or what he wanted. A smile crossed his lips and he placed his hands behind his back. She was not tall like her sister but she was slender in the same way. Delicate looking with the sort of innocence that made him want to crush that demeanor right out of her being. For the right person, she’d be worth a fair bit. Not enough to be worth the trouble of bothering to take her right from her house. That wasn’t the point of this visit anyway. He hadn’t known she existed until five minutes ago.
“So Lady Imeeya is gone,” said with the smile still in place. “What a shame. I had to much to discuss with her.” There was a chair near the door, a bit to the side. He settled himself there, sitting with his arms comfortably on the sides of the chair, his wrists hanging off carelessly and one leg resting over one knee, as though he was sitting on a throne instead of someone else's library chair.
"You're Lady Imeeya's daughter?" he asked, knowing she was no such thing. This girl could be a cousin but the more likely answer was a younger sibling.
The day was hot but the near constant sea breezes sweeping up through the streets from the sea below, carrying with them the scents of salt water, roasting meat from the market, and the fragrance of flowers from the surrounding houses kept him cool enough to be comfortable. Just inside the Drakos manner, there was a fruit tree that was much, much bigger than he remembered it. With a cursory glance around for the servant, he moved over away from the gate to the wall, braced one boot on the stone, and then found a handhold. It was no trouble at all after that to pull himself up onto the top of the wall and drop down into the courtyard. He remembered that tree being planted when the old one had been harmed in a storm. The memory was all the more vivid because he’d been the one tasked with hauling away baskets of root and dirt when they removed the old one and then hauling dirt back when they planted the sapling. He’d been seven at the time.
Moving over to the tree, he walked around it, noting the twenty five years it had grown while he was gone. Was gone? He wasn’t back and he hoped to the gods he never would be in the same capacity that he left in. There was nothing worse, to his mind, than having to live as a slave again. With a ship and a crew and the freedom to go and be anywhere he chose, captivity was not an option. He’d die first.
Crouching down, he took his knife from his boot and pressed the knife’s tip to the soft bark of the tree. His dark eyes followed the progress to make the very easy to remember first letter of his name. All it took was two deft strokes; one up and one down to make the Lamda symbol. One thing he could do was at least sign his own name.
“Hey!” he glanced up with absolutely no remorse as the servant streaked across the courtyard and stared at what he’d done. “You marked on Lady Drako’s tree!”
“I did,” he pocketed the knife and stood. The servant’s eyes darted from Lukos to the marred tree and back again, blatantly unsure of what to do. The pirate took advantage of the indecision, knowing that the man was considering throwing him out of the front gate. “So she said yes to seeing me,” he said with a smirk, thinking this very funny. His smile dropped and he frowned when the servant shook his head emphatically.
“No. Lady Essa will see you. Lady Imeeya is not home.” And without another word, ignoring any questions Lukos put to him, the servant threw a last angry look at the tree, spun on his heel, and led Lukos into the house. He’d been in rich houses before and did not gawk at the splendor around him. It did feel incredibly strange to glance around and see with adult eyes the things he only half remembered. Some things had changed - furniture placement, new vases or statues, and then there were things that were forever fixed. The flow of the rooms and he might even have managed to make it to the library without this man leading him.
Once in the library, he took a quick look around, sorting in seconds how much this room was worth The books that filled the shelves, the rolls of papyrus, the very furniture that was placed in here. He stayed where he was until the servant left but after that, he was in motion. Though he was aware of Lady Essa’s presence, he didn’t immediately look at her. Instead, he prowled quietly around the room’s perimeter, trailing his fingers across the leather bound spines of the books, taking mental inventory of what he was seeing. Only once he had assured himself that there was one way in and one way out of this room, he moved back to the door and placed himself between it and Lady Essa.
His gaze settled on her, moving slowly over her, assessing. She was young, pretty enough, and absolutely uninformed as to who he was or what he wanted. A smile crossed his lips and he placed his hands behind his back. She was not tall like her sister but she was slender in the same way. Delicate looking with the sort of innocence that made him want to crush that demeanor right out of her being. For the right person, she’d be worth a fair bit. Not enough to be worth the trouble of bothering to take her right from her house. That wasn’t the point of this visit anyway. He hadn’t known she existed until five minutes ago.
“So Lady Imeeya is gone,” said with the smile still in place. “What a shame. I had to much to discuss with her.” There was a chair near the door, a bit to the side. He settled himself there, sitting with his arms comfortably on the sides of the chair, his wrists hanging off carelessly and one leg resting over one knee, as though he was sitting on a throne instead of someone else's library chair.
"You're Lady Imeeya's daughter?" he asked, knowing she was no such thing. This girl could be a cousin but the more likely answer was a younger sibling.
Essa waited patiently for her servant to return, her back to the door, brows furrowed and lips pulled down into an uncharacteristic frown. She braced herself against the window, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her brown eyes took in everything and nothing all at once, mind adrift. She couldn't piece it together, what Imeeya might have been doing down at the docks. Whatever she had been doing and who ever she had been talking to, she obviously hadn't wanted their mother to know. She could understand not wanting to enrage their mother, but was it not better to be honest? Was Imeeya not concerned that Tythra would eventually find out? And what of Magnus? What would her sister do if he returned and spoke to Tythra about the matter personally?
No longer alone, the Drakos girl turned. She watched him walk about the library, not sure what she should say. Greet him, surely, but the words were caught in her throat. Twice her lips part and twice they slam shut, Essa awkward and unsure. She very obviously lacked the grace and poise Imeeya and Tythra had. Her cheeks are hot with embarrassment. Finally the man turns to her. He's ridiculously handsome, his curly brown hair and sharp features reminding her of the heroes in her story books. His clothing suggested he was below her social class, not that she cared. He sat and Essa, frozen and shy, remained standing, her knees locked. "N-no." Why, of all times, must she stutter!? She was the lady of this house! Tythra would be so disappointed that her own daughter could not even speak without tripping over her own words. "I'm her sister, Lady Essa. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing…" What more was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to get him something? Something to drink, perhaps? Should she tell him Imeeya would return soon and then dismiss him? Ask him if there was anything she could do since he came all this way? She wished her mother were here, talking to him instead. Essa hated making herself out as a fool.
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Essa waited patiently for her servant to return, her back to the door, brows furrowed and lips pulled down into an uncharacteristic frown. She braced herself against the window, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her brown eyes took in everything and nothing all at once, mind adrift. She couldn't piece it together, what Imeeya might have been doing down at the docks. Whatever she had been doing and who ever she had been talking to, she obviously hadn't wanted their mother to know. She could understand not wanting to enrage their mother, but was it not better to be honest? Was Imeeya not concerned that Tythra would eventually find out? And what of Magnus? What would her sister do if he returned and spoke to Tythra about the matter personally?
No longer alone, the Drakos girl turned. She watched him walk about the library, not sure what she should say. Greet him, surely, but the words were caught in her throat. Twice her lips part and twice they slam shut, Essa awkward and unsure. She very obviously lacked the grace and poise Imeeya and Tythra had. Her cheeks are hot with embarrassment. Finally the man turns to her. He's ridiculously handsome, his curly brown hair and sharp features reminding her of the heroes in her story books. His clothing suggested he was below her social class, not that she cared. He sat and Essa, frozen and shy, remained standing, her knees locked. "N-no." Why, of all times, must she stutter!? She was the lady of this house! Tythra would be so disappointed that her own daughter could not even speak without tripping over her own words. "I'm her sister, Lady Essa. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing…" What more was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to get him something? Something to drink, perhaps? Should she tell him Imeeya would return soon and then dismiss him? Ask him if there was anything she could do since he came all this way? She wished her mother were here, talking to him instead. Essa hated making herself out as a fool.
Essa waited patiently for her servant to return, her back to the door, brows furrowed and lips pulled down into an uncharacteristic frown. She braced herself against the window, arms wrapped tightly around herself as her brown eyes took in everything and nothing all at once, mind adrift. She couldn't piece it together, what Imeeya might have been doing down at the docks. Whatever she had been doing and who ever she had been talking to, she obviously hadn't wanted their mother to know. She could understand not wanting to enrage their mother, but was it not better to be honest? Was Imeeya not concerned that Tythra would eventually find out? And what of Magnus? What would her sister do if he returned and spoke to Tythra about the matter personally?
No longer alone, the Drakos girl turned. She watched him walk about the library, not sure what she should say. Greet him, surely, but the words were caught in her throat. Twice her lips part and twice they slam shut, Essa awkward and unsure. She very obviously lacked the grace and poise Imeeya and Tythra had. Her cheeks are hot with embarrassment. Finally the man turns to her. He's ridiculously handsome, his curly brown hair and sharp features reminding her of the heroes in her story books. His clothing suggested he was below her social class, not that she cared. He sat and Essa, frozen and shy, remained standing, her knees locked. "N-no." Why, of all times, must she stutter!? She was the lady of this house! Tythra would be so disappointed that her own daughter could not even speak without tripping over her own words. "I'm her sister, Lady Essa. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing…" What more was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to get him something? Something to drink, perhaps? Should she tell him Imeeya would return soon and then dismiss him? Ask him if there was anything she could do since he came all this way? She wished her mother were here, talking to him instead. Essa hated making herself out as a fool.
His whole demeanor, from showing up in the first place, to prowling about the room was designed to keep the occupants of this house off balance. That Imeeya wasn’t here to witness this display was a disappointment but he’d settle for the little sister. She looked like a sweet, innocent little thing. His most favorite kind of person to deal with. When she stumbled over her words a little, the timbre trembling and halting, he smiled encouragingly at her. “Not for nothing,” he corrected.
“She didn’t mention that she had any siblings.” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Now we’ve met. How fortuitous.” The chair was comfortable. Designed for sitting for long periods of time but Lukos was incapable of doing such a thing. He liked to have the freedom to roam and did not usually place himself in confined spaces. For a few more seconds he stayed in the chair but then he was up, standing behind it, and looking at Lady Essa.
“I will admit to being a little surprised at not finding Lady Imeeya home. She said she doesn’t often venture too far away.” A lie. They hadn’t talked about any such thing. It was, however, a good guess on his part. When he’d met Lady Imeeya at the docks, dressed in that pale pink and looking unsure of herself, he figured she didn’t associate herself with many people beyond her immediate circle. He was also willing to bet that her little sister knew nothing at all of the encounter.
“I rendered your sister a service the other day and she asked that I come to recieve my recompense, but as I sail, I couldn’t give her a decisive day that I might be here. She mentioned something about a few coins? Nothing large, obviously. I wouldn’t want her in trouble.” Rising slowly from the chair, he moved toward the window and looked down at the city that stretched away from the house in long steppes. He’d been many places and seen many things but there was something about this city in particular that he loved quite a lot. Its overall shape and structure, the way it was built into the rock. It had a feeling of safety surrounding it. Like it was an impenetrable fortress. The houses for the rich that were built into the tops of these steppes, like this one they were standing in, also had the feeling of security, constructed into them by the very gates used to protect them.
He turned away from the window and leaned against the pane, crossing his arms and watching Essa struggle with what to do with him next. She was full young and he didn’t expect that she would have either the nerve or the desire to contradict anything he said. Of course, he could be wrong. Perhaps she was a young woman full of fire and tenacity...but she didn’t strike him that way. She struck him as a bit like her sister. Shy. Unsure. That was just fine.
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His whole demeanor, from showing up in the first place, to prowling about the room was designed to keep the occupants of this house off balance. That Imeeya wasn’t here to witness this display was a disappointment but he’d settle for the little sister. She looked like a sweet, innocent little thing. His most favorite kind of person to deal with. When she stumbled over her words a little, the timbre trembling and halting, he smiled encouragingly at her. “Not for nothing,” he corrected.
“She didn’t mention that she had any siblings.” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Now we’ve met. How fortuitous.” The chair was comfortable. Designed for sitting for long periods of time but Lukos was incapable of doing such a thing. He liked to have the freedom to roam and did not usually place himself in confined spaces. For a few more seconds he stayed in the chair but then he was up, standing behind it, and looking at Lady Essa.
“I will admit to being a little surprised at not finding Lady Imeeya home. She said she doesn’t often venture too far away.” A lie. They hadn’t talked about any such thing. It was, however, a good guess on his part. When he’d met Lady Imeeya at the docks, dressed in that pale pink and looking unsure of herself, he figured she didn’t associate herself with many people beyond her immediate circle. He was also willing to bet that her little sister knew nothing at all of the encounter.
“I rendered your sister a service the other day and she asked that I come to recieve my recompense, but as I sail, I couldn’t give her a decisive day that I might be here. She mentioned something about a few coins? Nothing large, obviously. I wouldn’t want her in trouble.” Rising slowly from the chair, he moved toward the window and looked down at the city that stretched away from the house in long steppes. He’d been many places and seen many things but there was something about this city in particular that he loved quite a lot. Its overall shape and structure, the way it was built into the rock. It had a feeling of safety surrounding it. Like it was an impenetrable fortress. The houses for the rich that were built into the tops of these steppes, like this one they were standing in, also had the feeling of security, constructed into them by the very gates used to protect them.
He turned away from the window and leaned against the pane, crossing his arms and watching Essa struggle with what to do with him next. She was full young and he didn’t expect that she would have either the nerve or the desire to contradict anything he said. Of course, he could be wrong. Perhaps she was a young woman full of fire and tenacity...but she didn’t strike him that way. She struck him as a bit like her sister. Shy. Unsure. That was just fine.
His whole demeanor, from showing up in the first place, to prowling about the room was designed to keep the occupants of this house off balance. That Imeeya wasn’t here to witness this display was a disappointment but he’d settle for the little sister. She looked like a sweet, innocent little thing. His most favorite kind of person to deal with. When she stumbled over her words a little, the timbre trembling and halting, he smiled encouragingly at her. “Not for nothing,” he corrected.
“She didn’t mention that she had any siblings.” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Now we’ve met. How fortuitous.” The chair was comfortable. Designed for sitting for long periods of time but Lukos was incapable of doing such a thing. He liked to have the freedom to roam and did not usually place himself in confined spaces. For a few more seconds he stayed in the chair but then he was up, standing behind it, and looking at Lady Essa.
“I will admit to being a little surprised at not finding Lady Imeeya home. She said she doesn’t often venture too far away.” A lie. They hadn’t talked about any such thing. It was, however, a good guess on his part. When he’d met Lady Imeeya at the docks, dressed in that pale pink and looking unsure of herself, he figured she didn’t associate herself with many people beyond her immediate circle. He was also willing to bet that her little sister knew nothing at all of the encounter.
“I rendered your sister a service the other day and she asked that I come to recieve my recompense, but as I sail, I couldn’t give her a decisive day that I might be here. She mentioned something about a few coins? Nothing large, obviously. I wouldn’t want her in trouble.” Rising slowly from the chair, he moved toward the window and looked down at the city that stretched away from the house in long steppes. He’d been many places and seen many things but there was something about this city in particular that he loved quite a lot. Its overall shape and structure, the way it was built into the rock. It had a feeling of safety surrounding it. Like it was an impenetrable fortress. The houses for the rich that were built into the tops of these steppes, like this one they were standing in, also had the feeling of security, constructed into them by the very gates used to protect them.
He turned away from the window and leaned against the pane, crossing his arms and watching Essa struggle with what to do with him next. She was full young and he didn’t expect that she would have either the nerve or the desire to contradict anything he said. Of course, he could be wrong. Perhaps she was a young woman full of fire and tenacity...but she didn’t strike him that way. She struck him as a bit like her sister. Shy. Unsure. That was just fine.
"Not for nothing." He said, his smile encouraging and disarming. Essa's cheek flushed against her will and she lowered her eyes to her feet. How unlucky she was to be so young and lack beauty, for had she had her mother or her sister’s radiance, perhaps she would have given him a smile in return, but she felt like an ugly duckling under his scrutiny. It was his next words, however, that caused Essa's eyes to rise once again and she tilted her head to the side just slightly, not entirely sure, as per usual, what to say. Or what to feel. Should she be upset that Imeeya never mentioned her? Perhaps not. After all, there was nothing quite spectacular about Essa thus there was no reason to brag. But there was also the fact that Imeeya was quite protective over her younger sister, so maybe she decided Essa was best kept a secret. Or, and perhaps most logical, the relationship between Imeeya and this man was strictly business, therefore, Imeeya never felt the need to mention her sister. Yes, that had to be it. See? She told herself, No reason to be sad. Fortuitous? "Indeed."She murmured just as he rose from the chair and moved to stand behind it. Was it not comfortable? Was he perhaps in a hurry?
"You're a sailor?"She asked, accidentally pushing aside the rest of his words. With brown eyes alight with curiosity, Essa blinks at the man and waits for an answer, not bothering to hide her sudden interest. She'd just gotten done rereading one of her stories about a sailor! She’d read it nearly a thousand times! A life of adventure, suspense, danger! What was it like to sleep under the stars? Was it as beautiful as she imagined? Essa preferred the safety of land, but even she could not deny that life at sea had its charms! It was only when he turned towards her did she realize he had crossed the room to stand by the window and that, perhaps more embarrassing, she had been off in her thoughts and imagination while he was still there and waiting for her answer regarding payment. Once again her cheeks flushed pink. She was a stupid fool! "Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" With a polite smile, Essa scurried to her mother’s study. She hadn’t stopped the think it unwise to leave the stranger alone in the library until she was pulling out a bag of coins from her mother’s safe box with the silent promise to pay her mama back later tonight. Had she made a mistake in not informing one of her servants to watch him while she left? Locking the safe box, she gathers her skirt in her free hand and quickly rushes back, afraid she just made a terrible mistake when she suddenly remembers his smile, how disarming it had been. Her pace slowed. He was a good man, she was sure of it! Besides, what could he possibly find worthwhile to steal in their library? There was no treasure there, at least not for most people who considered books to be just books while people like Essa thought books to be the greatest of treasures.
But then she remembers the book she left sitting on her chair, the book with Imeeya’s letter tucked between pages. While she believed him not to be a thief, she for one knew exactly how easy it was to let curiosity get the better of you. What if he wanted to see what she was reading to occupy himself while he waited and he saw the letter!? Angry at herself, she waltzed back into the library, coin purse already handed towards him. “Will this suffice?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. She might have given him more than asked for...
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"Not for nothing." He said, his smile encouraging and disarming. Essa's cheek flushed against her will and she lowered her eyes to her feet. How unlucky she was to be so young and lack beauty, for had she had her mother or her sister’s radiance, perhaps she would have given him a smile in return, but she felt like an ugly duckling under his scrutiny. It was his next words, however, that caused Essa's eyes to rise once again and she tilted her head to the side just slightly, not entirely sure, as per usual, what to say. Or what to feel. Should she be upset that Imeeya never mentioned her? Perhaps not. After all, there was nothing quite spectacular about Essa thus there was no reason to brag. But there was also the fact that Imeeya was quite protective over her younger sister, so maybe she decided Essa was best kept a secret. Or, and perhaps most logical, the relationship between Imeeya and this man was strictly business, therefore, Imeeya never felt the need to mention her sister. Yes, that had to be it. See? She told herself, No reason to be sad. Fortuitous? "Indeed."She murmured just as he rose from the chair and moved to stand behind it. Was it not comfortable? Was he perhaps in a hurry?
"You're a sailor?"She asked, accidentally pushing aside the rest of his words. With brown eyes alight with curiosity, Essa blinks at the man and waits for an answer, not bothering to hide her sudden interest. She'd just gotten done rereading one of her stories about a sailor! She’d read it nearly a thousand times! A life of adventure, suspense, danger! What was it like to sleep under the stars? Was it as beautiful as she imagined? Essa preferred the safety of land, but even she could not deny that life at sea had its charms! It was only when he turned towards her did she realize he had crossed the room to stand by the window and that, perhaps more embarrassing, she had been off in her thoughts and imagination while he was still there and waiting for her answer regarding payment. Once again her cheeks flushed pink. She was a stupid fool! "Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" With a polite smile, Essa scurried to her mother’s study. She hadn’t stopped the think it unwise to leave the stranger alone in the library until she was pulling out a bag of coins from her mother’s safe box with the silent promise to pay her mama back later tonight. Had she made a mistake in not informing one of her servants to watch him while she left? Locking the safe box, she gathers her skirt in her free hand and quickly rushes back, afraid she just made a terrible mistake when she suddenly remembers his smile, how disarming it had been. Her pace slowed. He was a good man, she was sure of it! Besides, what could he possibly find worthwhile to steal in their library? There was no treasure there, at least not for most people who considered books to be just books while people like Essa thought books to be the greatest of treasures.
But then she remembers the book she left sitting on her chair, the book with Imeeya’s letter tucked between pages. While she believed him not to be a thief, she for one knew exactly how easy it was to let curiosity get the better of you. What if he wanted to see what she was reading to occupy himself while he waited and he saw the letter!? Angry at herself, she waltzed back into the library, coin purse already handed towards him. “Will this suffice?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. She might have given him more than asked for...
"Not for nothing." He said, his smile encouraging and disarming. Essa's cheek flushed against her will and she lowered her eyes to her feet. How unlucky she was to be so young and lack beauty, for had she had her mother or her sister’s radiance, perhaps she would have given him a smile in return, but she felt like an ugly duckling under his scrutiny. It was his next words, however, that caused Essa's eyes to rise once again and she tilted her head to the side just slightly, not entirely sure, as per usual, what to say. Or what to feel. Should she be upset that Imeeya never mentioned her? Perhaps not. After all, there was nothing quite spectacular about Essa thus there was no reason to brag. But there was also the fact that Imeeya was quite protective over her younger sister, so maybe she decided Essa was best kept a secret. Or, and perhaps most logical, the relationship between Imeeya and this man was strictly business, therefore, Imeeya never felt the need to mention her sister. Yes, that had to be it. See? She told herself, No reason to be sad. Fortuitous? "Indeed."She murmured just as he rose from the chair and moved to stand behind it. Was it not comfortable? Was he perhaps in a hurry?
"You're a sailor?"She asked, accidentally pushing aside the rest of his words. With brown eyes alight with curiosity, Essa blinks at the man and waits for an answer, not bothering to hide her sudden interest. She'd just gotten done rereading one of her stories about a sailor! She’d read it nearly a thousand times! A life of adventure, suspense, danger! What was it like to sleep under the stars? Was it as beautiful as she imagined? Essa preferred the safety of land, but even she could not deny that life at sea had its charms! It was only when he turned towards her did she realize he had crossed the room to stand by the window and that, perhaps more embarrassing, she had been off in her thoughts and imagination while he was still there and waiting for her answer regarding payment. Once again her cheeks flushed pink. She was a stupid fool! "Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" With a polite smile, Essa scurried to her mother’s study. She hadn’t stopped the think it unwise to leave the stranger alone in the library until she was pulling out a bag of coins from her mother’s safe box with the silent promise to pay her mama back later tonight. Had she made a mistake in not informing one of her servants to watch him while she left? Locking the safe box, she gathers her skirt in her free hand and quickly rushes back, afraid she just made a terrible mistake when she suddenly remembers his smile, how disarming it had been. Her pace slowed. He was a good man, she was sure of it! Besides, what could he possibly find worthwhile to steal in their library? There was no treasure there, at least not for most people who considered books to be just books while people like Essa thought books to be the greatest of treasures.
But then she remembers the book she left sitting on her chair, the book with Imeeya’s letter tucked between pages. While she believed him not to be a thief, she for one knew exactly how easy it was to let curiosity get the better of you. What if he wanted to see what she was reading to occupy himself while he waited and he saw the letter!? Angry at herself, she waltzed back into the library, coin purse already handed towards him. “Will this suffice?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. She might have given him more than asked for...
"You're a sailor?" she asked with undisguised enthusiasm. That got his attention. She was so much different than her sister had been. The other Drakos girl had been flinching, blatantly unsure, awkward. This one seemed decidedly sweet and naive in the best of ways. He grinned at her, his eyes catching the sunlight streaming through the window and appearing warmer than they usually did. A trick of the light. This adorable little one would be easy to get money out of, he was positive. At the merest mention of it, she looked alarmed and embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought of it.
"Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" She jumped like she’d been scalded and fled the room. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink and she left behind the delicate scent of some sort of perfume that only the upper classes had access to. He found himself drawn from the window to follow in its wake. In her haste, she’d left the library door open, allowing him to lean against the door frame, a hand on each side, watching her streak upstairs to the family rooms. The ones that strangers were not usually allowed to access. Would she let him? He wondered? Surely none of her servants would stop her from doing what she wanted...he just had to convince her she wanted it.
He waited for her in the doorway for a few seconds. His left hand curled into a fist and he absently drummed it against the frame. Then he puffed out a breath, glancing around the hallway connecting the rooms. There was nothing to see. No one was walking, no one was watching. Nothing. No wonder she was so willing to entertain him. She had to be b o r e d in this house. He’d save her from that and gain insight in the process. After all, she’d scurried away before he had the chance to answer her question.
He kept drumming his knuckles against the door frame but grew tired of it. Her footsteps were still not dashing back down and he wasn’t entirely sure what was keeping her. In truth, she hadn’t been gone for more than a minute by that point, but waiting for someone seemed like waiting for eternity. Turning, he cast about the room, looking for something to occupy him. His gaze bounced from bookshelves to window to chair, to book, to bookshelves-wait.
Looking back at the book, he noticed it lying flat open with a page that looked different than the others. Was she looking at a drawing? Or was it a letter? Why have it in a book? Was she hiding it? Was it important in some way? How interesting. He walked over and plucked up the paper, only to be confronted with an irritating amount of words. Some letters he recognized, some he didn’t, but all of it was illegible and unreadable to him. He turned it over, looking at the blank back side of the paper and the brought it round front again. Huh.
He might not be able to read this, but Bianor could. Lukos decided to take it. Probably it was nothing more than a silly love note that she was passing off or receiving from some boy. People did that, he assumed, though he’d never had to. Creasing it in crisp, neat lines, because he liked things decidedly neat, he kept folding it onto itself until it was a perfect little square that easily fit in the pouch on his belt. Popping that in there, he moved away from the book and was back in the doorway by the time Essa arrived back downstairs.
Lukos took a step back to admit her entrance into the room and raised his eyebrows when she thrust the coin purse at him. His surprise didn’t last but a second. He wasn’t idiot enough to let her change her mind about paying him too much. He could feel the weight over the over payment as his fingers curled around the bag’s neck.
“Will this suffice?” she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes and giving him the strangest inkling that she might actually not be as innocent as she liked to pretend. That or she was easily corruptible. He laughed, a genuine, unsure laugh, and smiled.
“Yeah,” he nodded, pouring the coins into his own coin purse to cover the square of letter and handing the empty bag back to her. “I think it might do! So,” he frowned but kept smiling, as though he was considering something she might not want to answer. “You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am. My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?”
He shifted around her, leaning on the doorframe again, his head tilted, with one foot out the door, ready to leave at any second, whatever her answer was. If she said no, he’d leave her here, no problem. What she’d given him was far more than what he’d assumed he would get. If she said yes, he’d do exactly as he promised. Maybe get a little more of his curiosity about her family out of the way. Despite not having been a slave of this house since he was eight, he was still intensely curious about it.
“You don’t have to,” he said after a second, waving her off in a good natured way. “Forget I said anything.”
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"You're a sailor?" she asked with undisguised enthusiasm. That got his attention. She was so much different than her sister had been. The other Drakos girl had been flinching, blatantly unsure, awkward. This one seemed decidedly sweet and naive in the best of ways. He grinned at her, his eyes catching the sunlight streaming through the window and appearing warmer than they usually did. A trick of the light. This adorable little one would be easy to get money out of, he was positive. At the merest mention of it, she looked alarmed and embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought of it.
"Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" She jumped like she’d been scalded and fled the room. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink and she left behind the delicate scent of some sort of perfume that only the upper classes had access to. He found himself drawn from the window to follow in its wake. In her haste, she’d left the library door open, allowing him to lean against the door frame, a hand on each side, watching her streak upstairs to the family rooms. The ones that strangers were not usually allowed to access. Would she let him? He wondered? Surely none of her servants would stop her from doing what she wanted...he just had to convince her she wanted it.
He waited for her in the doorway for a few seconds. His left hand curled into a fist and he absently drummed it against the frame. Then he puffed out a breath, glancing around the hallway connecting the rooms. There was nothing to see. No one was walking, no one was watching. Nothing. No wonder she was so willing to entertain him. She had to be b o r e d in this house. He’d save her from that and gain insight in the process. After all, she’d scurried away before he had the chance to answer her question.
He kept drumming his knuckles against the door frame but grew tired of it. Her footsteps were still not dashing back down and he wasn’t entirely sure what was keeping her. In truth, she hadn’t been gone for more than a minute by that point, but waiting for someone seemed like waiting for eternity. Turning, he cast about the room, looking for something to occupy him. His gaze bounced from bookshelves to window to chair, to book, to bookshelves-wait.
Looking back at the book, he noticed it lying flat open with a page that looked different than the others. Was she looking at a drawing? Or was it a letter? Why have it in a book? Was she hiding it? Was it important in some way? How interesting. He walked over and plucked up the paper, only to be confronted with an irritating amount of words. Some letters he recognized, some he didn’t, but all of it was illegible and unreadable to him. He turned it over, looking at the blank back side of the paper and the brought it round front again. Huh.
He might not be able to read this, but Bianor could. Lukos decided to take it. Probably it was nothing more than a silly love note that she was passing off or receiving from some boy. People did that, he assumed, though he’d never had to. Creasing it in crisp, neat lines, because he liked things decidedly neat, he kept folding it onto itself until it was a perfect little square that easily fit in the pouch on his belt. Popping that in there, he moved away from the book and was back in the doorway by the time Essa arrived back downstairs.
Lukos took a step back to admit her entrance into the room and raised his eyebrows when she thrust the coin purse at him. His surprise didn’t last but a second. He wasn’t idiot enough to let her change her mind about paying him too much. He could feel the weight over the over payment as his fingers curled around the bag’s neck.
“Will this suffice?” she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes and giving him the strangest inkling that she might actually not be as innocent as she liked to pretend. That or she was easily corruptible. He laughed, a genuine, unsure laugh, and smiled.
“Yeah,” he nodded, pouring the coins into his own coin purse to cover the square of letter and handing the empty bag back to her. “I think it might do! So,” he frowned but kept smiling, as though he was considering something she might not want to answer. “You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am. My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?”
He shifted around her, leaning on the doorframe again, his head tilted, with one foot out the door, ready to leave at any second, whatever her answer was. If she said no, he’d leave her here, no problem. What she’d given him was far more than what he’d assumed he would get. If she said yes, he’d do exactly as he promised. Maybe get a little more of his curiosity about her family out of the way. Despite not having been a slave of this house since he was eight, he was still intensely curious about it.
“You don’t have to,” he said after a second, waving her off in a good natured way. “Forget I said anything.”
"You're a sailor?" she asked with undisguised enthusiasm. That got his attention. She was so much different than her sister had been. The other Drakos girl had been flinching, blatantly unsure, awkward. This one seemed decidedly sweet and naive in the best of ways. He grinned at her, his eyes catching the sunlight streaming through the window and appearing warmer than they usually did. A trick of the light. This adorable little one would be easy to get money out of, he was positive. At the merest mention of it, she looked alarmed and embarrassed that she hadn’t even thought of it.
"Oh, payment! Yes, just a moment!" She jumped like she’d been scalded and fled the room. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink and she left behind the delicate scent of some sort of perfume that only the upper classes had access to. He found himself drawn from the window to follow in its wake. In her haste, she’d left the library door open, allowing him to lean against the door frame, a hand on each side, watching her streak upstairs to the family rooms. The ones that strangers were not usually allowed to access. Would she let him? He wondered? Surely none of her servants would stop her from doing what she wanted...he just had to convince her she wanted it.
He waited for her in the doorway for a few seconds. His left hand curled into a fist and he absently drummed it against the frame. Then he puffed out a breath, glancing around the hallway connecting the rooms. There was nothing to see. No one was walking, no one was watching. Nothing. No wonder she was so willing to entertain him. She had to be b o r e d in this house. He’d save her from that and gain insight in the process. After all, she’d scurried away before he had the chance to answer her question.
He kept drumming his knuckles against the door frame but grew tired of it. Her footsteps were still not dashing back down and he wasn’t entirely sure what was keeping her. In truth, she hadn’t been gone for more than a minute by that point, but waiting for someone seemed like waiting for eternity. Turning, he cast about the room, looking for something to occupy him. His gaze bounced from bookshelves to window to chair, to book, to bookshelves-wait.
Looking back at the book, he noticed it lying flat open with a page that looked different than the others. Was she looking at a drawing? Or was it a letter? Why have it in a book? Was she hiding it? Was it important in some way? How interesting. He walked over and plucked up the paper, only to be confronted with an irritating amount of words. Some letters he recognized, some he didn’t, but all of it was illegible and unreadable to him. He turned it over, looking at the blank back side of the paper and the brought it round front again. Huh.
He might not be able to read this, but Bianor could. Lukos decided to take it. Probably it was nothing more than a silly love note that she was passing off or receiving from some boy. People did that, he assumed, though he’d never had to. Creasing it in crisp, neat lines, because he liked things decidedly neat, he kept folding it onto itself until it was a perfect little square that easily fit in the pouch on his belt. Popping that in there, he moved away from the book and was back in the doorway by the time Essa arrived back downstairs.
Lukos took a step back to admit her entrance into the room and raised his eyebrows when she thrust the coin purse at him. His surprise didn’t last but a second. He wasn’t idiot enough to let her change her mind about paying him too much. He could feel the weight over the over payment as his fingers curled around the bag’s neck.
“Will this suffice?” she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes and giving him the strangest inkling that she might actually not be as innocent as she liked to pretend. That or she was easily corruptible. He laughed, a genuine, unsure laugh, and smiled.
“Yeah,” he nodded, pouring the coins into his own coin purse to cover the square of letter and handing the empty bag back to her. “I think it might do! So,” he frowned but kept smiling, as though he was considering something she might not want to answer. “You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am. My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?”
He shifted around her, leaning on the doorframe again, his head tilted, with one foot out the door, ready to leave at any second, whatever her answer was. If she said no, he’d leave her here, no problem. What she’d given him was far more than what he’d assumed he would get. If she said yes, he’d do exactly as he promised. Maybe get a little more of his curiosity about her family out of the way. Despite not having been a slave of this house since he was eight, he was still intensely curious about it.
“You don’t have to,” he said after a second, waving her off in a good natured way. “Forget I said anything.”
She watched him take the coins and pour them into his own purse before handing her back her own, pleased with herself. Perhaps wrongly so, but it felt good knowing she had been of service, even if her role had been small. Feeling needed or important was not something she was well accustomed to; she had no important roles like her mother or sister, although she knows the lack of one is her fault entirely, and whenever she asked Aikaterine or another servant if she could be of any help, they always blanched and, gently, told her no. Of course, Essa knew they'd say no and she knew why they said no, but she continued to ask anyway in the hopes that one day they would allow her, so knowing this man had come seeking something and she had been the one to give it to him left her with a satisfied heart. And his laugh! He had such a nice laugh! She was tempted to tell him so and more, but that would have been improper and ridiculous, so she buried the temptation away.
"You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am." The girl smiled. He was a sailor! He definitely had the look for it! He was mysterious and charming with windswept curls. Truly, he was straight out of one of her storybooks! She had so many questions curling around her lips, begging to be spoken when he continued on and Essa grew still. "My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?"
What was she to say to that? Her hand lifted and curled over where her heart was, scared that the sailor would be able to hear her heart racing. He wanted to show her his ship? Essa knew she should say no. It was improper! Not only that, but Imeeya had already gotten in trouble for being down at the docks! Surely Essa would be caught, too! But...but what if she didn't? It was near the end of the day and surely there was no one of importance running about at this time! And if her mother got back early, she could tell Ai to cover for her! Besides, there was nothing scandalous about going...It was just a nice man showing a curios girl his ship!
"N-no!" She cried as he began to wave her off, "I want to! I mean, I would be honored if you showed me." And she meant it.
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She watched him take the coins and pour them into his own purse before handing her back her own, pleased with herself. Perhaps wrongly so, but it felt good knowing she had been of service, even if her role had been small. Feeling needed or important was not something she was well accustomed to; she had no important roles like her mother or sister, although she knows the lack of one is her fault entirely, and whenever she asked Aikaterine or another servant if she could be of any help, they always blanched and, gently, told her no. Of course, Essa knew they'd say no and she knew why they said no, but she continued to ask anyway in the hopes that one day they would allow her, so knowing this man had come seeking something and she had been the one to give it to him left her with a satisfied heart. And his laugh! He had such a nice laugh! She was tempted to tell him so and more, but that would have been improper and ridiculous, so she buried the temptation away.
"You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am." The girl smiled. He was a sailor! He definitely had the look for it! He was mysterious and charming with windswept curls. Truly, he was straight out of one of her storybooks! She had so many questions curling around her lips, begging to be spoken when he continued on and Essa grew still. "My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?"
What was she to say to that? Her hand lifted and curled over where her heart was, scared that the sailor would be able to hear her heart racing. He wanted to show her his ship? Essa knew she should say no. It was improper! Not only that, but Imeeya had already gotten in trouble for being down at the docks! Surely Essa would be caught, too! But...but what if she didn't? It was near the end of the day and surely there was no one of importance running about at this time! And if her mother got back early, she could tell Ai to cover for her! Besides, there was nothing scandalous about going...It was just a nice man showing a curios girl his ship!
"N-no!" She cried as he began to wave her off, "I want to! I mean, I would be honored if you showed me." And she meant it.
She watched him take the coins and pour them into his own purse before handing her back her own, pleased with herself. Perhaps wrongly so, but it felt good knowing she had been of service, even if her role had been small. Feeling needed or important was not something she was well accustomed to; she had no important roles like her mother or sister, although she knows the lack of one is her fault entirely, and whenever she asked Aikaterine or another servant if she could be of any help, they always blanched and, gently, told her no. Of course, Essa knew they'd say no and she knew why they said no, but she continued to ask anyway in the hopes that one day they would allow her, so knowing this man had come seeking something and she had been the one to give it to him left her with a satisfied heart. And his laugh! He had such a nice laugh! She was tempted to tell him so and more, but that would have been improper and ridiculous, so she buried the temptation away.
"You were asking if I was a sailor, and I am." The girl smiled. He was a sailor! He definitely had the look for it! He was mysterious and charming with windswept curls. Truly, he was straight out of one of her storybooks! She had so many questions curling around her lips, begging to be spoken when he continued on and Essa grew still. "My ship is docked in the port. Have you seen a ship before? I’d be happy to show you...wouldn’t take long. We could pop right down to the docks and I’ll have you back home inside an hour and a half?"
What was she to say to that? Her hand lifted and curled over where her heart was, scared that the sailor would be able to hear her heart racing. He wanted to show her his ship? Essa knew she should say no. It was improper! Not only that, but Imeeya had already gotten in trouble for being down at the docks! Surely Essa would be caught, too! But...but what if she didn't? It was near the end of the day and surely there was no one of importance running about at this time! And if her mother got back early, she could tell Ai to cover for her! Besides, there was nothing scandalous about going...It was just a nice man showing a curios girl his ship!
"N-no!" She cried as he began to wave her off, "I want to! I mean, I would be honored if you showed me." And she meant it.
With her face glowing and her hand curling over her heart, he didn’t need to hear it to know that it was beating almost through her chest. That much was visible through the unhidden shining of her eyes and her unguarded expression of excitement. Why she was so very interested in sailing in particular, he didn’t know. Having done it for almost as long as he could remember, the lustre of it had never been there. It was difficult and a harsh existence, but people liked to romanticize things and she was of the prime age to make that mistake. If she loved sailors, then so be it. The trait worked for him at the moment.
Her indecision, though, was also crossing her features and he tilted his head, practically reading her reservations as they came. Each one passed over her like a cloud, but as soon as she’d rationalize a good reason around it, the sun broke through the clouds again and her pretty excitement came back. A grin crossed his lips and he knew he had her right where he needed her as soon as she protested that, yes, she really did want to go with him. Nay, not even wanted. Honored. She would be honored to be shown what the Aceton looked like.
How delightful.
The feigned sombre expression lifted and he gave her a brilliant smile. “Let’s go, then?” He didn’t make any kind of move to touch her, very consciously aware that they were still in her house and her station in life was miles above his. The very last thing he wanted was some servant seeing that. Down at the docks? Different story. He was among his own there and if she wanted to take his arm while they walked once out on the street, that’d be fine.
It was for her to lead them through the house, as she was the one who lived there, and so he made a gesture for her to do so. The walk back through the house, following in her wake made him restless in the best way. Not only had he secured money he hadn’t expected to actually get, but he kept thinking that maybe someone would stop him from spiriting away one of the ladies of the house. No one did. Not one person stopped Lady Essa from walking straight out of the front door, the front gate, and into the street with a man no one knew. He was walking on clouds. This was literally the easiest thing he’d ever done.
If only this girl had been the one that Arktos had accidentally stolen. How different life would have been. Months of his peace and quiet wouldn’t have been interrupted and ultimately end up in nothing. Lady Essa was perfectly safe, though. She would not be leaving Midas and she would be returned to her house, safe and sound. Lukos had more than learned his lesson, where noble women were concerned. They simply weren’t worth the trouble of trying to keep. Whatever she did or did not want from him could be accomplished here in the city. He didn’t need to take her off anywhere outside of her sphere.
They moved down through the steppes of Colchis, speaking on surface topics. Mostly about her. If she asked any deep or very personal questions about him, he hedged or kept the answers seriously vague, but always with the charming, disarming smile. He led her through the zigzag streets, the narrow stairways, along the natural meeting places, down through the market, seen by one and all together. Some people who knew her, and knew what he was by clothes alone, and some people who knew him, and knew what she was by her attire as well. They made an odd pair and drew attention.
But, again, no one stopped them.
Because of the way Midas had been carved into the cliff, the docks were always visible from the tops of stairways, where no buildings obscured the view of the sea. On the very last stone staircase, Lukos touched her for the first time, light fingers on her upper back to get her attention, and pointed down to the harbor. “Right there,” he said next to her ear, like it was a secret. “The black one with the red sails.”
It was a distinctive ship, not totally Greek. The prow had the curve of a Greek ship, with the eye painted on either side and the colorful markings decorating the ship’s outer hull. But the masts and the shape of them were foreign, shaped almost like a sea monster’s fins. Or a dragon. A ship constructed in a far away place and somehow taken by a Greek man long ago, refitted, and then passed from man to man through blood and violence, until it now belonged to Lukos, who’d acquired it through the same means. The ship was never bought and only won.
He waited for her to say what she wanted and then led her down the stairs and into the harbor itself. As always, it was a hive of activity. This was where wagons carted away goods from huge crates and barrels being offloaded from ships. Prostitutes leaned against buildings lining the harbor, sailors hefted huge coils of rope, ships creaked and groaned, and everywhere one looked, there were people. People milling, walking, shouting, fighting, calling, laughing, frowning, shooting dice, working.
The dock was alive with activity.
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With her face glowing and her hand curling over her heart, he didn’t need to hear it to know that it was beating almost through her chest. That much was visible through the unhidden shining of her eyes and her unguarded expression of excitement. Why she was so very interested in sailing in particular, he didn’t know. Having done it for almost as long as he could remember, the lustre of it had never been there. It was difficult and a harsh existence, but people liked to romanticize things and she was of the prime age to make that mistake. If she loved sailors, then so be it. The trait worked for him at the moment.
Her indecision, though, was also crossing her features and he tilted his head, practically reading her reservations as they came. Each one passed over her like a cloud, but as soon as she’d rationalize a good reason around it, the sun broke through the clouds again and her pretty excitement came back. A grin crossed his lips and he knew he had her right where he needed her as soon as she protested that, yes, she really did want to go with him. Nay, not even wanted. Honored. She would be honored to be shown what the Aceton looked like.
How delightful.
The feigned sombre expression lifted and he gave her a brilliant smile. “Let’s go, then?” He didn’t make any kind of move to touch her, very consciously aware that they were still in her house and her station in life was miles above his. The very last thing he wanted was some servant seeing that. Down at the docks? Different story. He was among his own there and if she wanted to take his arm while they walked once out on the street, that’d be fine.
It was for her to lead them through the house, as she was the one who lived there, and so he made a gesture for her to do so. The walk back through the house, following in her wake made him restless in the best way. Not only had he secured money he hadn’t expected to actually get, but he kept thinking that maybe someone would stop him from spiriting away one of the ladies of the house. No one did. Not one person stopped Lady Essa from walking straight out of the front door, the front gate, and into the street with a man no one knew. He was walking on clouds. This was literally the easiest thing he’d ever done.
If only this girl had been the one that Arktos had accidentally stolen. How different life would have been. Months of his peace and quiet wouldn’t have been interrupted and ultimately end up in nothing. Lady Essa was perfectly safe, though. She would not be leaving Midas and she would be returned to her house, safe and sound. Lukos had more than learned his lesson, where noble women were concerned. They simply weren’t worth the trouble of trying to keep. Whatever she did or did not want from him could be accomplished here in the city. He didn’t need to take her off anywhere outside of her sphere.
They moved down through the steppes of Colchis, speaking on surface topics. Mostly about her. If she asked any deep or very personal questions about him, he hedged or kept the answers seriously vague, but always with the charming, disarming smile. He led her through the zigzag streets, the narrow stairways, along the natural meeting places, down through the market, seen by one and all together. Some people who knew her, and knew what he was by clothes alone, and some people who knew him, and knew what she was by her attire as well. They made an odd pair and drew attention.
But, again, no one stopped them.
Because of the way Midas had been carved into the cliff, the docks were always visible from the tops of stairways, where no buildings obscured the view of the sea. On the very last stone staircase, Lukos touched her for the first time, light fingers on her upper back to get her attention, and pointed down to the harbor. “Right there,” he said next to her ear, like it was a secret. “The black one with the red sails.”
It was a distinctive ship, not totally Greek. The prow had the curve of a Greek ship, with the eye painted on either side and the colorful markings decorating the ship’s outer hull. But the masts and the shape of them were foreign, shaped almost like a sea monster’s fins. Or a dragon. A ship constructed in a far away place and somehow taken by a Greek man long ago, refitted, and then passed from man to man through blood and violence, until it now belonged to Lukos, who’d acquired it through the same means. The ship was never bought and only won.
He waited for her to say what she wanted and then led her down the stairs and into the harbor itself. As always, it was a hive of activity. This was where wagons carted away goods from huge crates and barrels being offloaded from ships. Prostitutes leaned against buildings lining the harbor, sailors hefted huge coils of rope, ships creaked and groaned, and everywhere one looked, there were people. People milling, walking, shouting, fighting, calling, laughing, frowning, shooting dice, working.
The dock was alive with activity.
With her face glowing and her hand curling over her heart, he didn’t need to hear it to know that it was beating almost through her chest. That much was visible through the unhidden shining of her eyes and her unguarded expression of excitement. Why she was so very interested in sailing in particular, he didn’t know. Having done it for almost as long as he could remember, the lustre of it had never been there. It was difficult and a harsh existence, but people liked to romanticize things and she was of the prime age to make that mistake. If she loved sailors, then so be it. The trait worked for him at the moment.
Her indecision, though, was also crossing her features and he tilted his head, practically reading her reservations as they came. Each one passed over her like a cloud, but as soon as she’d rationalize a good reason around it, the sun broke through the clouds again and her pretty excitement came back. A grin crossed his lips and he knew he had her right where he needed her as soon as she protested that, yes, she really did want to go with him. Nay, not even wanted. Honored. She would be honored to be shown what the Aceton looked like.
How delightful.
The feigned sombre expression lifted and he gave her a brilliant smile. “Let’s go, then?” He didn’t make any kind of move to touch her, very consciously aware that they were still in her house and her station in life was miles above his. The very last thing he wanted was some servant seeing that. Down at the docks? Different story. He was among his own there and if she wanted to take his arm while they walked once out on the street, that’d be fine.
It was for her to lead them through the house, as she was the one who lived there, and so he made a gesture for her to do so. The walk back through the house, following in her wake made him restless in the best way. Not only had he secured money he hadn’t expected to actually get, but he kept thinking that maybe someone would stop him from spiriting away one of the ladies of the house. No one did. Not one person stopped Lady Essa from walking straight out of the front door, the front gate, and into the street with a man no one knew. He was walking on clouds. This was literally the easiest thing he’d ever done.
If only this girl had been the one that Arktos had accidentally stolen. How different life would have been. Months of his peace and quiet wouldn’t have been interrupted and ultimately end up in nothing. Lady Essa was perfectly safe, though. She would not be leaving Midas and she would be returned to her house, safe and sound. Lukos had more than learned his lesson, where noble women were concerned. They simply weren’t worth the trouble of trying to keep. Whatever she did or did not want from him could be accomplished here in the city. He didn’t need to take her off anywhere outside of her sphere.
They moved down through the steppes of Colchis, speaking on surface topics. Mostly about her. If she asked any deep or very personal questions about him, he hedged or kept the answers seriously vague, but always with the charming, disarming smile. He led her through the zigzag streets, the narrow stairways, along the natural meeting places, down through the market, seen by one and all together. Some people who knew her, and knew what he was by clothes alone, and some people who knew him, and knew what she was by her attire as well. They made an odd pair and drew attention.
But, again, no one stopped them.
Because of the way Midas had been carved into the cliff, the docks were always visible from the tops of stairways, where no buildings obscured the view of the sea. On the very last stone staircase, Lukos touched her for the first time, light fingers on her upper back to get her attention, and pointed down to the harbor. “Right there,” he said next to her ear, like it was a secret. “The black one with the red sails.”
It was a distinctive ship, not totally Greek. The prow had the curve of a Greek ship, with the eye painted on either side and the colorful markings decorating the ship’s outer hull. But the masts and the shape of them were foreign, shaped almost like a sea monster’s fins. Or a dragon. A ship constructed in a far away place and somehow taken by a Greek man long ago, refitted, and then passed from man to man through blood and violence, until it now belonged to Lukos, who’d acquired it through the same means. The ship was never bought and only won.
He waited for her to say what she wanted and then led her down the stairs and into the harbor itself. As always, it was a hive of activity. This was where wagons carted away goods from huge crates and barrels being offloaded from ships. Prostitutes leaned against buildings lining the harbor, sailors hefted huge coils of rope, ships creaked and groaned, and everywhere one looked, there were people. People milling, walking, shouting, fighting, calling, laughing, frowning, shooting dice, working.
The dock was alive with activity.
Essa gave a delighted smile as he gestured for her to lead the way, and lead the way she did. She made sure to grab her shawl before they left, and although Ai, who reappeared like an angry wraith just seconds before their departure, and many other servants glanced with furrowed brows as she walked out the front gates, none parted their lips in protest. She hoped they wouldn’t say anything to her mother upon her return, hoped they cared enough for Essa’s wellbeing to keep it a secret. Tythra would skin Essa if she learned of this little adventure! She most definitely would! Imeeya was already on the chopping block and although Essa loved her sister very much, she was in no hurry to join her. She gave a quiet sigh through her nose; she didn’t like going behind her mother’s back nor did she like the idea of adding anymore stress, but . . .
Essa wanted to spread her wings, if only for today. She wanted to do something reckless, she wanted to feed her curiosity. That wasn’t wrong, was it? No, she reassured herself, it wasn’t. All would be well; her mother wasn’t going to find out, she was going to see a ship, and then she would return home, satisfied and sad; Aikaterine would demand details and Essa’s answers would be vague, because for once she wanted to keep secrets. For once she wanted a moment to be her’s and her’s alone.
The pair walked and talked about everything there could be to talk about when two strangers from different worlds collided. He introduced himself as Lukos and in return, she reintroduced herself with a shy smile but made sure to leave out the “lady” bit. She didn’t want to be Lady Essa right now; in this moment, she was just Essa. Nothing more, nothing less.
She spoke mostly of herself, much to her embarrassment. There was nothing interesting about her and it felt silly and rude to speak of herself, but he continued to ask this and that and it felt nice to have someone’s attention, someone who wasn’t Ai or her sister. And even though she had no grand stories to tell him and she fumbled and tripped over her words, he continued to listen. He didn’t seem ... bored. Her heart felt light and full, so much so that she did not notice the stares as they walked. It was as though Essa was in a different world entirely and no one else existed save for her and Lukos. She had ... little experience when it came to male friendships. Her cousins were older than her and busy with their lives and though she could easily seek them out, they frightened her, so she didn’t. She had no father, no brothers, only her mother and sister, so walking with Lukos was new, uncharted territory, but she was no afraid and did not mind it. She imagined, had she had a brother, it would be like this.
There was a touch at her back, feather light and yet she had to fight off a shiver. She froze like a doe staring down an arrowhead as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, her brown eyes following his finger towards the harbor where a ship awaited. It was nothing like what she expected to see, nothing like she’d ever seen before. It was...haunting in appearance and yet beautiful at the same time. ”It suits you.” She murmured, in awe. Seconds later, her mouth clamped shut and her cheeks went pink. ”I didn’t mean ... I’m sorry, I meant that as a compliment.” And she had! Both the ship and Lukos were dark and mysterious and yet utterly stunning, and Essa decided right there that she was going to write a story about this, about a dark sailor and his ship and all the adventures he’ll go on and all the terrible, wonderful things he’ll see.
After some internal debate on whether she should or should not, Essa held his arm as he lead her through the docks. It was alive and humming, people dashing here and there, women with sad eyes batting their lashes and wagging their tails at anyone that met their gaze. Essa was red in the face and yet she took it all in with wide, curious eyes. This was his world. ”What’s it like?” She asked and knew somehow he’d know what she was referring to. ”Tell me everything.” A pause. ”Forgive me, you don’t have to. You’re doing more than enough by showing me your ship! It’s only ... Your world is foreign to me. I would like to know more. The good, the bad. All of it.” She gazed up at him through her lashes, a tentative smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
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Essa gave a delighted smile as he gestured for her to lead the way, and lead the way she did. She made sure to grab her shawl before they left, and although Ai, who reappeared like an angry wraith just seconds before their departure, and many other servants glanced with furrowed brows as she walked out the front gates, none parted their lips in protest. She hoped they wouldn’t say anything to her mother upon her return, hoped they cared enough for Essa’s wellbeing to keep it a secret. Tythra would skin Essa if she learned of this little adventure! She most definitely would! Imeeya was already on the chopping block and although Essa loved her sister very much, she was in no hurry to join her. She gave a quiet sigh through her nose; she didn’t like going behind her mother’s back nor did she like the idea of adding anymore stress, but . . .
Essa wanted to spread her wings, if only for today. She wanted to do something reckless, she wanted to feed her curiosity. That wasn’t wrong, was it? No, she reassured herself, it wasn’t. All would be well; her mother wasn’t going to find out, she was going to see a ship, and then she would return home, satisfied and sad; Aikaterine would demand details and Essa’s answers would be vague, because for once she wanted to keep secrets. For once she wanted a moment to be her’s and her’s alone.
The pair walked and talked about everything there could be to talk about when two strangers from different worlds collided. He introduced himself as Lukos and in return, she reintroduced herself with a shy smile but made sure to leave out the “lady” bit. She didn’t want to be Lady Essa right now; in this moment, she was just Essa. Nothing more, nothing less.
She spoke mostly of herself, much to her embarrassment. There was nothing interesting about her and it felt silly and rude to speak of herself, but he continued to ask this and that and it felt nice to have someone’s attention, someone who wasn’t Ai or her sister. And even though she had no grand stories to tell him and she fumbled and tripped over her words, he continued to listen. He didn’t seem ... bored. Her heart felt light and full, so much so that she did not notice the stares as they walked. It was as though Essa was in a different world entirely and no one else existed save for her and Lukos. She had ... little experience when it came to male friendships. Her cousins were older than her and busy with their lives and though she could easily seek them out, they frightened her, so she didn’t. She had no father, no brothers, only her mother and sister, so walking with Lukos was new, uncharted territory, but she was no afraid and did not mind it. She imagined, had she had a brother, it would be like this.
There was a touch at her back, feather light and yet she had to fight off a shiver. She froze like a doe staring down an arrowhead as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, her brown eyes following his finger towards the harbor where a ship awaited. It was nothing like what she expected to see, nothing like she’d ever seen before. It was...haunting in appearance and yet beautiful at the same time. ”It suits you.” She murmured, in awe. Seconds later, her mouth clamped shut and her cheeks went pink. ”I didn’t mean ... I’m sorry, I meant that as a compliment.” And she had! Both the ship and Lukos were dark and mysterious and yet utterly stunning, and Essa decided right there that she was going to write a story about this, about a dark sailor and his ship and all the adventures he’ll go on and all the terrible, wonderful things he’ll see.
After some internal debate on whether she should or should not, Essa held his arm as he lead her through the docks. It was alive and humming, people dashing here and there, women with sad eyes batting their lashes and wagging their tails at anyone that met their gaze. Essa was red in the face and yet she took it all in with wide, curious eyes. This was his world. ”What’s it like?” She asked and knew somehow he’d know what she was referring to. ”Tell me everything.” A pause. ”Forgive me, you don’t have to. You’re doing more than enough by showing me your ship! It’s only ... Your world is foreign to me. I would like to know more. The good, the bad. All of it.” She gazed up at him through her lashes, a tentative smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
Essa gave a delighted smile as he gestured for her to lead the way, and lead the way she did. She made sure to grab her shawl before they left, and although Ai, who reappeared like an angry wraith just seconds before their departure, and many other servants glanced with furrowed brows as she walked out the front gates, none parted their lips in protest. She hoped they wouldn’t say anything to her mother upon her return, hoped they cared enough for Essa’s wellbeing to keep it a secret. Tythra would skin Essa if she learned of this little adventure! She most definitely would! Imeeya was already on the chopping block and although Essa loved her sister very much, she was in no hurry to join her. She gave a quiet sigh through her nose; she didn’t like going behind her mother’s back nor did she like the idea of adding anymore stress, but . . .
Essa wanted to spread her wings, if only for today. She wanted to do something reckless, she wanted to feed her curiosity. That wasn’t wrong, was it? No, she reassured herself, it wasn’t. All would be well; her mother wasn’t going to find out, she was going to see a ship, and then she would return home, satisfied and sad; Aikaterine would demand details and Essa’s answers would be vague, because for once she wanted to keep secrets. For once she wanted a moment to be her’s and her’s alone.
The pair walked and talked about everything there could be to talk about when two strangers from different worlds collided. He introduced himself as Lukos and in return, she reintroduced herself with a shy smile but made sure to leave out the “lady” bit. She didn’t want to be Lady Essa right now; in this moment, she was just Essa. Nothing more, nothing less.
She spoke mostly of herself, much to her embarrassment. There was nothing interesting about her and it felt silly and rude to speak of herself, but he continued to ask this and that and it felt nice to have someone’s attention, someone who wasn’t Ai or her sister. And even though she had no grand stories to tell him and she fumbled and tripped over her words, he continued to listen. He didn’t seem ... bored. Her heart felt light and full, so much so that she did not notice the stares as they walked. It was as though Essa was in a different world entirely and no one else existed save for her and Lukos. She had ... little experience when it came to male friendships. Her cousins were older than her and busy with their lives and though she could easily seek them out, they frightened her, so she didn’t. She had no father, no brothers, only her mother and sister, so walking with Lukos was new, uncharted territory, but she was no afraid and did not mind it. She imagined, had she had a brother, it would be like this.
There was a touch at her back, feather light and yet she had to fight off a shiver. She froze like a doe staring down an arrowhead as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, her brown eyes following his finger towards the harbor where a ship awaited. It was nothing like what she expected to see, nothing like she’d ever seen before. It was...haunting in appearance and yet beautiful at the same time. ”It suits you.” She murmured, in awe. Seconds later, her mouth clamped shut and her cheeks went pink. ”I didn’t mean ... I’m sorry, I meant that as a compliment.” And she had! Both the ship and Lukos were dark and mysterious and yet utterly stunning, and Essa decided right there that she was going to write a story about this, about a dark sailor and his ship and all the adventures he’ll go on and all the terrible, wonderful things he’ll see.
After some internal debate on whether she should or should not, Essa held his arm as he lead her through the docks. It was alive and humming, people dashing here and there, women with sad eyes batting their lashes and wagging their tails at anyone that met their gaze. Essa was red in the face and yet she took it all in with wide, curious eyes. This was his world. ”What’s it like?” She asked and knew somehow he’d know what she was referring to. ”Tell me everything.” A pause. ”Forgive me, you don’t have to. You’re doing more than enough by showing me your ship! It’s only ... Your world is foreign to me. I would like to know more. The good, the bad. All of it.” She gazed up at him through her lashes, a tentative smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
He’d taken no offense to her murmured comment of his ship suiting him, because it was perfectly true. All she was seeing was the outer shell of the vessel, and all she could see of him was what he wanted her to. In that way, they were very alike. In the lack of choices in life, he and the Aceton shared that in common as well. His gaze rested on her for a brief moment as she turned an adorable shade of crimson and he smiled. “Of course it’s a compliment,” he said and pointed out one of the royal vessels that was sitting in the harbor a few ships down.
“That one belongs to the king and it’s not so fine as mine.” That was not strictly true, but Lukos’s was definitely one of the more rare ships and he was quite proud of it. Almost as proud as though he’d had a hand in building it, which he most certainly had not. This ship was almost a hundred years old, when all was said and done, but all ships had massively long lifespans, if they were taken care of properly and there was nothing and no one that received as much energy and care in Lukos’s life as this ship. It was his property, his lifeline, and the place his slept on most, and in a way, half his home. Though, he did not think of it remotely in those sort of sentimental terms. It was also a place where vile and violent things had happened to him. Much like everything in his experience, this was the scene of good and bad.
They moved through the port easily enough. Lukos was not looking at the whores, or the men they passed, or anything else. His attention was on the ship. He’d tuned out the all too familiar sounds of feet scraping on the cobbles, dragging wood, the creaking, groaning of tens of ships, the constant drone of male voices. The salt air, the occasional whiff of dirty, sweaty human, it was all too normal to bother thinking on. What wasn’t usual was the light touch of Essa’s soft hands on his arm, the hints of perfume wafting off her hair, the gentle swishing of her dress against her legs. He was never more aware of the differences in where they were than he was at this moment.
He could not believe that he’d gotten Lady Essa of Drakos to come down to the docks, on his arm, like they were the best of friends. It was all he’d wanted. Her high, clear voice broke through the background chatter and he glanced down at her, listening to her question and then looked to where she appeared to be indicating. It was a good thing that he didn’t know the amount of ‘power’ she was attributing to him in her mind. He wasn’t a mind reader and he didn’t know exactly where her thoughts were tending, but he assumed she was talking about the painted, and in comparison with herself, ugly women who were at this very moment trying to tempt whomever they could out of hard earned coin.
“What’s what like?” he asked, “Whoring? Unpleasant, but they’re great to have as friends. If they like you enough, sometimes they do it for free.” This was so not conversation that was suitable for a girl either her age, or of her rank, but he didn’t care. He figured that she’d come down here for that express purpose; not to be in a sanitized, totally safe environment. As for explaining exactly what it was like to be with a whore, he’d rather not verbally explain that aspect of humanity. It’d be far more fun to show her, but he didn’t think that was on the table for today’s adventure.
“Or did you mean something else?” he teased, figuring that she fully well meant something besides whoring, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that that’s what she was talking about. After all, some of the women who were now looking at them were no older than she was and one or two were younger. Their lives were very different. Lady Essa did not appear to understand how very blessed she was.
They were nearing his ship now. Most of his crew was off ship, doing gods knew what, but his first mate was aboard and leaning his hulking mass over the railings. ”Whatcha got, Captain?” Arktos called. Lukos knew full well what Arktos wanted but he had no intention of letting Arktos haggle over the girl. She wasn’t a whore and Arktos knew it, but that never stopped his giant of a crewmate from trying.
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He’d taken no offense to her murmured comment of his ship suiting him, because it was perfectly true. All she was seeing was the outer shell of the vessel, and all she could see of him was what he wanted her to. In that way, they were very alike. In the lack of choices in life, he and the Aceton shared that in common as well. His gaze rested on her for a brief moment as she turned an adorable shade of crimson and he smiled. “Of course it’s a compliment,” he said and pointed out one of the royal vessels that was sitting in the harbor a few ships down.
“That one belongs to the king and it’s not so fine as mine.” That was not strictly true, but Lukos’s was definitely one of the more rare ships and he was quite proud of it. Almost as proud as though he’d had a hand in building it, which he most certainly had not. This ship was almost a hundred years old, when all was said and done, but all ships had massively long lifespans, if they were taken care of properly and there was nothing and no one that received as much energy and care in Lukos’s life as this ship. It was his property, his lifeline, and the place his slept on most, and in a way, half his home. Though, he did not think of it remotely in those sort of sentimental terms. It was also a place where vile and violent things had happened to him. Much like everything in his experience, this was the scene of good and bad.
They moved through the port easily enough. Lukos was not looking at the whores, or the men they passed, or anything else. His attention was on the ship. He’d tuned out the all too familiar sounds of feet scraping on the cobbles, dragging wood, the creaking, groaning of tens of ships, the constant drone of male voices. The salt air, the occasional whiff of dirty, sweaty human, it was all too normal to bother thinking on. What wasn’t usual was the light touch of Essa’s soft hands on his arm, the hints of perfume wafting off her hair, the gentle swishing of her dress against her legs. He was never more aware of the differences in where they were than he was at this moment.
He could not believe that he’d gotten Lady Essa of Drakos to come down to the docks, on his arm, like they were the best of friends. It was all he’d wanted. Her high, clear voice broke through the background chatter and he glanced down at her, listening to her question and then looked to where she appeared to be indicating. It was a good thing that he didn’t know the amount of ‘power’ she was attributing to him in her mind. He wasn’t a mind reader and he didn’t know exactly where her thoughts were tending, but he assumed she was talking about the painted, and in comparison with herself, ugly women who were at this very moment trying to tempt whomever they could out of hard earned coin.
“What’s what like?” he asked, “Whoring? Unpleasant, but they’re great to have as friends. If they like you enough, sometimes they do it for free.” This was so not conversation that was suitable for a girl either her age, or of her rank, but he didn’t care. He figured that she’d come down here for that express purpose; not to be in a sanitized, totally safe environment. As for explaining exactly what it was like to be with a whore, he’d rather not verbally explain that aspect of humanity. It’d be far more fun to show her, but he didn’t think that was on the table for today’s adventure.
“Or did you mean something else?” he teased, figuring that she fully well meant something besides whoring, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that that’s what she was talking about. After all, some of the women who were now looking at them were no older than she was and one or two were younger. Their lives were very different. Lady Essa did not appear to understand how very blessed she was.
They were nearing his ship now. Most of his crew was off ship, doing gods knew what, but his first mate was aboard and leaning his hulking mass over the railings. ”Whatcha got, Captain?” Arktos called. Lukos knew full well what Arktos wanted but he had no intention of letting Arktos haggle over the girl. She wasn’t a whore and Arktos knew it, but that never stopped his giant of a crewmate from trying.
He’d taken no offense to her murmured comment of his ship suiting him, because it was perfectly true. All she was seeing was the outer shell of the vessel, and all she could see of him was what he wanted her to. In that way, they were very alike. In the lack of choices in life, he and the Aceton shared that in common as well. His gaze rested on her for a brief moment as she turned an adorable shade of crimson and he smiled. “Of course it’s a compliment,” he said and pointed out one of the royal vessels that was sitting in the harbor a few ships down.
“That one belongs to the king and it’s not so fine as mine.” That was not strictly true, but Lukos’s was definitely one of the more rare ships and he was quite proud of it. Almost as proud as though he’d had a hand in building it, which he most certainly had not. This ship was almost a hundred years old, when all was said and done, but all ships had massively long lifespans, if they were taken care of properly and there was nothing and no one that received as much energy and care in Lukos’s life as this ship. It was his property, his lifeline, and the place his slept on most, and in a way, half his home. Though, he did not think of it remotely in those sort of sentimental terms. It was also a place where vile and violent things had happened to him. Much like everything in his experience, this was the scene of good and bad.
They moved through the port easily enough. Lukos was not looking at the whores, or the men they passed, or anything else. His attention was on the ship. He’d tuned out the all too familiar sounds of feet scraping on the cobbles, dragging wood, the creaking, groaning of tens of ships, the constant drone of male voices. The salt air, the occasional whiff of dirty, sweaty human, it was all too normal to bother thinking on. What wasn’t usual was the light touch of Essa’s soft hands on his arm, the hints of perfume wafting off her hair, the gentle swishing of her dress against her legs. He was never more aware of the differences in where they were than he was at this moment.
He could not believe that he’d gotten Lady Essa of Drakos to come down to the docks, on his arm, like they were the best of friends. It was all he’d wanted. Her high, clear voice broke through the background chatter and he glanced down at her, listening to her question and then looked to where she appeared to be indicating. It was a good thing that he didn’t know the amount of ‘power’ she was attributing to him in her mind. He wasn’t a mind reader and he didn’t know exactly where her thoughts were tending, but he assumed she was talking about the painted, and in comparison with herself, ugly women who were at this very moment trying to tempt whomever they could out of hard earned coin.
“What’s what like?” he asked, “Whoring? Unpleasant, but they’re great to have as friends. If they like you enough, sometimes they do it for free.” This was so not conversation that was suitable for a girl either her age, or of her rank, but he didn’t care. He figured that she’d come down here for that express purpose; not to be in a sanitized, totally safe environment. As for explaining exactly what it was like to be with a whore, he’d rather not verbally explain that aspect of humanity. It’d be far more fun to show her, but he didn’t think that was on the table for today’s adventure.
“Or did you mean something else?” he teased, figuring that she fully well meant something besides whoring, but it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that that’s what she was talking about. After all, some of the women who were now looking at them were no older than she was and one or two were younger. Their lives were very different. Lady Essa did not appear to understand how very blessed she was.
They were nearing his ship now. Most of his crew was off ship, doing gods knew what, but his first mate was aboard and leaning his hulking mass over the railings. ”Whatcha got, Captain?” Arktos called. Lukos knew full well what Arktos wanted but he had no intention of letting Arktos haggle over the girl. She wasn’t a whore and Arktos knew it, but that never stopped his giant of a crewmate from trying.
Essa’s eyes widened and her face flushed upon his answer, not at all expecting it. She avoided his gaze and the gazes of the people around them, her umber eyes locked onto her feet, and yet a small smile quirked her lips at his teasing.
“I meant sailing.” She said after she’d gathered enough courage, and lifted her chin. She kept her face turned away from his, though, not wanting him to see how red her cheeks were. She supposed the conversation of...loose women and intimacy was one he’d had many a times with his friends, and his words had suggested that he did far more than just talk, and a part of her envied him for it, envied the freedom that came with being a man. But either way, such things were foreign to Essa and she felt her heart go pitter patter at just the mere mention of it. She’d never even been kissed before!
At the sound of someone calling out towards them, Essa finally turned her head and followed Lukos’ gaze. The ship was far more magnificent up close! A lion asleep amongst sheep, it seemed, and Essa hesitated. The ship seemed to belong to another world entirely, and Lukos was its king, and she began to realize that should she step any closer, she would cross a line her mother and sister had taught her to never cross. But...there was no harm to climbing aboard, was there? She trusted the raven haired man despite just meeting him, and maybe that made her a fool, but he’d down nothing to earn her distrust. And he wouldn’t, she assured herself, for Imeeya would have never associated with him to begin with.
The man hanging over the railing, however, sent a chill down her spine. The ship suited him just as it had Lukos. She hated herself for suddenly being afraid, but the way his sharp gaze seemed to pin to the spot reminded her of that oily man from the slave market so long ago, of how he’d brushed his body against her’s and tugged at her so roughly. She didn’t know what she would of done had Vangelis not stepped forward to save her. She cleared away the awful memory and gave a polite, if not shy, smile towards his crew mate as her arm slipped out of Lukos’ and she stepped forward towards the platform that would allow her to climb aboard. “May I?” She asked over her shoulder to Lukos, before ascending without waiting for his permission, forgetting all about that line her mother had drawn. Essa’s attention was solely on the ship, and the sea behind it.
Her eyes roamed over everything whilst her heart hammered in her chest; had she been born a boy, could this life have been her’s? Could she have had her own mighty ship that she sailed across the oceans, never looking back but never forgetting where she came from nor the ones who waited for her safe return? The freedom that came with sailing must be so euphoric... Her feet dragged her towards the other side of the ship until she stood against the railing and the sea was just before her. What a harsh, beautiful world Lukos must live in. “Your ship is beautiful.” She murmured softly, not entirely sure where he was or if he could hear her.
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Essa’s eyes widened and her face flushed upon his answer, not at all expecting it. She avoided his gaze and the gazes of the people around them, her umber eyes locked onto her feet, and yet a small smile quirked her lips at his teasing.
“I meant sailing.” She said after she’d gathered enough courage, and lifted her chin. She kept her face turned away from his, though, not wanting him to see how red her cheeks were. She supposed the conversation of...loose women and intimacy was one he’d had many a times with his friends, and his words had suggested that he did far more than just talk, and a part of her envied him for it, envied the freedom that came with being a man. But either way, such things were foreign to Essa and she felt her heart go pitter patter at just the mere mention of it. She’d never even been kissed before!
At the sound of someone calling out towards them, Essa finally turned her head and followed Lukos’ gaze. The ship was far more magnificent up close! A lion asleep amongst sheep, it seemed, and Essa hesitated. The ship seemed to belong to another world entirely, and Lukos was its king, and she began to realize that should she step any closer, she would cross a line her mother and sister had taught her to never cross. But...there was no harm to climbing aboard, was there? She trusted the raven haired man despite just meeting him, and maybe that made her a fool, but he’d down nothing to earn her distrust. And he wouldn’t, she assured herself, for Imeeya would have never associated with him to begin with.
The man hanging over the railing, however, sent a chill down her spine. The ship suited him just as it had Lukos. She hated herself for suddenly being afraid, but the way his sharp gaze seemed to pin to the spot reminded her of that oily man from the slave market so long ago, of how he’d brushed his body against her’s and tugged at her so roughly. She didn’t know what she would of done had Vangelis not stepped forward to save her. She cleared away the awful memory and gave a polite, if not shy, smile towards his crew mate as her arm slipped out of Lukos’ and she stepped forward towards the platform that would allow her to climb aboard. “May I?” She asked over her shoulder to Lukos, before ascending without waiting for his permission, forgetting all about that line her mother had drawn. Essa’s attention was solely on the ship, and the sea behind it.
Her eyes roamed over everything whilst her heart hammered in her chest; had she been born a boy, could this life have been her’s? Could she have had her own mighty ship that she sailed across the oceans, never looking back but never forgetting where she came from nor the ones who waited for her safe return? The freedom that came with sailing must be so euphoric... Her feet dragged her towards the other side of the ship until she stood against the railing and the sea was just before her. What a harsh, beautiful world Lukos must live in. “Your ship is beautiful.” She murmured softly, not entirely sure where he was or if he could hear her.
Essa’s eyes widened and her face flushed upon his answer, not at all expecting it. She avoided his gaze and the gazes of the people around them, her umber eyes locked onto her feet, and yet a small smile quirked her lips at his teasing.
“I meant sailing.” She said after she’d gathered enough courage, and lifted her chin. She kept her face turned away from his, though, not wanting him to see how red her cheeks were. She supposed the conversation of...loose women and intimacy was one he’d had many a times with his friends, and his words had suggested that he did far more than just talk, and a part of her envied him for it, envied the freedom that came with being a man. But either way, such things were foreign to Essa and she felt her heart go pitter patter at just the mere mention of it. She’d never even been kissed before!
At the sound of someone calling out towards them, Essa finally turned her head and followed Lukos’ gaze. The ship was far more magnificent up close! A lion asleep amongst sheep, it seemed, and Essa hesitated. The ship seemed to belong to another world entirely, and Lukos was its king, and she began to realize that should she step any closer, she would cross a line her mother and sister had taught her to never cross. But...there was no harm to climbing aboard, was there? She trusted the raven haired man despite just meeting him, and maybe that made her a fool, but he’d down nothing to earn her distrust. And he wouldn’t, she assured herself, for Imeeya would have never associated with him to begin with.
The man hanging over the railing, however, sent a chill down her spine. The ship suited him just as it had Lukos. She hated herself for suddenly being afraid, but the way his sharp gaze seemed to pin to the spot reminded her of that oily man from the slave market so long ago, of how he’d brushed his body against her’s and tugged at her so roughly. She didn’t know what she would of done had Vangelis not stepped forward to save her. She cleared away the awful memory and gave a polite, if not shy, smile towards his crew mate as her arm slipped out of Lukos’ and she stepped forward towards the platform that would allow her to climb aboard. “May I?” She asked over her shoulder to Lukos, before ascending without waiting for his permission, forgetting all about that line her mother had drawn. Essa’s attention was solely on the ship, and the sea behind it.
Her eyes roamed over everything whilst her heart hammered in her chest; had she been born a boy, could this life have been her’s? Could she have had her own mighty ship that she sailed across the oceans, never looking back but never forgetting where she came from nor the ones who waited for her safe return? The freedom that came with sailing must be so euphoric... Her feet dragged her towards the other side of the ship until she stood against the railing and the sea was just before her. What a harsh, beautiful world Lukos must live in. “Your ship is beautiful.” She murmured softly, not entirely sure where he was or if he could hear her.
“I meant sailing.” came her meek voice, so small and adorable that it drew Lukos’s attention right back to her. There was the teeniest, tiniest, smallest bit of him that might feel a hint of guilt at making her blush that hard. Luckily for Lukos, the fraction of discomfort was lifted almost immediately by Essa herself, who let go of his arm and walked straight onto his ship without appearing to have any fear at all. He could see why she’d been coddled all of her life. She was like a doll and almost demanded to be shielded in her innocence. It had certainly drawn him in and he usually detested girls who were this isolated, but she had the sort of spirit that could be nurtured into something darker and more bold, in the right hands. He for example, could shatter her and remake her into something terrifying to behold.
He toyed with that idea as he followed her slender form up the gangway. It was a momentary fantasy, though. He didn’t have the time if she wasn’t showing enough inclination, which she wasn’t at present. All she was doing was stroking his ego and complimenting the ship. That wasn’t enough to justify any of his momentary ideas. Even if she was a Drakos. That would be the sweetest part of the whole thing; to have one of the noble family responsible for his mother’s disappearance, on his ship, within his power...All the dark, corrupt tendencies he’d been hiding from her coalesced in his chest, seeping into his heart and stirring it in the best way.
His dark eyes wandered her back, down her small figure and back up. Pretty she was, but she wasn’t tempting enough to force his hand. Not in that way, at least. The daydream of ruining her family completely, through her, would remain that. A daydream. He’d much rather see her sister’s horror on Imeeya’s own face.
“Your ship is beautiful,” Essa murmured, drawing his attention back. Just like that, his malevolence evaporated and he affixed his hands behind his back, wandering up behind her and looking over her shoulder out into the distance.
“I like it,” he agreed. “It’s been my home, for lack of a better word, since I was eight.” The words sort of poured out without any real intention of ever having said them. Sometimes he had the darkest, most malevolent of intentions toward someone, and then the intentions disappeared, like now. Now he had no desire to harm her in any way. His interest in her as a person was back and he folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. “Come with me. I’ll show you the rest.”
He lightly brushed her shoulder with his arm as he moved past her in order to signal to her to follow. The deck on which they stood was not devoid of sailors, but neither was it full. Some men sat together, braiding rope, some where sewing repairs to clothes or sails, some were busy mixing wooden pails of pitch and that gave him the idea to show Essa something he thought she likely would find simultaneously uninteresting and terrible. It’d likely cure her of her wistfulness about sailing. “We’re going down into the bilge,” he told her as a warning that their journey was to be below deck.
If he was on his own, he’d have taken the stairs down into the hold two at a time, but Essa didn’t know the ship like he did and so he took one smooth, worn step at a time with her. They descended down into the shadowed interior of the ship. The steps ended on a short landing that curved immediately right and back that would take them to his cabin if he turned there, and to the left down a three more little steps into the portion of the ship where his men sat to row. The huge oars were pulled in and sat across benches where he and his crew would row for hours to the beat of a drum. Crossing there took them to another set of stairs and to an even darker portion of the ship where they stored cargo and where hammocks hung. This was where his men slept. On the far end of the cargo hold was a table and bookshelves and this was where his scribe worked and kept records. Down below this was the darkest part of the ship, or would have been if not for the torchlight coming up through the hole. There were no stairs here, but a ladder built into the hull of the ship. Its rungs were completely smooth and shiny from so much use.
Lukos dropped into the bilge and held out his arms to help Essa down and then he grinned, gesturing around. “Behold. The grand life of a sailor,” he teased. Down here was where most of his men were. Each had a bucket of pitch and a huge, stiff brush that they used to spread the dark, sticky mass over portions of the ship where there could be leaks. The smell of resin was strong enough to make even Lukos put his hand over his nose and he glanced down at Essa. “This in your story books?”
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“I meant sailing.” came her meek voice, so small and adorable that it drew Lukos’s attention right back to her. There was the teeniest, tiniest, smallest bit of him that might feel a hint of guilt at making her blush that hard. Luckily for Lukos, the fraction of discomfort was lifted almost immediately by Essa herself, who let go of his arm and walked straight onto his ship without appearing to have any fear at all. He could see why she’d been coddled all of her life. She was like a doll and almost demanded to be shielded in her innocence. It had certainly drawn him in and he usually detested girls who were this isolated, but she had the sort of spirit that could be nurtured into something darker and more bold, in the right hands. He for example, could shatter her and remake her into something terrifying to behold.
He toyed with that idea as he followed her slender form up the gangway. It was a momentary fantasy, though. He didn’t have the time if she wasn’t showing enough inclination, which she wasn’t at present. All she was doing was stroking his ego and complimenting the ship. That wasn’t enough to justify any of his momentary ideas. Even if she was a Drakos. That would be the sweetest part of the whole thing; to have one of the noble family responsible for his mother’s disappearance, on his ship, within his power...All the dark, corrupt tendencies he’d been hiding from her coalesced in his chest, seeping into his heart and stirring it in the best way.
His dark eyes wandered her back, down her small figure and back up. Pretty she was, but she wasn’t tempting enough to force his hand. Not in that way, at least. The daydream of ruining her family completely, through her, would remain that. A daydream. He’d much rather see her sister’s horror on Imeeya’s own face.
“Your ship is beautiful,” Essa murmured, drawing his attention back. Just like that, his malevolence evaporated and he affixed his hands behind his back, wandering up behind her and looking over her shoulder out into the distance.
“I like it,” he agreed. “It’s been my home, for lack of a better word, since I was eight.” The words sort of poured out without any real intention of ever having said them. Sometimes he had the darkest, most malevolent of intentions toward someone, and then the intentions disappeared, like now. Now he had no desire to harm her in any way. His interest in her as a person was back and he folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. “Come with me. I’ll show you the rest.”
He lightly brushed her shoulder with his arm as he moved past her in order to signal to her to follow. The deck on which they stood was not devoid of sailors, but neither was it full. Some men sat together, braiding rope, some where sewing repairs to clothes or sails, some were busy mixing wooden pails of pitch and that gave him the idea to show Essa something he thought she likely would find simultaneously uninteresting and terrible. It’d likely cure her of her wistfulness about sailing. “We’re going down into the bilge,” he told her as a warning that their journey was to be below deck.
If he was on his own, he’d have taken the stairs down into the hold two at a time, but Essa didn’t know the ship like he did and so he took one smooth, worn step at a time with her. They descended down into the shadowed interior of the ship. The steps ended on a short landing that curved immediately right and back that would take them to his cabin if he turned there, and to the left down a three more little steps into the portion of the ship where his men sat to row. The huge oars were pulled in and sat across benches where he and his crew would row for hours to the beat of a drum. Crossing there took them to another set of stairs and to an even darker portion of the ship where they stored cargo and where hammocks hung. This was where his men slept. On the far end of the cargo hold was a table and bookshelves and this was where his scribe worked and kept records. Down below this was the darkest part of the ship, or would have been if not for the torchlight coming up through the hole. There were no stairs here, but a ladder built into the hull of the ship. Its rungs were completely smooth and shiny from so much use.
Lukos dropped into the bilge and held out his arms to help Essa down and then he grinned, gesturing around. “Behold. The grand life of a sailor,” he teased. Down here was where most of his men were. Each had a bucket of pitch and a huge, stiff brush that they used to spread the dark, sticky mass over portions of the ship where there could be leaks. The smell of resin was strong enough to make even Lukos put his hand over his nose and he glanced down at Essa. “This in your story books?”
“I meant sailing.” came her meek voice, so small and adorable that it drew Lukos’s attention right back to her. There was the teeniest, tiniest, smallest bit of him that might feel a hint of guilt at making her blush that hard. Luckily for Lukos, the fraction of discomfort was lifted almost immediately by Essa herself, who let go of his arm and walked straight onto his ship without appearing to have any fear at all. He could see why she’d been coddled all of her life. She was like a doll and almost demanded to be shielded in her innocence. It had certainly drawn him in and he usually detested girls who were this isolated, but she had the sort of spirit that could be nurtured into something darker and more bold, in the right hands. He for example, could shatter her and remake her into something terrifying to behold.
He toyed with that idea as he followed her slender form up the gangway. It was a momentary fantasy, though. He didn’t have the time if she wasn’t showing enough inclination, which she wasn’t at present. All she was doing was stroking his ego and complimenting the ship. That wasn’t enough to justify any of his momentary ideas. Even if she was a Drakos. That would be the sweetest part of the whole thing; to have one of the noble family responsible for his mother’s disappearance, on his ship, within his power...All the dark, corrupt tendencies he’d been hiding from her coalesced in his chest, seeping into his heart and stirring it in the best way.
His dark eyes wandered her back, down her small figure and back up. Pretty she was, but she wasn’t tempting enough to force his hand. Not in that way, at least. The daydream of ruining her family completely, through her, would remain that. A daydream. He’d much rather see her sister’s horror on Imeeya’s own face.
“Your ship is beautiful,” Essa murmured, drawing his attention back. Just like that, his malevolence evaporated and he affixed his hands behind his back, wandering up behind her and looking over her shoulder out into the distance.
“I like it,” he agreed. “It’s been my home, for lack of a better word, since I was eight.” The words sort of poured out without any real intention of ever having said them. Sometimes he had the darkest, most malevolent of intentions toward someone, and then the intentions disappeared, like now. Now he had no desire to harm her in any way. His interest in her as a person was back and he folded his arms over his chest as he looked down at her. “Come with me. I’ll show you the rest.”
He lightly brushed her shoulder with his arm as he moved past her in order to signal to her to follow. The deck on which they stood was not devoid of sailors, but neither was it full. Some men sat together, braiding rope, some where sewing repairs to clothes or sails, some were busy mixing wooden pails of pitch and that gave him the idea to show Essa something he thought she likely would find simultaneously uninteresting and terrible. It’d likely cure her of her wistfulness about sailing. “We’re going down into the bilge,” he told her as a warning that their journey was to be below deck.
If he was on his own, he’d have taken the stairs down into the hold two at a time, but Essa didn’t know the ship like he did and so he took one smooth, worn step at a time with her. They descended down into the shadowed interior of the ship. The steps ended on a short landing that curved immediately right and back that would take them to his cabin if he turned there, and to the left down a three more little steps into the portion of the ship where his men sat to row. The huge oars were pulled in and sat across benches where he and his crew would row for hours to the beat of a drum. Crossing there took them to another set of stairs and to an even darker portion of the ship where they stored cargo and where hammocks hung. This was where his men slept. On the far end of the cargo hold was a table and bookshelves and this was where his scribe worked and kept records. Down below this was the darkest part of the ship, or would have been if not for the torchlight coming up through the hole. There were no stairs here, but a ladder built into the hull of the ship. Its rungs were completely smooth and shiny from so much use.
Lukos dropped into the bilge and held out his arms to help Essa down and then he grinned, gesturing around. “Behold. The grand life of a sailor,” he teased. Down here was where most of his men were. Each had a bucket of pitch and a huge, stiff brush that they used to spread the dark, sticky mass over portions of the ship where there could be leaks. The smell of resin was strong enough to make even Lukos put his hand over his nose and he glanced down at Essa. “This in your story books?”
The young girl glanced back over her shoulder at him as he spoke. “So young?” she asked, her eyes wide in surprise. “Was your father a sailor as well?” Surely he had inherited the boat if he had called it home for so long. She turned back to face him, curiosity lighting her deep hazel eyes. “What was it like, growing up at sea? Was it as grand as it seems, traveling the world?”
Whenever Essa had been blessed enough to travel it was always with all the safety and limitations expected for one of royal blood. For all that she was grateful for the comforts this allowed for her, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel like a bird trapped in a cage, forbidden from the sky.
He moved forward, the brush of his arm against her making her blush slightly. It was a simply touch and yet it was contact she rarely had with a man she was not related to. She followed him eagerly, a slight bounce to her step as he lead her forward. Her eyes surveyed their surroundings, trying to take it all in and commit it to memory. She knew no one would have permitted her this little adventure. It seemed likely it would be her only opportunity to see a ship not commissioned by her royal family.
There was a tone of warning in his voice as he spoke next which forced her gaze away from the group of men braiding rope. She nodded, following him carefully down the steps. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light of the ship’s interior. She paused at the small landing, uncertain of where to go. Instead she lingered a moment, taking in the sight before her. Yet sight wasn’t the sense that struck her first. Instead it was the smell. She pursed her lips but resisted the urge to cover her face. She dare not flinch like she was certain Lukos expected her to.
He was trying to shock her, but she was intent on surprising him instead.
Essa lifted her head proudly as she accepted his assistance in stepping down. “Not at all,” she admitted with a chuckle. “In books the ships are simply magically repaired after each skirmish. There is seldom talk of the process.” Though there was always detailed descriptions of other portions of the ship - the sort where a couple might find some degree of privacy. Yet she was hardly about to discuss such things with the dashing sailor before her.
Instead, she cleared her throat and her mind. Instead a wide grin came across her lips as she looked up at him. “Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Essa stared up at him, a fire in her dark eyes. “Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That its not a part of who you are?”
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The young girl glanced back over her shoulder at him as he spoke. “So young?” she asked, her eyes wide in surprise. “Was your father a sailor as well?” Surely he had inherited the boat if he had called it home for so long. She turned back to face him, curiosity lighting her deep hazel eyes. “What was it like, growing up at sea? Was it as grand as it seems, traveling the world?”
Whenever Essa had been blessed enough to travel it was always with all the safety and limitations expected for one of royal blood. For all that she was grateful for the comforts this allowed for her, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel like a bird trapped in a cage, forbidden from the sky.
He moved forward, the brush of his arm against her making her blush slightly. It was a simply touch and yet it was contact she rarely had with a man she was not related to. She followed him eagerly, a slight bounce to her step as he lead her forward. Her eyes surveyed their surroundings, trying to take it all in and commit it to memory. She knew no one would have permitted her this little adventure. It seemed likely it would be her only opportunity to see a ship not commissioned by her royal family.
There was a tone of warning in his voice as he spoke next which forced her gaze away from the group of men braiding rope. She nodded, following him carefully down the steps. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light of the ship’s interior. She paused at the small landing, uncertain of where to go. Instead she lingered a moment, taking in the sight before her. Yet sight wasn’t the sense that struck her first. Instead it was the smell. She pursed her lips but resisted the urge to cover her face. She dare not flinch like she was certain Lukos expected her to.
He was trying to shock her, but she was intent on surprising him instead.
Essa lifted her head proudly as she accepted his assistance in stepping down. “Not at all,” she admitted with a chuckle. “In books the ships are simply magically repaired after each skirmish. There is seldom talk of the process.” Though there was always detailed descriptions of other portions of the ship - the sort where a couple might find some degree of privacy. Yet she was hardly about to discuss such things with the dashing sailor before her.
Instead, she cleared her throat and her mind. Instead a wide grin came across her lips as she looked up at him. “Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Essa stared up at him, a fire in her dark eyes. “Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That its not a part of who you are?”
The young girl glanced back over her shoulder at him as he spoke. “So young?” she asked, her eyes wide in surprise. “Was your father a sailor as well?” Surely he had inherited the boat if he had called it home for so long. She turned back to face him, curiosity lighting her deep hazel eyes. “What was it like, growing up at sea? Was it as grand as it seems, traveling the world?”
Whenever Essa had been blessed enough to travel it was always with all the safety and limitations expected for one of royal blood. For all that she was grateful for the comforts this allowed for her, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel like a bird trapped in a cage, forbidden from the sky.
He moved forward, the brush of his arm against her making her blush slightly. It was a simply touch and yet it was contact she rarely had with a man she was not related to. She followed him eagerly, a slight bounce to her step as he lead her forward. Her eyes surveyed their surroundings, trying to take it all in and commit it to memory. She knew no one would have permitted her this little adventure. It seemed likely it would be her only opportunity to see a ship not commissioned by her royal family.
There was a tone of warning in his voice as he spoke next which forced her gaze away from the group of men braiding rope. She nodded, following him carefully down the steps. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light of the ship’s interior. She paused at the small landing, uncertain of where to go. Instead she lingered a moment, taking in the sight before her. Yet sight wasn’t the sense that struck her first. Instead it was the smell. She pursed her lips but resisted the urge to cover her face. She dare not flinch like she was certain Lukos expected her to.
He was trying to shock her, but she was intent on surprising him instead.
Essa lifted her head proudly as she accepted his assistance in stepping down. “Not at all,” she admitted with a chuckle. “In books the ships are simply magically repaired after each skirmish. There is seldom talk of the process.” Though there was always detailed descriptions of other portions of the ship - the sort where a couple might find some degree of privacy. Yet she was hardly about to discuss such things with the dashing sailor before her.
Instead, she cleared her throat and her mind. Instead a wide grin came across her lips as she looked up at him. “Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Essa stared up at him, a fire in her dark eyes. “Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That its not a part of who you are?”
Her questions earlier he’d merely smiled at and not answered. Such charming, romantic notions she had. His father a great sailor, handing down this ship from father to son as Lukos would obviously one day do for his son when he had one. He and his crew merrily sailing around the Aegean, working happily and sleeping contentedly, satisfied with a hard day’s labor but ultimately better for it. What a load of bullshit. And then her question of what it was like growing up? He pretended not to hear it. That was easily done with someone shouting from the deck below so that Lukos could then naturally break the conversation and move the two of them on the tour of the rest of the ship. That’s what had given him the idea of showing her the bilge, though. To cleanse those pure thoughts of hers from the notions that a sailor’s life was in any way glamorous. Though, he hadn’t quite bargained for the sort of stubbornness that was unique to teenagers.
She didn’t draw up or make contorted faces and he arched a brow at her. Instead of being disgusted by her surroundings, she maintained her bright, chipper attitude and merrily explained to him that, no, this wasn’t what she’d expected and grinned at him to level even more notions of a sailor’s life at him.
“Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Gods she was sweet. He wanted to fix that for her. Her adorable earnestness as she stared up into his eyes made him want to brush the backs of his fingers down her little round face, lean closer, and tell her something like “What fucking excitement?” But he didn’t. Instead he merely arched another brow at her, not interrupting her as she spoke again.
“Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That it's not a part of who you are?”
“Anything worth having requires hard work, does it?” he asked and then gestured back to the ladder. If she wasn’t going to be a good little noble girl and be either scared or disgusted by the bilge, then he didn’t want to stay down here anymore than anyone else would. It was dark and smelly and full of sweaty sailors. He waited until she was half way up before he started after her, infinitely faster at this and once they were back at the top, he led her through the cargo hold and towards his cabin just to the left of the small landing. The hallway was short, ending abruptly at the door in the side wall and he opened it, not actually ushering her through.
Instead, he tucked the coin purse under his mattress and turned to look at her. The room was not large and had only his bed bolted to the floor against the wall, a small window with a table right beneath it. On the wall across from the bed, chains hung through two metal loops with manacles on the end, like prisoners might have. On the table’s surface was a mess of maps, charting instruments, a dagger, and some random coins that he was using to weigh his papers down. Otherwise the room was immaculate and empty.
“See, not everything worth having takes work. Sometimes,” and here he gestured to the coins that he’d hidden away. “Sometimes all you have to do is ask and good things will come.” Lukos leaned his hip against the table’s side, arms crossed over his chest, grinning at her. “If you’re clever, you just have to be smart to get what you want. It doesn’t necessarily require backbreaking work.”
He was being fairly careful not to answer any of her questions involving his own personal past. It was easier that way.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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Her questions earlier he’d merely smiled at and not answered. Such charming, romantic notions she had. His father a great sailor, handing down this ship from father to son as Lukos would obviously one day do for his son when he had one. He and his crew merrily sailing around the Aegean, working happily and sleeping contentedly, satisfied with a hard day’s labor but ultimately better for it. What a load of bullshit. And then her question of what it was like growing up? He pretended not to hear it. That was easily done with someone shouting from the deck below so that Lukos could then naturally break the conversation and move the two of them on the tour of the rest of the ship. That’s what had given him the idea of showing her the bilge, though. To cleanse those pure thoughts of hers from the notions that a sailor’s life was in any way glamorous. Though, he hadn’t quite bargained for the sort of stubbornness that was unique to teenagers.
She didn’t draw up or make contorted faces and he arched a brow at her. Instead of being disgusted by her surroundings, she maintained her bright, chipper attitude and merrily explained to him that, no, this wasn’t what she’d expected and grinned at him to level even more notions of a sailor’s life at him.
“Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Gods she was sweet. He wanted to fix that for her. Her adorable earnestness as she stared up into his eyes made him want to brush the backs of his fingers down her little round face, lean closer, and tell her something like “What fucking excitement?” But he didn’t. Instead he merely arched another brow at her, not interrupting her as she spoke again.
“Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That it's not a part of who you are?”
“Anything worth having requires hard work, does it?” he asked and then gestured back to the ladder. If she wasn’t going to be a good little noble girl and be either scared or disgusted by the bilge, then he didn’t want to stay down here anymore than anyone else would. It was dark and smelly and full of sweaty sailors. He waited until she was half way up before he started after her, infinitely faster at this and once they were back at the top, he led her through the cargo hold and towards his cabin just to the left of the small landing. The hallway was short, ending abruptly at the door in the side wall and he opened it, not actually ushering her through.
Instead, he tucked the coin purse under his mattress and turned to look at her. The room was not large and had only his bed bolted to the floor against the wall, a small window with a table right beneath it. On the wall across from the bed, chains hung through two metal loops with manacles on the end, like prisoners might have. On the table’s surface was a mess of maps, charting instruments, a dagger, and some random coins that he was using to weigh his papers down. Otherwise the room was immaculate and empty.
“See, not everything worth having takes work. Sometimes,” and here he gestured to the coins that he’d hidden away. “Sometimes all you have to do is ask and good things will come.” Lukos leaned his hip against the table’s side, arms crossed over his chest, grinning at her. “If you’re clever, you just have to be smart to get what you want. It doesn’t necessarily require backbreaking work.”
He was being fairly careful not to answer any of her questions involving his own personal past. It was easier that way.
Her questions earlier he’d merely smiled at and not answered. Such charming, romantic notions she had. His father a great sailor, handing down this ship from father to son as Lukos would obviously one day do for his son when he had one. He and his crew merrily sailing around the Aegean, working happily and sleeping contentedly, satisfied with a hard day’s labor but ultimately better for it. What a load of bullshit. And then her question of what it was like growing up? He pretended not to hear it. That was easily done with someone shouting from the deck below so that Lukos could then naturally break the conversation and move the two of them on the tour of the rest of the ship. That’s what had given him the idea of showing her the bilge, though. To cleanse those pure thoughts of hers from the notions that a sailor’s life was in any way glamorous. Though, he hadn’t quite bargained for the sort of stubbornness that was unique to teenagers.
She didn’t draw up or make contorted faces and he arched a brow at her. Instead of being disgusted by her surroundings, she maintained her bright, chipper attitude and merrily explained to him that, no, this wasn’t what she’d expected and grinned at him to level even more notions of a sailor’s life at him.
“Everything worth having requires hard work though, don’t you think? Surely this is worth a life of travel and adventure and endless excitement. That’s what makes a sailor’s life grand after all. It’s about the journey.”
Gods she was sweet. He wanted to fix that for her. Her adorable earnestness as she stared up into his eyes made him want to brush the backs of his fingers down her little round face, lean closer, and tell her something like “What fucking excitement?” But he didn’t. Instead he merely arched another brow at her, not interrupting her as she spoke again.
“Do you expect me to believe that you don’t love it? That it's not a part of who you are?”
“Anything worth having requires hard work, does it?” he asked and then gestured back to the ladder. If she wasn’t going to be a good little noble girl and be either scared or disgusted by the bilge, then he didn’t want to stay down here anymore than anyone else would. It was dark and smelly and full of sweaty sailors. He waited until she was half way up before he started after her, infinitely faster at this and once they were back at the top, he led her through the cargo hold and towards his cabin just to the left of the small landing. The hallway was short, ending abruptly at the door in the side wall and he opened it, not actually ushering her through.
Instead, he tucked the coin purse under his mattress and turned to look at her. The room was not large and had only his bed bolted to the floor against the wall, a small window with a table right beneath it. On the wall across from the bed, chains hung through two metal loops with manacles on the end, like prisoners might have. On the table’s surface was a mess of maps, charting instruments, a dagger, and some random coins that he was using to weigh his papers down. Otherwise the room was immaculate and empty.
“See, not everything worth having takes work. Sometimes,” and here he gestured to the coins that he’d hidden away. “Sometimes all you have to do is ask and good things will come.” Lukos leaned his hip against the table’s side, arms crossed over his chest, grinning at her. “If you’re clever, you just have to be smart to get what you want. It doesn’t necessarily require backbreaking work.”
He was being fairly careful not to answer any of her questions involving his own personal past. It was easier that way.
