Chapter 2:

"Drop your weapons, nice and easy and this guy won't get it." Her kunai and wakizashi clattered dimly to the wooden deck of the ship. "Now slowly look at us." Yuri slowly turned, seeing a blade pressed to Kiku's neck as well as several firearms aimed at herself.
"Yuri . . ." Kiku breathed the word, Yuri reading it on his lips. She could see the poorly masked fear in his eyes. Rage engulfed her, though she quickly got a handle on it, glaring at the men.
"Holy Heavens above, what a demonic looking- is that a girl?" The one speaking was a tall, well-built man, with a white sleeveless shit that showed tanned, toned and very strong arms. He wore plain brown breeches and old boots with a sash that held a sword, a pouch and a dagger. His hair was sandy blond and his eyes were as blue as the sky. He had a bright smile on his face, despite his words. "What, this scrawny thing offed ten of our men? Ten? That's pathetic. She's only a little girl." Pride made Yuri want to object to that. She was seventeen, a woman and a kunoichi trained for as many years as she had been alive. But she didn't. Not when Kiku was in danger. Anything could set them off.
"Come here girl, your hands far above your head. No tricks now. Walk forward slowly." Yuri did as they said, soon feeling the barrel of a gun press against her temple. The Leader-man stepped forward with rope and pulled her arms down, tying them behind her back, with the forearms tied together. "Forgive me for the rough treatment but I'm taking no chances with you." Yuri remained silent. "Alright men, let's get these guys above deck and tied to the mast and then we'll continue looting." There were ragged cheers, but Yuri could feel their fear of her . . . but she could also feel her own fear for Kiku.

They were dragged unceremoniously to the top deck. All the sailors they set off with were either dead, dying or captured. Currently, a blond man with an extravagant feathered hat and bright red coat was talking to the captives, offering them a place on his ship and if they refused, he signaled to one of his men and they killed the Japanese men. Yuri felt a fierce pride in her nation as the last one was killed. They hadn't betrayed their country even facing death. Tears leaked out of her eyes with pride overwhelming in her heart. Kiku realized this too, tears in his eyes as well.
"Aww . . ." one pirate said, "They're crying for their dead mates."
"Captain!" the Leader-man called to the blond man with the red coat, "we found these precious little things below deck." The blond man looked over at them, his face startlingly pretty for a foreigner, though his eyebrows were rather large. His eyes were a green as the emeralds Yuri saw the queen wearing. They were beautiful, but cold.
"Who are they, Alfred?" he asked in a posh British accent. The blue-eyed man grinned.
"This girl killed ten men. She's pretty powerful."
"And the other?"
Alfred's face went blank. "Uh . . . I didn't see him kill, but he was with her."
The blond captain stood and walked with a certain swagger that wasn't just from a rocking ship. He crouched down in front of Kiku, pinching the prince's face between his thumb and forefinger.
"This is a pretty one." He said, tiling Kiku's face this way and that. "Can you speak English?"
"Werr enough." Kiku answered evenly. The captain chuckled.
"That accent is bloody awful." He said, releasing Kiku's face, but not rising.
Kiku nodded, "I am not as good as I should be."
"Yes, you were better at it when you were younger." The captain agreed. Kiku blinked in confusion.
"E-excuse me?" he asked, bewildered.
The captain smirked, "That's very insensitive of you to forget me, Kiku. I'd have thought childhood buddies would account for more than enough recognition."
Kiku gasped, "Arthur? Arthur Kirkrand?" The smirk told it all.
"Glad you finally got it, old sport."
Yuri felt her body go cold. This . . . this was Arthur Kirkland? No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. Arthur turned to her, grabbing her jaw like he did with Kiku. He looked over her coldly, calculating. A smile curled his lips; a cold smile that made Yuri's skin crawl.
"You're half and half aren't you? Half Japanese, half English? I'm right, aren't I?"
Yuri hesitated, then Arthur's grip tightened, "Yes." She hissed out in English. He let go of her face, tracing her features. Her nose, her cheekbones, her eyebrows, her lips . . . He was smearing blood over her already dirty face.
"I know this face . . ." he whispered, "Where do I know this face from?" He untied Yuri's headband and let her bangs fall into her face. "Ahhh . . ." he said louder, "I know who you are." He grabbed a fitful of her hair, dragging her face towards him. "You're that whore's child, aren't you?" He dragged Yuri to her feet, pulling her face closer to his with his mouth right next to her ear. "I admit I never knew my father's bastard was a female. You should be seventeen now, right, little sister?" Yuri screamed in pain as he bit her ear, making it bleed.
Arthur dropped her to the deck, dazing Yuri as her head hit the deck.
"Men!" he announced, "We're keeping these two! Bring them onboard! Ah, but don't touch them anymore than you should. Even tied like this, the girl is quite dangerous."

They were tied to the chairs in the captain's quarters, with the man Alfred attending to them.
"That was incredible. It had been a while since such a fight like that one. Your men were ferocious; we beat them by number only." He looked at them, as if expecting them to pick up conversation. Kiku said nothing, thus Yuri said nothing; though she thought along the lines of: They are Japanese warriors, of course they're better then you savage westerners. But she did not voice her thoughts and kept her face blank. Alfred sighed. "I just thought I'd let you know." He said, pouting like a kicked puppy. Yuri grit her teeth as he left. As he shut the door behind him, silence flooded the room.
Yuri spoke, "Kiku-sama, forgive me. This is my fault. I wasn't skilled enough to-"
"No, no, Yuri-chan, don't think like that." Kiku interrupted, "I should have been paying attention to my surroundings rather than watching you. Your fighting skills are like a beautiful dance. It was hypnotizing."
Yuri choked on tears and laughter, "You are too kind Kiku-sama."
They sat in silence again for quite a while before Arthur came into his cabin for them.
"You weren't carrying a lot in cargo for sure, but we did get extra food and fresh water and that's always good." He said, looking at a list he presumably had made to inventory the items. He read it off as he sat behind the large carved wooden desk. "You had a few bales of silk, some jade, clothes, but other than that, nothing." He tossed the paper onto his desk. "But we do have a prince of Japan and the genius kunoichi of the Honda family. I'm sure your ransoms will be a lot." He smirked. Yuri let herself relax a fraction. If they were going to be bartered off, then they would have to be in working condition. Nothing too bad would happen to them. Well, Yuri's womanly parts would be well used, but Kiku would probably make it. Probably. "Kiku will stay with me. Whore's kid-"
"Her name is Yuri." Kiku said. Arthur gave him a look, then backhanded him.
"KIKU!" Yuri shrieked, struggling against her bonds. The bonds around Kiku kept him in the seat. Once she saw her master awake, she glared at Arthur and aimed all her anger at him. "YOU ASSHOLE-!" The same back hand hit her face with considerably more force, almost enough to tip the chair over. Arthur continued as if nothing had happened.
"The whore's kid will stay with my second hand man, Alfred. There you'll have some semblance of safety." He sneered at her, "Aren't I a nice big brother? Alfred! Come and declaw the kitten please!"
With that, he stalked out while Alfred came in.