I'm Queen, You're a King

Life at Sea

In the morning I was dragged out of bed by my ladies after they were informed that the ships would be leaving once the wind started to pick up. I ate a little, but was worried that sea sickness would throw it all away. I had never been on a cruise in my time. I few boat rides around on small lakes, but I have never slept, ate, drank and used the bathroom at sea. It was going to be a rough couple of weeks. 

The docks were busy with the Northmen loading their boats and tying and untying hundreds of fancy knots. There was a few of my people that were helping at the docks and a few others that were watching from afar. I was lead down the long dock towards Lief as he was giving directions to all the men. Their traditional boats were larger than I thought but they were open to the elements with only some canvas tarps in the centre of the boat to take shelter. There was also a Southern style boat which was further out from shore. The boat looked like it could take us all back instead of all the smaller boats in which they came in, but they were boarding it full of horses. 

"So you really did come for Southern horses?" I jokingly questioned Lief. 

"Of course" Lief replied.

"How are we going to fit?" I asked.

"In this boat right here." Lief responded with a confused look on his face. "Unless you want to share a room with a horse for a month." Lief added with a grin on his face.

"But, but I need a room..." I cried.

"Oh pretty one, it will just be you and I in this boat with only one of my men." He sighed. "What do you choose? Me or a boat full of horses and my men?"

He looked at me with his devious eyes while I quickly tried to process my options. They both were shit, but I guess it would be better to not be aboard a boat of animals and only have to deal with one baboon.  

"Well what will it be pretty one?" He asked while chuckling. Obviously he knew I would rather be with him than on the big boat.

I didn't reply and simply started to lower myself into the narrow row boat. He laughed a deeply rumbling laugh that gave me goosebumps on my arms and gave me his hand to help lower me into the boat.

Only one of my chests holding the trinkets was tossed into the boat and the others were taken away to be put into another boat. "My things!" I exclaimed, but no one was listening. It was going to be a long journey.

We were all loudly wished farewell. The Northmen who were remaining cried out loudly to their brothers who were going home that they would miss them, while my people cried out happily to see them go. I waved a huge farewell to the few people that I had came to know quite well, as the boat was rowed into the open sea. I wished that I had a life jacket on at that moment. As the waves were already trying to pull me into the cold, deep sea!

"I thought that it was only a 3 week journey for you to get to Anastasia? Why did you say that it was going to take 4 weeks to get to your home land?" I grumpily asked Lief. 

"The southern boat is slow." Stated Lief.

I rolled my eyes at him and just curled myself up tighter into a ball in the centre of the boat. The splashing waves and the wind were slightly blocked in this location and the rocking motion was lessened. I was already cold after just one hour on this boat. The smells blowing from the horse carrier though made my decision to freeze worth it instead of the constant heaving that I would be going through aboard that ship. 

Not that long into the journey, the land had faded away and there was nothing to look at except the clouds and the other boats. I was getting bored and Lief's cold behaviour towards me was getting old. He was the only one around for me to talk to except for the other guy rowing who didn't speak English.  

I decided to try and start a conversation with Lief with the most annoying question I could possibly ask him. "Are we there yet??" I whined to add to the effect I wanted the question to have on him.

Lief turned to look at me and his expression was priceless. He was looking at me like I grew two heads and was born in a barn. All I could do was laugh and hope that he thought that I wasn't being serious that I thought the few hours that pasted by would have amounted to any great distance. They were hardly rowing in order to keep in pace with the horse carrier ship. The southern boats we grand, but not designed for speed. "I'm just joking!" I exclaimed rolling my eyes again. "You can't think I'm serious. I'm just trying to make conservation."

"Well you can keep your eyes in your head for starters." Lief remarked. He then smirked at me and added, "I like them there."

"Well I'm bored... I need someone to talk to...to keep my mind off the endless sea." I shruddered.

"Oh pretty one, I could have kept you entertained for hours last night, but you didn't want me. I guess I can talk with you now if you wish." He taunted.

I turned red, feeling the blood in my body rushing all over. The truth was a part of me had wanted him.