Maharani Bk. 01 Ch. 05

We are awake when Anusha serves us breakfast in bed, we tell her that she is spoiling us. She smiles and says that with all our responsibilities we deserve something special. She notices Mr MacHinery covered in a spare blanket but resists the urge to ask about it and continues with her duties. We know very well that when we're out and she is servicing our stateroom she'll take a look under the blanket, we agree that the time it takes for someone to mention our machine will be an excellent indicator of her trustworthiness.

As we enjoy our breakfast, I confess to Sansa that I've been investigating the idea of adding another luxury cruise yacht to The Marigold Line for which we'll use the codename 'Empress'. Construction has already started and Sushila has secured first refusal for us at a price of £430 million. It offers 38 luxury staterooms incorporating an luxurious and spacious open-plan reception area and dining area with ocean views, the glass is one-way providing privacy for those inside. In addition, there are all the restaurants, lounges, communal areas, and more than we have here on Maharani.

There is an owners' residence covering the complete area of the highest residential deck. There's even a helipad in the bow area. If we were to charge £50,000 per week for a stateroom, as we are doing very successfully here on Maharani, the annual gross income could be as much as £98.8 million if all staterooms are occupied.

It is a well established pattern on cruise ships that wealthy ladies often choose to spend their autumn years and savings on cruising and being looked after by cruise ship staff, rather than resort to paying for several staff at home, so why not other rich ladies too?

Empress will be able to undertake more adventurous ocean cruises for rich and powerful ladies to live very comfortably on board and run their various enterprises from an office in each apartment. She will be able to travel at comfortable speeds and every stop will be at the vote of our residents, as will the length of time that she stays in port to give all the time desired to make the most of the visit. Bangkok Girl and Maharani would continue to cruise around India.

She absolutely loves the idea, particularly since our current cruise guests represent just the sort of ladies that could be our target demographic. She says that the news the purser gave us about advance bookings being on the way to a two year waiting list suggests that what we are doing with Maharani is what such ladies appreciate. I agree and suggest that others might like our idea and try to copy it, so we should move fast and capture as much of the market of rich & powerful ladies looking for a perfect home afloat as possible. She agrees and says perhaps some consultations with our colleagues and current guests should be expedited. We agree that getting first refusal on purchasing Empress is a priority and I undertake to ask Sushila to arrange it for us.

We've no sooner enjoyed our intimate shower and dressed in our identical ready pleated saree gowns with spaghetti straps, a 'V' neckline with each hem highlighted by a gold border. There is a matching handbag and shoes. Sansa's is emerald green, her favourite colour and mine is sapphire blue. There is a knock at the door and Anusha enters to inform us that the Captain and the Head of Security ask for an urgent meeting. Curious as to the need for urgency, we ask her to admit them to the lounge and arrange for fresh coffee to be served. She leaves to admit them while we check that we are properly dressed.

In the lounge we greet them cordially and invite them to make themselves comfortable. When seated, Anusha serves coffee and biscuits and then leaves us to talk in private. Prajna thanks us for making ourselves available while Ayma nods agreement. Prajna tells us that she has received an encrypted message from the Coastguard that 2 fast Somalian style pirate boats are operating in the same area as Maharani and Bangkok Girl and the armed Coastguard vessel 'Indira Gandhi' is on her way to meet with us. We have contacted Bangkok Girl, who have received the same message and both vessels are currently changing course and accelerating to maximum speed to rendezvous, they are already in sight and the vessels will close together in 10 to 15 minutes at current speed. According to radar, the pirate boats will arrive about the same time as Bangkok Girl and Indira Gandhi will pursue the pirate boats, radar indicates that she will have them within firing range within 10 minutes.

Sansa takes my hand on the mention of pirates and I don't try to mask my concern either. Ayma informs us that she and her counterpart on BG have been in contact via encrypted messaging. Both vessels are adequately armed to deal with the pirates and that machine guns have been mounted at vantage points around both vessels. Rocket launchers have also been deployed. We expect that the pirates, through binoculars, will see they are well overpowered by each vessel but the two vessels together represent an overwhelming threat to them of being sunk immediately they come within range.

Prajna says that merely as a precaution she wishes to sound five short blasts on the horn (meaning danger) and use the tannoy to order that all guests and their stateroom stewardess are to stay in their staterooms with life-jackets at the ready. Everyone is to stay well clear of all balconies, windows and portholes with all curtains drawn. The situation can be monitored on the TV in your stateroom. She pauses as if awaiting permission, so I simply say: "As Captain, such decisions are yours to make but, since my Captain and my Head of Security are in agreement and seem to be well prepared I, and I suspect my partner too, are sanguine. Thank you for taking the time to inform us personally, but we must not delay you further at this time. Please keep yourselves safe".

They thank us and take their leave and Anusha returns to switch on the TV to an internal vessel channel that alternates through the vessel's four cameras. She also ensures plenty of soft drinks are within reach. After about five minutes, Bangkok Girl and Indira Gandhi can be seen with the pirate vessels appearing just as tiny blobs. Three minutes later there is a huge splash in front of the pirate boats followed a second later by an explosion. The tannoy informs us that the Indira Gandhi has fired a warning shot in front of the pirates after they ignored a radio order to 'heave to' (stop).

The images are getting larger and we can see a man on each of the pirate boats firing a sub-machine gun at the Indira Gandhi. The next thing we see is one of the boats explode in a ball of fire, followed by the sound of the blast. The second pirate boat turns away to try and escape but suffers the same fate as the first pirate boat. We feel the Maharani reduce speed, sound two short blasts to signal we are turning to port (the left). The tannoy announces that the threat is over and Maharani may resume normal activities. We see Bangkok Girl slow, sound one short blast and turn to starboard (the right) to run parallel with Maharani.

The Indira Gandhi also turns to starboard to pass slowly between the two vessels of The Marigold Line. Most of the crew are on deck smiling and waving to us. Curtains and balcony doors are opened and grateful passengers on both vessels return their waves with a smile. We hear Prajna's voice boom out from the bridge: "Thank you Indira Gandhi" followed by intermittent very short blasts on the horn. Bangkok Girl follows suit.

Sansa and I are very pleased with Prajna and Ayma's prompt and decisive actions which may have done the job had Indira Gandhi not come to our aid. We hope that no one was injured by gun fire on board Indira Gandhi. No one mentions the awful fate of the pirates, but I can't imagine how desperate their situation must have been to drive them into such a dangerous lifestyle. On a brighter note, we decide that canvassing opinions on the Empress idea can wait.

The excitement over, we go down for lunch and as might be expected, even with the sweet soothing background music being played for us, the general mood on board has changed. At lunch Prajna says that she has never heard of an attack, such as we saw, in the seas around India. She adds that the style of the boats and style of the attack is similar to those seen around the Horn of Africa, but those were mainly directed at cargo vessels which only carry a few small arms. On the bright side, it was a good drill for The Marigold Line, proving that the two vessels could react quickly and effectively to get into a position of maximum strength to defend ourselves.

I make a reminder on my iPhone to initiate 'Distinguished Service Medals' (featuring the marigold in The Marigold Line's flag) for the Captains and Heads of Security on BG & Maharani.

Ayma adds that the weaponry so successfully used by the Indira Gandhi, were most likely to be fixed & permanent installations and therefore unsuitable for vessels such as ours. However, our portable machine guns are much more powerful than the sub machine guns used by the pirates and we hadn't needed to use our rocket launchers. As we drink our coffee before leaving the table, Sansa and I remark that the general mood appears to have improved.

Accidentally on purpose I ask Prajna, in more than a whisper, if she thinks it might be fun to have a gala dinner followed by a dance in the former ballroom. Word passes round the table like wildfire and everyone looks towards us expectantly. Prajna smiles and asks us to raise a hand if we like the idea, needless to say everyone raises their hand and it appears that the Lesbian Lounge has been accepted as a safe place for all.

After lunch, Sansa and I resume our relationship with Mr MacHinery using a larger dildo, until it is time to shower and dress for dinner. We aren't nymphomaniacs, so we pause to take afternoon tea when Anusha offers it. Our intimate shower & massage before dressing is as wonderful as usual but this time it is soothing too, just right after both spending a bit too long being pounded at high speed!

Our identical ready pleated saree gowns in sequinned crepe featuring a cascade frill on the hemline while the attached pallu and waistline are also sequinned. The thirteen inch matching crop top, in net, is heavily embellished with cut dana work in a geometric pattern, and is sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline and 'V' back. As always, we bought matching handbags and shoes to complete the outfits. Sansa's is coloured emerald green and mine is sapphire blue.

Kalinda, the Executive Chef, produces a superb Gala dinner for us featuring lobster, super size king prawns or a vegetarian option. The general mood seems restored to the carefree happiness present before the pirate attack. The variety of sweets, obligingly small so each lady can try a few without having to worry too much about the calories, is an extra highlight, particularly for any with a sweet tooth. In a party mood, most ladies opt for coffee 'with something extra' such as a spirit or liqueur. After dinner everyone retires to the Lesbian Lounge.

Before the music gets started, Sansa and I mount the platform and the ensemble plays a long loud chord to interrupt the conversations. I invite everyone to put their hands together in thanks to our Captain Prajna and Head of Security Ayma for the prompt, decisive action that they, and their teams took to prepare us to join Bangkok Girl in the best possible defensive position to meet the pirate boats. The placement of machine guns around both vessels could have been decisive. Sansa and I have decided to initiate a Marigold Line 'Distinguished Service Medal' to be designed and struck for Prajna and Ayma. I start clapping and everyone else joins in with cheers and whoops of joy.

The dancing to live music is a great success, not only replacing a bad experience with a good one, but well and truly 'laying the ghost' where the Lesbian Lounge is concerned, not a single 'straight' lady seemed to feel awkward. Sansa and I danced only the first dance together because for every subsequent dance we were asked by one of the ladies. Some of our dance partners, probably fuelled by more alcohol than usual, seemed rather interested in exploring sapphic delights for themselves. The definitive memory for me is being hugged and lingeringly kissed on the lips by everybody when saying goodnight, including Ayma, not that I minded of course!

Back in our suite we exchange notes as we undress and make our way to the shower when our attention is totally focussed on giving each other the maximum pleasure during our intimate shower and massage. Afterwards in bed we spend an extended time in the 69 position, how I love that position, it's so very intimate. Following a glorious run of multiple orgasms, we clean each other with our tongues. Sansa spoons me and as we settle down to go to sleep, I can still feel a pleasant tingle as a result of Sansa's and Mr MacHinery's divine attentions.