Hey.
Thanks to my three reviewers, sirval (I'm really glad you like it! I promisepromisepromise that it won't be a Mary Sue. I'm very conscious about that.) ; Ellechild (Thanks for being so nice. I haven't been able to review your first story, but I do like Songs to Annoy Jack. I reviewed, did you get it?) And Ogreatrandom (Thanks for reviewing all of my stories! I sent you my novel, did you get it?) So girls, tell your friends about the story!
The princesses were hauled up into the filthy pirate ship. The air was crammed with screams and curses. Zarita thrashed her body around helplessly in her captor's arms. "¡Déjeme ir, usted híbrido! ¿Usted no me conoce es la princesa de España?" She screamed in Spanish.
Mariposa dug her nails deeply into the mans back. "¡Usted hijo que coge de una perra!"
Sparrow turned to face his crew. "Take our royal guests down to the brig." He drawled, staggering over to take the wheel.
There were more screams of protest. "¿El bergantín?" Elena cried as she was frogmarched down the small flight of stairs, following her sisters. All of the women were shoved none-too-gently into one of the cells. The pirates walked off, laughing and jeering to the princesses.
"Well, this is fantastic." Senalda muttered, as she slipped in the inch of water covering the floor.
"Pirate? PIRATES!" Zarita raged. "Does anyone even know who this bastard is?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow."
The five women turned to face the youngest princess. "What?" Zarita spat.
"I've read about him. He's actually very clever. He disappeared under the noses of the East Indian Company's agents, plus he sacked Nassau Port without even using his gun. No one knows how. The maids think that he must be some kind of male-witch –"
"Could you be so kind, Tiegan, and shut up?" Elena interrupted. "Nobody could possibly care about the Indian Company or Nassau Port right now, ok? We are all kind of worried that we are about to be raped."
Tiegan shrugged and pulled herself up to sit on a ledge.
Zarita shook her head in disgust. "Tiegan, Mother really wasted her life giving birth to you." She hissed. "And you're not even grateful."
Tiegan looked up sharply. "I did not kill her, Zarita." She snapped.
"Of course you did. She died in labour, didn't she?"
Without waiting for a reply, Zarita turned her back and began to pound on the bars of their cage. "Let us out! ¡déjenos hacia fuera! Let us out!" She cried, rattling the shafts. Her sisters followed her, screaming out. Tiegan stayed on her ledge though. She heard the stories about pirates. They did not let you out until at least a day or two.
Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω≈Ω
So this is what dying feels like. Tiegan mused, holding her cramping stomach. Zarita and Elena had passed out on the wet floor. The others sat with their backs to the wall, gazing out of bloodshot eyes. Judging from the small amount of light filtering through the grubby little window opposite her, Tiegan guessed it had been three days without food.
"He was home poor that vivie of rations, non habie others rendas nin others furcïones, outside whatever worked, this few seasons, tenie in its affluent cash settlement few pepïones…" Senalda whispered. Tiegan realised what she was doing. She was reciting poetry to keep her mind in good condition. The poem though seemed a mix of both Spanish and English.
Tiegan thought she would give it a try.
"Hear my prayer, O heavenly Father,
Ere I lay me down to sleep;
Bid Thy angels, pure and holy,
Round my bed their vigil… vigil…" She could not remember the words. Tiegan suddenly lost it. She began to cry hysterically, furious at herself for forgetting the words to her favourite poem. It just wasn't fair!
"Round m'bed their vigil keep."
Tiegan's head jerked up. All of her (conscious) sisters sat up as well, eyeing Jack Sparrow as he walked down the stairs. "Pardon?" Tiegan muttered, trying to get her eyes to focus properly on the Pirate captain.
"Your poem. Last word's keep." Sparrow swung the keys slowly around on one finger, leisurely gazing around at his hostages. "Hungry?" He asked suddenly, sneering with a mouthful of gold.
None of the girls had the energy to retaliate. They all just looked up at him pleadingly. Sparrow gave them a bit of a nod, swung open the door and stood back, releasing his prisoners.
The girls all rose unsteadily to their feet. Mariposa pulled Zarita to her feet, and Senalda followed suit with Elena. The princesses trooped up the stairs, dragging their feet behind them. Sparrow led them all into a smoky room. Tiegan looked around herself. It seemed to be the mess hall.
Not waiting for invitation, Tiegan grabbed the nearest bowl and helped herself to some of the over salted meat and dry vegetables. She sat down at one of the filthy tables and began to eat.
The meat tasted as if it had been used for floor coverings, and the vegetables seemed to be completely raw. However, Tiegan felt as though it was the most welcome meal she had ever put on her lips. She ate slowly, savouring each bite. She took a long swig of the rum Sparrow had handed her, pulling a face at the taste but not pausing in her efforts to nourish herself.
Meanwhile, Sparrow watched the Princesses eat. Seeing that Tiegan had finished, he stood and walked over to her, offering his crooked arm to her. "Well, Princess, we'll need ta find ya a nice little place to sleep, won't we?"
Tiegan raised herself treacherously off the seat, her knees wobbling under her. She grasped the captain's arm, trying to regain balance. "Oh, thank you sir. That would be… would be…"
Sparrow frowned as Tiegan fainted, catching her just as her scull made contact with the floor.
The poem recited by Tiegan is called The Child's Hymn, by Charles Dickens. And the poem Senalda said is by Gonzalo De Berceo and is called El Pobre Generso. If you want to find out what the women where yelling about in Spanish, go and translate it:D it's a bit rude.
