I Own a Brothel in Another World

Chapter 147 – Sisters Above All

Meru, Cornelia, and Neira sit opposite me in the carriage while I share my own bench with the cuddly duo of the lovely Queen Slimes. The three ladies chat amongst themselves about what is awaiting us underwater, with Meru mostly answering the questions the other two have. I listen to her descriptions and stories as Safi and Emi lean onto me with their jelly bodies.

About ten minutes after we leave the mansion, I dive into my senses and check if we are truly alone. It wouldn’t be unexpected to learn that Hecate couldn’t actually bear the thought of leaving my side and changed her mind. Thankfully, I find no one else in our close vicinity and locate the spidergirl back in the mansion. It looks like things will be fine.

The line of buildings moves slowly as I observe the city through the uncovered window. It’s quite easy to notice when we move out of the more rich and noble district, entering the industrial and mercantile area. The biggest giveaway is of course the commonly-spotted attire amongst the majority of the people wandering the streets. 

Some of them give our carriage a curious look and I have no doubt that they recognize the crest on its side. We do get plenty of workers from these regions in our establishment, in the end. They often begin their visit with a long, pleasant bath with some attractive company and a little help. Only then can they shoot for something more involving anyway since we wouldn’t let dirty and stinky men close to our valued employees.

No offence to the people doing less clean jobs, of course. They work their asses off in various different environments.

In any way, it doesn’t take us long to pass through the industrial zone and we spot a clear increase in warehouses and storages. The other buildings clear up and we can finally see bigger flashes of the blue sea in the not-so-far distance. Lots of deliveries are being made both ways and crews of the docked ships mingle together at almost every corner of the docks.

There are a few vessels currently being loaded or unloaded but I try to find out which one will be ours. It’s definitely none of the ships moving heavy cargo since I don’t believe that Lianne would just shove us onto some random transport boat or something like that. If I were to guess, she would most likely get the entire thing commissioned just to bring us to our destination and even assist us as much as the crew and the ship can.

Unfortunately, our driver is as clueless about it as we are so I stop the carriage after we reach the edge of the docks. After giving a hand to the women, I thank him wholeheartedly and throw in a nice tip, reminding the guy that he doesn’t have to wait for us since we’ll be gone soon.

“We really are going to use Human ships,” Meru exclaims in something akin to wonder, I guess.

I glance at her and gently ruffle through her hair. “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

She shakes her head. “No. I don’t mind it. I’m actually getting curious about them. It will be my first time seeing one from inside, excluding wrecks.”

“Then you are in luck. I will make sure that you will be able to observe how the crew works as much as you like.” I smile at the fierce sharkgirl warmly. “And, in case you wouldn’t actually feel alright onboard a ship, you can always follow us in the water now and then.”

“Thank you.” She nods at me politely as our eyes meet.

“So, do we have any idea which one takes us in?” Cornelia asks, setting her fists on her hips.

“I don’t. Do you?” I glance at her with a raised brow.

She snorts and rolls her eyes. “You were the one to negotiate this.”

“I guess.” I shrug. “I can always ask Lianne through the Whispers.”

“Let’s do that, then,” Cornelia replies while looking around.

Focusing on the Queen, I reach the hidden nympho easily and send a simple greeting. A few seconds pass and there’s no answer. Just in case, I throw another hello into the connection but it changes nothing. Only silence welcomes my attempt. 

Noticing Cornelia looking at me expectantly, I spread my arms to the sides. “Looks like she’s busy. I’m not getting through. I’m sure she would answer immediately if it wasn’t something important.”

My dazzling magician sighs. “You are right. She loves talking to you almost as much as riding your cock. I guess we are on our own for now.”

“Let’s just look around and see if there’s anyone waiting for us near any of the boarding ramps,” Neira suggests.

All of us agree with her and we decide to move alongside the edge, admiring the docked ships by our side. As expected, Emi is the one to fawn over them the most but I can tell that Safi is fascinated by the sight too. She might keep her calm and ladylike expression on, but her face is constantly directed towards the water. Not like it has to be since they are like walking radars but still.

We do our best not to obstruct the seamen and seawomen working on their tasks. I always thought that such places had their own charm. Medieval docks are a real something in the movies. Experiencing them in real life is not just a level above. The view, the noise, the smell, the people, and the entire atmosphere is amazing.

After about five minutes of walking, Neira points somewhere ahead and we gaze together at whatever she has spotted. First of all, there’s a sizable ship made of dark wood that’s decorated with a plethora of fancy, golden patterns. It has three sails and is clearly a military-type vessel considering all the armament currently hidden behind the closed traps.

Near that ship, and specifically just by the end of the boarding ramp leading onto its deck, sits a woman with a sign in her hands. She has chosen a few wooden crates as her resting place and lazily looks over the people passing by. There is no doubt that she's part of the crew as her attire just screams sailor. A blue bandana covers part of her hair, her chest is hidden behind a wide, cream strap of material, and loose short pants sit over her waist.

As for the sign she’s holding, that’s most likely what has caught Neira’s attention. It would be impossible for any of us not to recognize the same crest that is painted on the sides of our carriage. That woman is clearly waiting for us.

We share a firm nod and approach her together. She notices some kind of motion in her peripheral vision and turns her face to observe us. Perhaps not exactly informed about our appearances, she remains more or less neutral while observing us walk closer to her resting spot.

I step forward after we stop. “Hello. I’m Alastair and I believe that you might be holding a sign with a crest related to my business.”

The heavily-tanned woman with waist-long auburn hair studies each of my companions attentively before jumping off the crate and returning her eyes to me. It’s hard to miss the fact that she’s definitely not wearing a bra underneath that thin wrapping going all around her chest. Her nipples are quite stiff and apparent in this slightly chilly breeze.

“I’ll go and fetch the captain. Please, wait here for a moment,” she says and heads up the boarding ramp without waiting for an answer.

“Don’t get any ideas.” Cornelia suddenly jabs me lightly with her elbow.

“What?” I glance at her.

“I saw where your eyes were.” She squints at me.

I chuckle and shake my head. “You know well that it’s impossible not to look, especially when they are just begging for attention. She clearly knows and thinks nothing of it. If the rest of the crew is like this, you might be up for some nice eye candy from the male half too.”

A faint blush shows up on Cornelia’s cheeks as she most likely imagines a bunch of hot, half-naked sailors with chiselled bodies roaming over the deck and taking care of muscle-straining activities. I grin at her knowingly and she jabs me once more, looking even redder.

The sound of footsteps over a wooden plank reaches our ears and we stop our little fun to look towards the source. The smile disappears from my face and gets replaced by a slightly curious frown as three women walk off the ramp and stop in front of us. 

They all wear somewhat matching dark blue naval uniforms fitting this world’s era. The one in the middle is equipped with the fanciest set including even a cape and a musketeer hat with a feather. She has short blond hair and deep green eyes. Maybe not as tanned as the other woman we’ve seen earlier, she still shows signs of quite some sun exposure.

“Are you the one called Alastair Carter?” she asks in a respectful tone.

I make a small, polite bow. “That’s me. It’s a pleasure, Captain…”

“Moore. Alyssa Moore.” She tips her neat hat in my direction. “Is this everyone we will be taking? The client didn’t specify the exact number, saying that it could change at any moment.”

“Correct. Six people in total. Is that alright?” I turn my face to Safi and Emi while asking.

Captain Alyssa follows my gaze and gives everyone a brief glance. “You don’t need to worry. We were briefed about the presence of various different races other than Humans and that’s not an issue here. My crew is quite open-minded, as long as no one wrongs them, of course. They might not hold grudges against entire races but single individuals are a different thing.”

“I think that’s understandable,” Neira chimes in. “We will naturally follow the rules after boarding your ship, Captain, and avoid causing any trouble.”

“I certainly hope so,” Alyssa answers and I catch her eyes linger over me for a brief moment as she does. “The client seems to hold you guys in high regard and trust you almost unconditionally so we are going to do the same. Please, follow me onto the deck if you are finished with your preparations and we’ll get ready to set sail.”

We nod all together and walk behind the captain and her right-hand-women, most likely. They must be her officers or something. After seeing their attire and the ship, I’m now really curious about what kind of vessel this actually is. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they are part of the royal navy or something. It looks like we’ve ended up in the hands of a female-led unit.

Though, right after we set our feet on the deck, I realise that is not all.

No matter how far my eyes reach, or how many people my gaze passes over, I’m unable to spot a single man anywhere in sight. A plethora of women of various ages busies themselves with their predetermined tasks, now working with even more vigour as their captain and her officers start shouting orders.

I chuckle wryly while rubbing my forehead. “Did she really just put us on an all-female ship?”

And suddenly, the short glance Captain Alyssa gave me after Neira mentioned causing trouble makes complete sense. What else can be considered the most obvious and probable source of issues if not a guy on a floating box packed to the brim with sailor girls for who knows how long?

This is going to be one hell of a voyage…

Cornelia snickers by my side and throws her arm over my shoulder. “And who is going to be the one enjoying quite some eye candy now? Look, I can already see a few nice sights.”

I follow her gaze and lock onto a chocolate beauty bending over to pick up a small crate of something. Her impressive jugs almost spill out of the clearly too-small tank top and her little shorts are loose enough for a fraction of her pink lily to peek through the space between her thigh and the material, announcing the wearer’s complete lack of any underwear and decency.

My groan evokes an even more apparent laugh from my charming magician wife. “Isn’t this supposed to be a royal military vessel or something?”

“That is correct. Why?” Captain Alyssa surprises me a bit by suddenly appearing by our side.

“Ah, nothing. I was just wondering after seeing the uniforms you and the two other women wore.” I smile wryly. “I might have created an unrealistic belief in my mind that most of the crew would be clothed in a similar way so seeing everyone in something this… revealing… was unexpected.”

“Usually, I’m the one to deal with all the formalities and negotiations, and if there’s something else that requires someone presentable to attend, my officers are there to fulfil that role too. There’s no need to force everyone into these stiff uniforms. A good captain has their crew’s morale as the top priority,” she explains. “Will this be a problem? The client didn’t mention anything about it.”

“No, no, no. All is good. As I said, I was just wondering since we knew nothing about the ship or the crew before coming here.” I quickly wave my hands. “Besides, I’m quite used to this anyway. My employees are free to dress however they want to too and some of them do like to show quite a lot of themselves.”

“Just like you did last week wearing nothing?” Cornelia smirks my way.

“You are not helping.” I groan at her. “And don’t speak like you weren’t the one to parade with your tits and ass out alongside me.”

She quickly grows red and avoids my eyes. Clearing my throat, I turn to face the captain again, who is looking at us with a raised brow. All I can do is smile in such a situation, hoping that she won’t throw me overboard for being some kind of pervert and danger to her women.

“In any way, our destination wasn’t specified so I would like someone to let us know where we are heading. Our task is to escort you guys somewhere in the open sea, protect you on the way there and back, and take care of the ship while waiting above the objective,” Captain Alyssa swiftly changes the topic.

I take a peek at Meru. “Can you give any initial directions?”

She points past the starboard. “That way. Further into the sea.”

“Thank you. I’ll get us going and set the course east after we move out of the port, then. I’ll show you guys around the ship afterwards.” The woman tips her hat at us and walks away.

Sighing heavily, I look around. “Well, let’s head to the bow and get a good view. I’ve always wanted to watch such a scene. Never thought I would get to do it with so many dazzling ladies by my side, though.”

Cornelia and Neira show a faint blush as they smile at me charmingly alongside Safi. Emi throws herself at me while jumping up and down and Meru just stares up at my face with a calm expression. I reach out and graze her cheek with my palm softly, evoking some tiny, cute wags from her shark tail.

Just as I suggested, we move to the front of the ship while making sure that we are allowed to and don’t disturb anyone with our presence. It certainly doesn’t look like it as both the mature women and young girls we pass greet us with some waves and smiles. It’s quite hard not to gawk at their athletic bodies basked in sweat. Plus, I feel like I’m getting some intense stares too from here and there. Hopefully, I won’t get attacked and cause some kind of controversy.

Alyssa’s crew wraps everything up in a flash and we are soon ready to depart. The boarding ramp gets retracted and brought under the deck through one of the storage gates on the floor. A few shouts travel through the ship, passed from person to person, and the sails drop down, unrolling from their dormant state. After some adjustments, we begin moving away from the solid ground, seeing the last of it for quite some time, most likely.

Our ship is masterfully led towards the port’s exit and we are set free in no time. The sails get adjusted again, dropping to their full spread, and our new journey truly begins. We huddle up together at the bow, taking in the amazing sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. The noise of seagulls gradually becomes quieter as their majority remains in the docks, with just a few accompanying us for a little bit.

“What do you think?” I ask Meru, who is currently standing to my left as I keep my arm wrapped around her waist.

“It’s definitely something completely different. It feels like we are… flying… above the water, soaring through it. And not having to do anything to reach the desired destination is certainly a huge boon,” the calm Nerhsark replies.

“Well, it’s not like we can do nothing exactly as the ship wouldn’t move an inch otherwise.” I chuckle. “You will soon see how much work is necessary to keep it going, especially with a vessel this big. A lot of people are needed while you as a member of an aquatic race can swim most likely faster and on your own.”

“While that might be true depending on circumstances, even the strongest Nershark would need to rest now and then. The ship can continue on the set course with barely any interaction, guaranteed that nothing happens, of course,” Cornelia joins in. “Also, I have no idea how people of the deep transport things but ships let us Humans carry a lot.”

“That depends on the race and community,” Meru replies. “We usually form caravans just like land dwellers do and have some animals pull the shipment. Sometimes it’s people who do that too.”

“More or less what I would expect,” Neira comments.

“I guess it would be hard to figure out some kind of transport vessels that work underwater. There are no winds down there to push the ship forward. Though, maybe it would be doable with currents. Not sure, I’m not an expert on those. Magic would most likely be the best answer. Maybe we’ll have Sirgia build a submarine one day.” I chuckle while gazing at the horizon.

The curious looks all my companions give me make it clear that they aren’t aware of what submarines are but have stayed by my side long enough to know that any foreign words that I use are usually linked to some interesting story or explanation from my original world.

“I’ll tell you all about it, don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time to talk and have fun.” I smile at them and turn around. “I think Captain Alyssa should be free now or soon. Let’s go to her.”

No one disagrees and we stroll back to the quarter deck while observing the busy women working on the ship all around us. Meru absorbs the sights and knowledge with visible interest, snapping her head in every direction whenever something new and curious flashes at the edge of her vision. It’s such an adorable sight.

“Perhaps we should let Lianne know that we departed now that we are on the move,” Cornelia suggests as we near the quarter deck. “Maybe she has a moment to talk.”

“True. We do have a few things to talk about regarding this situation,” I reply.

“Awwww shoot. I was sure you would love it.”

We freeze momentarily and turn around in a flash.

Behind us, we find exactly the person I expect to see after hearing another, quite specific voice join our conversation. Lacking her usual, light blue royal dress, Lianne stands there with a pout on her angelic face and her hands resting on her hips. Instead, she wears long azure satin pants, a white sailor shirt with uncovered shoulders, and a dark brown leather corset neatly hugging her figure. Her lush, straight hair has been combed to the back and woven into two big pigtails, somewhat resembling Sirgia’s braids.

“What the fuck?!” Cornelia shouts in bewilderment.

“Now, now. Is that how you greet your friend who has helped you out so much, my dear Cornelia?” The petite Queen giggles sweetly.

“Like fucking hell, you idiot! What the fuck are you doing here?!” My charming magician wife starts flailing her arms at Lianne.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m part of the crew.” Lianne does a little spin in front of us.

Cornelia clearly has some issues finding proper words to respond to this insanity and just keeps aggressively gesturing at the mischievous Queen while repeatedly opening and closing her mouth. I sigh with a wry smile and place a hand on her shoulder to calm my companion down a little bit.

“I should have figured out something was not right when you didn’t answer my call,” I say, turning my attention to Lianne.

“I’m sorry about that. I couldn’t risk you somehow discovering that I was close by through the Whispers. You would have definitely made a fuss about it and delayed our departure.” She smiles adorably while batting her eyelashes at me.

“Of course, we would!” Cornelia joins in once more. “Are you sane?! This is not a fucking picnic trip! We will be out in the sea for weeks if not months! What if Ross notices you gone?! He will flip the entire Human Kingdom over to find you!”

“Oh, he won’t. I left a double in my place.” Lianne giggles again.

And Cornelia is back to being stunned.

Shaking my head, I squeeze her shoulder a bit more. “Drop it. You should know her the best. It’s way too late to argue about this.”

“See? Listen to our wise husband! It looks like he is the smart one in this relationship!”

I chuckle lightly while Cornelia makes one last angry gesture at the small lady with her finger before sighing deeply and crashing into my chest with a groan. I start patting her head dearly while kissing her hazelnut hair. We don’t want any of it to go grey with how much stress she suffers by just existing around Lianne.

“So. What is the deal with this ship?” I ask, faintly squinting my eyes at the cute pirate queen.

“Let’s meet up with Ali and I’ll explain everything.” Lianne waves at us and starts walking towards the stairs leading to the helm.

The rest of us share a confused look and I shrug, following in her footsteps. Cornelia keeps rubbing her eyes as I lead her ahead while still gently brushing through her hair. Hopefully, she doesn’t get a migraine from this. Even if she does, I guess I’ll just heal it up with Rejuvenate or something.

We soon reach the destination chosen by Lianne and approach the captain as a group. She notices our approach and locks the wheel in place with her foot, moving to the side.

“So, I assume I can finally drop the pretence?” she asks.

Cornelia groans once more. “Because of course, the two of them are in this together. I should have realised after she introduced herself earlier.”

As I stare at Cornelia curiously, Lianne trots to Alyssa and starts chatting casually with the taller woman. It truly looks like a captain talking to her crewmate after just a single look at their clothes. While Lianne’s attire is definitely of the highest possible quality, it lacks the pompous decorations and general design of an officer’s uniform.

“Alright. I guess I should explain a thing or two now.” Lianne turns back to us and stands next to the captain side by side.

“That would be appreciated.” I nod. “How did you convince everyone to take the Queen with them on such a dangerous journey?”

“I already told you that. I’m part of the crew.” She crosses her arms over her petite chest.

“Yes, you did, but how—”

“She isn’t lying. She really is part of the crew,” Cornelia interrupts me and I raise a brow at her. “Well, at least she was.”

Lianne spreads her arms wide and shows a beautiful smile. “Welcome onboard the Terror of the Siren Seas, an all-female military pursuit and quick-response vessel under the direct orders of the kingdom! And more specifically, me! Do you want to know where the name comes from?”

I chuckle wryly and gesture at her to continue, choosing to humour the Queen for a moment.

“I’m sure you noticed but our crew is full of hot and badass babes! Wherever we go, we steal the hearts of all men no matter their race or age! It’s said that we are often the cause of great Siren migrations whenever we decide to set an anchor in their territories. Our motto is ‘All your dick belong to us!’” She giggles proudly.

“And what role do you play in this show?” I cross my arms over my chest this time.

“You see, I’ve always loved ships, dreaming of exciting adventures I could experience onboard one. But, I was just a small, frail girl back then, from a very doting and caring noble household at that. My parents rejected my pleas to join the navy or any other ideas I presented them with. While I was young, I was already somewhat lustful if you know what I mean.” A tinge of rosiness covers her porcelain skin. “There was no chance they would let me stay on a ship with raunchy, horny sailors, no matter how well-disciplined. I was good at controlling myself too, of course, since I couldn’t just sleep with anyone in case my family would need me for a political marriage or something. But, thankfully, I pestered my parents for so long that they finally gave up.”

Lianne happily spins around and hugs Captain Alyssa from the side.

“Father announced that they will be recruiting a new crew for an escort vessel and anyone with some experience could apply under one single condition. Can you guess what?”

“Being a woman.” I smirk at her.

“Correct!” She giggles cutely. “And that’s how I met Ali and everyone else. It took half a year to assemble the crew but that much was nothing when compared to the years I spent begging my parents to let me out. After all the formalities were taken care of, we started doing jobs for my family and other nobles, mostly guarding the goods. Since that day, I’ve been under Ali a lot. And I really do mean a lot. She wouldn't have it any other way.”

“Goddess, show some restraint, Lin.” Captain Alyssa bonks the Queen on the head.

The little grin Lianne shows while looking up at her and the other woman’s very faint blush makes it obvious what kind of under she is talking about. It wouldn’t be that surprising, honestly. Just like a bunch of dudes stuck on a ship would get a little bit lonely, a pack of women wouldn’t be that much different.

But to think that this frail and fragile Lianne served years on a ship does come as a shocker. I mean, she does look the part in this quite badass sailor getup which definitely isn’t just a costume. It looks beautiful and stylish but lacks nothing in the important areas that could impede such work. Her hair is tightly secured, her clothes are firmly attached, and she even seems to have two daggers strapped behind her corset.

“Okay. Let’s say that I get this backstory. How did you end up with the King then?” I ask.

Alyssa snorts and tries to tame her chuckle behind her hand.

“Ohhhh! Our first meeting! I remember it like it was yesterday!” Lianne claps happily. “So, we were tasked with escorting someone important. At that point, we'd been sailing together for a few years and had accumulated quite some fame and achievements. Someone approached my father with an important deal and he told me that he just couldn’t refuse no matter what even though the information was severely lacking. I wouldn’t understand why he was like that until we were midway to our destination.”

“Yeah. That contract was just way too suspicious. We would have never taken it under normal circumstances. While we were recruited by Lin’s father, he wouldn’t force jobs onto us, only recommend us to people he verified and act as our middleman. That day was the first time he was so insistent on something. We trusted him and didn’t really have the heart to refuse,” Captain Alyssa adds.

“Anyway, it was just our two ships and everything seemed like a pretty normal escort from point A to point B with a mysterious client who wanted to hide their identity,” Lianne continues. “But then, we were attacked.”

“As expected.” I chuckle.

The flags were just too strong with that one.

“Four pirate vessels showed up out of nowhere and started targeting strictly the client’s ship. What was more shocking was that we recognized at least two of the enemy crews as ones we had scuffled with in the past during various other jobs. They definitely weren’t the cooperative type, let me tell you that.” Lianne huffed. “So, it was obvious that someone tipped the pirates handsomely to deal with our client. At that point, nothing really changed for us. The task remained the same. Protect the VIP and get them out of that stinky situation. Unfortunately, hell broke loose instantly, before we could book it.”

“We lost a few good women to those scum.” Alyssa tightens her fingers into a fist and Lianne takes it gently into her palms. “But, we sent many more of them into the abyss.”

“It’s as she says. The Terror of the Siren Seas’ crew was and is something akin to a local legend. We have talented mages, warriors, healers, rangers, and most importantly, three great leaders with Ali at the forefront.” The Queen beams at the captain, making her blush a little again. “We gave them a sore beating. Our ship was almost sunk but we took down three of their vessels in return. Unfortunately, the last one got close enough to ram into the client and board.”

“That’s when Lin took matters into her own hands and led a small squad to assist the client’s guards. One of my officers was part of the team, a brave and smart girl going by the name of Naomi. You’ve seen her as we greeted you guys. She was the woman with glasses and shoulder-long red hair combed to the left,” the captain fills the bits of the story in again.

“It was crazy, I tell you!” Lianne shakes her head with a wide smile. “We jumped off the main mast’s furthest point and threw ourselves onto the other ship’s boarding nets! Then we spread out to assist the knights as well as we could. I remember spotting someone critically wounded trying to fend off multiple vicious enemies and decided to help them. They somehow dealt with three out of five assailants but the remaining two broke that person’s stance and raised their weapons to finish them off. Thankfully, that was when I dropped onto the two from above and pinned their necks to the deck with my daggers. Who would have thought that the person I saved was the young, upcoming King on his way for the coronation ceremony.”

As she sways her body while giggling during the brief reminiscence, I can only smile wryly at this sudden development. I can clearly imagine that guy thinking his last thoughts when suddenly a literal white-haired angel falls from the sky and annihilates his enemies.

“Then, we somehow pushed through the remaining pirates and reached our destination safely,” Lianne continues, taking a hold of herself. “I didn’t think much of it, honestly. We handed the client and the other injured to the royal knights and went on our way to mourn our fallen comrades and celebrate escaping death. About a week later, a huge ordeal showed up in front of my family’s mansion as I was still recuperating and I learned that my soon-to-be-husband investigated our crew to find me and came to ask for my hand in marriage after learning that I was of noble birth and nothing stood in the way of our happiness.”

As she finishes while wiping a small tear of happiness out of the corner of her eye, all my companions start clapping, including even the silent Meru. Naturally, I join too. It was one hell of a story.

“After that, Lin obviously had to part with the crew.” Captain Alyssa smiles softly. “It was hard to let a family member go but nothing seemed to point out that she was being forced or anything. We would have never forgotten our little, lewd Lin but it looked like she had different plans and offered to take us in as part of the royal navy directly under her orders so that she could continue what her father started and bring us the best possible jobs while also being able to officially meet up with us for regular inspection.”

“And that’s why I can trust Ali with my life and sneak out on a journey with my new hubby with no questions asked and strings attached!” Lianne throws double thumbs up at us.

Cornelia groans for the first time in a while and slaps her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot you had an entire crew under your thumb.”

“No wonder she suggested finding a ship for me this fast,” I muse.

“So, you have nothing to worry about! I’m not some inexperienced landlubber and you are in the best hands in the entire Kingdom!” The Queen giggles adorably. “Now come! I’ll show you to our quarters! Is the Love Crib still a thing, Ali?”

“Of course. No one would dare to break down your own cabin. We are keeping it better maintained than even my own.” Alyssa chuckles.

“Sweet!”

Lianne then grabs mine and Cornelia’s wrists and starts dragging us away. I manage to spare a nod towards the captain before we disappear under the deck. After that, we are taken on an extensive tour of the entire vessel and learn just how much she truly is loved by the crew. Just as Alyssa said, they are like one big family and Lianne is an extremely valuable member of it.

She shows us a lot of things while retelling the stories of her past and how she learned how to operate almost anything on the ship. We don’t even notice when it gets so late until one of the officers comes to fetch us for dinner in the mess.

It’s certainly something else taking part in a feast full of female sailors acting all loud and even somewhat obscene here and there. Partial or full nudity is nothing new to them, especially after the alcohol starts to flow. The first voyage with their beloved Lianne in long years is definitely a good occasion to celebrate.

At one point, Lianne jumps on top of the table our small group is sitting by, which is located in the very centre of the entire hall, and starts hitting a wine glass with a knife. The chattering fades away almost in an instant and everyone turns their eyes to the petite lady beautifully smiling back at them.

“Thank you, girls.” She clears her throat. “To begin with, I wanted to say that it’s like a dream being able to sail with all of you again. From what I saw, almost everyone from the original crew is still here. That makes my heart really, really warm. And not just heart.”

A wave of chuckles echoes through the mess as Lianne grins at the crowd of seawomen.

“As you might remember, my great husband lost his life in a noble sacrifice a while ago and I’m sure you’ve been all worried sick about me, especially with the additional responsibilities that befell onto my head until my handsome son took over. I admit that things weren’t the best, but as they always used to tell us, all the pain and misery is just a trial for us to overcome before happiness returns to our life once more.”

Everyone murmurs in agreement, patting each other’s shoulders and raising their mugs at the speaker.

“And now I can personally attest to their words! I want to share with all of you a little secret of mine! I have found a new husband! A new love!” Lianne announces cheerfully while looking at me.

The women cheer happily and I even receive a few smacks on the back.

“But, that’s not the only piece of good news I want to share with you today.”

As quickly as the noise has grown, it disappears again.

“There’s always been something that weighed down on my heart, something I really wanted to do at all cost but was just unable to do due to certain circumstances. Recently, these circumstances are no longer an issue after I found comfort in the embrace of my new, very understanding and incredible man. That’s why, Captain Alyssa…”

Lianne reaches down towards the blond-haired woman and pulls her friend up onto the table.

“I didn’t come here to all of you just to brag about my new hubby,” she continues without raising her voice and the silence inside the chamber gets overbearing. “But also to finally fulfil my promise!”

I haven't been ready for the ship-shaking and wood-bending roar that suddenly explodes all around me. It sounds like the women lost their minds at Lianne’s words for some reason. They start slamming their tankards and fists onto their tables while chanting ‘Vir-gi-lin! Vir-gi-lin! Vir-gi-lin!’ like their lives depend on it.

As that devoted chorus keeps going, Lianne and Alyssa use their feet to clear the table in front of me and sit down on its edge. 

“What exactly… is the promise?” I raise a brow at them with a wry smile and a very, very bad feeling.

Lianne giggles while her hand rubs up and down Alyssa’s thigh.

“You see, out of all the women in the crew, I was the only one who didn’t and couldn’t have any experience with men back then, for obvious reasons. At one point, everyone had their turn and I was left the lone virgin amongst my peers, somehow becoming our mascot as the girls started calling me Virgilin for fun and giggles. One day, during a gathering just like this, I promised that after I’m finally made into a woman… I will bring my husband on the ship… and let all my sisters here feel the joy of riding his dick alongside me!”

Another powerful roar shakes the entire vessel and the two beautiful ladies in front of me start undressing each other while looking at me with a visible sparkle in their eyes.

I chuckle wryly.

“Ah, fuck. I’m in danger.”