Two days earlier:
Maeve was sitting by the dressing table performing her evening ritual. Dressed only in a long, black, silk nightgown she was rubbing the cream into her wrists when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She did not need to check. The sorceress exactly knew who could it be. She exactly knew the warmth of the hand that touched her.
"Wife…" She heard a tired voice behind her back.
Maeve looked up at her husband. His face was even more tired than his voice. She perfectly was aware of the reason for his insomnia and was not buying his explanation about land sickness. She knew him too well, not to guess it was about an old injury in the knee. She was mad. Mad in the way that wife can be mad at her husband when she worries about him. It was not the only reason of her dissatisfaction in that pretty moment but for sure was not helping him either.
"Don't 'wife' me here. We need to talk." She pointed out, lifting a knowing eyebrow at him. With her glance she led him toward a small table. Without any words Sinbad knew she was refereeing to the jug of wine which was standing there. It was something more than the telepathy between them. It was fifteen years of the marriage and the same taste for the wine. He came to the table and started to filling two goblets.
"Indeed, we do" He murmured.
Slowly closing the jar with balsam Maeve stood up still massaging her hands. Her scent spread over the bedroom - berries tart, lilac sweet. She walked to the sofa on which Sinbad was already sitting, holding two goblets with wine. She sat down and straightened her legs putting her feet on his laps. He did not protested. He knew his situation is bad anyway.
"Hard day?" He asked giving her one of the goblets.
"You can't even imagine…" Maeve took a big sip of white wine.
"Try me" Giving her well known glance, he followed her and also took quite good sip of the wine.
She send him back rather a sharp look. "I wouldn't need to if you did join me as you were supposed to…"
Sinbad lowered his eyes and took one another sip of wine. The storm was coming. "Well, I really wanted…but something have popped up." He started but looking at Maeve's face he already knew he was not gonna win this. She was mad and disappointed. He had known it since the very moment he had entered their bedroom and saw her reflection in the mirror.
"Something like Fallon's ship?" Maeve raised her eyebrows, asking with irony.
Somewhere deep inside a part of him was happy that she is still jealous. Jealous still that same cute way like 17 years ago. He could not stop himself from a little smirk.
"Something like that." He also teased her in a good old way but Sinbad knew he must appease her and that he must do it rather quickly. Otherwise the evening would not end well for him. The captain put back his goblet on the table and started massaging sorceress' feet. Although she still did not seem to be satisfied with his answer, Maeve did not protest on the massage.
"I am sure you managed without me. The politics is your domain." He pointed out shyly.
The redhead rolled her eyes at the sailor "Yeah, it is... " She sighed. "And actually I must admit you didn't miss much." She added resigned and frustrated.
They were referring to today's meeting at the Caliph's palace.
Baghdad had always been a key location for trade in this part of the world. Together with the growing number of trade routes and transported goods, also the black market growth could be noticed. At the beginning the problem had been small. But with the time turned into huge scales. The evasion of customs policy and taxes by the smuggling network hit not only the royal treasury but also the interests of local merchants. It was hard to keep the competitive price level. The goods appeared on the black market for half of the real price. Even increased customs controls and the pact with Basra did not bring any result. The disappointed guilds have been waiting for help from the caliphate and Caliph was helpless in the fight with the pirates and the smugglers who got rich on their harm.
Maeve as the royal advisor had started her investigation and promised Caliph to help with solving the issue. In the same time incorporating Sinbad in that. No matter how many times they had been promising themselves not to get involved in any things like that. Their excuse for this time had been the fact that problem hits also their interests. Maeve had already managed to collect some information and facts but still there were missing puzzles. The appointed by Caliph special royal councils met every second day but their debates often resulted with nothing. The idle talk demotivated the ambitious sorceress.
"A few imprisoned pirates, some requisitioned goods but still it is nothing. The royal council is helpless and I am sure that even its members are corrupted."
Sinbad watched her frustration, being a bit worried on how it absorbed her. Most probably she was right about corrupted royal council. Caliph's nearest surroundings were like a nest of snakes only waiting to bite. He had been observing her investigation and with each day it had been becoming more and more disquieting. Most probably she also already had seen through each council member, her intuition had never let her down. But in his opinion the political intrigues were far more dangerous than black magic and that made him really worry. Trying to put enough calmness into his voice, so she could derive from it, he said.
"That is the very strong statement. You will not proof anything without the evidences."
"I will have them." At once the frustration gave way to a little devil spark in her eyes. He noticed it but still was not sure whatever it should have worry him less.
"What do you mean?"
"I think I know where all the smuggled goods may being transhipped. The Fishing Islands. The Perch Bay."
Now he was surprised. The first question he wanted to ask was 'how had she gotten to know it' but very quickly he realized that he is not sure if he wanted to know. Maeve's sources of information were often something even worse than the political intrigue in the Caliph's palace. She would not have told him the truth anyway. Besides that, it seemed very realistic and not hard to figure out. The place with many small hidden islets, coves, caves, famous for fishing villages but also for pirate hideouts seemed as perfect match. The second question was 'if she plan anything' but it was rather obvious. Her face expression was already saying 'I have a plan'. So the final question after a moment of silence was,
"What do you plan? Sending there the royal ships full of guards is not the best idea"
The magician was rubbing her finger on the edge of the cup. "No, it is not." She looked up and the spark in her eyes said it all. If it had been about sending royal ships she would not have talked to him. There were only two beings in the whole universe that could look at him that way, making him totally helpless. Sinbad only chuckled. Of course. That would have explained why he had avoided a big row for not joining her in the palace. Like also it would have explained why she was perfumed so strong while going to bed.
"We don't have any interests there. Wouldn't it be suspicious?"
"No, if we are invited for The Perch Festival" Maeve announced, titling her head to the side. She was fully prepared for that question.
It seemed that she had already made a detailed plan. "Are we?" Sinbad lifted his eyebrows. He did not know yet that he was about to regret this question very soon.
"Yes, your friend is the councilor there. Perhaps, you would know what letters come to you, if you spent more time AT HOME." She strongly emphasized the last two words of her statement.
"I didn't know you may be so interested in The Perch Festival" He was trying ineptly to somehow change the subject.
"It was enough to ask" She lifted her eyebrows challenging him.
"I took you once for The Gryphon's Festival. You didn't enjoy." Sinbad added his two cents teasing her back. Now when he knew she needed something from him he could afford that.
Maeve froze, starring back at him in disbelief and getting annoyed.
"You, on the other hand, enjoyed it even too much!" She snapped back, irritated, crossing her arms on her chest. She looked so cute with an offended face when he was staring at her with a cocky glint. But in the return he received only a kick in the thigh. As her feet were still on his laps he grabbed them together so she was not able to kick him again. He titled his head to meet her eyes.
"When do you want to set sail?" Sinbad asked, now calmly, hoping to settle the little quarrel, as obviously she was not in the mood for the banter.
"And who told you I am going with you?" Maeve huffed at him with her arms still crossed on her chest. In the same time he got completely dumb. Even though, a long time ago he had already accepted the fact that he would never understand her logic, the moments like this always were having the same effect. Making him completely dumb. Blinking nervously he was trying to summarize the facts fearing that he missed something that she had said what would have made the worst scenario but he could not find such thing.
Maeve rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. If not being strict, the conversation was going to nowhere. She strangled her frustration, getting another slip of wine. Sighing, she tried to clear the situation. "I need to stay in Baghdad and push the investigation." Glancing up to meet his eyes, she again started to rubbing her finger on the edge of the cup. "I have a lot of findings but no real proofs to complete the picture. The Perch Festival is next week. I need someone to go to The Perch Bay and bring me the missing puzzle." She said softly. "I could ask any of our man…" She paused. Their eyes locked. "But I am asking you, because you are my husband."
'And why in the hell she could not say it in the first place…?' His stupid expression changed now into a gentle but still full of man's pride smile. Sinbad looked into her brown eyes. After so many years nothing really had changed. He still was seeing the young sorceress apprentice who almost burned the mast. His sorceress apprentice. The same one for who he would do anything. For that blink in her eyes he would sail to the end of the oceans and back if she only had asked. "And I will go there for you." Still holding her feet he lifted them a bit to tenderly kiss her toes. "Because you are my wife." He locked his eyes with her again.
Maeve returned the smile not without a small shadow of satisfaction. But starring at him for a moment of perfect silence she quickly read from his glance that it is not everything. Sending him a questioning frown, she encouraged him to say it.
"Let Marina go with me." He pint it out faintly, getting back to foot massage, his current trump card. He had been about to ask for that anyway. The fact is that he had totally different destination in mind but The Perch Festival seemed to be a good option to take the daughter as well. In the meantime he already had a draft of new cruise planning in his head.
Maeve expected that. She knew the both of them too well not to guess. She knew when they were conspiring together. "She was working on you the whole day, wasn't she?" She titled her head to the side.
Sinbad only chuckled, averting his eyes. In fact, it had taken Marina only ten minutes. How it is that he was not able to refuse anything to them? But the true was also that she had followed him around all day long. Taking on the various tasks and loitering in the port. But even thought she had been all over, she had seemed absent.
Maeve looked at Sinbad's begging face and shake her head like a vendor who does not want to lower the price. So the sailor joined the negotiations. "Let her go." He mused. "She is somehow upset recently…"
Indeed she was and Maeve exactly knew the reason. The sorceress raised her eyes at the thoughtful face of her husband and shook her head slightly.
The reason was named Zeiken and in Marina's eyes was stealing whole Sinbad's attention. The girl had not say that but as a mother Maeve had figured it out immediately. As the kids the both of them had adored each other and been inseparable. They had had their secrets, hideouts, playing together since early mornings till late evenings when only had opportunity to meet. After they had grown up a bit, children's games turned into joint horse rides and long night talks. Still inseparable friends. Recently it had changed. The problem appeared soon after the boy had stepped in into their life and joined Sinbad's crew. At the begging they both had been excited about the new circumstances but later on it had become too difficult for them. On the one hand, Zeiken – the half orphan - sent to foreign realities was looking for his place in the new situation. Additionally stifled by his father's sick ambitions and even more vaulting ambitions of his new mentor. Still trying to live up to Sinbad, constantly begging for his attentions in a different way. On the other hand, Marina – the admired only child - subconsciously was afraid that Zeiken was going to take her place in the father's life. Everything cumulated around the one person and Maeve hoped that person to figure it out on his own. But it seemed that he had not a clue on what is really going on. A few days ago, when Sinbad's ship had come back from the cruise and Zeiken again had not come home, staying on the ship instead, Maeve's first idea had been to run the therapy between the kids on her own. She was really upset with the situation but she also knew that nothing happens without a reason and the sorceress life wisdom suggested her a different solution. And now her husband was just unawares proposing the same. She could shot two birds within one stone. Why not letting him think it is his own idea? But why not to tease him first?
"It is your daughter. Have you been trying to talk to her, perhaps?" She challenged him.
"I have, but somehow…" He could not name this thoughts. He had been trying during the day but Marina had sold him his own land-sickness-baloney. Even though he had felt that something is not right, he had not wanted to urge her to talk. He trusted that she was about to tell him in the moment she found right, as she had always used to do. "I don't know…" There was a missing puzzle in the signals Marina had been giving that he could not read.
Maeve raised her eyebrows but looking at him she did not have heart to tease him more. She knew that letting her go and spend some time together seemed like best solution for the three of them. And as much as she was not sure whatever Sinbad is gonna deal with it, she truly believed that her daughter is mature enough to manage this situation and make things as these should be.
She sighed, giving up. "Take her with you. She will enjoy the festival."
He only smiled in a respond, in the way as a shy child smiles once receiving a cookie. She also smiled but more to herself. He could not know that the cookie was salty and not sweet. As much as Maeve felt for him a bit, she could not help herself from the small feeling of the triumph.
"When can you leave?"
"I will change the planning. Doubar with Fallon will take my original direction." Sinbad started planning out loud. Him and Doubar had even recently talked about such movement anyway. By delegating more cruises to the trusted duet, Sinbad would have been able to focus more on the family. Or at least that had been the idea. With wife – entangled in investigation and political intrigue, upset daughter, and a rebellious fosterling, it made a sufficient dose of sensations and seemed as perfect moment to step in. Not mentioning the nagging insomnia caused by the hurting knee. They all really needed some holidays. On the top of that, he liked that idea as he had wanted to isolate Doubar's twin mentees from Zeiken for some time already. The band of three was too hard to subdue.
Maeve frowned, being a little surprised but she did not interrupted. As long as it was Doubar sailing with Fallon not her husband, she pretty much did not care about that.
"If I set sail tomorrow, I can make a short stop to deliver the seeds to Mangaf Island and will be in The Perch Bay by next Thursday"
Maeve nodded agreeing on his plan.
"You know what that means…" Sinbad started with a smirk again tugged at his lips and giving her a playful look. "That it is a last chance for the wonderful night with your beloved husband…" He was toying with her like a cat who is about to eat the mouse. "Next chance will be somewhere in two weeks." His hands slowly touched her calf and gently moved a bit higher, dipped under the nightgown. Her scent - berries tart, lilac sweet was the only thing he could smell. He knew she had perfumed herself on purpose, to work on him but he did not mind it at all.
"Lost something, Sailor?" Maeve asked to tease him. In her voice at the same time there was the demur and the provocation. Since seventeen years they had been playing still the same game.
Sinbad nodded and again moved hands a bit higher. "Aya, I once lost My Sorceress." He started with the combination of serious ton in his voice and playful glance. "And for her I would even go to the hell and back…"
The sailor and his sorceress - a theme of thousands of the troubadour's song, the folk tales, the marine legends. They had heard so many interpretation of their relationship and their adventures. They liked to mock them.
The captain leaned over his wife and gently taking the goblet from her hand he put it on the floor. He suddenly even forgot about his aching knee. She put her hands on his neck and now closely looking into his eyes she whispered.
"Looks like you must be bewitched"
From all the rumours and legends about their relationship the one about Sinbad being bewitched and fully controlled by her was her favourite one. Maeve by gently pressing her foot to his chest, pulled him back. Sinbad bit his lips as whole his body could not resist any longer, waiting for her next move. Then Maeve touched her silk nightgown like she would like to smooth out creases. The clothing began to shine and disappear piece by piece. The view was making Sinbad's heart beat faster with every moment, with every piece of the silk nightglow.
"Looks like I am…" He mumbled breathlessly.
Quize: Why do you think Maeve did not enjoy The Gryphon's Festival?