[Vereena]
"Please, I'm begging you, don't kill me," my voice was trembling as I beseech whoever this man enwrapped his forearm around my neck, almost choking my words with fright.
I couldn't believe this is happening. Everything had fallen into mayhem in just a matter of seconds. We were just dancing and now, people were screaming, panicking everywhere. The sound of a loud concatenation explosion thundered around the place, massive fire crackling, devouring everything in its wake.
Including my bed-chamber blown into bits.
This night was supposed to be perfect. There was music, this was supposed to be a banquet. A celebration intended for me as I am officially betrothed to the prince and everything is falling perfectly with one another.
Yet now, it was all gone.
For the first time ever in my two decades of years, Pearlshire Harbor had fallen into complete disruption. Our place is far from the palace and I'm certain that if we send a word, it will take three days time before it could get them and lend us help. We have a strong battalion of cavalries and navies, but if these men had managed to sneak past them, then, there's no hope left for us.
Fire, blazing ferocious fire is all that I can see in my field of vision along with a thickening blanket of swirling smoke, stinging my eyes, burning on my nostrils and lungs as I inhaled.
"Where is the Admiral?" The man holding me snarled against my ear, his hold fixing and the sharp edge of his blade on my neck pricking on my skin and I could feel a thick fluid streaming down towards the jugular hollow on my throat. Dread turned into a substantial, living power that crawled like some eager monster, immobilizing me as I was being held with my life stringing in a tight rope. Each muscle in my body shouted at me to escape, yet I stayed frozen. Excessively reluctant to take action.
"What do you want with him?" I am terrified, my voice was thick with dread and crude frenzy. My jaw was like a solid iron covered in rust that it even hurts when I speak as I clutched the arm that circumnavigated my neck. My heart drumming inside my chest, and fear is winding in my stomach.
Why are they looking for my father? Who are these people? I was still too astonished to move, even paralyzed on my feet, but the man holding me released his grip and spun me around in one swift motion. Though he hasn't fully let go of his hold on me and the tip of his blade pointed precariously on my flesh.
My eyes burn from the smoke and became blurry, the murkiness that encompasses us obscured his image, making it impossible for me to see his face. However, I can tell from the orange hues of the fire blazing behind him that he's considerably taller than I am, of greater size, and based on the hat he wore, I immediately recognized him as one of the people my father hunts.
The menace of our kingdom.
Bloody pirates.
They were ruthless, blood-thirsty murderers and thieves. The very thought of it cripples me, freezing every muscle of my body. I could feel the flight responses kicking in, elevating my heart rate and pumping me with additional adrenaline, but my feet refused to comply with what my head was screaming.
"You're his daughter," the pirate declared with confidence even without any confirmation from me and I could feel the heaviness of his gaze on my face. He also had this deep voice, that every time he speaks sends my heart soar in fright.
He, does indeed, scare me to death, but I, the Admiral's daughter isn't just for nothing. I may appear dainty and diminutive in comparison to this ruffian giant pirate, but I will not back down without giving him a fair fight. They must have come and attacked our land to get revenge on my father but I will not give him the satisfaction of learning that I am his daughter.
I held my chin up, disregarding the stabbing pain in my neck, and stared him in the face, despite not being able to see him clearly. I mentally simulated my next action as I drew in a deep, suffocating breath prior to the execution of my plan.
I know I can do it, and my pulse sounds deafening in my ears, blocking all other sounds at the moment. I gather up my courage and lifted my feet, drawing them back and delivering a forceful kick into his groin. I don't know what happened next. I didn't even give a pause to see if I kick him hard enough, nonetheless, the adrenaline rushing through my veins immediately took over, causing me to pirouette and run as fast as I could.
"Fuck!"
My action was followed by a plenitude of crispy curses fading beyond my hearing range. As much as I urge my feet to run faster, it feels as though time has stopped, and my knees have begun to rebel from exhaustion. These layers of an impossibly heavy gown that I wore are weighing me down.
Just as I turned right at the corner foyer, which led to the stairs, something smacked into the back of my head, followed by excruciating pain radiating inside from the place of impact, and instantly I saw bright flashes of light filling up my vision. The numbness spread on the left side of my face, and my feet swayed and lost their balance, knocking me to the floor, but before my body hit the solid surface, a pair of arms caught me, sparing me yet another damage to my head.
"Tsk, such an irksome lass."
My head spins, the deep voice faded into echoes I could no longer understand, and then, everything went black.
I just hope my father or the prince finds me before it is too late.
Time passes, but I have no idea how long I am out. The sound of crashing waves, the familiar breeze filled my nostrils, the cacophony of a rasp wailing of what seemed like a bird can be heard overhead and the flapping of enormous wings had roused me to consciousness.
My head is killing me.
It feels like a ton of bricks had fallen into the back of my head, or rather a hammer pummeling the inside of my skull. I tried to move, wanting to raise my hand to massage my temple, but I found myself unable to do so. There was this heaviness that encircled and bound my entire body, limiting my mobility.
Where in the flaming hells am I?
I groaned, attempting once more to lift my arms, but still it was futile. The rustling of voices from the background came to my hearing, the wood creaking and metal clanking, heavy steps thumping, going on about the vicinity near me. Curious and confused as to where I am.
I tried to peel my eyes open.
It was hard on the first try, my eyelids were stuck together as if some adhesives squirted on my eyes, but I didn't stop until I finally peeled them open. Which was followed with immediate regret. The blinding light pierces my vision, and a wave of nausea kicks in, forcing me to abruptly shut my eyes again. A whimper tore through my dried lips as I sort out the things that happened recently, recalling them from the recesses of my memories.
Then it hit me hard.
The flow of occurrences flooded my brain.
My father!
Prince Tarquin, and the banquet!
Those bloody pirates attacked our land.
Just as it finally came crashing on me, my eyes snapped open and the first thing that came through my vision is the gray sky above me and the color of blue from the endless wavy waters that stretches on and on.
My sight isn't steady yet, or more accurately, the platform I was on is swaying unstable. I shook my head to disperse the fog and refocused my eyesight on my surroundings. Ropes were dangling everywhere, towering masts, the flapping sound of sails, and a multitude of barrels rocking back and forth wildly.
"Aye, Cap'ain. The lass had w'ken up," a gravelly voice caught my attention, his slurred speech making it difficult to comprehend.
I turn my head around and saw a stout bearded man with a pigeon-chested and protruding belly that pokes out from his raggedy shirt. I look at him with disdain as he comes closer to my side. The heavy scent of rum overwhelms my senses, making me lightheaded once more. This wasn't the man that took me last night. He was so short, too short that I could mistakenly see him just of those barrels rolling on the wooden floor.
Now that I came to think of where I am. I took another look around me, my gut twisted and fell into dread as finally, it sinks into my head that I am on a ship. A pirate's ship. This man doesn't look like working in the navies.
"What do you want from me?" I vented, tugging my arms free, only to realize that they were bound behind me and I was tied to a wooden pole, and so were my feet.
"Well, aren't you a pr'tty l'ttle thing?" The stout man mused, chortling as he leered down on me, flashing his silver-plated rotten teeth.
"Take me back! You stinkard!" I yelled at him, but he only laugh at me obnoxiously.
"Oh, feisty," he mocked, bending down, fanning his putrid breath on my face.
I struggled desperately not to grimace and vomit, writhing violently around the bonds as I promptly turned my head down and twisted my arms free, but it was impossible to break the ties they used to bind me. The rope bit down on my skin, but I did not stop until it stings and hurts like hell.
"It's fruitless."
I froze just as another voice spoke up from behind me. My heart immediately thundered in fright recognizing the voice.
It's him.
The man that captured me and hit me in the head. The airways in my lungs suddenly shrink, strangulating the passage of air and making my breath become shallows.
Heavy steps came closer and a pair of black worn boots came into my sight. I did not dare to move, stabilizing my breathing as I felt him squat down in front of me. His massive hand grips my jaw, covering nearly half of my face as he compels me to look at him. I instantly felt revolted by my own skin getting touched by those filthy hands. The only thing flowing through my mind are the innumerable victims he had slain with it.
My eyes were pinned on him.
Seeing the stout man, I thought most pirates look unkempt and as untidy as him. However, it never came to my mind that the owner of such a frightening voice looks young. I thought he was a gruffly old giant man. Albeit, he's young, a few more years older than me perhaps, but never looks less menacing still. He wore a brown leather patch on his right eye, while the other regarded me with a gray glare What is even more, intimidating with his appearance was the long scar running from the brows of his patched eye down underneath his cheek.
After he lends me his scrutinizing gaze, he let go of my face and stood, looming over me with his towering height.
He didn't wear any shirt, flaunting his sun-kissed skin and toned physique. My mouth gaped at the sight of his bare torso, broad shoulders, and the humps layering on his abdomen. I had never seen a naked man before and it left me to wonder what they look like without their clothes. Apparently, the answer to that distant question stood right in front of me.
He has very well-defined and visible muscles. The first thing that came to my mind in comparison is Prince Tarquin. Not that I have seen it, but we danced, and I felt his body close to mine.
"You'll suffice to be a payment."
The fanciful thoughts racing through my mind abruptly end, bringing me back to my current dilemma, which regrettably involves being taken captive by some bloody pirates.
Admonishing myself for such inappropriate thoughts, his words finally registered in my mind, leaving me gazing at him in bewilderment.
"Payment for what? Who the bloody hell are you?"
Anger spiked up inside me, remembering what he did to my home and ruin everything for me, yet I couldn't do anything else but throws him a sharp stare.
He did not talk, instead, the stout man steps to his side and pointed a fat thumb at him, "Aye lass, that's Cap'ain Steele you're talkin' to."
Captain who?