The ship rocked with each thrust of the gentle waves, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad about leaving the sea and joining the "rich and proper" once we made it to Paris. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty ocean breeze before I looked back into the mirror and undid the braided bun that held my hair. I began to brush the tangles out when there was a soft knock on my cabin door; I put the brush down and walked to the door.
"Good evening Mademoiselle Emelie, all the girls are here and I made sure to grab Katja so that she can play while we rehearse." I smiled at the young French girl with light hazel eyes and blonde hair.
"Thank you Sylvet, please come in and have the girls take their positions while I get ready." I opened the door to let them all in and grabbed a chair for Katja the violinist to play. I grabbed a ribbon and tied my hair up in a loose ponytail; I turned around and watched as my understudy Sylvet ordered the rest of the girls in the company to their positions.
"Thank you so much ladies for coming. We will only be going over some parts of the choreography tonight and then we can enjoy a nice little nightcap before going to bed. If you wish to leave right after rehearsal you are more than welcome to do so." I smiled and looked at each one of the girls, they all nodded in approval, I turned towards Katja to make sure she was ready as well, and she began to play.
After an hour or so I felt satisfied by the rehearsal. "Again thank you ladies for spending this time in rehearsal and I know that our next performance in Paris will be perfect! You are all very talented and I am very happy to have gotten such a wonderful dance company. And thank you Katja for giving us the honor to hear your beautiful music. Now you ladies can either join me for a quick drink or get rest." I smiled at each one and brought out bottles of champagne, wine, and rum.
Only a couple of the girls left complaining of sea sickness and went straight to bed. I was left with 7 other girls, Sylvet, Lucille, Aislinn, Cecily, Brigitte, Madison, and Katja. Each one of us downing a bottle of our preferred drinking and laughing at stories that we had shared many times before but still found the hilarity in them. I looked at each one of the girls sitting around me and thought about all the times we had spent together and how soon the company would have to disperse and each one of us would have to look for another group of dancers and find a new spot within the group. We had traveled all through Europe and had just finished a tour in India and now we were heading back to Paris, where we had started. Luckily for these ladies finding companies to hire them would no longer be an issue, because they had worked with me and I had been in this business since childhood and was quite famous, had and still do perform for royalty. My mother was a dancer so that automatically made me one as well, but my mother died when I was 8 and that is when my father really pushed me into performing, and even now he was the one who controlled the events and to whom I would perform for; he also controlled the money that I made, and at times I would have to demand him to give me my rightful wages.
Thinking about my mother and father put me in a foul mood and I began to feel ill, "I'm sorry ladies but I am beginning to feel the hand of sleep grasp me, so I must bid you all a good night and shall see you in the morrow." I stood up and hugged each girl before they stepped out. When I was finally alone I walked towards the bed and sat there thinking about how much freedom being one the sea gave me, it was the only time that my father did not follow me or order me around. He stayed in Paris and preferred to handle business on his time, which left me without his supervision whenever I had to travel. He did still keep a watch over me by giving me at the age of 9 a 24/7 bodyguard, Derrick. When I met Derrick at the age 9 he was a man of handsome youthful features at 17. Luckily for me Derrick was easy to persuade and tended to be more lenient on the rules my father laid out. As I was thinking about my childhood I could hear soft footsteps coming towards me, when I opened my eyes I saw brown leather boots staring back at me and a low chuckle.
"Did you drink too much Em?" A deep handsome voice asked with a hint of laughter, I looked up from his shoes to see those energetic, playful green eyes gaze at my face. Derrick, the man that I had grown to depend on and trust for the past 10 years, "Leave me alone Derrick." I said to him as I made my way off the bed, but he followed right behind me making sure that I did not stumble too much.
He gently grabbed my arm, "Don't be like that Emelie, I was only teasing." He smiled at me and as soon as I saw him smile all was forgiven and I smiled back. "I'm sorry, I just started to think about father and how much I don't want to go back home." His eyes became sad and his face changed from being playful to sympathetic as he assessed my face. I looked back at him and took in every feature of his face, he was extremely attractive dirty blonde short hair, a strong jaw line, beautiful green eyes and high cheekbones, as I took him in I caressed his cheek and I heard him let out a breathy sigh. As my hand reached his jaw he grabbed by hand abruptly.
"Emelie, we can not do this." His gaze was intense and serious as he let my hand go, "Your father will have my head."
"I know Derrick, I know, it's just hard when we both know what the other feels." I looked back at him with saddened and confused eyes. When he did not respond I turned around and walked towards my closet and he stood looking at my back.
I grabbed the sword that I Derrick had bought me when I was 12. "What do you say to a bit of fun and perhaps a bet?" I smirked as I got into fighting stance. "Are you sure you're up for it Em? You might be overestimating your skills because of the rum." He laughed as he pulled out his sword.
"Well you were the one to teach me so if my skills falter me you are the only one to blame." I retorted and at that we began the dance of swords. With each thrust I parried and with each blow there was a counterattack. After going at it for a couple hours we both decided that it was square and tied.
"You know I almost had you there a few times!" I breathed out as I tried to catch my breath from all the fighting. He smiled back at me "Well you would have had me had you been sober but luckily for me you were not and my pride is still intact." He laughed.
"True, so next time I will make sure to be sober so that I can bruise that ego and pride of yours. Only to show you how great of a pupil I am." I walked towards the window to my cabin and saw that it was still night.
"Well my dear Derrick I do believe that we must be off to bed." I turned to see that he had walked right behind me. "And what of our bet?" he breathed into my ear. I slightly shivered at the closeness of his body to mine.
"Oh yes that well I guess since we never did come up with the terms that we will just have to duel again tomorrow." I looked into his eyes and smiled.
He softly smiled back, "Yes we shall my little star." I laughed at the nickname he had given me years ago, "Good night Em." He kissed my forehead and walked out of my room and left me to get dressed into my nightgown and wearily mull over my thoughts, soon after I had fallen to sleep.
I was awoken very frantically by a large rough hand on my shoulder. "Emelie! Emelie you have to wake up!" I groaned and turned around putting the pillow over my head. "EMELIE! I will not say it again, wake up NOW! A voice yelled grabbing the pillow out of my hands.
"WHAT? What is so damn important Derrick that you need to wake me up in the middle of the night no less?" I pointed to the window. After yelling at him I saw that he had armor on and was wielding his sword, and his eyes were filled with worry and pain. I could hear running and yelling above me. "Derrick what's happening?" I asked softly while grabbing his hand.
"The ship is under attack" he replied lowly, " You need to get dressed. " At that I jumped out of bed and frantically dug through my closet. "No Emelie, I brought you clothes from the cabin boy, you need to disguise yourself."
I turned and saw him holding onto a pile of clothes and grabbed them, he turned as I began to take of my nightgown, "Why? What's going to happen?" I asked as I bound my chest down and tied my long dark brown hair up and hid in a bandana. When he didn't answer and I was done changing and I grabbed his arm and made him look at me.
"Derrick why?" I pleaded. He looked at me with intense serious eyes and replied, "Because these men are only here to harm and if they see that we have you aboard they may try get a ransom for you and who knows what these men will do if they get their hands on you." His voice was filled with anger but was calm. I stared into his eyes trying to figure out what I was supposed to but the loud boom of a cannon going off and wood splintering made us both realize the dire situation we found ourselves in. I quickly grabbed my sword and was about to head out to fight along with the other men but Derrick roughly pulled me back into him and made me face him.
"I will not let you fight." He stated calmly but with conviction. "LET me? Why the hell not? I know how to fight Derrick and I will not leave without you!" I yelled back at him trying to pull free from his grasp.
"NO!" He bellowed and pulled me tighter into him at this action his eyes and hold on me softened, "Emelie I can't see you hurt, I love you too much and my life revolves around protecting you. Not because your father pays me but because I love you and I have loved you since you were 12." I was surprised at his confession but relieved to know that the feelings I had for him were reciprocated. I looked into his eyes that were filled with vulnerability and love mine brimming with tears.
"I have loved you Derrick Rey Bouchard, since the day I met you." I smiled back at him and our lips met with a fiery passion that had been restrained for the past 10 years. He pulled me by my hips closer into his body and I gasped, with this his tongue easily took over my mouth and I easily accepted. I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling making my tongue fight for dominance with his but was easily subdued when he began to run his fingers through my hair. I let the tears fall down my cheeks and became one with our kiss. After what seemed like an eternity we both let go and breathed a sigh of relief, only to be interrupted by yelling and gunshots. We both looked at the door and Derrick pulled me out with him, we walked out into the deck and everything was a bloody massacre. The bodies of the crew and the girls from the dance company were scattered all over the deck, and the tears that began to fall from my eyes were no longer tears of love and happiness but of sorrow and despair for the dead. I looked all around me as Derrick pulled me by my hand, finally we stopped in front of the rails and he picked me up and put me in a long boat.
"Emelie listen to me whatever you to get to land." He ordered as he pulled my chin to look into his eyes. "What about the others?" I cried out.
"Some of them escaped on boats as well, but some…"he looked around and knew the answer. "And what about you? I can't leave you!" I choked out more forcefully and grabbed onto his arm.
He let slow tears roll down his cheeks, "I will be fine Em." He leaned his forehead onto mine, "As long as you are happy and fine, I am, and I need you to go."
"I don't want to." I cried.
"Emelie, if you love me and have ever loved me you will leave on this boat." He pleaded. "I need you to promise me that you will be okay and not look back." He pulled me into his arms.
I nodded. "Okay." I said softly.
But before I sat down in the boat we kissed one last time and this time we tasted both of our tears. "Find me, please." I said as we pulled away from each other and he handed me his pistol and ring.
"I will always be with you my little star. My Emelie." He replied as he lowered the boat into the dark ocean. When I looked up he gave a quick smile and ran off to continue the fight, and I began to row not ever looking back.