Pyrate's Prize (closed for BlondeAmbition4RP)

Katherine was not so naive that she had missed the manner in which the crew seated at the Captain's table all leaned into her curves as she tried to serve them, nor did she miss their obvious stares at her exposed cleavage as it spilled out of the top of her corset beneath the shirt she wore. Her hands full with the plates she was serving there as no way for her to try and hold the loose shirt in place as she bent forward. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger, but at least none of them had been so bold as to try and blatantly touch her despite her fears that they might try... until she served the Captain himself that is.

"Kat be careful! You are nearly on top of Lady Mary. So rude."

She quickly set the plate upon the table and righted herself as soon as he released her, backing away from him for fear that he might try to grab her again. Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of rose and her eyes narrowed angrily upon the Captain as she heard those around them sharing a laugh at her expense.

"Are you ok m'lady? Has Kat's clumsiness hurt you?"

She watched as his arm slid around to 'comfort' Mary, all the while his eyes stayed locked on her. She took a step forward and for a moment her right hand and arm twitched upwards, as if to slap him, but then she quickly caught herself and lowered it, clenching the hand tightly by her side instead.

"My deepest apologies for my 'clumsiness' Lady Mary," she told the maid in an melodramatic tone as she swept down into a deep curtsy, her eyes shooting daggers at the captain all the while.

"Though I would advise my Lord to learn to watch his hands, or he may find the next course of his meal being served to him upon his head."

"Surely you can not blame a man for trying to steady himself on a boat rocking to and fro as this one?!"

His voice was elevated and the jap drew a round of laughter from not only his table but the nearest one as well. The captain was as steady as any experienced seaman could hope to be and the sea was quite calm around the ship.

"You might want to be careful with the plates too. Another one of my shirts gets ruined I might just have to take that one back."

His arm around Mary tightened and his grip on her breast became more aggressive. A small squeek eminating from her drew Marcel's attention. "Did you say something m'Lady?" His tone matched Katherine's for melodrama.

Mary simple shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut as his hand kneaded her breast. After a few moments more he released the maid and stood. Catching Katherine's eye for a moment he winked before picking up a cup and raising it.

"To the king!"

"FUCK THE KING!" came the reply

Everyone drank.

"To the sea!"

"FUCK THE SEA!" the crew shouted again.

All present drank deeply again.

"Well if we aren't here for the king... or any of them and we aren't here for the sea I guess we are here for one thing only. Gold."

"And tits!" Someone shouted from down the table.

"The only decent tits," a glance at Katherine, "on this ship are on the dairy goat. If goat tits is why you are here that is between you and her." A round of laughter peeled through deck.

He grew serious again. "Our last prize brough unexpected good fortune. A shipping schedule for 5 supply ships bound to Port Royal. Including one with payroll for the garrison there. Only that one is in convoy. In the next 10 days we will intercept one of the other 5 and take it as a consort to help us take the payroll ship. Get some rest tonight lads. Tomorrow we start a hunt like we have not yet seen."

The crew cheered and slammed their fists and feet in anticipation. Marcel though only locked eyes with Katherine. Stealing that payroll would place her father in a terrible position.

Katherine could not help but roll her eyes in response to the Captain's excuse that he had simply been trying to settle himself on the rocking ship when he'd grabbed her. She might not have known his abilities as well as his crew, but she knew well enough that the Captain of his own vessel would surely have his sea legs by now. Not to mention that the boat was currently steady enough even for her as she walked around serving, while the Captain had been seated. His threat to take his shirt back from her however was good enough that she did not try to argue with him further about the matter.

She too heard the squeak that came from Mary and she noted with anger the way in which the Captain groped her maid's breast, but she did not say anything to him about that either. She'd protected her maid's honor as best she could while the other woman had been unconscious, but now that Mary was awake Katherine could not afford to continue to fight all of her battles for her. If they were going to survive upon this ship Katherine had the feeling that Mary must learn to stick up for herself when need be.

She stood to the side as the men made their toasts, stomach grumbling as she wondered when she would be released from her serving duties and it might be her turn to sit and have a bite to eat. Her ears perked up however at the Captain's mention of the supply ships to Port Royal where her father was stationed and the records the Captain had obtained.

Her eyes went wide as he announced his plans to capture one of the other ships bound for Port Royal to use in aiding them to take the payroll ship. As the crew cheered his eyes locked with hers and she could not conceal the worry she felt as she thought on what it would mean for her father if he was successful. The impact upon Port Royal if the payroll was not delivered would be catastrophic. It may even cost her father his position there.

She must find a way to keep it from happening.

The meal continued and an extra ration of rum was apportioned to each man as a reward for the day's prize. Marcel ate heartily and continued to grope Mary as she sat at his side. She seemed unable to eat and just tried her best to ignore the hand that found itself all over her body and at least once between her thighs. All the while pointedly ignoring Katherine.

The conversation at the table ebbed and flowed between professional discussion of the ships condition, the preparations for the next two attacks, and the easy talk of men long in each others company and confidence. Stories of fights on land and at sea, memories of shipmates lost, ribald tales of whores in various ports. Every man seemed to have a story to tell. Every man except the Captain and Levi.

Marcel listened, cheered, and laughed but never contributed. Levi just sat there like a stone. He only showed interest at the bloodiest of tales, whether of fighting or whores. Even then his interest could only be gauged by the way he would shift on the bench.

Finally the evening wore down and the crew set about the tasks of securing the ship for the night. When James grabbed the nearly untouched plate in front of Mary Marcel waived him off.

"Kat, you must have displeased your lady mightily that she never gave you leave to eat tonight. Are you displeased Mary?"

His hand snaked down underneath the table and she squeeked and jolted at whatever it found to touch.

"Is Kat allowed to eat your plate?" Another squeek.

"Well that was not a no." He pushed the plate toward Katherine. She seemed poised to step forward and eat when he pulled it half back toward him. "But it was not a yes either. I can't have you further offending your mistress. Now can I?"

He leveled his gaze at her with that damnable half smile that showed he was toying with her. "Shall I occupy your mistress," Mary gave a quiet high pitched squeal at whatever was happening under the table out of view, "for a time so she will not know you are eating her food? Or would you like to sign on with the crew where you are not living by her leave?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed in anger upon Marcel as he pulled the plate of food away from her and the now familiar half smile of his appeared on his face. She knew very well that he was toying with her, and she didn't like it one bit. Being forced to eat the left overs off of someone else's plate was demeaning enough, did he now expect her to beg for it?!

"Shall I occupy your mistress for a time so she will not know you are eating her food? Or would you like to sign on with the crew where you are not living by her leave?"

Disgust filled her at both of his suggestions. She would rather go hungry for the night than to take him up on either offer. How dare he suggest that she let him have his way with her maid, or that she would stoop so low as to become a member of his crew! She was just about to give him a piece of her mind and let him know exactly what she thought of his ideas when she suddenly paused, an idea of her own coming to her.

Maybe she should consider joining his crew, though under a ruse of course. After all, she'd just been thinking that she needed to try to find a way to stop his plan to overtake the payroll ship headed to Port Royal. Maybe joining up with his crew and trying to gain his trust would provide her the chance.

"And what would that entail exactly... if I were to sign on with the crew?" she asked him hesitantly.