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Amelia put it off until the sun as passed its noon point. Only when she knew Madeline and Lovina would definitely be hungry did she march up to Arthur. He had taken over the wheel a few hours ago, and didn't look away from the horizon as she came to stand beside him.
"I want to bring them lunch," she said bluntly.
Still not looking at her, Arthur sighed. "Then do it, love."
About to protest the name out of habit, Amelia paused when it occurred to her what else he'd said. "Wait, what?" she asked, not sure she'd heard right.
"If you want to see them or bring them food you may do so. There won't be a price anymore."
Amelia frowned, but then quickly retreated before he could change his mind. It didn't make any sense, he'd always been so insistent no matter how she protested. Aside from extreme irritation when she'd initially retaliated he'd done little more than grin lecherously and lightly chide her. Why the sudden change?
The kitchens were deserted, so she had no trouble piling two plates and filling two tankards. She grabbed some hardtack and cheese to put on both, sticking an arm in the half empty apple barrel on her way out. No one questioned her as she made her way below, skirting the dozing pirate on duty at the top of the stairs.
"Hey," she said, carefully kneeling by the iron bars. After lowering her load to the floor, she slid a plate and tankard of water into each cell before sitting back on her heels.
"Why is it these damn pirates are so well fed?" grumbled Lovina, though she took the food with a nod of thanks.
"Arthur rations it, but he just tells me to help myself, so I do. I asked him why he paid so much attention to the food once. He said a well-fed crew is in good condition when you need them and less likely to mutiny."
"Makes sense," muttered the Italian around a mouthful of apple.
Madeline sighed. "She's as bad as you, Amelia. No manners and refuses to stop swearing."
Lovina ignored this, but Amelia grinned. "Great, someone else to piss off the gentlemen. I like it."
"Amelia," protested Madeline, though more from habit than anything else.
"What? It's true and you know it. Artie tries to stick me in a corset, I'm shooting his ass."
Lovina choked on her hardtack. Once she'd cleared her throat she asked, "You two were nobility?"
"No exactly. America doesn't have a nobility, but we're about the equivalent. Mostly because our parents took the winning side in the war, and they were already doing pretty well. You're talking to Amelia and Madeline Jones. Why, didn't Maddy tell you?"
"No. It makes no difference to me, nor our situation."
"So what's your full name?" asked Amelia, cocking her head.
After a brief hesitation, she said, "Lady Lovina Vargas."
"Never heard of you, sorry," said Amelia after a moment of turning that over.
"That's because you ditched every lesson you could," Madeline informed her. "The Vargas family owns a fleet of merchant ships."
"Great, look how much good it does us now," said Amelia, rolling her eyes.
"Tell me about it," agreed Lovina. "I've never met someone who shares my opinion on being a female noble. Equivalent or otherwise."
Amelia made a face. "Maddy was good at it, I never was."
"Because you always skipped lessons to go frolicking in one place or another," Madeline reminded her.
"It's not my fault lessons on who did what and which fork to use when was so damn boring," huffed Amelia.
"I'll admit it was a bit on the slow side-
"It put me to sleep!"
"How many times are we going to go have this argument? It isn't even an argument. I'm not the one who made you do any of that."
Lovina watched the sisters go back and forth, and felt a lump form in her throat. She hadn't seen Feliciana since she'd yelled at her to run for the church. She'd made it, right? She was okay? The pirates hadn't stayed long after that point, but still. If she did make it, at least Lovina had the reluctant comfort that Ludwig would take care of her. Her sister was ditzy, enthusiastic, and sweet hearted to a fault. The German was stoic, logical, and had thus far managed to curb Feliciana's wilder streaks in a manner that didn't hurt her in the process.
She soon found that no amount of reassuring did anything to lessen the lump in the throat or the pain in her chest. Considering how much she complained about her sister, Lovina missed her dearly. And it had only been what, five days? If she was hurting she hated to think of how her emotional twin was holding up. Suddenly she felt sorry for Ludwig.
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Amelia didn't go to Arthur before she brought down dinner, and either he didn't notice or he didn't care. Since she doubted it was the first one, little went on aboard the Green Revenge he wasn't privy to, she decided he'd been serious. Today, at least.
Still, when he came into the cabin that night she kept a wary eye on him. She was perched on the edge of the bed, brushing off her blackened feet. She'd always gone without shoes when she could, so it hadn't been an issue yet, they just looked like she'd walked across coal. She'd had boots at one time, but hadn't been able to grab them the night their ship had been raided.
Amelia pulled her legs up onto the bed, fussing with a blanket while still keeping Arthur in her sightline. He shed hat, weapons, and boots, not seeming to notice her. The hat and it's ostrich feather were placed on the desk, as was his sword belt and all that was on it. The boots were set neatly side by side on the floor.
She had figured out within a day of being his prisoner that Arthur wasn't exactly the biggest or tallest man around. While this could be a point of delicacy for a pirate, he worked actively to counter it. What he lacked in stature he made up with being shrewd and ruthless. The boots he wore had thick soles and heels, giving him an extra inch or so in height. The hat gave him a little bit more.
That said, by the time Arthur tossed his coat over a chair he seemed to have shrunk. Amelia knew that if she stood facing him she'd be eye level with his nose at this point. Considering he went to great lengths to make up for his height every other moment of the day, he didn't seem to care if she was around when he shed the illusion he'd crafted.
Amelia laid the blanket down over herself as he came towards the bed, running a hand through his hair. It went from pressed flat to a mess within a few seconds, not that she noticed. He blew out the last lantern, and she settled herself down, closing her eyes.
They flew open seconds later when an arm snaked around her waist. Yes they'd slept in the same bed, but he'd always given her space before! "What are you doing?" she protested, grabbing at his arm.
"Go to sleep, love," he said tiredly.
Amelia frowned, but gave up on prying herself free. She huffed, but closed her eyes. As soon as she did, it occurred to her actually falling asleep would be a bit difficult. Arthur was lying at her back, inches away from her. She could hear his breathing, feel the faint shift as his chest rose and feel a short distance from her back. The arm around her rested across her stomach, the hand lightly gripping her hip.
How does he expect me to fall asleep like this? she wondered incredulously.
It occurred to her that this might very well be the exchange for not having to kiss him anymore. Still...was it so bad? Besides, it wasn't like she woke up where she fell asleep as it was. It was a tendency she hadn't known existed until she'd ended up in the hands of the pirate, an embarrassing one that was now equally annoying. No matter how far away she was from him when she fell asleep, Amelia always woke up in one of two positions. Either she'd be attached to him in a manner not unlike one of those irritating island monkey's, or Arthur would be in the middle of trying to extract himself as carefully as possible. Usually the fact he'd been trying to avoid waking her didn't register until after she'd jerked away and backpedaled to the opposite side of the bed.
Amelia was still trying to figure out just why she did this when she nodded off.
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The next day, Lovina was jolted from sleep when the door at the top of the stairs was opened. The hinges squeaked horribly, making it impossible to 'sneak' down without the better part of the ship knowing. Groaning, she rolled onto her stomach and sat up. It had taken a while for her to fall asleep last night, and she didn't appreciate being woken up.
Lovina became slightly less irritated when she saw Amelia come down, bearing food and water. Madeline was sitting up in the cell next to her, yawning. Lovina wasn't sure if she should envy the girl or not, being so used to the hard, rolling floor she slept that easily.
"'Morning," said Amelia, setting plates down outside the bars. "How'd you sleep?"
"I slept," said Lovina, helping herself to the food.
Amelia plopped down outside the bars, settling her skirts absently. "So, what was it like on the Delfín Rojo?"
Lovina hesitated, pausing as she chewed a mouthful of cheese. Once she'd swallowed she found herself staring down at the unbitten apple. "It could have been worse. Antonio did for me what Arthur did for you, kept me in his cabin, wouldn't let the crew touch me."
Madeline, who'd given her sister a look at the blunt question, turned to study Lovina. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," she said gently.
"No, it's fine," said Lovina, slowly turning the apple. "He was an irritating bastardo, but...he was kind, kinder than a lot of people I've dealt with." Snorting, she added wryly, "Nobility is hardly worth the name if pirates hold themselves to a higher standard."
"Tell me about it," said Amelia. "Arthur used to be one too, actually. I think it's easier on men than it is on women, but even he didn't enjoy it much. That's why it was so easy to turn traitor."
"Antonio was never a noble, but he was more of a gentleman that any suitor I've ever met. Kept every promise he gave me, too. Was more patient than everyone that's had to deal with bitchy me, even Nonno. Gave me lots of tomatoes."
Deciding no matter how much she stared at the apple it wouldn't change into a tomato, Lovina took a bite. Not bad, but still not a tomato. It made it that much harder to ignore the voice in her head trying to convince her it wasn't just Feliciana she was worrying about, missing.
"Huh. Artie talked about him like a marauding savage," said Amelia thoughtfully.
"The feeling was mutual."
"Do you think he'll come after you?"
Both girls turned to look at Madeline when she posed the quiet question. She blushed a little, but still looked intently at Lovina. The Italian found she was uncomfortable holding that lavender gaze, returning it to the apple. There was a glaring white oval on its red skin now.
"I don't know. He shouldn't. Bastardo will get himself killed if he does. Arthur only left him alive so he could suffer."
"One minute he's being a gentlemen and the next he's being a total bastard," grumbled Amelia. Louder she said, "I'm really sorry it happened like that. He's not always...
"Neither was Antonio."
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That night, Amelia lay down on the far side of the bed as she always did, her back to Arthur as he joined her. Like the night before an arm wrapped around her waist, only this time it pulled her back against him. Amelia didn't even bother wiggling, just sighed and let him do it. As she stared blankly at the darkness, she was surprised when he rested his forehead against her hair.
"If you got the chance, would you run from me, love?"
"Probably," she said honestly.
In a lower voice he asked, "Would you come back?"
Amelia was quite. Finally she said, "I don't know."
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