Stowaway...

[poohlive]

By the time he watched her head hit the pillow, he felt the sharpest of tugs within him. Something too long forgotten, built up and ignored for years. He didn't think it even existed anymore.

He helped her into bed. Her head resting on the pillow, her body curling up, soft and precious. He lay next to her, unable to resist as he let himself touch her. The hand running down her exposed arm, his head in the crook of her neck.

She smelled so good after being clean, and her soft breath caught against his forehead, this tiniest of tickles that made him think of years ago. He found sleep coming to himself as well, swiftly and lapsing.

His dreams were dry, nothing made sense. Part of them came to him, in billowing sails and beautiful colors. He imagined being on top of Niamh, taking her for the first time, kissing her as she gave a silent scream as he entered her. She cried, taking him further, begging for him.

But those images were raked away, pushed into thoughts of dog fights, running aground. So many hands coming to grasp what he had now. He took out his gun, shooting, his cutlasses, swiping at nothing but air. They kept coming, they refused to let him go.

He awoke, now laying under the covers with her. It was dark, someone had come in and set a few candles though. Niamh still slept, so calm and peaceful. They were both wrapped around each other, her naked body pressing against his own. Hands grasping for warmth, comfort.

He smiled at that, loving this feeling. One brief kiss on her lips, to steal a kiss he knew he could never have, and then fell asleep against her bare breast.

 

[Britwitch]

Niamh was so very exhausted, moreso than she would have believed. But then the sleep she had gotten in the ship's hold had been fitful at best, her nerves keeping her from sleeping too soundly in an attempt to prevent her discovery.
The dreams that then visited her as she slept were twisted and strange but she was too deep within them to stop them.

She was back in Caria, upon the throne. Her people starved and tormented by their rulers. For it was not she that commanded the kingdom, it was those that held her prisoner. Blurred images of a body rutting upon her own, a hand muffling her screams as she was taken roughly, angrily...again...and again...all to produce an heir her captors could call their own...

Then she was lifted away, strong, warm arms enveloping her and carrying her to safety. The nightmare fading away. It was the Captain. She felt herself melting into his embrace, pressing her face to his neck, hands curling up into his hair. She thanked him, her eyes earnest meeting his and finding something similiar shining back at her. She saw herself leaning closer, lips parting, eyes flickering shut, her heart beginning to race when the dream changed again.

The Captain watching with a baleful, almost protective expression as she was pulled away from him, something akin to melancholy glistening within his eyes as hands from Allan took a tight, painful hold upon her skin. She was payment, a token in exchange for the body of Jason.

Jason...he was no longer dead...he was there...forcing her down, spreading her legs and tearing at her clothes...pinning her struggling body down, ignoring the cries of help she directed at the Captain who was stood as if being restrained himself, Jason's mouth everywhere and his engorged sex probing, thrusting to enter her...

Niamh awoke with a gasp, her brow slick and oddly cool with sweat and her heart thundering within her chest. The darkness of the cabin, broken only by a few flickering candle, calmed her slightly as she fought to regain control of her breathing and her senses. It had been a dream, only a dream...

She glanced down, finding the Captain laying beside her. The soft, smoothness of his skin against her own, his head upon her breast, rising and falling with her breathing. His arms around her as her own were around him. To an onlooker they would have appeared as lovers, coupling together after a coupling of a different sort. Their embrace was as innocent as it was intimate.

Niamh was torn between pulling away and allowing herself to pull herself deeper into his arms. There was an odd kind of comfort about the situation. She had never shared her bed with another and yet to have someone so close made her feel protected and almost cherished.

She made her decision, laying her head back down upon the pillow, idly running fingers through the darkness of his waving hair, following an instinct she hadn't even recognised until she obeyed it. His hair almost as black as the night that smothered the ocean beyond the window, apart from the odd sparkle of moonlight upon the waters, Niamh wouldn't have been able to say where the sky ended and the waters began.

She watched him as he slept, marvelling at how his features had become softer and more at ease. He was a handsome man, that she could not deny and was certain of even with her limited experiences of the world, albeit in a rugged, hardy sort of way. So very different from the suitors that had visited her at court, their skin as pale and delicate as her own, their dull personalities outshone by their outrageous garments. Her fingers trailed down from his hair to follow the line of a scar upon the back of his shoulder. Fine and pale now but she was certain it had been a sizable wound at the time, she stroked it softly again and again, wondering what the story behind it might be. But then again...how many scars and stories would a man like the Captain have to share...how many would he consider even sharing with her...and, which was perhaps a more pressing concern, why did she feel such a desire to hear them...

 

[poohlive]

He woke with a simplicity, his eyes simply opening. He caught a breath deep in his chest, yawning and stretching his well laxed muscles. The eyes caught him, even moreso than the coming dawn peeking through the window.

Niamh simply lay beside him, watching him. Her large eyes running down and up, until they met his own, knowing he was awake. He smiled at her, wondering how long she had been there. How long did she wake up and do nothing more than watch over him as he slept, like some guardian angel.

Her fingers running through his hair, like a gentle sift above him. He remembered waking up like this, remembered the happier days of his youth. This young princess brought that back, making it bubble up to the surface even more than had happened in the last years, over a decade now.

He felt her legs shift, thigh over thigh against him, and realized she was still naked under the covers. She hadn't even bothered to dress, nor did she shy away from him. She had woken up and just admired him as he slumbered.

How odd for a princess.

He rose, leaving the blankets behind to cover herself. He had on only his pants, which as soon as he got out of bed, shed himself of those as well. He stood naked, in the morning light, glancing out at the window to see how beautiful a day it was.

Not a cloud in the sky, the sun just hovering above the sea, barely starting its track across the sky. It would be warm today, with good wind. No doubt about that.

Over at his dresser, he picked out new clothes for himself. A loose shirt with a wide v neck opening and strong thick woolen pants. He never hid himself, never tried to shy away from Niamh's stares.

"You should get dressed," He said, pausing after a moment to grab for his boots, pulling them on one at a time, "I would feel better if you were by my side all day today... if that is ok with you, princess."

 

[Britwitch]

Niamh had been basking slightly in the glow of dawn, she had drifted back to sleep once or twice in the darkness but had been awake for a little while when she felt the Captain stirring against her.

The smile that he gave her was utterly disarming, the tension that had started to creep into her muscles dissipated almost instantly. Any worry that the compassion he had shown her the night before as he had washed her might have turned into lusts and desires during the darkness were apparently unfounded.

She opened her mouth, feeling she should possibly say something, anything to him.
"You looked so peaceful, I could not bring myself to disturb you..." She said softly as he pushed back the covers and slid his muscular form out of the bed. Her cheeks flushed and she found herself staring as his naked body crossed the cabin, her eyes fixed upon the toned, firm globes of his rear. Niamh forced herself to follow his gaze out of the window towards the steadily rising sun. The sea shimmering with a million sparkles.

She risked a glance back towards him and found herself both relieved and slightly disappointed to see him almost entirely dressed, although she chided herself for the later.
"You should get dressed..."
"Yes...yes of course..." Niamh gathered the top sheet around herself and moved towards the drawer. Jason's attack had ruined one of the dresses she had carefully adjusted, leaving her with only one other. Perhaps she would be able to work on another during the day, provided the Captain had no other tasks for her.

She took the dress behind the screen and shed the bedsheet, pulling the material onto her naked form, thinking for a moment that she had no undergarments but putting such concerns behind her as the Captain's voice continued.
"I would feel better if you were by my side all day today... if that is ok with you, princess."
"I would feel better to be with you too...thank you..." Niamh didn't attempt to hide the relief in her voice. Her fingers behind her tightening the laces to the pale blue dress she had created from several other garments the previous day. Again it fitted her far more flatteringly that the clothes she had been forced to wear had done, gliding over her body's curves and highlighting her assets just enough.

She stepped out from the behind the screen, running her fingers through her long hair, working the side sections into two braids to keep some of it from falling into her eyes whilst the back remained loose down her back.
"I meant to ask you yesterday but events..." Her voice trembled slightly at the thought of the events that had taken place. "...I didn't have chance. I took the liberty of adjusting some of the dresses you showed me in an attempt to prevent unnecessary tensions among your crew..." She finished carefully. Not wanting to give the impression that she thought every member of his crew was little more than a lust filled animal but showing she was under no illusion that they would take little encouragement to become so. "I hope you do not mind..."

 

[poohlive]

He laughed at that, a large barrel laugh that almost echoed in his chest. It was a friendly laugh though, not mean or hurtful towards Niamh at all.

"They're not my dresses, or my clothes. They are from various women who've stayed here. You may do what you want with them. I am sorry to say most of them are from either whores or peasents, so there is not much choice. Those women want to put men in compromising situations."

He leaned over to her, pausing, kissing her on the cheek. He remember the night before, how close he had been to her, wrapping up next to her. That slim lithe naked body just quaking under his touch. He had stolen a kiss, like a true pirate.

He was tempted to touch her lips, but instead he brushed against her cheek.

"Get dressed, if you want to alter something to not entice my men, you may do so. None of them will touch you though. Jason... Jason was not part of my crew. He came along to help me with this last run, make sure his father got all of the money. You have nothing to worry about."

He wondered about that statement though. Not all of his men were as loyal as he liked. Not to mention, if nothing else, he as beginning to feel a needful urge in his fingertips to touch her, caress her, brush the hair from her eyes and stare deep into her.

He fought off anything else, going above the deck. People were already out and about, with a cool wind coming from the East, the main sail was being hoisted up to catch it. He tried his best to look for the ripped seam in it, but could not for the life of him find it.

It looked brand new.

He took his place among the wheel on the upper deck, shouted off a few random orders, and then pointed them towards the shores of Allan. It would only be a matter of hours now. Before lunch, his last mission as a pirate would be complete.


...

Second last.

 

[Britwitch]

Niamh was still smiling from the laugh that had filled the cabin moments earlier when she felt his lips press against her cheek. For a second she had thought his mouth was taking a different route, seeking out her own once more, but apparently not. The instinct to slap him, as she had slapped Jason, was overtaken by another, her chin and eyes dropping shyly as he pulled away.

She was aware he was speaking but only caught the tail end of his speech.
"...None of them will touch you though. Jason... Jason was not part of my crew. He came along to help me with this last run, make sure his father got all of the money. You have nothing to worry about."
"Thank you," She said quietly, with an almost nervous laugh of her own. "I seem to be saying that a lot around you...but please believe that I do mean it..." She smiled as he turned and left the cabin, heading above deck.

Not wanting to be alone any longer than she had to, she grabbed up a handful of garments from the drawers, along with needle, thread and the scissors and swiftly followed the Captain up to the upper deck. She positioned herself on the floor against the ship's rail, setting about cutting and resewing the dresses. Occassionally glancing up at the sky and sighing as the breeze danced across her skin, her eye drifting to the Captain now and then and his own eyes fixed upon the horizon.

She stood after an hour or so to hold the dress up against herself, making mental notes of where she would need to let out or bring in the material. It was a blend of several skirts, the shades all kinds of pink and red. Satisfied that she would have the dress finished before too long, she carefully laid it down and took a moment to stretch out the aches in her back from being sat still for so long. As she lowered her arms from their arc above her head her eyes dropped to the horizon and widened slightly. A thin dark line now graced the water line. It was land.
"Allan..." Niamh murmured, subconsciously moving closer to the Captain and the wheel. "How...how long before we reach land...?" She asked tentatively.

 

[poohlive]

"An hour, maybe less. Not much longer," He squinted at the horizon, eyes sharp and delicate, picking up everything he could see. He turned just slightly to the right, so they could come up on the Southern shore.

He knew that much of the message.

Land came closer with each guiding minute. First it grew, like a seed planted in the ground. This large dark shadow spilling out over the water. Then it rose up, mountains peaking and stabbing at the mid morning sky. Finally, it turned shades of color, green mostly, some browns, blacks and grays for rocks along shorelines.

A city was visible, with smoke rising from chimneys and thatched roof's pointing up above the treeline.

There was a port, but he did not settle there. He ran along the shore, moving further south.

Then, he took out the piece of paper.

"The Duke... of Allan doesn't want anyone to know of this meeting. He wished it to be kept secret, and he told me we were to meet here."

He said these words slowly, as if hiding something. He gave the paper to her, a simple note saying to go further south once the lands of Allan were reached. There would be a large bay opening, deep enough for a ship to run in. Take it, inside one of the waves, the Duke would be waiting.

"You were right when you said you have gifts we do not. I know many a things, can chart courses and run sail, but I can not read words. Where are we supposed to go?"

 

[Britwitch]

"An hour, maybe less. Not much longer,"
Niamh moved to stand beside him, lips slightly parted and eyes a little wider than usual as the boat drew nearer to land. Taking in the scenery as it rose up out of the water although her mind was too preoccupied about what may follow their docking to find any beauty in what she saw.

"The Duke... of Allan doesn't want anyone to know of this meeting. He wished it to be kept secret, and he told me we were to meet here."
Niamh turned to the Captain, something in his tone was not quite right. Her eyebrow quirked as he handed her a piece of paper, a scrap with instructions for the meeting. Frowning a little, delicate lines creasing her brow, Niamh turned her face up towards his, mouth opening to ask why he had given the paper to her when he answered her unanswered question.
"You were right when you said you have gifts we do not. I know many a things, can chart courses and run sail, but I can not read words. Where are we supposed to go?"

Niamh felt her cheeks flush and she had to look down at the paper in her hands.
"It...it says that you should head South until you reach a large deep bay, bring the ship into one of the caves and the Duke will be there, waiting..." She wet her lips as the Captain turned the wheel a little more in response to her words and she refolded the paper and handed it back to him. Catching his eye in the process.
"I...I know now is not the time but I...I could help you, with reading...teach you, if you wanted...if I am with you long enough of course..." She finished quietly as doubt stabbed at her heart. Jason's threats that the Captain's promise to her might not have been as genuine as she would like to believe would not leave her memory, not entirely.

"What...what do you want me to do when we get there...?" Niamh asked, swallowing the nervous tremor in her voice. "Will I be stayed on board or...or will I be accompanying you...?" She didn't know which she thought was worse. Stay alone and undefended upon the ship, a possible victim for who knew what, or go with him to meet the Duke, the father of the man whose death she was implicated in. "I...I know it is not my place but I think I would rather be...rather stay with you, Captain..." She admitted, her eye drifting to the approaching land once more. "I'm sure I will cause you less trouble if I am by your side..." Niamh added wryly.

 

[poohlive]

"You'll have to be," He said, as he stepped away from the wheel, asking one of his subordinates to take over, looking out for a deepset bay, "I need someone there who knows about royalty. I'm going to be meeting with a Duke, and I'm going to tell him I killed his son. I need you there to make sure I don't screw anything up."

He went down to the front of the deck, helping Niamh passed some of the rigging, getting her into position at the front to look for this bay that was in the paper. He held it in his hands, looking at all of the writing.

It was a complicated little piece of paper. To read it all the way through, it spoke of what happened, how the Duke would use his influence to make sure that the Captain had no more problems with the country of Allan, how this payment ensured his overall safety.

It also spoke about his son, and what would be expected. Jason would have been next in line to the throne, a single heartbeat away from king. Obviously, looking deeper into the letter, reading between the lines, as most good readers do, something devious would be done with this money. This was blood money, this money would help to assasinate the king, to make sure Jason got on that throne, and their family would be well taken care of.

The captain only stared down at it, seeing no more than odd lines running along the paper, "I'm a bit too old to learn how to read, princess. I think I can live without it. But, I do thank you for that. You can keep this paper, it means more to you than I."

Someone from the crow's nest saw it first. They turned into land, where beyond two cliff's edges came a huge bay. It looked like a hollowed out cocnut shell, the rock like weathered glass all around the edge. Foliage ran down it, vines and small trees. And in the middle a beautiful waterfall dropping hundreds of feet down to create an ongoing rainbow in the middle of the bay.

Rainbow Bay.

There stood a huge ship inside the cave behind this waterfall. The Captain ordered the ship to stop, getting out a longboat. He eased Niamh down into it, himself and a few other rowers to go out to the ship.

Another longboat followed them, with the money and the body.

They rowed into the easy bay, waters still around them. They went under the waterfall, like mist hitting their faces, cool and refreshing. The captain closed his eyes and held out his hands as they did so. It felt good. He would have to remember this place.

The ship inside looked dark and threatening. People were running about, calling out. One looked very well dressed. He was an elderly man in his 50's or so, looking with great interest at the group beneath them. His eyes were wide, big and blue, always looking, always curious.

The captain made his way up the ladder.

"Captain Wesley Acker," This curious elderly man said, with a slow and satisfying drowl, "It is good to see you. I hope this is my payment, everything."

The Captain nodded.

"Good, then where is my son?"

"He did not make it, Duke. He was killed, shot. He died bravely though, doing what he thought was right."

He gave a hard look at Niamh, but said nothing more.

"Oh Captain... this is no good. No good at all. My son? Who killed my son?"

Wesley paused for a moment, unsure... he looked all around the ship. This was no pirate ship, the crew was not half drunk or hidden away under the decks when things got tough. These were born and trained sailors, men who worked their lives on the sea, got up with the sun, broke their backs day in and out, and only rested when the work was done.

Some already had hands on their swords, eagerly waiting a reason for them to be drawn.

"Captain?"

"I did... I killed him. He was trying to rape this young girl."

The Duke paused, looking at the girl. He came up next to her, eyes wide and curious, running down her stitched up dress and her lithe form.

"Yes, he did always have problems keeping his hands to himself. But, this is a common whore, what does it..."

But then he stopped. Boy did he stop. Everything about him stopped, his eyes, which had never stopped moving from side to side, glancing here and there since the Captain had gotten onto the ship, just stared hard at her, with wonderful recognition.

"Princess?" He smiled, looking her up and down, walking towards her, lifting up the red curls from her face, staring into her green eyes.

"It is... you kidnapped Princess Niamh from Caria? Oh, Captain. I knew you were crazy and stupid, but this... do you have any idea who is after this fine young woman?"

The captain nodded, "I have an idea."

"I can see why you stopped my son. She needs to be untouched by anyone if you are to bring her back to claim any reward. Oh, how tempting. My son knew nothing of what he was doing."

"Actually, he did. He knew who she was."

"And he still tried to rape her? Why..."

 

[Britwitch]

Niamh read through the paper, eyes widening on certain sections, her mind taking in the hidden meaning. The money in the hold was doubtlessly to pay assassins and mercenaries to attack the King, ensuring Jason a trouble free route to the throne. Despite such worrying aspects, the letter clearly stated that with this shipment, Captain Acker was free of obligation to Allan and that any problems would be dealt with. The Captain was right, for the moment it did mean more to her, but she would keep it for she was certain it would come to mean a great deal more to him also.

She was tucking it into the lining of her dress when a voice called out, drawing her eyes upwards and bringing a gasp from her lips as the cave came into view. It was breathtaking, and even with her nerves, Niamh found herself staring in awe at the natural majesty before her. With her eyes wide and lips parted in a constant expression of wonderment, she took the Captain's hand and joined him in a longboat, being slowly propelled through the still waters towards the ship beyond the waterfall.

Niamh sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her face skyward as they passed through the silky soft spray of the waterfall. A million tiny droplets dancing across her skin, refreshing and cleansing, it was an amazing sensation. The water catching in her hair and hanging like miniscule crystals, shimmering and catching the light as they drew level with the ship.

"Captain Wesley Acker...It is good to see you. I hope this is my payment, everything." Came the greeting as they climbed up onto the deck. Niamh staying close to the Captain's side, fingers resisting the urge to reach out and take hold of his arm, settling for curling into the material of her dress.
"Good, then where is my son?"
"He did not make it, Duke. He was killed, shot. He died bravely though, doing what he thought was right."
Niamh felt the look the Captain gave her before her eyes saw it, sending a dull throbbing sense of doom throughout her body.

"Oh Captain... this is no good. No good at all. My son? Who killed my son?...Captain?"
"I did... I killed him. He was trying to rape this young girl."
Niamh's eyes widened, looking first at the Captain and then at the Duke, approaching curiously. She hadn't expected him to admit outright the circumstances of the demise of the Duke's son.
"Yes, he did always have problems keeping his hands to himself. But, this is a common whore, what does it..."
Niamh had snapped her eyes up angrily as the Duke called her a common whore but his expression had changed. Causing the bundle of nerves in her stomach to tighten. He knew who she was.

"Princess?...It is... you kidnapped Princess Niamh from Caria? Oh, Captain. I knew you were crazy and stupid, but this... do you have any idea who is after this fine young woman?" Niamh pulled back slightly, causing the ringlets of hair in the Duke's fingers to fall.
"I have an idea."
"I can see why you stopped my son. She needs to be untouched by anyone if you are to bring her back to claim any reward. Oh, how tempting. My son knew nothing of what he was doing."
"Actually, he did. He knew who she was."
"And he still tried to rape her? Why..."
"Because he believed if he did, my Lord, he would get himself a bride and a country in one stroke..." Niamh interjected flatly, setting her jaw as she stepped forwards slightly.

"Jason believed if he...if he took me as his, I would have to marry him, thus giving him a reason to ask you to invade Caria on 'our' behalf..." She began to explain, her distaste evident.
"He would have a bride who would be Queen by birthright in her own country, and Allan would have the opportunity to increase their land and wealth by goodness knows how much..."

"I declined his offer of 'protection' in return for laying with him and he decided that my answer was not the one he wanted to hear and took matters into his own hands. Fortunately for me, the good Captain Acker was on hand to stop things before they went too far..." Niamh paled a little, her mind flashing back to the fear and horror of feeling Jason's swollen shaft forcing it's way inside her.

"But I have talked too much, my Lord. I am sorry for your loss but as you have said yourself, it was a fate he brought upon himself. Now, if you will excuse us, the Captain and his crew have fulfilled their part of their arrangement with you and I am sure would like to be on their way..."
"What arrangement, your Highness...?" The Duke asked in an almost sickly sweet tone, the kind one uses when humouring a child or a senile relative.
"This one, my Lord..." Niamh replied in a similar tone as she waved the paper the Captain had given her, almost taunting the Duke. His eyes widened and then narrowed slightly.

"A piece of paper...you think I should be concerned about a piece of paper given to you by a pirate, hardly the most trustworthy of sources, your Highness?" A little of the blusteriness left the Duke's voice, replaced by an undeniable tremor of concern.
"Be that as it may, this paper contains your signature and the seal of Allan...and you and I both know that be they pirates or not, a written agreement is as binding on sea as it is on land..." She found herself snatching the paper back out of reach as the Duke's hand moved to take it, stepping away from him and closer to the Captain.

Turning her back to the Duke and pressing the paper into the Captain's hand, Niamh swiftly pushed herself up onto her toes to whisper briefly into his ear, her hand holding his arm, pressing her body against his.
"By rights, he can't do anything to you here...but that won't stop him, not for long...take your men and take your ship and get as far away from here as you can because there's a greedy glint in that old man's eyes that even a Princess can spot..."

 

[poohlive]

He felt so proud of Niam at that point. It was like watching a swordsman at work, how she challenged and countered the Duke. Wesley felt at a loss for words, mostly because he did not quite understand what was going on.

Then, she put the paper in his hand. Apparently it was more than just directions. He looked down at it, simply squiggled lines to him. Maybe... maybe he would take Niamh up on that offer after all.

The Duke laid his dull flat curious eyes on the princess for a moment longer than necessary, before a smile curled around his lips.

"You are right, of course princess. We made a contract, your gold for your freedom of piracy. You and your crew are free to go."

He bowed down towards the captain and the princess. Wesley didn't like it. The man relented too easily. His hand found its way towards Niamh's, guiding her to the side of the ship, to where the ladder and their longboats were waiting.

The Duke grabbed the other arm of the princess though, yanking her. At once she was flown back, where two of the hardened sailors caught her, one in each arm.

"If I'm not mistaken though, the princess isn't part of your crew. Which means, by her own accounts, she is not part of the deal. Princess Niamh, I still have some settlement to deal with my son. I am sure you and the power you have... or had in Caria, can help me get some compensation."

Wesley already had his sword out, but two other men drew just as fast. His crew stood surrounded, as the sailors took out guns and swords. The Duke found himself more than pleased by what was taking place.

"She's mine, you can't have her."

"I beg to differ, Captain."

"Duke..."

"She was kidnapped, by a pirate. You have just been cleared of all crimes against your head, Wesley. By taking her on your ship, you will have just commited another crime, and your whole life's work of being free and clear will have been for nothing. I have just saved a princess from almost certain rape and doom from a bunch of cuthroat pirates. Now, I get to take her back to her home land, where I am sure a bunch of men are waiting to handsomely reward me."

Wesley saw princess Niamh, his eyes pausing over her. What could he do? He had wanted to make her feel safe, feel welcome with him. Even if his plan had been the exact same as this Duke's here. He had to do something, but what? If he tried to save her he would be run down.

"What do I do?" His eyes asked her.

 

[Britwitch]

"You are right, of course princess. We made a contract, your gold for your freedom of piracy. You and your crew are free to go."
Niamh took hold of the Captain's hand, a sense of relief flooding her and a slightly proud smile curling her lips at how well she had handled herself. She had almost felt like her old self, arguing and debating with her tutors, more playfully so with her father. She was so lost in her own euphoria that she barely registered the hand closing around her upper arm, catching her unaware and causing her to release the Captain's hand all too easily.

She struggled as two of the Duke's men took a firm hold of her, each man holding an arm tightly.
"If I'm not mistaken though, the princess isn't part of your crew. Which means, by her own accounts, she is not part of the deal. Princess Niamh, I still have some settlement to deal with my son. I am sure you and the power you have... or had in Caria, can help me get some compensation."
"...Never...!" Niamh all but snarled, twisting and pulling uselessly between the men.

"She's mine, you can't have her."
"I beg to differ, Captain."
"Duke..."
"She was kidnapped, by a pirate. You have just been cleared of all crimes against your head, Wesley. By taking her on your ship, you will have just commited another crime, and your whole life's work of being free and clear will have been for nothing. I have just saved a princess from almost certain rape and doom from a bunch of cuthroat pirates. Now, I get to take her back to her home land, where I am sure a bunch of men are waiting to handsomely reward me."

Niamh caught the Captain's eye across the deck, she could see an unfamiliar gleam of confusion shining back at her. He didn't know what to do, but she felt some sense of consolation that he seemed to want to do something. She wet her lips, turning her eyes to the smirking Duke and narrowed them.
"If you think that those bastards from Braviens will treat you any better than you are treating me then you are even more foolish than I gave you credit for..." She said, her voice almost worryingly level. The men on either side of her still had their swords within their scabbards, their hands too busy holding her upper arms. An idea, the slightest glimmer of an idea, glowed in the back of her mind.

If she could get to one of their swords, the element of surprise might be enough to get her over to the Captain and give them a chance of escape. She moved her eyes to the Captain's, glancing pointedly down towards the waist of the man beside her. Praying he'd understand and think of something, anything, to distract the attention of the men holding her away from their weapons. It would only have to be for a moment, but a moment could be more than enough to catch a sailor off guard.

 

[poohlive]

Oh god, no! That is exactly what he had been avoiding. If she were caught in a fight? Even the slightest chance something could go wrong, he couldn't stand to see her hurt.

And, she was an investment.

He hated himself for thinking that, for thinking of her like another priceless gem he had taken, and for thinking her a human being when he knew what he was going to do to her.

If the Duke had offered a decent price, would Wesley have taken it?

"I know what has happened princess," He said, holding up another piece of paper. It had a very good likeness of her, asking for anyone to help find her, large reward by order of the Bravien Empire.

"Don't think me for a fool, I know precisely what will happen when I hand you over."

He couldn't even sacrifice himself. He had nothing that the Duke wanted, except for the princess. Even the gold, he stared at it down in its chests. Even if he threatened to dump it overboard, the Duke would not care. Niamh was worth ten times that to the right person.

And the Duke knew all the right people.

"This is getting boring, Captain. My men will start shooting, with or without provocation. Now get off my ship."

He could see Niamh from the corner of his eyes, desperately trying to tell him she could help. What a fool hardy woman to think he and a few of his men could take an entire ship. They would need...

They would need a hostage, and leverage. He looked from Duke to the princess, there and back again.

"Captain." He turned back to the princess, taking out his long sword. He pointed it at her, right at her throat expectantly, "If nothing else, you wouldn't want to see her precious..."

Wesley moved with precision. His boots were loud, echoing off the floorboads as he ran for the Duke. At once he had his hand around the man's neck, his sword coming right up to the skin, threatening to draw blood. Everyone looked at him, forced to react... but there was nothing they could do.

"Nobody move!" He called out, holding the Duke, threatening him, "I just want the princess. That's it. You got me?"

 

[Britwitch]

"I know what has happened princess...Don't think me for a fool, I know precisely what will happen when I hand you over."
Niamhs reaction to the reward announcement was to stare past it, ignoring the image of herself and the exorbitant reward spoken of beneath it, glaring at the Duke and channeling all of her hate and anger at what had happened to her so far at him. The Captain was, apparently, lost in his own thoughts. Niamh wondered if he might not be the hero she was so intent to paint him as. Still, he had saved her life, regardless of whatever else had or may pass and for that alone she had to believe he may do it again.

"This is getting boring, Captain. My men will start shooting, with or without provocation. Now get off my ship."
Niamh glanced across at the Captain, once again trying to plead with her eyes for him to help her, she knew he had his doubts about her ability with a blade and who wouldn't. She knew from the scores of other ladies of the nobility that she had met in her life, most of them barely knew one end of the weapon to the other. She was different and she almost relished the chance to show him that.

Niamh had grown up with brothers, crown princes, who were trained not only to rule but to defend their realm. She had joined in their training and their games at first out of a sibling's desire to do what those she admired did, but then later her reason for continuing the training when her brothers were already off serving their country in the army was because she had found she enjoyed it...and, according to those that taught her, she wasn't half bad at it either.

Niamh frowned slightly, watching the Captain's gaze flitting between herself and the Duke. Perhaps he had a plan of his own after all.
"Captain...If nothing else, you wouldn't want to see her precious..."
Niamh tensed, the chillingly cold tip of the Duke's sword against her neck, ceasing her struggles almost instantly.
But as she froze, the Captain appeared to leap into action. Within a few brisk and certain strides he was upon the Duke, an arm around his neck and a blade to his throat.
"Nobody move!...I just want the princess. That's it. You got me?"

Niamh couldn't help but grin as he threatened the Duke.
"Don't...don't...!" Babbled the Duke, his face paling and wider eyes growing ever more so.
Silence hovered over the deck of the ship, the only sound the slightly ragged breathing of the Duke against the constant rumble of the waterfall behind them.
"You...you wouldn't..." He began, his words coming short as the blade in the Captain's hand pressed a little more firmly against his throat.

The men holding her faltered for a split second, the desire to defend their leader and reach for their swords overcoming their desire to follow orders and keep her restrained. That was all Niamh needed. She wriggled out of their slightly loosened grip, snatching at a sword on the way past and moved to stand beside the Captain and the quivering Duke still held before him. Her stance was defensive, blade raised, feet apart, eyes narrowed and sweeping across the bemused sailors before them.

"Now...now what do we do...?" She asked quietly, backing until her body made contact with the Captain's. "I would suggest bringing him with us...they wouldn't risk a shot at either of us as long as we have him..." Niamh's voice steady, years of history lessons and lectures on the art of warfare she had listened in on coming into play. "Once we get him back to the Guardian I'll leave it up to you what you choose to do with him..." She finished, giving the Duke a vengeful glare. "But...we'll do whatever you think best, Wesley..." Her gaze shifted, up to the Captain's face, flashing him an almost blinding smile.

 

[poohlive]

The Captain nodded, although he wasn't sure what he was going to do with a Duke. No matter what he would have people coming after him for this. If not this ship itself, others. If he let the Duke go, he would send an armada after the princess, to get her back.

If he really did decide to kidnap the Duke, then the armada would come anyway, wanting back their royal person. He looked over at the princess, who seemed to be smiling. He smiled back, although he wasn't sure why. She had placed him in another tough spot, between two choices he could not contemplate.

If he just let the Duke go, let him have the princess? Just let her go already, and be done with it all. He could leave now, with nothing more than a guilty conscious.

He already had one of those, though, and refused to have another.

"We're all going down, nice and slow."

They went down the ladder, princess first, followed by one of his men, and then the Duke. He was between two swords the whole time, everyone watching carefully, closely. The Duke never did anything, despite his chance, he just climbed down, his eyes ever shifting, every curious.

The Captain hated that. Made it look like the man was trying to look at every angle, seeing some other way out, something that Wesley might have overlooked. Wesley knew he wasn't the smartest person, he knew he overlooked things sometimes. He had tried his best.

Sometimes though, even that wasn't good enough.

"If I see this ship on the horizon behind us, he dies... you understand?"

Wesley said this as the long boats shoved off, going back towards his ship. The gold was still left on the deck, no one to claim it.

"This is a big mistake, Captain. Listening to a princess for advice? What else has she been feeding you?"

Wesley winced at that, wrapping his hand tighter around the piece of paper she had given him. She said it was important. Was it? Had she been lying?

No, why would she lie to him? She had no reason, she thought she could trust him, she thought he was on her side. If she knew the truth, then she would lie to him, do anything she could to escape.

He didn't know what to do.

Back on board his ship, he had the Duke tied up to the main mast, hoisted sail, and left. They made an about face, heading in the exact opposite direction.

"Niamh," He called her over, looking at the Duke now, "This is your call. He wanted you, so... you need to decide. What do we do with him."

 

[Britwitch]

Niamh's smile faltered slightly in the pause that followed, her happiness at being free from the potential clutches of the Duke began to fade as the Captain nodded but did not reply. That pang of worry that she was almost too eager to portray the Captain as a hero in her mind and try to forget the chance that his own intentions towards her were no more noble than the Duke's and Jason's had been returned to her stomach, making her tighten her jaw and causing the blade in her hand to shake ever so slightly.

Just as she began to worry that her saviour was about to desert her, he spoke.
"We're all going down, nice and slow."
Niamh gratefully went down the ladder and into the longboat, her eyes and the sword she had taken from the sailor constantly aimed at the Duke as he descended alongside her.
"If I see this ship on the horizon behind us, he dies... you understand?"
"This is a big mistake, Captain. Listening to a princess for advice? What else has she been feeding you?"
Niamh glowered at the Duke, feeling a sting at her confidence, at her security. Glancing at the Captain, hoping he wouldn't doubt her now. Not now, not when she had put so much trust in him. Although perhaps she had been wrong to do so...

Once on board, with the Duke securely bound and the sails billowing in the wind, Niamh approached the Captain with slight, and unexpected, trepidation.
"This is your call. He wanted you, so... you need to decide. What do we do with him."
"I..." Niamh turned to the Duke and then back to the Captain, wetting her lips slightly. "I don't know...I know that to keep him aboard will lead to goodness knows what kinds of trouble for you and your crew. Until now, no one knew I was on board, and if you release him you will not only have him and his navy on your tail...you will have every mecenary who hears about it too...and it's my fault...if I hadn't hidden in your hold than you would be free of your obligation to Allan by now and sailing off into the sunset, planning your future...but you're not..." Niamh frowned, glancing down at the deck beneath her feet. "I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble...and I fear I shall be apologising to you for sometime if the Duke is free and able to spread the word of my whereabouts..."

Niamh gave the Duke another brief glance before looking up into the Captain's face.
"I have put my trust in you so far and I swear that if you help me find assistance I shall see you amply repaid...but for now, I can only ask that you put your trust in me...I may know little of the laws of the sea and the codes that men such as yourself keep...but I know the ways of nobility, the way they flatter and cheat in the same breath, twisting the truth to fit their own purposes...I know I speak of my own kind I suppose. but I promise you I am not the same as they and if you'll follow my lead, I think I know a way to get the Duke off of your ship...and off of your tail..." Niamh's eyes sparkled with mild excitement, her teeth catching on her lower lip slightly. "But it all comes down to whether you can trust me enough to go through with it...if not, you might as well hand me over to him here and now because men like the Duke do not stop until they have what they are after...and I wouldn't want to bring that upon you...so, do you think you can trust me...?"

 

[poohlive]

He had to trust her? What a foreign concept to come to him. He had thought of a lot of different scenarios that the princess might do, even something drastic to the Duke, kill him, let him be buried at sea, but to ask him to trust her?

Why would he need to?

She would be thinking something. He remembered seeing her, how she acted with the Duke, how they fought with words instead of swords, but just as fierce, just as tactful using either. It was something that the Captain could never do.

"It would not matter about me, princess!" The Duke spoke, harsh, almost spitting his words, "They will know soon enough. Everyone on that ship heard me say who you are. I am not surprised if they are going right not to the capital, to Allan's king to get an entire fleet after me. You are right, by morning, every ship with sails will be after you, and you too Captain Wesley. Right now, I'm your only hope at freedom."

He turned back to Niamh, a great sigh coming up in his barreled chest. Is that how they were going to play this? At this point, Wesley had all the power, but both Niamh and the Duke needed him, and he was caught between the two, knowing if either won it meant he lost.

If the Duke got his way, Welsey would be at best free but broke, and at worst dead at the bottom of the sea.

With Niamh getting her way, she would just run and hide, trying to find people loyal to her cause, but unable to. There would be no one, no one to come and help her.

Captain Wesley needed Niamh to barter for his own freedom, and he needed to get the Duke off of his back. And he needed both of those things to happen.

"She plays the game better than I, Captain Wesley. How do you think she got so powerful to begin with? You feel her land was overtaken? Impossible, ask anyone, someone from the inside helped the Braviens. Someone had access to get them in. And she is the only left alive..."

Wesley took out his sword, pointing at the Duke. The Duke's eyes grew wide, wide and curious at the glint of the blade, but he did not show fear. Of course, why would he? The Captain could no more run him down now than he could the princess.

"Gag him, I don't want another of his lies to come aboard this ship."

Two men took the dirtiest filthiest rag they could find and forced it down the Duke's mouth. For the first time, he didn't look like he was in charge of the situation.

The Captain grabbed Niamh by her arm, moving her away from the others. His touch was not forceful, or hurtful, but it was assertive. He came very close to her, his eyes pleading, his touch gentle against her skin.

"Suppose I do trust you, more than the Duke anyway... what could you do, what could you possibly do to help?"

 

[Britwitch]

"It would not matter about me, princess!...They will know soon enough. Everyone on that ship heard me say who you are. I am not surprised if they are going right not to the capital, to Allan's king to get an entire fleet after me. You are right, by morning, every ship with sails will be after you, and you too Captain Wesley. Right now, I'm your only hope at freedom."
Niamh refrained from looking at him, determined not to let him see any uncertainty in her eyes. If her planned deception was to work, she had to appear utterly at ease and she knew she wouldn't be until she knew the Captain would back her up. The sigh that greeted her from the depth of his broad chest was not too comforting.

"She plays the game better than I, Captain Wesley. How do you think she got so powerful to begin with? You feel her land was overtaken? Impossible, ask anyone, someone from the inside helped the Braviens. Someone had access to get them in. And she is the only left alive..."
"Gag him, I don't want another of his lies to come aboard this ship."
The Captain's order came moments before Niamh was about to open her mouth and say something similar. Before she could comment and say as much she found herself being propelled away from the crew and the Duke, the Captain's hand around her arm, firm and unquestionnable. But it wasn't rough or aggressive, it was simply strong-willed. Niamh mused that such a touch would have terrified her a few short days ago but now...

"Suppose I do trust you, more than the Duke anyway... what could you do, what could you possibly do to help?"
"We don't have time to discuss it, either you trust me or you don't..." Niamh said bluntly, "...the longer we delay, the less likely he will be to believe what I am going to tell him..." Niamh paused, waiting for him to broke an argument. When he did not, she closed her eyes for a second or two, composing herself. Trying to remember everything she had ever been told about the public face of a monarch. Whatever a royal was feeling on the inside, the public would only know about it if they decided to share it, her mother's voice said within her head. A King or Queen had to be as good at acting as the artistes who performed within their palaces. Kingdoms were won and lost over such performances, lives saved or sacrificed, and Niamh was a Queen now and the first life she would have to try and save would be her own.

"Just...go along with whatever I say and...well, forgive me..." Niamh finished, slightly enigmatically before taking a slight breath and pushing herself towards the Captain, pressing her slightly trembling lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss obviously startled the Captain, the tensing of his body gave that away but he didn't seem to react too badly. She pulled away and turned to face the Duke, an almost wicked smile upon her lips.

"...My dear Duke, I think you should get off of your island a little more often and then perhaps you would be a little more in touch with current events..." Her voice was a little husky from nerves and the kiss but it was level and almost too quiet. "Let me enlighten you on a few details that seem to have been lost in their transition from the mainland...firstly, I am on this ship because I want to be not as the victim of a kidnapping, there may well be a reward out for my return but I am not being held to ransom...as you can see, I am not bound nor am I confined to a cell...besides, if I were a hostage, don't you think the good Captain here would have set a bounty of his own..." Niamh's eyebrow quirked slightly as the Duke's struggle against the gag paused. Her words were mainly the truth she reasoned and the Duke could tell that much.

"Secondly, as you have said yourself, I play the game very well Duke and I am more powerful than I think you give me credit for...my family and I knew the invasion was coming,we have our own spies and informants just as you and Allan and the Braviens have theirs...and we have been preparing for it. This ship is en route to an island upon which is the army that Caria has been building...it's just a drop in the ocean when compared to our hidden reserves within Caria itself but the ships and crews upon it will given me an added element of surprise when I return to retake Caria from those foolish enough to try and steal it from me..."

There was a zeal within her voice that was not entirely unfounded. There were reserves within Caria that would not act without the specific command of the royal family. If the Captain could find her enough support to get her safely back into the country, they would be hers to command. She spoke slowly and calmly, as if revealing the musings of hours past, hiding the rushed way in which the words were forming within her mind.

By now the Duke appeared frozen, his face slightly pale and eyes widened, a nervous sheen across his brow. Smirking Niamh walked back towards the Captain,
"...oh...and the reason Jason was stopped, it was not because my virginity needs protecting but because we could not afford to have him find out otherwise..." Niamh licked her lips slightly, moving to take the Captain's hand and pressing herself up against him, kissing his neck and then a little higher to kiss his jaw. "...Braviens has lost it's hope at a 'legitimate' claim to the throne and they don't even know it yet..." She all but giggled, running a hand down the Captain's chest and pressing her body a little closer to him.

"...So, Duke...seeing as you're not going anywhere, we'll give you a little time alone, to think about your position...you have no power here. The Captain is free of you, thanks to the contract in his pocket and any attempt you think you have over me is null and void...although I'd love to watch you being run through upon returning me to Caria when the Braviens discover I'm not the innocent I used to be and when I command the Carian reserves into action...you need to think of a reason why we shouldn't kill you now and dump you overboard."

"I can assure you there will be little fuss made over the death of an old Duke...your King will understand the situation far more than you...after all, thats the difference between the nobility and the monarchy..." Niamh's delicate nose wrinkled at the word nobility, adding to the tone of disgust in your voice. "One has the right and ability to rule...the other merely provides entertainment for them..."

"Anyway...we'll get back to you in a little while once we have...dealt with some other pressing business..." Niamh winked before whirling around to kiss the Captain again, her eyes tightly shut, praying he wouldn't give the game away and would attempt to reciprocate. She also hoped he would take her hint and take her into the cabin where she would at least be able to give in to the trembles that were threatening to take over her body.

 

[poohlive]

He took her through the door and into the room. For a moment he saw her, shaking, scared, uncertain... nothing like how she had been outside. It was as if passing through that door had changed her, changed everything about her.

One large scoop of his hands swept her up though, kissing her. God, it had felt soo good to kiss her, even if it had been for someone else's enjoyment. He hoped it wasn't all that, he hoped some part of her felt a brushing, a longing, their lips meeting.

He broke it, smiling, "You did it. You really did it. I don't know what you did, but you did it, all right."

He realized he was holding her up off of the floor. A bright smile blushed across his face as he let her down, leaning back up against the wall. She was playing her game, playing it very well. The Duke would be, if nothing else confused. Hopefully he would be downright scared shitless, and vulnerable. That would make him useful.

Or, it would make him desperate. A gamble, whatever the cost, but at least it was something.

"I still don't understand though, by morning we'll still have an entire fleet after us. What is this going to do?"

Wesley sat on the bed, honestly thinking about it. Was there something he was missing? The Princess obviously thought more than him, knowing more angles, thinking this way when he could only see what was right in front of him. Scaring the Duke might be fun, and entertaining, but what could it do? Instead of having a manipulative conniving Duke on his hands, he had a scared one.

And then Niamh. The way she acted, her persona out there. If he didn't know what she was doing... well, he didn't know, but if she hadn't just told him, he never would have believed it. Honestly, Wes would have thought this pirate life had just gone to her head and she was finally coming out.

Seeing her now, he knew that wasn't true. But still, how could he ever trust her now, when she could lie so well? She looked at the Duke straight in the eye and spoke pure nonsense. She could do it to him, she could use him as well as the Duke, to get what she wanted.

He would not be used. No matter what, he would not.

Still, he could only smile when he looked at her, "You did very well."

 

[Britwitch]

Once in the cabin, before Niamh could say or do anything further, she found herself taken into the Captain's arms and kissed. She felt herself attempting to return it, unsure quite what to do, before she could notice the pair of them were safely concealed behind the closed door. Her arms moving to rest upon his shoulders, that stirring sensation deep within her as his lips caressed hers. She sighed slightly as he broke it, realising only when he began speaking to her that her eyes were still closed.

"You did it. You really did it. I don't know what you did, but you did it, all right."
Niamh blushed happily, the pulse of happiness that ran through her at seeing him so apparently elated as the result of her own actions was unexpected but undeniably lovely.

The Captain lowered her back to the floor, leaning away from her slightly, allowing her to gather her thoughts which seemed to have left the Duke far behind and were now reliving that kiss again...and again...and wondering whether he might possibly be doing the same...
"I still don't understand though, by morning we'll still have an entire fleet after us. What is this going to do?"
Niamh sighed, moving to sit beside him, fingers playing with a loose thread from one of the seams on her dress, trying to find a way to explain her more than outrageous display out on the deck.

"You did very well." His smiled words cut through her thoughts and drew her eyes to his face.
"Thank you...I tried...although I'm sure my mother and father would have been proud of me too..." She finished quietly. "I am sorry I could not explain things more to you before I began but...I barely knew what I was going to say and do before the words formed upon my tongue...but I knew I had to try..." Niamh lowered her eyes slightly before adding.

"...I hope you weren't offended by my...by the kisses...and the embrace but it felt like the kind of thing lovers would do and by insinuating that we are more than mere acquaintances, my value as a hostage has plummeted," She smiled slightly at that before adding slightly awkwardly, "My value to those who do not know the truth of the matter of course..."

"As for the Duke...if he now believes that I have an army of my own somewhere, poised to retake Caria then he knows his own King will not interfere...regardless of any personal vendetta the Duke may have against you or I for the death of Jason...there are no treaties binding countries together in times of invasion as there were hundreds of years ago and so Kings and Queens tend not to want to be drawn into other people's battles...unless they definitely stand something to gain. The King of Allan would gain nothing by recapturing me and taking me to Caria, at least he will believe he would not when the Duke relays what I told him, except the loss of some of his men during their flight..."

Niamh stood and wandered across to the window, glancing out as Allan began to grow smaller behind them on the horizon.
"I know that what you saw out there, the way I acted, is so very different to the way..." Niamh frowned, finding it hard to say what she wanted. Partly because she wasn't entirely sure why the Captain's opinion of her should matter. But nevertheless, she couldn't bear the thought of him thinking less of her because of the way she had acted upon deck.

"You and I are very similar Captain, we both have faces we cannot show to those around us. As a Captain you must maintain a distance from your men to ensure that their loyalty isn't compromised by friendship. As a member of the royal family, I have an obligation to show my people and those around me that I have the strength and ability to rule, regardless of how I feel inside. We both perform in order to do what we must..." She turned back to him, walking over and sitting back down beside him.

"I didn't ask for any of this, I have lost more in the last few days than most lose in a lifetime...all I want is freedom...ideally back in Caria with my people, but I would be no use to them dead or as little more than a figurehead as I surely would be if I returned and so...I will take my freedom wherever I can get it...and will do whatever it takes to achieve it...you have won your freedom today Captain, that contract from the Duke has made you a free man, your future is your own to dictate...I can only hope to be able to say the same about my own future one day...but until that day, my future is in your hands..."

 

[poohlive]

Did she have to say things like that? He lowered his head, out of shame if nothing else. God, she trusted him so much, she knew her life was in his hands. And thanks to his promise to keep her more compliant, she thought he would be doing all of this just to help her.

She didn't even notice the fact that they were leaving Allan the same way they had come, the opposite direction. Heading right back for Caria.

He hoped it would take a while longer for her to figure it all out.

"I just hope the side you show me isn't some other mask you must wear as princess," He said, taking her hand in his, squeezing it. He didn't know why he would be hurt to know this wasn't the real her. Maybe because she was so nice, so kind, so soft and peaceful. Maybe becaue he liked her like this, and while outside was nice with the kissing and touching and manipulating, he didn't like it. He didn't like her like that.

He pulled in closer to her though, cupping her face in his large rough hands. Something so pleasent and so passive in his look to her.

"You are free, princess. Right here, right now. Nothing but the ocean under you, no one to tell you what to do. You are free."

He leaned in, his kiss fluttering, brief. But he lingered, staying close to her, tasting her soft sweet lips on his own. He was reluctant to kiss again, if only because he felt her own hesitation.

But, the moment passed, and he drew her into him. He drew her deep, drinking her in like good cool water. A passion he had not felt in a long time, coming out in that kiss.

 

[Britwitch]

"You are free, princess. Right here, right now. Nothing but the ocean under you, no one to tell you what to do. You are free."
The first kiss sent a ripple of...something racing down her spine. Niamh shivered, she actually shivered as his lips left hers. It was so innocent a touch and yet, it made her feel things she couldn't explain or put into words.

Her eyes were hazy and cheeks a little flushed as he pulled back slightly for a moment. Before she could say or do anything in response he drew her into his embrace and pressed his lips to hers once more. Her breath deserting her as she felt herself growing relaxed within his arms, the initial tenseness that had invaded her muscles fleeting as her eyes closed and she felt herself kissing him back.

Her inexperienced lips attempting to mimic the motion of the Captain's, parting slightly with a sigh as her hands rose from her lap, unsure of what to do, settling for resting upon the broad plain of his chest. Tingles of excited nervousness invading every part of her body, unrecognisable but unbelievable sensations dancing across her skin and coursing through her veins.

Niamh had imagined how she would feel when she was kissed, properly kissed, for the first time. She hadn't pictured the scene would take place within a ship's cabin, with a man she had known for only a couple of days but everything else about it was even more breathtaking than she could have imagined.

His lips were soft and smooth against hers, there was a need in the kiss but it wasn't the desperate kind that Jason had forced her to experience. Her heart thrilled for a second as she dared to imagine what had brought such a kiss to her lips from such a man.

Instincts began to filter into her mind, she felt herself leaning a little closer, her head tilting, almost offering her lips to his mouth.

 

[poohlive]

It felt warm, inviting. Her actions hesitant, but not stopping him. The touch to his chest did not push him away, it only kept him there. Her lips, young inexperienced kisses only sought to find his own.

She leaned into him. He moved to be across from her, his hands running down her body, that mild dress she wore. For a moment he wanted her in the dress before, something that showed more of her body, more cleavage. He liked that dress, she wore it very well.

His hand moved down the curve of her breast, the smoothness of her stomach, her hips, resting on her thigh. He could feel such heat radiating from her, an almost impossible heat.

Had this been her first kiss, her first attempt at passion? He knew she was a virgin, but had no man even touched her so? Had she not allowed it?

He leaned her back. A slow and steady process. His lips on hers, letting her feel him, explore him, kiss him the way she wanted. There was no need to rush, no expended hurry of passion.

She lay on the bed now, himself over her, hovering, towering, kissing her. The soft gentle eyes looking down on her. How beautiful she was, her hair curled around her like a crown now.

"You are beautiful," He whispered, his kiss hot, fiery, his tongue coming out to lick at her lips, to taste her for the first time.

 

[Britwitch]

The touch of his hand shifting from her face, down along the side of her frame, following the curves of her body beneath her dress, left wamth in it's wake. She knew she should pull back, ask him to stop, they were neither courting nor promised, she barely knew him...no one had ever touched her in such a way...but she simply couldn't make herself do such a thing.

His kiss was intoxicating, she felt her hands rise from his chest to run through his hair, feeling the thickness, the surprising silkiness there as he began to guide her backwards. Soon enough the bed was against her back, her chest rising and falling more markedly as he looked down at her, eyes bright and sparkling, cheeks flushed, lips plump from their connection with his.

"You are beautiful,"
Niamh felt the surprising prick of tears behind her eyes at his words. She had been told such things before but the words had never had any feeling behind them, certainly not the almost awelike quality his voice had given them. She felt special and unique and...and desired...she, herself, not her crown or her kingdom but her.
His tongue snaked between his lips as his head drew closer once more, tickling her lips as he dragged it slowly and carefully across them.

Her lips parted, the tingling, tickling touch of his tongue too much to resist, allowing it to enter her mouth. Her fingers continued to curl and play amongst his hair, her back arching slightly, tilting her chin towards the ceiling, as her stomach erupted with the unsatiable throbbing feeling of excitement.

Their kiss deepened, she followed his lead continuously, drawing his lower lip between her own slightly, almost suckling upon it for a moment or two, daring to run the tip of her tongue across it in the process. Before giving the same treatment to the other lip. She was losing herself in the feelings he had awoken, no, not awoken, created within her. She was certain they were feelings that did not exist until he had touched her.

He leant over her, something was almost comforting in the slight pressure of his frame over her own. His touch was nothing but gentle and considerate. His kiss slow and easy, allowing her to learn from him, learn how to touch, to taste...to enjoy...
Niamh found her thighs pressing together inexplicably beneath her dress as his tongue brushed against her own, suddenly aware that her nipples were reacting within the dress...her body obeying commands her mind had never even given...

 

[poohlive]

He couldn't do this, could he? Something refreshing about her inexperience told him she would stop it, she would push him away, her small hands on his large frame, telling him to stop, knowing if he truly didn't want to, he wouldn't. But, he would... he would for her.

Instead, she brought him in further, inviting. She played, suckling at his lips, her hands roaming free in his hair, along his neck.

His own hand reached reached down to the hem of her dress, touching bare leg. A moment of wonderful excitement, tingling at such soft skin against his rough fingertips. He moved it up though, the fabric riding with his hand, running up her leg.

Such exposure, such intimacy. His kisses golden fires of a sunset, and her lips the cooling sea, waiting to put it to bed. He broke it, if only for a moment, to move down to her neck.

He nuzzled there, his lips on her skin, his tongue coming to dance against her young flesh. He suckled as well, bringing her into him, tasting her fresh and wonderful on his tongue.

Up to her ear, where he licked, nibbled, brought her in further. His words were whispered right into her ear, sweet nothings, nothing comprehendable. She was beautiful, she was wonderful, he loved the touch of her, the feel of her under him.

She was under him. He was on top, his frame almost crushing her. He thought for a moment if he could crush her. She seemed so soft, so gentle next to him. His muscles towered, almost double the size of her own.

But, he could not stop, he did not want to stop. The feelings were too close, too raw for him. He needed this.