Obey Your Captain

The bell jingled above her head as she pushed the curtained door. A smile found her lips as her eyes took in the additions to the shop. To her left were sailor and captain jackets, mostly dark coloured with gold or silver buttons. In the centre, however, was a white tailcoat. Gold trimmed with luxurious thread. Even the golden buttons were embossed in a pattern.

“Ah, Kaliyah! What a lovely surprise,” her mother greeted warmly through pins in her mouth, a customer being fitted in an ankle-length dress.

“We made port not an hour ago, I came straight here.”

“Oh, well it’s a lovely surprise! Will Captain Torlar be joining you?”

“He’s just overseeing the last of the unloading, he’ll be here soon.”

“I’ll be sure to make up the guest suite!” she declared, “Sierra!”

“Oh, there’s no need. I don’t want to put you into any trouble, you’re busy.” She smiled to the customer before her boots thunked along the polished wooden floor, pulling herself onto a stool to watch her mother work.

“Of course, it’s no trouble, no daughter of mine will sleep in a ship when there’s a perfectly good bed!”

“Oh I agree, Mrs. Warren, my daughter certainly wouldn’t be in some hammock.”

“Oh Mrs. Merryweather, she’s not in some hammock, my daughter is married to Captain Torlar, she certainly wouldn’t be sleeping in some hammock!”

“Oh, I don’t know captain folk, I’m sure he’s a good husband.” The woman sniffed, giving Kaliyah a look.

“I think that will do, Mrs Merryweather, the dress will be ready by tomorrow evening.” Mrs Warren smiled sweetly, offering her hand for Mrs. Merryweather to step off the ledge she was stood on.

“Wonderful, thank you. May I add some buttons?”

“Of course, I’ll help you change, then you can choose which ones you wish for.”

Kaliyah thunked her boots against the wooden legs of the stool as the two women went behind a curtained off area in the corner.

“Kaliyah!” a squeal made her turn to her sister. “You’re here!”

Kaliyah couldn’t help chuckling as Sierra scrambled around the measuring table to grasp her around her neck. “I missed you!”

“I’ve only been gone four months.”

“Which is three months and a week too long!”

She had to shake her head at her sister’s theatrics as she gave her a quick hug. “What have you been up to?”

“Oh, the usual. My friends like going to the shore, or the market. I have lots to do.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Carabella showed me this book! Oh, it made me blush.”

“She did? What was this book about?”

“Oh… well… the things men and women do when they’re married. But this was more!”

“More? What do you know of the activities of a man and woman?”

Sierra’s face grew luminous with embarrassment. “N-Nothing.”

“Come now, tell me.”

“Kaliyah! You’re incorrigible.”

“I just want to know what my baby sister thinks happens in the bedroom.”

“Shush!”

“You brought it up!” Kaliyah argued, “I want to read the pages that made you blush so.”

“Stop!”

“What book was it?”

“I’m not telling you!”

Kaliyah jumped from the stool, a sly, mischievous look on her face. “I’ll find it.” Before Sierra knew what she meant, she raced off into the shop store, pushing open the heavy door to her family’s home.

She sprinted through the kitchen into the main hall, “Kaliyah, no!” Sierra screamed behind her.

Giggling as if she had lost years of her life and were a child again, Kaliyah propelled herself off the bannister to fly up the stairs. “I’m going to find it!”

“No! You won’t, it’s not there!” However, the panic in Sierra’s voice told Kaliyah otherwise. The upstairs hall wrapped around the house and she soon flew open her sister’s door. She knew where it was hidden; it was where she would hide it!

She skidded on her knees beside the bed, her hand going under the mattress just as Sierra barrelled through the door.

Kaliyah’s hand wrapped around leather, tugging she didn’t even look at the gold lettering on the leather, she flipped it open, quickly reading the scrawl, “Her flesh pressed against his thighs, her most intimate areas on show only for him-”

“Stop, Kaliyah, no!” Sierra launched herself at Kaliyah, trying to grab the book. Kaliyah held it away, “His hand swept down upon her buttock, her pulse raced- Sierra! This is much too much for your young mind.”

“I am twenty years old! I am not a child. Give that back!”

“Is there a certain gentleman you want’s hand upon your-”

“NO!”

Kaliyah collapsed on her back, giggling to herself.

The book was wrenched from her hand and stuffed under the feather mattress. “I am looking at no one with fondness.”

“The lady doth protest too much!”

“Stop, please, I didn’t think you would make such a deal of this,” Sierra folded her arms, pouting.

“I like teasing you so, it feels like before I ever went to sea.”

Sierra collapsed on the floor next to her, “True, I’ve missed this.”

“So your friends keep you busy?”

“Oh yes, I love it here.”

“I can see that, you both look well and the shop… I can’t believe how big it’s gotten!”

“Yes, Mr. Harrow helped add to the side, the men’s range goes faster than mother can make it!”

“Mr. Harrow, hmm?”

Sierra giggled, “He’s sweet for mother.”

“Is mother sweet for him?”

“I think so,” Sierra replied cautiously.

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Really?”

“Yes, mother deserves to be happy. Father’s been dead just over two years. If a man is sweet for her-” Kaliyah shrugged. “Just need to find someone sweet for you.”

Sierra waved her hand, “I have no need for a man. Although… Lieutenant Varic is… nice…”

“So you are sweet for someone?”

“I wouldn’t say sweet, no, just… he is handsome.”

“And strong.”

“And rising to Marshal.”

“How has he caught your eye?”

“He gave me a mountain flower a month ago. Then a whole bunch not last week!”

“So he’s sweet for you.”

“I think so,” she replied quietly, as if she didn’t really want to believe it was true.

“I say he would be a good match.”

“You think?”

“Yes.” Kaliyah smiled, the town that her family had settled was perfect. Across the sea from Blackwater but that meant very little to her. Baron and herself merely ensured their manifest took them to Freypoint. Whilst it wasn’t a large merchant port, it was growing, and Baron was the sole trader for Mrs Warren’s fabric, and garments.

“Pouco.”

She looked up to find Baron standing in the doorway. “Is everything well?” she asked immediately, “Do I need to come back to the boat?”

“No, no. I picked up some boar to put on the fire for tonight, I couldn’t intrude on your mother without a gift. Afternoon, Sierra.”

“Good afternoon.” She waved. “You didn’t happen to bring those spices from Eremith did you?”

“Of course, boar just doesn’t taste the same without the red spice now.”

Sierra jumped up before giving Baron a quick hug, “Thank you! I’ll be back for dinner.”

“What were you two giggling about?”

“Oh, nothing, just a book Seirra’s friend gave her. They’re happy.”

“Aye, I’m glad, the shop is looking good.”

“It really is.” She went into Baron’s arms as soon as he gestured for her to do so. “I love you.”

He smiled, pulling her up into a soft, sweet kiss. “A cloud had always been over me. Then you strolled into my world and burnt it away.” He stroked her cheek, a quirk of his lips in amusement.

“That was one time!”