"I demand that you untie me this instant!" She struggled against the ropes that bound her hands behind her back. She eyed her captor furiously. His green eyes taunted her, dared her to try to escape. She huffed angrily and looked away. How had she gotten into this mess to begin with? That was a stupid question. She knew exactly why she was here. This was all her idiotic brother's fault. "Your childish competition with my brother has nothing to do with me!" She yelled at the man in front of her. Captain Antonio Carriedo. She didn't know much about this man. Well, she only knew what her drunken brother had told her... and his words were most likely biased. Her brother, Captain Arthur Kirkland, and her now captor had been at odds for as long as she could remember. If it wasn't territory they were fighting over, it was ships, or women, or the last bottle of rum. She struggled in vain once more and thought back to earlier in the day.

The day had began like it had began the last couple of months. Alice Kirkland was accompaning her brother at sea. Even though she did not partake in any of his 'pirating' she did enjoy being on the ship. She could smell the ocean every morning, and was rocked to sleep every night by the gentle waves of the sea. Her brother, protective as ever, would command her to remain in his cabin while he carried out his duties as capitain. He said that after a month or two at sea, the men onboard would start to see her as 'something to eat' instead of the capitain's sister... and he didn't want to have kill any of the men that were left. After he completed his tasks, he walked with her on deck and view the ocean with her.

"We'll be docking soon at Port Nugmi. I'd like to ask that ye stay on board while the men and I restock." Arthur eyed his sister hopefully. He knew she wouldn't want stay on this ship, but he hoped she would listen to reason. "I can't have ye walkin' around that port. If anyone there caught wind that ye were my sister... well, they would be at you fiercely."

"Arthur. You can't protect me all the time. I'll have you know that I am extremely capable of protecting myself. Why, I dare-say that I could even take you on." She grinned cockily and elbowed her brother playfully. "Besides, it isn't like there are so many that dock there, right?"

"Alice, I allowed ye to accompany me only on the condition that ye follow all of my orders, did I not? Ye swore to listen to me." He crossed his arms and turned to his sister.

"Fine! I didn't want to set one foot on that filthy place anyway! Be quick about restocking!" She marched back to the Capitain's quarters and slammed the door. Huffing angrily, she flopped into a wooden chair. She crossed her arms and pouted silently. Of course she wanted to explore the port. She wanted to explore everywere. She cursed her brother for not allowing her to go along with the rest of the crew. She knew that he had a perfectly good reason for not wanting her to go. Over the years, Arthur had aquired more than a fair share of enemies. Enemies that would go to any lengths to obtain an advantage over him. She sighed heavily. Perhaps she could convince Arthur to bring her back some small souvenir.

Two hours later, and they were laying anchor at the port. Assuring her that he would return soon, her brother left the quarters and went with the rest of the crew to gather supplies. Sighing, she looked out the large window in the captain's room and watched her brother command his underlings on what to do. That was when she heard it. A small thump coming from right outside the cabin doors. Panicking, she drew the small dagger her brother had left her and crouched behind a small desk.

She heard the cabin door creak open, then boots on the wooden floor. She ventured a peek around the desk and saw the back side of a man. His chocolate hair was tied back in a ponytail over his shoulder. His sword laid undrawn at his side, and his hands were on either of his hips. He was looking around the room for something. He walked further in, and Alice noticed his sun-kissed skin. It was a magnificent mocha color, one that she was not use to. Sure the crew of this ship and developed tanned skin from being under the sun all day, but theirs was different from this man's. Paired with the dark hair of the stranger in the room, his tanned skin was beautiful instead of repulsive. Unintentionally, she inched over further to watch the man. And further... and further. Before she realized it, she was out in the open. She frantically scurried back to her hiding place, accidentally knocking into one of her brother's empty rum bottles.

The stranger snapped his head around and walked towards the direction of the noise. With every footfall, Alice sunk deeper and deeper into the wall, hoping that the man would just go away. Of course, she knew that wouldn't happen. She knew as soon as she heard the rattle of that wretched bottle that this man would be upon her soon. She stood and held the dagger in front of her. "I do not know who you are, but this ship is not yours! I demand you leave at once!" She desperately tried to hide the terror in her voice.

The man chuckled and put up both of his hands. "Ah. Si, si. This is not my ship." The man spoke with a thick Spanish accent and Alice's stomach dropped. Surely this man was just some random Spaniard. Surely... surely this wasn't who she thought it was. She cursed herself as her hands trembled a little. "Ah! Lo siento for not introducing myself! My name is Antonio." He eyed her with his emerald eyes. "Might you be SeƱorita Alice Kirkland? As in sister to Capitain Arthur Kirkland?" His eyes took on a devilish tint and he flashed a small grin.

This brought her back to her current situation. "I told you on my brother's ship that I would come along with you quietly. There was no need for you to bound me!" She struggled a third time against her restraints.

"Si, si. But it is no fun to have a captive that isn't bound up, no?" Antonio crossed his arms and leaned against a support beam. "So, how long would you say we had until your brother attacks?"