Chapter 3

Flying her confinement

It had taken Saihrena the full year she had been in captivity to learn the Turkish language. She was now suitably proficient in it, which was why she had been chosen to be brought on this voyage. The Sultan had hand picked her, she still cringed every time she was in his presence.

The night she came to the palace he had taken her virginity, and the next day he took the heads of Aidan, Dunk, and the five men that had accompanied them to the palace. His official reason was they had lied to him about her virginity, but she knew better. He had killed them to keep them quiet, he didn't want anyone to find out about the woman he had bought and come to rescue her.

Every night for the next month she had been called into his bed. Luckily he soon became bored with her and went back to his other "wives" as they called themselves. She was rarely called to his bed after that, leaving her to lay about with the other women of the Sultans harem. They were cruel at first, thinking she had wanted to become his number one wife, thinking she had wanted to give birth to his son. They soon found out how wrong they were and some had even become her friends, teaching her their languages. The Sultan had all manner of women in his harem, French, English, Spanish, Italian, African; every origin possible seemed to reside within his harem. She learned many languages while she was there.

The Sultan was on his way to the America's, she was never given the reason. But since she could speak many different languages she was among the women chosen for his venture. Three others accompanied her, Rakasha, from India, Manata, from Africa, and Gabriella, from France. They were all fairly close, so for the months that they were on board the Mermaid the four of them would lay around their cabin and talk. Every night a different one of them was chosen to "grace" the Sultan's bed, and every time Saihrena returned from his bed she would embrace the three other girls and sob herself to sleep. They all understood, Rakasha would often times do the same. The other two were used to his treatment, having been his "wives" for many years. Manata even had two daughters by him.

"What are you thinking of?" Rakasha asked her in Indian, coming and sitting close by her.

"A lot of things really, mostly my first month with the Sultan," Saihrena said, smiling sadly.

"The first month is always the worst," Manata piped up in her native language. They did that a lot, they could all speak each other's language, so they would talk to each other in their own tongue, often times slipping back and forth between languages just for fun.

"I remember mine, I warmed his bed every night, much like you did Saihrena, until he thankfully became bored with me and left me be," Gabriella said. Time passed quickly that day, and before she knew it Saihrena was being called into the Sultan's bed. She quickly hugged her friends before making the short journey down the hallway of the large ship to what would normally be the Captain's quarters. Since it was the largest cabin on the ship the Sultan had demanded that it be his, and the Captain being in his employ had readily agreed that he should take it. She trudged up the last few feet, and silently entered his cabin after a brief knock. The Sultan smiled as she entered and bade her sit on the large bed.

"My dear Saihrena," he said jovially, coming and sitting next to her.

"My Lord," she whispered. He wasted no time after that, and began ripping her clothes from her body. She laid down on the bed and smiled up at him, having learned after her first week with him that if she complied and pretended to like it he would be done much sooner, and she would acquire less injury. He liked to cause pain to his wives, not all the time, but enough of it. She tried to free herself from her current state of mind, tried to project herself to a different place. It was then that she heard it, the sound of cannon fire. A loud BANG rang out and she could hear wood splintering. The Sultan sat up and yelled unintelligibly. A sailor came into the room, and Siahrena quickly covered herself with the sheet on the bed.

"What is happening?" The Sultan demanded to know.

"My Lord, we are being attacked by a black ship; we couldn't even see it in the darkness. Lock yourself in here, and grab a weapon my Lord, we are being boarded," the sailor cried, and ran from the room. The Sultan immediately stood and locked the door. He then clothed himself in one of his rich robes and wrapped his sword belt around his torso. She watched wide eyed from the bed as he did this. He had completely forgotten her existence as yelling and screams came from outside. Her mind flew to her friends, were they okay? What had happened? After what seemed like an eternity the deck grew eerily quiet. A loud knock sounded on the door.

"It's over, ye can unlock the door now," an unfamiliar voice yelled through the door, something didn't seem right to Saihrena, but before she could call out a warning the Sultan had indeed unlocked the door. It burst open, knocking him on the ground, and in the blink of an eye a sword was at his throat.

"How dare you, do you have any idea who I am?" The Sultan growled in accented English.

"I dun' really care mate, all's I care about is gettin me booty, savvy?" The man holding the sword growled back.

"I'll have your head for this," the Sultans voice was low and dangerous, and she knew if he lived he would take it out on her. A scared squeak passed her lips, drawing the man's attention.

"Well, whado we 'ave 'ere?" He asked, obviously noticing the only thing she was wearing was a thin sheet.

"Please don't hurt me," Saihrena whispered.

"No need te be frightened luv, I would neva 'urt a lady," the man smirked, looking her up and down. The Sultan, seeing that the man's attention was focused elsewhere quickly scooted back and rolled away. He stood up to face the man and pulled his sword from its sheath.

"Now you will pay pirate," the Sultan yelled, and charged. Saihrena's eyes were focused completely on the pirate before her, she had never seen a pirate before but had heard many stories. The pirate smirked as the Sultan charged, and stepped aside, the fight was over in a matter of seconds as the Sultan was skewered on the pirates' blade. The pirate had caught him in the side and the Sultan fell down on the floor. Blood was everywhere.

"Well, now that that's over with, me name's Cap'n Jack Sparrow, at yer service luv," the pirate said, his hands dancing in the air as he spoke.

"I-I'm Saihrena," she whispered, watching him closely. The light in the cabin wasn't that great, she could barely see him. She saw long, dark hair with shinning things that reflected off the little candle light. When he smiled his mouth seemed to shimmer too. She could barely make out his face in the darkened room, he looked quite handsome. His words from a few minutes before came back, "I would neva 'urt a lady." Her decision was made in an instant.

"Please, take me with you, my brothers are looking for me and if nothing else you could ransom me to them," she whispered, standing from the bed and wrapping the sheet around her tighter.

"Why would yer, o I see," the pirate, Jack Sparrow, said, bringing a finger up to scratch his head as if he were thinking hard. "Are there anymore lass's such as yerself?" He asked, and she nodded slightly. "Per'aps this lil raid will prove more profitable than I thought," he mumbled. "A'right lass, we 'ave an accord." He reached his hand out, and she tentatively took it, before she could shake it however he pulled her close to him and threw her over his shoulder, making her screech.

"Search the ship for otha ladies my good men, but dun' touch em, bring em te the Pearl," Jack called as he carried her from the cabin. She continued to screech as he walked casually over a plank that had been set up between the two ships. Saihrena screamed louder as she looked down and saw only water and a flimsy board beneath her.

"Let me down this instant," she cried when they had finally reached the black ship that he had called the Pearl.

"Do stop the screamin luv, it's 'urtin me ears," Jack mumbled as he carried her to another cabin, apparently another Captain's cabin. When they reached it he set her down and took a step back, as if expecting her to slap him, which she quickly complied with. A loud smack rang out as her hand collided with his cheek, leaving a bright red welt in its place. "Dun' think I deserved that," he mumbled as he rubbed the offending cheek.

"You most certainly did, you could have at least let me get dressed, and I can walk. I don't like to be carried Mr. Sparrow," she raged.

"Cap'n darlin, Cap'n Sparrow." She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what was to happen next. She didn't have to wait long as two girls were brought screaming into his cabin. It was Rakasha and Gabriella.

"Wheres Manata?" Saihrena whispered, looking behind them. Gabriella's eyes were filled with tears as she shook her head.

"When the cannonballs hit one hit our cabin, Manata was killed instantly," Rakasha said in Indian, making Jack narrow his eyes, obviously not understanding a word she said. To annoy him she switched to Indian as well.

"Are you two alright?" She asked, earning a glare from Jack. Gabriella taking the hint spoke another language as well, this time Turkish.

"Yes, I got a little scratched up from some splinters, and Rakasha may have a broken ankle, but we will survive."

"Can I see your ankle Rakasha?" Saihrena asked in Turkish, stepping towards the girl still being held in a pirates arm.

"That's bloody enough," Sparrow yelled, "speak English, I know ye can." Smirking at him Saihrena moved to Rakasha and checked her ankle. After a pause she cried out in pain, and Saihrena could feel the bone out of place.

"You're right, it is broken," she said in French, just to piss Jack off a little more. His eyes turned delighted though, apparently he could speak French.

"Put 'er on the bed Johnny, that ankle 'as te be set," Jack said, smirking at Saihrena. The man holding Rakasha nodded and laid her down on the bed, the man holding Gabriella followed his lead and set her down on the floor. "This'll 'urt luv, best get some rum in ye so ye dun' feel it as much," Jack told Rakasha, and handed her a bottle of rum that was lying on the floor.

An hour later Rakasha's ankle had been set and she was sleeping peacefully in the Captain's bed, Saihrena, Gabriella, and Jack were sitting on the floor talking quietly.

"So who xactly are ye luv?" Jack asked Saihrena, taking a gulp of rum.

"Well my full name is Saihrena Alandra Senire', and I am the Princess of Spain," she whispered, making him choke on the rum he had earlier imbibed. (A.N. I don't know the names of the real royal family of Spain at this time, so just smile and nod)

"Yer royalty?" He asked. She nodded slightly, yawning. Jack had given her a pair of pants, a white shirt, and a belt earlier, after she had whined about being naked. He had seemed rather reluctant to allow her to dress, but had obviously gotten sick of her whining.

"I didn't know that, why did you never tell me?" Gabriella asked in French, reverting back unconsciously.

"I wanted to forget about it, I didn't want to remember a life I would never have again," she whispered back in French.

"So, te Spain then?" Jack asked.

"Yes, to Spain," Saihrena whispered, nodding her head for emphasis.

"Well I'll let ye three 'ave me cabin fer tonight, I best be takin control o me ship before the crew get ideas," Jack murmured and left. Gabriella huddled close to Saihrena on the floor and began to cry. They had lost a dear friend, they had lost everything they had known for so long.

"But we're free, and heading home," Saihrena said, soothing her friend. Gabriella nodded her head, and fell asleep. Saihrena Stayed awake, trying not to dance from elation. She was going home.