Captive, Kidnapped by a Pirate [Inactive]

"Orders are orders," Maia said with a deep frown. "But we'll be really close by. We have to protect you from yourself, after all. Can't just leave a suicidal princess out in the open." She hoped her attempt to make the princess smile worked; she wasn't good with this kind of thing.


"Shiva," Daniel asked calmly. "Can you make Miss Adelaide something to eat? Preferably something solid, bread, whatever you've got."


The dark woman gave a simple nod, and disappeared around the corner.


"What's all this noise now?" came an elderly voice. Immediately, the people in the hallway parted ways for the old woman to come through, a pirate on each arm helping her walk.
 
Adelaide walked herself into the cell and sat in the corner. It stank of grime and mold, as if it had been untouched for some time. Surprising, considering the rest of the ship had looked to well maintained. She pulled the blankets around herself so it hid the dirtied white fabric of her dress. It was still hard to think she celebrated alone on a pirate ship.


"I like soup." The princess offered up the information. She stuttered on, not wanting to seem rude. After all as Kenway had explained, it could've been much worse. "I mean, if it's not too much to ask, if you have any, that's all."


The elderly woman had a sweet face, and Adelaide wondered what she, too, was doing here. It was such an odd crew. Small girls, sick men, and the elderly. What kind of man was Kenway really?
 
"Of course we have soup. What do you think we are, a pirate ship?" The old woman burst into laughter, whispering something to one of the pirates on her arm. Moments later, the man entered the cell and brought in a chair for the woman to sit on, along with a pillow for her back. Once she was settled in she expressed her gratitude, and sent the men away.


"What is your name, child?"
 
"Adelaide Everett, ma'am." The princess responded, the added formality was a habit. Elders were always to be addressed politely, pirate or not. The woman seemed kind enough anyways.


She was uncomfortable with the woman inside the cell with her. The men had gone, and it was the two of them alone. What more could an old woman want with a tired princess? Adelaide wanted to rest now. More than that, she wanted to jump back into the ocean, go home, whichever came first.


"Who are you?" Adelaide asked in return.
 
"Me? Oh, I'm no one of importance. People just call me Mrs. Newman." She gave a friendly chuckle. "Don't be frightened, my dear. I don't bite. I've had a little chat like this with at least all of the men and women aboard this ship. I'm what you might call a 'pirate 'therapist', if you can believe it!" Another lighthearted laugh escaped her. "Who knew."


The cell door opened. A dirty, drunken pirate who looked more criminal than anything else offered a bowl of soup and bread to the princess. "Here you go, miss. Mama made it nice n' hot for ya. She's a real good cook."
 
"Mama?" Adelaide asked, and accepted the meal. Instead of protesting as per usual, she started to cautiously eat. The bread was still harder than she was used to, but the girl was spoiled and she knew it. She started on the soup, and it it was a kick in the taste buds, much better than any Caister chef's. Without a care, she titled her head and drank straight from the bowl.


She felt full enough after the bowl of soup, but dabbed the bread in the remains of the liquid to sop up what she could. It would be a shame to waste it.


The old woman still sat in front of her, Mrs. Newman she called herself. Adelaide felt no pressure to talk in front of the woman, and yet, she started to mumble out loud. "I didn't realize he'd get so mad, just how much is he being offered?"


Adelaide was still under the impression she was being sold. Kenway must have wanted his prize bad enough to have jumped into the sea after her.
 
"Mama, yes." The old woman smiled at the young sailor, patting his shoulder affectionately before allowing him to leave the cell. "Her real name is Shiva, but since most of the men who become pirates no longer have mothers, they all adopted her as their own. She cooks like a mother, talks like a mother, and treats everyone aboard like family. A true gem." She smiled. "Ah, I believe she's due with a baby soon! That'll be fun, watching a band of scallywags try to deliver a baby. Hah! What a hoot." Mrs. Newman clapped her hands in delight at the thought.


"Offered?" she questioned. "Heavens no, Christopher was offered no prize for you."
 
"I never got to meet my mother." Adelaide confessed, instantly she wondered what possessed her to admit it. Perhaps it was the old woman in front of her. She clearly meant no harm.


The food was gone, and the girl felt immensely better. Her throat still burned when she breathed, but that was her own fault for jumping into the salty water. In a few days time, it would pass, and maybe she'd be back to normal.


This comment caught her by surprise. "No prize? He told me I was to be sold." Adelaide put her chin between her knees and pouted. It was because of this declaration she gave up. Being told she was a prize, talking loot, nothing more than that. That was the whole reason she'd lost hope and decided to try to end her life early.


"That's why I jumped." Adelaide sniffled. "He said he took my father's gold, and that another kingdom was going to buy me. I thought I was going to die."
 
"Oh, Christopher." Mrs. Newman frowned deeply. "That boy was hurt, princess. He was hurt very badly in the past, and it changed him. Perhaps I've said too much, but I suppose that's the good part about being old; he can't punish me!"


"What's all the laughter in here for?" came a soft chuckle. A young blonde woman, a few years Adelaide's junior leaned against the cell. "Mrs. Newman, are you talking the poor girl's ear off?"


"Nonsense, child! You're the talkative one." Seeing the girl brightened the elderly woman considerably. "Let's not crowd Miss Adelaide right now, she's had a trying day. But perhaps on the morrow we can all have a discussion for ladies over a spot of tea. After the Captain takes Acomb, that is."


"Acomb?" The blonde raised a brow. "I thought we were supposed to be traveling south."


"We were. But you know our captain, when he has an idea in his mind he's right to see it through." She gave a small laugh. "Ah, that Christopher. Catherine, come and help an old woman stand, would you?"


"Of course."
 
Adelaide didn't understand any of it. He was hurt, he knew her, he lied about selling her, it didn't make sense. She caught herself thinking that perhaps he was after the crown, but even that was too dirty. The crew was too kind, too caring, and they always made sure the girl was alive.


What the hell does Kenway want?





She missed the comfortable rocking of the hammock. The floor in the cell was rotting from the seawater, and was too dark for her to tell if her head was resting on a nail, or something more vile. The smell certainly suggested otherwise, and she tried not to think about it. Her only solace of sleep came from counting sheep in her head. She wanted answers from the Captain. If he didn't intend to sell her, then what was she doing here?
 
Dawn broke. Above, the crew were readying the guns and preparing their weapons, practicing for their siege of the sole port at Acomb. Vulgar jokes, rum and pep talks were exchanged on every level of the Siren to varying degrees. While the pirates prepared for the coming battle, Uati personally came to the door of Adelaide's cell and opened it.


"Come," he said, offering a hand. "I will lead you to the Sanctum."
 
Adelaide took his hand as he led her to this 'Sanctum'. They must have been outside of Acomb. Her head throbbed and her stomach felt knotted, just wrong, but she felt almost a spark of hope upon hearing she wasn't to be sold. At least she wouldn't die by another kingdom's hands, all because of a shady pirate deal.


Above deck, Adelaide had to shield her eyes in order to adjust to the sunlight. She'd been below deck all night, and had become accustomed to the dim glow of the lanterns along the wall. Now, she could finally see how terrible she looked. The white dress she'd been wearing was no longer crisp and neat, but torn and graying in every spot.


"What should I do, when you all..." Adelaide tilted her head. "Attack. I'm not sure. Is there really anything I should do? Or not?"
 
"The Sanctum is where we put the women and children who can't fight. You'll be safe there until the siege is over. You might make some new friends," he added with a chuckle. "Don't worry. We won't lose. We never lose."


"Princess!" Ana giggled, rushing to her. "We get to have fun down in the ship! Isn't it exciting!?"
 
"Hi, Ana." Adelaide was happy to see the child, and thankful she wouldn't be near the shore when the fighting started. In a moment of compassion, the princess was tempted to give the girl a hug, but she settled for holding out her hand.


The princess bowed her head to Uati and mumbled a fast 'thank you' before she turned to focus her attention on the child. Fun wasn't what she thought of, thinking of the cell she'd slept in, but if Ana could find something entertaining about it she had to comply. Adelaide couldn't possibly be furious at her, or confused about her, she was only a child.


"It's very exciting, yes." Adelaide nodded, her voice was weak and her eyes still resembled wisps of disinterest, but she was trying. "Why don't we go now then, hm?"
 
"Yep! Come on! Mama's making some sandwiches!" Pulling the princess along, little Ana descended the stairs and opened a door which led to a large, ballroom-like area. All the women except Maia, and all of the children were scattered throughout the open space, and looked up upon Adelaide and Ana's arrival.
 
Adelaide did her best to keep quiet and to herself, but Ana made it all but impossible. Mama had in fact made sandwiches, and was passing them out, and she stopped in front of the princess. She smiled and was about to kneel, but Adelaide stopped her. "No, it's okay! Don't strain yourself."


"Oh, please, I haven't yet met you." Mama waved her hand and eventually made it to the floor with her legs straight out in front of her. "So, Princess Adelaide I hear, how are you feeling?"


"Fine." The girl murmured. Truthfully her throat hurt and she was starved, but Mama didn't push. Adelaide was worried for the men, and for Acomb, worried if someone didn't make it back. It must have been written on her face.


"If you are scared, you should sing." Mama said suddenly. While Adelaide enjoyed a song every so often, she only knew a few by heart. Shyly she looked away.


"Sing? Why?"


"It will distract you, make you feel better." Mama nodded her head, as if she'd proved her point. "Do you know many songs, princess?"


"I only know one, because it's so short. Even then, I don't remember the words." Adelaide sighed, and began to hum the tune anyways. She stopped short and chuckled. "A boy taught it to me when I was very little. It was a very old poem, a song really, I wish I remembered the words."


"Well it sounds lovely, princess." Mama complimented, and Adelaide smiled slightly.
 
"Who taught you that song?" Ana asked, climbing on top of a pile of crates to feel taller. "It's really pretty."


Mrs. Newman looked at Adelaide with widened eyes, as if she'd put two and two together.
 
Adelaide cocked her head and tried to remember. The poem was old, something the boy had learned from his own family he sad, but who was the boy? She hadn't a clue.


"I really don't remember, I'm sorry Ana." The girl frowned. "It might have been a servant, most likely, one of their children. I can teach it to you, Ana, if you want."


Now that she was here with just women, it was more peaceful. Adelaide wasn't so concerned with her future. Ana and Mama were nice people, and she opened up to them without much of a real reason. Maybe it felt like she should really start trying to be civil.
 
Ana opened her mouth to speak, but the cheers above them were overpowering. The little girl climbed off the boxes for safety and sat on the floor. "You might wanna sit down, princess. When they shout like that it means they're about to attack." She chuckled. "Captain likes to give what he calls 'pep talks'. But grandpa won't let me listen to them. He says there's lots of bad language."


More shouts of encouragement ran out aboard the Siren, and as the thundering voice of Uati triumphed over all, the cannons on the ship blasted on command.
 
Adelaide quickly took a spot on the floor next to Ana and tried to cover her ears. The cannon fire wasn't loud, but she hated to think about what was going on above deck and in the city. Why were they taking Acomb? Probably for the gold, she had no other explanation.


She couldn't help but wonder about the boy who taught her the song. Her father told her he had died, and that's what she believed, but she didn't know why. The boy was kind, poor, but kind to the girl. He was her only playmate as a child, and only friend as she grew older. One day he vanished. He died. That song was all she had to remember him by.


"Who is your grandpa?" Adelaide asked. "And he's right, there probably is a lot of bad language."
 
"He's the sailing master," she said with a small sigh. "The soldiers in Lunaris killed my family. He was able to get me out alive, but the ship we were on was attacked. We lived on an island for a long time, just the two of us, until Captain Kenway found where we were and let us on the ship. I love it here, you know. All the pirates are super nice to me."
 
Oh, her parents are dead? That's terrible...





"I'm glad you like it here, Ana." Adelaide smiled sadly and rubbed the child's back.


More shouts and cannon fire came from above, but the rocking of the ship had ceased dramatically. They must have been close to shore, Adelaide thought. It was probably most dangerous now, because anyone on shore could get to the ship if they were too close, meaning everyone inside was in danger. Adelaide hoped it didn't come to that, yet at the same time hoped it did. If anyone recognized her, she'd be saved. On the other hand, if they didn't know she was the princess of Caister, she could be killed.


"You, um." Adelaide bit her lip and tapped her feet against the floorboards, acting like a child. "You can just call my Addy if you want, okay Ana?"
 
"Addy?" She giggled. "Really? Wow! Thanks!" The small girl wrapped her arms around Adelaide's slender neck and held her close. "I always wanted a big sister, you know."


Catherine, blonde and beautiful approached the princess and Ana. "Do you mind if I sit near you?" she asked sweetly.
 
Adelaide was startled at first and jolted back as the girl hugged her close, but laughed at her own reaction to recoil from such a small child. She wrapped a pale arm around the child's shoulder and squeezed her close.


A new face approached and asked to sit with them, and Adelaide agreed. No harm in letting her near. "Sure, there doesn't seem like there's anywhere else to go." Adelaide noted, the only safe place of the ship being the room they all were hiding. A sanctum, Utati had called it.
 
Catherine carefully sat beside them, every move cautious and graceful. "Thank you. I'm Catherine." She offered a hand to the princess and smiled. "I make sails on this ship."


"Cat!" Ana giggled.
 
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