The Royal Contract

“Are you alright?” Alex asked as he also boarded the small boat they were taking out on the lake.

He had invited her for an early fishing expedition on the lake, and she gladly accepted, believing it would be fun. The sun was barely up when they made their way to the waters, but she had already loved the way the rays touched her skin.

She always enjoyed her morning jogs back in the city, but this was different. The air seemed pure as it passed through her nose, down to her lungs.

“I think I will live as long as you don’t capsize this boat.” She rocked the boat a little, checking if it was sturdy enough.

She was not actually thinking of riding a boat when he said fishing. Instead, her idea was just to stay on the wooden deck by the lake with a long fishing pole.

“Whoah, careful now,” Alex complained as he started swaying with the boat, spreading his hands to balance himself out. “You don’t want to end this when we barely began.”

.....

Luckily, he knew a few tricks to stay steady in rocky situations even after her stunt. He quickly took his place on the small bench just opposite her and assumed the liberty of rowing the boat.

“Oh, sorry. I was only checking if this will not disintegrate in the middle of nowhere.” Dani quickly explained, tapping the side of the boat. But in truth, she was not that innocent at all.

She played with the ribbon of her dress as her husband started moving the boat. She watched his arm muscles flex as he made a slow pull of the oars.

She was supposed to watch the scenery. But her eyes kept wandering back to her husband, who seemed to be so comfortable in his task.

“Do you enjoy the view?” Alex finally noticed the way her wife was checking him out. “I can take off my shirt if you want.” But before she could answer, he anchored the oars at both sides, then pulled over his shirt and dropped it on the side.

Smiling at her, he resumed his previous position, moving the oars again. This time, Dani finally had a full view of his chest muscles and abs as they moved in unison with his arms.

She had seen his body many times before, but not in this manner. It was like an orchestra as they rippled in waves, creating a different kind of harmony, which was pleasing to the eyes.

“I certainly enjoy it thoroughly now.” She admitted, openly ogling his body from her position.

But she still appreciated the view that surrounded them. It was a beautiful site that many should enjoy. But she knew that not everybody had the privilege to afford such luxury.

“I am glad.” He continued to row the boat at a significant distance. “I think we can stop here.” He declared to her.

He was trying to find a location deep enough for the fish he wanted to catch but not too far from the docks. Finally, he stopped at the perfect spot.

Once again, he anchored the oars to the side. Then, he dropped their small anchor on the riverbed, so the tide would not sweep them away.

“Oh, is this the spot?” She looked around, and she could see that they were almost at the center of the body of water. “Cool.” She could feel her excitement at finally catching her first fish.

Although the lake seemed like a big catch basin, she could see it still extended towards the forest in a narrower river. But the water still remained calm and siren.

“The trick in fishing is not to make any unnecessary noise,” Alex explained, pulling two fishing poles. Then arranging it for the two of them.

“So you just swing this thingy on the water, and then it will catch a fish.” She pointed to the hook that was now carrying a bait on it.

She suddenly pulled back when the thing stuck on the hook squirmed and moved. She did not know that the worm was still alive.

Although she was not squirmish, she was still caught in surprise since she had never gone fishing before. But she was fascinated by the concept of live bait.

“I was waiting for you to scream, but that will do.” Alex laughed at her initial reaction. But still, he would prefer to catch her when she fell. Joking aside, he was fascinated with his wife.

He finally demonstrated to her how to fish using an old-fashioned hook. Then, reminded her to keep quiet while they waited for the fish to take the bait.

“Ok. But how long does it take for the fish to come and take the bait.” She asked as the hook floated not too far from the boat.

She remembered that this process had some similarities to her work. Well, at least the part that they created baits for criminals to take until they were caught.

“Well, if you keep talking, we will never catch any fish.” He warned her, shushing her to silence.

He liked her enthusiasm, but he also wanted to catch a fish they could roast for dinner tonight. He placed a finger on his lips to signal that she should stop talking. They could always discuss fishing later.

“Ok, fine.” She mumbled under her breath, preventing her mouth from creating too much noise.

She moved on her seat, slightly rocking the boat, creating a rippled effect on the water. This, of course, earned her a glare from Alex, who signaled that she should not move either.

Suddenly, she felt bored by the long wait. She looked silently around the water, checking if there was a fish in sight. But she could not even get a glimpse of one.

Out of nowhere, her hook started moving, bit by bit. It was a mild activity that created small motion under the water. She suddenly felt the excitement of catching her first fish.

“I think I got one.” She whispered in a shaky breath as her adrenaline shot up in her system. She did not expect that she would actually catch one with live bait.