Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (42 page)

I was seeing he was correct about my girls
being there. They might like a smorgasbord and even though every
man looked fit to full on brawny and not one was less than at the
very least cute, even my girls who, if their stories were true
enjoyed their dalliances tremendously, might find this a bit
much.

I did lock eyes (very briefly) with a man
that had a shock of white hair that was fashioned in an
experimental hairstyle that he’d not been attending and it had gone
awry. He also had a full, thick white beard, deep crinkles at the
corners of his eyes, craggy wrinkles everywhere else, an extremely
tanned face and he was wearing a sweater, leather shorts and tall
boots that all had seen better days and those days were about two
decades ago. He was this world’s version of a salty sea dog, no
doubt about it and he was squinting at me with an expression that
said he wanted to grab hold of me and throw me overboard.

He didn’t get this chance.

Frey took my hand and led me up a narrow
gangway at the side of the ship and I was watching where my feet
were hitting the wood deck so it was only at the last minute when I
lifted my head that I saw the steps that led to the elevated deck
that had, smack dab in the middle of it, a massive, circular,
wooden helm, its handles spiking out. And it was so big it had to
be as tall as me.

Freaking
awesome!

I was hoping we were going there (I wanted
to get a closer look at that wheel) but we didn’t. Frey turned me
right and led me along another passage for a few feet then he
turned me left toward some steps going down. I had no choice but to
take them (mainly because Frey wasn’t giving me one). Frey let my
hand go, pushed me in that direction and put his hand to my head,
pressing down so I didn’t bonk myself on the low overhang. Three
steps down then under the overhang then five more and in through an
open door. I walked a few feet into a room and stopped dead.

Frey’s cabin.

At what I saw, my eyes went huge, my heart
started pumping and I was so excited I could barely breathe. I
wanted to jump around or at least clap and shout “woo hoo!” but
before I could do either of these, Frey got in my space and tipped
my head up with a hand under my chin.

“I have to see to a few things, my Finnie,”
he murmured. “If Skylar arrives before me, order some water to wash
up, if you wish it, and let him know if you need food or wine.”

Then he bent, touched his lips to my
forehead and without another word or look, he was gone.

I stared after him a few seconds then I
slowly turned and took in the space.

“Holy moly,” I whispered.

It was
everything
I thought it would be,
wanted
it to be and
more.

Directly ahead was the stern of the ship, I
knew this because nearly the entire length of it was square-paneled
glass where I could see some of the bay and the ship docked behind
us. Under the window was a deep bench on which was a cushion
covered in battered, dark brown leather and a tumbled line of dark
brown, dark green and wine colored toss pillows.

Suspended in the middle of the window, how I
did not know for it seemed to be in mid-air, was the spun glass
dragon I’d given to Frey.

It looked freaking fantastic there. So
fantastic, it was like it was
made
to
be there.

I tore my eyes from the dragon and saw,
sitting a bit of a ways in front of the window, was a desk, massive
and well-used. It was covered in papers, some flat, others scrolled
as well as fascinating objects I couldn’t wait to peruse, some of
them instruments, others clearly weights to hold things down.
Behind it was a heavily carved, just plain heavy looking chair.

To the left there was another vast table on
which there appeared to be huge paper charts and maps, again some
flat, some scrolled, some partly scrolled and more instruments and
paperweights.

At the end of that side of the cabin by the
door there was a small table with a copper bowl on top and a copper
pitcher on a shelf under it, a wash basin. Over this hung an oval
mirror framed in carved wood.

In the middle of the cabin there was a
battered oval table surrounded by eight chairs.

To the right off the corner of the desk
there was a seating area, one big, comfy looking chair with
ottoman, a heavy table at its side, a lantern attached to the wall
hanging over it to use to read by. Next to that was a divan style
bed which was double wide at a stretch but very long (meaning, with
Frey’s big body and mine, sleeping arrangements would be cozy).
This was not covered in sheets but a scattering of hides as well as
a mess of wool and velvet blankets and an abundance of velvet
covered, tasseled, square toss pillows. All the velvets were rich
colors like wine, chocolate brown, midnight blue and pine
green.

There were portholes all around intermingled
with some gauges and dials surrounded by brass, some weapons
mounted in racks, hanging lanterns (all lit) and a few small
paintings of seascapes.

There were also two crude space heaters that
appeared to be portable on the floor. They looked like they were
made of iron and there were fires lit in them in an effort to ward
off the chill which somewhat succeeded and somewhat failed.

I also saw trunks, most of them I recognized
as mine, lining the cabin behind the chart table.

In the back by the desk on the opposite side
to the seating area there was a huge, standing globe and for some
reason that was where I moved first.

When I got there I slowly turned the
intricately painted globe with the tips of my fingers and,
fascinated, I saw the map depicted on it showed that this world was
not identical to my world. Not even close. There were no Americas,
no Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia. There were Poles at top and
bottom but that was the only thing that was the same.

I twirled the globe to find Lunwyn and
noted, not surprisingly, it was at the top, nearly to a Pole. The
wide Winter Sea was north of it, the icy Pole beyond. The Green
Sea, painted emerald on the map, was to the west of Lunwyn and it
was more like an ocean, incredibly vast. I saw Middleland, painted
in dark greens and blacks and Hawkvale and Fleuridia, both depicted
in deep greens with Fleuridia having a few light greens. And below
the equator, there were countries, all painted in browns and
creams, called Korwahk, Keenhak and Maroo.

I was turning the globe to see what lay
beyond when I heard, “Milady?” and my head came up.

The boy was standing in the doorway.

He was looking uncomfortable and uncertain
as well as impatient. I guessed that he had things to do and those
didn’t include waiting on a woman in his captain’s quarters.

I moved away from the globe and toward the
boy, saying, “Hello there. You’re Skylar?”

He nodded, watching as I approached him and
shifting his body in a way that made him look strangely like he
wanted to turn around and run.

“I’m Finnie,” I introduced myself before
stopping several feet away.

He nodded but didn’t speak.

“And what do you do here, Skylar?” I
asked.

“Captain’s boy, milady,” he answered.

I nodded thinking he was kind of young but
what did I know, he was the only captain’s boy I’d ever met.

Then he asked on a prompt, “Aught I can get
you, milady?”

I smiled. “Two things, some water so Frey
and I can wash up after that ride and also not to call me your
lady, instead, I’d like you to call me Finnie.”

He peered up at me then swallowed what
appeared to be nervously then nodded again.

Then he stood there staring at me.

When he didn’t say anything, I asked, “Is
there something you wish to say?”

He shook his head and his body shifted again
before he stated, “You haven’t dismissed me.”

Oh. Right.

I smiled again before telling him, “You can
see to that water now, Skylar.”

He nodded again, once, quickly, then raced
out.

Well, that was a little weird but…
whatever.

Determining to ask Frey later, I finally set
about having a good look around.

I’d had the opportunity to take off my
cloak, hat and gloves, nose through Frey’s stuff on his desk and
wash up when Skylar brought some warmed water to pour in the copper
pitcher and I had a brass spyglass to one eye and was on my knees
in the bench at the back, peering out at pretty much nothing
(because it was still dark and there was a huge ass ship behind is
that was in my way) when Frey came back.

I turned my head to watch him walk in and
saw him stop and stare at me with unconcealed puzzlement.

“What are you gazing at, wife?”

I grinned at him, moved off the bench and
put the spyglass on his desk while I walked to him and answered,
“Seeing as it’s night, a whole lot of nothing. Still, that spyglass
is cool, that bench is cool, that window is cool and this whole
freaking cabin,” I stopped in front of him and slapped my hands
lightly on his chest, tipping my head way back to look up at him,
“
is
cool.
”

His eyes moved over my face then he lifted a
hand to cup my cheek, his thumb sweeping out to stroke my
cheekbone.

What he didn’t do was smile back and I saw
he looked distracted.

So I leaned in closer and asked, “Is
everything okay?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he informed me,
“We’re away soon.”

I smiled again and whispered, “Awesome.”
Then I asked, “Can I come up on deck and watch while we set
sail?”

He shook his head. “You need to sleep, wee
one.”

I shook my head too. “Frey, I’m totally not
tired.” And this was true, I was wired, not tired.

“All right,” he replied, “then I need to
concentrate on navigating my ship out of the bay, my men need to
concentrate on setting sail and while we do that none of us need to
concentrate on my curious wife finding trouble as she wanders
around discovering so I’ll ask you to stay in our cabin and stare
through your scope at a lot of nothing.”

Hmm. Bummer.

Though I could understand why he wanted that
and I could also do that for him.

“Okay,” I gave in. “But can I get a tour
later?” I pushed and he again shook his head, not in the negative
but as an indication he was used to me not giving up and I knew
this didn’t annoy him when I saw his eyes warm but his mouth still
did not curve into a smile.

“Skylar will take you around once we’re
away.”

“Cool,” I said softly, studying him and
sensing his thoughts were elsewhere but I wasn’t certain they were
on navigating the bay.

He nodded and his hand dropped from my face
but I caught it before he moved away.

“Frey,” I called, he stilled and his
eyebrows went up. “Is everything okay?” I repeated my earlier
question.

This time, he answered instantly,
“Everything will be okay when we’re at sea and you’re surrounded by
men I trust not to poison you or sink a dagger in your flesh.”

Ho boy.

Clearly someone had not had his mind taken
off the events of the night by an awesome new city, doxies,
galleons and a cool-as-shit captain’s cabin all of it straight out
of a movie.

Therefore, I moved into him and circled him
with my arms.

Pressing close and tilting my head way back,
I whispered, “Honey, I’m okay.”

“Indeed,” he replied, curving his arms
around me.

I tipped my head to the side and smiled big
at him. “And we’re off on an adventure.”

His eyes again roamed my face before he
murmured, “That we are, my Finnie.”

“So it’s all good,” I concluded and watched
a darkness settle in his eyes.

Hmm. Maybe all was not good.

I gave him a squeeze and prompted,
“Frey.”

“I bedded her,” he said quietly and I felt
my brows draw together as my body tensed at his words.

“What?” I asked.

“I bedded her,” he repeated, one of his
hands coming up to curl around my neck, he bent slightly so his
face was closer to me. “I bedded her,” he said yet again and went
on. “And asked her to attend the table the first night I returned
with my new bride and your Mother shared that, in doing this, I
gave her hope that she would again warm my bed, which, Finnie, I
vow to you now that no matter what I said when I was angry with
you, she did not.”

He was talking about Viola.

I nodded at this news that was not news to
me and Frey kept talking.

“I’d no idea she was of weak character. I’d
no idea her time with me led to an infatuation that was unhealthy.
I’d no idea she would be open not only to conspiring to harm you
but actually moving personally to carry out a plot to murder my
wife.”

Ho boy.

“Frey –” I tried to break in on another
squeeze of my arms but he bent deeper, got closer and kept
talking.

“
But she did and I knew the dangers you
faced and it wasn’t my hand that tipped the vial of poison in the
glass delivered to you but it was my actions that tipped
her
actions which means events
unfolded, a woman lost her life and another woman narrowly avoided
losing hers and that woman is my wife. So no, wee one, everything
is
not
okay.”

All righty, this was a leap he was clearly
determined to make, a leap that really made no sense but a leap
founded in deep feelings of guilt and those kind
never
made any kind of
sense.

And lastly, it was a leap from which I had
to reel him back.

In an effort to do that, both my hands slid
up his chest and came to rest on either side of his neck as I
whispered, “What happened was not your fault.”