While in the water, bobbing about like so much flotsam, Melisandre asked Fedencia if she was alright; upon getting the affirmative, she reached over and squeezed her dueña's hand while giving her a warm smile and a heartfelt "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the older woman answered.
Melisandre then turned to Ferdinand and said, "Señor, out of all of my companions, it was you who risked your life to rescue me. I'm in your debt, Ferdinand, and if ever there is something I'm able to do in return, you have but to ask. If it is in my power, I'll attempt it." Shel reached over, covered his hand with her own, and applied light pressure before returning to hanging on for dear life since she couldn't swim.
Her face turn expressionless and her voice was carefully neutral. "I'm afraid I have no memory of recent events and the last thing I recall was waking in the middle of the night with liquid filling my mouth and a woman sitting on my bed who bore a marked resemblance to me, covering my mouth and nose with her hand. I had to swallow to breathe. The next thing I know, I'm on a Montaigne ship." She caught Fedencia's eye and asked, "How long?"
"Four days, my lady."
Upon receiving the answer, Melisandre nodded and remained quiet until they were rescued.
"Dona Melisandre, it is by the will of Theus that I am here," Ferdinand answered. "You will be safe for now. I do hope that next time you wish to board a Montaigne ship, it will not be on the one that we wished to have destroyed."
Melisandre said very softly, barely audible, "And there may be a next time...." She glanced at Tiny Lucas and added aloud: "It seems your dog fully enjoyed taking a bite of the Montaigne nether regions. I'll buy him a steak in our next port of call."
Tiny Lucas in reply, almost as if he comprehended, said "ARF!!"
Ferdinand splashed around in the water a bit, trying to gain some sense of balance and get himself to the awaiting boat. He then helped Melisandre and Fedencia aboard the fishing boat before getting Tiny Lucas on board and then he climbed in turn.
"Mom, Dad..." he sighed with a slight tear in his eye as he watched the town in chaos. "Theus will keep you safe from harm." He crossed his chest with the symbol of the holy Prophets' cross. "La Reina del Mar will never be the same." He glanced back to Melisandre. "Dona Melisandre, you need not have to worry about me. I shall continue to do my duty for Castille and for the good of the people." He glances at Tiny Lucas and petted him on the head with a small smile of satisfaction on his face.
"ARF!" said Tiny Lucas.
Once secure on the boat and wrapped in a blanket, Ferdinand returned to the earlier conversation. "Doña Melisandra, you are too kind. My hound, Lucacito, he is most brave indeed. For even he took the opportunity to take out the trash!" Jovial laughter ensued. "And one more thing, good Señorita..", he narrowed his eyes towards her, "I ask that if I ever lose this..", he tapped on his collar, "that you make sure the Explorer's Society hears of it... they are most fascinated by it, and I can understand why now. They have heard of it, but they do not know where the box is... I fear for my life that someone who would wish to do harm to me may have it, I do not wish to meet that person..."
Melisandre nodded. "I'll certainly try."
"Dona, if I may, what happened to you? Why were you on that ship of all the places?..." He glanced down at the deck. "I... we feared for your life, and we saw you with Don Lorenzo, dancing and swooning..." He glanced back at Melisandre, looking for an answer.
She frowned. "Don who? I'm afraid I've no idea what you're talking about. The last thing I recall was being welcomed at the hacienda and I was attacked that same eve as I slept." She will look uncomfortable. "How many days have you been in the city, Señor?"
Ferdinand looked surprised at this news. "You... don't know who Don Lorenzo de Zepeda is? He was the man who met up with Don Cristian at his hacienda, we met up with him and you had a wonderful evening full of dancing and fine Castillian wine..." He blushed briefly. "It is my belief that you... and he... were well acquainted by the morning dawn." Melisandre had never seen Ferdinand's face this red before. "I'm sure that he has many tales to tell about his travels over our lands. I have been in town for over a week's time, Doña. I ... " His face just frowned briefly. "You... ran from me. From the hacienda... where did you go? Why were you...?" He was becoming increasingly confused. "Who was with you that night we were at the hacienda? What did they look like?"
Melisandre drew herself up to her full height, eyes flashing. Her words were well enuciated when she spoke. "He and I were 'Well acquainted'? And exactly what are you implying? I would never behave in such a manner and am insulted that you would even suggest such. As I said, the night we arrived in the city I was abducted by the Montaigne. They drugged me and, I assume, kept me that way, since I have no recall of those events. I certainly wasn't dancing with some opportunist Don from Zepeda at Don Cristian's hacienda and he certainly did not become well acquainted with me in any manner whatsoever." She folded her arms over her chest, fuming. "And as to running away from you, you're mistaken. I didn't leave the hacienda on my own. The last thing I remember is a woman bending over me and I must have been dreaming because she looked exactly like me and that is just not possible." She pauses and frowns, literally spitting the words. "Unless it was sorcery which would be just like the Montaigne."
Ferdinand averted his eyes back onto the horizon. "Forgive me, Doña. I truly did not wish to offend on such a private matter." He glanced back at her. "Your safety did concern me that evening when I saw what looked to be you running from the hacienda, but it seems I was weary that evening and noticed that you had not run after all, you were merely in your room as I saw you look out the window." Again, he briefly blushed. "Don Lorenzo, he was quite the charmer. I even noticed that Don Aldana was taking some lessons from him on how to win a Castillan woman's heart. Don Lorenzo, and you... as I stated before became well acquainted that evening with dancing and wine and the food that was plentiful. He seemed to have wished to spend the rest of the night with you in your room." He stopped, knowing full well that he'd already said too much.
Melisandre went very still and the temperature in her immediate area dropped about ten degrees. Her words were clipped and cold. "Señor, had you not just assisted in rescuing me, be assured that you would be taken to task for your words. I am a Doña, not a jenny, and I would remind you to remember that when addressing me in the future. I'll hear no more of this nonsense now, or ever." She turned sharply and strode to the opposite end of the small fishing boat, turning her back to everyone and staring angrily across the harbor.
Ferdinand just scoffed under his breath, stood up and walked over to her. He briefly touched her shoulder. "Doña, I'm sorry if I have upset you. Do forgive me please. I meant no harm by it, I was not accusing you of being any sort of jenny. You are a fine lady of extravagant stature and for me to insult you was presumptuous and rude. My apologies." He removed his hand from her shoulder and just gazed at the harbor. "Melisandre, I don't know what has happened to you while you were gone, all I know is I saw you leaving the hacienda and I was concerned, as a friend should be. We need to all look out for each other and I was simply doing what I thought was right by saving you tonight." He turned around and headed back to the stern of the ship. "C'mon Lucacito, we best take a seat, it's going to be a long night." Lucacito jumped up into Ferdinand's lap who petted him and the dog whimpered ever so slightly.
