"It's a pleasure to meet you Smythe. What do you do for the Tower? You seem a bit young to be a guard, but I'm sure you'll be a fine warrior someday if you want to be."
"Anyway, so you're going to go back to our ship and hang out with our crew until we're done here. I give you my assurances that you'll be treated like a guest and we'll happily return you to the tower once our business concludes."
I actually am a guard. Maybe my youthful good looks will keep me in good stead when I get as old as you.[b/]
He flashes an impudent grin.
[b]I hope your crew's as polite as you are.
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Yuki laughs at his joke and nods, "We're actually pretty laid back pirates. Life's too short in the Shackles to be cranky all the time, you know?"
She looks to the the crew who came along, "Make sure you treat him as a guest, but, you know, don't forget he's a hostage for the evening."
"Yeah, so don't cook him." Nymph adds.
As soon as you're ready, the five pirates are escorted into a feast hall.
A long oaken table that can seat up to 10 fills this room, over which hangs a heavy iron chandelier. An arrow slit alcove serves as a sideboard and holds a tapped keg.
At the head of the table stands a stocky matron, a handsome if somewhat rough-edged woman. She has blond hair and green eyes, with a beauty mark to the left of her mouth. She wears a purple, strapless dress and a sturdy cutlass.
Welcome to Tidewater Rock, Captain Yuki. I am Lady Agasta Smythee, master of this island. I'm so glad you accepted my invitation to dinner.
She seats herself across from the five of you and gestures for you to sit.
Yuki takes a long look around then flashes a bright smile at the woman, "And thank you for the invitation to the dinner Lady Smythee and giving us the opportunity to parlay." Yuki takes a seat at the table in whatever spot seems appropriate for the leader of her negotiating team, "It's quite a lovely, sturdy tower and lands you have here, my crew and I are very impressed. We'd like to talk to about a partnership between you and my ship. We'd be very happy to provide additional security and upgrades to your holdings, while you allow us to use the tower and lands as a base of operations while we continue to build our names in the Shackles. I assure you, we have no hostile attentions toward you or your own at all. If you aren't interested, we'll be happy to go our own way and leave you alone, but I'm certain we can work out some sort of partnership that's beneficial to us both."
Galean sits in the cell, staring at the ceiling. He sighs, tiredly, before knocking on the door. "Uh... you wanna talk about ships?", he asks hopefully, before sitting on the desk. "Must be boring, having to be land-bound for so long..."
Lady Smythee gives you a smile as a servant, who looks suspiciously like a retired pirate with a peg leg and a sword scar on the left side of his face poorly masked by a salt and pepper beard.
He puts down platters on the table, a flat rough bread topped with goat cheese and fresh herbs as a first course.
Lady Smythee herself smiles at the server, then lays her hands one on top of the other and leans forward towards you.
A partnership you say? Do tell, what kind of security can you provide me with?
She's almost purring as she contemplates your proposition. Whatever you may have once thought, this matron is no pushover who inherited a tower by marriage alone.
--------
The guard outside knocks on the door in response.
I get seasick and my mother drowned. You don't get guard duty because you're chatty.
"Your tower is well-positioned and designed to protect you from immediate attack, but a prolonged siege could be a major problem. You don't have any walls, so if a well-prepared number of ships arrives with siege engines, they could tear the whole place apart with enough rocks or magic. If you had some ships on your side to defend you though, they could easily drive off any invaders. Also, joining with us raises both of our infamy in the Shackles, making it less likely anyone will be foolish enough to attack you."
"Also, depending on our arrangement, we can transport your goods to city markets and bring in stuff you need. We would also be willing to invest in repairs and upgrades to the Rock if the relationship was strong enough. Now, we would not be moving into the Tower, that would be your domain still and we would respect that, but if we could set up a small camp nearby on the island and let it be known that we're partners now, that would be ideal."
Lady Smythee smiles as you finish the bread and your pitch.
We don't get too many sieges around here - the Rock isn't exactly the hot spot it used to be.
As she talks the same pirate brings in a huge iron bucket filled with steamed crabs.
This is a tower house, so the walls are part of the tower. Since we're on top of a promontory we can answer back well before any ship could get in range with catapults or ballista. And we don't sink if we get hit near the waterline!
As she rather daintily consumes a crab, she watches you.
And what of your companions? They seem to be fairly silent on the conversation front. Do they have no magic to offer, expertise that could help me beyond transport to another island?
Galean raises a finger in the air to retort, then shakes his head. Great. So what to people do, when they're imprisoned for the remainder of their lives?, he ponders, starting to look around for something prison-like he can do. I can already teach birds things... and last time I carved wood I carved my finger. He scoffs, having the experience of being injustfully imprisoned ruined by the lack of things to help him live out the rest of his days in prison.
Galean, meanwhile you hear a clanging outside and a small slot at the bottom of the door slides up, then a small platter is slid in piled high with bread, cheese, crab and sturgeon. The food is simple but tastes great.
"Uh, I can talk with sharks. Mostly in the eat or don't eat that sense." Nymph manages to chime in.
Expecting prison slop, Galean is somewhat disappointed of the great taste of the food. I guess it is better, but..., he thinks, devouring the food with the appetite of a hungry teenage shark. There's not even any chains I can shake in quiet-ish disobedience...
"We also have an experienced alchemist on board the ship, who is capable of making alchemical medicines and substances. We would be happy to share his expertise with you." Yuki adds since Ayre seems unusually quiet. "As for your position on the island, I'm quite sure you can handle one ship attacking you, but if a Commander with multiple ships engages you with multiple ballista or catapults, you're gonna want your own naval defense force."
Lady Smythee smiles at Nymph's interjection.
I can think of more than a few times that could have come in handy. There was this one time off the coast of...well, that's not important.
Well, that's all very nice, but frankly I'm not interested in an alliance. I do, however, have a counteroffer for you.
As a platter with thick slices of sturgeon is placed on the table she leans in towards you.
You may have heard that I'm a widow, and the long nights get lonely here on Tidewater Rock.
She bats her eyelashes at you coyly.
So, instead of some silly alliance, let's get married.
Okay, so she's trying to seduce...us?
Yuki is taken aback by the offer as she considers the ramifications.
Nopenopenope.
Under Shackles Law, two parties can agree to a mutually beneficial marriage relationship for a set period of time. During that time, each party enjoys the full benefits of marriage to his or her spouse and concomitant resources. Once the agreed-upon time period is up, however, either party can choose to divorce simply by stating as much, and each party returns amicably to his or her own holdings with no further strings attached. This was a particularly beneficial arrangement in the turbulent politics of the Shackles, as a Free Captain could marry a rival captain for a set period of time, thus ensuring that her rival’s fleet would not take action against her own. If love developed under such an arrangement, the marriage could continue indefinitely if both parties agreed to it.
"Hmm, I'm not entirely against that idea, and it would solve some of our mutual problems for a short period of time. Would it be possible to talk to your hostage about it? He's my first mate so I'd like to consult him first before rushing into anything. Are you picky on who you would want to marry? I mean, obviously it would be either me or one of my officers. If you like guys, my first mate is a viral young man."
The woman is completely inscrutable to you Yuki.
She smiles at you and you can see something, indefinable, dancing in her eyes.
Why, I rather thought I'd marry you since you're the captain of your merry band. Why wouldn't two leaders seal an alliance themselves? But if you'd like to talk to anyone you certainly may - I have nothing to hide.
Here she gives you a salacious wink.
"Okay, give me a day to think it over, and I'll give you my answer tomorrow morning. Is there anything else you'd like to add to the agreement before I mull it over?"
Of course my dear, I'd be happy to let you sleep on it. Perhaps we can have a breakfast when you arrive back with you answer. I look forward to it.
After you leave, they wait for you to return with the guard and return a bored but well-fed Galean to you at the gate.
They include his equipment in a burlap sack.
Galean sits on his bed, staring into the night sky, lamenting his freedom, something he believed to be a right, and not a priviledge. A bird's cry reminds him of his chance to roam free, had he only never been so loyal. Indeed, he is in a prison of his own making...
He sighs, picking up a quill and continuing onwards to write his memoires, a work he considers would soon be considered a classic, as he would finish it. Or start it.
He licks the quill, and dips it into the inkpot, contemplating how to best begin this story of loyalty and solitude. He looks at the door. "Uh... do you mind if I rattle my chains for a bit? Can I get some chains, please? I promise it won't be too loud."
As he's let out he takes a look at the cot, his only friend in his hours-long confinement, and sighs deeply. "I'll need to shave my beard and hair after this.", he sighs heavily, going aboard to greet the captain, feeling the bristle of the six hairs under his nose.
Once everyone is together again and away from the tower, and the situation has been explained to Galean, Yuki looks to the group for their opinions, "Well, what do you guys think? It could help us out in the short term, although I'm not terribly fond of a political marriage. Ha! Life is weird."
"... yeah... I really haven't a clue." Nymph says while rubbing the side of her head.
Yuki also finds Fishguts and asks his opinion on the situation.
Galean clears his throat. "Well, Cap'n. If you're a Free Cap'n, I don't believe that anyone would ever mind you having more than one partner. Especially when one is strictly political." He sits down, ruffling his beard deep in thought.
"I'm not sure how pirate law treats this, but if we go by Besmara's rules, I don't believe that you've got the power to be the representative of a higher power, if you're one of the marrying parties.", Galean explains. "But, as I said, you're the Cap'n, Cap'n. You're free to marry anyone and anything you want, and I don't think that she'd mind if you're, uh, pursuing romantic endeavours anywhere else."
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Fishguts busts out laughing at Yuki and Nymph's queasy expressions regarding the marriage proposal.
Oh, look at the pair of ye! She got ye good, I'll give the lass that. Aye, a political marriage is the easiest thing in the world. Truth be told it's a good idea since it gives you rights on the island without surrendering her hold to the place either.
He grins as he tastes the dinner he prepared for the crew earlier and is preparing for breakfast - one of his famous fish stews. He spits out a fish head into a barrel apparently used for waste before returning the ladle to stir the kettle.
And the lady's famously fond of male company so if she's offering to marry you cap'n, she clearly doesn't want ye in her bed. Whatever did ye say to get her to tease ye like that?
After hearing your offer he snorts.
Take the Rock? Good chance o' that. There's a reason it's famous - look at the place! You could hit a ship from a mile out with a one ton boulder if ye had the mind to.
Scratching his belly under his stained apron he ponders for a bit.
I think it's a good idea, just drop a few hints that ye're interested in a polite fiction and ye'll be fine. Unless Galean over there's looking to settle down. That's right, I see ye skulkin', waiting to give the cap'n advice! Ye and yer damn birds what pick at my catch o' the day.
You discover that after so many summonings any seagulls harassing the crew are immediately blamed on Galean.
Galean frowns, his lip curling upwards. "The seagull is a terrific and tenacious beast of the sea. Majestic too.", he tries to say half-heartedly, before shrugging. "I'd defer to your judgement, though. Political marriage sounds like the best idea.", he replies, staring at the sea birds circling around the masts.
"I'm not about to settle down... The sea's my mistress, Fishguts...", he says, in his best attempt at a mystical voice.
"I'm not about to settle down... The sea's my mistress, Fishguts...", he says, in his best attempt at a mystical voice.
"Have you told Sandara?"
"She was kinda hard to read during the negotiations, I guess she was just messing with me." Yuki confesses with a sheepish expression. "Okay, well, I guess I'll marry her for a year and see how it goes. Hopefully we can build our reputation in the meantime so it'll only be a short term thing."
"Wait, do I give her a ring or what? Is there some kind of dowry? I'm not sure how it works when it's two wives."
Nymph happily slaps Galean's back as Yuki agrees to the idea. "Sweet! Bachelorette party!"
"Wait, do I give her a ring or what? Is there some kind of dowry? I'm not sure how it works when it's two wives."
"I'd be more concerned about giving her a good f~~+ing. We can practice if you're nervous." Nymph offers, surprisingly without any lasciviousness.
"Oh, is it necessary to consummate the marriage?" Yuki asks with some discomfort.
Nymph shrugs and then looks to Fishguts expectantly.
Nae, lots o' pirates don't consummate. Hells, the most famous political marriage was between this elven captain, Sharkbite Elaerio and a big hulking orc. I'd tell ye why they called him Sharkbite but I think ye can imagine. It's a thing o' convenience, but sometimes the two parties exchange gifts as symbols of their alliance.
"Whew, that's a load off my mind! I'll look through the remaining plunder to see if I can find anything that would be a nice little gift. Otherwise, I don't see any downsides unless she's totally crazy. If that's the case, we'll have moral grounds to take the tower anyway."
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