Three and a half days later Kate was happily skipping down some random hall of the castle. She was as lost as she had ever been but it didn't matter- at least not right then and there it didn't. Not when she was so wrapped up in her happiness and bliss.
"It was kind of pathetic what had taken Kate one night of sleepwalking to get had taken three and a half days and more than fifty men to retrieve."
The three days without Kate had been peaceful. The first night they had celebrated with Kidd with drinks and the exchanging of strange things that had gone on when the blonde had been on the ship. No one paid much mind to the fact that they were being attacked by groups of one or two obviously inexperienced men throughout various times of the day and even night. They were taken care of and of course tossed overboard. No one was woken up by screaming and giggling or any painful sounding thuds thumps or screams. No curses were almost randomly shouted during the day, in fact things returned to normal, the way it had been without the blonde. No one was as happy as Eustass Kidd was to finally be rid of Kate. It wasn't every night that Eustass Kidd fell asleep with a huge smile on his face but that first night was one of the nights that the rare phenomenon was able to be seen.
However despite this change Killer was still woken to the sound of Kidd's voice shouting at him. "Where the fuck is she?"
The words echoed around his mind for a few seconds before he groggily asked "Where is who?" as he sat up. He noticed that Kidd had shouted the word she, and the only she on board had been Kate, who was still on the island that was disappearing on the horizon behind them.
"The damn bitch you call your sister!"
"We left her on the last island." He calmly addressed his hysterical captain.
"No one else would steal my jacket in the middle of the night." His jacket hadn't been touched much less stolen until the little bitch had appeared on his ship. And if she hadn't stolen it, who the fuck had? When Kidd found the sorry bastard who had he was going to skin them alive.
"I assure you, Kate is not on the ship." If she were on it they'd know by now. She'd have ventured to the kitchen or have hid in his room by now. Plus she had been wearing heels and a long dress, there was no way she would have been able to catch up with them and manage to board the ship.
Kidd turned away and stormed out. He wasn't convinced at all. There was no way in hell that she wasn't on his fucking ship somewhere hiding, wrapped happily in his jacket while cowering in some dark dusty corner in fear. The thought of her looking up at him with fear filled eyes when he found her made him smile. Anyway if it wasn't Kate behind his missing jacket who the hell was? None of his crew would dare touch it so what other exclamation was there?
He spent the rest of the day fruitlessly searching for the girl Killer kept insisting wasn't on his ship. So finally at the end of the day, after having found not a single trace of Kate, Kidd was forced to accept that the little bitch hadn't taken his jacket.
By dinner the fourth day Kidd was in a particularly foul mood. Why couldn't the crew just drop it? Kate was gone; they weren't going to get her back and he had no intentions of making a big show about rescuing the damn girl from the rich bastards clutches. Dammit she would be happier there anyway. Happier and a hell of a lot safer. He would no longer threaten her life, something Killer ought to be happy about.
When Kate's hushed name reached his ears for the millionth time in the last twenty minutes of having seated himself in the galley to eat Kidd slammed his hands down on the table, pushing himself to his feet. All eyes were on him now as he scanned the familiar faces of his crew. Some looked as they knew what he was about to say, others looked clueless or surprised at his outburst, and he hadn't even said a damn thing.
"Is something the matter?" Killer spoke as though he couldn't detect his mood, or feel the aura that radiated off of him.
"IF I hear that fucking bitches name one more time-" Kidd angrily left it at that. He didn't even know what he would do to whoever. And besides their imaginations could concoct some morbidly disturbing to the average person, things. He stormed out of the galley; the day had been quite bland, boring really. When he had screwed up their course there had been no taunting or teasing about how he wasn't suited to be captain or some other bullshit wasn't rubbed in his face. She didn't pop up and ask any of her damn questions. And the whispering voices of the crew had been bothering him since he went to get coffee that morning.
"What's wrong? Are you ill Lady Kate?" She let out a low groan to at least show that she had at least heard Lila. "You were so happy yesterday, we fixed your necklace and you received your captain's jacket, what happened?" She was acting the exact opposite of smiling, bouncing, skipping thing Kate had been yesterday. She had even hugged Yui when he had presented the jacket of Eustass Kidd to her. But now she had a depressed aura radiating off of her, she wouldn't move or do much besides flop around on her bed and moan and groan- this behavior was very concerning to Lila, who was in charge of Lady Kate's health and wellbeing.
"Is there something wrong with Yui?" Kate suddenly muttered, rolling over to face her. Lady Kate's brow was furrowed and her blue eyes thoughtful as if she was trying to figure something out.
"I assure you there is nothing wrong with Master Yui. Why would you suggest such a thing?" He was perfectly healthy, in body and mentality.
"Do you know how long it's been since I've magically discovered a new bruise?" When Kate saw Lila's confusion, the confused expression she let out a heavy sigh and continued reluctantly. "More than a week. Yui is no fun; I mean he doesn't do anything."
"Master Yui does-" Lila left to his defense immediately.
"I-he doesn't react to anything I do say or ask. I think there's something wrong with him. I mean he just scolds me- if that- or he answers the question." Lila watched a frown appear on her face, quite an unusual thing for the girl lying on the large neatly made bed.
"What do you want him to do?" Lila cautiously asked. She was almost afraid of her mistress' response to the question.
The girl licked her lips with a small smile before saying "I want him to over react. I want him to turn beet red in the face before he hits me without warning even though I should've read the signs. I want to be scared for my life. I want to wake up in the infirmary, unable to remember how it got there; wondering what had been so bad about my last question. I want him to bite me, to leave marks in and on my flesh so that I don't forget for weeks. I want-"
"The abuse you took from your captain." Lila interrupted, hiding the face that she what she wanted was not only slightly disturbing her but was concerning her. She wanted pain to be inflicted to her, that was very unhealthy and to be honest quite unexpected coming from the almost care free woman she knew Kate to be.
"Exactly!" She exclaimed in a voice that said 'someone finally understands'.
"Then do you wish there to be whips and chains, gags, rope leather and other harmful material to be within the room of your marriage bed Lady Kate?" From the sound of what she was describing that she wanted, it seemed that she would be into that kind of thing, like some of what she had named. One of Yui's wives had asked for a third party and yet another had asked for a live audience, so the whips and chains and stuff wouldn't be too surprising, it just was when it was coming from Kate.
Her eyes comically bugged "Hell no!"
Lila couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, as if the idea of Yui and whips and chains disturbed her, as if she couldn't believe that she had suggested such a thing. "Why don't you write letters or whatever in a journal?" She lamely suggested. It was never not worth a shot and if she was downright refused she could laugh it off and say she was joking, however Lady Kate just said,
"Ok, bring me a pen and a journal." Kate even added the word pleased as the depressed aura seemed to have magically lifted.
"Don't forget that we're getting the dress fixed at four, having dinner at five, picking the location of the ceremony-within the castle grounds of course- immediately after dinner in the library and once we've done those things you will have dance lessons with Yui." She said going over to a small delicate looking desk and pulling both ben and journal out. She returned and Kite rolled over onto her stomach, accepting both with a word of thanks before opening it to the first page. There were a few hours until Kate had anything to do so she began writing.
Dear Damn Diary,
I'm supposed to write 'letters' is you, but I think I'm just going to rant and rave about my day at the end of every day. I also think I'm going to call you Kidd. Why? You may ask, well. . . . Don't judge me, or get the wrong ideas or anything . . . but I sortta miss your dumb ass. Ok so I'm going to start with today- the fourth day that I've been here.
Kate flipped the page to begin writing about god knew what since today hadn't even started. She had yet to follow any schedules' or leave her room. On the top line she put entry one, day three, skipped a line and began,
Dammit Kidd, do you know how many needles I've been pricked with?! Don't you dare laugh ass wipe. Hey, maybe you should add it to your thing of ways to inflict pain upon me. And you don't even want to know how many shades of white there are! White, it's freaken white, there's only one shade! There's no neon white or hot white, no electric white or anything fun like that. I mean I can name fifty shades of black or blue- bruise anybody? Oh hey speaking of those things, I've yet to find one and wonder where and when I got it. But back to the color thing. But White come on!
And do you know what Lila suggested?! She suggested for there to be whips and chains in our marriage bed! Do you even know what a marriage bed is? No, well ask Killer, he might tell you.
Anyway I think I'm going to go ahead and tell you about the past three days because I just started letting out some steam and I hall of a lot more things to vent about and a lot of time to waste.
Kate skimmed the pen over to the blank paper across from the sheet she had just written on and on the top wrote entry two, day one- retracing my steps.
Lila watched as her mistress kicked her feet back and forth as she scribbled on the paper of the journal, sometimes looking pissed, other times she was smirking or grinning happily to herself.
She couldn't help but feel curious as to what she was writing and proud that she had managed to dispel Lady Kate's previous mood. "Lady Kate, I will return in a few minutes. We will be ready to start the planned events of the evening when I get back." The only response she got was a grunt. "If you wish to leave this room please remember your transponder snail." With that Lila left the room to go find Master Yui. When she did finally manage to find him she bowed briefly before straightening.
"What is it Lila?" He asked flipping his book over and giving her his full attention. He was open and vulnerable behind this closed door. He was prepared to accept and believe anything within reason that she might say.
Lila sighed if any of his previous wives- including Lady Kate- saw this side of him; they'd all die of shock or something. He was usually guarded, only expressed what he wanted you to see.
"I believe you should find another wife. Lade Kate is not well suited to you or your preferences." Well those things changed on a weekly basis but still. It was hard for her to keep eye contact and not lower her gaze to the ground and to not start muttering.
"What makes you say that?" He asked with a quiet 'hmm' at the end of it.
"You must know by that that she is completely enamored with her captain."
A sly grin replaced the contemplating line his lips had been before he leaned forwards, one hand under his chin, elbow on the desk. "Yes I know. But what could possibly be more alluring then a woman that you know you can't have?" Lila looked away muttering something under her breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, and do not bother saying 'nothing' I want to hear your exact words." There was a slight pause, where Lila was trying to figure out how to say what she had muttered, not in the exact words she had used. But he seemed to realize this and said "That is not a request."
She looked up "Is it an order?" If it were a request she could refuse it, but she couldn't refuse an order, not without consequences. When he nodded she groaned, looking up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh, muttering the words 'of course'. She really didn't want him to hear what she had said under her breath, which is why she hadn't said it straight to him. But against her better judgment and following his orders she said "You see I said 'you're the one out of my reach'. But it's not like I meant anything by it. Just forget that I said anything." Lila could have punched more than a punching bag, herself, or a wall at that moment. This was absolutely mortifying!
"Very well. I will see you and Lady Kate in the dining hall for dinner."
"Yes Master Yui." With that Lila left. Once out of sight she punched a wall. It was his voice, his poor word choice and the vulnerability that he had around her. She told herself as she headed towards Kate's room. "Finally done writing?" She said with a smile as Kate looked up as she entered her room.
Kate rolled off of the bed and landed on her feet before saying a chipper "Yup."
"Ready Lady Kate?" she asked before Kate made a disgusted face as if she had just eaten something distasteful.
The dress fitting was as painful as it had been for the last few days. Kate's legs were stiff as she stood on the circular platform for a straight hour or so. Poked and prodded with needles, people asking her questions about things she hadn't any clues about only to have Lila step in and save her clueless ass each question that was asked.
She was then led to the dining room, yet another large echoing room with high ceilings large arched windows and doors and more than one entrance. The thing that distinguished this room from all of the other high ceiling, echoing rooms was the single mahogany table with fifteen million chairs down its length. At the far end sat an unusually majestic looking Yui. Lila pulled her chair out and pushed her up to the table.
"Good evening Lady Kate." He said as if they didn't have their problems. As if they were a happy couple, as if she didn't despise him or his damn castle.
She curtly nodded at him and asked "Must you have a throne like that at the dinner table?" The high backed chair reminded her of Kidd's throne, the one he had flung her from. The chair Yui sat in was his; obviously his because there was no other chair like it among the matching set that lined the tables' sides.
He watched her run her hand slowly back through her hair as she waited impatiently for him to answer. "Would you like one too?" he politely offered. If it made her happy he saw no reason to not allow her to craft her own chair.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes as silver platters of food were set down before them. "I don't care." Was all she offered.
"Why do you love that jacket so much? More importantly why won't you let Nicole tailor it so that it actually fits you?" He asked gesturing to the jacket that he hadn't seen her without since he had presented it to her.
"I'll have you know that it's a perfect fit." She sneered at him, as if he should have known this, as she rolled up the miles too long sleeves so that they wouldn't get in her food.
"You only like it because it belongs to your captain do you not?" Yui asked her.
"You sound as though you're trying to imply something. And no, you're wrong. I loved it the moment I laid eyes on it." She paused but reading his expression interrupted him, "To save your breath, I love it because it's oversized," Kate ticked off her index finger with absolutely no clue as to how many reasons she was going to be able to tick off. ",It's warm." She ticked off another finger then chuckled. "And yeah, I'll admit it, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in the fact that I can still bother him with a growing as we speak distance between us. But I love the jacket, not its wearer."
He finished his bite before asking "Are you sure Lady Kate? For a woman who's about to get married, who's leading a new life, you sure think about your old life, your old captain a lot."
"So?" She shrugged. She could think about whatever she wanted, new or old, two seconds a go of eighteen years ago. It's not like he could read minds, so it didn't matter.
"Speaking of old lives, I'm revoking your bounty."
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A/N: Can you believe it? You've been with me, Kidd, Kate and Killer for 20 chapters! (This is quite an accomplishment for me, especially with the longer chapters and everything. I loves you all (I know we went over this a few chapters ago and all) but I still appreciate and love you all.
Thoughts? Opinions? Feedback?
All three greatly appreciated.