"No gold," Bastian said, puzzled. "What does she want, then? Most people can be bought with gold."
"Aye," said Sammy. "Most people. But you didn't buy us with gold, either. You bought us with a promise of loyalty and gold combined. That is a different thing altogether."
"Save the philosophy for later," Lia said. "I know a wisewoman with all the skills of a doctor. There are few things she cannot fix. But to get her to serve you, you have to spend time with her, in her secret dungeon."
That sounded like something a succubus would do. Since Lia was clearly hesitant about making him go to this woman, Bastian assumed that he would not be having tea with this healer. On the contrary.
"She may torture you, mentally, physically, or in all ways," Lia continued. "She likes to drain her customers. I know you probably have a high capacity for being drained of something, but she is…different. I couldn't manage one hour at her place."
"Is she that dangerous?" Bastian asked. "I might have to pull a trick or two, maybe she will join us if I am resilient enough."
Lia coughed into her goblet. "I doubt anyone can be THAT resilient, Captain. But you can try. I will not tell a grown man what to do. You are in charge here, Bastian Black."
"Glad to hear that you know the facts," Bastian said. "We are going to have to choose a boatswain as well. You two, having other duties, are out of the question."
"Are we choosing a boatswain or another wife for you, Captain?" Sammy asked.
Bastian thought about it for a second.
"Both," he replied. "If she should be willing."
"Depends on the woman you are thinking about," Sammy said.
"I don't have a strong preference. I am weighing my options." Bastian crossed her arms across his chest. "Tilda is very independent and functional, having demonstrated a great understanding of the practical world. Rowena is highly competent in a battle, yet still retains her graceful femininity. The ship is full to the brim with competent, beautiful women, and I only have to choose the order of seducing them."
Lia snorted. "Go to bed. You have had a trying time lately, Captain, and you have not slept properly. You need to rest. We are all worried about Amanda…"
Sammy sniffled, drying the corners of her eyes.
"And we really don't need another person to be worried about." Lia shook her head. "Go to sleep, Captain Bastian. We will deal with the ship, the care for the sick one, everything. You did as much as you possibly could."
Bastian agreed that they did not need a sleep-deprived captain running the show. When he had shooed Sammy away, though, Lia showed a reluctance to leave.
"You don't think you can get rid of me this easily, do you?" Lia said with a seductive, honeyed voice. Her beautiful, large, almond-shaped eyes were wide as she examined his face and body.
"Are you afraid of me? Fear not. Some have seen me naked, but none have touched me. If I am yours tonight, I shall only ever be yours."
Stupefied, Bastian could not move. She was beautiful and tempting…but in her intelligence, she was somehow dreadfully intimidating as well. Something to conquer. Bastian didn't know if he felt like a mighty conqueror right now.
She was tempting. Her body, now more visible since she had put on some tight clothes fit for a physical fight, was firm in the right places, soft and alluring in others. He couldn't resist - his eyes devoured her perky bosom, her luscious hips.
"Do you think you can play with me?" he asked, the familiar devious qualities returning to his voice. "Do you really think you can just say something like that without any consequences?"
He grabbed her by her waist, pressing her body against him so that she could feel his breath, and how he was getting harder. The sheer length of his organ made her eyes grow wide. As he unbuttoned her clothes, she already started gasping, like he had already touched her nether regions.
"Please…" She moaned and he pressed his lips on hers to make her speechless.
Her fingers were all over his body, hungering to feel him, with such naked desire apparent from her touch that he had no reason to hesitate. He flipped her over onto the bed and ripped off her shirt, raising her practical but pretty skirt so that he could slide her panties to the side. It felt dirtier, hotter, if she had some clothes on while he took her.
"Do it, do it, take me!" Her screams were encouraging him, making his mast grow even further, longer, harder, but he didn't want her to make so much noise. He slid his hand across her mouth while he slid into her from behind.
He was getting good at this. Lia understood the hint and put her own hand on her mouth to stifle her moans and gasps. Every now and then, she turned to look at him, like she was afraid that he would pull out from her.
He felt her slippery insides squeezing him like some kind of a trap. He began to work on her most sacred regions, using his mast as the tool.
She whined. The word "more" could be heard along with "harder" as he was thrusting into her, occasionally slapping her buttocks to give her an extra spark of pleasure.
He exploded into her quicker than he would have wanted to, but at the exact same time Lia came, convulsing, throwing her head back, with both hands on her pink little nubs, fondling her own bosom to maximize her pleasure.
They collapsed into a pile of sweaty limbs and her love juices. Bastian happened to think about the inherent filthiness of taking a woman in his previous wife's sweaty bed.
"I have something special for you," he said. "I cannot let you be a dishonored woman. Be my wife, Lia. I have made my decision."
The brunette smiled and slipped a blue jewel out of her pocket.