"So... how was everyone's day?" Currently, all the generals and myself were in the dining room eating dinner; however, everyone stayed silent. There was no light chatter. No conversation to be heard. If someone listened hard enough, one could hear the banter of the maids outside the room. No one dared to speak. Why? For one, everyone knew about my nosiness regarding Sinbad. Considering the last argument I had with said male, I understood why talking was out of the question in general. On the other hand, Ja'far quickly grew annoyed that day. The fear of speaking really kept everyone quiet.
"...Peachy." Ja'far sneered, stabbing his fork into some tender meat. Those next to him flinched at the action, including myself. Sinbad stayed silent for a moment, before continuing.
"Um... alright. How was everyone else's day?" He asked. From the corner of my eye, I saw Hinahoho shake his head while biting his lip. Everyone else answered in a similar fashion. Sinbad then shouted, "Oh, come on guys! Throw me a bone!!" He practically whined, before Ja'far snapped back at him.
"Why don't you mind everyone else's business?!" I had sunk further in the chair, hoping that I would disappear. Why was I so idiotic? I had only caused more problems since my arrival. I was supposed to be a mediator of sorts, so how did I cause so much trouble? Ja'far gazed in my direction before visibly calming down. I knew when enough was enough.
"King Sinbad, may I speak with you out in the hallway for a moment? I... have something to clarify." I spoke, waiting for a response. He let out a small sigh, before adhering to my wishes. We left the room and out to the hallway. Almost as immediate as leaving, Sinbad then started to rant once the dining room door was closed.
"Everything has plummeted ever since you arrived in Sindria!" He yelled out, covering his large hands over his face. Before I could add in a comment, he continues, "I don't know what you want from me, (Y/N)! First your insane demands, then the lying! I don't even know who else is lying to me... 'There was a thud!' I know there wasn't a thud, you know how I know that?! Because I was nearby!! There was no thud... not even a peep before you screamed." Before I could react appropriately, he cut me off, "Let me finish! I haven't succumbed to sexual desires, alcohol, or any inappropriate actions toward yourself, because I haven't wanted you to be upset!! Tell me!!! What more could you want from me?! Why do you loath me so much!!!" He screeched, holding my shoulders tightly. I had never seen him lose his temper before, so I was more than shocked by his tone of words.
"Sinbad! Pull yourself together, please!" Sinbad soon calmed down considerably, before letting go of my shoulders. Sitting down on a nearby bench, I motioned for him to join me, by patting the spot beside myself. He sat down, before I decided to speak again, "Sinbad, you are right, and I'm sorry. Nothing dropped in my room that day. I... was reading your adventures."
"You were... what?" He questioned softly, before I opted to elaborate.
"I just wanted to understand you more appropriately without you sugarcoating everything for me. After I was done I... asked some of the Generals about some of your experiences. Needless to say, I didn't get much. I am sorry, Sinbad. I just wanted to get to know you better." He remained silent, as I wondered what the mysterious sailor was possibly thinking. 'Do I say something? Do I keep my mouth shut? What to do...' I pondered, as Sinbad drifted his gaze over to my own once more. His eyes were such a beautiful color. It was the deepest of ambers. A fool could mistake his eyes for jewels. Snapping out of my head, I stared back at him.
"(Y/N)," He let out softly, as a small, embarrassed blush appeared on my cheeks, "You should have just asked. I would have been more than happy to answer your questions."
"I know, and I shouldn't have kept all of this from you." There was another moment of silence. Comfortable, yet a little awkward. It seemed like Sinbad continuously grew closure to myself. Standing up abruptly, I dusted off the imaginary dirt from my dress, before coughing into my uncoiled fist. "W-We uh... probably should head back, before your Generals think something happened." I stated, as Sinbad let out a soft, contempt sigh.
"Perhaps." He stated in a nonchalant manner. As I started to walk over to the doors, Sinbad spoke up again, "Actually, I want to take a walk around the garden, (Y/N). Would you care to join me?" He motioned his hand down the hallway toward the peristylium. I had no objections, so I softly nodded my head. Silence followed us as we walked there. "So," He started, "I am free to answer any of your questions."
"Sinbad," I addressed, turning my gaze to his own, "Even though you are saying it is okay to talk about your experiences, I know deep down that you are not ready to tell them." Sinbad appeared surprised for a moment, as I smiled in his direction, "I've learned my lesson. I want you to tell me when you are ready." Making it to the garden, we sat down on another bench. The moon light shined on all of Sindria, and the Great Sea for that matter. I felt... calm and collected.
"I heard from your sister's letters that you have been on quite a few adventures yourself. Would you mind telling me some of those stories?" Before I could pass them off as boring, Sinbad let out a knowing chuckle, "I'm sure whatever you have to tell is far from dull or uninspiring. After all, an adventure can not possibly be any of those things." Trying to think, I finally came to one I personally found interesting.
"Well, one time, a friend of mine named Amadio and I were travelling to the Kingdom of Balbadd. It was a normal day, until we figured out, we were going the wrong way. To this day, I still don't know where we were. The clouds encircled the ship entirely. A storm was approaching upon us. My crew were well trained in handling such conditions; However, I wanted to keep them from any unnecessary danger, so we stopped on a small island to wait out the storm. Days passed, and the lightning and rain continued. There was no rest. Eventually, I decided to take all my ten men with me to explore the island. The island was mountainous, and seemed to be completely uninhabited, until Amadio found a wide path that stretched out thirty-five feet. We climbed up and found a large, stone door. It was intricate and chiseled to perfection. It portrayed five large men that apparently kept the island afloat. I could have spent all my time looking at that door, if it wasn't for us getting captured." I told.
"Captured, you say?" Sinbad queried, as I nodded my head.
"When I came too, the first things my eyes laid on were thick, skinned bones. Plies of them scattered the room! Some were from animals. Most were from humans. The second thing I looked upon was a giant, much taller than Hinahoho. And unlike Hinahoho, he was murky, gloomy, and had large red eyes. His teeth were sharp as razors. The giant was overly terrifying. He told us, 'Welcome to the Isle of Ragno. Leave one of your helpers, and I will set the rest of you free.' I could feel all my sailors shake. At the time, I didn't know what to do... I felt like everything had to rely on me personally. So, I was the one to sacrifice myself to the giant. He told me that he would let my men live and clear up the storm if I stayed behind. Indeed, I decided to stay, nevertheless. Watching Amadio and the others leave, Amadio quickly whispered in my ear. He told me that they wouldn't leave the island without me. Then they left the cave." My telling seemed to interest Sinbad.
"So what did this giant do with you?" The purple-haired sailor queried.
"Don't worry, I'm getting there." I reassured, before continuing, "I was put into a cage of human bones. The giant would occasionally drop large pieces of cooked meat in the cage for me to eat. Needless to say, he was planning on eating me whole. I refused to eat as much as he wanted me to, and this only made him angrier. Eventually, he made a deal with me. He stated, 'Foolish human, I will make you a deal. Tell me something I don't already know. If you do, I will let you live; However, if you tell me something I already know, then you shall become my dinner. You have three tries. Make them count.' I scratched my brain for a moment, before taking a gamble. I started to speak, 'Giant, from the couple of days, I have been here with you, I have noticed that thunder still reigns from the outside, meaning you didn't stop the storm.' He told me that was a true statement, but something he already knew. I had two more tries. 'Due to this, Giant, you are attempting to kill my crew, which goes against your initial promise.' With my last try, I blurted, 'However, little do you know that my men are alive... and right behind you.' And with that, the giant turned around and saw my crew; Needless to say, we were set free. We still had to travel through a storm though... I have tried to return to the island; However... I haven't been able to find the isle since. It's like it disappeared into thin air. Anyhow, that's one my few adventures."
"That sounds quite interesting. To think there is a race of giants. Titans almost..." Sinbad commented, holding a small smile on his handsome features. I nodded softly, looking back down at my hands.
"To this day, I still haven't found any information on the giant and his island. One day, I wish to visit once more. Until then, I just have to focus on other things." I replied, smiling up at the purple-haired sailor. He gave me a quick smirk before looking out toward the garden. "Your choice in flowers is truly wonderful, Sinbad. All of your gardens are so lovely." My compliment only brought back the calm atmosphere.
"Thank you (Y/N), but you should really be thanking the gardener. I don't really have a say in these kind of things." Humming a little, we continued to have small tid-bits of conversation every couple of moments. Sinbad and I still didn't have much to talk about; However, we were finally getting somewhere. And at that, Ja'far was relieved, along with the rest of his Generals. 'Perhaps this trip isn't all that bad...' I thought, as he and I continued to talk late into the night.