Sea Change (Closed)

[Jupiter0]

Anna was taken aback. She could not believe what she was hearing. This man was actually allowing her to go free, and not take a reward. Her heart beat heavily in her chest as she thought of what this meant. This was freedom. This was a chance to start over. No more balls, arranged marriages, or lady-like expectations.

"Th-thank you." She stuttered, still not believing that this was true. "However, I'm not sure what my intentions will be. Surely the world is too dangerous for someone like me all alone. Kingston will surely be safe for me." However, she imagined a life aboard a Pirate ship. She had heard of a lady pirate or two and wondered at the adventures they must have. Anna was tough, but then again, she hadn't seen much of the world to know if she was tough enough.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel nodded silently.

"I've no doubt you're right. Kingston would have no lack of safety for you."

The captain looked down at his newly emptied plate, then back at the stunning brunette who sat opposite him.

"But someone who values safety above all else doesn't leave Kingston in the bowels of a ship. I daresay you were seeking some kind of change or excitement - and Kingston can offer you neither."

The conversation was progressing quickly, but Samuel was cautious not to push it further. There was no doubt that he found Anna attractive, and he yearned for her to stay, but only by her own choice. As a gentleman, he would respect her wishes if she chose to return home.

"I must tend to other matters," he continued, standing up from his seat. "If you choose to sleep before I return, please use the bed. You need rest more than I, and I can use the chaise longue."

He moved around the desk and opened the door to the darkened ship beyond.

He turned, then added: "Welcome aboard, Miss Anna."

And then he was gone.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna mulled over his words. He spoke the truth. But would she be welcome to stay on this ship? Or was she to find her own way once they reached Tortuga. She was about to raise a question of a more permanent role on board, when he announced he had things to attend to.

She was lost for words as he left. Realizing just how exhausted she was, especially at his mention of sleep, Anna turned to the bed. She had found a nightgown in the trunk and undressed lazily, leaving the garments she was wearing piled on the floor.

Slipping the thin white material over her nude body she realized it was definitely meant for someone slightly larger than her. The neckline dipped further down than she had anticipated. Not that it mattered, no one was going to see her in it. No one except for the Captain, if he so desired.

A shiver went through her at the thought. What would he think of her slender form? Of her narrow hips and her pert breasts? She noticed the cold had made her nipples stand out through the nightgown. Crossing her arms over her chest in embarrassment she quickly got into bed, all thoughts fleeing her mind as she quickly succumbed to sleep.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel surveyed the ship. He was quickly satisfied that the anchor had been set and would hold, and the weather had calmed significantly. In fact, were it not for the darkness of night, they could have begun retrieving booty.

He spoke to the bosun to ensure the morning's plans were in place, and finally to the lookout. Most ships would have avoided the area because of the storm, but there was no chance of Captain Samuel Cornelius letting his guard down.

By the time he returned to his quarters, Anna had retired to the bed. The bodice and breeches she'd worn at dinner were discarded loosely on the floor and he could make out the outline of her form in the bed.

Samuel knew better than to look, but it was a temping fruit to take a bite from. Instead, he took a small chest from a locked drawer in his desk and opened it. Inside were pieces of jewellery collected from other ships, including an assortment of necklaces and earrings. He placed the opened chest gently beside the bed, using all of his willpower not to look at the sleeping Anna.

The captain then quietly made his way to the chaise longue, removing his boots and jacket and draping the latter over himself as a makeshift blanket before eventually finding a comfortable enough position to fall asleep.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna woke with a start. A nightmare of a terrible storm had tormented her to the point of her being thrown overboard. As she found herself now awake, she looked around the quiet cabin, the wind and the rain now a fading memory. Her chest heaving she attempted to calm herself. Her eyes glanced at the chaise longue to find a shadowed figure asleep in it. She was alarmed at first, but then remembered what the captain had said about him sleeping there. He looked so peaceful, asleep, but he was seemingly too big to look too comfortable sleeping there.

His sleeping figure seemed to calm her down, knowing that she was safe and that nothing could harm her. She laid back down, trying to be rocked back to sleep by the waves that gently tossed the boat.

 

[KiwiD82]

The chaise longue was designed for rests and brief naps - not night-long sleeps. Samuel shifted uncomfortably, sleeping for half an hour here and there before needing to find a new position.

At one point in the night, though he couldn't tell when, he awoke in the darkness, accompanied by a sore neck. He groaned quietly, then sat up to rub his neck and stretch it. He did his best to remain quiet, lest he wake Anna, who he assumed was still asleep.

Unable and unwilling to return to sleep just yet, he quietly approached his desk and sat down with his back to the bed. He carefully lit a candle and began to look over his charts, contemplating potential new destinations after Tortuga if his guest was to choose against a return to Kingston.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna was roused by another dream, this one not as terrifying as a storm. She was on the bow of the ship, wind in her hair and the smell of the sea filling her senses. She turned her head and saw the captain next to her, smiling at her and looking deeply in her eyes. As he was leaning his head towards hers...

Then her eyes flew open. Her heart racing. Anna found a smile appearing on her face as she wished the dream hadn't been interrupted. She noticed a faint light in the room and lifted her head to see the captain hunched over his desk.

Unsure if she should say anything, but unable to go back to sleep, Anna slipped out of bed and walked around to the front of the desk, her bare feet treading lightly over the wooden floor.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked softly, hoping she didn't startle him.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel was partway through plotting a course to Nassau when he heard her voice. It was soft and melodic - she had spoken only two words, but he was captured.

"I'm sorry to have woken you," he replied gently, drawing one last line on the map before looking up.

When he did, his breath caught in his throat. Even in the light of a single candle, Anna's beauty was unmissable. The petite brunette stood before him, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders, blue-grey eyes studying him, firm breasts pressing against her nightgown, nipples poking against the thin material...

"I...uh...no," he stammered, visibly flustered. "I was too uncomfortable."

 

[Jupiter0]

As he looked up at her, Anna could feel her body grow warm. The way he was looking at her was not dissimilar to how she had seen her father look at her mother a few times before. She smiled sheepishly and brushed her hair behind her ear, moving to sit in the chair in front of the desk.

"Oh please, take your bed back. You need it more than I do. I'd fit better on the chaise longue."

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel smiled across at Anna, but it was a sympathetic, halfhearted effort.

"That is very kind of you, milady," he spoke with a gentle tone. "But it was not I who was shipwrecked less than a day ago. If anyone deserves a restful sleep, it is you."

There was no doubt in Samuel's mind that Anna had experienced a privileged childhood. She likely wanted for nothing, so for her to be willing to give up the comfort of the bed for him - a mere pirate - was extraordinarily generous. But he was sure she needed rest just as much as him, if not more.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna met his smile, and could see he was playing the gentleman card yet again.

"Please I insist. I've had restful sleeps on surfaces much worse, I'll be fine." She said sincerely.

The bed was rather large, they could easily share, but she wasn't sure how ladylike that would be to offer such an idea. The thought of them sharing such a close proximity ran through her thoughts. A shiver went down her spine as she remembered her dream.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation as they each kept insisting that the other should take the bed.

"This is madness," he grinned. "At this rate, neither of us will get any sleep!"

The captain looked at his seated guest once more, drinking in her beauty. When she spoke of having slept in less comfortable places, he initially doubted it, before remembering that she had been sleeping in the hold of a ship for presumably weeks on end.

"Please forgive me for being so forward and improper," he continued, "But the only solution I can think of is to share the bed top and tail. I know it's probably an uncomfortable thought for you, milady, but I fear we might still be arguing at daybreak otherwise!"

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna smiled, letting out a small laugh. She could feel blood rushing to her cheeks as he offered to share the bed. Suddenly she felt nervous and self-conscious. Wasn't this exactly what she was hoping for a few moments ago? Why did this realization make her feel so...? She couldn't find a word to describe how she felt.

"You're the captain and this is your cabin. You have the right to say whatever you wish, regardless of the amount of forwardness." Anna said, debating on whether or not to say yes. If she said no, surely neither of them would get any sleep. It wouldn't be good for the captain of the only vessel around to be sleep deprived.

"However I wouldn't be opposed to such sleeping arrangements." She stood up, a yawn overtaking her as she covered her mouth. She left it at that and made her way towards the bed, her legs shaking slightly. Anna returned to the corner of the bed where she had slept previously and sat down, waiting to see what he would do.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel nodded slowly, pleased to have reached an agreement.

"Then we're decided," he smiled, before returning his focus to his charts.

Anna was sitting on the bed by the time he'd finished plotting a course to Nassau - another pirate haven - and he stood and moved to the bed.

Samuel went to the opposite side of the bed from Anna, removing his shirt and, with his back turned to her, his pants.

Left in only his underclothes, he climbed in under the covers, collecting his pillow and placing it at the foot of the bed so that Anna wouldn't have to feel too uncomfortable.

He turned over to face her as she remained seated on the bed.

"Having second thoughts, milady?"

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna couldn't help but to stare at him as he removed his shirt. His naked upper body wasn't the first she's seen--being on a ship causes plenty of those occurrences--but it was the first she'd seen in this setting. He was magnificently sculpted, like the pictures of the Greek gods she'd seen in her studies. She swallowed and looked away before he could notice her stare.

Anna blushed, smiling. "Quite the opposite, sir." She said as she laid back on her side as to retain eye contact with him. "This should work out splendidly." She said as a wave of drowsiness overtook her again. "Thank you, again, for being a generous host."

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel watched as the slender form of Anna Louise Coleman lay down next to him under the covers. Even though their heads were at opposite ends of the bed, he found he could lie on his side and watch her peaceful expression as she neared sleep.

"Happy to be of help," he whispered.

She was lost, he decided. Kingston wasn't really where she wanted to be, but it seemed as though she didn't know where she was headed.

Samuel knew that Anna might choose Kingston as her destination, and if that were the case, he was pleased to be spending a night with her in his own bed - even if it wasn't quite how he would have truly liked to have spent it.

The whole situation brought a smile to his face, which remained as he finally succumbed to his tiredness and drifted off.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. No dreams disturbed her, good or bad. She awoke to a dimly lit cabin shortly after sunrise, as far as she could tell. She looked down to where the Captain lay and admired his peaceful features, relaxed as he slept. Anna would not lie to herself; he was devilishly handsome.

A glimmer of light caught her eye as she noticed a small chest near the bed. It was opened and filled with enough jewels to befit a queen. She gasped as she reached out, afraid to touch. However a stunning ruby necklace was just laying there, dying to be worn. Anna picked it up ever so carefully, marveling at its shine and color.

Without being able to help herself, she placed the heavy necklace around her throat and clasped it in the back. Looking down at the blood red rubies contrasting against her pale chest, she felt like a goddess, or a queen. She was entranced by the beauty she nearly forgot about everything else around her.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel stirred as the Vengeful Bounty gently rocked him awake. When he opened his eyes, he was confused to see his ceiling had spun around. Looking down the bed, where he had expected to see the door to the rest of the ship, he saw only a plain wall.

The captain rubbed his eyes as his memory caught up with him. The storm. The shipwreck. The beautiful woman.

Samuel sat up to see Anna wearing a fine ruby necklace. It suited her perfectly and he grinned quietly to himself as she marvelled at it.

"Stunningly beautiful," he finally spoke, not bothering to clarify if he was complimenting Anna or the fine necklace around her lovely neck. "Did you sleep well, milady?"

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna jumped a little, startled at his voice. She looked at him, smiling sheepishly as she had been caught lost in another world. The morning light cast on his face painted him in a way she hadn't seen before. He was soft and gentle, the stress of the day had yet to make its appearance on his brow.

"It's lovely." She said looking down once again at the necklace. Reaching back to remove it, she again smiled up at him. "Quite well, thank you." She said as she returned the necklace to the chest carefully. "And you?"

 

[KiwiD82]

"Aye," Samuel nodded with a chuckle. "After we settled our differences, anyway."

The captain rubbed his eyes again, then sat up. His end of the sheet fell down to his waist, but he didn't do anything to pull it back up.

"You needn't return that yet if you don't want to," he continued, indicating the necklace. "I put the jewellery there in case you wanted to wear any of it. I figure we'll be here all day, and you'll be stuck in my quarters with little to do...and we probably won't reach Tortuga until nightfall."

Samuel pulled the sheet back further, revealing his underclothes as he started to climb out of bed.

"I presume you're hungry, milady?" he asked. "I can see the cook about getting you breakfast, unless you need anything else more urgently?"

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna couldn't help but to notice his chest as the sheets fell down. In the light, she could see every muscle, every curve. She gulped, not sure why this was affecting her so. Her hand subconsciously moved her her now bare chest as he mentioned trying on more jewelry, a smile appearing on her face and her eyes reverting back to meeting his.

"Oh yes, please. I'm famished." She said, referring to his question about breakfast. were they really that close to Tortuga? She'd have to search through that chest of garments to find something suitable for arrival. After he left of course.

 

[KiwiD82]

Samuel wasn't certain, but he thought he had caught Anna glancing at his appearance. He was flattered, but he knew she was promised to another, so he made no comment.

The captain pulled on a new shirt and pair of breeches, followed by his shoes, jacket, and tricorne, before disappearing out the door.

The light of day enabled him to get a much better look at the shipwreck. It was a mess. Shredded pieces of wood and the occasional body were floating past the Vengeful Bounty. Perhaps it was best that Anna didn't have to see such things.

Samuel could see that the bosun had the situation under control, and sailors were already clambering over what was left of the ship, or on rowboats nearby, collecting what items of value they could.

Captain Cornelius retreated into the bowel of the ship until he found the kitchen, where he instructed the cook to make a breakfast of eggs. Samuel had taken to the habit of having chickens stored on board. The birds weren't particularly fond of the high seas, but they still managed to produce eggs on an almost daily basis.

The captain was eventually able to knock on his own door for the second time in two days, a plate of two omelettes in his hand. He waited for the all clear, then stepped back inside.

 

[Jupiter0]

Anna decided that she might as well get dressed. It wasn't proper to stay in the nightgown. She found some breeches and slipped them on, enjoying the freedom of them. Men were lucky that they got to wear these all the time. She soon found a loose blouse that were allow her to remain comfortable while she was confined to the cabin, and figuring that no one would see her except for the captain. She would find something more fancy for going out to Tortuga later.

Anna stopped and looked through the jewelry, finding a beautiful pearl necklace with a jade pendant on the end, and clasping it around her neck. It hung delicately between her breasts.

Hearing a knock on the door and calling to enter, she smelled the food before she saw it. Her eyes lighting up. How was it that she was so hungry after the feast she had last night?

"Omelettes? Do you have chickens on board? That's fantastic." She said and moved over to the chair she had supped in the night before.

 

[KiwiD82]

If Anna's eyes had lit up at the sight of omelettes, then Samuel's had done the same at the sight of her, more formally dressed and with a jade pendant that drew his eyes down towards her perfectly shaped...

He forced himself to look up, hoping the warmth in his cheeks didn't show up as a redness.

"Yes, milady," he smiled in response. "They provide us with a reminder of home each morning."

He set the plate onto his desk, along with cutlery, then sat opposite her.

"About Tortuga," he spoke, really just trying to find an excuse to keep talking to her. "It can get a bit rough at times. Was there anything in particular you wanted to see or do while there?"

 

[Jupiter0]

"Please. You can call me Anna." She said as he placed the plate in front of her. She figured sleeping in the same bed would be a good enough cause to be less formal. Besides, she enjoyed the way her name sounded with his voice.

Anna began to eat her omelette, savoring the delicious flavor. She listened to what he said about Tortuga.

"I have no idea." She said honestly. "I'm not exactly sure what there is to do in Tortuga. I figured I'd just follow you around, let you show me whatever there is to see. I'm all for an adventure." She said, not sure why she was saying exactly what was on her mind. For some reason, she felt like he wouldn't judge her, but instead grant her wishes.