Sinbad needed air. As the night wore on, the stench of bodies crammed into the miserable tavern, ripe with ale and the day's work, went from palatable to cloying, and no amount of drink or good company could extinguish his yearning for the fresh air of the sea. It was no small mercy that in a life of servitude and decay, where one didn't have much of anything comforting and or stable to rely on, he had the ocean's steady waves, the air's cleansing wind and the sun's ceaseless rise and fall. They were his entire world. Well, them and Doubar that was. But his elder brother seemed more than satisfied to remain where he was for the time being, enjoying the attentions of Ulla, his favourite and most attentive barmaid. Sinbad could not help but smile at that. His brother deserved every moment of happiness he could get, and he was glad the big man was able to find it so readily.
Truthfully, it was Aiden's strange manner that had unsettled Sinbad more than anything else this evening. Along with his cryptic warning to leave Baghdad as soon possible tomorrow. As if he would have any other choice. As usual, the overseer would order him to unload his cargo before paying him and sending him off with his next list of goods to procure. Aiden knew this, he was a Captain himself. Without were there to serve a purpose, and were sent away once it was complete. Even those who laboured there each day were not entitled to spent the night, unless they were servants within the palace or to one of the high houses, and thus needed to be available to attend to every beck and call of their masters.
Aiden's hopeful musings about the future were a further puzzle. His mentor was no optimist, nor did he normally pay any special attention to the royal family. The Trial of Princes would yield yet another oppressor with a fancy title, another name for the masses to fear and worship. Aiden knew as well as he that even if a man with more benevolent leanings managed to win the Trial, there was a legacy to be followed, an expectation of leadership that didn't include liberating the Without from servitude. Besides, he was sure the future Queen would tolerate no weakness from her husband to be. No shying away from tradition. Queen Elara and Prince Turok would have taught her and her sister well.
And why the focus on his rainbow bracelet? He could have sworn he saw Aiden eyeing it. Was it possible he knew something, after all these years of feigning ignorance? He twisted it absently around his wrist, recalling how he had awoken with it upon the shore of an uninhabited isle, with his benefactor and crew hovering over him nervously. How there had been a storm to beat all storms, where lightning rippled across the sky enough to illuminate the ocean's very depths. How he was struck by it while reaching to secure a lose line, before plummeting into the roiling waves. How he was sure in that moment to have breathed his last breath, his spirit already seeming to float above his body, electrified like the rest of him. There were too many questions surrounding his survival and his cryptic token, and no answers to be had.
The full moon reflected off the waves as Sinbad reached the docks, unusually bright, as if it too were highlighting the excitement to be expected on the morrow. The sooner this whole Trial of Princes ordeal was over with, the better, he bristled. If he had his way, they'd be stocked up with provisions and ready to set sail again the very next day. Away from cryptic questions without answers, and far away from the royal family and their scorching 'bright futures.'
"Copper for your thoughts, stranger?" interrupted a female voice, which gave him quite the start. He really needed to quit brooding in the dark and start paying better attention to the world around him before someone tried to pick his pocket or cut his throat, he admonished.
But when he looked over to greet his questioner, he found his breath catch for an entirely different reason. The woman who faced him was beautiful yes, but that seemed so plain a word to describe someone as enchanting as her. Adorned in a deep green evening cloak and hood, with a hint of creamy white skin and red hair tucked beneath its folds, she seemed like a magical being from a fireside tale, who had just emerged from her woodland home to satisfy her curiosity about the world of men. She was unusually tall and elegant, her eyes reflecting the stars, her aura glowing brighter than the moon.
"You're the second person to ask me that today, you know," he answered her, finally finding his voice. He knew it was rude to stare, but he had trouble taking his eyes off of her lovely form. "They're not very interesting I'm afraid," he clarified, not wishing to burden this heavenly creature with his troubled musings.
She smiled at this. "If you say so. I quite like hearing what people think about in their deep, quiet moments. So rarely does anyone share such things. We're all too busy trying to impress each other, to say what's right, rather than what's real."
Sinbad could not help but smile in return. "Saying what we really think is dangerous milady. You never know who could be listening," he warned.
"Don't call me a lady, please," the mysterious woman pressed. "And you have nothing to fear from me. I'm not here to judge you, and even if I were, I couldn't exactly report you to the authorities for being morose, now could I?"
He laughed at this, charmed by her boldness and wit. She was no wallflower, that was for certain. But she wasn't a lady of the night either. She was too well dressed, and carried herself with an air of confidence rather than of desperation. "Why are you here then?" he asked playfully, turning himself to face her fully. "Or do you make it a habit to surprise unwitting sailors in the dark?" He smirked, letting his eyes linger upon her lips, before finding her eyes once more. Her captivating orbs of golden brown sent shivers of warmth through him, much like the rest of her. "If you're not a lady, then a siren perhaps?"
She laughed at his attempt at seduction, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Nothing so exciting I'm afraid, dear sailor. I don't mind singing on occasion though, if the mood suits me." She moved closer to him, and he felt himself flush with arousal. "I'm just a woman who's come to admire the night sky by the water's edge. Among other things," she smirked, before she lay her lips upon his.
Whatever misgivings Sinbad had about how this evening was turning out, they were far behind him now. The prospect of enjoying a woman of exceptional beauty and spirit had a tendency to do that. She tasted as warm and inviting as she looked, and he could think of no greater pleasure than getting to taste every last inch of her until the sun came up.
"Tell me sailor," she breathed, breaking apart their ardent kiss. "Which ship do you call home?"
"The Nomad," he returned, his words sticking partially in his throat from the weight of desire. "I'm proud to Captain such a fine vessel. Would that she was my home."
"You're a Captain" the woman affirmed, sounding genuinely impressed. "So she's yours then.
"No." He felt his heart constrict, the weight of reality falling upon it once again. "She belongs to the Capital, like everything else. I only get to care for her so long as I do their bidding."
She fell silent for a moment, apology for her presumption written on her face. Did she truly not understand the way of life for all Withouts, that no one owned anything except what little they were allowed to subsist upon? What little they were given, in exchange for services rendered? She was dressed well, but not overly fine. Given this naivete, her beauty and the confidence with which she carried herself, he assumed she must have a coveted job in the Capital. Most likely she remained there for most of her life, tending to the privileged and powerful, removed from the realities of the people around here. From her own people. But he was surprised she wouldn't know or at least remember these basic truths.
"I'm sorry," she offered sadly, looking into his eyes earnestly, before shaking her head and continuing on before he had the chance to question her further. "I've never been on a ship before."
What a puzzle this creature was. There was something different, strange about her. But it only drew him to her more. Besides, she was far too pretty for him to worry too much about who she was, and why she was here. "Would you like to come aboard?" he offered, as they reached the dock steps. "It won't be nearly as thrilling as if we were out at sea, but I promise to do my best to make it worth your while." He couldn't resist giving her a wink.
Her smile was more radiant than the sun to him. "I'm sure you will Captain…?"
"Sinbad," he finished for her. "And what should I call you, my not-a-lady?" he teased.
She paused. "May. My name is May."
"A lovely name for an equally lovely woman," he ascertained.
May rolled her eyes at this, but was nonetheless amused by his flirtation. She had been the one who kissed him after all. "Are you always so charming Captain?"
"It depends on the person to be honest," he laughed. "I suppose you just provoke that kind of a reaction in me."
She offered him a smirk of her own, her eyes glittering with lust. "Good," she answered, before kissing him again. And this time, she had no intention of letting it stop there. Nor did he.
Sinbad guided them expertly below deck, their increasingly fevered embraces demanding the need for privacy. As much as he wouldn't mind the world knowing he had found such an exquisite prize for the evening, he doubted his lovely partner would approve. His cock strained against his pants as she began kissing behind his ear, moving down his neck, nipping gently at his sensitive flesh. It took all the willpower he had to not to tear off her clothes and take her against his door that very instant.
The hatch to his cabin was open, allowing the moon's glow to bathe the room in an almost ethereal light. As May removed her cloak, and it fell upon her creamy white skin, Sinbad was sure he was about to make love to angel. Curling red ringlets cascaded down her back, unusual, but not unheard of in this part of the world. It was said that one of the powerful magic families had hair like this, had even won the right to marry into Baghdad's royal family at one point. Not that Sinbad wanted to contemplate royal bloodlines at a time like this. Whoever this rare beauty was, wherever she came from, he didn't know. But for tonight at least, she was his.
"Your eyes," she breathed lustfully, staring into them deeply. "They're like the ocean."
"And yours are like dark honey; exquisite like the rest of you," he admitted ardently, before moving to undo the laces of her dress.
Her skin was softer even than it looked, and he took time to enjoy the feel of it beneath his calloused fingers before switching to use his tongue instead. It gave him no small satisfaction to draw one of her delicate pink nipples into his mouth, and hear her moan, before she wrapped her legs around him. They fell upon his bed half dressed, a tangle of desire and need, desperate to be satisfied.
He pulled off the remainder of her dress, exposing her wet, delicate folds to his hungry gaze. If she tasted anything like she looked, he was sure to drown in pleasure before he even entered her. With one hand upon her hip, he pressed a finger into her entry slowly but firmly, sensing how much pressure she would welcome. When she simply moaned with arousal, he pushed in another, as his tongue began to dance along her clit. She writhed against him like cat in heat, pulling pleasurably at his soft, thick hair while panting at his ministrations, until she came undone for him. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to bury his cock deep inside of her and have her scream his name.
"Sinbad, I want you," she rasped out passionately as she caught her breath, her hands moving to stroke his engorged member through the thick fabric of his pants.
"And you can have me May." He smirked darkly. "I'm all yours, milady." She slapped him playfully on his chest, before moving to undo the bindings on his leather pants, kissing him deeply, suckling on his neck. It wasn't long before his length was free, hard and eager to bury itself into her waiting folds.
He positioned himself on top of her and entered her deliciously slow, savouring every minute of her perfect core stretching to accommodate him. She may not have been a virgin, but she was blissfully tight. He would be happy to drown in her deep, wet heat, so long as he didn't have to let her go at the end of the night. A woman like this, he only wished he could keep. Such a contradiction of naivete and wantonness, packaged into an uncommonly beautiful form he had never seen before, despite his many travels.
He fucked her thoroughly, sensually, enjoying the feel of bottoming out deep inside of her. She jolted with pleasure at each thrust, muttering sweet nothings to him, taking her with him into a divine fog of lust with each whimper. When he felt her begin to quiver and contract around his length, he indulged in a few last hard thrusts before joining her in ecstasy.
They lay tangled around each other contentedly for a few minutes, before he rolled himself off of her to admire her beauty one more. If he had known that a breathtaking creature like her would have come wandering into his life, searching through the dark for someone to keep her company, he would have stood vigil by his ship every night. He knew she wasn't meant to be his. He didn't have a lifestyle that allowed for relationships easily, being out at sea for weeks at time, or even longer. Nor did he want the burden of love. Of family. Of the painful inability to give them the life they deserved. But this woman was special. Maybe, just maybe, he could convince her to see him again. Maybe he could consider breaking his rule, just this once.
"It must be nice to sail away from the world, to discover new places, to see new things," she mused suddenly, as she played with a lock of his shoulder length hair.
"It is… it can be," he admitted.
He sighed. "But it's not as freeing as you think May. I don't get to explore these places, to discover them, to know them very well beyond the business I'm sent to conduct. This ship is not my own, my life is not my own." He paused to stroke his thumb upon her cheek. "But one day, I plan to make that right. One day, I'll find a distant isle that I can call home, and I'll stay there. No more trading for goods I'll never use, no more running errands for people who don't even know my name, no more endless back and forth, caught running in a race that is not designed to be won."
She smiled wistfully. "You've got quite the adventurous spirit Captain Sinbad. I only wish I could indulge in such dreams. Freedom is a hard thing to find in this world after all, but you at least seem to be on the right track."
He frowned, the hardness of reality threatening to creep upon him once more. "I'm not so sure about that May. It's still just a dream, a hope after all. I hardly even know if a place free from Baghdad's eyes exists… I've only been on an island like it once before, when I was much younger."
"Dreams, hopes. In our world, they're the stuff of life, although life seems to want very little to do with them. Would that someone could find a way to change that," May mused, as she brought her lips to his sweetly. Would that it could be you, she thought, as she pulled away.
Sinbad was lost admiring her perfect lips for a moment, before answering. "Well, unless you can think of a way to change the minds of every powerful family in Baghdad, starting with the royal family, change for the rest of us is an unlikely outcome."
May froze for a moment, before smiling sadly. "They're unlikely to change their minds, yes, but it's not impossible. Just like you finding your island and winning your freedom is not impossible. With each new generation, there is hope… for a brighter future."
Brighter future, what was with everyone saying that lately thought Sinbad, trying not to let his irritation show. Now the fucking royal family was invading his time in the bedroom too.
May seemed to sense his thoughts, and in truth, her own were feeling quite burdened. She ran her fingers down his cheek tenderly one more time before moving to sit up. Sinbad watched her wistfully, wishing despite himself that his alluring bedmate would stay a bit longer. He reluctantly began to gather his clothes too, intending to savour whatever few moments he had left with her, by seeing her off safely. To say goodbye to the first woman who would make his heart twinge with regret.
As they descended the steps of the Nomad, bathed once more in the moonlight, May grasped his hand suddenly. "Promise me you won't give up on your dream, Sinbad. Of freedom." She turned to meet his eyes, and he could see her own were shining from more than just the light's reflection. "Promise me you won't give up hope that you can find it, somehow."
Taken aback by her apparent emotion, Sinbad nodded at her, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "I won't May, I promise." He paused. "But, I doubt I'll manage to escape so soon that I won't get the chance to see you again."
May sighed sadly, before moving to fix him with her gaze once more. "Sinbad, you're a man of the sea, and not meant to be tied down to the pursuits of land. Besides, my life in the Capital leaves me precious little time to get away. Tonight was a rare exception." She placed her hands upon his chest, feeling the bit of hair he had peeking out from behind the laces of his white shirt. "Our meeting was rather serendipitous it seems. Sadly, us meeting again would be even more so."
Sinbad's gut soured at her ascertain. She was right of course, he knew it as well as she. But that didn't stop the truth from tasting any less bitter. She was so much more intriguing, so much more lovely than the women he typically met. He would have a hard time ridding her beauty from his mind. But he would. He had no choice. Just like everything else in life. She was not meant to be his, and instead belonged to Baghdad even more so than he did.
As a gentle breeze rustled May's hair to make her look even more like a fine portrait than she already did, he grasped her hands in his and kissed her deeply. He was never going to get the chance to do this again, so he was sure to savour her heavenly taste as it swirled along his tongue. When they finally parted, May smiled at him sadly, and caressed his cheek. "Remember your promise, Sinbad," she intimated to him one last time, before turning around and melting into the soft night.