PROMPT: AU where Damon Salvatore is taken prisoner in order to help Bonnie Bennett, an infamous pirate.
Damon groans, a harsh throbbing sensation on his head immediately capturing his attention but there's a sack on his head blocking his vision; his hands are tied together, almost painfully and his ankles are also tied to the chair. His memory slowly returns in pieces, the carriage pulling up to the commodore's house for the spring ball, people dancing and champagne being passed around, then alarms about pirates raiding the village, chaos and fear tinging the air, going with his father to safety only to be ambushed and then knocked out...
The sack on Damon's head is ripped off, and he blinks slowly, adjusting to the light in the room. Two women stand in front of them, one carrying a lantern; the one on the right has wild golden-blonde hair, intense blue eyes and there's a thick dagger at her side. The other woman is observing Damon curiously with light-brown eyes, her brown hair hanging like a sheet and Damon realizes both these women are both wearing clothes akin to what a pirate would wear. He shifts uncomfortably, immediately on-guard. "Where am I?"
"You're aboard the inferno's wrath, boy," the blonde woman replies, and Damon stiffens, looking around properly. He's in a damp cell, the bars look worn and he thinks he can see blood on the floor.
"W-Why am I here? I demand you release me at once, under the jurisdiction of the Crown, you have no right to hold me here! My father is the governor of Mystic Falls, and he is not-"
"The Crown has no jurisdiction aboard our ship, nor does your father," the other woman says icily, her brown eyes alight with amusement. "We do not answer to them. Only our captain gives us orders."
"Your captain is a fool! I demand an audience with him, let me face the scoundrel-"
The blonde hisses in anger, her eyes blazing with indignation and her hand latches onto the hilt of her dagger. "You dare speak with such insolence?! I hope my lady will let me cut out your tongue-"
There's a heavy thunk from above, and the women immediately quiet, turning their attention toward the sound. Soft footsteps echo throughout the room, making their way closer to Damon before stopping, a silhouette hiding in the shadows.
"Captain. The prisoner has awoken."
The silhouette steps out of the shadows into the light, making Damon inhale sharply, almost losing his breath for a second. A woman stands before him, emanating raw power and strength, her black hair in loose braids and her striking green eyes are lined with kohl, making them even more distinctive. Her clothes had been stitched together clumsily, but it's the finest material Damon's ever seen, with a large Monmouth cap sitting on her head like crown; a large sword sits at her side, made of various jewels that Damon has only ever seen in books. This is an intimidating woman, certainly not someone that Damon would ever trifle with.
"Captain?" Damon asks dumbly, finally regaining some sense, and a little surprised to see a woman as the head of the ship.
"Aye," the woman smiles, as if this is all very amusing to her. "I am the captain of the inferno's wrath, the siren witch of the seas, Bonnie Bennett. These are my right-hands, the blonde is just called Bloodsucker and the other is Duchess."
Damon stares at her, a mixture of shock and fear bubbling in his stomach. He's heard very little about the siren witch of the seas, but everything he knows speaks of nothing good. The rumours are that she was to be hanged for witchcraft only to burn her entire village somehow, she fled into the sea for escape only to survive and rise quickly as a fearsome pirate. She stole a ship from the Mikaelsons, who ended up sparing her life, her biggest raid earned her $140 million in gold and wherever she goes, destruction follows. To even speak her name in Damon's village, meant to bring a bad omen to their shores.
"You...why am I here? Release me at once!" Damon manages to say, but judging by Bonnie's smile, she noticed the tremble in his voice.
"I don't think so, Damon. We raided your village for a reason...the hanging you had scheduled? For the pirate, Tyler Lockwood? Do you really believe the commodore's men actually managed to capture him? No, I instructed him to be held prisoner. After all, we couldn't just take you and leave. We needed to make it look like we were saving our own."
"But...why?" Damon breathes out, mystified yet fearful of her response. And how does she know his name?
"Because you have something of value to us."
"Gold? I assure you, my father will not be swayed by a ransom, nor does he have anything of true-"
"We have no need for that. Your blood is what we require."
"What?"
"This was a foolish plan," Duchess murmurs, fingering a silver necklace pensively.
Bonnie ignores her, still watching Damon. "Patience, Duch. You think we did not know you, Damon Salvatore? You live in the quaint village of Mystic Falls and you're the governor's eldest son. Your mother tragically passed of consumption when you were only twelve, from there you only knew cruelty from your father, and lived a sheltered life full of play-fighting with toys and dancing at balls. Ah, and how could I forget your deepest shame, your darkest secret...how you couldn't save your bastard brother from being thrown to the seas."
"Stop it," Damon immediately tenses at her last sentence, feeling light-headed all of a sudden. "How...how do you know this?"
"Because all those years ago, when your father took your brother, Stefan, out to the ocean and left him to die, he didn't. He found salvation. He embraced the sea where he was meant to perish. He became part of my crew. He found love, a new family, a new place to call home."
"No," Damon shakes his head adamantly, his chest heavy, "he's gone, he's dead, my father killed him when he was only eight, he was thrown to the waters, never to survive-"
"And yet he did," Bonnie interrupts quietly, her eyes unreadable.
"LIES!"
"My beloved Stefan told me how you two would collect shells by the water. That you'd read Gulliver's Travels to him after your mother died. How your father was prone to fits of rage, his temper could be uncontrollable and could do much damage. On the night your father learned Stefan was not his, he flew into a fit of fury and dragged Stefan down the stairs, while you chased after them, screaming. Your father struck your cheek so hard you flew back, and you screamed that you would never forgive him if anything happened to Stefan," Duchess explains, her eyes blazing hard and her mouth is pressed into a tight line. "Do those sound like lies, Damon?"
Damon stares at her, horrified. It cannot be true...his brother is dead. "This is madness! You all...jest! This is a ruse to subdue me to your cause, I will not be tempted by barbarians!"
Bonnie steps forward, her eyes gleaming with fire and her whole body seems to vibrate with power.
"Barbarian, child, harlot, demon...call me what you like, but I am the siren witch of the seas. That name was given to me for a reason, for abilities you could not possibly imagine so I do not ask for your belief. But I intend to find your brother," Bonnie thrusts a slip of paper in Damon's face, the words come and find him written down. "Someone has challenged me, tried to undermine me and they will pay for taking one of mine. Mark my words, I will set fire to every British territory, watch every village fall until I find your brother."
"Your words mean nothing. I still have no reason to help you," Damon spits out, sticking out his chin defiantly but Bonnie just smirks, still looking amused.
She bends down, her hands on his knees and she leans in closer; her lips brushing against his cheek, light as a feather and the temperature in the room seems to increase, as well as making Damon's pants feel tighter. He curses his body silently for its treacherous reaction, and steadfastly ignores the intriguing scent of her neck as she reaches his ear. "It's foolish to believe that you have a choice in the matter."
An idea that's been circling my head for a bit. May be continued if requested; reviews are appreciated!