Hi, everybody! I'm so sorry for the delay- I had family staying with me and was balancing work/life/playing host, so I simply didn't have time to write. I think I can make it up to you though, since I'll be posting this chapter today as well as a second that I've finished already. There's a fair amount of smut in the next few chapters, but try to understand that right now Hook's intentionally using Emma for sex as often as possible, both because it feels good (I mean, obviously) and because that's their arrangement and it's more comfortable for him than dealing with his emotions, etc.

Warnings: consensual oral sex, and references to prostitution and gang rape.

XIII.

The cargo was nearly unloaded, the process going smoothly as usual, when Hook's attention was suddenly drawn to Mr. Smee, who had dropped a crate of ballgowns on the deck and was staring open-mouthed over Hook's shoulder. Looking around, he realized the whole ship had stopped their work, the silence broken only by Ed's grumpy, "Oh for fuck's sake!" Turning around, he saw Emma peeking out the door to the cabins, wearing only his shirt, her long bare legs and cleavage fully on display.

He shook his head, laughing slightly to himself as he walked past Ed and murmured, "I'll talk to her, mate." Escorting her to the cabin, he rubbed his temples as he realized that Ed might have a point: she was probably going to be trouble. Closing the door, he spun her against it, caging her in with his arms."You're a bloody temptress! As much as I love the way you look in nothing but my shirt, you can't walk around the ship like that."

"I would have worn my dress, but someone ripped the laces," she responded cooly, a smirk on her lips.

"And what of the dozen other garments I purchased for you yesterday?"

"How am I supposed to know where they are? It was your shirt or nothing. I figured the shirt was better." She smiled teasingly, and he couldn't help but smile right back.

"Oh, I don't know about that," he mused, "But I do agree that waltzing around my ship naked is probably a bad idea."

She snickered a bit, rolling her eyes at him as she ducked under his arm and handed him a sheet of paper. "So, seriously, I wanted to ask you something. Could you send this letter to my parents? You know, let them know their daughter isn't dead. I'm sure they're worried."

He glared at her. "If you're hoping to get out our agreement..."

"No, no, nothing like that, I swear, but gods only know what they've been told. They're probably panicked..."

"They're royalty," he sneered, tossing the paper on his desk.

"So am I, and they really are good people. They weren't always monarchs, you know. My mother spent years as a bandit on the run, and my father was a simple shepherd long before he was a prince."

His slightly surprised expression made it obvious that he'd heard of "Snow White and her charming Prince David" but knew few of the details. It did explain a lot about Emma, and her less-than-royal demeanor at times.

"Fine. I need to start discussing your ransom anyway, now that I've taken you." He advanced on her suddenly, ignoring the odd flash of -disappointment maybe?- in her eyes as he backed her towards the bed. "And speaking of our arrangement, how are you feeling at the moment?"

"Wait, seriously? Already?"

"That was our deal. You certainly seemed enthusiastic last night."

A blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered how good he'd felt inside her, but something about his predatory attitude made her nervous. He reached under the shirt, hand sliding between her thighs, and she sharply drew in a breath, dropping her eyes. "Not interested? You certainly feel interested. Always so wet for me." He lifted his hook to her chin, pulling her to look up at him. "Don't try to deny it. You loved the way my cock felt last night, didn't you?" Her blush deepened, answering the question before she spoke a word, and he smiled triumphantly as he turned to grab his coat. "Perhaps later I'll remind you just how good it feels."

"Wh- where are you off to?" she asked, arousal still coloring her voice.

"You needn't come with me, love. I'm merely attending to a few minor errands."

"Of course I'm coming. Why would I want to just stay here?" He was more than happy to show her off again, and retrieved her new garments from the hold, watching her don a fitted black dress and lacing it for her when she struggled. "I never realized that I'm not used to dressing myself," she sheepishly admitted as she fixed her hair and he sat down at his desk to read the letter she'd written while he waited.

Mom and Dad,

I'm sorry I couldn't write sooner. I can't imagine what you've heard or how worried you must be. As you may know, Prince Neal betrayed my trust when my ship ran into trouble. Despite that, I assure you that I am doing fine and being treated well. I will write again when I can. Try not to worry too much (you know we always find each other eventually) and give Leo a kiss for me.

Love, always,

Emma

Staring at the beauty plaiting her golden tresses in front of him, he took out a second piece of parchment and began to compose his note regarding payment, but stopped. Why give her back when he was perfectly happy with her remaining just where she was: with him? She was certainly full of pleasant surprises. Considering his options, he decided he'd send her letter, and wait until he was done with her to request some sort of exchange. Pleased with his solution, he smiled to himself as he sealed her letter with a bit of wax and added one more errand to the list.


"Still here, I see? When do you ship out?" An enthusiastic Jefferson greeted them as they entered.

"The day after tomorrow most likely. Need to pick up a new surgeon, master carpenter, and a few more crewmen before we leave."

"And..." He nodded at Emma, "is she going with you too?"

"Ah, yes. Jeff, this is my lovely... companion, Emma."

"Pleased to meet you, your highness," he greeted her with a flourish of a bow. She froze, unsure what to do as the two men laughed.

"I was wondering if you'd heard," Hook chuckled with a shake of his head.

"It is my job to know what's going on in my town. Especially when it involves a princess." He turned to Emma, smiling. "Of course, I also know how important it is to keep this sort of information quiet, so don't think I'll be telling anyone I saw you. These streets would be empty in a week if I couldn't be trusted with clandestine information. Still, she's quite the catch. No wonder you're in such a good mood, Killian."

Shrugging, Hook handed over the letter. "Yeah, well, considering I'm sending this to her family, I need to enjoy her while I can, right?" He saw no need to let her know about his decision regarding ransoming her.

"Indeed. I'll get this to her kingdom. Safe travels, and don't be such a stranger, ok?"


After brief stop at a cart selling pasties, then the grocer's, he began leading Emma towards the red light district of town, stopping at an opulent building labelled "The Amorous Heiress." He gave her a sideways glance, then guided her through the door and into the bustling sitting room of the town's finest brothel. She stiffened beside him, mouth agape as she watched men being serviced right out in the open. "Just stay with me and you'll be fine," he whispered to her, pulling her against him as she attracted several impressed glances.

They found a few of the men, including Mr. Smee, drinking in a corner, gambling at some game involving dice. Pulling Emma to sit in his lap, he motioned for the bosun to approach and slipped Smee a small purse of coins, whispering instructions that clearly made the stout man happy. She watched him return to their game, a pretty brunette plopping into his lap as they continued their game.

"Don't you want to sit with your crew?" She asked, confused, as Hook ordered them two cups of wine.

"Not until I've properly introduced you. Some of them would recognize you from when we took your ship," he explained, deciding to leave out exactly what her state had been when he found her, "but most would not, and they need to understand that you are off-limits from the get-go." He paused for a sip of wine, debating whether to continue. "I gather you've experienced little in the ways of men outside court, so let me explain. A man sees a woman like you, and he thinks of but one thing. I need my crew to know from the moment they clap eyes on you that they will never have you. That you belong to me."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Ok, so what exactly does that mean?"

"Tell me something: how would you have proved your marriage was consummated?"

She eyed him warily. "Um, well, traditionally, a few people stay and," she rolled her eyes, "listen or, occasionally, watch. And, of course, the servants check for bloody sheets and other evidence in the morning." Huffing when he raised his brows in disbelief, she continued. "Royal weddings are matters of immense importance. There's too much at stake to assume all went as planned. If there isn't proof, the marriage can be annulled, treaties and alliances can be broken."

"I'm sure I'll take you on the deck eventually, but I won't tempt them like that just yet." He ignored her slightly horrified expression. "Normally bloody sheets should do it, but perhaps I'll have them listen as well. You do make the most delightful noises in bed," he said with a wink.

"Absolutely not!"

"Firstly, you do realize that on a ship and they'll clearly hear you every time you scream my name, right? And what do you think will happen if I don't keep order on my ship when we're miles out to sea? Do you really want a ship full of desperate, lustful men having you in every possible way, without the smallest concern for you or your pleasure? Tied to a bed or bent over a crate, three of them inside you at once?" He watched her put together the logistics of that, terror flashing in her eyes.

"Oh gods."

"I've shared many a woman with my crew, Emma, but I refuse to let that happen to you. They need to understand that you are my mistress, not just my whore."

The moment was interrupted when an elegant older woman with thick black hair and amused grey eyes drifted over. "Captain! Your men have been making good use of our hospitality. Would you and your enchanting friend like a girl for the night?"

He couldn't help the smirk that settled on his lips as he briefly imagined watching a girl explore Emma's body, the two supple forms tangled intimately as he sank into her. "Very tempting offer- you know me all too well. But I'm perfectly content with this lovely lass."

"Thank you," Emma whispered as the matron left with a knowing smile on her lips. "I wasn't sure what you'd say, after this afternoon." She'd thought she knew what to expect from Captain Hook, but he continuously surprised her, showing her glimpses of the man behind the moniker. She had to remind herself that whatever this odd arrangement between them was, it was purely physical, but sometimes, the way he looked at her, it felt like it could become so much more.

"I'm a man of my word, princess. You're holding up your end of the bargain, so likewise I shall hold up mine. Unless you're disappointed, in which case I'm sure I could call Ms. Josephine back."

She rolled her eyes as she polished off her wine and followed him out of the brothel. "Just when I think you're not a complete asshole."

"Come now, darling. I prefer dashing rapscallion." He paused, reconsidering his choice of words. "Scoundrel?" She shook her head, but he caught the slightest smile on her lips.


He stripped off his clothes once they were in the privacy of his cabin and helped to unlace her dress before pulling it off and stepping close to her, pressing her against his body so she could feel just what he wanted now that he had her alone again. She could feel the heat coming off of him, his body close enough for her to smell the spicy scent that always seemed to cling to his skin. Pushing away the reminder of her ransom, and ignoring the twisting in her gut that accompanied the thought of going back to her tedious old life, she let her desire for him race through her veins, igniting a fire for him in her belly. "Well, I am a little sore still, but maybe you could make me feel better? I seem to recall a promise involving hours was made." She had to work hard to contain her excitement, feeling truly seductive for perhaps the second time in her life. Laying back on the bed, she spread her legs and raised a brow while his jaw dropped.

He never knew what to expect with Emma, but he obviously hadn't been expecting that. When she'd asked to write to her parents earlier in the day, he assumed she wanted away from him, but her strange disappointment at the mention of her ransom and her bold request seemed to indicate just the opposite, and he honestly wasn't sure what to do with that information.

He did know what to do with her, however. Moving swiftly, he buried his face between her creamy thighs, her girlish giggle making his heart skip a beat with how playful and delighted she sounded. Not liking the emotions such a noise inspired (his heart stuttering again as he remembered her snuggling into his arms) he quickly turned those giggles into screams as he worked his mouth over her, reveling in the sound of her crying out as he began furiously devouring her. He lapped insistently, curling his tongue as he flicked it over her clit, her legs jumping and twitching on his shoulders. "Mmmmm that's a good girl. You like my mouth on you, don't you?" He fucked her with his tongue, rubbing her clit with his thumb, then moved to suck the sensitive bundle between his lips, causing her to crash over the edge in mere minutes. He didn't let up, teasing, licking, sucking as wave after wave of pleasure made her back bow off the bed and pleas fall from her lips, though he couldn't tell if she was begging for him to stop or to never stop.

Two more orgasms later, he realized he was thrusting against the bed, and decided to relieve some of the pressure, stroking himself while he knelt above her. He watched her glazed eyes fix on his cock, her tongue darting out to lick her lips as she whimpered, "Oh gods. Why are you stopping?"

"You weren't really expecting me to go without, were you?" He began to shuffle closer, ready to sink into her dripping cunt. She began to spread her legs, but stopped suddenly, pulling back when he glared at her.

"No, wait. Can I...can I use my mouth instead?"

His brows shot up again, and she felt a surge of pride knowing she could catch him off guard. He lay down, urging her to face away from him and crawl down his body to wrap her mouth around his cock while he laid on his back and continued to tease her with his own lips and tongue. Her moans of pleasure seemed to spur him on, and she found herself craving the salty taste of his release, despite any previous claims to the contrary. Gods, his cock was so hard, and his hips were moving in time with her mouth, challenging her to take him deeper. She wished in that moment that she were less sore, her body craving his length deep inside her with a ferocity she'd never expected. She must have gotten even wetter, because she heard him groan a gruff, "Fuck, love, you don't know what it does to me knowing how much you like sucking my cock," against her thigh. "Perhaps I'll just keep going until you pass out?"

She moaned around him in response, pushing her hips closer to his face. His chuckles sent a shiver up her spine. Gods, he was good at this. "Oh, not just yet. Take it deep again, princess, and let me fill your belly first." She opened her throat, letting him slide in until her chin rested against his skin. With a deep groan, he began to move his pelvis faster, adding his fingers and slipping them into her in time with his thrusts. Her frantic humming around his cock as she rutted back onto his fingers made him come, and she swallowed around him as he focused back on her, doubling his efforts as she came for him again.

Two hours later, with a slightly sore jaw and a very satisfied princess dozing happily in his bed, he considered climbing on top of her and fucking her -gods knew she was so wet that it wouldn't hurt her- but he decided to forego another nightly romp just this once when she settled with her cheek against his chest, letting the tickle of his hand running up and down her spine lull her into a deeper sleep. It wasn't as if she was going anywhere anytime soon.