“It’s at the insistence of the head of their tribe, Grixis. I’ve been negotiating with him and his men, and we’ve come to compromises that I think are fair.”
“We’ll talk to this Grixis and tell him you were—”
Meg smacks Amber again. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll tell themyouwere our servant!”
Amber gasps, and I can’t stop myself from smiling.
“Are we going to have to fuck them?” Meg asks bluntly.
I appreciate her forwardness, though I’m not sure how they’ll take my response.
“Their leader says they’ll make an effort to blend cultures, which means they’ll be expected to court you if they intend to…fuck you.”
The women gasp, but how could they be shocked by this?
“But that will render us unfit for marriage!” someone says.
“Do you really think you’re ever leaving here?” I ask. “Who’s going to save us? Our families don’t even know where we are. Our people don’t sail to Melgrim. It’s full of exiles.”
“And you want us to bed them?” another says.
“It doesn’t matter what I want,” I reply. “But while they might be exiles, they don’t lack honor.”
“I still can’t get over their color. I mean, they’re blue,” Arwin says.
“There are a few mercenaries that travel between the king’s court and other lands that are said to look like them,” Asha says. “But no one has ever said where they were from. Just that they’re foreign.”
“They must be from the south,” Nori adds.
“There is something more that I need to tell you. Your very lives depend on it.”
“Spit it out,” Meg says, never one for dilly-dallying.
“I beg you all to heed my warning well. When we leave this hull, we must go with our heads held high. We cannot appear weak to these men, because there is nothing they loathe more. We will allow them to treat our wounds, but whatever you do, do not grovel, do not say thank you, and do not show fear.”
“These men are giants,” a crazed voice says. “How are we not supposed to be afraid?”
“I’m not telling you to not be afraid. I’m terrified. But you have two choices: stay here and struggle to survive or accept their help. In accepting their help, you must appear strong and fearless.”
“Will we be forced to…to…lie with them?” Asha says, her voice trembling.
“It’s…not all bad.”
A gasp sounds from around the hull.
“You said you—”
“I haven’t had sex with them. Not yet. But…we did some other things that were quite pleasant. If the others are the same as their leader, they will attend to you well.”
“Attend to us well?” Arwin chokes out. “What does that even mean?”
“It means the idea of being filled by one will go from terrifying to…confusing,” I admit. “Desirable, even.”
“You must be loving this,” Amber sneers. “Having us obey you, forcing us to bed those…those—”
I fold my arms over my chest. “As I said, you’re welcome to stay here and struggle to survive with however many wish to join you.”
The room goes quiet.