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Fantasy .:A Doubloon For Yer Soul:.

S

StruggleBusNotHere

New Member
“The Governor is drunk already.”

The words floated in over Rosabella’s bare shoulder, causing her to tear her vibrant green eyes away from the nearby neatly decorated table that was heavily laden with various cakes, pies, creams, fruits, and custards. She glanced towards the direction that the words had come from, letting her gaze fall upon the one familiar face she had at a banquet filled with strangers who were dressed in their finest garb, in celebration of a historic moment for the island that they called home.

Catching the eye of the older man who bore a scared and weathered face, she offered him a wan smile of her own, before finally turning to fully look upon him,

“I cannot say I blame ‘im. I do not have to dance in the halls of politics er’ry day, yet I still yearn for me rum. I’m a wee bit jealous of ‘im right now; if I’m honest.” She said to her companion, who rolled his eyes with a sigh, and ran his hand down his face in palpable exasperation. His gesture only caused the fiery red-head’s grin to widen further, clearly pleased at the fact that the man’s patience was so easily tested.

The man shook his head, dropping his hand instead to straighten the white ruffled shirt he wore,

“There is rum on the ship, Rosie. Hacker sent you here for a task. Pull your head from the clouds and focus, will you?” His tone came out slightly on the firmer side, clearly wishing that she would pull herself together and take their mission on land seriously. If they messed this up…Hacker was not known for his mercy.

Rosabella laughed and waved the man’s words away, her demeanor more than a little relaxed, as she caught the eyes of various men as they walked by, casting sultry stares in their direction out of the corner of her eye. She was clearly enjoying the attention, even if she kept herself reigned in…mostly,

“Oh yer always so stuffy, Bruce! It’s not oft that we get to come on land, enjoy it while it lasts! Besides…have you even laid yer eyes on the mark yet?” She queried, finally straightening the skirts of the dress that she wore. It was simple in nature, yet finer than most clothes she had found herself wearing in quite a long time. The seas were no place for velvets, gossamer, chiffon, or lace. It had been the easiest thing for her to lift in short notice, and she was supremely lucky that life on a ship had left her fit and shapely, for her figure drew attention from the plainness of her attire. It was naught more than a normal black dress with a black bodice, but with her curls pulled up and out of her face, and the way the material hugged her curves and displayed the fullness of her chest, she felt more alluring than ever.

Despite the fact that her clothes were a bit…out-of-place, among the well-dressed island crowd milling about, she did not seem to be worried in the slightest. She knew better than most that the more that men fell into the bottle, the less they seemed to care about the details. Men *always* missed the details. It was one of the few reasons she was still able to walk the earth, even to this day.

Bruce sighed again, but this time, it was not laced in annoyance, but more near-defeat as he looked away from her and instead over the stunningly decorated courtyard. It was filled wall to wall with citizens all awaiting both news from their Governor, and the celebrations to truly begin after his words. He reached up a calloused hand, one that was sporting a missing ring finger, and he ran it through his shaggy black locks,

“No, not yet. I’ve only managed to find out the name. The Diplomat is named ‘Kaiden’, and he ought to be around here somewhere.” He answered, his voice gruff with lamentation.

It was only a moment later that a hushed whisper fell over the crowd, and both Rosie and Bruce turned their attention to where everyone else was looking. In the front of the Courtyard, with Naval Guards flanking on either side, they watched as the Governor took to a raised platform. It was nearly time.

The man was portly, sweaty, and red-faced, his salt-and-pepper hair matted to his temples as rivulets of sweat poured down his cheeks. While no one could deny the heat and humidity of the island, most were fine with the gentle, briny sea breeze the floated up from the shores when the sun went down. It was more apparent then ever, that the Governor had been celebrating much earlier than everyone else. He cleared his throat, swaying ever so slightly on his feet, as he looked out into the crowd before him,

“Thank you all, thank you all, for joining me this fine evening! I hope, *hic*, that you all find yourself well-fed, and well-drank, for we have spared no expense. We would like you to indulge, and celebrate with us, a momentous point in time for Carmen’s Cay. Tonight, *hic*, we are welcoming a new guest to the island, a man who has spent some time here for the past few days, negotiating a new trade route between our island, and the one he hails from. This new deal, will triple the revenue of the Cay, allowing us to both reinforce the docks at the seas, and, to lower taxes for you fine people.” The Governor paused here, reaching into his pocket, and withdrawing a folded piece of yellowed parchment, holding it up into the torchlight, for all to see.

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, the energy in the air so thick one could cut it with a blade. There were nods of approval, and hopeful looks exchanged between the islanders. For some, the news of lowered taxes meant more food on their tables each night, and less stress, while for others, for those who had lost men and sons to the failing docks on the beaches, the news meant that their pleas had been heard. Either way, the Governor had the crowd’s rapt attention, and most wore the faintest of smiles upon their lips.

Rosabella couldn’t help but snort quietly, and roll her eyes, as she leaned her lips in close to Bruce’s ear,

“They’re eating up ‘is words…they really believe tha’s where the extra money is going to go. Poor bastards.” She murmured to the Shipmate that she had come to look up to, and trust, over her years on the ocean. The man did not acknowledge her, instead, merely putting a finger to his lips to signal to her to be quiet; and stay focused.

Sighing, she turned back to the drunk man upon the stage, just as he was beginning again,

“I would like to introduce you all, to Kaiden, from our newest allied island. He will be residing here as we build our vessel, meant to carry sugar cane to his waters for processing into rum. He is overseeing the project, and I know you all will give him a very warm welcome to our island. Kaiden…*hic*…would you please join me up here, with quill and ink in hand, so we might commemorate this deal for eternity?” He asked, unfolding the paper, and holding it up. Though the writing was too small to see, the blank double lines for both signatures, was clear as day at the bottom of the papers.

Rosie sucked in a breath, the lightness leaving her eyes only to be replaced with a look of intense scrutiny instead as she felt Bruce nudge her,

“There they are…the trade route papers…” He whispered to her, only to leave her nodding absently. They were in the Governor’s possession, and she could not lose sight of him now. If they didn’t stay with him, then they would likely be passed to Kaiden for safe keeping, which meant she was one of the crowd that was now waiting with bated breath for the man’s arrival.
 
"You look good," Charles said, fixing his master's collar with a practiced quality.

"I hope so, I'm representing the king." Kaiden remarked, straightening his jacket. The lean, rakishly handsome man stood before a giant mirror whilst three servants moved about to and fro with their individual responsibilities he couldn't begin to worry about himself. Truthfully, this was not what the ambassador was used to. The last decade had been a successful career filled with courtly life and moving from country to country, expanding the kingdom's interests with his silver tongue and dark features. He had eyes like jewels that could swallow someone up if they looked long enough, with a sculpted chin much like his father's. It was the only thing that bastard ever gave him, but it was a useful gift, to his credit. Now he found himself amongst the islanders, in a job he wasn't entirely certain he was suited for: Counselor to the Governor. Babysitting a drunk and keeping order was now his divine duty, as he was one of the few people their wise monarch could trust in risky situations like this.

"Keep your feet in the ground, Kaiden," the old maidservant Emma chided, wagging a finger at him from the chair she was sowing upon. "You're not royalty you know, even if you're about to be treated like it."

"And I never will be," The diplomat replied, stretching his arms out to see the jacket fit perfectly. "You don't have to remind me, Em." He owed much of his upbringing to the old woman, Emma having raised him since he was eleven when his mother took the plague and his father was already off gallivanting with whatever pair of legs he could. He supposed he also took that from his father, which was why he wisely kept himself out of marriage now. In politics, everything was an advantage, even the possibility of marrying someone to embolden an alliance. Kaiden had not seen his ex-wife for years, and in fact their marriage was so short that he barely thought of her as a date. Once their countries went to war, he happily divorced her.

Now it was showtime. With one last look over from the servants, and smoothed his black mane and strode out of the lobby, stepping into view of the crowd as all eyes fell upon him. A few murmured and one woman began to fan herself, but the rest applauded and smiled as he waved. To his credit, he was stone cold sober and his dark eyes glinted intelligently. He smiled like he knew a secret no one else did, and once the applause died down, he spoke.

"It is my honor and privilege to be here tonight, to see all of you fine people and work with you to create a more profitable era of prosperity and plenty. Today marks the first day of the Havengulf trade agreement, which will bring gold, sugar, and spices from the jungles of the Southlands into your homes and coffers... to you!" He took a wine glass and lifted it, and all cheered and drank their fill at the toast. The governor did so greedily, though he nearly fell over had Kaiden not caught his sleeve. The diplomat was no fighter, but he was coordinated and a fair duelist as long as there were rules to the bout. The governor hiccuped, and patted Kaiden on the back hard enough to nearly spill both of their wines. "You're a good lad! I'm glad to ha-have you... here... before I go to bed with my Shelara."

Kaiden didn't know if that was a mistress or a slurring of words, but he found the trade route papers shoved into his hand. Neatly he folded them up, slipping them into his jacket pocket as the crowd now began to mingle, many people beginning to flock around Kaiden like vultures. He was like an artist, his eyes lingering on their just the correct length of time, shaking hands and playfully jesting with the right people for a small period of time, before he managed to slip out of the press of people at the fore, to the more dispersed crowd waiting patiently. He shook another man's hand and nodded to his wife, before turning to a woman he hadn't the pleasure of meeting. Instantly he considered her attractive, which sent his voice from smooth to silk in a matter of a second.

"Whoa," he remarked earnestly, and took her hand to kiss. "I was certainly not expecting to see someone as pretty as you. How are you enjoying the party, miss..?"
 
A young, dashingly handsome, dark-featured man stepped out onto the stage, and a silence fell over the crowd as they looked to him with hope in their faces. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a woman begin to fan herself at his presence, and typically, that would have resulted in a nudge and an eyeroll to Bruce from the cynical pirate maiden, but as it was, she found her own heart fluttering in her breast at the sight of the man. His chiseled features and strong jaw had broken the hearts of many a woman, Rosie was certain of it. But then…then the man began to speak, and all sense of allure took flight from her. She shook her head with a slight grimace,

“’e’s naught more than a political puppet.” She murmured under her breath, a hint of disdain on her words. Fine people? How in the blazes would he even know that? Had he even met anyone from Carmen’s Cay beyond the Governor? Platitudes. That’s all his words were. Simple pretty words.

From beside her, Bruce chuckled and shook his head, though he remained watching the diplomat intently as well,

“He certainly looks the part, and he’s well-spoken to boot…That man has likely never known a day of hard work in his entire life. I’d wager that his hands are as smooth and soft as a wom-“

“Watch it, Bruce, lest I cut that tongue from your useless maw.” Rosabella cut him off, which only elicited more chuckling from her companion, rumbling from deep in his chest. Throughout Kaiden’s brief introductory toast, neither had taken their eyes from the young man.

“You think you can get those documents from the Governor?” Bruce asked lowly, and the young, pretty red-head beside him snorted derisively,

“Are you poking fun? Look at ‘im! I’ll just get him to ‘is room, and ‘e’ll be asleep before I even ‘ave to pretend to want to lay with ‘im! It’s almost too easy!” She said, nodding with a gesture to the portly man who was loudly clapping Kaiden on the shoulder, and expressing his delight that the young man was on the island.

And that was when she saw it. The passing of the trade agreements. The hand-off. No sooner had the words of bravado escaped her lips than that knowing smile had fallen from her face, and instead a furrow touched her brow. Nervously she swapped glances with Bruce. This man was sober, all the attention was on him, and he could have any woman he wanted on the island. Lifting those documents from Kaiden was going to be far different than lifting them from the inebriated official.

She watched the diplomat as he stepped down from the platform; and began to shake hands and converse with the people around him. The crowd surged forth to meet him, everyone wanting a chance to speak with him. The men wanted him to remember their faces, to establish connections within the government, so they would be thought of if opportunities arose. And the women, they wanted to catch his eye, to find out more about the romantic side of the diplomat, and to figure out his interests. He moved smoothly through the crowd, like a fish slipping through water, clearly well-practiced at meeting a large group of people at once. He was polite, and charismatic, Rosabella could see his charming smile clearly from across the room.

It was only Bruce leaning into her that made her tear her eyes away from Kaiden, and she looked up at her weathered friend,

“You’d better bat your pretty lashes and giggle at his jokes, if you want to catch his attention, Rosie. There are a lot of beautiful young women here, who are better dressed, and likely better spoken than either of us.” Bruce’s words were harsh, but his tone was more encouraging. He was not trying to unnerve his companion, but the situation had just turned a lot less simple than they had originally thought. He was not known to mince words. In fact, there was a very good chance that they would have to develop an entirely new plan to pull those papers.

“Thank you for the confidence, Bruce,” she said, unable to stop herself from bristling slightly as she looked up at him. She was acutely aware of how drastically everything had changed, and this wasn’t a fun little excursion on land anymore. If she failed…Hacker was not going to be pleased, at all.

“I realize that this is going to take a little more-“ her words faltered as her larger companion suddenly looked past her, stiffening as something behind her had caught his attention. Turning around to glance over her shoulder, she felt her heart skip a beat in her chest as she saw the young politician approaching her,

“…effort…” She finished the sentence under her breath, her bright green eyes never leaving the man as he drew nearer to her. Her heart rate kicked up slightly, Kaiden was even more good-looking up close than he had been from afar. And when he came level with her, a captivating smile on his face and a compliment for her as he extended his hand to greet her, all her nerves went out the proverbial window. Perhaps their plan didn’t have to change much, after all.

Rosabella allowed him to take her hand, giggling coyly as she watched him bend down to kiss it, before paying her a compliment, and asking about her time here at the party. The gods seemed to be smiling upon her and Bruce, this day. Too easy. A predatory glint leapt into her eyes, but her lips parted into a kind, warm, smile, and she pretended to blush girlishly and look away,

“Missy…Sir Kaiden. My name is Missy. I’m enchanted to meet you, and curious to know what it is that drew the attention of someone of your caliber,” she said with the lilt of laughter on her voice. She spoke carefully, taking care to not let her relaxed accent shine through, as it was a product of a much lower class upbringing. On the inside, she was cringing at the fakery of it all, but she knew how to play the game, and she would play it long enough to get her hands on those papers.

Behind her, she felt Bruce shift, and she knew what was coming even before he moved. She was ready. Pretending to brush past them, she felt him “accidentally” bump into her, sending her stumbling into Kaiden. Catching herself, she used a well-placed hand on his chest, the other grabbing his forearm as she looked up at him with widened eyes. It was a two-fold move, meant to not only establish intimate, physical contact with the man, but also, she was feeling for the stiffly folded parchment in his jacket pocket, or any armor he may be wearing beneath his clothes.

She gasped as she allowed herself to flush, looking away from him quickly in mock embarrassment,

“Oh I’m so sorry, Sir Kaiden! I didn’t hurt you, did I?” She asked him breathlessly, her words taking on a tone of worry as she straightened herself up. She however, did not remove her hand from his chest, nor did she step back from him to create that space between them once more. Instead, she remained just up against him, in the hopes of her bodily contact keeping the man’s attentions.
 
Kaiden knew it wasn't polite to admit just how attracted he was. Well...it was polite to admit, but in his experience, women weren't enchanted by a man calling her beautiful unless she was already endeared to him. Which she appeared to be, but something held him back despite her clear interest. There was a wicked glint in her eyes which he felt promised a few very fun things, or so he thought. But at the center of it all, he really just had no idea who she was or why she was here and it piqued his curiosity.

Suddenly she bumped into him...no, she practically fell atop him! He caught her, more out of concern than gentlemanly appearance, but he wasn't going to complain either and he chuckled lavishly. "No, I'm fine! I'm good." He assured her, taking hold of the hand that had been slipping through his shirt, foiling her theft for the moment. Had he expected her or seen her out in the streets, he might have automatically believed she was a thief, but in the middle of the party with guards at every corner, he figured she was getting a little flustered and wishing to feel him up a bit. Wouldn't be the first time.

This close, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest. He might be lean and his weapons might be his words, but he took care of himself. But it was his eyes that were the real danger. He waited for her to look back at him once her embarrassment fled, and had someone not known better, they would have sworn there was magic to his gaze; his eyes boring into hers like darkened whirlpools of promise. He also didn't push her away, and behind them they could hear uncomfortable whispers of the women that were getting a tad jealous. It seemed her ploy was working, and no wonder. Kaiden had it happen many times before, but a woman's chest pressed to his own caught his attention every time. Particularly this one.

"People trip all the time," He told her with a grin. "And if you'll wish to, after the party can I buy you a drink at the pub?"

The proposition fell on the other women like a guillotine, cutting a swathe through their self esteem. Kaiden wasn't sure why, but this girl wasn't like the women in the party. She had nice, soft curves, but there was something else. A fire in her eyes and a slight way she spoke. He had an ear for accents. Maybe she was an actress?

"If you're doing nothing else, that is."
 
The moment that Rosabella felt his warm hand close over hers, the flush on her cheeks suddenly became more “real.” A part of her was thrilled by the touch of his hand, but in all reality, there were few women who wouldn’t be. He was mouth-watering. But the other part of her was lamenting the fact that her journey over his muscular pectorals had been paused prematurely. She was sure that she could have justified stroking his chest just a *bit* longer under the pretense of feeling for the documents, without Bruce having been any the wiser as to what she was doing. She paused for a minute, stiff as she stared at his hand over hers, *’Bruce was right…his hands -are- soft.’* The thought crossed her mind at the contact, and she swallowed hard against the knot that was building in her throat. *’Get it together Rosie! You’re here for a purpose, not to swoon!’*

She glanced up at him, and when her eyes met his, she knew she was in a very real danger of falling into those warm, coffee-colored pools. This man was a risk, and she had to put distance between herself and him, soon. She needed to focus, nick the papers, and be on her way, leaving him behind forever until he faded away to naught more than a memory she smiled on from time to time in nostalgia. For a second, she couldn’t speak, her mouth dry as she unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth, forcing a smile to her lips,

“Oh? A drink later? With me? I’m…I’m flattered but surely you-“ She never got to finish her sentence, as suddenly a stir from the front of the crowd caused everyone to look up. She glanced over her shoulder, swapping a confused look with Bruce, as a man came barreling into the courtyard.

The crowd split for him, letting him run up to where the Naval guards were still flanking the Governor, who was saying his final goodnights so he could go to bed. But sleep was not in his immediate future, it seemed, as the man doubled-over, his sweat running thick down his temples as he panted. It was clear he had run from where he had come from,

“PIRATES…IN THE…IN THE BAY…APPROACHING…” He struggled to get out his warning, and even in the dim, flickering torchlight, the paling of the Governor’s face was apparent. All of a sudden the man was no longer slurring his words, and swaying on his feet. The news of the encroaching danger seemed to sober him up.

Rosabella’s stomach twisted, and the intense attraction she felt for Kaiden dissipated immediately. This was bad. Turning, she looked up at Bruce again with a furrowed brow, drawing away from Kaiden completely, releasing his hand as she did so,

“What is he doing? He has to know we’re not done!” She whispered to him in a panicked hiss under her breath. Bruce, who looked equally perturbed, shook his head, and suddenly produced his cutlass from where it hung in its sheath. He had worn it openly, as many men sported the sword on the island, so it did not look out of place. Rosabella took his cue, and she turned to Kaiden, looking him up and down quickly, before biting her lip and just making the resolution to commit to her decision. A hardness fell over her gaze, but there was something else there in her eyes as she looked up at the young diplomat…a silent apology perhaps? Regret?

Regardless, she reached beneath her skirts quickly, producing a blunderbuss that she had worn attached to her leg. Cocking back the hammer, she pressed the barrel up into the soft flesh of Kaiden’s neck, only to hear something that made her feel as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. Her and Bruce had messed up.

The Governor was looking at the man who had brought the news, and he shook his head,

“What banner are they approaching under?”

“…A…Blue Skull….with a Red Axe…lodged in it…” The description of the flag seemed to unnerve the Governor even further, and he shook his head worriedly,

“No…the Reapers…”

The moment that the sentry described the flag and the Governor identified the crew attached to it, Rosie’s heart stuttered in her chest. It wasn’t Hacker. It was their rival crew, and she had just outed herself by complete and utter chance. There was no turning back now. The mistake could not be undone.

Around her, people had immediately begun to notice that she had a weapon pressed into Kaiden’s neck. Men were beginning to shout, asking her what she was doing, drawing the attention of the guards, as a woman screamed in fear. Her heart was pounding in her ears as her mind raced trying to figure out what to do. Her hand trembled around the gun, she always hated this part of pirating…the fear…the pain…the trauma…but it was endemic to the lifestyle. Still, it never got easier, no matter how often she found herself wreaking havoc on society.

She did not let any of it show on her face however, knowing that to show weakness, would be the absolute death of both her and Bruce in this moment. Instead, she ignored the cacophony of cries around her, and she nodded to him,

“Those trade routes Kaiden. Hand them over. Now.” She said, her voice harsh, calm, and demanding, despite the aching of her heart on the inside.

Bruce stepped up beside her, still holding the cutlass at the ready, shaking his head as the Naval guards began to rush towards them, their own blades in the air,

“No time, Rosie, we’ve got to go.” He warned her, nodding to the entrance.

Chewing her lip, she shook her head. She was *not* going to fail. She was *not* going back to Hacker empty handed. Instead, she glanced towards the guards,

“Stop, or I’ll shoot! I’ve killed many a be’er man than ‘im, and I’ll not ‘esitate to do it again if ye get any closer!” She cried, shifting so they had a clear view of the loaded gun pressed to the man’s flesh.
 
Kaiden had felt he was very close with getting a date with Missy. He had seen more than a few women get enamored by him, but with her it was a tad more thrilling for some reason. She seemed like someone with who he could laugh with, perhaps. Her hand not leaving his chest wasn't lost on him, and he gave a soft grin as she stumbled over her words. He felt her hands were callused and though smaller than his, they had clearly done some hard labor. Respectable. A lot of things about her were piquing his interest, he realized. Well, he was free after the party. Or so the handsome man thought. However, the call of pirates brought both he and Rosie out of their inexorable connection.

"Pirates?" He echoed, tearing his eyes almost painfully from her own, looking around. Just a single ship? That was bold for whatever crew felt it prudent to attack. He knew they would be protected, but his heart did go out for all of the soldiers that might not survive the night. He might not be a frontline man, but sometimes he did wish he could go out there and save the men who had families back home who might never see them again. But as his servants kept telling him, he had his role to play too. He heard shouts in the distance, guardsmen calling to one another to better prepare, and some of the partygoers gasped and fretted. Kaiden was calm, though he was a bit scared of course. But he had always kept a cool head in terrible situations, which did help in his negotiations.

But then Missy did something he never would have expected. She pressed the barrel of a gun right under his finely wrought chin, and her accent fled her to be replaced by a more rustic manner of speaking.

"Kaiden!" Charles yelled, pushing past the crowd. He had a bludgeon in his hand, fear for his master writ upon his visage The Governor pointed at Rosie and Bruce, blubbering for his personal men to shoot if they got a shot whilst the palace guards closed in.

Kaiden was taken aback more than had been in many years, and he froze, the gun still pressed to him. "I should have known my tastes in women would have led to my death," he remarked casually, his eyes, once dreamy, now glinted with danger. "You should have taken me on a date. You would have gotten your hands on what you came for." There was an accusation in his eyes, and he looked between her and Bruce before settling on Rosie's eyes once more. As the officers rushed in with their sabers, she and her companion threatened him once more. It was probably odd, seeing so posh a man speak back so dangerously, but he did so:

"You'll have to kill me, Rosie." He told her, having heard Bruce say her name. Gods, her accent was adorable. What was wrong with him? If he lived through this, he needed to do a hard look into his psyche. "If you think I'll betray my post and my honor to save my own life, you've misjudged me."

But as he watched, he saw a silent apology in her eyes. It confused him for a moment, but almost as if it was the key to his understanding, he realized she might be in as much dire straits as he. Most didn't choose the pirate life. It chose them. Theives and murderers were products of a failed system, more often than not, and he was apart of that system. Maybe in another life, this would have been impossible. He believed suddenly, that she was a good person. And not just because he thought she was hot as fuck.

"So what will it be, eh?" He asked her, before he glanced at Bruce. "Gutting me will be less messy, I guess."

They were nearly surrounded now, and Kaiden held his hand out to keep the others from charging in. As always, he felt diplomacy was the better option. "Put your gun down now, Rosie, and I can protect you and your friend...or shoot me."
 
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, if things just hadn’t gone so completely sideways, Rosabella might have found the ability to laugh at the quips from the handsome diplomat she now held at gunpoint. As it was, there was very little in her that found any reason to disbelieve his words…he obviously had a penchant for skirts, and true to his assessment, this particular skirt proved to be a bit more dangerous than his usual fare. They held a nasty viper that was poised, ready to strike. And even as he told her that she should have taken him on a date, and she would have gotten her hands on what she was after, she actually…nodded to him in concession to his claims,

“Aye…an’ I’m sure it would ‘ave been a bit more fun, too. I’d ‘ave gotten me hands on a bit more’n just papers, but tha’s not the way things shook out, is it?” She said to him, her voice quiet and low as she spoke to him; and laced with a bit of true remorse. She did have regrets. A night of fun, and no bloodshed, would always be preferable to her over causing people to cower in fear in their beds. But she had a job to do, and do it as well as she could, she would.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the Naval guards draw ever closer, surrounding them, brandishing their blades, their cries and threats growing louder by the moment. Bruce stepped between her and them, shaking his head as he held up his blade, he would die before he let anyone get their hands on Rosie. After all, if he went back to the ship without her, he was as good as dead anyhow. But he wasn’t looking forward to falling this evening, so he cast a hurried glance over his shoulder at her,

“We’re out of time, Rosie. Figure out if you’re killing him and taking those papers, or if it’s a loss, and let’s run. Either way, we’ve got to go, *now*.” He said to her, emphasizing the last word. The only reason that none of the guards had attacked yet, he knew, was because of where her pistol was pointed. If she made the decision to cut their losses and run, or if she killed him where he stood, a fight for their lives was going to ensue.

Gritting her teeth, Rosie once again felt a tremble run through her hands, and she silently prayed that Kaiden couldn’t feel her faltering. She couldn’t show weakness now. Instead, she locked her green eyes on his, determination and a hardness flaring through her gaze, and she set her jaw. A split decision was made in that moment, rash and unweighted,

“Yer in luck. Ye may be ready to die for whatever ‘honor’ ye think ye ‘ave, but they’re not willin’ to let ye. Yer comin’ with us.” She said, reaching out and gripping his forearm, standing to the side but never moving the barrel tip from the fleshy part of his throat. Bruce arched an eyebrow in clear confusion,

“You said what now?”

“I said, e’s comin’ with us.” Rosie repeated her words, with a bit more heart and defiance this time, and she nodded towards the gate,

“Clear a path! Clear a path an’ Sir Kaiden lives!” She called out, her voice bellowing over the din of the people panicking. Hesitantly, the Naval guards looked to one another, before glancing up to the platform of the Governor, who seemed beside himself, and unable to decide on the best course of action. Finally, one of the Commanding Officers of the Naval Guard seemed to sigh in exasperation, and nodded, gesturing to the men to let the trio through.

Forcefully, Rosabella nudged Kaiden towards the Courtyard Gates, her heart pounding and adrenaline pumping through her veins. If she could just get them outside, then they could run, and make for the beaches. She knew that they wouldn’t have much time to make their escape to their ship…unless…a thought struck her there, and she glanced over her shoulder at the guards who may not have been rushing them, but they were staying on top of them, waiting for their moment to strike,

“Cap’n Kingston sends ‘is love!” She called, a blatant lie. She would never serve the likes of Kingston, though Hacker was little better. Kingston led the Reapers, and while Hacker certainly had his own reputation for his brutal methods, Kingston and his men were known for their…more feral, primal, forms of brutality. The man had unknowingly positioned his ship perfectly to take the blame for this kidnapping, and so Rosie was going to use the opportunity to buy her and Bruce some time.

She turned back around, still nudging Kaiden forward through the Courtyard gates, and she pressed her lips to his ear as she moved,

“Ye couldn’t save me from the gallows, Kaiden. Not me, nor Bruce. An’ to be ‘onest, I wouldn’t trust ye to even try.” She said to him, glancing up towards Bruce who gave her a nod once they were through the gates. She paused, and pulled the gun from his flesh, long enough to swap weapons with Bruce, who passed his cutlass to her. Due to their difference in size, with Rosabella only standing just over 5’3” and weighing perhaps 120 lbs, it would be very difficult for her to run while keeping the gun poised on Kaiden.

Now, Bruce was on the other end of the blunderbuss, and he kept it trained on the diplomat’s temples. His eyes were dark; and flashing with threat as he looked at the young man. Bruce had lived many a year at sea, he knew what it took to be a pirate, and he could let go of his humanity at the drop of a hat. His expression clearly told anyone who looked at him that he was not to be tested,

“You’d take note to notice who’s holding the weapon at your throat now, boy.” He growled in a hardened voice. Rosie sighed and shook her head, even as she gestured towards the shores,

“Rowboat is on the South shore…an’ Kaiden…’e won’t shoot ye either if ye don’t give ‘im a reason to. Yer safe.” She said to him, pinning Bruce with a firm look from behind the diplomat’s head. Bruce snorted and shoved Kaiden forward roughly,

“She’s right, but I’ve got a lot more reasons to shoot and a lot lower bar to meet those reasons than she does.” He said, reaffirming that Kaiden’s cooperation was now paramount to his surviving this ordeal. He rounded on the man again, once more forcefully pushing Kaiden forward with no amount of gentleness,

“Run.” The word was a bark of an order, one that had Rosie glancing to Kaiden once more, before turning to take off herself, into the darkness.
 
Kaiden had honestly thought he had convinced them. Something yearned inside of him to help them, especially her. Only five minutes of speaking and he saw right through her with his penetrating gaze. One couldn't be in his line of work without being a fine judge of character. However, he should have contemplated that she would have taken option C, and it was bold enough to where no one else in the room had realized it was possible either. Once she ordered that he be kidnapped, his smile fled his face, and eloquently he spoke:

"Wut"

She was strong for her size, he realized. She and Bruce pushed him along, and his voice cracked in a very undignified manner. "Is this strictly necessary!?" He went on, but of course it was. He had made it necessary, and after his initial shock he just laughed at his own foolish bravado. He honestly believed he would get a knife below his ear rather than Rosie's lips, and he smiled sardonically. He believed her about Brucie and herself, and Kaiden eventually did not resist so he wasn't shoved.

Once they made it to the boat, Kaiden felt Brucie's gun at his back. One last time, he contemplated refusing. But if he did, they would simply kill him and take the papers. He might as well be alive to deliver them, than giving it to them with his neatly wrapped corpse. The diplomat then contemplated tearing the papers apart, even if it meant his immediate death. But Kaiden knew one false move and his life was forfeit regardless. It seemed he had to do what they told him to.

"I pity you," he said before they departed onto the skiff. Brucie snorted, grinning like a dog. "Oh spare me your high class judgements, 'my lord.' Let me guess, you pity our life of piracy? Must have been nice, growing up with want of nothing."

"No, that I can understand," Kaiden remarked. "I don't pity pirates. Just you two. Whoever your captain is must not like you, sending you on this mission." He let the words hang in the air a bit, glancing at Rosie. "He's sitting in a cabin now, about to reap the benefits of this excursion, while by tomorrow, everyone within a thousand miles will know who you two are."

In the distance their ship loomed, and Kaiden knew he was going from hostage to prisoner.
 
As the trio had reached the small boat, Bruce and Rosabella had swapped weapons once more. She kept the barrel of the blunderbuss trained on Kaiden as she stepped into the boat, heralding him on as well. Bruce had taken the moment to use his strength to push them out into the calm waters of the bay, before sloshing into the sea behind them, and leaping into the boat. It was only a moment later that he plucked up the two oars that had laid in the bottom of the vessel, and put them into the ocean, beginning to row them out towards the darkened ship with the tied up sails that sat waiting for their return.

Out in the bay, everything was calm, the water lapping gently at the sides of the boat. On land, in the distance, Rosie could hear the subdued shouting, as the men on shore tried to figure out if it was better to deal with the encroaching Reapers first, or come out to save Kaiden. She could see the flames of their torches, and she shuddered lightly, thinking of the pure havoc and decimation that Kingston and his crew of animals would wreak on that island. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest, and she looked away from the shores, turning instead to the gigantic vessel she called home: The Silent Shadow. Biting her lip, she reached up to gather her red curls into one hand, to keep them from blowing about in the light sea breezed that tugged at her dress,
"May luck be on yer side tonight." She murmured softly into the wind. It was a quiet hope, meant for the men back at Carmen's Cay, to protect the women and children from the hands of the Reapers. She knew first hand their brutality when it came to snatching up everything and anything they wanted.

It was then that she heard Kaiden's remark about pity, forcing her to look back to him with a roll of her emerald eyes. Bruce quipped back, and she sighed, shaking her head. Even at Kaiden's answer, his jab at the fact that her and Bruce were pitied because Hacker was in his quarters waiting to reap the benefits of their excursion while they took the blame, she could not be bothered to take the diplomat seriously. There were far more pressing matters to be concerned about in the immediate future, than what his opinion of her was. As such, she turned to him, fixing him with a cold stare,
"This may be news to ye, someone blind to the horrors o' the world, but not all o' us matter. That island, and their allies, are going to trip over themselves to come an' rescue ye, because yer existance matters. If Bruce an' I don't make it? The world keeps moving without us. Nothing changes. But I'd expect ye knew that already, seein' as 'ow ye've got men and women paid to tell ye 'ow important ye are." She answered him icily, her expression frigid as she regarded him. Men like him were the worst. They sat insulated from the hardships of the world, and cast judgement from their place of "honor", doing little to help raise society. Why would they? Doing so would only be a detriment to their own well-being, and men like Kaiden were far too selfish and up their own ass to make a difference in the lives of those who needed it. It was a pity he was so damned handsome, the moonlight casting a soft glow about his features, making him more desireable than ever.

They approached the ship, and Rosabella finally tore her eyes away from his face, instead glancing upwards for the chains that she knew would be coming. Indeed, just as expected, two rusted links tumbled down the side of the ship, clinking loudly against the wood of the carrier. Finally taking the barrel of the blunderbuss off Kaiden, she slipped it into her bodice, before turning and grabbing the metal links in her hand, and affixing it to the clip on the front end of the boat. Bruce pulled the oars in, and dropped them to the floor, before affixing the second chain to the rear. Tugging on it to signal that they were ready, he crossed his arms over his chest, and he glared at Kaiden,
"You're about to learn that life isn't all sunshine and daisies, you priviledged prick." He said, his voice low and gravelly in threat, as the men on the ship above them, began to slowly hoist them up the ships side. It was slow-going, and the trip was not smooth, rather disjointed as the chant of "Heave! Ho!" tumbled through the air from above. But finally, after a few minutes, they completed their ascension.

As they came level with the top of the ship, several pairs of strong arms reached out to help Rosabella, and Bruce, before straight up just yanking Kaiden off the boat. Those sailors who weren't busy pulling the anchor, steering the ship, or tending to the sails, were gathered around waiting for their crewmates return, a tall, broad-shouldered man in the center of them all. He towered over Rosabella, his black hair scraggly as it fell about his ears, and his nearly black eyes flashing with danger as he assessed the three of them. A scar ran across his face, starting from his forehead over his left eye, extending down over his nose at a diagonal, and ending on his right jaw. He was better dressed than the crew, but only slightly, and certainly not in garb as nice as what Kaiden wore. But still, his very presence commanded respect and obedience. This man was Hacker Schorr, Captain of The Silent Shadow, and his band of Deathbringers. He was quite a bit older than Rosabella and Kaiden, or at least, the years of harsh suns and salty winds aging him greatly.

The crew was silent as he assessed the three, before stepping up to Rosabella, and looking her up and down,
"Did ye get ta trade documents?" He asked.

Rosie nodded, and gestured over to Kaiden,
"'Es got 'em, Cap'n. I 'aven't had the chance to lift them off 'im yet." She said to him, assuring him that their objective had been met.

There was a heavy silence in the air, and Hacker looked Kaiden up and down, before turning away, and waving a lazy hand,
"Kill 'im then, an' take ta papers. We don't need anot'er mouth ta-"

"-No." Heart pounding, leaping up into her throat, Rosie stepped in front of Kaiden. Her mouth was dry, and her hands trembled as the full weight of what she was doing settled over her. She was going against the Captain, in front of his crew. But she pinned a look of fierce determination on Hacker, who froze when he heard her defiance. The silence was deafening.

Glancing over his shoulder, Hacker cocked his head to the side,
"Come again, sweet Rosabella?" He asked, and though his words were sweet, the danger in his voice could not be missed. Rosie swallowed hard, and cast what she thought was a reassuring glance to Kaiden, before looking back to her Captain,
"I'll not let ye or anyone else 'arm a 'air on his head. 'E's done nothing wrong an' he can be of us-" She never got the words out as she saw Hacker's eyes narrow. He crossed the deck of the ship in a few long strides, and Rosie braced herself, knowing what was coming even before the man got there. Pulling his arm back, he backhanded her so hard, she saw stars and stumbled back into Kaiden with a cry. Hacker glowered at her, his face hard, but there was no joy in what he had done. He took no solace in putting hands on a woman, but he *had* to treat her like the rest of the crew. He could not show her any special treatment, though, if it had been a male crewman stepping up to him like that, he would have flat out punched him, rather than the open handed slap.

For a moment, Rosie was stunned against Kaiden, her vision swimming as she struggled to regain her composure. But even as her stomach knotted nervously, and her eyes stung, she eventually straightened herself up,
"I still won't let anyone touch 'im. If ye want to kill 'im, ye'll 'ave to kill me, first. I brought 'im here. 'E's my responsibility." She said, her voice firm, and just as brazen as ever.
 
Kaiden was a mixture of emotions, not expecting her anger at first, but upon reflection he understood it. Kaiden betrayed no real emotion or intention after that, and it was hard to tell if he was keeping quiet and accepting her venom because he didn't know what else to do, or whether he agreed. In truth it was neither. Oh, she was right to be mad at how the world treated her, and Kaiden had never lied to himself about his privileged position. But he had not always been this way, and she wasn't the one being kidnapped. His time as a diplomat had taught him that anger was often fleeting, and he would not argue against Rosie over any slight he might have given. Plus, he didn't have the heart to argue with her. He found himself fond of her, and not just because of how cute she looked in the moon. She had charm and a heart he knew he would value if he got to know her better. A part of him hoped he did, despite the circumstances.

"I suppose this is happening now," as he was yanked off his feet like a sack of flour, tumbling to the deck and nearly bumping his head. He was a bit shaken up at the physicality of it all, but he still remained mostly quiet, getting to his feet and surveying the boat with a turn of his head. His dark eyes cut through the night with keen vision, but otherwise he did what he was told and stay put. Even when Hacker said to end his life, he didn't look overly worried. He nearly jumped off the boat like a wildman, but he didn't seem worried. He only really looked bewildered when Rosie stepped in front of him and... vouched for his life!?

He looked at a scarred pirate sporting a ponytail with a confused look, and the pirate gave him an equally confused look back. They both shrugged and turned to see the scene play out.

She needed to stop, not only for her own safety but, he was suddenly blushing madly. His eyes were wide with concern for himself. Concern over how much this was effecting him. He could talk with a gun to his throat but this girl was spellbinding him with the honor she claimed she didn't have!? He almost spoke, nearly said something to tell her to stop. But then Hacker hit her.

Kaiden caught her like he was born to do it, and he held her close. "Bastard!" He said suddenly, even more fiercely than he thought would. Hacker spun, eyes bulging from the fact his disposable prisoner spoke directly to him. Kaiden's eyes flashed like hellfire, and he suddenly became very undiplomatic. Perhaps it was the striking of a woman, or the ungratefulness of the captain, or maybe just because it was Rosie. But that was not cool. "Slit my throat but leave her alone. She and Bruce risked their neck for you. Are you a f*cking idiot!?" His words cut through the air like a scimitar. "Do you know how much I'm worth!? I am Kaiden Caladwarden, courtier to the king. Keeper of the Governor's household. You know how much they would pay for me to come back unharmed? You touch her again and I'll slit my own throat you dick! Then where's your little paycheck, yeah?"

He looked like a hunting cat at bay, or a guard dog as he stood behind her. It was a wonder someone so debonair could look so dangerous.
 
The moment that Kaiden caught her, and held her close to him, Rosabella took a second to gather her senses. But when she had finally gotten a chance to, she looked up at him wide-eyed, questions in her vibrant green gaze. What was he doing?! He was a *hostage*, one that was terrifyingly close to losing his life, and he was challenging the very man who was calling for his head? Over *her*? She had kidnapped him at gun point less than an hour ago! Was he delirious with fear? But even as he spit venom towards her Captain, she clung to him, a tremble running through her. She meant what she said, she would *not* let him come to harm, without sacrificing herself first, but it did not mean she did not fear the consequences coming her way.

The longer he spoke, demanding that Hacker not touch her again, lest he slit his own throat, she raised a hand to put it comfortingly upon his breast. To soothe him, to remind him of where he was, and what position he was in. This was not his realm, not his domain. He was not negotiating treaties with other diplomats, arguing heatedly over a table in a comfortable parlor. He was with dogs, men who were above the law, and operating under their own rules, up until the moment that they were caught. Until then, they took what they wanted, whenever they wanted, without abandon or thoughts or cares as to where their plunder came from. And even as she looked to him, releasing him as Hacker pinned him with a look of hatred, she saw fire in Kaiden's eyes as well. It was in that moment, that she realized he was *serious*. He would fight to protect her, even though it had been her who had put him here. Her heart stuttered to a stop in her chest as she realized what danger she had put an otherwise innocent man, with her brash decision making.

Hacker rounded on them again, his teeth gritted as he stepped up to Kaiden, his face mere inches from the diplomats own, so he could look him dead in the eyes...so there was no question just to how fine a line he was toeing. That glint of a threat...no a *promise* that she saw in her Captain's eye as he looked at Kaiden chilled her to her core. The man's eyes were narrowed in pure disdain as he never took his eyes from Kaiden,
"You...will *not*...*e'er* speak ta me about 'ow ta run me ship, or me crew, e'er, again. I don't think ye know what's 'appening 'ere, *boy*, but let me paint ye a real pretty picture. Ye, are my prisoner, an' I, am yer captor. Ta only reason yer even still breathin' is because ye aint pissed me off quite enough yet, but yer gettin' *real* close, me boy." He growled out every word, ensuring that Kaiden did not miss a syllable.

Rosie, off to the side, shifted once more between Kaiden and Hacker, her back up against the diplomat's chest, as she had nowhere else to go. She just knew she didnt like the way Hacker was looking at the handsome young man, and she wanted to try her best to diffuse the situation before things got dire. She wanted to ensure she was in between Kaiden and her Captain. Looking up at Hacker, she raised her hands in a gentle show of submission,
"Cap'n, please. I mean not to disrespect ye. I mean only to explain...its my fault e's 'ere...the Reapers started into the bay, an' I thought it was ye, telling us to 'urry up. I panicked an' took 'im 'ostage...'e didn't even resist, or cause me a fuss." She said, her voice gentle, and soft. She was not going to back down, but she *had* to play by Hacker's rules. On this ship, *he* was King. His position of authority warranted respect, and she had to make sure he felt reverence from her if she wanted to get anywhere from him.

There was silence for a moment, Hacker ignoring Rosie as she wedged herself between the two of them, never breaking his eye contact with Kaiden. But, his eyes did seem to take on a more thoughtful light to them, as though he were considering her words. Hacker was known for his brutality, but he only used it when necessary...when he thought there was a threat to his crew or his ship. They never took more than what they needed, and never killed anyone if they could help it. Hog-tying and blind-folding guards worked well enough when pilfering goods from islands and ships alike. It was a line that Hacker stood strong to, refusing to be seen as the likes of Kingston. He sighed after a moment, and finally dropped his eyes down to Rosabella's,
"Ye brought us a vulnerability, Rosie. E'ery Naval Guard is going ta be out an' about, lookin' for 'is mug. An' if ye think tey're goin' ta just ask for 'im nicely, and offer money for 'is safe return, yer sorely mistakin'. I've got a ship of men ta worry about, just for keepin' 'im alive." He said, his voice firm, but he had taken on a more explanatory role, as if mentoring her on what thoughts were running through his head.

Rosabella's brow furrowed, and her stomach twisted guiltily. She knew Hacker's words were right, despite what Kaiden may believe, the authorities were not going to go easy on kidnapper pirates. Biting her lip, she reached down to grasp Kaiden's hand in her own, a silent gesture of reassurance, before she looked back to Hacker, with grim determination on her features. She then turned, and with her free hand, she reaches into his jacket, and rifled for a moment, before producing the folded up parchment that she had been after. Turning back to Hacker, she held them up,
"'Ere ye go, Cap'n. The documents. Per'aps...per'aps, since we've got those agreements, we'll just put 'im to use, make 'im earn 'is keep. There's *always* somethin' to be done on the ship. Then, whenever we're close enough to anot'er island, we put 'im in a boat, and send 'im off where 'e can be safely rescued. Either way, we got what ye wanted." She said to him, again, her voice suggestive in nature, as opposed to outright opposition and argumentative.

Again, Hacker seemed to consider her words, mulling over her recommendations, before nodding, and reaching up a gloved hand to snatch the documents from her. He glanced them over quickly, before folding them up, and shoving them into his own shirt. Then, he turned his cutlass onto Rosie's neck, pressing the blade into her throat, causing her to gasp, but she did not move. Instead, she merely squeezed Kaiden's hand a little tighter, but she kept her gaze resolutely forward. Even as Hacker leaned in, his breath hot on her face, she swallowed against the blade on her flesh,
"'E's yer responsibility, Bauer. 'E'll wake up with ye, 'e'll go ta sleep with ye. 'E'll do chores with ye. Yer both on extra duty, until we can drop 'im off somewhere. Ye'll get up earlier than ta rest, go ta sleep later, an' eat last. If I find out 'e's not pullin' 'is weight, I'll throw him overboard meself. Ye understand?" He asked, leaning into her. Rosie's eyes teared up from the sting of the steel on her flesh, but she did not back down. Instead, she nodded at his words,
"Aye, Cap'n." She whispered to him, her words even, though her heart was assaulting her ribcage.

Seemingly satisified, Hacker removed his blade, before pinning Kaiden with another glare,
"Yer lucky, ye sonnuvabitch." He snarled, before removing his sword, and turning away from them. The moment that the blade was lifted from her neck, Rosabella released her grip from Kaiden's hand, and she fell to her hands and knees on the deck, sucking in a deep breath of relief. She did not know if Kaiden understood just how close both her and he had come to death, this night.
 
Kaiden had calmed down, and did a nice, long bit of self reflection before he understood just how stupid he had been not five seconds ago. I mean, the girl was kind hearted, adorable, and had a bit too much hold on his heart whenever she looked at him with her lovely eyes. But that was NO reason to pick a fight with this barbaric pirate captain that would slaughter him without a thought! What was he thinking? No, no he did the right thing. If he was going to die, he was going to stand up for what's right, and Rosie didn't deserve that. She deserved a better life than the pirate life, much less being slapped by some clip-toothed bastard. And she kept impressing him too, keeping her captain's gaze even with a sword at her throat. Kaiden had believed he had the monopoly on poker faces, but goddamn this woman.

Kaiden wanted to tell Hacker that murdering him would bring about even more wrath than just kidnapping Kaiden, but the argument had died down, and both he and Rosie sighed in relief when he took his blade from her neck. He squeezed her hand back as if to say 'good job' and he watched as the pirates began to dissipate, Hacker watching them both with a hard eye for another long few moments, before he too left. Stalking away like a lion amongst hyenas, glaring at any man that walked too close to him. Only Bruce remained behind as the two 'insubordinates' caught their breathes and held one another.

"Hope you know what you're doing, Rosie." He said, before turning and walking away, leaving them to themselves.

The next hour, Kaiden found himself in the cargo hatch, with an old blanket he had found, thinking about what led him to be here. Rosie had gone off to perform some duty for a moment, and Kaiden had decided it was best if they stayed separate for a bit so as not to compromise her standing with the crew, even if the captain ordered for them to be attached at the hip. He didn't know the logic, his despair. He worried over this woman who had fucked him over, knowing she had only done it to survive, and seeing her heart for what it was. Damn, why did he have such a streak with women!? As he lamented that fact of his existence, Rosie showed up once more, and he lost his nerve immediately.

"Hi," he said, sitting up. He must have looked quite downtrodden, shoved into a corner with a ruined cushion and an old blanket. He tried to make a joke of it, lathering on that silky smooth voice of his. "You come down to the cargo bay often?" and opening his blanket for her to join him, if she wished.
 
For the past hour, Rosabella had been following around Barlow, one of the lower ranking shiphands, as he recited off a list of his daily duties. She had been given his schedule, since he had been performing exceptionally well lately, to accomplish until Kaiden was safely handed over and the Naval Guard was off their backs. His duties were not easy, they were the lowest of the low, backbreaking work where everyone started, including Rosabella, years ago when she had joined the ship. Hoisting the sails, dropping the sails, longer watches-especially overnight, a lot of deck swabbing, and a lot of looking over the exterior of the ship to scrape barnacles and patch small holes. These were tasks that she hadn't completed in *years*, having been sent more to the kitchen, but her muscle memory did not let her forget them. She knew what she was supposed to do, and after a few rounds when it all came back to her, she was certain she'd do it more efficiently than Barlow did. Depending on when they found it safe enough to approach an island to drop off Kaiden, there was even a chance she could have the diplomat running circles around the shiphand. His soft, feminine hands may even grow firm, and calloused, as he grew accustomed to an honest day's work. The thought caught her lips, tugging them into a wan smile as she carried a crate of oranges that someone else had lifted from Carmen's Cay while she and Bruce had been going after the trade agreements...he was going to *hate* having rough hands, she just knew it. But...she couldn't help but wonder what his fingers would feel like running over her flesh, clutching her at the curves of her waist, and tugging her against him roughly as he plunged inside of her over and over. She wanted to feel his hands, both pre- and post-callous.

A deep crimson flush jumped up into her cheeks, staining them with the heat she felt floating off her. What on earth was she *thinking*? He was heartbreakingly handsome, a gorgeous man whom she was sure was more than a little proficient at chasing skirts, but...there was no way he was still interested in even a meaningless night of fun with her, was he? She thought back to the moment at his induction ceremony, when he had approached her and asked her if she would like to join him for a drink at the tavern after the party. A grimace fell to her face then, and she sighed heavily. She had meant it when she had said she would have rather knicked the documents that way. She could have shown him a good time, and left him annoyed and angry, rather than traumatizing him, and potentially ruining his life. She had royally fucked up. It wasn't the first time, she was good at that, but she had never involved anyone else before to this magnitude. He was paying for her sins, when he had done nothing wrong. Glumly, she trudged down into the cargo bay, where the oranges could be stored for when they were out on the high seas. Kaiden hadn't asked for this life. She had forced him into it.

Swallowing, and then grunting with the weight of the fruit, she lifted it, and then tucked it atop two large cargo crates. Clapping her hands to rid them of the dirt from the wood, she leaned against a nearby barrel, just needing a moment to herself to reflect, when movement from her peripheral vision caught her eye. Glancing over, she was stunned to see it was Kaiden, curled up in a corner with a ratty old cushion that he had found from Gods-Knew-Where, and a thin blanket filled with holes. She sucked in a nervous breath as she watched him sit up to look at her better, before murmuring a greeting, and then asking her if she came down to the cargo bay often in a quick quip. Her heart twisted with a dull ache, and she ran her fingers through her flaming red locks nervously. She had no idea he had wandered down here, likely wanting a place far away from the leering pirates that he knew were just waiting for an excuse to gut him. She would have cleared him a rack in the sleeping bay, if she had had the chance...in fact, she had been planning on clearing the rack right above hers.

She caught him lifting his blanket for her to join him, and her jaw clenched as her heart was cloven in two. Even now, even after all the horrors he had endured through the night, he was still trying to comfort *her*. After she had put him in the harrowing position he found himself in. He did not deserve this. He did not deserve needing to be strong through these moments, when he should be counting on someone else being strong *for him*. For a brief moment, she did not move, merely staring at the hole he had made for her alongside him, contemplating whether or not she should allow herself this small comfort. The selfish side of her screamed at her to go and lay with him, to let his body heat soothe her, and his well-muscled chest make her feel secure. But the self-loathing voice crept in, reminding her of her crimes, and that he was her victim. She chewed on her tongue thoughtfully, before nervously, timidly, padding over to join him. But at the last second, she lost her nerve, and rather than sliding up against him beneath his blanket, she instead sat up against him, her back pressed against his side as she hugged her knees to her chest.

She looked over to him, the weight of her heartbreak thick in her green eyes, and she placed a small, tender hand upon his breast. For a second, she held it there, reveling in his heartbeat, grateful that it was something that she could still feel, before she stroked his chest gently with her fingers,
"I want you to know, Kaiden...that I know you don't belong here. I know that this is not your life, and that you deserve better than this. I'm sorry that I brought you onto this ship, and I swear, mark my words, I *swear to you*, that I will get you off this boat, and back onto an island, the moment that I am able. You will not be subjected to this long." She murmured to him, her voice thick with the vehement promise that she had just spoke into existence. Dropping her hand from his chest, she instead put her face in her palms, needing a second to just...hide away from her guilt,
"I'm so sorry, Kaiden." She whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly.
 
His bravado and jesting self deflated, and he looked at her with care. He could never guess how such a kind hearted woman had become a pirate. Wiley yes, tough as nails, of course. But she remained ever remorseful, and she had even taken a beating for him. This woman made a habit of running circles around his heart and driving him up the wall! Most women tried to manipulate him and play his heart, but she beat it like a drum and she wasn't even trying. It was actually quite intimidating, but he found it extremely tantalizing, and despite his circumstances, he realized he could trust her with his life, as he had already done. She strode over to him and placed her hand on his breast, speaking from her soul and gazing into his eyes. He grew lost in them, keeping silent as she spoke her soft words.

"I believe you, and I forgive you" he told her with utter certainty, respect in his eyes. If she said he would not be here long, then he worried not over it. He didn't want to believe he would be here long anyway, but even so, he had to make the best of it. As she backed into him, hugging her knees, he slowly draped the blanket around her regardless. The charming man placed his hand beneath her chin so he might turn her gaze toward him.

"We are all victim's of circumstance." He said to her softly. "You and Bruce did what you had to do, I did what I had to do, and then you saved my life...." It all sounded so simple how he put it, but in a way he was right. He did not hold a grudge at her. In fact, he hoped one day, the two of them could laugh at the strange way they had met, that had led them to eventual...happiness? Was he really daydreaming about a future with this woman?

"I have been across the world, met kings, queens, scholars, and even wizards. I've seen all the splendor this world has to offer, but I've never seen someone as heartfelt as you, Rosie. And that is the greatest treasure of all." He told her. Some might hear him and think him trying to butter her up, but he meant every word. This lovely woman drove him up the wall, but in the best way. He lingered on her eyes for but a moment, dark orbs glinting in the light of the moon before he leaned in to kiss her...
 
As Kaiden draped the blankets about her shoulders, she dropped her hands from her face, and settled her back against his side completely. The feeling of his body heat through her dress on her lower back soothed her tremendously. While the guilt still raged on in her core, threatening to consume her, it was as if his presence was a balm to her raw soul. She breathed deeply, taking in his scent, teakwood and leather, pleasant on the nose, and it comforted her further. It appeared that he was a uniquely gentle soul, a stark contrast to the grizzled seafaring men whom she spent her days with. His presence was as refreshing as it was soul-crushing to her. And when he murmured that he believed her, and forgave her, she raised a hand to her own chest as she bowed her head, rubbing the area just where her heart would be, as though trying to rub away an ache. It had twisted violently in her breast, his words gripping her heart tightly. He *forgave* her? Why? She had single-handedly fucked up his life and caused him copious amounts of stress. It hadnt even been Bruce who had made the split decision to take him hostage. The onus was on her.

She kept her eyes closed, her brow tightly knitted, until she felt his smooth, soft fingers under her chin. He turned her face tenderly towards him, and her green eyes fluttered open to meet his gaze, as he explained that they were all victims of circumstance. That they had all done what had needed to be done, and then she had stepped in to protect his life. She gritted her teeth then, not answering him. He was her responsibility, she didnt just *want* to protect him, she *had* to. He then told her that he had seen all the splendors that the world had to offer, that he had met royal families, scholars, and wizards, but that he had never met anyone as heartfelt as she. Her hand dropped from her chest, but it fell to her side balled into a fist against the wood of the ship floor. If only he knew the trials and tribulations she had faced... if he knew how she fought tooth and nail day in and day out, not only to assimilate into the pirate life fully, but to retain the humanity she had been born with... it was killing her by the day. She was trying to be naught more than steel and grit and teeth, to have an ironclad soul that never faltered...but the truth was, she had never been that way. She had never been born with concrete nerves, and she was fighting against 30 year of compassion to develop them. She had been warned more than once that her heart would be her downfall.

Then...then she caught movement out of her peripheral that she could not ignore. She had to look up from where she had driven her fist into the floor, catching his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight only mere seconds before...his lips met hers.

Instantly, her heart bloomed wildly, filling her lungs with a breath that was so sweet she could barely stand it. His lips were soft, and sugary...warm, like sun-baked strawberries in the summer. Rosie had been kissed many times, but never...not like this. Before she could stop herself, she leaned into his lips, her heart thudding in her ears as she lifted that balled fist from the ground, to relax the tension and instead lightly touch his jaw with her fingertips. Her eyes closed, and she was only seconds away from letting herself truly melt into him, before an intrusive thought wound its way into her mind,
*'You're going to end up stabbed in the back, if you carry on like this, Rosabella...think about where he is and who put him there, why on earth would he try to woo you?'*

The thought came hard, and fast, so much so that her body stiffened even before the weight of the realization hit her. She pulled away from him suddenly with a gasp, her heart shriveling painfully within her, as she looked at him in pain confusion. He had come onto her at the party, so did he not find her attractive? Perhaps he had then...while he was in the position of power, but he certainly couldn't feel that way about her now. He had said that he noticed her weak heart...was he trying to capitalize on it, to make her lower her guard? Her lips burned where his had made contact with hers, but she pulled away from him completely, moving to her knees and then scrambling to her feet to put distance between her and him...between her and his warmth...his scent...she needed a second to think straight. Was this how he thought he was going to earn the upper hand? That he would slaughter her here, far in the depths of the boat, so as to get her back for the situation she had put him in?

She looked at him nervously, every hair on her arms standing straight up, as chills ran down her spine. It had been a close call. She had very nearly let him in...sure...it would have been a night of *nothing*...just a bit of fun, and nothing more...purely meaningless...but...hadn't that been what she had intended when she had first started talking to him at the party? That she would lull him into comfort so he would lower his guard, and she could then strike for the papers? There was no way he wasn't playing the same game as she. There was no way he still wanted her to warm his bed after everything that had happened...after he had absolutely lost the game that they were playing...no...Kaiden was out for blood.

A tremble running through her...a quiver of her bottom lip, she looked at him in despair. She studied the diplomat, for a moment, before shaking her head,
"Ohhhhh ye wiley an' experienced, ain'tcha? Ye know yer attractive, ye know I wantcha, so yer just expectin' me to lay down an' wakeup with a knife in me back, eh? Yer a dangerous one, Kaiden Caladwell, but I've got me eye on ye, tha's for sure!" She said, pinning him with an accusatory stare. Though her voice was firm, and her words were harsh, her heart was somehow shattered in her chest. It was a pain that she hadn't known for years, but it was a familiar one that she hadn't forgotten. How on earth, had a man, that she had known for less than a day, been able to dredge such torment to the surface? He was both strange, and untrustworthy...shaking her head, her red locks falling about her shoulders, she turned away from him. He was bad for her, and she was bad for him, there was no way around it. Both of them had been cut from different cloths, and even if it was only a single night of fun twisted in some blankets, neither would truly trust the other. She knew that. Reaching out, she snatched a bottle of rum from one of the shelves in the cargo bay, and she paused in the door,
"'Sooner yer off the ship, 'sooner we both rest easy...pray for an island tomorrow...I know I will..." She murmured to him, before stepping outside the cargo hold with the bottle clutched so tightly around the neck that her knuckles turned white.

He was a predator, and she was a prey in her own ship. She doubted he knew how very close she had come to falling for his advances...how very close she had come to throwing caution to the wind...how close she had come to giving in to her own desires, despite not deserving them. It was that last fact, that last realization that there was no way he felt anything toward her but malice and anger, that her held her back and set her straight. Hurt, she turned toward the sleeping quarters, where she knew her own bunk laid. There was a remedy for this level of hurt, and she held it in one hand.
 
When she broke away, he blinked in surprise. She was as soft as a pillow and warm as the spring sun, but then she turned cold and hard, backing away. Her eyes were beautiful even in suspicion, but they couldn't soften the blow of her next words. He could not believe she was accusing him of treachery? Him!? The man she took and shoved off, the one that defended her against a pirate captain as she did him, and then the one she promised to protect? And she thought he was going to stab her in the back!? He understood she must be lost in her life, but it still hurt like hell. It was so insulting he almost got angry at her, out loud. But as it were, he just let her go. Now Kaiden truly felt alone, and he fell asleep like that. Frustrated and alone.

The next morning, he awoke early, hoping to find out it had all been some strange dream. But the ship was still under him, his back still hurt like hell, and he realized just how hungry he was.

"Well, time to start the work day..." He said to himself, rising and keeping his 'bed' materials right where he left them. Taking himself up to the deck, he looked around for anyone else. An older, balder man with a golden earring was on deck, pulling one of the rigging lines. Two other toughs were upon the aft castle doing their rounds, but they didn't seem to notice. He was drawn to the bald man when the fellow glanced his way, grinning with ill humor.

"Oh, your highness? I expected you to sleep in. Why d'ye grace us with your presence out of charity or are you looking for some honest work?"

"Honest?" Kaiden quipped, though it felt weak. The pirate laughed.

"Touche', but while you're here it's about as honest as it gets. So grab a broom or get in the brig, you're choice."

Kaiden took the broom, and got to sweeping. He had to be corrected on his 'technique' if one could call it that more than once, but he didn't fret or mind. All he wanted to do was to forget Rosabella. When she stepped on board late that morning, he didn't even look at her. He wanted to, but it was clear that right now, he couldn't handle it.
 
Bruce moved through the sleeping cabin in a hurry, his eyes wide as he looked fervently for the familiar tuft of firey red locks that he knew to be his younger friend. He had come out onto the upper deck earlier in the morning, intending to see if Rosabella needed any help getting Kaiden acclimated to not only the ship, but his chores as well. When the handsome young diplomat stepped out onto the surface of the vessel, sans Rosabella, it didnt take a genius to figure out what had happened. He didnt know what thoughts were running through Rosie's head, or what had caused her to pick up the bottle as she had, but he knew he was going to find her passed out drunk in her rack. He could *feel* it. He just had to get to her before...

"BAUER! WHAT DID I TELL YE LAST NIGHT? DID YE THINK ME TELLIN' TALES? GET YER ASS UP NOW, 'FORE I THROW YE FROM THE SHIP DECKS MESELF!"

Bruce halted, wincing in between the racks as he listened. Hacker sounded *pissed*. Beyond irate, and after last night, Rosabella could *not* afford to be insubordinate like this. Slowly, timidly, he peered around the stack of racks that lay before him, not wanting to be caught, but wanting to ensure that Rosabella was okay. And when he finally laid eyes on her, he hissed through his teeth in sympathy, as his gut jumped uncomfortably. She looked like *hell*. Rosie liked her drink, they *all* liked their drink, but it had been a long time since he had seen her get *this* bad. Not since she had first boarded the ship alongside Hacker, and became part of their crew.

She was seated on the side of her bed, her feet on the floor, and her body hunched over. She was clearly trying to will herself to stand up. Even from where he was standing, he could smell the alcohol coming off her in waves, and could see the glaze in her eyes as she looked up at her Captain. She was clearly trying to mentally will herself to sober up, but it wasnt happening fast enough for Hacker, who promptly reached down and grabbed her by the shirt, hoisted her to her feet, and slammed her back against the ship wall.

Shaking his head as he drew back into the row of bunks that he had been standing between, Bruce turned and slunk away quietly. He didn't want to see this. He wasnt sure where Rosabella's head was at, but he knew she was self-sabotaging years of effort, to get to where she was. Behind him, he could hear Hacker growling threats to her, in a low, dangerous tone, but he ignored it, knowing that there was nothing he could do for her now.

****

Rosabella's stomach lurched with nausea as she was yanked from her seated position on the bed, and slammed into the wall behind her. The move had been so forceful, it had knocked the wind right out of her. She wasn't sure if the roiling in her gut was from the copious amounts of rum, the fear of knowing she had once more messed up in front of Hacker, or...or if it was remnant pain from last night. She supposed it didnt matter one way or the other, all she knew was that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to not dry heave in the Captain's face. He leaned into her, and she could feel his hot, soured breath wash over her,
"What did I tell ye last night, Rosabella? What did I tell ye was gonna happen if I caught ye not pullin' yer weight?"
"Ye said...ye said that ye'd throw me from the ship yerself..."
"Oh! So ye *were* payin' attention! Good! So...did ye think me a liar?"
"No, Cap'n. I dont think ye a liar."
"Ah, so I should throw ye from the upper decks, should I?"
"No, Cap'n. Please...dont throw me from the ship."

Rosabella looked up at the man she had come to respect, even if her actions over the past day did not seem like it. Her green eyes were pleading with him, a silent plea to just give her another chance. Hacker set his jaw, before glancing to the side, not wanting to see that desperation in her. He was a harsh man, but it was out of necessity, he hated seeing any of his own men in a position like she was in, and he took no joy in slaughtering others. But what kind of leader would he be if he did not set a precedent? If he did not stick to his word? He shook his head, heaving a sigh,
"What's gotten into ye, Rosie? I 'aven't 'ad problems with ye like this in years." He asked her, his voice low and gruff, hard as he spoke to her, demanding an answer.

Biting her lip, Rosie remained quiet, though she looked away from the Captain, off to the side. She didnt answer him right away, she couldnt, because she didnt know the answer herself. Unfortunately for her, her bleary, out-of-focus eyes told him everything he needed to know, the moment she cast a glance toward the main deck. To where even in her drunken stupor, she knew Kaiden would be, out beginning his chores. Hacker tensed, and then his own dark eyes narrowed in anger,
"'s tha' boy, isn't it?" He asked, before roughly throwing her against the wall one more time as he released her. Stumbling, Rosabella caught herself, looking up just as Hacker turned on his heel and strode away, moving with an intense sense of purpose. For a brief moment, Rosabella's fuzzed over brain tried to make sense of why Hacker had suddenly left, when it dawned on her that he was blaming Kaiden for the state he had found her in. Her gut clenched again, as her eyes widened with the realization. It wasn't Kaiden's fault! Again, he hadnt done anything wrong...that she was sure of, anyhow. Scrambling, practically falling all over herself as she tried to keep her balance, she took off after Hacker,
"Cap'n! Wait! Please!"

****

Outside, Bruce stepped into the sunlight once again, his eyes scanning the surface of the decks, searching for the man he had helped Rosie kidnap just the night prior. He saw him after a brief pause, sweeping the decks, being directed by Jasper. Heading over towards him, he lifted his hand to hail Kaiden,
"Oi! Caladwell! Did you happen to be with Rosie last ni-?" He was cut off from finishing his question, as the door from the sleeping cabin banged open behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Hacker standing in the doorway, murder in his eyes, looking mad as all hell. A pit formed in the middle of his stomach,
"Oh, shit." Quickly he turned, and jogged over to Kaiden, closing the distance between them quickly. Falling in line beside the man, he looked at him out of the corner of his eye,
"Whatever you do...dont talk back...mind your manners and be respectful." He muttered to the young diplomat, knowing that the poor bastard was about to get torn apart with no idea why.

Finally spotting Kaiden, Hacker glared daggers at his prisoner, and immediately began making his way over to where the man stood. Flying out from the door behind him, Rosabella stumbled out onto the deck, her green eyes wide and imploring. Bruce winced, she looked even worse in the sunlight. Her hair was knotted and limp around her face, her eyes were not only glazed over, but they were also red and puffy, she had been crying. Likely until she had fallen asleep. Startled, he glanced at Kaiden once more,
"What'd you *do* to her?" He asked in a breathless whisper. He had seen Rosabella show many emotions during their travels together. He had seen her tremble, seen her lip quiver, heard her laugh, and even, after a particularly hard night of drinking, had heard her sweet moans in his ear...but she had made it a point to not cry, not in a good long while.

Clearly panicked, she tore across the deck after Hacker, who had not halted his trajectory towards Kaiden,
"HACKER! PLEASE! CAP'N! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" She called to him frantically, haphazardly chasing after him. Hacker either didnt hear her, so lost in his rage, or he didnt care, as he rounded on Kaiden. Snatching the young man up forcefully by his shirt, he pushed him back roughly against the ship railing, holding him out over the water that was racing along below them, the ship slicing through the waves like a hot knife through butter. All he had to do, was release Kaiden's shirt, and the diplomat would fall. His lip curled as he leaned in,
"Give me one good reason I shouldnt throw ye to the sharks right now." He growled, menace thick in his tone.

Frantic, Rosabella finally caught up to him, and she gripped at his arm, her face a pure desperate plea for him to reconsider,
"Please! Please Cap'n! I'm begging ye! Don't 'urt 'im, 'e did nothing wrong!" Her cries were near hysterical in nature, but Hacker didnt skip a beat, merely shrugging her off him with the air of someone swatting an annoying fly. He shook his head, never tearing those ire-filled eyes away from Kaiden,
"There's been nothin' but trouble since 'e's boarded ta ship..." He started. But Rosabella shook her head, before hitting her knees before him, her hands clasped as though she were a beggar in the streets,
"Please! Hacker! I'll do anything! *Anything*! 'e's been naught but compliant, I swear to ye! The fault is me own!" She begged him, her voice cracking in her despair.

Beside them, Bruce shifted,
"She's right, y'know, Captain. Whatever he did, he didn't put that bottle in her hand, and force her to drink. You know that, I know that, and every crewman here knows that." He said, his voice solemn. Normally, he wouldnt interfere with Hacker and the way his Captain chose to run things, but sitting idly by while an innocent man wrongfully paid the ultimate price for no reason, didnt sit well with him either. Ah hell, Rosabella and her feelings were obviously taking a toll on him...either that, or he was getting soft in his old age.
 
Kaiden should have known this would happen, but he had been too busy trying to make sure he wasn't bullied by not doing his job that he couldn't focus on anything else. Rosabella stumbling out after Hacker wrenched his heart, but it was the Captain that drew his full attention of course. Kaiden wasn't a weak man, but his soft lifestyle made it easy to shove him back until he was over the lip of the railing, held only by the captain's good graces. He glanced back at the sea below and it sloshed angrily before his widened eyes. No! No he needed to act in control, else he never would be. Swallowing, he turned to look back at the captain directly. Even as Bruce argued for Kaiden's life, Kaiden spoke evenly.

"Captain...yesterday she took me from the Governor's Household in front of delegates from across the world, with fifty guns trained on her every step of the way. And then when she made it back, she was hit and yelled at." He reminded him calmly, breathing through his nose and closing his mouth whenever he was not speaking, giving him an air of control, if just a bit. "Anyone would be shaken up after the former, and I suppose the latter might do something to a girl like her. But I will not tell you how to run your ship, from everything I've heard you're a good captain. All I've done is sleep on the floor, get up early, and do the duties that would be expected of me. So if you want to throw me overboard for being kidnapped and making the best of it, very well. It would have happened sooner or later anyway, in that case."

He wondered where the ship was actually heading to, now that he thought of the speeding ship beneath them. Every pirate onboard watched the exchange, though only a few were close enough to hear anything. Bruce looked between Kaiden and the captain, and then consistently glanced back at Rosie who was still clutching herself with worry. Kaiden might be annoyed at her, and offended, but he knew she still cared. He didn't blame her for their predicament, but he would still give the bare facts to the captain if he was asked. "I'm just being honest with you, captain. No games"
 
Hacker’s stormy gray eyes never left Kaiden’s, as he glared at the young man before him, daring him to speak in any other town but respectful, as he held him leaned back over the ship railing. His teeth were clenched, and his jaw was set, even as he listened to the diplomat’s words. In the back of his mind, he clocked the widened eyes when the young man had originally glanced towards the water below him…he was scared; and fighting against every instinct he had to not show it. Kaiden Caladwarden was not the first man he’d held over the side of a ship railing, but he was holding his shit together better than most. He’d seen burlier men crack and say whatever he wanted, when put in the same position. While Hacker still didn’t like him, he could at least respect his resiliency, despite being faced with death. Even last night, the young man hadn’t lost his mind when he’d called for his crew to kill him, before Rosie had stepped in. He wasn’t sure if it was because Caladwarden didn’t believe the danger he was in, or if he was just deadest on not breaking…if it was the former, it was no skin off Hacker’s nose, the young man would learn the truth soon enough. If it was the latter…there was some merit to the skill of keeping one’s head cool in a dangerous situation. It was a pity Kaiden was so soft, for he could use someone with his skillset during negotiations with both the Naval Guard, and other pirate crews. He seemed to contemplate the diplomat’s words, the muscles in his jaw tightening as Kaiden went over everything that could have shaken up Rosabella from the night prior, before claiming that he had done nothing save for what he was asked from the moment he had stepped on board. It was not lost on Hacker, that Kaiden was trying to blame the kidnapping and the slight discipline on Rosabella’s bender, and it really highlighted that the poor bastard in his hands didn’t know the first thing about the woman who was currently pleading for his life. Oh…he was dangerous for her, indeed, and the faster he got Kaiden off the ship and away from the red-head kneeling beside him, the safer her heart was going to be.

Shaking his head, he leaned in, his lips right up against Kaiden’s ear, so there could be no mistaking what he had to say,

“If ye think ta threat of death, or some fleeting, physical pain, is enough ta unhinge Rosabella Bauer, then yer not half as observant as ye think ye are. I don’ know what she sees in ye, but somethin’ about *ye* has got her scared. *Yer* what she fears.” He said, his grizzled voice gravelly in its low, harsh, tones.

Pulling back; but leaving Kaiden hanging precariously over the side of the ship, with the water racing beneath them, he glanced over to the side, his eyes finding Rosie. He chewed on his lip, clearly trying to determine the depths that Rosie would go to, to keep an actual stranger safe from harm, to figure out how dedicated she truly was to Kaiden. A thought struck him suddenly, and he looked at her with a serious, even, expression,

“Bauer! Tell me what ye will do ta keep me from droppin’ ‘im in the water right now.” He said, his tone a challenge.

Rosie cast Kaiden an apologetic, hurt, expression, before looking back quickly to Hacker with a plea still etched all over her features. Holding her hands out to him, she shook her head,

“Anything, Cap’n! Anything, and without complaint!” She said to him, her words coming out quick and with conviction.

Hacker nodded, before looking back to Kaiden, wanting to make sure that the young man was paying attention,

“Anythin’, eh? Good. Then ye’ll come to me bedside tonight, when yer done with yer chores, after dinner. Ye’ll warm it, until I’m good n’ done.” He demanded, his voice full of the authority that he bore over her, Kaiden, and everyone else aboard the ship.

There was silence. Even Bruce’s brow furrowed nervously as he watched the exchange. This was bad. Hacker must be really pissed, if these were the lengths he was going to. It was unlike the salty bastard. One of the first things the man had made *abundantly* clear when Rosie had initially come aboard, was that if Rosie slept with you, it was because *she* wanted to, and she was not to be coerced or threatened or forced in any way. In fact, even when they boarded other ships, or invaded islands, any sort of unwilling perversion was strictly forbidden. There were plenty of willing women, or men, for carnal pleasures of the flesh, and their Captain encouraged the men to let off steam with those participants. And Hacker stuck by this rule strictly…Bruce had seen more than one man walk the plank for violating this specific rule.

Rosabella looked as though she were a rabbit caught in a snare, and a hungry fox was approaching her. In truth, it was taking everything within her to not panic right there, to keep her head about her, and to not vomit right there on the ship deck. Her heart was racing wildly, and her hands were trembling in front of her, but she did not look away from the situation before her. Her green eyes shifted nervously between Hacker, and Kaiden, before she coughed, and nodded. She would not cry. Not here. Not in front of the men, and certainly not in front of Kaiden. But her throat was closing up so very tightly it hurt to breathe. Clenching her jaw, she nodded a second time, fixing Hacker with a determined, yet pained gaze,

“If it means ‘is safety, Cap’n, I’ll do it. Whatever ye want. Ev’ry night if I ‘ave to.” She said, only her eyes and the quivering of her hands betraying how scared she really was, agreeing to these terms. Her voice was surprisingly even, and her expression had fallen stoic, as she tamped down on the hysteria that was coursing within her.

Hacker’s lip curled as he turned from Rosabella, pinning Kaiden with a meaningful glare, before he yanked the man back over the railing, and threw him down violently towards the deck, to where his crew member was poised on her knees.

Immediately, Rosabella held out her arms for him, and she caught him, clutching him tightly to her, in trembling arms. She had very nearly lost him. If that had happened…no, she couldn’t think about that. Despite how close she had come, he was still here, still breathing, even if she was sure he was shaken up. Clinging to him, as though she were afraid he could be ripped away from her again, she put her lips to his ear,

“I told ye I’d protect ye, no matter the cost.” She whispered to him, her voice suddenly very tight.

Hacker watched as relief flooded Rosabella’s face the moment he had pulled the diplomat back onto the deck, and he shook his head, a sneer on his features. He took a step over towards them, glaring down at them with an intense, angered expression,

“Ye know if we were in ‘is domain, on land, an’ ‘e saw ye at the gallows…’e would not risk ‘is good name with other politicians to get ye out of ta noose. In fact, those ‘angings are always big events, so ‘e might even be there, front n’ center, ta show ‘is dedication to ‘cleanin’ up ta seas’. Remember that; Rosie. Don't be late tonight.” He said, before turning on his heel away from them.

Rosie didn’t answer, she merely buried her face in his dark, soft, locks, and she breathed deeply, closing her eyes as she let his leather and teakwood scent wash over her. His body warmth soothed her. The fact that she could still feel his heartbeat through his back chased away the intense shaking of her arms. She didn’t care if Hacker’s words were true, or if they were a falsehood…she had made him a sure, vehement promise, and she was going to keep true to it, if it was the last thing she had ever done.
 
"Don't touch me," Kaiden breathed on instinct, not wanting her to be near him right now. He pushed himself out of her arms, uncomfortable with the entire affair. He would regret saying that later, but he felt that way at the moment.

He wasn't worth this! He wasn't worth her drunken stupor or her giving herself away to this...fucking barbarian! Everything he could handle but this rape and extortion, and her affection after telling him he was a traitor to his face. Him being thrown had shaken him, but he pushed away roughly and got to his feet. Bruce handed him his broom, eyeing him for his harsh words at Rosie but knowing he was probably out of his mind with fear. He gathered himself up, and grabbed his broom as if he was about to start sweeping again, only to make a complete turn and stride after Hacker who's back was turned to him. The other pirates watched but none said anything, too rapt in the spectacle to shout a warning.

There was not a lot of weight behind the haft of the broom, but he had plenty of time to ready his swing and Hacker's exposed head just ready to be struck with all of Kaiden's strength. Just before he whacked the bastard over the head to knock him out, he was grabbed from behind by Bruce, who took his arms and immobilized them so he couldn't swing, letting Hacker walk away none the wiser for the time being. "What the fuck are you doing!? This is my life, not yours!" Kaiden growled at him, anger flashing in his dark eyes.

"You dumb bastard, it would kill her if you got yourself killed over this!" Bruce scolded, not letting him go.

"Why should I care!?" Kaiden cried, struggling out of his grasp, finally. "I'd rather be dead than serve under a rapist, or have someone protect me in such a way! Just go back to your posts and leave me the fuck alone." He dropped the broom and went down below decks, looking for something else to do. If she was going to fuck the captain, fine. He wasn't going to be anywhere near her then. If she wanted to protect him after insulting him like that? Too bad, he wouldn't be around to do it. He went and hid behind a cannon, laying down so no one could see or find him. He needed some time to think and rest. Gods, why was he here?

That's what he got for doing his job and making the best of his situation. He couldn't be left in peace, even trying his best.
 
’Don’t touch me.’

’I’d rather be dead than have someone protect me in such a way.’

Even hours later, those words still stung Rosie’s heart, she could still hear them in her mind, as though Kaiden had snarled them only seconds ago. The whole ordeal was so…fresh, and she was so raw from it, as she stood in the crow’s nest, watching over the horizon. Usually, she loved taking over the upper watch, as everything was so quiet and peaceful up here. The salty sea air tugged and played at her locks, she could see the men at work below, and then just staring off into the distance, to where she couldn’t tell the difference between sea and sky any longer, it just gave her a place to think and reflect, which was usually a good thing. But right now, while her thoughts were dark, and her heart was crushed, it only let her relive the events of the morning, over, and over.

She didn’t think her heart could have broken any more, than when he had wrenched himself from her arms, and spat at her to not touch him. But it had only gotten worse from there. She had watched him, agony in her eyes, as he had taken his broom back from Bruce, only to turn and go after Hacker’s retreating form. In that moment, she had been frozen, unable to move, feeling as though she was watching everything in slow motion. It had been one of the most harrowing moments of her life, watching a man that had somehow wormed his way into her heart, gripping it tightly, go after the man she owed her very life to…a man who had taken her under his wing, and protected her against some of the most brutal horrors of the world. Her mouth had gone dry, and she had been utterly rooted to her knees, watching. Bruce had come to the rescue at the last moment, wrestling Kaiden back and yanking him away from his target. And that was when Kaiden had spat more venom towards Hacker, towards her, before wrenching himself out of Bruce’s grip, throwing down his broom, and stalking his way below decks. Then, her heart that he had cleaved in two, had been absolutely shattered. She hadn’t seen him since.

At the time, she had scrambled to her feet, intending to go after him, choking back a sob as she had struggled to maintain her bearing, to not cry, when Bruce had caught her by the shoulders, and held her in place,

“Leave him alone, Rosie.”

“No, Bruce! Stop! I need to go after ‘im! I need to explain-“

“Explain what, Rosabella? That you’re going to sleep with Hacker later, so he can keep living on a boat he never asked to be on in the first place? He doesn’t want to hear it.”

“I just…but…Kaiden…” Her voice started to truly break then, and when Bruce looked at Rosabella, he could see her green eyes glistening, threatening tears that she was fighting with everything to hold back. Swallowing, he had yanked her to his chest then, and held her, shaking his head,

“Give it up Rosie. He doesn’t care, and he never did. I’ve been warning you about that heart of yours since day one; and look where it’s gotten you. You’re a mess.” She had stood there, allowing her friend to hold her, as she sucked in a breath and nodded to him, pulling away only slightly so she could look up to his weathered face. Sniffling slightly, she took several deep breaths, calming down her frazzled nerves,

“I didn’ mean to fall for ‘im…I don’ even know why I did…” She said to him, looking up at him woefully. Bruce smiled and nodded, smoothing her hair with his large, roughened fingers,

“’S because you’re not meant for this life, Rosie…but just let this be a hard-learned lesson for you; and stop sticking your neck out for someone who won’t remember your name the second he’s off the ship. The fact of the matter is, he means far more to you, than you do to him, and that will always be true. So, just treat him like any other crewman, until it’s time to drop him off.”

Rosabella had nodded to his words but said nothing, even as Bruce had taken his leave from her, to get back to his own chores. She had taken to the crow’s nest to think; and relieve Jasper from his duties. And that was where she found herself now, still staring out over the open waters, just ruminating over the heaviness of the morning.

…Until something in the distance caught her eye. Standing up straight, she squinted, holding her red locks off to the side in one hand, to avoid them getting into her eyes. She focused, looking hard, before her heart tightened up in her chest once more. It was a dark mass…large, but not large enough to be an island, or land of any sort…it was another ship.

Feeling as though she had been doused in icy water, she glanced over the side of the crow’s nest, and she caught sight of Jasper returning from a nap. He looked up to her, to see if she was ready to be relieved, and she flashed him the signs that a ship was approaching. It didn’t take him even a few breaths to begin his scramble up the mainmast. If the ship wasn’t a friendly, and most weren’t, then the Crow’s Nest wasn’t a safe place to be in an altercation. No one liked Rosabella up there if a battle was underway.

Knowing it would take less time to comply than to argue, Rosabella started her own descent down the netting and shrouds that held the sails to the large poles in the center. She was quick, nodding to the ponytailed pirate as they passed one another on their paths, and she shimmied down to the quarterdeck. In the past, Rosabella had vehemently demanded to be treated like any other mate on the ship, if the men could handle the Crow’s Nest during an altercation, then so could she. But now…there were other things on her mind.

Stalking her way up to the aftcastle, she rounded the corner, catching sight of Bruce coiling a rope around his forearm, to tuck it away. He immediately clocked the sense of urgency with which she moved, and he stopped what he was doing, reaching out to grab her arm, and looking at her with questions in his eyes. She gestured ahead,

“A ship approaches. Too far out to tell if it’s merchant, Navy, or other pirates. Goin' to tell Hacker.” She said, making to pull her arm away. But Bruce shook his head, knowing full well where Rosie’s head was truly at in the moment,

“I’ll tell Hacker. You go prepare...him…” He said, refusing to speak their prisoner’s name in the moment. Bruce didn’t hate him, not by a long shot, he knew that Kaiden was simply out of his element, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t pissed over his antics earlier. Not only had the diplomat threatened his Captain, but he had been vicious to Rosabella.

Remembering his words from earlier, Rosabella hesitated…would he even *want* to be prepared by her? But Bruce shook his head, and pushed her gently towards the stairs to go below deck,

“’s better for him if you go, whether he wants you to or not.” He said, giving her a nod.

Putting on a stoic face, not wanting anyone to be privy to the emotions storming through her, she nodded and turned, padding away to below deck. Immediately, she began searching, knowing he had purposefully tucked himself into a place where he could be left alone. And he had been, because no one had been looking for him…but once someone on a ship wanted to find you, there was a finite space, only so many places one could “hide”. And so, after a few minutes of peeking around crates and under boxes, she finally saw him laid up behind a cannon.

The moment her eyes had fallen upon his handsome face, she had very nearly faltered. She had nearly lost her nerve. Her heart remained crumbled in her chest, and her stomach flip-flopped nervously. A part of her just wanted to turn around and leave, not wanting to face the vitriol she had seen in his eyes, a second time. But…there were more important things at play here, then her feelings. His safety was on the line, so she needed to focus. Taking a deep breath to steel her nerves, she approached him, keeping her face completely impassive,

“Come with me. No arguments. A ship is approachin’ an’ we don’ yet know if it’s other pirates, merchants, or the Navy. Either way, ye need to be topside, least until we know. If it’s the Navy, I’ll put ye on a boat and get ye over to them an’ ye’ll be rescued…if it’s other pirates…well…if I say come back down ‘ere, then ye need to come back down ‘ere.” She said, her words were wooden, but firm. She did not want him to know just how badly being near him was affecting her. She could cry later, alone, out of his earshot. For now, there was a potential to get him off the ship as she had been promising him since the evening before, and she remained stone-faced to avoid giving him any insight as to how she was truly feeling.
 
Kaiden grabbed a rope hanging low beside him to haul himself up. Getting to his feet, he looked very much the idealized handsome sailor, the sun peeking into the cargo area with them to wash over his legs, making his face appear that much more mysterious. eyes glinting in the shadow. He looked at Rosabella and knew she wanted to be here speaking to him even less than himself. The ambassador was still entirely uncomfortable from the whole affair, but he knew if he ever made it out of here, he wouldn't blame her.

"No arguments," he agreed, fixing his collar. Whatever implications the approaching ship had, he would take them into account when he saw it. If they were other pirates, it could lead to a dangerous situation. If not, it could still potentially be fairly dangerous, but perhaps there was rescue. If that were to happen, he realized then and there he would try and save Rosie's head from the chopping block. Bruce's too, if he could manage.

"You know they're wrong. Bruce and Hacker." He started, rolling up his sleeves to further add to the appearance of a sailor, just in case. "I do care. About you. If I didn't, I wouldn't give a fuck about any of this. I would do my job and let it be. I wouldn't go after Hacker with a broom handle and risk my neck. And if I am to make it out of here, I would remember you too." The fellow wasn't entirely sure why he felt now was the best time to reiterate this. All he wanted now was to be far away from here, but he supposed it might happen soon. He didn't know when else he might tell her.

"Let's go," was all he added, not giving her the time to say anything in return. He didn't want to hear it, lest his conscience or heart keep him on the ship. He made his way up the stairs as Rosabella instructed, hoping beyond hope he could be on a friendlier ship later that night, supping wine and not having to fear a knife in the back.
 
Rosabella watched Kaiden as he reached up to a rope that hung nearby, pulling himself up and off the floor with a quiet murmured agreement of “no arguments” under this breath. Everything in her wanted to tear her green eyes from him, to look away so she could gather her senses and retain her closed off, professional, demeanor. But she couldn’t. His very visage stole her breath away from her lungs, and she found herself unable to look at anything else in his presence. He had been undeniably handsome before, but nearly two full days at see had given him a harsher, more rugged, wild look to him, that only added to his attractive features. His unkempt dark locks just made her fingers twitch to run through them, and his grizzled, now scruffy, jawline was begging for her lips to touch it. Still said nothing as he pulled himself to his feet, and began rolling up his sleeves, nothing that was, until he began to speak.

She listened intently as he told her that ‘they’ were wrong, before clarifying that he had meant Hacker and Bruce. She did her best to keep her face impassive as he spoke, iterating that he did indeed care about her, that he wouldn’t have gone after the Captain with a broom handle if he didn’t, and that if he was to make it out of here tonight he would definitely remember her. It took everything within her to not let her heartbreak show on her features, but she kept herself statuesque. Inside, her words wrenched her heart forcefully to the side, but it was when he turned around to climb those stairs, to leave her behind without letting her get a word in edgewise, that he split it completely in twain. She couldn’t let him go through that door…not like this…

Without even thinking, she moved up the stairs swiftly behind him, before reaching out to grab his arm, and yanking him back to force him against the wall. Moments later, her body was pressed against his, her emerald eyes bored into his dark ones, and her nose was only inches from his…she didn’t want him to run away this time…not when whatever lay beyond the door to the upper decks could spell death for either one of them…she wasn’t going to let him walk away, not without hearing what she needed him to hear.

Swallowing hard, her lips parted,

“’S dangerous up there…we ‘ave no idea if the ship approachin’ is friendly or not…an’ I got to tell ye, we don’t ‘ave many friends…I go first…I’m expendable, an’ the world needs ye…” She said to him, her voice firm, and harsh, not wanting to give him any room or reason to defy her. Her words weren’t wrong. For all they knew, opening that door could lead to any number of guns, swords, and cannons pointed directly at them. But she wasn’t done.

Her expression softened, to one of hesitance, as if she was suddenly afraid to voice her thoughts. In truth, after all his vitriol earlier, a part of her was. Even if she had to get it out before something happened, she didn’t know if she could handle his harsh attitude towards her a second time. But she may not get another chance to say what she needed to say. There was a very real possibility he would be off the ship and out of her life within the hour,

“…I need ye…if ye think…” her voice trembled, but there was a fire in her eyes now, and conviction in her words, she would not stop,

“…if ye think that ye don’t mean the absolute world to me, Kaiden Caladwarden…then yer denser than the cake I ‘ad at yer reception t’other night. I’m not protectin’ ye because I brought ye on this ship…I’m protectin’ ye because it would ‘urt to much to see ye ‘urt…I just…I just more’n anythin’, want to see ye safe, and ‘appy….” She said to him, refusing to look anywhere else but directly at him. He had to know she was serious. That she meant every word.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she felt the heat of the blood rushing to her head, but she couldn’t stop now. She had already started something she couldn’t take back. Letting her eyes slip closed, she pressed her lips to his jaw gently, tenderly kissing him at the sensitive portion of his neck, the action chaste despite her fervor,

“I’ll not forget ye either, Sir Kaiden. Maybe in another life, this could 'ave been differen'.” She murmured to him softly. For a moment longer, she lingered, letting that leather and teakwood scent wash over her. Letting his body heat between her and the wood of the ship soothe her. She did not know if she would ever be able to feel it again. But only a breath later, she withdrew from him, and turned back towards the door,

“Now…let’s ‘ope that ship up there is the Naval Guard, an’ that we can get ye to safety.” She said to him, mounting the creaking stairs, and pressing open the door to the upper decks cautiously, glancing out to assess the situation.
 
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