Fourth Vector Ch. 24

Due to the nearby presence of the Swabians, it had been decided that Will would sail out of the way of any possible conflict, choosing the well-worn passage known as the Slot to go around the Swabians. The Slot was a narrow body of water that separated Apulia from Samara, from which major cities of both countries dominated the shores on either side. It was one of the busiest economic passages in the entire West, and even now, Will watched as scores of trade ships passed in and out of the harbor of Marmora.

It had been about five years since he'd last been in the city. At that time, he'd just been accompanying his father as part of a diplomatic delegation to the city on behalf of the old regent, Marcus Rosdahl. Little had changed about Marmora in that time, a city with a history that spanned thousands of years. It was one of the most easily recognized cities in the world, with nearly every building sporting the distinctive Apulian red color for their tiles. The buildings were all shades of beige, the darkest beige usually being reserved for the lower classes. The more well-maintained buildings of the middle class and the powerful were always lighter in color, serving to easily mark the different sections of the city.

Each public building was laid out in the same fashion. The middle was largely empty, opening up to a large courtyard and open skies while the perimeter of that courtyard was lined with columns and decorative arches. It enabled every Apulian citizen to be outside without truly being outside their home, and it was usually the center of activity in any dwelling.

The distinctions didn't stop there. To be in Apulia was to always be lost on where to go. Unlike orderly Galician cities, Apulian cities contained windy streets with an endless amount of dead-ends. If there had been a city planner, he would have been fired on his first day. Regardless, the city sprawled out with those narrow, winding streets, ensuring that some spots always carried a measure of darkness even during the middle of the day. One didn't dare traverse those streets without a local guide or you were liable to end up somewhere you didn't intend.

Even with all the irregularities about Apulian cities, they were a productive people. Apulians were famous for two things—their endless wineries, where you could receive the most flavorful glass of wine in the world, as well as their traders, the likes of which crisscrossed the ocean in search of new places to sell their wares. Those wares always started with wine, and there wasn't a nobleman in any portion of the West who didn't keep the finest part of his cellar filled with Apulian red. The rest of those goods were an assortment of the countries finest trades, as varied as the people themselves.

Because of that strong tradition of trading and their long and ancient history, Apulians generally didn't fit one caste or another in terms of phenotype. There were redheaded Apulians and brunette Apulians. There were even a breed of gray-haired Apulians although they mostly kept to themselves. If you looked hard enough, you could even find some blonde Apulians, although they were mostly descended from Galician settlers from millennia ago.

Apulia was the true melting pot of the Western world, a place when any visitor could fit in or find any good he was looking for. It was that latter part that made Will come ashore, looking for a trader that would sell him enough supplies to make it to Picardy. TheTreasure had exhausted her meager stores this morning, the result of over one hundred hungry soldiers with endless bellies. Even though Captain Axel had kept them relatively in check, there was only so much room on the ship for supplies, and a week of sailing had reached that limit.

"Maybe we can make sure we get plenty of stores of Apulian red wine this time," said Lindsay from his side, her eyes already dancing with mischief as they made their way to the marketplace. "We ran out on the first day, and there's something about sailing that makes me hungry for wine."

Will chuckled after he rolled his eyes. Lindsay had made this week more interesting than he would have hoped, the bubbly blonde woman being his only source of entertainment on a ship full of soldiers. At first he had only reluctantly agreed to having her onboard, knowing the danger that sailing to Picardy presented. Over time though, he became glad he changed his mind, her presence truly helping the journey pass more quickly.

"You know there's only so much room aboard, right?" he said, casting her a sideways glance. "And I can't keep soldiers full on wine alone."

She batted her eyelashes at him. "But you can get a few bottles just to keep me happy, right?" Her hand reached out to graze his thigh, the hidden meaning saying more than words could.

"You're lucky I like you," he replied with a dry tone.

"The luckiest girl in the entire world," she shot back, finishing it up with an adorable giggle.

It was almost impossible to be angry with her for any length of time. Even when she was fiery, she could still be extremely loveable, the result of a childhood spent without siblings and with her parents' full attention. Lindsay was used to being in the spotlight, and she never missed her opportunity to shine in it.

They made their way closer to the market as droves of people walked on either side of them. Will saw Samarans, Picards, Carinthians, Cervanans, and even an ugly-looking Swabian who stared them down as they passed. With such an international city as Marmora, there was no lack of options, especially for feasts of the flesh.

"Oh, Will, did you just see that Kishian girl over there," said Lindsay from his side as she tugged at his shoulder. "Wow, she's so sexy."

Will turned his head to see the women that had so captured her attention. In doing so, he saw the dark-looking Kishian beauty. She walked like she owned the place, a definite swagger to her hips while her curly black hair danced across her shoulders.

"Yeah, she certainly is," agreed Will, appraising her earnestly. One thing that was most definitely different about his relationship with Lindsay was her eagerness and enthusiasm regarding the same sex. Lindsay enjoyed the feminine form almost as much as he did, leading to playful calls of bisexuality on his part. She never denied it, and quite a few times, they had invited another girl into their bedchamber for relations.

Although Lindsay definitely liked girls, she still made it quite clear that she preferred men first, and that under no circumstances would their relationship ever open up to include a third.

Still, he wasn't one to complain. He'd had more threesomes with her than he could count, and the prospect of another one with a dark-haired beauty was already whetting his appetite.

"Wait, where did she go?" asked Lindsay with alarm, spinning around quickly as she lost sight of her. "She's gone!"

Will gave a half-hearted search for her before he continued along the crowded street. "I'm sure there will be others like her. After all, it's Marmora. You can find one of anything on these streets if you just know where to look."

Lindsay pouted and tugged his shoulder again. "Still, she would have been great. I'd love to watch you fuck her while she eats me."

Will chuckled. "Perhaps it's a good thing then that she disappeared. We have a job to do without distractions, right?"

"A little distraction is good sometimes, Will." Lindsay reached out to squeeze his cock, forcing him to slap her hand away as he received several dirty look from an old couple coming their way.

"Lindsay!" he hissed. "Not in public!"

She let out a mischievous giggle as she once more batted her eyelashes at him. "Let them scowl. I'm sure it wasn't that long ago that they did the same thing as us."

"Take another look," he said dryly. "They don't look like the type to get down in public."

"No, but I am," she said, moving her lips closer to his ear. "Maybe we can find a public place that might be quiet enough for us? I know how much you've always wanted to do me in public."

"Settle down," he said with a laugh. "Didn't you get enough this morning?"

With a crowded ship full of men, it was hard to find privacy aboard theTreasure. Still, the lack of privacy didn't really seem to concern Lindsay, and all too many times, he had to put his hand over her mouth to stifle her moaning.

"It was really nice, but that was this morning, Will," she said with a whining tone. "That was almost like eight hours ago!"

She was certainly insatiable and she needed sex just as frequently as he did. It made for a great pairing, neither one of them having to soldier on in peace with a partner who was less than enthusiastic with the pace of sex.

Lindsay's complaining withstanding, they made it to the marketplace without getting lost, which was saying something for Marmora. Once they were there, Will found a general outfitter for trader ships and spent a small fortune for food and supplies for all the members of theTreasure, enough to get them through the next week until they arrived in Picardy.

"Hard to believe it cost that much just to feed a bunch of soldiers," said Lindsay as they began to walk back to the docks.

"Just be thankful that they will deliver it to the yacht. I'd feel much worse if we had to cart it all the way back," said Will.

"I don't imagine old Axel would be too happy about having to play porter today," said Lindsay with a laugh.

When it came time for them to make the turn for the docks, Lindsay instead tugged him in a different direction. "Come on, Will, let's go this way. Let's go see something?"

He halted for a moment to think it over. "We really should get back to the ship to direct the resupply."

Lindsay waived her arm. "Let the soldiers do that. Besides it won't be ready for a few hours still. How often are we in Marmora? I want to see what this city has to offer. Come on, babe!"

Like usual, her way won out, and she dragged him willingly along through a winding neighborhood that steadily climbed a larger hill. At certain points, the grade became very steep, and Will could feel his knees whining at the stress, but Lindsay was determined to get to the top.

Thankfully, she was right with her intuition. As they made it to the top of the neighborhood, the residential buildings gave way to a large overlook that had a dominant view of the entire harbor. You could see nearly the entire city from this vantage point, and even see the hint of Samara on the other side of the Slot. It was late enough in the afternoon that the sun was starting to set, casting brilliant orange and purple colors over the entire city.

"It's so romantic up here, Will!" Lindsay pushed into his side, burrowing against his shoulder until she felt his arm wrap around her back. Her eyes upturned toward his, and she reached up for a kiss a moment later. "Why don't we just ditch Picardy and spend our time here? We can get a beautiful room with a great view, we can have sex three times a day and enjoy all the city has to offer!"

Will grinned. "As tempting as that sounds, you know we have a job to do."

"Why don't you just give the men the yacht and then we can hang back? After all, they are the important part, right? Ferrying soldiers to fight the war?'

Will shook his head. "No, it's just for my protection. Until I find Kat—"

Will stopped short, disguising his flapping tongue with a well-placed cough. He'd almost blathered out the real purpose of the mission, something he kept from Lindsay out of necessity up until now.

Unluckily for him, she was as sharp as she was sexy. "Find who, Will?" she asked, her gaze hardening. "You haven't told me what we'reactually doing in Picardy. So now that I know we're not going to be fighting, who are we trying to find?"

He shook his head again. "Linds, I can't tell you. At least not yet. It's too important."

"Am I not important?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her breasts.

"Don't play that with me," he replied.

"I'm serious, Will." She stamped her feet on the ground. "I get the secrecy in the beginning, but we're a long way from home. We don't know anyone here, and no one knows us. What could be the harm in telling me who we're looking for?"

"It's dangerous," he said while inwardly conceding to the fact that she was making a lot of sense. After all, what was the harm now? They were far enough away from Galicia to be out of Eric Rosdahl's reach. At this point, the worst thing that could happen to them was to have word of their visit and purpose reach back to him, putting their families in danger, but that went back to Lindsay's first point—no one knew who they were.

"You're going to have to tell me sooner or later," she said impatiently. "I think I deserve to know. After all, if this mission is dangerous enough to require the soldiers, then I'm in the same boat as you. You might as well just tell me. What else do you have to lose?"

"My conscience," he said hesitantly. "If we get caught and you don't know what's going on, your chance of going free is still pretty high."

"If it's as dangerous as you say, then you know there's no chance of that, Will," she said quietly. "I love you, Will. I'm here of my own free will. Have the trustin me to talkto me. Tell me who we're looking for."

Will's resolve was breaking. Not just because he knew she was right, but because of the risk if they were caught. No matter the odds, Lindsay was just as committed as he was, and her fate would be the same as his if bad luck happened to play out. Didn't she deserve to know what she was part of?

"Very well," said Will with a heavy puff of breath. "I'll tell you."

Lindsay's serious face melted into one of excitement with a small degree of trepidation. There was no going back now.

"Do you remember the old regent? The one before Eric Rosdahl?"

She blinked. "The old regent? You mean Katherine Rosdahl?" Recognition sparked behind her eyes and her mouth fell open. "Kat, as in Katherine Rosdahl? That's the name you were about to say just now!"

Will nodded. "It was. That's who we're searching for. That's who my father wants to find."

Lindsay's face turned to confusion next. "But . . . why, Will? What use to anyone is Katherine Rosdahl?"

"She's the rightful Galician Regent," he said plainly, as if the answer was the most obvious one in the world. "All that's gone wrong in the last few years have been because of Eric. He's let our economy go into free fall while the strength of our armed forces melt away. The Swabians are on a war march and there's no one to stop them. Quite the opposite, Eric Rosdahl seems to encourage them! My father is tired of it. He believes it was a mistake to cast out Katherine in the first place. That maybe all of this wouldn't have gone so badly if she was still regent."

The first shades of doubt appeared on her face. "But Will, who's to say she's even in Picardy? No one knows where she is. If anyone was to find her, wouldn't it be Eric's men? They've been looking for her all this time."

"My father has definitive proof that she was in Picardy," said Will. "My guess is that she's there fighting the war against Swabia. Something a true leader of Galicia would be doing—fighting the Swabian threat."

"I don't know about this, Will. What if we're caught? Not to worry about you and I but think about our families?" Lindsay shuddered. "You know how Eric is. Their lives would be forfeit if he had one inkling about what we're trying to do."

"Do you see now why I didn't want to tell you?" he asked with a small smile.

Lindsay rubbed her arms with her hands. "Still though. That's a heavy task. It just makes me afraid for the consequences though. Especially if anyone else found out."

"This is why I wanted to keep it quiet. Why I didn't want you to find out for as long as possible."

She nodded. "I needed to know, Will."

"Well, now you do," he said, pulling her body back to him. Lindsay encircled her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Her earlier playfulness had all but disappeared, replaced by a solemn fear of what was to come.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her finally, as the sun dipped low on the horizon.

"Getting caught," she said quietly. "At least we'd hang together, right?" She burrowed her head into his shoulder.

"We're not going to get caught," he said with a confident tone, even if he didn't quite feel it with conviction. "We're going to get to Picardy and we're going to find Katherine Rosdahl."

Lindsay managed a weak smile. "I believe you, Will. I really do."

*****

The next morning, Jack wasn't any more eager to meet with the emperor or Bancroft than he was the day before. To say that yesterday's meeting had been less than stellar was an understatement, and he came away with two feelings in particular that could normally spell doom. Namely, that he had seemed ungrateful in the rejection of leading the Occitanian mission, and secondly, that he'd seemed foolish for treating Kat with seriousness when she seemed so easily dismissed by them.

It wasn't an enviable position to be in, and Jack trudged through the mostly empty streets that morning toward the palace with a heavy heart. At least most of the snowfall had been cleared from the walking lanes, and he had an easy go about it this time around. He could only hope that small detail would hold true with the coming meeting.

When Jack arrived at the palace, he was directed to a different room than before, this new one looking like a personal library as several thousand square feet were dedicated just to book shelves. Jack had to smile to himself, wondering what would have happened if they met here yesterday instead of today. Kat would have probably been more inclined to positivity if temporarily distracted by books.

"Good morning, Jack," called out the emperor as he sat behind a small table with three other faces. One of those faces was Mortimus, carrying a fresh jug of water for the emperor while Bancroft sat on the other side, his face already stern and appraising as usual. The other newcomer Jack didn't know personally, but that didn't mean his face wasn't known to him by status alone.

"So this is the famous Jack Easterbrook," said Crown Prince George as he sprung up from the table awkwardly, nearly knocking over his father's glass of water in the process. George thundered to the other side of the table and offered his fatty hand to Jack. "We meet at last. Father was just telling me about your last battle."

"Your Highness, it's good to meet you," said Jack, bowing his head slightly in their custom.

"And he's modest to boot," said George with a half chuckle. "Tell me, Jack, how does it feel to be the toast of the entire country? Everywhere I go, I hear the name Jack Easterbrook on everyone's tongue. I'm sure that has to make you feel great."

"It's a bit humbling to be honest with you," answered Jack. "Sure the battle went our way, but there were times when it could have easily gone against us. It's been a lot to take in."

George launched a playful jab against his shoulder. "But not with you in charge, right? I like that kind of bravado in an officer." He crossed his arms over his fat stomach as Jack realized that wasn't at all what he was insinuating. "What about the women? How are those Fourthie girls? I'm going to guess exotic, right? Probably have great big bushes that you need to bushwhack before you even get close to their pussies, eh?"

Before Jack could answer, Bancroft opened up with his own quip. "You should have been here yesterday then, Your Highness. When Jack had one of them with him."

George's lecherous smile grew even worse. "Was that the blonde I heard so much about? Maybe we should have the viceroys send back some samples so I can test them out."