Chapter 2: Coincidental Meetings
…there was a knock on the door and Rebecca hesitantly looked up from her needlework. Strange, she thought, she wasn't expecting visitors this late in the evening; who could it be? She slowly placed the dress she was mending beside her and got up to answer the door. Just as her fingers brushed the handle, the…
"Anna," a voice echoed through the library, causing Anna to jump in surprise. She looked up from the book she was reading towards the door to find her older brother leaning against it with a smirk on his face. "Reading those horror books again?"
"Perhaps," she answered, bashfully smoothing the skirt of her dress.
"I hope I didn't give you too much of a start," Devlin replied with sincerity.
"Just a tad."
"I apologize."
"Think nothing of it," Anna laughed, running a finger down the spine of the book. "I've read this one many times, so I should anticipate what's going to happen; I never do though."
"Can you spare a moment?" Devlin asked. Anna made to stand up, but Devlin just waved a hand at her and entered the room. As he sat down in the plush chair beside her, Anna noticed he was holding an object protectively out of her sight.
"What've you got there?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Hmm?" Devlin raised an eyebrow, then produced a flat wooden box from behind his back. "Oh, this. Well, you didn't think I would forget my dear little sister's birthday, did you?" He placed the box on the table between their chairs and slid it towards her. "Open it."
"You know you didn't have to, Dev," Anna scolded, taking the box in her hands regardless.
"You always say that," he scoffed in reply. Devlin had always given her a special gift for her birthday, something to surprise her when the clothes their parents had commissioned for her—with her oversight at fittings, of course—could not.
"Now go on."
Anna shook her head at him, unable to contain the smile that bloomed on her face. She ran an hand over the smooth, polished wood and then gently undid the small gold clasp that was holding the box shut. As she lifted the lid, her eyes widened and her jaw fell open.
"Devlin," she breathed out. She quickly looked over at her smirking brother and felt at a loss for words. "W-what—"
"Ha ha," he laughed heartily, clapping his hands in glee. "Are you surprised?"
"For lack of a better word," Anna stammered, gently lifting one of the four beautifully crafted knives from the silk pillow that held them. "But…why?"
"Well," Devlin ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "You're a grown woman now, sister. Grown women tend to get married and married women live with their husbands."
"Yes," she nodded slowly, knowing this as common sense, but unable to grasp his point.
"And you see, over the past month, I've noticed many messengers being sent to and from River's Bluff; I believe Lord Michael has a son only a few years older than you."
"Yes. I've met Charles before."
"You are 18 now, Anna," Devlin paused. "Tess was 18 when Father and Lord Thomas began negotiating our possible courtship. Not to jump to any conclusions about the correspondence between Father and Lord Michael, but I want to know that you're able to protect yourself when the time comes that you are to leave Corwyn to get married, whether it's to River's Bluff or Ardin, or any other city in the kingdom. I want to know you're safe."
"I can protect myself just fine," Anna frowned, setting the box of knives down onto the table. "If I recall, I've bruised you quite a bit over the years."
"And that was in good jest when we were just children," Devlin agreed, recalling the way she would kick his shins when he teased her. "But what would you do if facing a man with a sword?"
"I…" Anna began confidently, then paused at her brother's expectant stare. "I don't know. What kind of silly question is that?"
"Ah, but it isn't a silly question." He smirked and stood up; as he reached the library door, he turned and looked at Anna. "We'll begin your lessens next week, and hopefully by next year, you'll be skilled enough to wield those knives and, at least, to shoot an arrow straight and true."
"B-but…" Anna stammered.
"No buts," Devlin said, pointing at her quickly, the turned to leave. As his footsteps faded down the hallway, he shouted back. "Happy Birthday; I'll see you at dinner."
Night had fallen on the town of Corwyn, and the bustling streets of the marketplace had begun to clear some; shoppers and merchants alike soon fled to the local taverns to boast about a great deal they had finagled and get a tall one that would fight the unseasonable chill from their bones.
With a pensive stare, Killian surveyed the rapidly filling main room of "Edwin's Pub," the establishment that he and his crew had practically been rooted to since they docked the previous afternoon, with the exception of the time between the hour the pub had closed late last night—or rather, quite early this morning—and when it opened again at noon. He had given the men a warning not to be too rowdy since these townsfolk, or those of any town in the kingdom, were probably not accustomed to drunken pirate duels or the mindless chasings of anything wearing a skirt. Truthfully, he had not wanted anything to jeopardize his chance at treasure, and a mob of angry people was sure to do just that.
Killian carefully lifted his beer mug to his lips and downed the rest of the dark amber liquid it held; with a nod to the barman, he placed a silver coin onto the polished wooden bartop and rose from his stool. After a quick scan of the room, he fluidly approached his first mate.
"John," he greeted with a strong hand to the man's shoulder. The stubbly pirate looked up from his hand of poker and nodded in regard.
"How can I help you, captain?" John asked.
"Keep an eye on the men, will you?" Killian asked. "Make sure they return to the ship at a decent hour."
"'Course, sir," John nodded. "But, if I might ask, where are you going?"
"Out," Killian replied stiffly, superiority flashing behind his eyes.
"Alright, sir," John sat straighter under his captain's gaze. "I'll make sure the men don't get into any trouble."
"Good man," Killian replied with a pat on John's shoulder, turning on his heel to exit the pub. As he stepped out into the night, he sucked in a breath of the crisp air, and watched as the torches that illuminated the cobblestone streets flickered with the wind. After a few moments of careful deliberation, he turned the corner and started down the market street, his eyes resting on the large silhouette of the manor house that sat upon the hill just outside of town.
He knew he should've told his crew, or John at least, where he was going and what his intentions were, but then they would've wanted to join him as well. They always jumped at the chance to plunder, but this was no time to plunder. The treasure that he sought would take more than just brute force, especially that from tired, drunk pirates; no, he would let the crew get their rest and fill of alcohol, and he would get the treasure himself.
Finding the object of his desire would be easy, Killian thought as he walked; although he didn't know the layout of the manor, he doubted it would take much time to find where the valuables were kept—most likely in a special room or gallery of some sort; the manors he had raided in years past had done so. And due to the cold, he figured whatever guards that were normally posted at the doors were now inside, protecting the Lord's family at a closer distance. He could slink into the shadows and get past them easily; he, as well as anyone, knew that there was no better occupation for a stupid man than that of a simple manor guard.
Killian smirked, hand resting naturally on the hilt of his sword; yes, he thought, the book would be his with little time and little effort.
"Sit up straighter Annaleigh. Smile with your eyes Annaleigh. Don't laugh so loudly, Annaleigh; you're going to wake the dead." Anna stormed down the hall after dinner that night, muttering to herself, with faint tear marks streaking her cheeks. She wrung her fingers together restlessly as she got further away from the sitting room, the sounds of the piano and her family's laughter getting fainter with every step.
Dinner had been disastrous, towards the end, at least. The meal was simple, consisting of some of Anna's favorite foods, and the conversation had been steady and enthusiastic; had some of the topic's not strayed to Anna's birthday and what would be expected of her now that she was 18, it would've been just like dinner was any other night.
Then as the dishes were cleared away, the small group consisting of Lord Liam, Lady Isabel, Devlin, Anna and Tess, of course, as she was Devlin's fiancée and therefore considered a part of the family, moved into the sitting room to continue their festivities. It was at that time that Isabel had chosen to criticize her daughter, something she did regularly. Anna had tolerated it for a while, just passing it off as her mother's normal behavior and thinking nothing of it, until Isabel began to question Anna's choice in dress.
Anna subconsciously fingered the lacy waistband of her dress, the echoes of her mother's words repeating in her mind as she continued down the hall; she had made the dress herself, a hobby that she enjoyed to no end since she was just a girl thanks to, ironically, her mother's insistence that a proper lady knew how to sew.
She liked it well enough when I had finished sewing it, Anna thought, stopping for a moment as she reached the door to her room. She leaned her head against the door and sighed, staring blankly down the hall as she lost herself in her thoughts. She complimented my choice of style and color then, so why show so much contempt towards it now? Anna felt a deep sense of inadequacy in her chest and considered returning to the sitting room to confront her mother.
On the one hand, she might give me a straight answer. On the other, she might just scold me for being rude. Anna's eyes widened as a revelation hit her. But I am a grown woman now; I shouldn't be afraid of getting scolded by my mother. So she says she knows what's best for me; sometimes, especially in this instance, I know better. With a nod, she pushed herself off the door and began the walk back to the sitting room…
…until she felt a strong arm circle around her waist and a hand clamp tightly over her mouth, and she was pulled back against something, or rather, someone.
"Sorry, love," a smooth, deep voice whispered to her, lips against her ear. "Can't let you go now."
Author's Note: Cliffhanger, hanging from a cliff. And that's why…oh, well, you know how it goes. Haha. First off, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! Wow! I was afraid I wouldn't get a response but I'm quite happy that people are enjoying my story so far. A few review replies before I go on:
piper: Hi! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I might follow the episodes in later chapters; I wanted to see how the show plays out before making that decision, but it's looking good so far.
PrincessOfSilence: Hi again! I remember you. Honestly, I've been busy these past few months, but I'm hoping to update The Sacrificial Souljust as soon as my brain stops obsessing over Captain Hook. Haha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and more to come!
: Hello there! Thanks for the comment and kind words. I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one too. More to come soon, hopefully very soon!
BluePixieOfTheGalaxy: I know. He's amazing…and gorgeous. And thanks; I'm glad you liked the first chapter, and I hope that this one lived up to the standard as well.
RandomlyLiving: I'm glad you liked it; hopefully I can keep you interested.
UntilNeverDawns: I'm glad you liked it!
Back to the general author's note now. I'm going to try and update at least once a week, maybe more when the holidays roll around and I get a break from homework. I hope you all liked this chapter; I had fun writing it and weaving a few possible precursors to later chapters into it.
Let me know what you thought. Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Reviews to bashful little fic authors, such as myself, are like water to a person lost in a vast desert. The thirst is great! Help a thirsty girl out. (That may have sounded better in my mind.)
Thanks for reading!
