Chapter 1: Surprise
"CAPTAIN! IT IS CESTRIA ISLAND!" One of the crewmen pointed towards the island. Sinbad turned and saw the island. "OK MEN!" he barked loud enough so everyone heard, "THE ISLAND IS SURROUNDED BY TOO MUCH CORAL AND CRATERS, WE WILL BE TAKING THE BOATS IN, GATHER WHAT YOU MUST, WE WILL BE ON THE ISLAND FOR SOME TIME!" They looked at their captain, and with a wave of his hand they were dismissed to gather their belongings and continued with their duties.
Sinbad walked down the below deck. His mind had been plagued with his dreams, he knew he had work to do, but all he wanted to do was sleep. Not because he was tired, but because at least in his dreams, she was there. He was so entrapped in his thoughts that he did not feel the hand that pressed his arm until it turned him. "You seem distracted little brother," said Doubar as the giant turned his younger sibling to eyeshot. Sinbad decided to lie, "I did not get much sleep last night." Doubar look at him with a mix of questioning and disbelief, "but this isn't the first time you have been distracted, it seems you have been filling most of your days with these distractions." Sinbad knew it to be true. For some reason he had been spending many hours in thought of what he lost. He did not know why. He had spent a good year denying it, pushing the feelings and fears away, subsiding any sort of emotion on the subject. He laughed, he joked, he slept with other woman, why was it so hard for him now. They were never lovers in reality, he never told her the truth of his feelings. They were nothing more than friends, companions on a voyage at most, but he knew he felt a lot more.
He remembered an invention of Firouz. It was on one of their adventures. They were trying to save a village from a demon. They made a dam of wood and a concoction that Firouz came up with to hold them together to hold in the river while they battled him, so when the time came all of the excess water would come out in a great flood. The idea worked, unlike many other of Firouz's inventions. That is how he felt he dammed his feelings and now they were coming back in a great flood. Shaking his head out of his contemplative trance he didn't even notice his brother had left.
He back up to see Doubar and Dermott releasing the boats. "Well if it isn't the disappearing Captain." He turned to see a glaring Bryn. "You know if you are going to be depressed can you please do it at night like everyone else." She threw him a bag straight into his stomach, which almost made him fall back. "WE HAVE WORK TO DO!" Dermott came up from the side seeing that look in Bryn's eyes. "Leave him be, even great Captains such as Sinbad must take a rest every now and than." He put one arm around Bryn's shoulders and smiled at her. It irritated her so how his smile could relinquish her bad mood, and he knew it too. "Fine then, but will you, great captain, at least help with Firouz's supplies, I have things of my own I would like to pack." She said in her sarcastic manner. She slipped from under Dermott's arm and went down to her quarters as the two men watched her walk off. "You have to love that fire." Dermott said in his doting gaze. Sinbad rolled his eyes at his good friend who was undeniably in love. "Uh-huh. Her 'fire'. Sure." Dermott turned his attention back to his Captain. "Sinbad, if you do not mind me asking, why are we going to this island?" He smiled at Dermott's behavior. "No I would not mind, I received a letter when we were at the last port. It was from Queen Ileana of this island. Her mother and mine were good friends in the days of their youth. She visited us a few times. She was a sweet woman. Well I received this letter from her son that she needed my assistance, so for my mother's sake if nothing else I would like to see what she needs me for." Dermott nodded his head. "Always the hero" Dermott said sarcastically. It reminded him a bit of his sister's jesting. Sinbad grinned and nodded in return, "I don't think I can help it." All of a sudden they here Firouz screaming about his powders. "I better get down there." Sinbad patted Dermott on the back and ran down to help his clumsy friend. Dermott could not help but feel sadness for his friend, a longing he also felt, in a different manner of course. He missed his sister, and wished he could speak to her, especially with all he was feeling presently, with Bryn and all. He let out a sigh, he felt for some reason that his sister was all right, but feeling the same way that him and his crewmates have been feeling. "Enough of that Dermott or you will be next one to hear Bryn's tirade." He ran back to help Rongar put supplies on the last of the boats.
The entire crew reached the island before nightfall and was welcomed by the royal guards. Sinbad was set back by there presence, but he felt more relaxed when he saw they welcome him and his crew warmly. "The Queen has been anticipating your arrival." The guards helped load the crew's supplies onto carriages with horses.
As they rolled through the town, they couldn't help but notice all the smiles. People greeted them in the road and handed Bryn flowers and the men jugs of water. It's like they knew who they were and why they were here. And it made Sinbad somewhat frustrated since he didn't even know. When they arrived at the village's inn the captain of the guards spoke up. "Your men can remain here. But the Queen does ask that you and your advisors stay at the palace." Sinbad looked at him with a bit of humor. Dermott whispered into his ear, "your advisors?" Sinbad had to chuckle at his almost coy friend and said to his men. "Alright, you men will be staying here. Doubar shall be joining me to meet with the Queen, and after they are finished unloading Dermott, Firouz, Rongar and Bryn shall be joining us as well. For the rest of you, I will speak to you all in the morning." The men followed their captain's orders and started unloading. Sinbad and Doubar followed the captain up the hill to the palace.
It was not all together a humongous palace, it was proportioned well enough for it's island. Large enough to have the significance a palace should have, but not outlandish enough not to fit into the scenery. The walls were filled with artifacts of the island, shells and coral and beautiful waves of silk sheets. Sinbad concluded that the palace most definitely fit the sweet woman he remembered visiting his mother in his youth. "Sinbad, Doubar, I do not believe it is finally you." Ileana stepped out of a room and came to embrace both men. Sinbad wasn't sure how she did it because the woman was almost half of Doubar's size, but she gave them both a loving squeeze. The woman, though aged, was just how Sinbad remembered her. She had long chestnut hair that went down to her thighs. Her eyes were still as open and warm, with just a few wrinkles on their sides. Sinbad was happy to see the woman, she very much reminded him of their mother. The same warmth she radiated was that of their mothers.
"Your highness, thank..." She abruptly cut Doubar's statement off, "no, no, no your highness will not do. I am Ileana to you, and no arguments about it." Doubar gave a little grin. "Now you must tell me," she started guiding them to the throne room, "you are not the only one's that shall be staying with us." "Uh no your high...um Ileana, are friends shall be joining us soon, they just needed to help the crew unload" Sinbad explained. "Lovely, why don't you both get acquainted with your rooms, and when your friends join us we can have supper. I believe by than I should have wrangled my children together for you to meet." She said with a smile as Doubar patted his stomach in approval of the idea, and walked to their quarters. She departed than to prepare for their supper.
As Sinbad sat on his bed, he looked out the window. He was pleased to have a clear view of his ship anchored in the middle of their ocean. He let the breeze hit him, and as breathed in the night air, he breathed in something else as well. A scent that spooked him out of his peace as he look down to see a woman come from the water, it was too dark to see her clearly, but something about her was beautiful to him. She reminded him of a water nymph. He was distracted when he heard Doubar call for him and as he turned his head back to the window, she was gone. 'Sinbad' he thought to himself 'get control of yourself, you do not need to have hallucinations to top everything.'
He left his quarters and saw down the hall his friends all waiting for him. "Sinbad, I think you should hurry, Doubar is starting to look at me like a cooked bird" said Firouz look at his gigantic friend. "I do not think you should be giving me ideas little one." Doubar replied while rubbing his stomach again. They entered the Dining hall. It was a room with a long table and a feast that could even challenge Doubar's appetite. A young man was waiting beside Ileana, "Friends welcome to our table." Said the young man as he came to shake their arms. A guard at once pulled his sword and put it under Rongar's throat he went to welcome the dark man. Sinbad pulled his sword and put it under the guard's neck. "Meliko what are you doing?" said the man. "Your lordship, he is a moor, he was going to touch you." Replied the guard, "On the contrary, I was going to welcome HIM. And he is not a crewmate of Sinbad's is he not?" He looked to Sinbad who nodded his head never taking his eyes off the guard. "Than by the royal decree of my mother the QUEEN you are to treat him and his crew as royalty. So I suggest if you would like to keep your neck you put your sword back in its place and leave this room immediately." With that the guard holstered his weapon, bowed to his prince, and walked out the room. "I apologize for his rudeness. I am Toris" Finally taking Rongar's forearm and shaking with him. Rongar nodded. "A man of few words, I like that" Bryn looked at him at spoke up. "Actually your highness he is a man of no words, he is mute." He looked at the woman and grinned. "Well than you will be a welcomed addition around here, since no one seems to keep their mouths shut." His mother came from the background, "enough with the insults for one night, I think we have all had enough excitement, please all of you, sit eat with us."
They all sat, and Dermott turned to notice the empty seats near him. "Um, your highnesses are we waiting on others? Cause we will wait until they can join us." Doubar gave him the stare of death and in his head he thought 'speak for yourself Lad.' "My sister, my betrothed and my advisors shall be joining us as soon as they can. The women of this palace are never on time for anything." His mother turned to him and glared. "With the exception of you mother." She smiled at him and rolled her eyes at her eldest child not wanting to admit he was right. "I heard someone speaking of me" a young woman with long platinum blonde hair and great blue eyes walked in the room with a suspicious look on her face. "Of course my love, the interesting conversations I can ever have are about you." The prince got up from his seat next to his mother and kissed his betroths' hand and she smiled and curtsy in reply. Sinbad notice the look they gave each other. He knew they seem to really love each other. He wanted to run out the room from the nausea. Another couple in love, another pair that had what they wanted, what he did not have! Why was everyone blessed with their lovers but he? He wanted to curse the gods for mocking him. He knew he could not be with his love, but why did everyone else have to find theirs' at the moment he needed his?
"Let me introduce you all to my lovely bride to be," as he held the hand he just kissed up, "Princess Deora of Lier. Princess these are the crew of the Nomad. Rongar, Firouz..."he started introducing them down the line until he ended with Sinbad. To each person he introduced Deora's face became paler by the name. "Sinbad? Sinbad the Captain" she asked in pure shock. "Yes, Princess it is good to meet you." Realizing her shocked expression she nodded at him and gave a quick half smile. In flustered anxiousness she quickly turned to Toris, "Excuse for a moment I believe I need to get something." Before he could answer her she started walking towards the long stairs at the other end of the room. Seeing the young girl walk through the arch at the top of the stairs she knew she was too late.
"Mother, Mother we came back, and I got so many flowers for you." The young girl started to walk down the stairs and looked towards her mother the queen. "Oh, no" said Deora under her breath as she saw her two friends walking behind the child. One was a woman with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. The other, a familiar woman, with auburn curls held half up. Sinbad slowly stood up from his chair, as he and the rest of his crew dropped their jaws slightly in awe. The woman turned to the silent room and realized who was at the table, she whispered "Sinbad." He in return did the same, "Maeve."
To Be Continued.....
"CAPTAIN! IT IS CESTRIA ISLAND!" One of the crewmen pointed towards the island. Sinbad turned and saw the island. "OK MEN!" he barked loud enough so everyone heard, "THE ISLAND IS SURROUNDED BY TOO MUCH CORAL AND CRATERS, WE WILL BE TAKING THE BOATS IN, GATHER WHAT YOU MUST, WE WILL BE ON THE ISLAND FOR SOME TIME!" They looked at their captain, and with a wave of his hand they were dismissed to gather their belongings and continued with their duties.
Sinbad walked down the below deck. His mind had been plagued with his dreams, he knew he had work to do, but all he wanted to do was sleep. Not because he was tired, but because at least in his dreams, she was there. He was so entrapped in his thoughts that he did not feel the hand that pressed his arm until it turned him. "You seem distracted little brother," said Doubar as the giant turned his younger sibling to eyeshot. Sinbad decided to lie, "I did not get much sleep last night." Doubar look at him with a mix of questioning and disbelief, "but this isn't the first time you have been distracted, it seems you have been filling most of your days with these distractions." Sinbad knew it to be true. For some reason he had been spending many hours in thought of what he lost. He did not know why. He had spent a good year denying it, pushing the feelings and fears away, subsiding any sort of emotion on the subject. He laughed, he joked, he slept with other woman, why was it so hard for him now. They were never lovers in reality, he never told her the truth of his feelings. They were nothing more than friends, companions on a voyage at most, but he knew he felt a lot more.
He remembered an invention of Firouz. It was on one of their adventures. They were trying to save a village from a demon. They made a dam of wood and a concoction that Firouz came up with to hold them together to hold in the river while they battled him, so when the time came all of the excess water would come out in a great flood. The idea worked, unlike many other of Firouz's inventions. That is how he felt he dammed his feelings and now they were coming back in a great flood. Shaking his head out of his contemplative trance he didn't even notice his brother had left.
He back up to see Doubar and Dermott releasing the boats. "Well if it isn't the disappearing Captain." He turned to see a glaring Bryn. "You know if you are going to be depressed can you please do it at night like everyone else." She threw him a bag straight into his stomach, which almost made him fall back. "WE HAVE WORK TO DO!" Dermott came up from the side seeing that look in Bryn's eyes. "Leave him be, even great Captains such as Sinbad must take a rest every now and than." He put one arm around Bryn's shoulders and smiled at her. It irritated her so how his smile could relinquish her bad mood, and he knew it too. "Fine then, but will you, great captain, at least help with Firouz's supplies, I have things of my own I would like to pack." She said in her sarcastic manner. She slipped from under Dermott's arm and went down to her quarters as the two men watched her walk off. "You have to love that fire." Dermott said in his doting gaze. Sinbad rolled his eyes at his good friend who was undeniably in love. "Uh-huh. Her 'fire'. Sure." Dermott turned his attention back to his Captain. "Sinbad, if you do not mind me asking, why are we going to this island?" He smiled at Dermott's behavior. "No I would not mind, I received a letter when we were at the last port. It was from Queen Ileana of this island. Her mother and mine were good friends in the days of their youth. She visited us a few times. She was a sweet woman. Well I received this letter from her son that she needed my assistance, so for my mother's sake if nothing else I would like to see what she needs me for." Dermott nodded his head. "Always the hero" Dermott said sarcastically. It reminded him a bit of his sister's jesting. Sinbad grinned and nodded in return, "I don't think I can help it." All of a sudden they here Firouz screaming about his powders. "I better get down there." Sinbad patted Dermott on the back and ran down to help his clumsy friend. Dermott could not help but feel sadness for his friend, a longing he also felt, in a different manner of course. He missed his sister, and wished he could speak to her, especially with all he was feeling presently, with Bryn and all. He let out a sigh, he felt for some reason that his sister was all right, but feeling the same way that him and his crewmates have been feeling. "Enough of that Dermott or you will be next one to hear Bryn's tirade." He ran back to help Rongar put supplies on the last of the boats.
The entire crew reached the island before nightfall and was welcomed by the royal guards. Sinbad was set back by there presence, but he felt more relaxed when he saw they welcome him and his crew warmly. "The Queen has been anticipating your arrival." The guards helped load the crew's supplies onto carriages with horses.
As they rolled through the town, they couldn't help but notice all the smiles. People greeted them in the road and handed Bryn flowers and the men jugs of water. It's like they knew who they were and why they were here. And it made Sinbad somewhat frustrated since he didn't even know. When they arrived at the village's inn the captain of the guards spoke up. "Your men can remain here. But the Queen does ask that you and your advisors stay at the palace." Sinbad looked at him with a bit of humor. Dermott whispered into his ear, "your advisors?" Sinbad had to chuckle at his almost coy friend and said to his men. "Alright, you men will be staying here. Doubar shall be joining me to meet with the Queen, and after they are finished unloading Dermott, Firouz, Rongar and Bryn shall be joining us as well. For the rest of you, I will speak to you all in the morning." The men followed their captain's orders and started unloading. Sinbad and Doubar followed the captain up the hill to the palace.
It was not all together a humongous palace, it was proportioned well enough for it's island. Large enough to have the significance a palace should have, but not outlandish enough not to fit into the scenery. The walls were filled with artifacts of the island, shells and coral and beautiful waves of silk sheets. Sinbad concluded that the palace most definitely fit the sweet woman he remembered visiting his mother in his youth. "Sinbad, Doubar, I do not believe it is finally you." Ileana stepped out of a room and came to embrace both men. Sinbad wasn't sure how she did it because the woman was almost half of Doubar's size, but she gave them both a loving squeeze. The woman, though aged, was just how Sinbad remembered her. She had long chestnut hair that went down to her thighs. Her eyes were still as open and warm, with just a few wrinkles on their sides. Sinbad was happy to see the woman, she very much reminded him of their mother. The same warmth she radiated was that of their mothers.
"Your highness, thank..." She abruptly cut Doubar's statement off, "no, no, no your highness will not do. I am Ileana to you, and no arguments about it." Doubar gave a little grin. "Now you must tell me," she started guiding them to the throne room, "you are not the only one's that shall be staying with us." "Uh no your high...um Ileana, are friends shall be joining us soon, they just needed to help the crew unload" Sinbad explained. "Lovely, why don't you both get acquainted with your rooms, and when your friends join us we can have supper. I believe by than I should have wrangled my children together for you to meet." She said with a smile as Doubar patted his stomach in approval of the idea, and walked to their quarters. She departed than to prepare for their supper.
As Sinbad sat on his bed, he looked out the window. He was pleased to have a clear view of his ship anchored in the middle of their ocean. He let the breeze hit him, and as breathed in the night air, he breathed in something else as well. A scent that spooked him out of his peace as he look down to see a woman come from the water, it was too dark to see her clearly, but something about her was beautiful to him. She reminded him of a water nymph. He was distracted when he heard Doubar call for him and as he turned his head back to the window, she was gone. 'Sinbad' he thought to himself 'get control of yourself, you do not need to have hallucinations to top everything.'
He left his quarters and saw down the hall his friends all waiting for him. "Sinbad, I think you should hurry, Doubar is starting to look at me like a cooked bird" said Firouz look at his gigantic friend. "I do not think you should be giving me ideas little one." Doubar replied while rubbing his stomach again. They entered the Dining hall. It was a room with a long table and a feast that could even challenge Doubar's appetite. A young man was waiting beside Ileana, "Friends welcome to our table." Said the young man as he came to shake their arms. A guard at once pulled his sword and put it under Rongar's throat he went to welcome the dark man. Sinbad pulled his sword and put it under the guard's neck. "Meliko what are you doing?" said the man. "Your lordship, he is a moor, he was going to touch you." Replied the guard, "On the contrary, I was going to welcome HIM. And he is not a crewmate of Sinbad's is he not?" He looked to Sinbad who nodded his head never taking his eyes off the guard. "Than by the royal decree of my mother the QUEEN you are to treat him and his crew as royalty. So I suggest if you would like to keep your neck you put your sword back in its place and leave this room immediately." With that the guard holstered his weapon, bowed to his prince, and walked out the room. "I apologize for his rudeness. I am Toris" Finally taking Rongar's forearm and shaking with him. Rongar nodded. "A man of few words, I like that" Bryn looked at him at spoke up. "Actually your highness he is a man of no words, he is mute." He looked at the woman and grinned. "Well than you will be a welcomed addition around here, since no one seems to keep their mouths shut." His mother came from the background, "enough with the insults for one night, I think we have all had enough excitement, please all of you, sit eat with us."
They all sat, and Dermott turned to notice the empty seats near him. "Um, your highnesses are we waiting on others? Cause we will wait until they can join us." Doubar gave him the stare of death and in his head he thought 'speak for yourself Lad.' "My sister, my betrothed and my advisors shall be joining us as soon as they can. The women of this palace are never on time for anything." His mother turned to him and glared. "With the exception of you mother." She smiled at him and rolled her eyes at her eldest child not wanting to admit he was right. "I heard someone speaking of me" a young woman with long platinum blonde hair and great blue eyes walked in the room with a suspicious look on her face. "Of course my love, the interesting conversations I can ever have are about you." The prince got up from his seat next to his mother and kissed his betroths' hand and she smiled and curtsy in reply. Sinbad notice the look they gave each other. He knew they seem to really love each other. He wanted to run out the room from the nausea. Another couple in love, another pair that had what they wanted, what he did not have! Why was everyone blessed with their lovers but he? He wanted to curse the gods for mocking him. He knew he could not be with his love, but why did everyone else have to find theirs' at the moment he needed his?
"Let me introduce you all to my lovely bride to be," as he held the hand he just kissed up, "Princess Deora of Lier. Princess these are the crew of the Nomad. Rongar, Firouz..."he started introducing them down the line until he ended with Sinbad. To each person he introduced Deora's face became paler by the name. "Sinbad? Sinbad the Captain" she asked in pure shock. "Yes, Princess it is good to meet you." Realizing her shocked expression she nodded at him and gave a quick half smile. In flustered anxiousness she quickly turned to Toris, "Excuse for a moment I believe I need to get something." Before he could answer her she started walking towards the long stairs at the other end of the room. Seeing the young girl walk through the arch at the top of the stairs she knew she was too late.
"Mother, Mother we came back, and I got so many flowers for you." The young girl started to walk down the stairs and looked towards her mother the queen. "Oh, no" said Deora under her breath as she saw her two friends walking behind the child. One was a woman with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. The other, a familiar woman, with auburn curls held half up. Sinbad slowly stood up from his chair, as he and the rest of his crew dropped their jaws slightly in awe. The woman turned to the silent room and realized who was at the table, she whispered "Sinbad." He in return did the same, "Maeve."
To Be Continued.....