His claims to being a low maintenance guest were not untruthful. Aside from allowing the servants to wait upon him at meals, Owen did not utilize their services at all. His bed was always made for him and his clothes always ended up cleaned but these were not services he specifically requested. The most Owen asked of the wait staff was what were their favorite parts of beach, favorite vendors in the market, and things of that nature.
On the first morning, Owen had accosted a servant to teach him how to say ‘good morning’ in their language so he could impress the queen with his initiative to learn. At meals, he continued to try to impress her with turns of phrase and greetings he’d picked up. Though he had concluded he had nothing to offer the queen, he found himself almost involuntarily continuing to try to charm her.
Although feeling as if he were on vacation, Owen assumed a routine while he stayed at Leighton Castle. He woke early enough to engage himself with military PT exercises-- running, situps, pullups, pushups, etc.-- in the morning which he performed an open green area of the gardens. His running course varied everyday. He ran from the castle and jogged through the streets in a meandering path and sometimes found himself at the beach unexpectedly. He spent the large portions of the days addressing some of his critical duties as the Naval Fleet Commander by satellite phone. Otherwise his leisure time was divided between writing letters and buying trinkets for the children in his family, hiking and exploring in the undeveloped portions of the island, and on the beach.
Owen sat with his back to the ocean, one leg crossed and tucked beneath him, the other extending out in front of him. While Julianna sorted seashells, he had tasked himself with building a slightly raised foundation of packed sand for the castle they would build. It would get destroyed when the tide came in. But for a few minutes as the waters rose, it would look like a castle on top and island before a wave took it.
Owen dusted purple-sanded hands on his red swimming trunks and snorted. “A predictable response.”He knew it would sound unkind. Owen hadn't broached the subject of maritime access previously knowing that he would have to strong-arm her into accepting the C.A.F.’s terms. After becoming somewhat close to her, he had begun to worry she would resent him for it. She had brought it up so he had to resume a strong position in opposition to her which started with tearing down her decision making.
In truth he would much rather have simply walked her down the beach with his hand on her skin at the opening of her dress at her side feeling the wet brushing of her dress against his legs. There were a million other things he would rather have talked about with her. But they had unpleasant business first. He hoped their friendship would survive it.
He rose and pulled the white v-neck t-shirt he’d been wearing over his head and tossed it to where they had their things in safe distance from the waves. After exposing his chest and back to the sun, Owen sprayed himself with a healthy coating of sunscreen before he moved back into his position of foundation building.
“Don’t be so foolish as to think you don’t need powerful friends. The C.A.F. has much to offer even you seeing as to how they might be the most powerful military force at the moment.” Indeed what the C.A.F. had on the world was their near impenetrable air defenses - which had something to do with the geography of the countries they occupied as much as it did the sheer size of their force and their hellbent stance on pursuit of technological advances. The C.A.F. did not have the single strongest navy, or the single strongest air force, or the single strongest ground force. They didn't bother with specializing finding that putting too many assets in one branch left the others lacking. So it was their resources taken together which made them a formidable force with a lot of weight to throw around in political posturing.
Owen stopped his own activity and stared at her through his dark Ray-Bans. He lifted the shades then pushing them on top of his head so they could make eye contact in arguing politics as they built a sandcastle. Perhaps the shared cooperative activity would help keep some of the heat out of their negotiations. He planted his hand on his thigh with his elbow out and muscles tensed with the position. An aggressive open posture to match his words.
On the first morning, Owen had accosted a servant to teach him how to say ‘good morning’ in their language so he could impress the queen with his initiative to learn. At meals, he continued to try to impress her with turns of phrase and greetings he’d picked up. Though he had concluded he had nothing to offer the queen, he found himself almost involuntarily continuing to try to charm her.
Although feeling as if he were on vacation, Owen assumed a routine while he stayed at Leighton Castle. He woke early enough to engage himself with military PT exercises-- running, situps, pullups, pushups, etc.-- in the morning which he performed an open green area of the gardens. His running course varied everyday. He ran from the castle and jogged through the streets in a meandering path and sometimes found himself at the beach unexpectedly. He spent the large portions of the days addressing some of his critical duties as the Naval Fleet Commander by satellite phone. Otherwise his leisure time was divided between writing letters and buying trinkets for the children in his family, hiking and exploring in the undeveloped portions of the island, and on the beach.
Owen sat with his back to the ocean, one leg crossed and tucked beneath him, the other extending out in front of him. While Julianna sorted seashells, he had tasked himself with building a slightly raised foundation of packed sand for the castle they would build. It would get destroyed when the tide came in. But for a few minutes as the waters rose, it would look like a castle on top and island before a wave took it.
Owen dusted purple-sanded hands on his red swimming trunks and snorted. “A predictable response.”He knew it would sound unkind. Owen hadn't broached the subject of maritime access previously knowing that he would have to strong-arm her into accepting the C.A.F.’s terms. After becoming somewhat close to her, he had begun to worry she would resent him for it. She had brought it up so he had to resume a strong position in opposition to her which started with tearing down her decision making.
In truth he would much rather have simply walked her down the beach with his hand on her skin at the opening of her dress at her side feeling the wet brushing of her dress against his legs. There were a million other things he would rather have talked about with her. But they had unpleasant business first. He hoped their friendship would survive it.
He rose and pulled the white v-neck t-shirt he’d been wearing over his head and tossed it to where they had their things in safe distance from the waves. After exposing his chest and back to the sun, Owen sprayed himself with a healthy coating of sunscreen before he moved back into his position of foundation building.
“Don’t be so foolish as to think you don’t need powerful friends. The C.A.F. has much to offer even you seeing as to how they might be the most powerful military force at the moment.” Indeed what the C.A.F. had on the world was their near impenetrable air defenses - which had something to do with the geography of the countries they occupied as much as it did the sheer size of their force and their hellbent stance on pursuit of technological advances. The C.A.F. did not have the single strongest navy, or the single strongest air force, or the single strongest ground force. They didn't bother with specializing finding that putting too many assets in one branch left the others lacking. So it was their resources taken together which made them a formidable force with a lot of weight to throw around in political posturing.
Owen stopped his own activity and stared at her through his dark Ray-Bans. He lifted the shades then pushing them on top of his head so they could make eye contact in arguing politics as they built a sandcastle. Perhaps the shared cooperative activity would help keep some of the heat out of their negotiations. He planted his hand on his thigh with his elbow out and muscles tensed with the position. An aggressive open posture to match his words.
Bitch, I'm limited edition.
The following 1 user Likes saronym's post: megs
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Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-15-2016, 06:20 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-15-2016, 12:37 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-15-2016, 01:40 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-16-2016, 09:53 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-16-2016, 10:43 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2016, 11:23 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-17-2016, 11:54 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2016, 01:23 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-17-2016, 01:54 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2016, 03:13 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-17-2016, 03:48 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2016, 07:08 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-18-2016, 09:34 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-18-2016, 01:29 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-18-2016, 02:04 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-18-2016, 03:27 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-18-2016, 04:20 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-18-2016, 05:46 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-19-2016, 09:50 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-19-2016, 03:18 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-19-2016, 03:55 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-20-2016, 12:20 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-20-2016, 01:45 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-20-2016, 03:22 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-21-2016, 01:09 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-21-2016, 03:54 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-21-2016, 04:50 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-22-2016, 11:39 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-22-2016, 01:17 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-22-2016, 01:45 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-22-2016, 03:50 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-23-2016, 01:53 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-23-2016, 02:23 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-24-2016, 07:16 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-25-2016, 03:05 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-27-2016, 12:02 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-27-2016, 12:33 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-28-2016, 10:39 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-30-2016, 08:52 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-30-2016, 12:47 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-31-2016, 03:16 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-01-2016, 09:04 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-01-2016, 11:40 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-01-2016, 08:01 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-02-2016, 11:20 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-04-2016, 11:10 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-07-2016, 06:04 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-08-2016, 04:20 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-09-2016, 01:58 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-09-2016, 04:57 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-09-2016, 05:26 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-09-2016, 11:00 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-18-2016, 04:30 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-20-2016, 03:02 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-26-2016, 08:31 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-26-2016, 01:28 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-26-2016, 02:29 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-29-2016, 10:27 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-03-2016, 07:24 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-04-2016, 05:30 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-06-2016, 02:37 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-06-2016, 04:37 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-06-2016, 05:36 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-06-2016, 06:40 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-07-2016, 12:46 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-07-2016, 09:14 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-15-2016, 10:19 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-18-2016, 11:07 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-24-2016, 08:02 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-24-2016, 03:50 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 12-27-2016, 09:18 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 12-30-2016, 12:25 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-02-2017, 01:49 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-09-2017, 09:40 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-10-2017, 03:03 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-18-2017, 08:10 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-19-2017, 09:39 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-22-2017, 12:06 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-22-2017, 01:30 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-30-2017, 10:57 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-31-2017, 02:56 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-31-2017, 07:32 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 02-01-2017, 04:39 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 02-20-2017, 08:12 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 02-21-2017, 01:04 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 04-11-2017, 11:36 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 04-18-2017, 11:58 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 04-18-2017, 06:25 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 04-18-2017, 08:16 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 04-22-2017, 12:35 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 04-22-2017, 02:11 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 04-24-2017, 12:41 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 04-24-2017, 11:10 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-06-2017, 12:25 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-07-2017, 01:34 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-08-2017, 12:09 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-08-2017, 12:55 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-08-2017, 07:59 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-10-2017, 10:16 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-12-2017, 07:48 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-13-2017, 01:12 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-16-2017, 02:26 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-17-2017, 01:40 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-18-2017, 02:27 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-19-2017, 03:38 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-21-2017, 11:02 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-21-2017, 11:31 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-22-2017, 12:12 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-22-2017, 09:41 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-27-2017, 12:02 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-27-2017, 12:52 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-27-2017, 01:26 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 05-27-2017, 01:11 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-31-2017, 07:43 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 06-09-2017, 03:23 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 06-17-2017, 08:54 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 06-22-2017, 09:23 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 06-24-2017, 04:54 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 06-24-2017, 06:02 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 06-25-2017, 05:37 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 06-26-2017, 01:23 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 06-28-2017, 08:45 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 07-11-2017, 03:40 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 07-14-2017, 01:29 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 07-14-2017, 06:50 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 07-24-2017, 11:13 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 07-26-2017, 01:51 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 07-27-2017, 02:19 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 07-27-2017, 03:58 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 08-16-2017, 03:35 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 09-07-2017, 08:50 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 09-29-2017, 11:43 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 10-01-2017, 01:44 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 10-17-2017, 01:03 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-02-2017, 06:54 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-29-2017, 02:21 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-30-2017, 03:27 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-06-2018, 03:24 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 01-07-2018, 12:18 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 01-17-2018, 01:08 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 03-18-2018, 02:38 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 05-20-2018, 06:07 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 06-04-2019, 09:48 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 03-09-2019, 07:25 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 06-06-2019, 05:58 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-18-2019, 12:47 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-20-2019, 09:36 AM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by saronym - 11-25-2019, 05:48 PM
RE: Full Sail [Closed] - by megs - 11-30-2019, 03:45 PM