Pyrate's Prize (closed for BlondeAmbition4RP)

"FIRE!" He bellowed as the 12 gun broadside of the barque The Merry Reaver belched fire and smoke at nearly point blank range into the other ship. Mixed with the smell of smoke was the char of wood as the inferno of burning powder burned the other ships side.

"Over the side," called the boarding party leaders as the ships crashed side to side, the grapples having pulled them astern. Dirty bodies festooned in ever manner of weapon clambered from the Merry, as the crew called her, onto the sticken vessel now in her embrace.

The crack of pistols and clang of steel broken by the screams of men hacked down and once by the roar of a short muzzled blunderbuss cleared a knot of royal marines. In the midst of it all Marcel strives across the deck with brass hilted cutlass in one hand and a brace of pistols in the sapphire sash about his waist. Two sailors bodies lay behind him as blood dripped from the blade. A splash of crimson crossed his bright yellow shirt but faded into his deep blue coat.

In a matter of half an hour it was over. The survivors.of the crew knelt in the middle of the deck. Their wounded piled among them as their dead were cast overboard. Standing on the quarter deck he watched his quartermaster, a studious man named Peirre, over see the collection of goods. Accumulating on deck.

In a flash of motion one of the prisoners lunged for the passing quartermaster, a knife in his right hand some how sequestered for a forelorn hope. In a flash of light and smoke a pistol materialized in Marcel's hand and the sailor fell in a gurgling scream as the soft lead ball shattered his right shoulder and drove deep into his chest.

"Pardon me Cap'n... we found some unique prisoners trying to hide in their captains cabin." Turning he saw his bosun, a giant dark skinned dark eyed man with a bald scarred head, who went by the ominous nautical name Leviathan. His voice even sounded like it came from some dark ocean deep best left unexplored. To most he was, rightly, a terrifying figure. It only took a short time knowing him to understand just how cruel he was capable of being. "Nice shot by the way, cap'n."

Marcel only smiled at Levi, as he knew him, "Did we now?" He looked at the young woman standing with one giant hand on each shoulder holding her firmly in place. Stepping closer he reached out and grabbed her chin between thumb and forefinger. Bright, intelligent, scared eyes looked up at him.

"Bon jure! What is your name love?" he spoke brightly. Levi's watery chuckle from behind her sounded ominous compared to his jovial tone.

Katherine Anne Blackwood

Katherine stood across from the pirate captain, her green eyes wide and alight with fear as she stared at the blood splashed man who’s pistol was still smoking from the killing shot she had just seen him fire at one of the sailors as she’d been forced on deck by one of his men. She tried to contemplate just how on earth she had managed to get herself into such a horrible predicament.

It had all started out well enough. She had begun developing her plan just a few short months after her father had left to the Caribbean for his new post as Royal Governor of the English settlement of Port Royal. Now that she was of a marriageable age, and with his new position giving the family another boost to their already powerful status amongst the nobility, she was sure that it would not be long now before she was paired off and married to some nobleman that her family deemed an appropriate match. Someone dull and stuffy who would try to reign in her strong willed and intrepid nature she had no doubt.

Before that happened however she decided that she would like to embark on an adventure, her father’s new position creating the perfect opportunity. Arranging safe passage on a ship for herself and the servant that was to be her escort and attendant, she sent out a letter to her father just two weeks prior to her departure notifying him of her intent to join him in Port Royal, knowing that this would ensure that he did not have enough time to respond back and demand that she remain on the family estate instead.

At first everything had been working out just as she had hoped. Never having traveled by ship before Katherine had been a little worried that she might be prone to seasickness. Instead she was pleased to discover that she took quite well to the ocean. The rocking motion of the vessel as the sails carried it through the water had no negative affect on her stomach and she found that she actually quite liked it, especially at night as she drifted off to sleep in her cabin. The weather remained fair upon the journey and so she was able to spend most of her time above deck, enjoying the feel of the wind upon her face and the fresh ocean air, much to the delight of the sailors who enjoyed getting to gaze upon the beauty as they went about their work. It wasn’t long before a few lighter strands began to streak through her golden waves and a touch of color could be seen upon her fair cheeks despite her use of a parasol.

They were already about a month into the journey to Port Royal when disaster struck however, a pirate ship sneaking up upon them as they had been traveling through a fog. Knowing a battle was eminent the captain had demanded that she and her servant go and lock themselves within his cabin for safe keeping while they took care of the villains, assuring them that all would be well. Katherine had huddled in fear with her servant, praying when she heard the fighting quieting above deck that their ship had been the victor and that the captain would soon come to retrieve them, but alas that was not the case. Instead a giant and rough looking man with dark and ominous features arrived, breaking open the door and hauling them on deck, easily overpowering her when she tried to struggle against him.

Which brought her now to her current situation... She was quiet for a moment as she considered how best to respond.

“My name is Katherine Ann Blackwood,” she began, her voice shaking slightly despite her best efforts, “I am traveling to the city of Port Royal to join with my father, the governor there... I am sure he would be more than willing to offer you a generous ransom in exchange for my safe return to him, even more so if I were to remain… undamaged.”

She hoped that as a pirate the lure of money would be greater for him than any other plans he and his men might have for her.

Standing there looking into those green eyes he saw the fear but behind that he saw a level of intelligence that gave him pause. There was an opportunity here that should not be wasted in a single act of rage or lust. There was a game here that might be far more interesting.

“My name is Katherine Ann Blackwood...even more so if I were to remain… undamaged.”

As she spoke his face turned to stone. When she finished he released her face and stepped back dropping into a deep bow. He spoke in a loud voice so that his crew and hers could clearly hear him. "Lady Blackwood you have my sincere apologies that we have interrupted your journey!" His crew erupted in laughter. Over her shoulder Levi's laugh sounded disturbingly like a man drowning. Straightening up and looking at her wide a broad smile that stopped short of his eyes, "Had we known this was your ship we never would have boarded it."

Stepping back toward her abruptly his chest almost to hers he looked down and admired the swell of her breasts for a moment almost reconsidering his previous decision to not abuse this prize. Voice dropping his icy blue eyes locked on to her green eyes, "Levi, do you remember how undamaged Giscard, Johannes, and Richard were when we last left Port Royal after Governor Blackwood arrived? As I recall Richard still had enough of his face left to scream even after the crows had taken his eyes." Levi's giant hands started to squeeze her shoulders with a strength that could have driven her to her knees if he was not holding her upright and was likely to leave deep bruises.

A whimper from behind the bosun's bulk drew his eye and he saw a wild eyes young woman dressed like Katherine held by a whippet thin pinch faced member of the crew named Louis. It was obvious she was Katherine's maid and only a half step from abject total panic.

Looking back at her, "You see Lady Blackwood," the name came out twisted and ugly, "your father bound him before sticking him in that crow's cage so he could not fight of the birds. Richard was my first mate and a very good friend of Levi's. He has not taken the loss well." Those giant hands squeezed harder still. "Perhaps your father would be willing to consider you undamaged if we treated you as well as he treated Richard."

After a moment to let her think on the threat his smile returned, still not reaching his eyes, "No, I think not. Not at the moment anyway. Your value will be diminished if we try to sell you to anyone less than intact. As such for the time being if you cause problems she, his eyes flicked to her maid, "will take the punishments."

The maid finally cracked and tried to run for the railing of the ship. Louis grip though, hardened from years at sea would not be so easily broken and he wrenched her to the planks with a sickening thud that stunned the desire to run out of her leaving only a weeping whimpering pile of silk, lace, and curled hair on the deck.

"We have had quite enough foolishness already." The pistol in his hand pointed in the direction of her captured crew and the still cooling body of the man she had seen him shoot. "I am in no mood to deal with another attempt at escape or vengence. In deference to your station I will search you. Unless you would prefer that I leave the job to Levi? He can be very... thorough in looking for contraband."

Not waiting for a response his hands started to run over her body. He took longer than necessary on her breasts and was not shy pushing up her skirts, though he did not push them up high enough to expose her, and running his hands over the outside and inside of her thighs but stopping short of her womanhood. He obviously was enjoying touching her but his touch was not just meant to violate her it was meant to breakdown her sense of dignity and further unbalance her mentally and emotionally. Those hands were also deftly and completely ensuring that she was indeed not armed.

Finishing his search he stood again and looked at her with those hard ice blue eyes. "Louis, check the maid for weapons." A scream lifted in the air behind her as Marcel held Katherine's eyes and that smile final reached his eyes.

Despite how jovial the pirate captain's reply to her seemed at first Katherine felt a sense of dread fill her, the laughter of his crew and the way in which his smile did not reach his eyes making her worried. She knew there was some kind of game afoot, but could not yet tell what exactly it was. When he suddenly approached her again, almost touching her this time, she could not help but jump slightly in response.

As his eyes locked with hers and he began to list off the names of several men, men that had apparently once been members of his crew and whom had been tortured by her very own father after he'd taken his position in Port Royal, her own eyes widened in alarm. She winced in pain as the man called Levi's hands dug into her shoulders to the point where she feared he might crush them.

When the captain threatened to do the same to her as her father had done to his former first mate she held her breath in trepidation. Luckily he decided against, but her relief was short lived however when the threat was extended to her maid instead. Katherine watched in shock as the other woman attempted to make a run for the railing, appearing to have in her fear decided that taking her own life was better than leaving it in the hands of their captors. For better or for worse however the woman's plans were put to a quick end and Katherine let out a startled cry as the other woman came crashing down onto the deck at the hands of another of the captain's crew.

But the villainy would not end there...

"I am in no mood to deal with another attempt at escape or vengence. In deference to your station I will search you. Unless you would prefer that I leave the job to Levi? He can be very... thorough in looking for contraband."

Suddenly his hands were upon her, groping her breasts and even pushing up her skirts! The fact that he did not hike them up to expose her did little to ease her shame at being treated in such a way in front of both his crew and her own, though she was grateful when his hand upon her inner thighs stopped short of her womanhood. She turned her face away, biting her bottom lip to stop the cry that threatened to spill forth.

Finally he was finished and stood before her again, his eyes locked with hers as he commanded the man holding down her maid to search her as well. The scream that followed and the captain's smile in response made her blood run cold. She attempted to turn and try to look behind her but Levi's hold kept her locked in place, causing her to wince again.

"Mary you must try to remain calm!" she instructed the maid in an attempt to help her, knowing things would only be worse for them if they gave into hysterics.

She herself tried another tactic.

"Please," she pleaded, focusing back on the captain, "Please don't hurt her. She is but a maid, she had no part in what happened to your men... Neither of us did. I apologize for my words before. I swear... I had no idea what horrible things my father had done to your crew."

"Please don't hurt her.

"She will not be permanently damaged. Unless you give us cause to do so of course Lady Blackwood."

At that moment the quartermaster, a man of middle size with only three fingers on his left hand and mop of flax like hair came up behind the captain. "Excuse me Captain Reinard but we have almost finished loading the Merry." He listed off quantities of ships stores like shot, powder, fresh water, and rum along with some of the cargo bound for Port Royal. Finally mentioning two prisoners which were obviously Katherine and Mary. Even speaking about Katherine and Mary he never bother to look at them as if they were just two more pieces of cargo.

"Thank you Ulf. Well I suppose we should finish our business here. Bring the captain and separate the crew." Looking over at Katherine with that same cold smile it again reached his eyes. "Come along m'lady, you should see this." Then he walked to the railing over looking the deck where the captain of the ship was on his knees flanked by two of the larger members of Marcel's crew. The rest of her former ships company knelt in three groups. The first was 4 men, all skilled trades men that Katherine recognized, the second of about 12 men huddled along the port rail and the remainder on starboard side. The last group surrounded by several of the pirates with short barrelled blunderbuss.

Looking to his left he saw Levi had pressed her between his hulking body and rail of the quarterdeck, Louis and Mary a half step behind and to the side, then he turned back to address the crowd. "Boys, we are almost done here but as you are well aware we have a special and dignified guest with us, Lord Blackwood's own daughter. She will be our guest for the foreseeable future." The look of failure and horror on the other captains face knowing that not only had he not delivered Katherine safely to Port Royal but that she was now a prisoner of Marcel Reinard and the Merry Reaver's was almost more than he could bear.

Looking at the group of four, "You men will be coming with us part of the crew as of today." They seemed equally unhappy at being impressed into the crew and happy to be alive for now.

Switching his gaze to the 12, "You men will crew this ship and return it to Port Royal." Their relief far more clear.

Looking last to the remaining group before he could speak the bell muzzled weapons all belched smoke and fire turning that group of men into so much slaughtered meat. The guards swiftly stepped through the mass and dispatched any survivors.

Marcel then turned his gaze to the captain before him. "Have no fear captain, you will be returning to Port Royal as well. Inform the governor about with whom his daughter has taken up residence."

He turned and extended his elbow to Katherine as if they were on High Street in London. Levi pushed her forward and Marcel took her delicate hand in his own roughened by life at sea and in bloody ventures and tucked it gently into the crook of his arm. Walking her down to the gangplank between the two ships he stepped up first and extended his hand to help her up as well. "Be careful crossing. If you fall the ships will crush you between them. I would not want anything to happen to my prize."

Once they were across he looked back to the other ship, "Levi, before you come over please arrange for the captain to return to Port Royal in the same condition we last saw Richard will you?"

That deep watery chuckle crossed the distance seeming to echo between the wooden hulls of the ships. "Aye Cap'n." Stepping back from the edge of the ship a long wicked blade could be seen in his hands and a moment later terrified screaming was overcome by a bloody gurgling cry of pain.

"Come now Katherine, a hard days work does make one hungry." He tucked her hand back into his elbow and walked her back towards his cabin and the rest of the Reaver's finished reboarding the Merry to set sail for points unknown.

A sickening feeling of dread had filled Katherine's stomach as Levi had pressed her against the railing, forcing her to watch the separating of the crew per Captain Reinard's orders. Noting the group of pirates surrounding the last group with their weapons already drawn and pointed at the men she had sensed their unfortunate fate even before the shots were fired but still had not been able to help but flinch back in alarm when they finally were, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth and muffle the startled cry that escaped against her will.

After what she had just seen, and remembering his warning that Mary would be punished should she cause trouble, she'd dared not refuse him when he'd offered his arm to her and then placed her hand there gently to guide her over to his own ship.

"Be careful crossing. If you fall the ships will crush you between them. I would not want anything to happen to my prize."

Her eyes had gone wide at the warning, shooting down to the churning water between the two ships for a moment before finding herself growing dizzy and quickly returning her gaze up to his face. No, best to not look down she determined as she took his hand and carefully made her way across the gangplank with him, breathing a small sigh of relief when they finally made it to the other side.

Her relief was short lived however when she heard the pirate captain's next order.

"Levi, before you come over please arrange for the captain to return to Port Royal in the same condition we last saw Richard will you?"

Levi's following chuckle made her blood run cold. She watched in horror as he pulled out his blade and stepped out of her view, the sickening screams that followed making her legs feel weak beneath her. She dug her fingernails hard into her palms, willing herself not to faint.

"Come now Katherine, a hard days work does make one hungry."

She was inclined to disagree. Her legs shaky and her head spinning, she herself felt as if she might very well lose the contents of her stomach should she try to eat anything at the moment. As they walked in the direction of his cabin and the rest of the men began to board the ship she paused, attempting to look back and see if Mary had made it safely across.

"My maid..."

Marcel swept her across the deck of the Merry Reaver toward his cabin. He felt her trying to look back and knew that Louis and Mary would not be far behind. With that typical light tone he called over his shoulder as they neared the door that would lead them off the deck.

"My maid..."

"Louis, please make sure that all the boys know as they come aboard the Merry they are not allowed aboard the Mary. Yet."

Looking back at Katherine, "Satisfied? Your maid is secure for the moment."

In less that another minute they were in his cabin. It was decent sized room which was tidy. His desk to one side with the navigational tools and maps stacked neatly in trays to keep them from spilling to the deck. A large chair sat behind it and he swept around the desk to deposit his coat and baldric with sword on the back and himself in the seat.

Apparently for the first time he noticed the dried slash of crimson across this shirt and frowned. Not in disgust but rather an almost petulant displeasure at the damage to his clothes. Muttering an oath he stood again and removed the shirt before tossing it at her feet. Standing there bare to the waist she could see he wasma lean and hard bodied man as most sailors were from long days of physical labor. His chest was not bronzed, though certainly not pale, as many of the lower ranking sailors who worked without shirts on her former ship had been. He was not overly hairy either which allowed her to see a variety or scars from blades and even one puckered spot that showed where he must have been shot at one point.

"That is one of my favorite shirts and some damn cur had the lack of respect to stain it. I am sure, as a woman, that you will know some way to salvage it."

He settled back into his chair and placed his booted feet up on a corner of the desk. If one looked closely that corner seemed especially well worn as if this was a typical perch for his feet.

Katherine had simply remained standing in the middle of the room where the Captain had left her as he went and took his seat in the chair behind the desk. Still in shock from everything that had just happened and all the changes that had occurred to the course of her life in what was likely less than an hour's time, she had been taking in the room in somewhat of a daze when the Captain's unexpected outburst has caused her to flinch in surprise as he swore and suddenly rose again, stripping right in front of her from the waist up and tossing the shirt he'd been wearing so that it landed at her feet.

She was relieved when he revealed that it was simply the stain on his shirt that had caused his fowl mood, her eyes going to the bloody cloth at her feet and then rising up to watch him as he returned to recline in his chair. Taking in the hard lines of his body as well as the dangerous looking scars scattered across his now bare torso, it took her a moment to register that he'd assigned her a task.

She bent down, scooping up the soiled garment and examining the streak of blood across it. Having grown up in a privileged family with servants to do such things for her, Katherine could safely say that she had never had to help with her family's laundry a single day in her life, though she dared not refuse the Captain's request for help with the stain now for fear of what he might to do Mary if she did. Luckily for Mary however Katherine was indeed familiar with how to remove a blood stain from clothing, just as she imagined every woman past the age of her first monthly bleeding likely was.

"I admittedly do not have experience with the washing of clothes, Captain," she began as she brought her green eyes to gaze up at him once more, "But I believe if you soak the stain in cool water for a bit and then wash it with cool water and soap it will come out."

"But I believe if you soak the stain in cool water for a bit and then wash it with cool water and soap it will come out."

Predators eyes fixed on her as she spoke and kept her fixed there for several long moments after she was done. Those eyes very much had the look of a cat trying to decide whether to eat a mouse it had cornered.

Another few heart beats and his feet thudded back to the boards. He walked around the side of the desk towards her. Without the heavy coat, shirt, and weapons he moved like some large jungle cat, furthering the likeness brough on from his eyes. He did not have to exaggerate or bluster or strut his movements just screamed, danger.

Stopping a half step from Katherine his eyes narrowed. "Why Lady Blackwood would I soak my shirt and scrub it with soap? Are you to good to do it? Maybe ya just don wan t' earn yer keep?" His words were becoming clipped, the level of refined speech up until this point giving way to the harsh tones of wharf. Any crew that heard that tone would have made sure to find something else to do upto.and including scraping barnacles with their teeth while underway rather than be the target of that tone.

"Perhaps you believe yourself master of the Merry? Being all high born you need not listen to others when they give you instructions to work."

He snatched his shirt from her grasp. The first truly aggressive move he had made to her as those feline eyes continued to bore into her. Perhaps having decided to eat the mouse after all.

"Levi! LEVI!!"

It was only a few seconds before that tidal wave of a man crested through the door. "Cap'n?"

"Assemble the crew on deck. Bring the wenches... and prepare a rope for a laggard anchor."

Not a word from Leviathan. He just nodded before grabbing Katherine by the neck and dragging her from Marcel's quarters.

A few minutes later the crew was assembled on the deck. Levi held Katherine to the rail by her neck, his massive paw of a hand seeming ready to squeeze and break her at any moment. Louis had a hold of Mary. Rope tied around her wrists provided him a leash to hold her by.

Marcel came on deck still bare chested with the shirt in his hand but his sword slung across his chest.

"Seems Lady Blackwood doesn't like to work." His voice was calm amd controlled again. Not like a minute before in his cabin. Calm though it was it was also cold like when he was dividing up the doomed crew of Katherines former vessel. "A simple request to help with the laundry and she tells me to do it myself."

Those cold predatory eyes turned and fixed on her. "Seems she believes she is master of this ship. Anyone agree? Anyone want to sail under English colors?" There was silence. All eyes were on her. The few skilled crew who had been pressed into service front and center amd terrified at what was happening knowing what had happened last time they were surrounded by these men with the Captain making a speech.

"I believe she is a laggard. Here we offer safe passage, food, shelter. She can't even wash a shirt in thanks. We don't tolerate laggards in this company."

At those words Louis flicked an iron ring from the deck tied to a coiled rope at his feet. He looped the rope around Mary's wrists through the ring and tied it swiftly. It could not have taken more then a few seconds. Without a word he picked her up and chucked her overboard. The rope at his feet spooling out as she splashed into the water amd was dragged behind the ship.

"Full sails!" Marcel called and the crew burst into activity while all canvas dropped and the ship picked up speed.

Eyes locked on Katherine's, "How long will she last Lady Blackwood?" He dropped the stained shirt at her feet wrapped around a cake of hard dry soap.

Katherine had known as soon as he'd fixed his eyes on her that she'd must have said something terribly wrong, though in all honesty she had not know what it was until he'd prowled over to her and spoken to her in that clipped tone, accusing her of refusing to do work that he'd assigned her.

Oh dear! So he'd intended for her to wash the shirt herself?! With the way he had phrased the request she'd misunderstood and had thought he'd simply been asking for her insight on how to remove the stain and salvage the shirt, assuming that there was already someone on board assigned with the role of washing.

"Perhaps you believe yourself master of the Merry? Being all high born you need not listen to others when they give you instructions to work."

She adamantly shook her head in denial.

"No! I-- ," she began, but he would not allow her to explain, calling for the man called Levi instead.

After a few words from the Captain that she didn't quite understand, she soon found herself being hauled up on deck by the man, trembling in fear as he kept her pressed up against the railing with his hand around her throat. Soon Marcel joined them, the tone of his voice making her blood run cold as it had before his sentencing to the men upon her former ship to death by gunfire...and an even worse fate for the poor Captain of the vessel.

Once again he accused her of refusing to do work that had been assigned to her, taking it even further an accusing her of trying to take command of the ship from him. Then he'd accused her of being a laggard, the same term he'd used for the type of anchor he'd wanted prepared.

Just as she'd been wondering as to what he'd meant by the term she noticed Louis tying Mary to the rope coiled at his feet and, before she'd even had time to respond, hauling the other woman over the side of the ship and dragging her behind them like the anchor the Captain has spoken of!

"No!" she cried out in horror as at the same moment the captain called out for full sails and the crew hurried to obey.

When he dropped the shirt and soap at her feet she instantly did the same, swooping down as soon as Levi released her and picking them up before scrambling over to the first bucket that she noticed with a bit of water in it and kneeling beside it to dunk them inside, never minding the water that splashed up over the bodice and skirts of her own fine gown as she did. Frantically she began to scrub at the shirt with the soap.

"Please! I promise I won't be a laggard, I'll do as you ask!" she begged as she continued to scrub at the stain, tears of desperation forming in her eyes, "Please, just pull her up!"

Standing there watching Katherine frantically try and prove she would work only brought that terrible smile to his face. Though his smile never reached his eyes there was something different in his eyes. A fire had replaced the cold while those eyes focused on the wetness of her bodice and how the cold seemed to affect her even in her terror.

Even worse than his look was Levi's. The man stood there like the cliffs of Dover. His smile did reach his eyes. He was enjoying this all to its fullest. When Captain Reinard final, after what seemed like an eternity but could not have been more than a minute flicked his hand Levi seemed genuinely unhappy. The smile slipped away from his eyes as he moved to the side rail where the rope was dangling. Taking out his knife, the same one used to mutilate the captain of her former vessel he made eye contact with Katherine for a moment and made a motion to cut the rope.

After a scream from her he jammed the blade into the rail and started to haul the rope back about the deck. In another eternity Mary came up over the side like a giant fish landing in a giant puddle of shivering wet legs and hair.. The drag from the water had stripped her naked and her young form was completely on display to everyone still above decks.

Levi threw her over his shoulder and at his touch she started to scream and struggle but against him it was like a minnow fighting a whale. Coming back to the Captains side Mary exhausted herself and lay limp over the giants shoulder. Her womanhood on vulgar display.

"It seems we have caught a fish Levi. She has even been descaled already. Do you think the boys would appreciate some fresh fish tonight?"

That gurgling drowned chuckle rumbled from deep inside the giant. "I am sure Edgar would prefer it. It's his turn in the barrel tonight." Again there was that laugh as Levi stroked one hand up and down the pale leg of the passed out maid and leered down at Katherine.

Moving his gaze back to Katherine still kneeling on the deck with shirt and soap in hand, and wet bodice drawing a momentary and appreciative glance from those blue eyes. "What do you say Lady Blackwood? Will your maid earn her keep tonight or should we try her as an anchor again? Maybe without the rope this time."

Katherine sobbed a sigh of relief as Mary was hauled onto the deck. Shocked as she was by the other woman's naked state she was grateful to see that the other woman was still alive and breathing, though concern flooded her as she watched Mary suddenly go from fighting Levi to passing out and hanging limp in exhaustion against the hulk of a man, not even stirring when Captain Reinard threatened to serve her up to his hungry crewmen. Her eyes zeroed in on Levi's hand as it lewdly stroked the thigh of her unconscious maid and her tears slowly stilled as a sudden anger began to fill her.

"What do you say Lady Blackwood? Will your maid earn her keep tonight or should we try her as an anchor again? Maybe without the rope this time."

"What do I say, Captain Reinard?" she asked him, her hands tightening into fists around the wet soap and shirt she still held.

She knew that she should try to hold her tongue and reign herself in, it was not the first time that her spirited nature and un-ladylike ways had gotten the better of her and lead to trouble after all, but now that the words had begun to bubble out of her she could not seem to stop the flow of them.

"What do I say?... I say that you are a lying cad with no honor and who's word obviously can't be trusted!," she spat back at him, "You promised that no permanent harm would come to my maid so long as I did not cause any trouble for you, and yet here you are threatening to have her abused by your men after already having her nearly drowned over something so petty as a simple misunderstanding of wanting me to wash your stupid shirt for you!"

She rose to her feet, tossing both the shirt and the bar of soap into the bucket and glaring at him.

"Let your men have their way with her or use her as an anchor if you like, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference since she is likely to die either way unless she is allowed to get warm and recover from what you just put her through. How you expect a half drowned woman to 'earn her keep' is beyond me, but if you do then I insist upon earning it for her...though I will not be whoring myself out to your men to do so!"

"You will simply have to think of some other chore that I may perform in her place...after I have finished washing your precious shirt first of course, Sir," she concluded, her voice dripping with sarcasm at the end.

As her outburst concluded Marcel regarded her for a minute and then burst into laughter. Rolling gales of laughter that shook his entire body standing there just a few steps from her and looking her dead in the eye as he did.

Finally regain some semblance of control, "You Katherine have spirit. Not an over abundance of brains perhaps but a lot of spirit." His eyes, and Levi's passed back and forth across her body and the drenched dress clinging to it. "You want to earn her keep and yours so be it. You'll work double duty while she recovers." The cast of his eyes changed from evaluating her form to trying to evaluate what use she may have.

"Can you splice rope? Run sails and lines?" Reaching out and grabbing her hands to turn them over front and back he spoke to Levi, "Soft hands like this will be torn to shreds in less than a day so working the deck is out of the question About the only job on a ship women are good for is whoring."

"Aye cap'n. But we can't use that one and this one," Levi shrugged his shoulder rolling Mary like a doll, his hand now well up her thigh, "wouldn't be good for more than a round, maybe two below decks in her current condition."

"True enough. So what are we to do with you?" That smile which never reached his eyes split his lips. His eyes became the predators again as he regarded Katherine still standing there defiant.

"Since you have shown such a skill for domestic labor, and are unwilling to perform the other job women are good for." He paused to look at her and see if she had changed her mind about whoring. Seeing her stiffen he continued, "You can be my chamber maid for the time being. Which I guess makes Mary our Lady captive. If you want Lady Mary to get warm, fine she will need clothes. We are all out of dresses though. So she can have yours. You have done such a," glances down at the wad of fabric in the bucket, "good job with my shirt that you can keep it."

Resting one hand on the hilt of his sword and looking at her he simply waited. There was no sign he intended to leave that spot on the deck or to allow her to leave any time soon. As they faced one another the hustle of the deck seemed to slow as more and more of the pirates tried to watch what would happen. All the while Levi stood there as a credit to his name sake, a still menacing Leviathan with the dead eyes of a shark and one giant hand holding Mary just below her naked womanhood.

Katherine had been more than a little surprised at the Captain's response to her outburst, though admittedly relieved. Her whole life she had been warned that her unbridled spirit would be the undoing of her and here it seemed to have been her and her maid's salvation...at least for the time being. She was not so naive as to believe that they were entirely out of the hole, but at least it had earned her some cooperation from the Captain for now.

She stood on the deck, watching him as he waited for her reply. His terms had not been what one would consider ideal, but given the circumstanced she supposed they were likely the best that she could hope for. She heard the hush of the crew as they stilled around the two of them, watching. Her gaze roamed to Mary, still unconscious and draped across the giant's shoulder, her gaze narrowing angrily again on his hand just below her sex before she fixed her green orbs back on Reinard.

"Fine," she agreed with a slight nod before adding, "Though of course I will need to borrow a different shirt while that one dries."

Not only would she catch her death, but she was not about to go walking around with a wet shirt plastered to her body in front of him or his crew, having already caught his occasional glances down to her dampened bodice.

"No."

He stared at her, blue eyes blazing at green. He had to remind himself that she was worth a lot of money as his temper flared again. He tamped it down.

"I have aldready given you the shirt off my back. I am not inclined to give you anything more at the moment. The ships articles do not permit the crew to give personal possessions to prisoners. So it is that shirt for you or you can keep your dress and Lady Mary goes naked."

He started to walk away from her and stopped half turning back, "Of course I can't have a naked woman alone in my cabin. People might question my virtue and standing as a gentleman." He smiled. It was that same damnable smile that never reached his eyes.

"Levi, please find accomodations below deck for either of these ladies that can't find clothes. I am sure with so many fine men to watch over them will ensure no dog behaves inappropriately. But to help preserve their modesty make sure to extinguish all the lamps."

"Aye." With that word he reached for Katherine and his hand swallowed hers. He started walking toward a below deck hatch dragging her with behind him the way the Merry had towed Mary. Many a leering eye turned first to her and then to the nide unconscious form of Mary.

A sense of panic began to rise up in Katherine again as Levi's hand enclosed around her own and he began dragging her towards the below deck hatch at the Captain's orders. The thought of going below deck with such a man, of being alone in the dark with him was terrifying, but she forced herself to remain calm. Allowing herself to give in to hysterics would not benefit herself or Mary... whom she still must work at the Captain's chambermaid for if she did not want to risk her being handed over to the men of his crew.

"Fine!" she shouted back to Reinard, digging in her heels as Levi dragged her so that she could scoop down and retrieve the Captain's wadded up shirt from the bucket she'd tossed it into.

"I will find some way to make due to with the shirt and share what clothing items I have between my self and Mary so that neither of us goes unclothed," she agreed.

Watching Levi drag her toward the hatch and then her near frantic move to stop him quirked his smile in genuine humor. There was something to be said for watching a young woman try and avoid Levi impossing his will. For the second time he considered her having a lot of spirit.

"Well get to it then Katherine. No sense waiting, no such thing as privacy on a ship like this."

He squared up his stance and folded his arms across his chest to watch. She was now squarely in the middle of the deck with nothing to shield her from anyones eyes but Levi's bulk. Hardly the stone to try and take shelter in during a storm.

Levi, seeing that this was going to play out here half set half dropped Mary at Katherines feet. He was careful enough to ensure she did not smash her head but was otherwise not particularly delicate in putting her down. The maids form was limp as she lay there still unconcious. His shark like eyes met Katherine's for a moment and he licked the two fingers which had been closest to the maids sex. His leer one of contempt and lurid desires before he walked back to the captain.

All around every set of eyes watched her and the naked "Lady" Mary at her feet.

"Well get to it then Katherine. No sense waiting, no such thing as privacy on a ship like this."

Katherine's eyes widened in shock at the man, thinking that he must surely be jesting or attempting to get some kind of rise out of her. When he straightened himself and crossed his arms over his chest to simply watch her and waited however, she realized he was being serious. The hard plop of Mary landing at her feet turned her attention back to Levi, who had now released her hand. His rude gesture as he pointedly licked his fingers and leered at her made her eyes narrow upon him as he walked back to Reinard, anger filling her once again.

Feeling everyone's eyes on her she squared off her own shoulders defiantly at them.

"I'm surprised your crew don't have anything better to do than to stand around and gawk all day," she spoke to Reinard as she began to wring out the water from his yellow shirt he had offered up to her, though was sure to say it loud enough so that all could hear, "I thought that you said you had no tolerance for laggards upon your ship, Captain."

She slipped the shirt up over her head but left her arms out of the sleeves for the time being as she let the fabric fall down around her and used its covering as a curtain to conceal her as she reached behind her and undid the laces of her gown, slipping the dress from her shoulders and letting it slide down to pull around her feet. The fabric of the shirt he had given her was still damp but at least it was opaque, which was more than could be said for the thin white chemise and corset that she was wearing beneath the gown.

With the gown removed, she pulled her arms through the sleeves of the shirt and quickly stepped out of the dress and knelt down to put it on Mary. It was difficult for Katherine to lift the dead weight of her unconscious maid, but she stubbornly was able to lift the other woman forward into a sitting position, leaning Mary's weight against her as she pulled the dress up over the woman's head.

"I thought that you said you had no tolerance for laggards upon your ship, Captain."

Marcel actual chuckled at her attempt to goad him. She was quicker witted than perhaps he gave her credit for over the last few minutes. It was a bold play but also smart trying to use his own words against him. He would have to watch her over the coming weeks.

"Katherine your care for the good order of my ship is heart warming. You are right, I do not tolerate laggards. However, my boys did good work earlier today. I believe you might be acquainted with that bit of effort." He paused to make sure that the barb stuck.

"They have earned themselves a bit of rest in their duties."

That said he watched her pull his shirt over her head and start to shimmy around underneath. Her gown finally falling free from beneath it. His smile reached his eyes, yes she was very clever. Watching the rest of the show with a different appreciation than before he noted her ingenuity at dressing Mary. It did not save the maid who was slowly regaining consciousness from being displayed to the entire deck but there was certainly an effort toward that end.

"Wha... what happened... Mary started to murmur as she came too. This question turned to a scream as her brain took in Levi and Louis near by. An obvious struggle for fight or flight ran through her eyes and defaulted to freeze instead.

"Seems that the Lady Mary is awake Katherine. You should attend to her. As you mentioned I don't care for laggards so my boys need to get back to work." His voice never raised nor did he look at anyone but the two women yet at that statement the crew flew back to their duties leaving only the Captain, Levi, Luis, and the women standing still. "You will have to help her to the cabin on your own."

With that he turned and left disappearing through a hatch below decks. Louis seemed to find something else that needed doing in that moment as well. Only Levi remained scarred head gleaming in the afternoon Caribbean sun and those dead eyes watching every move. Maybe he was there as a guard to keep the crew away for them for the time being. Maybe he was a jailer there to punish them if they broke the as yet unknown rules of the ship. Maybe he was just a murderer waiting for a chance to have his moment of sadism. Truth be told none of those excluded the others.

***

Below decks Marcel made his way to the hold and was met there by Ulf, his quatermaster.

"Inventory is done Captain," the man's thick Scandanavian accent was hard for most people to understand but he and Marcel went back a long time and his ear had become attuned to the sound. ""I found these papers from the former captain, his name was Walsh by the way, of particular interest. Seems it has shipping schedules for East India Company with rendevouz points for the escorts out of Port Royal. We could do some good hunting with these."

"That we could Ulf. Causing no end of trouble for Governor Blackwood along the way. Excellent. Have those and any other papers or charts taken to my cabin. Be mindful of the women while you are in there. The maid seems about ready to lose her mind and one more shock may break her. Katherine is smart and bold. I can't say she won't try something heroic and stupid, though I doubt it, but she has the potential to cause issues. Make sure they get water but they can wait to eat until we serve dinner tonight."

***

It was hours later before Marcel returned to his cabin. An armed crewman stood outside the door. Walking in he saw Katherine had made some sort of pallet for Mary who was now asleep in the corner. A pitcher of water sat on his sideboard with one wooden cup.

Walking around his desk he dropped the sword belt over the back as he had earlier in the day. "Evening Kat, how is your Mistress this evening?"

Katherine's grip upon Mary had tightened at the sound of the other woman's scream, afraid that her maid might try to try to do something rash in her fear as she came to. Luckily she only sat there frozen as the Captain announced that Katherine should attend to her while his crew got back to work.

Well... not quite all of them.

She looked up at Levi as he continued to stand there and watch over them with his menacing stare. She glared back at him boldly, but had to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine at the dead look in his eyes.

"Come Mary, lets not terry," she whispered to the other woman, "You must help me now that you are awake."

She was very grateful indeed that the woman had awoken when she had. It made getting her into the gown far more easy, and it was not but a couple moments more before Katherine had her arm around Mary and was letting the young maid lean against her as the two of them made their way back to the Captain's cabin, both of them away from Levi and with a bit of privacy to themselves at last.

Katherine had been hoping for a bit of peace before the Captain returned, but had no such luck as Mary had immediately broken into a hysterical fit of sobbing, not stopping even when the quartermaster arrived carrying a pitcher of water for the both of them, as well as a couple of blankets and a heap load of rolled up parchments and papers. Katherine eyed the papers with interest as the quartermaster set them upon the Captain's desk, but had no time to give them any further thought due to having to tend to Mary.

She'd set to work laying the blankets in a corner on the floor to make a pallet for the maid to rest upon and then had poured a glass of water for her, instructing her to sip at it until her sobbing eased. Katherine had sat with her until finally, exhausted from her tears, Mary had laid down upon the blankets and drifted off to sleep. Tired from all that had happened that day, Katherine was tempted to drift off beside her but told herself that she had to remain awake and alert, afraid what may happen if someone were to enter the room and catch them both unawares.

It was then that her gaze drifted over to the Captain's desk, spotting once more the papers that had been deposited there by the quartermaster. Curious as to what their contents might be she rose from the palette and moved over to examine them. The first couple she unrolled just seemed to be various maps and charts of the Caribbean that, while interesting, didn't seem to hold any great importance, but then as she unrolled another and read the contents her eyebrows raised with alarm as she noted their contents. Was the Captain planning to cause more trouble for her father then? Was this simply a quest for riches or did he have more plans for revenge in store? How deep exactly did this grudge go, and what would it mean for her?

Hearing the heavy fall of boots making their way towards the cabin, she quickly placed the papers back and stepped away from the desk and back towards Mary's pallet just as the door to the cabin opened and the Captain walked in.

"Evening Kat, how is your Mistress this evening?"

"Kat?" she responded with an arch of her eyebrow, thinking it an odd choice of a nickname, and odder still that he should be addressing her so informally at all.

No doubt it was some attempt to goad her.

"I am no physician, but I dare say that it appears that she will live... despite you and your crews best efforts," she replied with a frown.

...despite you and your crews best efforts,"

His burst of laughter surprised even himself. She was full of vinegar for certain. Breaking her was going to be interesting. Stopping to regard her before continuing he admired that dressed in nothing but a blood stained shirt and her underskirts she was still able to be defiant. Yes, breaking her would be interesting indeed.

"Kat, that was us having a small bit of fun. If you would like to see our best efforts at killing Mary I am sure a front row seat can be arranged when I turn her over to Louis who will be more than happy to kill her in front of you. After he gets in a bit of sport of course. Or I can turn her over to Levi for whom the killing is his sport. Do you have a preference?"

Continuing around his desk and taking a seat after throwing his sword belt around the back of the chair his focus shifted from the women to the papers Ulf had brought by. He knew what they were based on their conversation but this was the first chance he had to really examine them. A practiced and professional intensity took over his demeanor for the next half an hour and it became almost as if the girls were not there. Marcel may have been a cruel man but he was also an obviously competent sailor and navigator as he went back and forth from papers to charts to navigation tables.

Finishing his thoughts and leaning back the cabin, and his prizes, came back into focus. "Hungry?"

Just that one word and a cocked eyebrow. As if they were friends of long standing. Ignoring all the murder and terror of the day ready to casually go about an evening of dining and amusement. Two bright blue eyes so often cold these last few hours looked on cheerfully from the face of a man who was obviously pleased with a hard days work done well and ready for an evening to relax. Which was true if one accepted piracy, murder, kidnapping, and torture as a legitimate hard days work. Of course Marcel did consider those a legitimate hard days work and he felt pleased with how things had gone.

Katherine quickly fell silent in response to the Captain's reply to her accusation that he and his crew had tried to kill her maid, simply watching him as he circled his desk and began to examine the notes and charts that she had already sneaked a peek at before. She watched in fascination as he quickly began engrossed in them, so much so that he suddenly seemed unaware of Mary's or even her own presence in the room with him.

She made her way over to the corner of the room where Mary lay asleep, sitting herself down on the edge of the pallet that she hand made and watching him with wariness, but also a new curiosity. He was obviously a skilled navigator, and he could read as well. She wondered briefly about how he had received this education, herself having always grown up thinking all pirates were simply thieving brutes.

Her stomach had just started to rumble, reminding her that due to all of the unexpected events that day she had not had anything to eat since breakfast that morning, when the Captain suddenly finished with his work and, once more realizing her presence, asked her if she was hungry. The casualness of the question and his cheerful expression as he looked at her took her off guard, making her own eyebrows lift slightly in response. Had he forgotten the manner in which he'd treated her not even a full hour before?! She had half a mind to refuse him when she felt her stomach give another rumble of complaint at its emptiness.

"Well... yes, actually," she admitted at last.

"Excellent." As he responded the ships watch struck three bells for the watch. Dinner would be served at four bells, in thirty minutes.

"You will be quite pleased I believe. We took quite a bit of fresh produce from your former ship and dinner after taking a prize is always something special," those blue eyes flashed when they turned to her. There was no way of knowing if he speaking of the ship or her.

A knock at his cabin door interrupted and a young man, very late teens in all likelihood stepped in. "Apologies Cap'n, Chum says dinner will be ready and wanted to know where our, his eyes shot over to the women, "our guests would be eating."

"Lady Mary will join me at my table with Ulf, Levi, and the other officers. Kat will help you serve the table." With a nod he stepped back out.

"That was James, my valet. Follow his instructions for serving the head table."

With that he stood and walked over to a wardrobe built into the wall. Without giving her a second look or though he stripped nude after opening. His boots and pants a pile on the deck next to him. His body was lean and carried scars. His legs a a shade or two lighter than his arms and chest.

Selecting fresh trousers and shirt from the wardrobe he began dressing. Again with no thought of Katherine's presense she saw him turn and the thick shaft of his manhood and two heavy balls hung on full display like some prize stallion.

Pulling up the trews he caught her eye and leered knowing what she had seen. For a moment he looked about ready to say something when four bells sounded.

"Wake your lady. It is time to eat."

"Lady Mary will join me at my table with Ulf, Levi, and the other officers. Kat will help you serve the table."

Katherine turned to look at the Captain with surprise when he announced to the boy that had arrived in his chambers that she would be helping to serve while Mary would be the one joining him at his table for dinner that evening. It would seem that he intended to see out this little game of role reversal between she and her maid to the fullest then. Very well then. If it meant the safety of her long time hand maiden and prevented one, or both, of them from being raped then she could play along for at least one evening while Mary recovered.

She gave a nod of agreement, but he didn't seem to notice as he walked over to his wardrobe, already ignoring her again. It was then that her eyes went wide with surprise as he suddenly stripped before her, his backside and legs completely exposed to her gaze without seemingly even a second thought to her presence.

She knew that it was positively unladylike of her to look upon a naked man, wicked even, but her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself unable to look away. She gazed with interest upon the hard and toned planes of his body and the various scars that marked his tan skin, so very different from the soft lines and unblemished peaches and cream like tones of her own form.

To her credit she did blush when he turned and his manhood came into view, her breath catching in her throat as she looked it over and noted his size. She went to advert her gaze, but it was too late. His eye caught hers and she knew that he had noticed her looking, the leer he gave her not leaving any doubt. Luckily it at that moment that four bells sounded, saving her from whatever teasing or lascivious comment he'd been about to make.

Quickly she moved to rouse Mary, giving the woman a small shake on her shoulder to wake her.

"Come Mary, it is time for dinner," she explained, biding her maid to stand so that they might follow the Captain.

Leading the way out to the deck and then down one level a series of trestle tables was set between the rows of cannons. One trestle table was set perpendicular to the others and both Ulf, Louis, and Levi were already seated there. The rest of the crew was also seated down the line of tables.

Marcel took Mary's arm and she flinched at his touch but then realized where he was guiding her and seemed to glue herself to his side as the lesser of known evils. Seating himself in the center of a bench and pulling her down with him.

Speaking loudly, "A bloody days work!" The crew yelled back, "A good days work!" and slammed their hands on the table. Mary jumped slid closer. Marcel brought his arm around her waist. It was a possessive not protective gesture.

James appeared at his shoulder and whispered into his ear. Marcel looked down the tables, "Dinner is served." With that the galley crew brought out platters and bowls. The food would never pass muster in any respectable kitchen but for ship at sea it was a feast. Bolstered all the more by the stolen delicacies from that days prize.

James grabbed Katherine and handed her plates to put on the table in front of the officers. All of whom would lean in her way forcing her to press against them. When she would lean over to put something on the table and the large loose shirt would fall away from her body anyone opposite her would openly leer at her exposed bosum. But no one reached out to touch her.

That is, until she had to place a plate of fresh fish in front of the Captain. His arm moved off of Mary's waist and he grabbed her ass. Not a mere pinch but rather a full handed grip which pulled her off balance and nearly onto the table over the top of Mary who cringed.

"Kat be careful! You are nearly on top of Lady Mary. So rude." He squeezed her rear again before releasing her as the head table and those closest laughed. Turning his attention to Mary, "Are you ok m'lady? Has Kat's clumsiness hurt you?" As he spoke his arm went around Mary high across her back and his hand slid under her arm to caress her breast. While his words were and hands were focused on Mary his eyes were locked on Kat.