Captive, Kidnapped by a Pirate [Inactive]

"What's wrong with me?" Adelaide echoed the question in a melancholy tone. "You're only just asking that now, Captain?"


She held out her hands as if grasping for an answer in the air in front of her face, but she fell short and let her arms fall to her sides.


"Do you really want to know, or are you only trying to annoy me?" She asked, not a hint of irritation or anger in her voice, but true curiosity and a hint of sadness. Did he care, at all, about how his words only beat her down, he said nothing positive about the girl - ever. Annoyance, sarcasm, and teasing, these were the three things he was best at when it came to Adelaide Everette.
 
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"If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked." Christopher folded his arms across his chest and waited for her to comply, growing more and more irritated. "If you hate it here so much, leave. We can do this without you."
 
"You want me to leave, you want to keep me alive? I don't know what anyone wants of me, and I never said I hated it here." She shook her head, unable to think of a proper reply.


Confusion.





"Try for just a second, just humor me please, to imagine why I am the way I am." Adelaide pleaded with him, he didn't know how she was raised, didn't know how sheltered she was, how she was raised to act and simply be. "I was raised, with no outside contact with the world save my father, my friend, and my cousins. Being the perfect little caged Princess, I know now that I was naive to think everyone loved me, because now I understand everyone wants me dead. There's a whole war I was raised to not know about."


Frightened.





"My bodyguard tried to kill me, and he in turn..he, he cut off my father's head and gave it to me in a sack. Only now I know that my father was a horrible man. I was the only one who cared that he died, but even then, I couldn't be sure. What does that make me then? Why is it your crew doesn't dance on a grave they make for me along with my father? What's keeping me alive, of all people? You? But now you just asked me to leave."


Conflicted.


"Do you all think I'm going to be a great ruler? I was raised to be a wife, to have sons, to keep quiet. Just me and my books, my thoughts, and no one to call a friend."


There's a heavy burden of things I have to try to be, Christopher.


"So just think, Christopher, please just imagine what my 'problem' as you so eloquently put it, what that is. I'm terrified I'm going to be the wrong person you all think I am or need me to be. Because if I'm not, you throw me off the ship and I can't go back to Caister, I can't go anywhere, because everyone knows who I am and they'll try to kill me. I'll die. On the other hand, I have to be this, this ruler, but you're always telling me, Christopher, always that I'm pathetic." Adelaide was still calm, finally feeling relieved after getting her emotions on the table. She knew Christopher would throw it back in her face, and she tried to prepare herself for it.


She turned around to face the sea and put her head in her hands, elbows resting on the railing. This was only the tip of the iceberg, there was still one more thing that only added to her emotional conflict.


"And look at your crew." She mumbled. "They're all so happy and loyal to you, all so grateful to have you and be a part of the Siren. They're just so damn happy. I'm jealous."


I want to be that happy, too. So of course I'm jealous.


Adelaide rubbed her face with her hands and listened to the waves to try and get away from what she'd said. Christopher would be on her ass in a moment, and she didn't have any witty replies for him tonight, no frustration or anger to give back, she didn't know what he wanted. Never did know what he wanted.


"So, does that answer your question?"
 
"It is no one's fault but your own that you are fearful, Addy. No one's. You can't blame Evan for that, or Lunaris, or a band of dirty fuck!ing pirates. You think you're unfortunate for having problems half of the people aboard this ship would consider a blessing. Forgive me if I'm rather unsympathic towards you and all your 'trauma'."


It didn't take long for the anger to rise again. The captain approached her dangerously, their faces just inches apart.


"I have seen death, Adelaide. Seen what happens to those with real problems, with real revolution pumping through their veins, with real events worth being upset over. Your life has been a cake walk. You are privileged. I will not stand here and listen to your pity party and console you. Your fear is something you need to conquer yourself--no one is going to hold your fragile little hands and walk you through it. None of us had the luxury, and you will be no different if you want to survive."
 
"Just stop, please." Adelaide begged him, her hands covered her eyes, she didn't dare to look up at his face. "I know that, I know how privileged I am, just stop...I can't..." The words wouldn't come, she shook her head and tried to form a functioning sentence.


She wanted him to understand, of course she knew she was in a much better position than them all. However, it only made her feel all the more guilty, because she didn't understand their complex problems. This new life she was thrown into was new and different from her posh and proper life in the castle. Adelaide couldn't help it if there were difficulties along the way.


"Go, please." Adelaide sniffled and rubbed the oncoming tears from her face. She didn't know how to 'conquer' these problems of hers, especially not with Christopher getting up close and angry in her face at every mention of difficulty. She recovered her face with her hands to hide how upset she felt. "Just go away, Christopher."
 
"Pfft."


In a motion of pure frustration, Christopher threw the empty bottle down to the depths. He returned to the party alone and left the pitiful queen to her solitude, taking one of the musicians by the waist, twirling her a few times before setting a rhythm to a joyous beat. The crew uproared with laughter. Everyone was drunk on celebration. And though the Captain was happy for his Striker and Sailmaker, he couldn't deny the dissatisfaction that was growing within.
 
Her night ruined, Adelaide quietly slipped back into the Captain's cabin, no more satisfied to be away from the party than in his personal quarters. She eyed the Nightshade, and only held it in her hands for a moment. Last night she'd had nightmares after taking it, and she was worried it would happen again.


She sat by the window, opened it for a while and sat alone, thumbing the cork of the Nightshade in the silence. Music and cheerful laughter came from outside the door.


Nothing I do, nothing I say, nothing, I can't do anything right on this damned pirated ship.





Adelaide curled up and pressed her head against the panels just below the window, her eyes closed, and her thumb still circling the top of the Nightshade.


Why is he always angry with me?
 
When the sun rose once more, a hungover crew hoisted the colors and prepped the ship for returning to sea. Christopher stood on land while his men prepared the Siren, and embraced Catherine and Hunter with smiles of farewell.


"The two of you will have good fortune with this ship, I think. She's bigger than the Siren, with better guns too. This'll make her slower of course, but I doubt you'd lose a fight, not with your force of will and intelligence combined."


"We don't know how to thank you enough, Captain." Catherine clung to her husband and wiped a tear from her cheek, clearly distressed at the thought of parting with Kenway. "We owe you so much."


"You owe me nothing," he replied with equal fondness. "Just fly my colors and spread the word, get a good crew, and don't die. I guess that can be payment enough, aye?"


"Aye, sir." Hunter clapped his hand on Christopher's shoulder and smiled--a rare sight indeed. "May the Goddesses of the Earth and Sea bless you in your travels, Christopher Kenway."


"And you as well."
 
Adelaide watched the farewell from the edge of the deck. She was sad to see Catherine go, the girl was kind beyond measure. Hunter turned to face her from the shore and tapped the side of his head twice, as if telling her to think, or remember most likely. That was right, she thought, she repeated the action and held her two fingers in the air.


She promised when she became Queen that she would protect his people, and she would never forget, it was the first favor anyone had asked of her. To save an entire group of people, small as that group may be. It was a shame though, she'd wanted to learn more about where Hunter was from.


After the farewells were all said and done, Adelaide wandered up to the helm for the second time on her stay on the Siren and sat on a box near to where Uati stood, ready to set sail if need be. The two had never talked much, but he didn't seem unpleasant.


"Uati." She called. "Can I ask you something?"
 
Uati turned to the princess curiously; never before had she willingly spoken to him, except at the birthday party he'd stolen her from. The large man gestured with his chin for Gregory to take the helm since Christopher was still on shore discussing things with his new captain, and sat beside the princess where she was on a pile of crates.


"I assume this will not be a very short conversation?"
 
"No." She admitted, biting her lip. "I wasn't sure who else to ask."


Adelaide gripped the side of the crate with both hands and pushed herself into an upright position to think. It was a silly look, but she didn't care. The pirate ship had grown on her. Posture and looks were a general thing of the past.


"Christopher," She started. There were so many questions she wanted answers to, but she had to start with his name. "I don't understand." She laughed and shook her head. "One minute he saves me from the sea and the next he's telling me to get over my fears and be this sudden other person,or he gets angry with me for things I can't understand. I'm too proper. Too sheltered." Adelaide looked Uati in the eye and shrugged her shoulders up as she spoke. "Is there a reason he hates me so? I want to be able to help the world, really I do, but there's something else about him. I can't understand it. Does that even make sense?"
 
"I do not think he hates you, Your Grace." Uati couldn't help a frown. He knew Christopher could sometimes be difficult to get along with, but for Adelaide to think the captain hated her rubbed Uati the wrong way. "He is a strange man, Kenway. He has a very dark past with a personality just as mysterious. I don't think he hates you, but rather the idea of you. A queen who has everything and nothing--it is hard to see someone with both. For him, I think he sees a person as fortunate or unfortunate, but for someone to be both perplexes him. Does that make sense, dear?"
 
"He's making no attempts to seem anything less than bitter." Adelaide grumbled. "Yes, though. I understand what you're saying."


She sighed and put her hands on her knees. To have everything and nothing, to be both fortunate and not. This was a good way of explaining of the way she was raised, and Uati and perfectly described it for her. Still, she couldn't help but feel like Christopher still hated her. Through the anger he always reminded her to toughen up, and get over her sheltered lifestyle. It was an odd way of trying to help, if that's what he thought he was doing, all it did was serve to frustrate the girl.


"Still. It's hard for me to admit, but I really don't know what to do, and he gets so angry. I can't help it. I really can't, and he expects me to snap out of my problems, because everyone else here has it worse off." Adelaide ran a hand through her dark curled hair, silver eyes set on a small crack in the floorboards. "I know that. I know I'm better off, but he's just so...so. I can only describe it as hate. He hates me. I'm sorry, you just said he doesn't, but. It's hate."
 
"No, no. Never hate." He turned to face the girl fully, using his expressive hands to demonstrate his point.


"If the Captain hated you, he would have let you drown. If he hated you he would not have thought of the plan to save you from your massacre. If he hated you, he would have left you behind. He is not bitter because he hates you. He is bitter because he is jealous that you have been witness to unfortunate events and still have something left of your fortunate life. Kenway has nothing left, Majesty. Nothing. He fights because he has nothing. He fights because his nothingness can be someone's fortune, like it has been mine and Catherine's and Kumar's and Ana's." Uati pushed out a sigh. "Please. Do not think he hates you."
 
"It can be hard not to." Adelaide sighed again. "But thank you, Uati. Really."


She jumped off the crates and landed with a soft thud on deck. After bowing politely to Uati, she paced to the back of the ship just feet behind them and stood there for a moment, comprehending Uati's wise words. He was the right person to talk to, that much was true.
 
"Gods, it's bloody hot."


Christopher climbed aboard the Siren once more, his kingdom, awfully cheery considering his average mood. "We're going to communicate with the Despair via seahawks. Hunter knows how to train them to find us and send messages back and forth, which I think is awfully clever."


Uati nodded. "Aye, indeed. You will need a new Striker, sir."


"Mm. I'll do the hunting myself until I can find one." The captain drank some more rum, purposefully averting his eyes from the queen. "Set course for New Castle. Once we've taken it we'll replace some things and get answers before Brighton."


"Aye sir. Setting course now."
 
As soon as the Captain took his place at the helm, she took it as her cue to leave. Uati said he was jealous, so maybe some time apart would be best for their bitter relationship. She bowed her head politely as she passed and skipped down the deck stairs.


She wasn't sure where to head, and didn't want to get in the way of the working crew so she plopped down on the stairs and watched the horizon instead. The magnificent hues of blue mixed in with an ever present sun, patches of orange, and the occasional silver light of the moon. Never in her life had she seen something she'd fallen in love with so quickly.


"Uati, what's New Castle like?" Adelaide shouted up to the helm, and turned her head to wait for a response. She ignored Christopher, and any looks he might have sent her way. "Have you ever been there before?"
 
Christopher did his best to ignore her. She was ignoring him as well, so it seemed, and two could play at that game.


"New Castle?" Uati chuckled. "It's a very beautiful city. All the buildings are made of stone, and the castle atop the hill is grand."


"Aye," Kenway agreed, "too bad it'll be Pirate territory soon enough."
 
Again ignoring the Captain, she shouted up to Uati with excitement. "Really? Everything is made of stone, that's incredible."


Adelaide briefly recalled a time when she'd med the lord and lady of New Castle. It wasn't so long ago, when the girl turned sixteen, they had come to visit the girl and they brought along their newly born child, Ashley Tyndall. It was the only memory of the family they had, besides sneaking in on meetings between the Lord and King.


She felt horrible remembering their two children, and how they would be terrified inside the castle. Adelaide didn't want that, but, the Lord and Lady were also out for the girl now, right?
 
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"Indeed. But the city is as dark as it is beautiful. Lunaris has much control there. I admit, I am nervous about arriving myself."


"Uati," Christopher chuckled. "Now, now. Don't get frightened over spilled gin. New Castle is nothing compared to Lunaris itself. If we show any hesitation there, we give Lunaris more confidence for that upcoming battle. I don't want to see them confident," he spat, "I want to see them shot dead with fear."


The Captain's hatred of Lunaris was hostile and dangerous to mess with, so Uati remained quiet after such a declaration.
 
Adelaide knew nothing about Lunaris and it's corruption. She knew someone wanted her dead, so she assumed it must have been related somehow. Now was not the moment to ask however, she was ignoring Christopher and his violence was clear in his voice.


She looked sheepishly away. There was something about New Castle she did know, or at least could guess at. Every castle had a secret sort of escape route, sometimes several such as in the case of Caister, and it was a guarantee there was another exit off the coast. They could slip in and out, unnoticed. However, Christopher was here for a siege, not a quiet stealth mission to see the insides of New Castle.


"I suppose I won't really get to see it, though, stuck on the ship." Adelaide sighed, she was enjoying the new freedom of the ship, but she knew it wasn't likely she'd be able to roam freely off shore.
 
"Once the city is ours, you can roam to your heart's content. As long as you have an escort." The captain didn't make eye contact with her. "I'm sure having you with us will help the citizens understand what we're doing and trust us more, as well. Since the world thinks you're dead."
 
Adelaide's head twitched towards his voice, and she forced herself to smile even if he couldn't see her face that well. "Thank you, Captain." She replied politely before curtsying in the same proper manner.


Being up on the helm was possibly the best place on the deck. Below, the crew could be seen working, and the ocean was visible on all sides. Despite the view, Adelaide had to move away from Christopher before she said something she regretted.
 
He didn't like how she was suddenly prim and proper. A part of Christopher wanted to shove a bottle of rum in her arms and tell her to let loose, but that would solve nothing. The Captain needed to learn to stay away from her, lest he bring himself more pain.


Slowly, he began to hum a familiar tune that put all thoughts from his mind.
 
Adelaide relaxed at the sound of the song, she'd sung it many times before. Still, Christopher himself knew the tune. She mouthed the words as he hummed and resisted turning away too early, lest she miss any of the notes he hummed. Something about his tone was soothing, but she stopped the thought before it stuck in her mind.


He's an ass, not a soothing pirate.





Still, she returned to the helm and leaned on the railing in front of Uati. Instead of mouthing the words, she whispered them softly to the crew as her audience.

"

The bee shall honey taste no more,


the dove become a ranger


The falling waters cease to roar,


ere I shall seek to change her


The vows we made to heav'n above


shall ever cheer and bind me


In constancy to her I love,


the girl I left behind me."




Adelaide loved the song. It was the only memory of the boy she couldn't remember. He was a servant after all. Technically a slave. A thought occurred to her, slaves, they didn't have names. She figured that may have been why she didn't remember.
 
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