Chapter 6: Her layers of fabric

[—Captain Steele]

"Are you sure about keeping her, Callum?"

Captain Steele looks at his first mate through his lashes without lifting his head away from the map laid flat on the table as he was carefully removing the tacks pinned on the archaic paper so that it won't leave any damage to it.

"What do you prefer then? Do you want me to throw her off the deck?" He muttered, reciprocating the inquisition back to his first mate without regarding him a glance while he continued removing the tacks pinned on some specific regions off their itinerary. Those were the routes where they came off empty-handed from the treasure they sought, and some of them they merely escaped in one piece with the rigid storm condition.

"Do you not want to throw her off the deck?" Lynx groused, his voice rising in contend.

That made Captain Steele pause whatever he was doing and finally threw a sharp glare at his first mate. His brows cinched just as the lass's face came forth on his head.

He was honestly surprised to see the admiral's daughter was a bit older than he thought. He always had this notion that she was younger, in her first teen years, perhaps. However, she's already a grown woman. A beauty to behold at that. Astonishment wrapped him in a trance the first time his gaze landed on her. It was like time itself seemed to have slowed just as he saw her smile at the prince and the same time, annoyed by the fact that her jubilation was not directed at him.

If not for the raging anger and lust for revenge, he would have taken the lass for some other reasons.

"She's more useful to us than dead," he sighs, trying to clear off his head with the images of her that seemed to have affected him significantly in the lower region. However, the very thought of it reminds him of what she did to that part, though it wasn't that hard enough to cripple him, but it sure did vex him in the least.

Indeed, a woman with some spunk. She even attempted to deceive him by denying her identity, despite the fact that it was evident who she was. Dressed in an elaborate, lavish gown, donned a necklace that would certainly catch anyone's attention, especially those with sharp eyes for shiny things. Osier was one of those. That stout man she clearly despised.

Captain Steele snorted at the thought of her, throwing the tacks towards the small box where he had kept most of the unused ones and then closed the lid tight so it won't stray off his quarters and accidentally prick his feet. He had been victimized by those critters for years before he had learned the lesson of keeping them away.

He took his chair made out in pure bear skin and sat on it as he shifted and set his focus back to the map, staring at it intently. They are still a few months away from their next destination. Their siege at the Pearlshire harbor might have been successful as they had extracted the target, but its also obliterated half of his crew, necessitating the recruitment of new members if they were to continue on this expedition with the intention of achieving success.

He noticed Lynx drew out a sharp breath of annoyance and saw him through his peripheral vision, straightened his stature, and folded his arms across his chest.

"What will she be off then? Someone that could suffice your lusts? Your self-made personal strumpet?" He asks, his voice emanating with trenchancy. Yet, instead of getting insulted at how his first mate addresses the woman, a lopsided grin curled at the side of the corner of his mouth as he swivels his body on the seat, lifting both his feet on the edge of his table without touching his sacred map and entwined her fingers through each other.

"Well, I never thought of that. Should I?" He mused, taking a gander at his first mate's exasperated expression.

Though his jest didn't seem to ridicule Lynx in the process, albeit it only created deep creases on his forehead as he stared back at him with his mouth set into a thin line.

"Her father is the reason why we lost him," he spluttered, his teeth clenching and the corner of his eyes rimmed with red just as the memory of that horrid night came resurfacing through his visage.

Captain Steele's amusement faded as he recalled how it happened. Rage began to boil inside him, seeing the admiral's face grinning face, the smell of sulfuric powder burned in his nostrils along with the stench of blood. The night they lost him. It has been years that passed, but the memories are still fresh, and it seems as though everything happened just yesterday.

"I know," he muttered coldly, diminishing any point of emotions from his face as he met Lynx's sharp glares.

"Callum, you know what it means for a woman being on a ship," his first mate enunciated, pointing out the repercussions of having her boarding his Jewel. It was an old sailors' tale passed down over generations. Yet it never has been proven, and none have taken the risks of finding out whether it is real or not.

That until now, when he took that woman aboard, and so far, the tides were still on their side just as he hoped it would remain that way.

"I know," he coldly responded as though trying to dismiss the subject just as the memories flowed inside his head, reproaching the pain it was bringing up to life.

"Are you treating this situation seriously?" His first mate gaped at him, admonishing how he responded so detachably.

"I am," he flatly replied, narrowing his gaze to him and hardening his visage. "That is why I am keeping her," he added with finality in his voice.

However, it seems as though Lynx wasn't contented with it.

"I hope this won't lead us to any more misfortunes than we've already encountered."

Captain Steele inhaled sharply, taking this conversation beginning to get into his nerves. Both of them had lost someone, and he knew exactly what he was doing. Lynx has the right to question him for his actions lacking explanation, but he must have faith in him on this point.

"Lynx, you, him, and I grew up together on Jewel's watch. You both were at my side when I conquered the seas, and you were there when I stood up from defeat and took revenge," he started, calming the storm of rage boiling in his chest and trying to chase the bloody memory off his head just as he continues.

"The admiral will pay for the life he had taken, and we already have the one he deeply treasured. His daughter. Can you imagine how much she'll be of worth?"

His first mate only looked at him with skepticism for a moment, thinking about what he said, but then Lynx was well aware of him for his words of truth and he could see in his eyes that he's caving to his plan.

"You're going to ask for a ransom?" He raises his brows on him, uncrossing his arms from his chest, and inclined them on the table.

Captain Steele nodded to his first mate, and finally, a small crooked grin loops on his lips.

"Initially, but well, see where this course will take us," he tells him, and Lynx seems to have gotten his point. "And, I can always raise the price."

"Their riches," his first mate agreed, and just like him, a small grin of mischief appeared on his face, vanishing his admonitions.

Just as he thinks of it.

That woman was to marry the crowned prince of Ebondale, one of the richest kingdoms in the land. The admiral would do anything to retrieve his daughter so that the marriage might proceed, so becoming one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. That woman will soon sit to be a queen once the prince takes the throne.

The very idea of her marrying anyone did not set well with him, but he quickly brushed those sentiments aside, judging it superfluous.

"All of it, in exchange for keeping her alive," he stated, removing his feet from the table just as the ship rocks violently, though he wasn't bothered by the motion, same as Lynx, who stood unwavering.

"Keep her alive?" Lynx probed, his brows furrowed once more in perplexity. Captain Steele was about to respond to him when the door to his quarters suddenly burst open, taking both of their attention when the lad he newly recruited came forth. His face rendered in sheer panic.

"Captain! The woman has fainted!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide in frantic and was breathing in rapids.

Not knowing what came of him, Captain Steele bolted to his feet and stridden hastily out from his quarters. Lynx followed closely behind him just as he veered his attention to the young lad.

"Where is she?" He asked sternly, almost scaring him, but he was brave enough not to flinch in his voice.

"The deck," he pointed, and Captain Steele did not waste more seconds idle and crossed the ship's narrow foyer towards the stairs leading to the deck.

He could not let her die. Well, not yet, to say the least. Not when he has still plans for her.

He spotted a commotion near the railings with his crews that were assigned to swabbing his Jewel's deck clustered in a circle. Their voice was chattering indistinctively just as they parted soon as he stepped forward, revealing at the center was a lump of dress sprawled across the floor, and beneath those layers was the woman that had recently occupied his thoughts.

"Steer clear, you bunch of gossiping scallywags! Back to work!" Lynx barked loudly behind him, dispersing the crowd just as Captain Steele kneeled to the lady's side and pressed his middle and index finger on her neck, feeling the rapid beating of her pulse. Also, her body temperature is a bit higher than normal.

His lips formed a grim line, muttering a series of internal expletives as he scooped her up into his arms, noticing her dress was drenched up, adding an extra weight than the last time he carried her. He stared down at her features. Her brows were pinched down into a frown, and her lusciously rose-colored lips set into a grimace. She indeed had a beauty fit of being a goddess, and it is such a waste that she's the daughter of his enemy.

Captain Steele carried her down to his quarters, deeming that it was the only place where he could assist her without having anyone's nose poking around with curiosity. Lynx remained on the deck along with the young lad to keep the crew going on their tasks without slacking. It has been the first time that a woman boarded their ship and also the very first woman they had seen for most likely in months.

He carefully set her down on his bed, and for a moment, she stirred, he thought she was going to wake up, but it seemed that she was just being delirious as her temperature escalated to a stifling level. She was breathing in shallows as though she's been suffocated. Her lips parting, gasping more air, moaning in pain. Her lids fluttered, noticing the thick and long lashes framing her eyes, brushing on her cheeks, but they remained close.

It must be the layers of her lavish gown burning her down.

She stirred once again, her head turning restlessly from side to side and bullets of sweat rolling down her temple. Her fingers fidgeted as though she wanted to peel off the damped layers covering her. The swell of her bosom strained with satin fabrics, and the hollow of her jugular point pulsated rapidly.

Captain Steele stared at her for a while, contemplating his options, tipping off the balance of whatever moral he held as a man.

"Aye, damn this hell. It isn't like it is the first time undressing a woman."

Acquiescing to his thoughts, he reached through her dress, and with one swift movement, he tore the layers of fabric into half and therefore releasing her from her restraints.

She would probably abhorred him even more after this.

Not that he cared anyways.