Chapter 2
Tatiana awoke the next morning sore and wrapped in the arms of the feared Pirate King, Jack Sparrow. She struggled, but he only gripped her tighter. She wanted to get out of his clutches. She had made a terrible mistake out of desperation and now, she could not fix it no matter what she did. She was trapped, trapped in a cage of slavery and certain death.
Jack rolled over and opened his eyes. To his surprise, there were tears in Tatiana's beautiful emerald eyes. He did not want to care about something so trivial, but if he could get her to fall in love with her and arrange to kill the tsarevitch and the grand duchess, the tsar would have no choice but to name Jack the next tsar.
"What's wrong, Tatiana?" Jack asked as geniunely as possible. He had to keep up this façade if he wanted to gain her trust.
"Nothing, milord." She whimpered.
"Surely there is something that is the matter. Otherwise, these tears wouldn't dazzle your cheeks." Jack was a master liar. He was proving it right now.
"I made a mistake." She said after a long silence.
"What sort of mistake?"
"One that I must bear, despite my trying to get out of it." Her tears flowed and Jack tried to reach for them, but she turned away. "I wish none of it ever happened."
"What happened?" Now Jack was interested. What was she talking about?
"My brother, the tsarevitch had told me that my father planned to marry me off to James II, but I do not want to marry him. I told him I'd rather marry a pirate. My father laughed at that and said that the engagement would be announced in a few days." Her tears picked up speed. "I figured if I disappeared, they could not announce the engagement and I would get off free and clear."
"What went wrong?" Jack asked.
"My
governess saw me sneaking out of the palace and called for the
guards. I was too quick and stowed onto the first available ship in
the harbor, hoping it would take me far from Russia and my problems.
The first ship was yours. You were all off of it, so I sneaked on and
hid in the storage room. I have had very little to eat, but I do not
mind so much."
"There's something you aren't telling me."
Jack said.
"I don't
believe in love at first sight, but I fell in love with you. It was
wonderful, until I found the man behind the mask of beauty. I despair
now. You were everything I wanted until you revealed your true
nature. I know now that no matter what I do, I will die unhappy and
very alone. I should have stayed at home."
Now she was really
crying. Jack was trying to analyze what she had said about her loving
him, but it wasn't right. No one loved him, least of all a Russian
princess.
"Be silent, woman!" Jack barked. She tried to comply, but to no avail. Jack slapped her with a strong hand. "I will beat you into silence!"
"No, please." She pleaded. "Please, milord. I beg of you, please don't hurt me."
"Then be silent. You are mine now and you will do as you are ordered." Jack walked around the room and then went to the door with his breeches in hand. "I will pick out your gown. You will wear it and come to me when you are finished grooming. Is that clear?"
She nodded and waited. Jack left as Gibbs came in with the water for her warm lavender bath. She got in and Gibbs washed her hair.
"You crossed Jack?" Gibbs asked.
"No, but I told him that I fell in love with him." She said as she rubbed the mark on her cheek.
"You don't understand. The captain cannot love. It's not possible for him anymore, not with Ana gone." Gibbs looked visibly pale.
"Was she pretty?"
"Very much so. She had the most beautiful dark skin, like cocoa. She was a free spirit, something Jack is attracted to. You are a free spirit." Gibbs said as he noticed Jack at the door listening and watching.
"But my free spirit is caged. I have no spirit. Jack broke my free spirit when he told me that I was his property and no one else's. He took my freedom and yet for some stupid reason, I don't hate him." She looked at Gibbs. "I always thought that you should love something unconditionally, no matter what it does to you." She smiled and Jack's heart skipped a beat.
"Come on now, let's get you dry." Gibbs gave her the blanket. She dried herself and handed it back. "I'll go get your gown. You'll like it because Jack has great taste."
"I'm sure he does." She smiled again.
Gibbs left and she went to the window. Jack looked at her in all her naked glory and realized that she was exactly what he needed. She had a title that came with prestige, she was beautiful, she was authoritative, she had the regal upbringing complete with an education, she was fluent in many languages, willing to compromise when necessary, and she was submissive to his will. Gibbs said she was fluent in English, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and German.
Gibbs came back and had a pale blue gown in his hand. He helped her dress and then asked, "Princess, why don't you escape?"
"Why?" She asked, forlorn. "I would escape the man I love for death. That makes no sense."
"You could talk sense into him. I have tried since Ana died. It wasn't his fault. Maybe you can finally heal his heart." Gibbs looked at her, but her face was unforgiving.
"How dare you?" She whispered.
"What is it, Tatiana?"
"OUT!" She said with such regal force, Jack looked astounded. "OUT OF MY PRESENCE!"
Gibbs left
without another word and Jack closed the door as he came in. He sat
on the bed and looked at her. "You know, he was trying to get you
to undermine me."
"I could never…" She turned and looked
at him. "I feel so horrible for commanding him like that."
"Don't. You're a princess. You must act accordingly. Now, if you married a king, you would be his king. He would protect you, shower you with gifts, and give you children of your own to cherish."
"But
who? No one of the European lines even slightly appeals to me."
Tatiana sat on the chair across from him. "None of the princes fit
the description."
'But a king does, my dear." She blushed
as he said this. He drew his pistol and put it to her head. "Marry
me, Princess Tatiana and I won't kill you here and now."
"As
you wish, my king." She sobbed. She was threatened with death to
endure a lifetime of slavery and imprisonment.
"Now, we will marry in Port Royal." He looked at her. "When we are married, you are confined to this room." He grabbed her chin. "If you ever cross me, I WILL shoot you on site. You are a poor excuse for a princess and the only reason I marry you is to take your throne."
Tatiana wondered where this mean streak had come from. He wasn't normally this mean, was he? She stopped sobbing and looked at him.
"What is it now?"
"And did you mean the rest of it?" Tatiana asked softly. "Protection? Gifts? Children? I thought you were thinking of a husband for me. Not yourself." She went to the window.
"I did
not dismiss you."
"I am a princess of the Russian Empire, my
lord. No one dismisses me."
He was across the room in a second, hand around her throat. "I will dismiss you, Princess as I am your lord and master now." He let go and she started to gasp for air. "As a punishment for your insolence, I will rape you every night until the wedding."
"My lord?" She whispered.
"What?" He barked. "What do you want?"
"Would it be so much to ask for books to read during my confinement?" Tatiana looked up at him.
"I suppose." Jack softened a little. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you too bad?"
"No, my lord." She smiled at him and again his heart skipped.
"Good." He went to the door, grabbed a bottle of rum and turned to her. "Follow me. You are to remain with me unless I say otherwise."
"Yes, my lord."
"Good." They walked up to the top of the deck where the crew gaped at her. "If you don't want to be shot, you'll get back to work!" Jack barked as he took the wheel.
