Present day…

The pirates dragged Tigerlily into the captain's quarters, pushing her through the dining room and office and back into the bedroom. As soon as Tigerlily walked through the door, her knees started to shake as she took in the familiar surroundings. There were the paintings. There was the wardrobe. There was the velvet jacket tossed over a brocade chair, the leather boots tossed into a corner. There was the bottle of brandy glinting on an end table. There was…

There was the bed.

There was the bed, exactly how she remembered it: the satin blue sheets, the dark blue canopy, the lustrous oak woodwork.

And there she was, twelve years ago, flailing desperately, his hands tearing at her clothes, his mouth crushed against hers, his weight pressing her down… It was happening again, it was going to happen all over, and this time he'd succeed, this time he'd force himself inside her, and this time no one was going to save her no one could save her OH COULDN'T SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE HER-!

"Where should we put her?" one of the pirates asked.

"I dunno," the other replied. "Near the bed, I guess. That's where she'll end up anyway."

They both chuckled crudely, hauling her over to the bed. She struggled against them, managing to kick one in the shin before they tied her wrists behind her back to one of the posts. He yelped in pain, swinging an arm at her, but the other caught it mid-strike.

"Hey, you remember what the captain said," he cautioned. "No one touches her… at least until the captain's done. Maybe he'll let us have her when he's through."

"I'll show her a few things then," his shipmate growled.

The two of them left her then, slamming the door behind them. Tigerlily sagged against the bedpost, chest heaving. She took several deep breaths to steady herself and clear her head. She wasn't going to panic. She was going to thoroughly examine her situation and figure out how to get out of it.

The first order of business was to find a way to free her hands. The pirates had used rope to tie them tightly behind her, and they'd tied the knots well. She could barely shift her wrists. But it wasn't hopeless. If she could twist her hips far enough, maybe she could reach her belt—and, more importantly, her dagger. She might be able to pull it close enough that she could reach it, and then she could surely figure out a way to extract it and cut the rope. She just had to twist her hips and…

And then the door swung open again.

Tigerlily jerked her head up at the sound. Blackbeard's long outline filled the doorway. Her mouth went dry as he sauntered inside, casually pushing the door closed behind him.

"Well, Princess, I never thought I'd see you in this room again," he quipped with that same maddeningly grin. "Dreams really do come true."

Tigerlily didn't say anything, just watched him warily.

He drew closer, eyeing her hungrily. "I remember last time so well," he mused, running a hand down along her side and resting his fingers on her hip. "You were so young, and beautiful, and scared." He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent, and she shuddered involuntarily. "You smell the same." His free hand floated up to her face, a thumb tracing her lips. "I wager you taste the same, too."

Tigerlily jerked away from his touch. "Things are different this time. I'm not a scared little girl anymore."

"Aye, you're right," Blackbeard agreed, his fingers tracing circles across her hip, "you're certainly not a little girl anymore." He caught her chin suddenly, so tightly that she couldn't jerk away this time. "But there's still some fear in those pretty eyes," he continued, "and I'm certain I can bring back even more. Perhaps we should take a trip to the interrogation room, for old time's sake, eh?"

Tigerlily flinched, a hundred awful memories flooding her mind at once. Not the water not the water oh God please not the WATER WATER WATER…

Blackbeard noticed her fear with relish. "Why, Princess, whatever is the matter? You seem to be breathing a little quickly."

Tigerlily tried to force her voice to work, her mouth to form words, but nothing came.

Blackbeard's grin stretched wider. "We'll save that for later. I want to enjoy all this beauty before it's marred." He kissed her then, crushing his mouth against hers, and the same familiar taste invaded her mouth. She tried to break free, but his grip was too tight. Finally, he let the kiss break, licking his lips appreciatively. "You taste just as sweet as I remember."

Tigerlily's face reddened with shame. She wanted to scream, to sob, to hurl insults at him, to collapse onto the floor and hide. But that wouldn't get her out of this mess. She couldn't afford to let those emotions cripple her. She needed a cool head.

So instead, she took a risk. "And you're just as much of a coward as I remember."

The air in the room suddenly seemed to drop twenty degrees. Blackbeard's smile stayed fixed on his face, but his eyes turned equally icy. "Pray, explain yourself, Princess."

"Last time we were here, I was a child," Tigerlily answered. "I was small and weak, and you counted on that helplessness. Now, when I'm finally able to stand against you, you have me tied to your bed so that I can't defend myself—and you don't even do it yourself. You have your men do it for you. It's obvious that you don't want to risk being beaten again—that you're not sure you'd win this time, either." She filled her voice with as much scorn as she could muster. "You're a weak, pathetic coward."

For one long, charged moment, Blackbeard didn't say anything. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft, low—and deadly. "Take care, Princess. I'd hoped to tarry with you for old time's sake, but my good graces are not infinite."

Tigerlily sensed how close to the edge she had ventured, but there was no going back now. "I see my words offend you with their truth."

Faster than Tigerlily's eyes could catch, Blackbeard had unsheathed his dagger and now held it pressed painfully into her throat. "Perhaps I will put an end to your words right now."

"Do it then," Tigerlily taunted. "It will only prove my point. Or you could cut me free and prove that you aren't such a coward after all."

A knowing smile slowly spread across Blackbeard's face. "Oh, Princess, if you had wanted to play that kind of game, you should have just asked." He slid the dagger along her throat and over her chest, pressing it into the tip of one breast. "You know I love games." He moved behind her, resting the dagger on the ropes around her wrists. "I'll cut you free," he promised, his breath hot on her neck, "and we can have some fun."

Tigerlily felt him start to slice the ropes away and wanted to sob with relief. Now she at least had a chance—and she was going to use it. Somehow or other, she was going to win.

The last rope finally snapped, and Tigerlily lunged away from the pirate. She spun around to face him, keeping her eyes on him even as she tried to take in her surroundings and find something—anything—to use as a weapon.

Blackbeard chuckled. "So eager to play."

He slipped his dagger back into its sheath and stepped closer. Tigerlily automatically backed up, and the two enemies studied each other warily.

Blackbeard's maddening grin stayed in place, but the old anger in his voice was replaced by a different kind of intensity—anticipation. "I promise you, Princess, the outcome will be the same no matter how long the game goes on. But for now… let's have some fun!"