fandomania | The Adventure continues... (Reply)

Please click and view our eggs and hatchlings. I will be doing the same for you. Thanks.

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

Captain Bayard decided that we had enough supplies, once the order from the chandlers arrived, that we could head directly to Alfaria, although ‘directly’ was not exactly the best term to use. Since the westwardly winds were still prevailing, we kept getting blown eastward and yet it was northward that we needed to go. Consequently, we had to sail in a zigzag pattern in order to do so. This added to the time that it would take to get us home, but unless we ran into more storms or had to elude pirate ships, it would only take us another two weeks to do so.

Unfortunately, those two weeks were spent in close proximity to a teenager with raging hormones, who badly needed discipline and tough love. I tried very hard to excuse Laela because she had been very young when captured and sold into slavery. But it soon became apparent that she had inherited a lot of the character flaws that our father had. Once she felt safe and started forgetting the fears and horrors of her captivity, her personality started emerging and it wasn’t anything like the twelve year old girl that I remembered. I know that her mother, my stepmother, kept all her daughters on a short leash and they responded to her strictness because she also made it apparent that there was love behind it. However, Laela’s masters had indulged her, but at the same time from what she had told me, they also used her for their pleasures.

I know that ship life can be very boring for a passenger on a ship. There is very little that one can do. I kept busy with tending Yusaf and Loysa. I tried to engage Laela in helping me, but she scoffed at my attempts as being beneath her; that what I was doing was ‘servants work’. It really hurt me when she started making disparaging remarks about me and how ‘humiliating’ it was for her to be associated with someone who had lowered herself to twice be married to men of lower classes, but also to have had sexual relations with someone not of my own skin color. I am afraid that my temper got the better of me and I slapped her face very hard. I reminded her that I, her embarrassing sister, was the one who rescued her, using the money of the so-called ‘lower class’ men. That the person who fathered Yusaf was no different from anyone else and was in fact the king or shah of his country and certainly held a higher rank than our own father. I also reminded her that our father was the one who made me marry Jaizel, and that if the Georgists had not invaded Freedonia, she might have also been forced to marry ‘beneath’ her.

Laela burst into tears and quickly apologized, but the way she said it made me wonder how sincere she was. I know that this is horrible to say, but I was beginning to regret rescuing her. I didn’t know how to get through to her about how horrible to me her words and attitudes were. I certainly didn’t want her to associate with my children and have them try to imitate her. Celianne was almost twelve and I hoped that I raised her better, but still sometimes older friends and relatives can influence a child. I didn’t want to have to undo any damage Laela might do. I made a mental note to consult with Aunt Suthi and the other aunts in order to get some insights as to how to handle Laela and how to get her to realize what terrible attitudes she had.

After seven days of sailing, we had almost finished crossing the Gulf of Freedonia. In less than a week we would be finally back in Alfaria. If circumstances had been better in Freedonia, we might have stopped there to refresh ourselves and to get more fresh water, but we couldn’t.

On the afternoon of the eighth day, I had taken Yusaf and Loysa up onto the deck to get some fresh air and sunshine. When Yusaf started becoming cranky, I went back to our cabin to put him down for his afternoon nap. I opened the door and saw a totally naked Laela, with her arms around Donal, kissing him passionately. I know that I cried out and then I bolted from the doorway and ran back up to the deck. There was no other place to go. I stood at the stern of the ship, crying, watching the ship’s wake and trying to rock Yusaf to sleep. I couldn’t get the image of what I saw out of my mind.

I heard footsteps coming from behind me. “I swear to you, Patra, that what you saw was not initiated or wanted by me. When I went into our cabin, I wasn’t aware that Laela was there nor did I have any inkling as to what she had in mind. She dropped her clothes, grabbed hold of me and kissed me just seconds before you walked into the cabin. If you had stayed longer, you would have seen me push her away. I swear to you that this is what happened.”

I guess I wasn’t ready to listen because I replied to him, “Who am I to chastise my husband for wanting other women, when I have dishonored our wedding vows and brought shame to our marriage?” I began to sob harder.

“Patra! Love! I don’t want any other women! I only want you! I certainly do not, will not and cannot love anyone else but you. I didn’t kiss Laela, she kissed me! I have never encouraged her to, nor do I even want to kiss her or have anything further to do with her. She is bad news.”

“I have to agree with Donal,” Uncle Haral stated quietly. “Laela is a very troubled girl. Donal is telling you the truth. Laela has tried to seduce Bayard and his officers. She even tried to crawl into bed with me. Bayard has ordered his men not to fraternize with her on pain of punishment. She has this ship in turmoil. As much as I hate to admit it, I wish that I hadn’t listened to you in Xianpetê. But what was done is done and cannot be undone. When we get to Alfaria, we are going to have to find her some help. She is acting like a whore and not like a sixteen year old girl. Please find it in your heart to believe us. No man on this ship has encouraged your sister to such behaviors, and yet she has gone out of her way to try to seduce all of us. What you saw her doing to Donal is not his fault. Laela is to blame, not Donal.

“And as for your feelings of shame and unworthiness, I thought we had talked this out weeks ago. You have not brought shame onto yourself, your marriage or Donal. You were forced to endure the lusts of the Shah because of the curse that was placed on you. You are not to blame for anything that happened. I know that this is hard for you to accept. I think that you will benefit from some sessions with counselors yourself. You should not be pushing your husband away, but you should allow him to help and comfort you.”

“Please Patra.” Donal begged, “Please tell me that you believe me? It is killing me inside that you are willing to believe that I could be willingly unfaithful to you. I swear to you that I have not, nor will I ever be unfaithful to you.”

I turned to Donal and said humbly, “I believe you. I am sorry that I ever doubted you.”

Donal rushed forward and took me into his arms, being careful not to crush little Yusaf.

“Good!” said Haral. “Now what are we going to do with Laela?”

“Lock her in her cabin,” stated Bayard. “I can’t have her distracting my crew any more. She will be confined there until we arrive back to Alfaria.”

And so it happened. The rest of the voyage proved dull and uneventful, which was just fine with me.