Shipwrecked
Naishe awoke to find she'd fallen asleep against the door. She stretched and immediately groaned. Her neck was very stiff. Unwelcome memories of the previous night returned to her as she got off the floor. She must have been thinking about their fight and nodded off.
"Bastard…" she caught her reflection in the mirror and glowered. The tear in her dress was beyond repair. Naishe let it fall to the ground. Even the rags were probably worth a fortune.
A loud knock on the door alerted her to Luis' presence. Naishe didn't know why her jailor had bothered with the courtesy of a knock after he'd locked her in. The door latch clicked and he strode into the room with something under his arm.
Naishe crossed her arms over her breasts and continued to glare.
"There she is. My princess. A shining light of beauty."
"Drop dead."
The smile on Luis' face remained and he closed the gap between them to kiss her.
Naishe turned her head so he only got her cheek.
"I think it only right that I apologise. We both let our tempers get the better of use last night and I'm sure we both regret it."
Was he seriously trying to shift some of the blame onto her? Naishe took the sheet from her bed and wrapped it around herself. She didn't want to let Luis enjoy any of this.
"Can I at least see a smile?"
"I want to write to my friend. Tell me where she is."
Luis' smile flickered ever so slightly, irritation forming again in his eyes. "I have something for you. A gift."
He held out the folds of cloth under his arm. It was another dress, even more bejewelled and impressive than the last. It came with a hideous feathered headpiece that would have to be clipped to her hair.
"I assumed you'd need a replacement after what you did to the last one…" He nudged the remains of the other dress with his foot.
"Burn it. I'd sooner wear this bed sheet for the rest of my life."
Her husband started to chuckle, but the look in his eyes was dangerous. "You'll look ravishing in this. The streets of the city will be lined with admirers when they catch one glimpse of you. Put it on." Luis held the dress out to her.
"There won't be any admirers because you don't let me go outside."
"Don't get hysterical Naishe. Please, put the dress on. For me."
"Where's Clarissa?"
"Put. It. On."
"I want to write to her."
"Now!"
His yell made her jump but she continued to stare at him defiantly.
The disobedience caused Luis' face to fill with so much fury that she was genuinely afraid he was going to hit her. He dropped the second dress to the floor, the sudden movement making Naishe flinch, and went over to the window. A servant must have given Luis a set of keys, or maybe he always carried them around, because he locked the window shut.
"Until you stop acting like a spoilt brat," he marched back to the door, "here is where you'll stay. You can stay in your bedsheet all you like."
The door slammed behind him and Naishe heard the click of the latch again. She felt tears in her eyes and blinked them away furiously, annoyed by her own weakness. This was supposed to be a life in paradise. How had it come to this? More to the point, how did she get out of it?
The latch was on a heavy spring that no picks could move, not that Luis had stocked her bedroom with lock picks. The Rivaini sunk to the ground once more, trying to wish herself away from this place.
She stayed in her room for four days. The only time the door unlocked was when servants brought her meals. They never said a word to her. Naishe ignored the food at first, but her resolve quickly melted. She was going stir crazy by the fourth evening in isolation. When a kind-faced girl called Lucie brought her dinner on the fourth day, she mentioned a festival of light happening in the city the very next day. Naishe was desperate to go outside and asked Lucie to tell Luis that she would wear his bloody dress if it meant being allowed out of her bedroom. Luis dutifully agreed and had Lucie unlock her bedroom door and window the next morning for good.
Naishe reluctantly donned the garment and accursed headpiece that'd caused so much trouble and silently hoped Luis would somehow catch fire at the festival. To her pleasant surprise, he was elsewhere that evening, but instructed a guard of four to follow her wherever she went. Naishe gritted her teeth when she heard this, but it was better than another day in her room.
The dog was gone.
Antiva City seemed to have transformed in the short time Naishe had been confined. Lanterns hung everywhere. Children painted huge suns on the ground. Fire-breathers performed incredible spectacles for throngs of people, a few of them dressed as dragons. The city had crammed hundreds of people in just for the festival. It was a hub of excitement. Many were wearing enchanted masks that gave off the illusion of being on fire. It was easy enough for Naishe to get one of the masks and lose her bodyguards in the crowd. Her outfit was still fairly conspicuous so she found a dress vendor and exchanged a few silvers for a plain white frock. In a quiet alley, she changed out of her glittering gown and into the plainer one. The headdress too was quickly removed. She pulled the clips free to fasten her long hair into a more manageable shape and gave Luis' gifts to a street urchin. The little body couldn't believe his eyes.
"Wow! Thanks!"
Naishe smiled at the boy then returned to the crowds.
She loved seeing the city like this. The people buzzed with joy as though everything in the world were perfect. A group of bards strummed cheerful melodies and members of the crowd soon began to dance. There were elderly couples dancing together like they'd fallen in love for the first time. There were young lovers swaying like nothing else in the world existed but them. There were children laughing and screaming. Whores pouting and posing. Sailors catcalling. Guards yelling. A brawl had even broken out. All this chaos. All this life.
Naishe felt flushed just looking at it.
One of the sailors spotted Naishe and pulled her into mass of dancing bodies. He was a handsome lad. Slightly overweight. Gorgeous smile. Naishe allowed him to dip and twirl her to no particular rhythm. Even fumbling the steps felt good. She felt free.
Naishe thanked the sailor for the dance and kissed him on the cheek. He returned to his cheering friends with a blush on his face.
Naishe decided she wanted to see the festival from above. A path to an upper level of the city branched off towards a sort of overhang near the cliffs. Pulses of light emanated from Antiva City like a heartbeat. The Rivaini heard sound of drums getting closer. She watched the crowd part to reveal a dragon. It startled her, but she quickly saw the people underneath it, holding it up on poles. A mage was leading the procession with an orb of light in front of her. The dragon made sinuous, undulating movements as it approached the harbour. When it reached the water, the crowd hushed. A wave rippled through the dragon and a loud roar rocked the city. A plume of fire burst from its mouth that transfigured into a thousand burning dragonflies. They circled the oooing crowing. It was mesmerising. The mage looked satisfied with her handiwork and was met with whoops and applause. There was so much vitality in the air. The Festival of Light had a religious origin, but had now become a celebration for all to revel in. Antivans needed no excuse to start a party.
Naishe caught herself beaming.
"…fucking twats! I'll cut those fucking horns off and shove 'em straight up yer arse!"
The sound was coming from along the overhang. Naishe, startled, decided to find the source of the noise and made her way towards a big dark square that seemed to be what was voicing the profanity.
"Just wait 'til I get my hands on you ya 'spawn-faced turd!"
"Good evening."
"Ah! Back for more eh? Let me out of this cage and I'll make ya wish yer'd never been born! Then I'll find ya missus and give 'er a good, long, eye-watering-"
"I don't think I'm who you think I am." Naishe stepped closer, and could now see the square was a steel cage. Its inhabitant looked furious.
"Who the fuck are you?!"
"A visitor." Squinting through the dark, Naishe could make out a pasty man with a tangle of thick blonde hair. His beard seemed to be caught in the hinge of the cage door, so he stood at an awkward angle, his face bent up. He was bleeding from his nose and right arm. The flesh around one of his eyes was swollen and purple. To Naishe's surprise, another man was sat cross-legged in the cage as well. His eyes were closed. He surely couldn't be sleeping through this racket.
The bloodshot eye of the scrawnier man bulged at her, "Come teh gloat 'ave ya!? What's a bawbag-muching, shit-gobbler like you got to be interested in the likes o' me?"
The man's accent suggested he was from Starkhaven. He was a long way from home. Naishe grinned, "Just curious how and why you ended up in there. I thought the prison was outside the city."
"Prison? Ha!" the man spat at the ground. "Ox-face cow-fucker caught us rootin' around 'is valuables. If you can call 'em that. All 'e 'ad were twenty gold and a big fuck-off axe."
"Ox-face? You mean a Qunari put you in this cage?"
"Aye. Says 'e got plans to take us back to Rivain. I'd like to see 'im try, the shit-stained-"
"You're to be viddathari?" Naishe suddenly pitied the man.
He growled, "Fat fucking chance. I'll skin the cunt raw before 'e conscripts me."
Naishe considered the men for a moment. She had a lot of sympathy for them. A life in the Qun was no life at all.
"Boss! You seeing this? Get a load o' that rack."
The other man did not stir.
Naishe smirked, "Priorities?"
"Well are ya going ta stand around gawping or are ya gonna bust us out?"
"I'll get you out," Naishe decided, "if I can."
The man grinned. He was missing several of his teeth. "Good answer. Fucker's got th' only keys though."
Naishe smiled. "I don't need keys."
Hari had made sure her daughter would never be bested by a locked door. "Deft hands, fine tools, and a sharp tongue doesn't hurt either" as she used to say. Naishe just needed to find something small enough to pick the cage lock. She wasn't exactly equipped for the situation. The thinking was making her head hurt. She actually felt like it was rubbing against her temples.
"Wait a minute…" The clips in her hair. Naishe removed them pulling out several hairs in the process. The clips were long and spindly. They might just do it.
"Take yer fucking time!"
Naishe made an exasperated sigh, "Me. Helping you escape. You. Shut it."
"Bah…"
She knelt down by the cage lock, clips at the ready.
"'ell of a view from 'ere!" The prisoner's good eye was looking down at Naishe's cleavage.
Fortunately, the cage bars were wide and the man's crotch was within punching level.
He squeaked.
Naishe poked one of the clips through the lock and twiddled it experimentally. The cage seemed a bit flimsy, only meant for short-term use. The lock was fairly weak. She pushed another clip into the keyhole and twisted it to the side.
Finally, the second man opened his eyes. He said nothing, merely watching Naishe work.
Several minutes passed before finally they heard a satisfying click. Naishe stood and pulled the cage door open.
The Starkhaven man leapt out the cage with glee and stretched his neck with a sigh. "Ahhhh that's better. Been lookin at the same patch o' ground fer'hours."
The second man stepped out. He was taller than his friend. Fatter too. He had long copper hair and a beard to match. He was in considerably better shape than the other man. No bruises to speak of, just a broken nose. He extended his hand to Naishe who took it.
"Thank you. You've done use a great service." He sounded like he might have been Antivan. There was a tattoo on his wrist of a skull. Naishe was certain she'd seen it before, but couldn't think where. It looked like an insignia of some kind.
"I'll say. 'at fucker woulda 'ad us on some leash barkin like a dog by mornin'."
The Rivaini chuckled, "It's no bother. I won't lose any sleep from ridding the Qunari of another slave."
"Speaking of the Qunari…" The copper-haired man shot a warning look over Naishe's shoulder.
"Teth a!"
"Oh tits."
The familiar silhouette of the Qunari jailor was approaching them, sword drawn.
The Starkhaven man looked to his friend. "Kirkwall routine?"
"Kirkwall routine," the copper-haired man replied.
The two men looked back to the Qunari. They sprinted forward, screaming.
The Qunari, mildly taken aback, swung his sword through the air with a roar.
The blonde man jumped over the blade with practiced ease. His fellow captive ducked and threw himself at the Qunari's feet. It didn't knock the Qunari over, but he did stumble forward. He jabbed his sword at the one who'd tackled him but the other man grabbed him by the horns forcing his head backwards.
"Katara, bas!"
Naishe, thoroughly entertained by the display, dashed forward. The Qunari was clawing at the man behind him, and she was able to twist the sword out of his grasp the way Zevran had taught her. She clenched the sword in both hands and brought the pommel slamming down on the Qunari's head. It only seemed to daze him, so Naishe hit him again. The Qunari slumped to the ground, blood oozing from his forehead.
The two men got to their feet, the blonde one having been crushed by the body of the Qunari. He brushed himself off, spit on the Qunari's face and said, "Pretty and good in a fight. Nae that is a deadly combination."
A smirk formed on Naishe's face. "Kirkwall routine?"
"Blind luck." The other man nudged the blonde, "Let's go. He'll likely have friends come looking soon."
"Awww…Come on Captain. She looks like she could use a-"
"A woman as beautiful as she is can set her sights far higher than you."
The Starkhaven man rolled his eyes and gave Naishe a salute. "I 'ope this isn't our last meeting, hen."
Naishe sniggered, "It's been a pleasure."
Rather than going the way Naishe had come, he approached the side of the overhang by the cliff and started to descend.
The other man took Naishe's free hand in his for a second time and kissed it, "I owe you my life."
Naishe grinned, "A bit overdramatic don't you think?"
He smiled a little, "Not all pirates are without honour, my beauty."
"You're a pirate?"
The man smiled, "Captain Dante Calico, at your service."
The blonde friend called back, "Bolt, ya mangled fud, before that cock-sucker comes back!"
"Ah, Casavir. Such a poet." Calico bowed, "Forgive me. I must go," and with that he turned and made his swift escape.
Naishe watched on, a wave of serenity washing over her. The evening had put her in a good mood. She looked down at the unconscious Qunari and felt a sense of justice. This was payback, as insignificant as it might be.
She heard footsteps jogging towards her and looked to see the bodyguards she'd managed to lose earlier. Their scimitars were drawn.
"Lady Mali-Kricco! Are you alright?"
Naishe smiled, suddenly remembering she still had a sword in her hand. She shrugged and let the blade fall to the ground. "I think he tripped."
The guards shot each other confused looks. They must have silently decided not to worry about the Qunari because one of them said, "We should take you back to the estate. Dangerous folk about."
The Rivaini sighed but allowed them to escort her back to Luis' home.
She was still thinking about the tattoo on Captain Calico's wrist and went in search of the library. Shelves of books towered so high it was a wonder anyone paid them any notice. The room was octagonal and had many squashy chairs dotted around for reading. She ran her finger along the spines of hundreds of books. Viktor's Guide to Hunting Werewolves, Meditations and Odes to Bees, 101 Nevarran Taverns to Avoid, I Fell in Love with a Singing Tree: Wyatt's Story, The Legend of Calenhad, Flora of the Western Approach, Necromancy For Beginners, The Noladar Anthology of Dwarven Poetry, Highever, High in Highever, Ever Been High in Highever?, An Interview with an Ash Wraith and many others. She had no luck in the geography section but stumbled across a thick tome entitled From Noble to No-body: A Compendium of the Houses and Organisations of Thedas with Illustrations. She flicked through the book with interested. There were the black wings of the Antivan Crow crest splashed across the page.
"Come on…" she found a cosy armchair facing away from the door and curled up in it with the book. "Skull skull skull…" She caught a flash of red when she was skimming through the Rs. There it was. A human skull with a slash of red over the eyes as though blindfolded.
'The Raiders of the Waking Sea, also known as The Felicisima Armada. Dating back as far as the Exalted Ages, The Raiders of the Waking Sea, or simply, 'Raiders', are known for thievery, looting, bootlegging, arson, apostasy, slave trade, murder and more. They rarely act within the legal parameters of any port or sea and a seldom known to cooperate with the authorities. They have been rumoured to be responsible for many maritime robberies and battles and have earned the reputation of treachery and deceit. They sail the waters freely and are the largest known association of pirates in Thedas.'
That's why the insignia was so familiar. She had seen Raiders a lot in Rivain. Some of them wore the crest with pride. Others didn't care.
Pirates. That word hung in Naishe's mind for a while. So that man, what was his name, Calico? He'd been telling the truth. An actual pirate. And the other man. She wondered what their lives must be like. Breaking the law. Doing what they liked. Living as free men. She recalled the conversation she had had with the Montilyet's. They had talked about the Raiders with everything from disgust to admiration. It made Naishe wonder…
She heard footsteps approaching the library and the familiar voice of her husband.
"…exactly like the real thing. We can make a tidy profit." The sound of his boots squeaked into the room. Naishe's chair was positioned in a way that hid her from view.
"That's all very well but we mustn't leave ourselves open to blackmail," hissed the voice of Pravus Kamas. "I would not put it past him."
"He's an idiot that got lucky. If he's smart, he'll take the gold and retire to Orlais."
"If he remains an idiot…"
"I'll make sure he doesn't. Besides, there are scarcely enough De la Dampierre's left in Thedas. No one will go to the trouble of comparing these to the originals."
Naishe heard Pravus sigh. "Well, on your own head. Remind him no canvas. Dampierre only used parchment."
"Yes, Pravus. I'll tell him."
This business talk was unlike any she had heard in the past. It sounded like they were discussing counterfeits. Not just discussing, creating. Naishe was listening so intently to the conversation that she forgot all about the book in her hands. It slid out of her grasp and hit the floor with a dull thunk.
Shit.
"What the-?"
There wasn't any point hiding now. Naishe stood to face the two men.
"Naishe? You're home." Luis broke into a smile and went to kiss her.
"Yes."
Pravus' eyes goggled at her, his expression etched with suspicion.
When Luis straightened, he blinked. He looked Naishe up and down and narrowed his eyes. "What happened to your dress?"
The familiar feeling of irritation and resentment that Naishe had come to attribute with this place returned to her. "I…lost it."
"You lost it." Luis' face was covered in disbelief.
Naishe merely nodded and crossed her arms.
"How did you come to lose the gift I generously gave you and end up in…" he gestured at the plain white garment she was wearing. The scuffle with the Qunari had left it dusty.
The Rivaini shrugged non-committedly.
Anger was building behind Luis' eyes. He turned his head to address Pravus. "You give a girl the world and she isn't satisfied."
Pravus gave him a look that said 'I told you so'.
Naishe dearly wished she could make Luis understand that all this stuff was not the world. She'd trade it all in in a heartbeat for a chance to actually see the world. She'd caught a glimpse of it tonight. Was he really going to punish her for losing a fucking dress?
"Please leave us," Luis returned his gaze to Naishe.
Pravus nodded, shot one more look at Naishe and left the library, closing the door behind him.
"This disobedience will not continue. The acting out. The refusing to take a direct order. You need to learn your place in this house Naishe."
What, no princess this time?
Naishe stared defiantly back at him, "My place? I am a person in case you'd forgotten. I'm allowed to have independence over my own life. My place was supposed to be living by your side. You said I was going to be your wife, not your property. You can't just tell me how to live."
As Naishe talked, the ire in Luis' face built. "I've given you everything you could possibly want. You're living like a queen! And you have the nerve to be ungrateful. Do you know how many people would die to have your life?"
"Hundreds," Naishe nodded feeling exasperated, "thousands. But I'm not one of them. I don't want your fancy dresses. I never even wanted to be here!"
"You spoilt little brat. Sometimes I don't know why I bother."
"Why do you bother? We'd both be happier if I wasn't here." She looked at him imploringly, "Please. You could let me go. You could say I ran away. Or you could say you sold me off to one of your friends. I don't care."
He glared at her. "You stupid little girl. You really believe it's that simple?"
Naishe was incredulous, "Why can't it be?! I don't want to live here! I don't want to live here with you!"
"You don't have a choice!"
The Rivaini's shoulders slumped a little. "So that's it, is it? That's how this is going to be?"
Luis' voice was a crescendo of rage, "I don't have time to make your simple mind understand. I have a job to do. I'm doing my job. My servants are out there doing their jobs. The Crows are out there doing their jobs. And it's time now for you to do yours. You will do what I say. You will not question me. You will wear whatever I give you. You will meet my friends and smile and laugh and kiss cheeks and look pretty and you will stand with me and you will be my wife!" The last few words were roared at Naishe.
Naishe was stunned by this outburst but recovered quickly. She scowled at her husband and said, "I don't have to do a fucking thing for you."
There was a long pause before Luis said, "Take off your dress."
Naishe scoffed, "Over my dead body."
"Take off your dress," he stepped closer to her and Naishe stepped back.
"No."
"Do it," his voice was dangerously calm. He kept walking forward.
Naishe backed away until her back hit a bookshelf. "Don't come any closer," it was difficult to hide the quaver in her voice.
"I'm not going to ask again. Take. Off. Your. Dress." He loomed over her.
"Whatever you do to me now can't be worse than living in this fucking house one second more." Naishe's voice was icy, but she couldn't hide the fear in her eyes.
Her head banged against the books as Luis lurched forward and brought his mouth to hers. He was rough and unrelenting, not so much kissing her as holding her down.
"Get off! Get your fucking hands off m-!" before Naishe could finish her sentence, Luis placed a thick hand over her mouth. She tried to bite him, but he either didn't feel it or didn't care.
He squeezed arse with his free hand then brought it to her breast.
This is it, she thought. This is why he can't let me leave. The power. The domination.
After a while, Luis turned Naishe around so she was facing the books. He was so much stronger than her.
Naishe wished those men who'd taken down the Qunari were here now. She heard the unbuckling of his belt.
He pressed his lips to her ear. "You think anyone would want you now? You think anyone would even look in your direction the way you're dressed?" He yanked the bottom of her dress upward. "You wouldn't know feminine if it slapped you round the face."
She felt her underclothes being torn from her legs. Naishe bit down on her lip hard. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"You should be thanking me," he said with a grunt.
It didn't last long. A couple of minutes of huffing and it was over.
Despite her best efforts, her cheeks were wet. But she rubbed the tears away before he could see.
Luis panted with his forehead against her neck for a few moments, then pulled himself out and did up his breeches.
Naishe gave herself a moment, then turned to face him, stony faced and silent.
Now that Luis had had his way with her, his anger seemed to have abated slightly. He brushed a strand of her hair out of her face.
Naishe flinched at his touch.
"You'd lot far prettier with a smile on your face."
If she hadn't been afraid he would do it again, Naishe would have clawed his eyes out then and there. She glowered at the monster she had to call her husband.
Luis left the library quickly.
The hopelessness. It was back. Naishe could barely held herself upright against the books. She refused to let herself break down, however much she wanted to. What was the point? There was no one to come and comfort her. Clarissa wasn't there to wipe away her tears.
Her eyes eventually fell on the book she'd dropped on the floor. The sigil of the Felicisima Armada looked back at her.