THE OTHER BROTHER
Cade and Emoth made the fateful journey to Bralyk Keep together because they're like brothers, which is also the only reason Cade has decided to support Emoth's decision in the slightest. Let's take a look there before we head back to the Hold, where in light of recent proposals Dalla wishes she could talk to the man who was like a brother to her.
...
The next morning, the hammering on Cade's cabin door was superseded only by the hammering in his head. He attempted to peel his eyelids open and was assaulted by the blinding sun pouring through his window. It was going to be a more beautiful day than it had any right of being. Especially after what had happened last night. The events of which were just beginning to piece themselves together in Cade's mind.
And then there was the banging again. "Captain?" A voice called through the door.
"What is it?" Cade managed to sit up in his berth.
"You're going to want to come out and see this."
Cade did not want to exit his cabin, even if it was a mess. Clothes and leathers were strewn everywhere along with food wrappers and a few empty bottles from his solo 'celebration'. "Alright. I'm coming."
Once on deck, the captain of the Beast's Ride wasn't really certain what he was seeing on the pier coming towards them. It looked like the laughing, cheering procession that had accompanied Kason and Thias and their wives on their send off to their honeymoons. That couldn't be what this was.
"Captain, this gentleman wishes to speak with you."
Cade turned away from the spectacle towards the voice of his first mate. "Aye? Where is he?"
"We didn't let him on board. You said not to let anyone."
"Aye." Cade sauntered over to the rail and looked down to the bottom of the gangplank. "What do you want?"
It was the same steward from the day before who had led he and Emoth to the holdfast. The man huffed. "I've been instructed by Lord Bralykburn to come aboard and prepare the honeymoon cabin for the bride and groom."
Cade saw now that the man had his arms full of cloth and boxes. "And exactly which cabin were you planning on using?"
"Only the best will do for the Lady Kayla and her husband." He sputtered as if it were obvious.
"You expect me to give up my cabin?" Cade asked. It was almost humorous.
"If your cabin is the most spacious and best appointed." The steward sniffed.
"Aye. It is." Cade was amused. He gave the little man a mock bow. "By all means. Come aboard and make your preparations."
The steward bustled up the gangplank and across the deck towards the door Cade indicated. Behind his back First Mate Colin Kretash looked astounded. Cade just winked like, wait for it…
"Ye Gads! Is this a cabin or a kennel?"
The captain burst out laughing. "You might want to hurry it up. I can see them coming," he called.
"If I had been allowed to board as soon as I arrived, this would already be finished."
Some of Cade's personal items were unceremoniously chucked out the door he ran for it. "Kriff!" He gathered up the items from the deck and stayed to oversee the removal of the rest of his belongings. He called out to Colin. "Get the stuff out of the Comm Officer's cabin and I guess put my stuff in there." He resigned.
…
In a surprisingly short amount of time the cabins had been sorted. Well at least the honeymoon suite looked… better. The former Comm Officer's cabin, looked more like it had weathered a typhoon.
While the steward worked, several trunks had been delivered. Cade refused to let them come aboard before they were opened and searched.
"Dresses?" Colin exclaimed amazed. "What in the salt gods halls does one girl need with so many for her honeymoon?"
"Maybe she's coming to the Hold to stay." Cade shrugged. Or, he thought, maybe they're for more than one girl. He could only hope.
It was too much to hope for, however. The bride and groom were escorted to the gangplank by a raucous crowd. They were both wearing cloaks of Bralykburn red. But before they could ascend to the deck, Kayla received a teary hug from her sister on the dock.
Hugo led the couple up the gangplank but Kora didn't join them. Cade had a feeling he should be paying attention to the honored guests who had just stepped aboard his ship, but instead he found his gaze lingering on the blonde girl still standing on the dock.
Emoth and Kayla's laughter brought him back to reality. Somehow very soon he was going to have to explain this disaster to his family, and somehow not get killed in the process. Uncle Jamos would be angry, but Cade trusted Aunt Shara's ability to keep him reined in. Dalla, on the other hand…
Oh, she was totally going to flip.
...
What was she doing? What the Dxun was she doing?
Dalla slammed back her drink the second Maris placed it in front of her, set the glass on the bar and ordered another.
Maris looked up at the chrono and didn't make a move to take the glass. "Another?"
"Aye."
"It's not even noon yet, Dalla."
"Maris, please!" It came out a little shriller than she wanted but it had the intended purpose. Maris refilled Dalla's glass and she wasted no time draining that one either.
She knew full well it was before noon. It had to be because Lux was supposed to comm her at noon for an answer to his proposal.
And Dalla was going to say yes.
Just the thought made her consider ordering a double. Lux was a good man, but he was a man. He had … needs. When she thought of that, accepting his proposal felt like the worst decision she could possibly make.
"I'm not givin' you three before noon," Maris interrupted. "Not until you tell me what's goin' on."
"Let the girl drink Maris," another woman at the bar interrupted. "It's One-Eye Murphy's birthday."
Dalla stopped. Salt gods, that was today?
"You missing him, Dal?" The woman asked. Dalla recognized her now — Maggy, one of the girls at Blackhold's brothel. One-Eye had been a frequent customer of hers.
"Very much," she admitted. One-Eye, whose real name was Sloan, was like a big brother to her. She could talk to him about anything. Surely the north's most prolific ladies' man would have some advice for this situation with Lux.
Dalla closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about Lux. All she wanted was to go back in time to another of Sloan Murphy's birthdays, when she was five years old going to the pub with her newly thirteen-year-old best friend.
"Why are we going to the pub for your birthday?" she asked crawling into one of the booths. "What about your birthday party?"
"This is my birthday party," Sloan said and plopped down across from her. "Some trader told me that southern kids sometimes have parties at game places or restaurants or somethin' like that, so my party's at the pub!"
Dalla had never heard of such things as a birthday party that didn't happen in your living room and her eyes went wide. "Are all your friends gonna meet us here?"
"Maybe," Sloan lied. Dalla was his only party guest. After his aunt, Captain Eva Murphy's, death he had no family left and no one wanted to hang out with the one-eyed kid. Who else did he have in the galaxy besides the lord's daughter who he'd taken under his wing?
Before he could elaborate the waitress came to take their order and he spoke for both of them. "We'll take the birthday special."
"Birthday special?" The waitress repeated while she marked down the order for a birthday cookie on the house. "You know that's for the birthday boy and his immediate family only."
"Yes ma'am. This here's my little sister."
The waitress didn't catch Dalla's startled expression. "Alrighty. I'll bring those right out for you."
She waited until the women left before she whispered: "Why'd you tell her I was your sister?"
"Who says you aren't?" He winked and then dropped his voice. "Girls dig guys with little sisters. I've already got a missing eye; I need all the help I can get."
"If I pretend to be your sister, can I have more cookies?"
"You can have all the cookies you want and someone to beat up anyone who gives you trouble." He extended a hand over the table. "Deal?"
"Deal!"
And he'd kept his promise. As they got older they would talk to each other about anything. He watched out for her and she helped him get girls. They were always there for each other, and salt gods she would give anything to have him with her again before she made what was looking to be the biggest mistake of her life.
Maggy's voice and the clinking of a raised glass brought her back to the present: "To ol' One-Eye?"
"To One-Eye." Dalla clinked her glass with Maggy's and drank long and deep.. As much as she wanted another, and for said drink to be a double, it wouldn't do her any good to take Lux's comm drunk.
When Maris went to serve Maggy's group Dalla placed a credit chit on the table, got up and left without making a sound. It was almost noon, and she wanted to enjoy the last minutes before she sealed her fate for good.
