AN- I know you guys just got an update but I thought you might want another and this was an easy write. There is no smut in it I'm afraid but that's what made it easy to write. It takes me longer to write when there is a smut scene involved for obvious reasons and I know you guys don't mind waiting for one. But without further ado… here is the next chapter of Dashing Pirate...
Dashing Pirate Rescue
Chapter Four
Killian leaned against the alcove of the bay window overlooking the courtyard below, barely able to make out the weeds spurting up from the barely fertile ground. The glass was positively filthy and was in desperate need of thorough cleaning. He stared off absently into a large opening where the glass had shattered and light filtered in through the gap. He released a long sigh, trying to place his thoughts and contemplate the events of the last few hours.
He turned his head in the direction of the bed where the princess slumbered. She was curled into herself, the sheet wound tightly around her body exposing the curve of her hip. She looked decidedly peaceful in the throes of sleep, her breasts rising and falling as she breathed in and out, her pert rosy nipples greeting him in the light of the early morning sun. He noted the way her lips puckered as she dreamed, the emotions prompted by her dreams etched upon her angelic face. Her blonde hair fanned out around her on the pillows, her cheeks tinged pink in the afterglow of their coupling.
She was gorgeous.
He shook his head to break himself from his thoughts and turned his attention back to deciding how to go about getting her back to her family. It would be a long and difficult journey. She was a sought after commodity and when people started to discover that she was free from the tower, others would start looking for her in an attempt to take his prize for themselves. They would need to keep a low profile until he was able to get her safely on to the Jolly.
Emma shifted on the bed, rolling slightly as she tried to doze back off to sleep — sleep — she actually slept. Her eyes flew open at the realization that for the first time in seven years she had managed to sleep. She stared at the ceiling, her eyes trained toward the tattered netting off the canopy that cascaded down the length of the bed and settled on the floor. She kicked at the sheet, her limbs tangled in their hold, the material barely covering her naked body.
She tugged the sheet closer to herself to preserve her modesty, panic stricken as she felt the mattress beside her only to find it empty and cold. She fisted the sheets beside her and eventually looked up to find him leaned against the wall by the window. She took in his ruffled hair sticking up in angles and the way his shoulders sagged as he breathed. He was at ease with himself in his private moment, bathed in the sunlight that flitted in through the window washing has dark features in its brightness making him appear far less intimidating than he normally was.
He stood in a relaxed stance, his spine arching against the wall as his ringed fingers brushed his lips. He was haphazardly dressed — his leather trousers sagging at his hips, his shirt half tucked into his pants covered by his black crushed velvet vest hanging open loosely from his strong muscular shoulders. Killian's tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip and he stroked his chin, rolling himself lazily to press his side against the wall. His eyes darted to the bed, noticing the young princess staring at him.
"You're awake." He pushed off the wall and strode toward her. He dropped himself on to the bed, sitting on the edge as his eyes roamed over her soft supple skin. "I take it that you slept well?" He asked, scratching the back of his head and waving his hand about in a dramatic gesture as he waited for her response.
"I did." She said softly. "I almost forgot what it felt like…" She said, mystified by the concept.
"To get a good night's rest?" He wondered.
"No. To sleep." She breathed out.
He opened his mouth and closed it quickly, lowering his head in recognition. He had nearly forgotten all about the curse holding her within these walls. He understood the most important detail but lacked some of the smaller ones. "If you slept that means the curse has been broken."
"I suppose it has." She agreed, several emotions going through at once as she clung to the sheet protectively, her fists stretching the worn silky material.
"Forgive me. But you don't sound all that pleased." His face creased as he spoke.
"Honestly, I don't know how to feel. I guess I never really imagined it ever happening." She swallowed thickly.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, his eyes darting down to the half of her hidden underneath the sheet.
She felt her cheeks heat at his question and she shrugged. "I feel a little sore but it's manageable." She provided, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she shrinked into herself.
He bowed his head and let out a drawn out sigh and pressed his lips into a thin line.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be… it was actually kindof nice…" She admitted.
He smirked, shaking his head to conceal his amused laughter. "So… you enjoyed taking the pirate's cock?" He pressed his tongue against his jaw.
"Don't be so pleased with yourself, pirate." She bit back in annoyance.
"Is that what you call the man who just spent the evening between your thighs, bringing you orgasm after orgasm with his mouth?" He teased, a cocky grin plastered to his face.
"Is that what that was?" She wasn't even aware that it had a name.
"Aye. It was." He acknowledged, popping the 't' in the word 'it.' "You look quite beautiful when you come for me." He told her as he propped himself up on his elbow. "I loved seeing the absolute rapture on your gorgeous face as you gave yourself to me completely. The way your back arched into my mouth as you cried out my name. It was this pirate's name tumbling from your lips as you came over and over again."
Emma swallowed at his words, recognizing the truth in their meaning.
"Now you will have to live with the memory of me buried deep inside of you, knowing that I had you first and that no one will be able to compare to the pleasure I give you. You will spend the rest of your days with the knowledge that only I can do that to you." He told her huskily, arrogance dripping from his tongue.
"You are disgusting." She wrinkled her nose as her head drifted away from him.
"That isn't what you were saying last night." He cocked his head as he crawled toward her. He lowered himself over her, crowding her with his body. "You were making the most delightful noises as I fucked you with my mouth." He teased her, his head hovering above hers, smirking with pride.
She sneered, biting her tongue as she landed her hand straight across his face, a satisfying grin playing at her lips as his head snapped to the side against the force of her blow.
He opened his mouth in silent laughter, admiring her gumption and bold behavior. He seized her wrist in his grasp, holding it firmly in midair, a devious smile on his lips. "You my dear, are positively bewitching. You'd make a hell of a pirate."
She shoved him off of her, huffing in exasperation. She crossed her arms over her chest, sinking back against the pillows, refusing to look at him. "When are we leaving? The sooner we leave the sooner I will be rid of you."
"Eager to leave me so soon princess?" He grinned, removing himself from her and placed his knees on the bed, working the fastenings of his vest to seal them into place. "My crew will be wondering about me, but they have been instructed to give me a few weeks before carrying on without me." He murmured, his chin tucked into his lower neck.
"You should dress yourself. Do you have other garments?" He looked about the room before returning to her, seeing the anguish on her face.
"No. I suppose you don't." He realized, his voice dropping slightly. "Here." He grabbed her shift and tossed it over to her. "You shall wear this for now until I can find you more suitable clothing."
"You expect me to leave the palace in this?" She palmed the thin fabric in her hands.
"Of course not." He winked at her, getting up from the bed and walking over to where he had deposited his leather duster along with his sword belt and his pistol, a few shots still remaining in the barrel.
He collected his thick brown leather belt and wrapped it around his waist so that it sat low on his hips and fastened it securely to his person. He grabbed the pistol and tucked it into its holster before surveying the rest of his weapons — everything seemed to be accounted for. Lastly, he picked up the heavy garment and walked it over to her, extending it in offering toward her as he loomed above. "Here. Take it." He insisted.
She looked at the coat and then back up to him before rolling her eyes and jerking it out of his hands.
"Gods. I love to see a woman wrapped in leather, especially in mine." He gave her a twisted smile, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Turn around while I dress." She demanded, fumbling with the shift to find the opening.
"There's no need for that. I have already seen every inch of your magnificent body." He licked the seam of his lips.
"Turn. Around." She stated again more firmly.
"Fine." He relented, his hands in the air in defense as he whirled around to face the heard the rustling of fabric behind him, the noise drawing the temptation to look at the activity behind him. "Are you presentable?" He shook with impatience, his hand covering the hilt of his sort as he shuffled from left to right, anxious to leave this place.
"Just about-"
She stopped, her hands stilling on her laces as she prepared to knot them into place, her words dying in her mouth as he watched her. "I told you I wasn't finished!" She barked.
"You look finished to me." He had to restrain himself from making a lewd comment at his phrasing. "Come, let me help you up…" He rounded the bed to come to stand before her.
"I'm quite capable of helping myself thank you very much." She pushed him away and got up from the bed, a little unsteady on her feet.
"Wah-oh. Easy there, love." He positioned himself in front of her to catch her, easing her up into a standing position. "You alright?" He asked with concern, searching her face.
"I'm fine." She muttered, slapping his hands from her body.
"You don't appear fine." He asserted, his hand held out in annoyance. "You are a stubborn lass. Has being alone in a tower for several years also affected your manners, your grace? Or did they teach you to be an ungrateful bitch in finishing school?"
"That is rich coming from a pirate." She taunted, moving about the room, her hands placed on her lower back as she searched for something.
"What are you looking for, perhaps I could be of service?"
"For the last time, I don't need your-" She paused as she cast her eyes upon her bejeweled slippers. She frowned in dismay at their small stature. She hadn't worn them for a long time, having no need for them here.
"What? What is it?" He caught her expression.
"They're too small…" She said faintly.
"What? What is too small?" He leaned his head back to refocus himself.
"My slippers!" She threw her hand up into the air in frustration. "They're too small." She scrubbed her hand down her face.
"You mean to tell me you have no suitable footwear to walk about a castle littered with nails and broken glass?" His mouth went slack in recognition. "Well that is just bloody brilliant. Who designed this blasted curse?"
Killian cursed to himself and grimaced, snatching his long leather coat from the bed and stomping toward her. He wrapped her in the coat's leather embrace and swept her up into his arms unexpectedly.
"What on earth are you doing?" She shrieked, clawing at his chest as her eyes darted about the room.
"I can't very well let you roam the castle with bare feet now, can I?" He aggressed.
"I can take care of myself. Release me!" She demanded, pounding against his shoulders.
"Don't dare address me like one of your servants, your highness. I know I am above your station but given the circumstances, you would do well to pay me at least an ounce of your respect." He snarled menacingly. "If I allow you to walk on your toes in nothing but your shift and you manage to hurt yourself, your parents will have my head on a platter. With my purse at stake you've left me no choice. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."
He shifted her in his arms roughly, jerking her in amusement as she yelped. "My apologies." Killian smirked.
"You did that on purpose you classless oaf." She scowled as she begrudgingly wrapped her arms around his neck for purchase. "Wait, I need my locket!" She remembered herself, her eyes bouncing around the room for the place she had left it. "There!" She spotted it on her dressing table, the gold standing out against the dusty wood.
He lowered her gently from his arms until her feet hit the floor. He cracked his back and stretched his fingers as she padded over to the table and lifted the necklace with the golden jeweled pendant.
She held it up to her gaze, turning it over in her hand, a delicate smile forming on her lips as she caressed the metal.
"What is it?" He gestured to the locket in her hand, the object obviously holding some sort of sentimental value to her.
"It was the last thing my parents ever gave me. It is enchanted to reveal the identity of my true love." She lamented.
He looked at her skeptically, the notion that such a thing even existed in this world unfathomable.
"But it's broken…" She frowned as she fingered the etchings engraved in the metal. "The latch is welded shut by magic."
"I'm sorry but your parents were swindled. What a useless gift… Honestly, what purpose does it even serve?"
"No one asked you." She sneered, unclasping the chain and placing it around her neck before fastening it in place.
"Now that we are done with the theatrics, can we leave now? I'm not even sure that the curse-"
She walked past him, easily passing through the barrier and turned to look at him, her arms crossed over her chest in triumph. "You were saying?"
"I was just going to say how you cut quite the figure in my coat." He offered.
"Don't stand on ceremony captain, let's go." She gestured toward the door.
He stormed past her, his eyes flicking toward her in mild frustration. He threw open the door and looked down below at the winding steps leading out of the tower. "I sincerely hope you can manage the stairs by yourself. They are a little worse for wear but virtually untouched. But there is no way I can carry you down." He told her earnestly, canting his head toward her to read her expression.
She reached out to grip one of the pillars holding the tower from falling and looked into the bowels of the tower. "Well we will just have to wait and see." She snapped her head up to his as she began the long ascent down. "Are you coming?" She whirled around to face him, a pointed look on her face.
"After you darling. I will be behind you to catch you if you stumble and fall." He told her as he dredged behind her, nothing but the sound of his heavy footsteps and his breathing revealing his presence.
They trekked down the stairs cautiously, her hand sliding against the railing as she took each step as carefully as possible with Killian's arms stretched out to catch her if she should fall. She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the bottom, taking pride in her final step as she landed on the ground floor.
He came to stand beside her, glancing around at the hollow shell of the castle just beyond the entrance to the staircase. "Let's proceed, shall we?" He urged, pointing toward the long stretch of hallway, debris scattered across the floor. "Come now, we don't have all day. I'd like to put us a safe distance from the castle before nightfall. You never know who could be lurking around her waiting for an opportunity to take what is mine."
"I may be yours for the moment…" She rounded him to stand in front of him, her chest puffed out. "But I will never belong to you."
"Is that so? We will just see about that." He leaned in, his dark eyelashes fluttering with promise. "Now, climb aboard sweetheart. We are pressed for time." He gave her a come-hither motion.
She shook her head, releasing an angry breath as she did as he bid and placed herself in the cradle of his arms and was pressed against his chest. She breathed in his familiar musk of sweat, salt, and spice and hummed against his exposed skin as she settled herself into his grasp.
"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were actually enjoying yourself." He mocked as he bent himself forward to avoid a downed column.
"You think too highly of yourself." She dismissed, watching as he concentrated on navigating them through the maze of collapsed ceilings and turned furniture. She could hardly believe the destruction. She had formed a vague idea of what she would encounter when she was finally freed but this was far worse than what she had imagined. Everywhere she looked, the memories of the castle's prior state flashed behind her eyes.
"Mommy!" A five-year-old Emma tugged on her mother's skirts to get her attention.
"What is it sweetheart?" Snow turned to face her daughter, a nurturing smile on her face as she lowered herself to the ground.
"I picked this flower for you." She said sheepishly, producing the wilted flower and holding it out for her mother to take.
"It is beautiful." She admired it, taking it from her small fist. "Almost as beautiful as you." She brushed its petals against her nose prompting a gleeful giggle from the child.
"I love you mommy." She wrapped her arms around her mother and squeezed tightly, feeling her comforting embrace against her small back.
"You alright darling?" He asked, his voice strained as he shuffled her in his arms to even out the weight. "I lost you for a moment."
"Sorry." She shook her head to snap herself out of her trance-like state.
"Where did you go?" He wondered, trying to fill the void of silence.
"Home…" She swallowed the emotion catching in her throat.
"What was it like?" He inquired curiously, gritting his teeth as he squeezed them through a tight opening in an unstable wall, beams criss crossing between it. "Home?"
"It's like a place that when you leave… you just miss it." She answered meekly, tears pricking her eyes as she gazed into the broken abandoned halls she used to play in when she was young. It felt like it was just yesterday she was bouncing about the castle and making a ruckus. "I grew up here. My entire life is-" She paused a moment to catch her breath. "Was…" She amended. "Here."
"Everything I knew and loved… gone in an instant."
"You will see them again." He told her as he pressed on, using his shoulder to lift a sheer curtain out of his way leading out into the great hall.
"You think so?" She squeezed her arms around his shoulders tightly.
"I know so." He halted his movements to look her in the eyes, his gaze burning into hers, his jaw set in determination. "If I have anything to do about it, you will see them again." He vowed, nodding his head in confirmation.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"For what?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "You are going to have to be more specific."
She let out an exasperated sigh at his infuriating banter, crinkling her face, striving to continue her compliment despite her reservations. "For coming to get me."
"Aye. That." He acknowledged, stepping over a few shards of broken glass. "All in a day's work for a dashing rapscallion like myself."
"Your boastful attitude is starting to grade on my nerves. I know you can't help yourself, but you can stand to tone it down a bit."
"Never. You can't tame a pirate, love." He chuckled.
Emma glanced around, her expression falling as she took in the state of the throne room, her eyes skirting across the floor covered in ash, the broken stained glass windows and the darkened walls. Her face went ashen as she saw the plush thrones ripped to shreds, her family's crest faded into nothing. "Are we almost there?" She tucked herself into his chest protectively to muffle her pained cries.
"You'll know when we reach the carcass of the dragon I had to slay to free you." He told her, his eyes shining with mirth.
"You?" She lifted her head, sniffling. "You slayed a dragon?" She said in disbelief, her face blotchy and red, tear streaks staining her face.
"Do you not think me capable of slaying a dragon?" He pressed his lips together, trying not to take offense.
"You are a pirate." She said certainly.
"More than a mere pirate. I'm a survivor." He told her. They grinded to a halt in front of the decaying body of the dragon.
Her eyes went wide in recognition, taking in the imposing body of the beast, the floor underneath it stained with blood as black as night.
"I suppose you forgot that your prison guard was a dragon?" He canted his neck in jest.
She slapped his chest, berating him with her stern look in warning in order to stifle his humorless silent laughter at her expense. "I didn't forget. It just momentarily slipped my mind."
"Ow." He mouthed. "Would you like to walk the rest of the way there? I don't have to put up with this abuse." He defended himself against her unwarranted tyranny. "Royals like you are why I became a pirate in the first place." He mentioned, walking her toward another long stretch of hallway with large openings leading out to other areas of the castle.
"You never did tell me what you did before." She reminded him. "Before you became a pirate that is."
He sighed heavily, his chest crushed with the weight of the memory that overtook him. "I was a naval officer in the royal navy." He provided. "Don't worry it wasn't your kingdom." He ressaurred her, answering her unspoken question.
"You mentioned your brother before…" She clasped her hands together tightly around his neck.
"Aye. I don't like to dwell on it much. It is a part of my past that I don't like to revisit." He told her, his voice dropping at the thought of his brother. "But nonetheless he is the reason that I became a pirate in the first place." He said, peaking her interest. "We were sent to retrieve a powerful healing vine, the substance running through its veins enough to cure any ailment. But as it turned out it was a deadly poison — a powerful weapon to use against the king's enemies."
Her eyes widened as she took in his story, but wondered if there was something more that he wasn't mentioning.
"It was then and there that I realized that there was no honor in serving a king dastardly enough to slaughter his own people in the most abhorrent way possible. Royals are nothing but selfish and corrupt individuals drunk on power handed to them by a line of succession. A person who holds themselves above everyone else in the belief that they were chosen by God to rule is a naive notion — and not one that I was willing to entertain further."
"It sounds like you have a lofty understanding of royalty." She noticed.
"Says the woman who came from a life of wealth and privilege." He said in jest, cradling her in his arms as he walked them down the hallway, taking care to avoid the crumbling ceiling overhead.
"Yes, being trapped in a tower for seven years is a rather cushy way to live…" She defended herself. "You can't honestly believe that I deserved such a fate. Even you aren't that cruel to wish that on anyone."
"I don't mean any offense but you know absolutely nothing about me. Do not presume to know what I am capable of. The sins I have committed would send this castle to rubble." He assured her darkly without a trace of deceit in his voice. "Look around you darling. Look at the price you paid for being royal. Your people suffer under your thumb… go without so you can live in luxury."
Emma growled in protest. "You are quick to judge me and my kingdom-"
They came to a screeching half and he looked down at the delicate woman in his arms, a fierce look on his face as he uttered, "What kingdom?"
"Why are you so cruel?" She asked, her lower lip quivering as hot salty tears brimmed in her eyes, clouding her vision.
"Because people like you took my brother from me." He confessed with a dangerous glint in the icy depths of his eyes as he seethed with anger.
They continued the rest of the way in silence.
She had to avert her gaze as the light poured out through the grand doors that sat off kilter and slanted from their hinges. It had been so long since she'd been outside that her body fought against the foreign environment.
"Tuck your face into my chest and slowly let your eyes adjust." He told her and she nodded her head in understanding, her face digging into his chest. "You are going to be sensitive but in due time you'll be alright." He reassured her.
The light burned underneath her closed eyelids, creating white spots in her vision. She clung herself tighter to him as the fight or flight instinct overwhelmed her. She could feel the sun beating down against the leather of his jacket, warming it and absorbing the heat.
"I need to set you down so I can prep the horse." He whispered into her hair as she cowered in fear against him. "It will only be for a moment. Do you think you can handle it?"
She nodded as he adjusted the coat over her body to shield her from the sunlight and slowly lowered her onto her feet. She held the leather coat over her head, watching underneath her leather canopy as he saddled up the horse. She could feel the dead soil under her feet, she dug her feet into the dirt in fascination, enjoying the mud between her toes.
Killian gathered the supplies he and his crew had left behind and loaded them onto the back of the horse. He took stock of what they had, his face buried in the sack before closing it and shoving it into place.
"There we are." He tugged on the saddle to make sure it was secure as the horse bucked in place. He craned his neck toward her, settling the horse as he held tightly onto the reins. "Lass?" He tried to catch her attention.
Emma peaked up at him from under the jacket, her eyes watering and stinging.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered, biting down on her teeth as she shuffled forward, her feet digging into the earth as she made her way toward him. "It's been awhile since I've been on a horse." She said softly, her voice shaking with trepidation.
"I figured as much. Allow me to assist you." He provided, moving to her side to grasp her waist. "Iift your right foot into the rungs there." He instructed tentatively, grabbing her foot to position it onto the foot rest. "There you go. No grab onto the saddle." He led her hand toward it. "I'm going to hoist you up. Sit facing me so I can block out the sun." He held onto her waist, pushing her up so that she could climb on top of the horse.
She scooted herself back until her back collided with the pummel of the saddle. She watched as he expertly maneuvered himself over the saddle, sweeping his leg over the seat to straddle it.
He pushed himself forward until his body was flush against hers, one hand on the reins and the other covering her lower back to pull her against him. "You'll be safe like this." He assured her.
She hummed pleasantly, tucking herself into his chest, her face sliding against his exposed skin, covering in a fine sheen of sweat, his chest hair matted to his flesh.
"We will continue until the sun has set and then make camp before starting fresh tomorrow. The nearest town is a few day's trek from here and we will have to go around the hillside to avoid the main road. The last thing we need is something catching wind of your presence." He explained as the horse trotted impatiently.
He tucked her head underneath his chin and kicked the horse, clicking his teeth and the horse broke out into a steady gallop, its hooves smacking against the ground as they journeyed north. He wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and the castle while remaining acutely aware of their surroundings — never knowing what they may encounter along the way.