Sam didn't bother looking her over, she looked decent enough from the glimpse he had. He snatched her family hairpin out her hair and then guided her towards the top deck, then all the way down. The cry of seagulls filled the air as they soared over the water, but this part of town was silent and more grimey than the rest of D'treroh. Most houses were boarded up. The few people that were living on the coast were scraggly, unfed, and sneering from a life without a golden spoon.
"This is my tavern." Sam said, pushing open two wooden doors. It was empty because of the closed sign on the outside save for three people who were cleaning glasses and already preparing a meal as though they knew he was coming. "Pip, Squeak, and Charley." He nodded his head towards them. They all tipped their heads in greetings.
Without her hair pin in place, her hair fell down her shoulders in auburn waves. Honestly she'd forgotten it was there. It was something she always wore and never left without. The tavern seemed in slightly better condition than the area around it but not by much. Not that she particularly cared for what it looked like, only that it kept them from the chill outside. "Good day, gentlemen." She gave a nod of acknowledgement to them. "Your tavern is cozy. I rather like it."
"Ay miss." One said, bowing his head respectfully. The other two gave cheesy smiles and lifted both index and middle finger and grinned as their greeting.
Sam sat down at the first table and sighed. "Now we wait for someone. If you'd like to rest you can, or order whatever you like. On my tab."
"I'm fine, thank you." Her fingers drummed against the wooden tabletop. "Can't you tell me more than that? I said I would try to be nicer but being left in the dark is unpleasant. Who is this person and why do you need them?"
"Not really left in the dark if it doesn't concern you. It's my side quest that has nothing to do with returning you home." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"A side quest that you're dragging me along for," Strelitzia mumbled, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms one over the other. Instead of furthering what was sure to be an argument with an irritable blockhead she looked over to his men. "Are you all pirates as well?"
A giggle seemed to come from somewhere from the right, before a childish sounding voice spoke up. "A pirate and a Prince. What an odd combination." A hand landed on Strelitzia's shoulder, small and dainty and the grinning face of a girl, no older than fifteen came into view, eyes the color of blood glinting mischievously. Her long curly blonde hair was pulled into pigtails, adding to her childish appearance. "I'll be taking this off your hands now, mister pirate prince. My master has plans for her."
Strelitzia brushed the girl's hand from her shoulder, looking from Sam to the girl and back again. "Or, and just an idea here, I can leave and make my way home. I don't know who your master is but I don't take kindly to others feeling entitled to decide where I'm going, who I'm with or when I'll get there." She stood abruptly, knocking over the chair, hands braced against the table. "That goes for you too righteous pirate," The last part aimed towards the man who snatched her before.
The girl tilted her head this time, eyes wide as she observed Strelitzia closer, taking in her less than stellar outfit and mussed hair. This was the one her master wanted? Huh…
Her smile became wider, showing more teeth that were a little too sharp to be normal and giggled again. "Aww that's cute. You think you have a choice. Man, you nobles sure are strange! Last person I took hostage was a lot more fearful." Her hand took hold of Strelitzia's wrist in a grip of steel and she turned to Sam. "You could have at least told her about the exchange ya know. Would've been a lot more fun if she tried to run." She wagged a finger at him with her free hand.
"I was told not to. Just make sure she gets there safely." Sam said, shaking his head. "I'll see you around Strelitzia. If you're lucky, maybe not."
Strel shook her head at him. She couldn't say that she felt betrayed because she hadn't trusted him from the beginning. "Would have been more fun if someone actually told me what was going on instead of dragging me around all the time." There was a bitterness lacing her tongue and she literally spat on the floorboards. Very unladylike. "I haven't been lucky yet. Let's hurry and go to wherever it is you've decided to force me off to, little miss. The sooner the better."
The girl made a face, tugging on Strel's wrist as she pulled her towards the door. "Names Lilith, not little miss. And don't you worry, my master will take good care of you. That way we can get you into something cuter and not...whatever it is you're wearing." Her small nose wrinkled at the clothing choice.
"Oddly enough, I don't find that reassuring Lilith." The child was strange from her oddly colored eyes to the childish mannerisms covering freakish strength. The whole day had gone awry with strange happenings and even stranger people, but there was little choice other than to follow along. Lilith kept her hold all the way down the block until they came upon a large and lavish manner. The girl let out a squeal of excitement, bounding up the stairs to the door.
The door opened by itself and a maid that walked by wasn't even close to the door. She kept doing her cleaning, mopping the floor in circles. Candles on the wall lit up by themselves as if guiding them all the way up a staircase. A door with a dragon iron mantle hanging above it awaited them to enter.
Not bothering to knock, Lilith flung the door open, finally relenting her hold of Strelitzia's wrist in favor of practically flying into the room. "Maaassster! I missed you sooo much!" She cried, latching onto the person who sat behind the desk. "Did you miss me too? Did ya? Did ya?!" She asked crimson eyes wide.
Strelitzia at this point had stopped questioning things, standing in the doorway where she'd been deposited while rubbing her wrist. "I asked for adventure but by the Gods I swear I'd take it back for a calm afternoon tea." She mumbled while eyeing both Lilith and the obscured stranger warily.
The person turned around in the chair, and their long dark hair and grey eyes caste upon the two, lips in a straight relaxed line. "You've done well." But he didn't comment on whether or not he missed her. Those empty eyes bore into Strelitzia and he gave a rather empty feeling smile while gesturing for her to sit down. "You must be Strelitzia, you've grown."
"Do I know you?" One brow rose in curiosity while pulling out the chair on the other side of the desk for herself before sitting. A chill ran down her spine and she shivered. Her legs crossed at the ankles keeping her hands loose in her lap in case of any trouble. "May I ask why you've brought me here? This is quite strange if I'm to be honest, sir."
"I'm your uncle. And because I'm here to make your day better. Before that though, who was on that ship with you? Do you remember any names?" He asked calmly and he stared, unblinking.
The intensity of his gaze was unsettling and she found her gaze straying to her lap. Thumbs running over one another in nervous circles. "No offense and not to say that I believe you're a liar, but I've never been told of an uncle before. You certainly don't resemble anyone else in the family." She shook her head slowly, chancing a glimpse up. "Why would you want to know that?"
"That's bruising," He said this but it didn't sound as though he actually was hurt. "Because I plan to simply murder them? Was that what you were wanting to hear?" His head slowly tilted to the side, extended a little more than human possible. Like something had broken in his neck.
She pressed back into her seat, stomach turning at the ghastly sight. Strelitzia had to make an effort not to make a face of disgust. Her lips pressed together and she shook her head more fervently. "No, of course not. They were hired with purpose so there isn't any need for that. I was snatched away regardless." Something was terribly wrong and off-putting about the man and the girl clinging to his side, content to watch. "I think there's been a mistake. If you don't mind, I'd like to return home now. My aunt will be waiting for me I'm sure."
"Those men were undercover. As for James," Another eerie smile. Letting her know he knew regardless of whether she said it or not. "He's a wanted criminal. A murderer. They used to call him Brown eyed devil. People laughed at the name and they'd surely choke on it in blood. I will have his head and the other people that had planned to kidnap you before you would have reached your mother's island." His voice was the kind that brought chills up someone's back, a slithering sensation in one's ears. "Who said you were going home any time soon. We have a lot to do before then. You don't call the shots here. I do."
Strelitzia had half a mind to tell the man off and make a run for it but she could tell that she wouldn't get far. Her shoulders slumped in what she hoped seemed to be quiet acceptance. There would be another time when she was alone or something. Casually chatting about murdering people who she had no way to know whether any of what she was told was true, well even if it was there was no way that she could accept that so easily. She wanted to cover her ears and bury her head to drown out the whisper of his voice that seemed to claw against her eardrums. "We? And what exactly are your plans? Everyone seems to have some ulterior motive for me. Or is that also some secret that you just expect me to be okay with like everything else?"
One minute he was sitting in his chair, the next he was in front of her with his mouth pressed to hers. At first they were in the room with a crackling fire, then the next in complete darkness, but his voice echoed all around inside her mind. "Let's go back a bit."
Like whiplash from moving too fast, she flew back to when she remembered her mother.
"Oriana!" Aurelia called from the kitchen.
Somehow even though it registered that it was a memory vaguely but she was helpless beyond going through the motions. Strelitzia knew that was her name but it had been years since she'd last heard it. A much younger version of herself ran to the kitchen to see what awaited her. "Yes mother?" There was an unmistakable accent in the words. One she'd long since lost.
"Didn't I tell you not to talk to him?" She asked, pulling her into a tight hug with a frown on her face. "I want you to be safe."
"And by safe that means cutting everyone you care about out of your life. They're both really selfish you know."
"I'm sorry. I won't do it again." She promised because she could hear the worry in her mother's voice. Her small arms wrapped around the woman's middle, green eyes looking up to her apologetically. "I didn't mean to make you worry." A frown mirroring her mother's formed.
Rueborn turned her around and she could feel invisible claws playfully raking some of her memories with her mother, turning them like pages while he glimpsed down at her through the darkness. "But for now. We'll ease the weight on your shoulders before you can go back."
Strelitzia wanted to pull away from the perverse sense of the man trifling through her mind like his own personal storybook. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't even see through the oppressive darkness brought on by his whim. "There's no weight. Get out of my head! You're a monster!" Although she wasn't sure where such a strong revulsion came from, Strelitzia meant every word. There was too great a disregard for her will and rights as a person. Her hands clapped over her ears trying to shut him out.
Rueborn face appeared above in the darkness, a pair of fearful grey eyes as deep and as dark as a bottomless ocean. Although he was unfeeling in many ways a human was, and there was clearly something missing inside of him whether it be a soul or true emotions; a restless anger rose to the surface. One that didn't approve of being called a monster. Those invisible claws cradled her mind within their palms and he squeezed tightly. "Even monsters have reasons for being monsters. I could take everything and leave you with nothing. Be grateful I'm allowing you to keep your sanity. One day you'll be thankful for the hidden burden I take from you." He leaned down and licked her ear before vanishing back into the darkness. A streak of Grey that turned into nothingness. With it, it tore away Aurelia, it tore away ever having love for her. Slowly the papers of those memories curled at the edges like a fire had been lit. It folded inward on itself. Ash swirling around and around.
James' face came through the darkness though, and he had his hand extended before his own pages could be erased, so there would be one trace of that day left behind. "Take it. This is all I can offer you."
Strelitzia clasped onto his hand desperately while everything around her fell into oblivion. The only sensation in the end had been their hands grasped onto one another.