Chapter 15: First money crop (Part 1)
"It is easy to discover what another has discovered before." -Christopher Columbus
Chapter 15: First cash crop
Sitting on the couch with a beautiful lady I watched the sea sway against my ship. Looking further back I can see some of the fleet and the men aboard it working and manning the sails. But these sights only make it clear to me that the only hard day's work I have had since arriving here was swinging my sword.
Not that this is a bad thing it is just very contradictory to how I used to live, I didn't have a labor job but at home, I love to make things with my hands and have my small farm, I even made all my furnishings for my home bed included.
Just thinking about this made me want to move. I asked Aurelia to follow me to the deck, I told her I want to move around a bit. Arriving on the deck I went to the captain told and said: "I feel like moving, so use me for a few hours I need a workout to let me man the sails or clean the deck or do some repairs if necessary!"
The captain replied "M-my lord I cannot do such a thing, you could g"
I cut him off with "Just do it, it's only a few hours I just need to waste some energy so list some tasks if it makes you feel better, I shall stay away from the sails!"
Hearing this the captain listed off a few things like a loose railing that went unnoticed until recently, a few boards on the deck that have been broken, and helping the cook. All reasonable easy tasks that for some reason excited me to no end. I was super pumped to get to work, so I hopped down from the captain's raised deck onto the longer regular deck and began my work first starting with the loose railing.
This was an intriguing task for me as I was used to using my modern tools and modern wood that had been machine processed. Looking at the handmade wood and the tools also handmade by my people made me smile as this was a small achievement that went unnoticed as almost all our necessities are made by us not imported. But still, it probably took me longer to fix the railing with these tools than with my modern ones. This made me think if I should probably introduce a few tools that could be made in this era, or I could just standardize the tools being made so they aren't all so different.
Standards these days are really hard to enforce so I have tried to stay away from them if it was dealing with anything not owned by the state. But after fixing the railing I worked on the broken or loose boards on the deck which took me less time than the railing as I was gaining experience and getting used to the tools of this era. After finishing these tasks a few hours already passed and the cook finished the meal while I was still working so I just headed down to my quarters to relax.
Walking into the room, I had forgotten I was sharing these rooms with Aurelia and when I walked in, she was pretty nude. But seeing her still while washing herself I decided to ask, "miss lioness is it okay for you to help me wash as well, you see I worked up quite a sweat and if you leave me to wash well, I may stink up the entire ship."
After opening the door, she was already covering herself with a small town that only managed to cover her most secretive areas but just this gave her enough comfort to respond. She said "you think that it's, okay? Why should I let you in my bath we are not bonded in that way and you might take advantage of me right here in this bath"?
I responded with "there isn't anything I haven't seen before, plus you are my concubine it is my right to have the whole of your being if I so desire. But I shall refrain from such actions until I see you are ready, can't have you saying I forced you now can I? Also I just want a bath you should be happy to scrub my back!" I said this with contempt all in my words.
She then said, "y-you won't touch me like when we first met?" She said this with a very red face and turned her head to the side
After hearing this I just decided to strip down and get into the large tub, yes we have a large bath on a ship. I am from the future. I can manage certain things like this! After stripping down I arrived at the edge of the tub where she still had her head turned to the side. So I just hopped right in and decided to lift her and put her in between my legs making the tub a lot more comfortable but to her dismay I assume.
When I lifted her the towel she had placed on her fell into the tub and off her body leaving her as nude as I am. Honestly, this made things a little hard for me as I struggled a bit not to act as I have had no action in this way for months.
She said " you promised not to touch me and y-you touched me immediately upon entering! Does your word mean nothing?"
She sounded pretty upset so I coaxed her a bit with "I couldn't fit in the tub properly. I sincerely apologize for breaking my word, but I will not apologize for touching such a beautiful woman as that will go against my code as a man."
She leaned her body against mine and her head against my chest. then she looked up at me and said, "Do you want me to be here with you? I am afraid to fully open up as sometimes I feel like a prisoner and sometimes I feel like a princess. Which one I will be after giving myself to you I do not know, so I have been on the defensive against such actions."
The look in her eyes hints at seduction mixed with fear, the fear of abandonment and I think I see some love in her eyes. This look almost took away my sanity but her words brought me back to reality. After hearing her out I responded with "You think I will abandon you once we lay with each other? Is this your Christian belief that if you are not married you will have no security? You can be considered a wife of mine. You are my property, my responsibility, and my honor. But if only a ring can make you comfortable with me then I think I misjudged you."
After hearing my response she surprised me, she turned her body around to face me, two wet mounds swinging back and forth. She looked me in my eyes so I looked at hers. She then said "You sure you want me? I don't have anything to offer you. Why would you want such a questionable woman as me? I don't get it… you are such a great man with so much potential! Why would you want a woman like me to bear you a child? "
I just said "who can tell me I cannot want you? Who could step up and say I cannot have you? If that day ever comes and someone says such a thing I shall have their heads on a pike!"
She looked at me and I could see tears in the corner of her eyes this has been bothering her since she joined my harem. I decided to affirm our relationship tonight, whilst leaving her innocence intact. There are many things to be done outside of your normal sex and I shall enlighten my concubine tonight... After an intense night, I awoke in the morning with a naked woman laying her head on my chest still asleep. I slowly left the bed and dressed ready to start my day, as we should be reaching Rhodes today where we can restock our supplies, as long as we stay away from the more Christian settlements, we can get decent deals on supplies.
6 days later, we were not far from Alexandria at this point, we are maybe a few minutes away. On the deck Aurelia and I were looking at the city outline with a smile, I never wanted to see the land so badly. Not that the trip suffered any serious issues, but the sea life is just not for me! But wanting to waste some time I said to my Lioness "Do you know the history of how the city got the name Alexandria?"
She answered, "Though I had a teacher I was not taught history about the entire world, mostly about my family's lands and some stuff about the empire of the Romans who used to rule Italy."
So, I responded with "I get it, I should probably start with the man it was named after. There was once a Macedonian prince named Alexander who was born near Thessalonica, there was a kingdom called Macedonia that ruled over most of Greece around the time he was born. This prince took over that kingdom after his father was killed, he decided to take his army and face what was his and his kingdom's biggest enemy at the time the Persian empire.
-This Persian empire ruled all of Persia, Anatolia, Baghdad, Syria, Jerusalem, Egypt, and parts of India. The fact that alexander wanted to attack such an empire that could field armies with millions of troops, showed that the man was either brave or crazy and we still do not know which one. But this Alexander took his armies and stormed across the Persian empire defeating army after army, and during this time he entered Egypt where he spent a lot of time. While here in Egypt he decided to found a city named after himself like a "normal" ruler would, and that city is Alexandria."
She replied "That is amazing, do you want to be like Alexander storming across the lands and defeating army after army? I think you could do it better than this Alexander and name 100 cities after yourself if you so pleased!"
Hmm... Do you hear this girl after a few happy nights she is a loyal servant now and encouraging me. But we finally arrived in the beautiful and ancient city of Alexandria, where I will spend the next 12 days looking for a specific plant, and vacationing.
My merchant purchased a giant Roman-styled villa for us here in the city, so I can return here later for more extended vacations if I have the time. Once we arrived at the villa all the warriors felt safer as they are not meant to be marines and they have no love for the sea let alone the open ocean, I could also put myself in that bracket as I have no love for the open ocean as well.
The next day after everyone was well rested I had the merchant lead us around the city to meet a few merchants who could either have the bean I am looking for or will have a lead for us to find it. After a brief ride through the city, our group arrived at one of our destinations today a market that sells fruits and vegetables grown or found around the city so local produce, is not likely to have it but he can give us a lead I am hoping.
Walking up to the merchant I was told will know something I asked him "Have you ever seen this seed? or have you ever seen anyone with this fruit? or have you seen this tree it grows on?" I asked whilst showing all the drawings I made showing the fruit, seed, or bean, and the tree they come from.
The fruit merchant, after thinking for a bit replied " I have indeed seen this fruit, but I haven't seen the seeds or the tree, sorry. But if you want the fruit I know exactly where you can buy it, there is an exotic fruit market that sells fruits from Nubia, and it is within the Nubian market in Cairo! There is a Nubian market here, but I don't think they have it, you could always get it delivered as most lords will not want to travel across the desert."
I said, "Thank you, sir, could you direct me to the Nubian market here."
After leaving here we headed straight for the exotic market. Then when we arrived there, we questioned a few merchants and farmers and they all agreed this product came from below their kingdom and we could only find it in Cairo as only Arabs buy this fruit, no Europeans are interested. Shit, I did not want to travel in the deserts of Egypt and visit the pyramids until I arrived here as a conqueror.
All the great conquerors toured Egypt's deserts and ancient monuments once they conquered it, not when they came here on vacation looking for some fruit! So I tested my luck by asking the most respected of the Nubian merchants "Is there anyone who will deliver this fruit to me from Cairo, I am willing to purchase as many of these available fruits. But if you can get the seeds, I will spend top dollar and I will purchase these seeds in the hundreds of thousands if you can get them!"
After this offer, the elder merchant had no choice but to give in to my demands. Then he and my merchant entered his establishment and began negotiating, whilst I left happy knowing exactly where I could get these fruits, even if I can obtain them on my vacation, I can obtain them later!