Disclaimer: You know the drill – I own nada in regards to OUAT.
Warnings: This chapter is going to deal with graphic descriptions of sexual violence against women. Let's just say the `M` rating this fic has is finally going to earn its place. (as always unbeta'd so any mistakes are mine and mine alone).
Rating: M - Mature audiences only. Trust me this chapter strongly warrants the rating.
A/N: First, I would like to say that I do not condone violence against women in any fashion, shape, or form. Please remember that this is fiction, and my work does not describe actual events and its purpose is not to promote violence. I strongly urge any woman that has been a victim of violence of any kind to report it to the local law enforcement agency. Those against violence, but not victims, are always welcome to donate to a non-profit (I won't plug any specific ones here).
Posted: 12/9/13
Part of His World
By: Morgansgurl
The next two days on the ship were easy enough to get through, hell almost bearable even. Ariel would wake up, get dressed with whatever set of clothes the Captain had laid out for her on the desk that morning, often a mixture of various outfits pieced together from the same set of revolving individual clothing items. When the cleaned crème lace corset circled around again she was nearly ecstatic, she had such distaste for the leather corset, the red velvet one wasn't a favorite either, velvet was always itchy to the touch in her opinion. As much as she didn't like admitting it, they had developed a morning routine. The Captain would be up before her already dressed and she would either wake a little bit after or he would wake her, then she would ready herself and they would leave for breakfast together. She would sit in between the Captain and John – the space still too tight for comfort but it was tolerable she supposed. Louie would disdainfully fill her plate or bowl with whatever he had prepared for the morning and stalk away without even a hint of effort at disguising his feelings about her, then they would eat with light chit chat or business about the day that she tried her best to stay out of. It was downright domestic.
However, after breakfast, was when Ariel really considered her day to have finally started. Doc would escort her down to his study, and they would talk about simple insignificant topics on the way there such as the weather or how well she had rested the night before. It was safe conversation she realized, conversation that the other pirates on the ship could hear in passing and tell the Captain without her or Doc raising any suspicion that could lead to trouble for either of them later on. Ariel had no idea what she would do if she didn't have what she had come to consider these little escapes. It was like suspended reality when she was down in the office with Doc – for a little bit while spending the day with him she could pretend she wasn't some captive against her will, she could pretend she wasn't sleeping on a makeshift window sill day bed with a man that had threatened to rape her just feet away, she could pretend that she wasn't plotting her escape every second of the day.
If it hadn't been for Doc's friendship and kindness acting as her reprieve from her stark reality there was no telling what would have happened to her by now. It was easy for her to bite her tongue and quell her anger at everything around her knowing that if she could just make it to the end of breakfast she would have the rest of the day full of peace and learning with someone who was fast becoming like a father to her. It made it simpler to tolerate and brush off the Captains suggestive manner, unpredictable anger, and often harshly sharp comments. She was honestly going to miss her time on the ship that was spent with Doc, she would have fond memories of him and would cherish the knowledge he had graciously took the time to teach her. He was kind to her when it wasn't required of him to be so, and she would always remember that.
A few days didn't seem long enough, in two more days they would be setting anchor off the coast of Delphi and that was where she would make her run for it – somehow, with the help of John like he had promised, she hoped. The assistance of the First Mate would make it notably easier to secure her freedom again. On land she could run, she could hide – she had somewhere to go, unlike this vessel she was trapped on where the only direction to go was into the water, which would lead to eventual if not certain death. Sure she had toyed with the idea of stealing one of the life boats, but without the navigational skills or supplies she would drift with no direction and eventually die. Starvation was only one of the many ways she could go and it would be the kindest, she could have a heat stroke after her delicate skin had burnt to a crisp, be tossed into the current by a raging storm, be picked up by people or creatures worse than these pirates she was already with. That was all after the assumption that she could even lower the damn dingy into the water and get it free of the hoist, before one of the many people on the ship caught her and stopped her, in the first place. If only she could turn one of the boats into a temporary magic carpet and fly away like Genie and Aladdin had done – alas she had no such power and thus her chance at freedom relied on her staying put until they reached land where she had more of an advantage.
When her mind wondered to John Smith she wasn't quite sure what to think, she trusted him – she had to. He was her best chance to get off this ship and truly get away. Then she would find herself torn by the fact that he was not only a pirate as the rest of the others on this ship, but he was also the First Mate and as such the second in command. He might rule with a kinder hand and more compassion, but he was still capable of being just as ruthless as the Captain she was sure, if his tale of burning an entire ship of his comrades was any tell. Even more confusing was when sometimes at breakfast he would brush against her purposefully in some way and her heart would skip a beat, and when she met his gaze over her wine or fork - and her breath would still in her lungs. His smile when she entered the galley on the arm of the Captain was enough to bring a real smile of her own to her lips and make the morning bearable. Ariel wasn't certain she liked these various confused reactions she was having, they were too familiar and she knew that neither of them could go down such a risky road. Any sort of relationship that ventured further than questionable tentative friendship would only lead to misery and pain – especially if she was right about the possessive nature of the Captain coupled with his opinion of her belonging to him.
At night she would take a short bath and be dressed in her green dress which had become her makeshift version of a nightgown before the Captain returned to his room for the night. Ariel made it a point to try and be asleep before he entered, so as to avoid any more unpleasant after day conversations. Generally she would just pretend to be asleep though, listening as he poured himself his generous night cap of rum before readying himself for bed as well. She wondered if he knew she wasn't truly asleep and was just letting her be, or if he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he simply didn't care – she figured maybe as long as she was there where she was supposed to be at night there wasn't much else he demanded of her, for now. Every now and then while listening to him move about the room she wondered what it was he was thinking about or what was troubling him so. Even in the short time around the Captain she had learned that he wasn't a rip roaring drunk, and he drank the most when alone because she doubted her presence counted to him. Then she would remind herself that she hated him and he didn't deserve her sympathy or her curiosity.
With everything she was dealing with she went about her day as best she could.
So being here with Doc, sitting across from him at the desk, a large book open on the picture of the human body as he explained and quizzed her about basic anatomy, was the bright spot in her day she was ever grateful for. The castle had an expansive library, every now and then she would venture inside and select a book to read, but it was usually a fairy tale novel of good versus evil filled with princes and princesses, romance and daring adventure – it was never something practical like what Doc was teaching her now.
There were many times she tried to learn something and master it, such as sword fighting, horse riding, archery, sculpting, architecture, and politics. In the beginning Eric would humor her, finding her curiosity and determination wistfully endearing at first, before he would gently start to chide her about the disposition of a proper lady and proper lady-like activities. In response she would move on to something more socially acceptable such as learning about dancing, painting, sewing, drawing, cooking, or music -for a little while. It wasn't that she disliked "lady-like" activities, but sometimes she would yearn for something more stimulating and challenging, something more adventurous and engaging – something most royal women wouldn't be caught dead learning about much less participating in.
On one occasion when Eric was too busy dealing with matters of state to spend time with her after he had become King, Ariel had found herself purposefully wondering outside the castle garden grounds, taking heed to avoid the guards, into the surrounding forest. Once she was confident that she was free of prying eyes she found the tallest tree she could, hiked up her skirts, and climbed up to the very top. She found a thick sturdy branch near the top overlooking the rest of the forest and sat with either leg on the side of the limb and rested her back against the trunk. She didn't mind her ripped and dirty dress or the few twigs and leaves that had wound tightly into her styled curly hair; she didn't mind the few scratches she had received for her efforts either. Ariel was happy to sit up there amongst nature and just watch for the day, listening to the birds sing without a care in the world and let the breeze play across her skin.
When she had finally snuck back into the castle she had been so excited to tell Eric of her quaint adventure, and just as she reached their chamber door about to push it open with her wonderful story, she paused, her hand just above the door handle. She knew that her lover wouldn't approve, he wouldn't be excited for her, he would give her a patient but condescending smile he often gave her in matters such as this and remind her that such activities were not becoming a Queen, and in fact reckless because she had endangered her life. Instead she had changed and washed in secret, later climbing into bed next to him with a sad smile and some lame excuse about having been working on a painting.
It was those moments that increased with frequency later in their lives as time passed that had her missing the man Eric had used to be more and more. The man that had found her sloppily wrapped up in cloth and rope for a dress and found it appealing. The man that had laughed so genuinely when she had ran a fork through her hair like a brush before patiently explaining her error. The adventurous man that took her out into a secluded lagoon in a small row boat telling her so many stories of his life. The man that kissed her like there was nothing else in the world he would rather be doing. More and more she had come to miss the old Eric that she had fallen madly in love with, and had risked everything in her life to be with. In the very end she had still loved him completely and unquestionably, but he had died a changed man. He had died a true royal King. He had died married to a woman that he loved, but that was never a truly proper royal Queen. When he had died they were still in love, but different people. People that had grown apart instead of grown together.
"Ariel!" Doc yelled a little louder, causing her to jump in her seat. Again she had been caught off guard lost in her many thoughts and wonderings – this time she didn't chide herself for it because while she kept her guard up around the rest of the time down here she could trust and be herself. When he was confident he had her full attention again he continued "You're not even listening are you?" he asked his tone a bit chiding but laced with amusement.
"I'm sorry," she apologized sheepishly, a blush of embarrassment at being caught lost in thought flushing across her cheeks as she brushed a bit of her hair that she had left down today back behind her ear.
"It's quite alright dear," he told her "when I was first learning the names of the bones and the muscles and how they all connected together to work, I too would catch myself having a daydream or two." He explained sympathetically, with a smile on his face and a knowing sparkle in his eye as he pulled his glasses off and cleaned them with the sleeve of his button down before pushing them back on.
"What did you dream about?" she asked suddenly, truly curious.
"Pardon?" he asked, closing the book on the desk after looking over at his hourglass to check the time that had passed thus far.
"When you were daydreaming, what were you dreaming about?" she clarified, knowing perfectly well that he had understood her the first time she had asked if the look on his face was any indication. It was like he was stalling while he decided if he should respond or not to her inquiry.
"As a younger lad I dreamed of becoming a healer like my father," he said with a pregnant pause between his next words "as I got older I dreamed of Bethany constantly." A rueful smile crossed his lips as he clasped his hands together and rested them on the desk in front of him.
"If you don't mind my asking, who was she?" Ariel pressed lightly, scooting her chair closer to the desk and resting her crossed forearms on the worn wood as well – ready to listen.
"She was my wife, well she became my wife." He said, a content sadness entering his eyes as he mentioned it, the smile still present but lessened on his lips as his gaze focused on his folded hands.
"How did you meet her?" Ariel asked, feeling bold and curious but trying not to press to hard. When it was nearing the end of their time together for the day, Doc was more willing to share stories of his past; usually they stuck to the past of his life on the pirate ship. Ariel hadn't been willing to approach the subject of his lost family for fear of trudging up bad memories or upsetting him.
"Bethany, she was a maiden in my village back home." Doc started slowly, the corners of his eyes crinkling into crow's feet as he pondered whether he wanted to continue his story or not. "We had grown up side by side together as children, as we got older my feelings for her started to change – before I could muster the nerve to tell her how I felt and ask her father for her hand she had already been betrothed to another lad in a distant village in exchange of reprieve from his gambling debts." Even now the dulled anger that entered his tone was evident at the admission. "She married him, but a few years later while I was deep into my studies her husband died from a sickness that had taken many lives that year, and she returned home to her mother's house a childless widow."
"How sad for you both." Ariel commented lightly, her hand reaching out across the table and resting on top of Doc's paired hands in a soothing comforting gesture.
"Yes well," Doc swallowed hard for a moment and gave her a soft defeated smile for her sentiments and kind gesture "She was still the most beautiful and caring creature I had ever met, and when she returned to the village I ran into her, at first I was speechless having never expected to see her again. I knew right away what had happened by the way she dressed in all black; I can't say I was upset about it." He said with a light laugh. "We became fast friends again, and after a year when I finished my studies I refused to lose my second chance at happiness with her and asked her father for her hand, you know what he said to me?" he said rhetorically, his eyes narrowing at the memory replayed in his mind. "He told me through his drunken stupor `what kind of man would want sullied goods after another man had already claimed her maidenhood`."
"That's terrible!" Ariel gasped lightly, having a hard time imagining a father could be so cruel about his own daughter. Even her father Triton, even now despite his anger with her and disowning her, she could never imagine to be so horrible a father as to talk so disgustingly of her. She was very aware that he disagreed with her choices and was disappointed in her – but still, she liked to imagine that he missed her and loved her underneath all of his ire. She wasn't so foolish to think they would ever mend the bridge between them that had been burned, in fact she had no desire to ever see her father or her family again, she had long since distanced herself from them. She would never be a true mermaid in her heart, fin or no, now or ever. Yet still, she doubted her father hated her so much to be so cruel. At least that is what she hoped.
"I agree and that's why I punched him square in the jaw and convinced Bethany to run away with me that night and marry me." He explained, a wide smile appearing on his face now. "It was a whirlwind romance in the beginning …she was the most beautiful bride, and an even more beautiful mother later. We created a comfortable life for ourselves after settling in to a strange new village far from our own. I became the town Doctor; she helped teach the children at the schoolhouse. We had a good life set up."
"That sounds, lovely and romantic." Ariel commented, her own smile playing at her lips.
"It was." Doc said softly, the nostalgia clear in his tone. He looked up and caught her gaze "You actually remind me a lot of Bethany and Catalina, I see a lot of Bethany's tender soul and compassion and Catalina's spirited nature and curiosity in you." He explained lightly. "I imagine that if my Catalina had been able to grow up she would have turned into a woman much like you." He added, and she could see his eyes misting over as he clasped one hand over the top of hers and squeezed it tightly.
"Hopefully she would have found herself in better circumstances than I currently find myself." Ariel said ruefully, making attempt at chaste humor to lighten the atmosphere that had thickened around them.
"I would like to believe so." Doc agreed with a nod and light chuckle. Ariel could sense the change in the older man's mood as he sat up a bit straighter and patted her hand a few times before pulling his own away. She could tell the time for story telling was over for now.
"Would you like help closing up for the night?" Ariel asked, standing on queue when Doc did, watching as he stretched out the kinks in his back, the light pops filling the air around them as the older man's bones adjusted with the movements after having been sitting in the same spot for the better part of the day.
"No but thank you, there isn't much to be done anyway," he told her simply "You go ahead…I can take care of what needs to be finished up tonight. I think you have earned an early reprieve today, don't you." He said encouragingly.
"Are you sure? It's no trouble," she asked, furrowing her brow. There was something about his mood she couldn't quite place, it didn't feel directed at her, but there was a sorrow that impregnated the room, feeling thick and heavy around them. "I don't mind helping." She added.
"I am positive my dear," he told her lightly but definitively "I would appreciate being left to my thoughts for a bit if you will." He admitted honestly and Ariel gave him an understanding empathetic smile. His thoughts were still clearly on Bethany and probably Catalina as well. In that moment she dearly wished she could share with him her loss and stories about her son Charles, `if only we were friends under different, safer circumstances` she thought mournfully.
"Certainly." She acquiesced with a soft smile and a nod before turning to leave him to his reflections for the evening.
"I trust you know your way back?" he asked just before she reached the door, a bit of concern lacing his question.
"I am sure I can find my way, don't you worry about me." She said reassuringly, looking over her shoulder at Doc with a confident and tender smile that reached her eyes before she pushed past the door and exited the office into the hall, taking care to shut the door gently behind her and even turn over his closed sign for him. After a few days of making the same journey from the office ward to the Captains Quarters she was sure she knew the path like the back of her hand.
As she made her way down the dimly lit halls she couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like to have met Doc in a different time or place. There was something about his aura that compelled one to trust in him and want to confide in him. Had their meeting of circumstance been altered in time she easily could have told him every secret and tale of her many lifetimes. As it were, she thought regretfully, she didn't want to put the man in a position where he had to choose between her confidentiality and his loyalty to the Captain under whatever understanding they had come to. It was not only easiest, but also best, to keep her secrets to herself – perhaps one day she would find someone that she could share them with freely without fear lingering in her mind.
The intermittent oil lamps hanging along the walls flickered lightly, casting various shadows about the twists and turns of the halls as she made her way back towards the stairs that would take her up a few decks, eventually leading onto the top deck. Ariel kept her pace slow and languid, in no hurry at all to run into the Captain again so soon. A few pirates would pass her now and then and they would glare deeply, looking ready to ask where her escort was before thinking better of it – her response was to smile in passing at them, no matter how fake it felt on her flesh.
A few times curiosity would grip her and she wondered what was behind some of the many closed doors she would go by – along with the thought that maybe she would find something useful to her in some way just beyond the threshold. Each time the snoopy urge reared its head she pushed it down and continued faithfully on her path, Doc had trusted her today to find her way back unattended. He rested his belief in her that she would do as was expected. Ariel wouldn't be able to live with herself if her inquisitive nature unintentionally earned Doc any trouble, especially if that trouble came with a punishment. He trusted her; he proved that while allowing her to leave on her own, no matter the she had nowhere to run that wasn't on the ship, she needed to reaffirm that trust.
Despite her purposefully slow steps, she still ascended to the top deck faster than she would have liked. Taking in a deep breath to steady herself she climbed the last few steps out into the ocean breeze, the sun a large burning orb in the sky ready to set on the horizon soon. If her situation were different, she would have loved being out in the open waters like this surrounded by the beauty, sounds, and smell of the waters around them. It was funny to her, that she considered herself truly home on land with legs but still yearned to be around or near the sea.
She looked up towards the half deck helm, the light wind playing with strands of her loose hair; she expected to see the Captain looking directly at her as he usually was when she ascended from the depths of the ship. This time though, he was turned away with his back to the wheel, in what appeared to be rapt conversation with John Smith and a few other deck hands, one she recognized to be the fat man that had wet himself in fear that she came so close to attacking in the hall of the brig. She tried to recall his name, the Captain had told it to her once in passing before he threatened her, Earnest, Edward, Edgar, she could remember it stated with the letter `e` but couldn't recall the rest. Letting out a soft sight she supposed it wasn't really important, it wasn't like she wanted to be friends with the pirates on this ship – Doc was the only exception. John's friendship was more of a tentative alliance that she didn't truly trust. Lord knows she didn't consider the captain a friend in the least.
Ariel took a brief moment to admire the scenery of the horizon before taking in a deep breath trying to relax before making her way towards the Captain's Quarters where she fully intended to yet again be asleep before the Captain retired for the night. She wondered how long the Captain would allow this to go on before he said or did something about it, she wasn't even sure he minded but it would truly surprise her to find out he didn't. With a grace only a determined royal could have she weaved her way by the many working deck hands, checking to make sure the Captain's back was still turned to her, if she could get away with making it to the room unnoticed by him that would make her day all the better.
The dark haired leather clad Captain must have been incredibly engrossed in whatever conversation he was having, because not once did her turn around and with a great sigh of relief she ducked under the stairs and pushed the door to his room open, shutting it softly and leaning against it for a moment. Ariel was mildly curious what had captured the Captain's attention so, but quickly brushed that desire aside with a tirade of mental beratements – the man didn't deserve her curiosity and in all honesty the less she knew about him and his dealings the better for all involved. `Soon` she thought `we will be landing in Delphi and this will all be a distant memory`. She couldn't wait for that moment, when she could become free of all this.
Pushing off the door she walked over to the large recessed windows, spinning the large globe carelessly as she passed it, she reached for one of the latches to one of the panes and pushed it open a smidge to allow some fresh air into the stuffy quarter. It was easy to relax when she was alone like this, with no one around to watch her or bother her. Picking up her folded green dress from the side of the padded window sill where she had left it on earlier in the morning, she went into the bathroom and quickly changed out of the constricting corset. As per her habit, she neatly folded the clothes the Captain had given her to wear for the day and rested the small pile on the cushioned vanity seat.
She ran her fingers through her wind kissed tresses, gently sorting out the few tangles that had been created throughout the day. Taking a clean rag she dipped it into the washing basin that had been filled and cleaned her face, drawing the damp cotton along her soft skin, removing what little remnants of makeup she had put on and any indiscernible dust or dirt that had settled. When that task was finished she patted down her neck and exposed shoulders, relishing the cool feeling of the cloth on her skin. A bath hadn't been drawn for either her or the Captain for a little over a day now, and it wasn't a luxury she was used to being without, mostly because in the moments she was in the bath, it gave her a little time to enjoy the water surrounding her again. Whenever she sat in the bath it was like her skin was being quenched of a thirst it didn't realize it had craved. With extra care she gently cleansed the stitched up wound that ran from the crook of her neck to the base of her cleavage, Doc had advised her that in a day or two they could remove the black stitches and work on treating the scar tissue – he had been pleased that it was healing so well and hadn't become infected.
When she deemed herself finished she exited the bathroom, feeling calm and relaxed, she made her way back towards the main room intent on pulling out the book Doc had given her from the drawer she had hidden it in and read a little before she tucked in for the night. Mindlessly she pushed open the swinging bathroom door….and then her heart leapt straight up into her throat as fear clutched at her.
"What are you doing!" she snapped in a fearfully demanding tone, her hand resting over her rapidly beating heart that was moments ago content and calm. She had been caught completely by surprise and entirely off guard when she stepped out and suddenly someone that definitely was not the Captain was staring right at her.
"Cap'n ordered to draw up a bath missus," the pirate replied, and sure enough she could see him holding two large buckets of water in either hand. It was the same fat pirate she had noticed up on the helm talking to the Captain but couldn't quite remember his name - the same one that had shot her. Perhaps that had been what the Captain had been doing, dolling out various orders. "If it pleases you?" he asked, lifting one hand so the water sloshed to emphasize his earlier point when she was still standing in his way blocking the entrance to the bath.
"Yes of course," Ariel responded breathlessly, her startled fear mildly subsiding. Her legs felt numb as she moved to step aside and out of his way, her heart still beating quickly in her chest. "You startled me is all." she added, not that the explanation was required.
"I gathered that," the pirate said with a dark chuckle, amusement flashing in his eyes at her reaction before waddling his way into the bathroom with the large buckets. It would take at least a few trips before the bath was full enough to bathe in. Ariel moved to stand next to the Captain's large oak desk, her hip touching up to the edge as she moved one hand to rest on top of the smooth surface, the other draped over her abdomen in an unconsciously protective gesture. She still felt uneasy, and she felt safer standing - she wasn't sure how she knew it but she was positive that the time when the bath had been drawn when she was still asleep the Captain had still been in the room. Right now she was alone and she was weary, actually willing for the Captain or John or anyone else really to enter so that she wouldn't be left alone with the pirate that she actually had an unpleasantly short history with.
Her eyes kept flickering from the bathroom door to the exit door; she worried her bottom lip as she waited, some of the material of her dress becoming fisted in her tightly clenched hand. She could hear the water being poured from one bucket into the porcelain tub form the other side of door, the first soon followed by the second, slowly poured in so it wouldn't slosh over the rim of the tub to the floor – the sound was muffled and yet deafening. The momentary silence that followed after he finished made her even more nervous.
When the obese pirate finally waddled out of the bathroom she had felt a sickness start to pool in the pit of her stomach. Her gut feeling was screaming at her that something was wrong and yet she was trying to chalk it up to nothing but uneasy nerves, resulting from only ever having been alone with the Captain, John, and Doc before as far as pirates go.
"You alright missus?" the pirate asked, eyeing her from head to toe and taking a step toward her. "You still look as frightened as a wet kitten." He added, the hint of a wicked smile pulling at his lips. Ariel felt herself lean unconsciously closer to the desk, the lip of the desk biting into her hip now.
"I'm fine." she lied, swallowing hard, taking in long slow breaths to try and ease the racing of her heart that had started up again. This was ridiculous, she shouldn't be acting like this, if she could suck it up around the bloody Captain of all pirates she could certainly pull off an unbothered calm with this man, but for some reason she couldn't convince her body of the same.
"That so?" He asked smoothly, narrowing his eyes slightly at her as if he were studying her before taking another step closer to her.
"It is." she asserted in a tight tone, her lips pressing into a thin line and her tone daring him to question her honesty again. It was a very "royal" pretentious tone, one she hardly ever had to use but had picked up while listening to the other women and nobles of the castle when they were talking down to a servant. She watched him carefully as he cocked his head to the side in a contemplative manner.
"Whatever you say missus," he said, shrugging his shoulders lazily and turning on turning towards the door. She watched him leave with disbelief, she had been so certain that something wasn't right, and of course her reason instead of her emotions would be correct, she chided herself. She had only been so untrusting because he had startled her so and it had shaken her up a bit.
When he returned he was carrying two more very large buckets of water, he didn't even look at her as he moved towards the bathroom and emptied the buckets. He left the second time without a single look or even a word of exchange uttered between them. The third time he returned she had felt comfortable enough to have moved from her standing position next to the desk to a seated position by the window she had cracked open, trying to allow the fresh air to clear her over-reactive senses. This time when he exited the bathroom and made his way for the exit her voice stopped him for a brief moment.
"What's your name?" she called out from her seated position.
"Eustace." he said, turning around to look at her "Eustace Mullins." he repeated.
"Eustace," she said, letting the name roll off her tongue, now that he had told her she felt silly for having not remembered – it was so clear in her mind now. It was a name that fit him well, with no insult intended. "I am very sorry for what had transpired between us when I was…" she paused for a brief second trying to decide if she should really bring it up or say it "for attacking you." she finished, deciding better to not say `while I was still a mermaid` along with that sentence.
"Long forgotten missus," he told her with a wave of his grubby hand and a shrug of his shoulders. "You weren't the first to attack me n' I reckon you won't be the last neither." he explained, giving her a grin that even from her moderate distance she could tell was missing a few teeth here and there. She returned his grin with a tentative smile of her own, feeling utterly foolish for her reaction to him earlier. He had simply surprised her was all it was, and she had completely overacted when all he appeared to have been doing was waiting for her to exit the bath so he could do as ordered – he probably even knocked and she just hadn't heard it.
He left and returned a fourth time, and she couldn't help but think about how tedious the process of drawing up a bath on a ship with no running water or pluming was. There had been so many wondrous and fascinating advances in some of the worlds she had seen for buildings, none so much yet for ships. Yet the perceived `primitive` nature of this ship was still impressive, the private quarters had a partitioned off bathroom with a tub, that was more than most ships of this era. What Ariel really liked was the fact that the bath had a chamber pot, those were almost unheard of on ships, and the merchant ships that would often come to dock having been stuck with a communal muck you had to travel down to that had to be cleaned out periodically by an unlucky soul. The more common and less appealing way was a waste bucket, or for men simply relieving themselves off the side of the ship. The beauty of a chamber pot was being able to go without having to be near the stink of the communal muck, but the draft coming up the shaft was often unpleasant.
Despite being a captive or any other term for prisoner one so choose to use, she was rather well off and well treated for the moment, if one didn't count the stint of the brig. She had been provided clothes, food, the ability to wash in private, a place to sleep that wasn't the floor (even if it was a makeshift daybed in a recessed window), she hadn't really been tortured, and her "slave-work" was easy, interesting, and something she would have done of free-will anyhow. Ariel attributed her change in treatment and accommodations thus far to the Captain having some sort of personal fascination with her. Often he called her his `pet` as if she were a dog to be trained and owned, and though she detested it much, it did prove that he had some inexplicable affliction in regards to her. It made her rather uncomfortable thinking about it in great detail, as far as she was concerned she wouldn't be on this ship for long anyhow, so why should she care for that mad-mans reasoning's of anything.
Eustace stepped out of the bathroom for the last time, giving her a wide grin "All ready missus, Cap'n told me to tell ya you's is welcome to it." He said with a nod affirming his words and motioning to the bath door with one grubby hand, causing the now empty bucket in his hand to swing.
"Thank you Eustace," she answered with an apologetic smile that she hoped displayed how truly sorry she was for both her actions in the hallway that day as well for her actions and obvious suspicions today.
"Never you worry 'bout thankin' me missus, just following me orders." He told her with a simple shrug.
"Well either way, orders or no, it's much appreciated." Ariel insisted.
"I'll leave ya to it then yeah," Eustace responded, giving her one last grin before turning and making his leave, shutting the door with a soft click behind him.
She felt utterly completely foolish; he had caused her no harm and didn't seem to mean her any. Her cheeks and bosom were flushed with her embarrassment at the memory. She had to remember this wasn't her personal room where she could expect any form of privacy or consideration. This was a pirate ship, and this was the Captain's Quarters – whatever regard he had shown her thus far, since receiving her legs, didn't extend her any right to any expectations.
Letting out a deep sigh she stood and unnecessarily smoothed her skirts, mostly an action done to remove any remnant of sweat residue from her palms. Entering the bathroom she couldn't help but smile a private smile at the sight of seeing the gorgeous four clawed porcelain tub filled, a bowl of rose pedals set on the side table. Honestly the bath was a pleasant surprise she hadn't expected tonight, after having wished for it just earlier it was so nice to get to realize that wish – even if on the Captains orders. Reaching a hand out she stirred the water lazily, she didn't mind the coolness of the temperature, it would be absurd to expect a warmed bath on a ship, the chore was already tedious enough, she couldn't fathom the water being carried up from the galley, where no doubt the only place capable of warming large amounts of water was located, only to haul the heavy buckets up three decks to this room.
Reaching out to the bowl she grabbed a handful of pedals, bringing them up first to her nose to breath in their sweet succulent scent, before readily sprinkling a generous amount over the surface of the water. At just the thought of stepping into the tub she could feel her body and muscles relax again, a calmness entering her soul….
To be suddenly ripped away.
Ariel struggled against the hands and thick arms that had grabbed her roughly from behind. She could feel herself being dragged backwards, her legs kicking as she tried to issue a scream past the fat fingers pressed painfully tight over her mouth. The thick gelatinous gut pressed flush against her back gave her a clue as to exactly whose arms she was entrapped in and a rash of anger flashed behind her eyes alongside the fear.
"I like em' most when they fight back," He whispered into her ear, causing a shiver of disgust to race down her spine. "I had a feelin' you's was a feisty one missus" Eustace mocked, his tone raspy and sinister as he hauled her back forcefully into the main room. The hand that had wrapped around her abdomen now trailed roughly up her side, pulling up some of her dress as it went. A sharp wave of panic and fear consumed her when he grasped one breast in his thick grimy hand over the fabric of her dress and squeezed painfully, twisting the pliable flesh – eliciting another scream that was uselessly trapped in her throat.
Ariel kicked out some more in vain, trying desperately to twist away from his hold. Her hands clawed at him frantically, her inadequate human nails digging into his flesh as she tried to remove his appendages from her person– to her dismay he seemed unbothered by the varied blood pebbled scratches she caused on his skin and no matter what method or how hard she tried he was simply stronger than her…and that was terrifying.
Muffled sounds of desperation came from behind the obese hand covering her mouth, if only she could scream! The more she struggled and fought against his hold the more the bastard seemed to enjoy it, if the growing bulge pressing into her thigh was any indication, all the while chuckling with amusement as the hand holding her against him pushed down the top material of her dress to expose the breast he had been fondling roughly, tugging and pinching her newly exposed nipple, rolling the bud painfully between his fingers.
His touch was absolutely abhorrent and she could feel the painful sting of acid and bile rising in her throat.
Ariel increased her efforts tenfold, her movements feverish as the panic threatened to cloud her mind completely. This couldn't be happening! This shouldn't be happening!
Blood filled her mouth as she bit down on his fleshy hand; the sound of his painfully grunted hiss filled her with hope and triumph, her eyes flashing with her achievement as the taste of copper and iron swelled around her taste buds. He ripped his hand away from her face as if he had been burned, her lips smeared crimson with his blood. He spun her around so fast the surroundings of the room became a blur until she was facing him, making her dizzy and leaving her with a momentary sense of vertigo.
She opened her mouth to finally let out a scream, only to be stopped short with the sharp pain accompanied by the sickening sound of his hand connecting with her face in a backhanded slap so hard it sent her sprawling to the floor. The pain that blossomed and spread through her face was worse than the few times the Captain had backhanded her – she could feel blood trickling down from her nose and it wouldn't surprise her if he had broken it.
"You filthy bitch!" Eustace seethed, standing over her as blood dripped from his fingers onto her, before hauling his foot back and kicking her hard in the ribs, the agony erupting around her ribcage leaving her short of breath. Eustace hauled her up viciously from the floor by a fistful of her hair before she could scramble across the floor away from him. The crack of her bones that had resonated through the room at his kick made him laugh gleefully at the sound. He especially loved it when she let out an agonized filled gasp that hitched in her throat, her eyes misting up so prettily in his opinion.
Again she made to scream, knowing that if only someone outside this room could hear her, then maybe, just maybe she could possibly get some help. Instead all she could manage was a short yelp of pain when he shoved her violently into one of the wooden pillars of the Captain's four poster bed, her hands gripping it tightly to steady herself so she didn't go falling to the floor again. Before she could push herself away, he was behind her and using the weight of his body to pin her to the intricately engraved pillar, some of the detailing biting into her skin and aggravating her ribcage as she struggled to breathe through the compression of her chest.
She couldn't get enough breath in her lungs to attempt another scream, her grunts of `no` and `stop` going unheeded as hysteria started to well up inside of her at the feeling of his fully hardened arousal pressed painfully against her backside. The sick bastard really was enjoying this, delighting in the way her body squirmed against him in her futile attempts to get away, every movement of her struggle sending sparks of pleasurable shocks coursing through his system.
Her human strength was proving pathetic and ineffective. Just as she had feared, she couldn't even defend herself.
Ariel tried to stomp on his feet but her bare ones did nothing to his booted ones and he tusked condescendingly into the side of her neck before placing a few disgusting open mouthed kiss on the side of her neck that left her skin wet with his saliva when he pulled away. Mustering all her pathetic human strength she tossed her head back and head butted him square in the nose, relishing the sound of it breaking at the contact as he stumbled back with a surprised gasp.
Without hesitation she took her shot, bolting for the door, her wail for help finally rushing past her lips and desperately filling the room. She never made it to the door, losing her balance as he pushed her hard, sending her body colliding with the end table, all the items atop it smashing to the floor as she let out a scream at the sharp stings that shot through her. When he tried to pull her back to him she clutched at the table, in response he only yanked her back yarder, finally losing her grip as the end table came crashing forward with her, the drawer and its contents sent sprawling across the floor.
"You struggle so prettily," he crooned through gritted teeth, arousal flashing in his dark dilated eyes. He tossed her body face first onto the Captain's bed and climbed up behind her, straddling her backside as his hands worked at removing his belt.
"Let me go!" she hissed through clenched teeth, looking around the room hysterically for anything to use as a weapon, anything she could get to as she struggled beneath his massive weight. Never in her life had she been so terrified nor felt as helpless as she did right now. Hot tears started streaking down her cheeks, wetting the pelts and furs below her.
"Now why would I do that, we've only just gotten started," he teased darkly, a horrifying promise laced into the meaning of his words, as he shoved her face into the handmade feather down mattress and pelt comforter effectively muffling the distressed scream she let out at the sound of his leather belt sliding out of his pant loops.
Ariel pulled and clawed at the various lavish pelts, furs, sheets and bedding, desperately trying to grab hold of something solid to give herself enough traction to try and pull out from under her assailant's massive weight, but all she managed in doing was bunching the material haphazardly around her on the bed. "Don't touch me!" she spat when she felt his hands roaming up her sides. Wincing when he applied forceful pressure to her injured ribs in retaliation, rewarding him with her strangled gasp as the white hot pain radiated through her body.
"I've had about enough of yer mouth wench!" he growled in irritation, she fought against the feeling of the strap against her lips, trying to turn her head away this way and that, failing and he gagged her with his belt, tightening it painfully around her head, the makeshift gag muffling her cries. The taste of the used disgusting dirty leather caused her to gag and choke, forcing her to try and swallow down some of the bile that had come up or risk suffocating on it, some of the vomit spilled out from around the belt onto her cheeks and the bedding. "That's much better," he snarled.
He hauled her up from the bed, twisting her around and forcing her back down, pushing her body further up on the mattress with the entirety of his own atop her. The fear was clearly reflected in her wide eyes as tears shamelessly stained her cheeks, and he laughed as he wiped some of the bile from her cheeks in the vicious mockery of a lovers touch. What horrified her more was how strong the desire and arousal reflected in his eyes seemed to be as he leered at her abused form helplessly trapped beneath him.
"This won't be over soon," he promised, as he gripped her wrists, forcing them up above her head and pinning them there with one hand. He hadn't seemed at all bothered nor deterred by her pathetic attempts at pushing, punching, and slapping; hell he had seemed to moan in pleasure, like the disgusting pig he was, when she tried pulling his hair and she promptly stopped that effort in its tracks at the revolting sound.
Oh she had been a pretty thing to behold when she had been captured and dragged aboard – even with her fin still attached. Never had Eustace felt so bewitched by anything in his life and he knew that he had to have her as his own. Then the bloody Captain had to go and tell em' all she was his n' his alone, and off limits to the rest of them. At first he had obeyed, feeling frustrated at the order that denied him what he wanted most, but he couldn't disobey the Captain; then he saw her standing there, looking all scared and helpless and he couldn't help it – he had been watching her the last few days and not once had she looked so enticing as she did when he had scared the wits out of her.
He was used to being told no, but it often didn't stop him in the taverns, though this was the first time he had ever disobeyed a direct order from his Captain. He supposed the Captain was lucky he had waited as long as he had, really. How could Hook except them all to stay in line with such a lovely chit so ripe for the plucking on board with them, and rumor was the Captain hadn't even enjoyed the spoils of her capture by bedding the exotic beauty. It was a waste that Eustace could no longer abide; perhaps the Captain would even thank him for breaking in the feisty lass for him, like taming a wild mustang, sometimes they had to be beat before they would let you ride them. He was willing to bet her nearly translucent pale skin would bruise up so beautifully.
It only aroused him more that she had tried to kill him, and now he was going to repay her that kindness. It was even better that she had been turned into a wretched slip of a girl with delectable feminine parts – parts that made claiming her body with his own much much easier. This chit should be grateful, she was going to become the prettiest thing he had ever bedded – it was a right damn honor considering the many women before her. She would be the notch on his bedpost that he boasted most of, with fondness and pride. Shit, in his opinion, she should be downright thankful!
Ariel could feel him pushing up the skirts of her dress as he forcefully settled himself between her legs. She mentally, violently cursed the material for giving up so easily as it bunched under his hand, going higher and higher up over her knee and then thigh. The feeling of his grubby hand roughly moving up her leg had her struggling with renewed fervor and he only laughed at her efforts, causing more tears to roll down her cheeks. He leaned forward and bit one nipple, delighting in her struggles and muffled cries as small crimson beads broke out above her pale flesh. He licked the droplets of blood away from the abused bud, allowing his yellowing tongue to trail along the path her stitched up wound.
Ariel did a lot of things in that moment. She prayed harder than she ever had before to whatever God, Goddess, or Power That Be that would listen to her silent pleas. She cursed the fact that she hadn't been provided under garments, making access to the most intimate places of her bodily more easily accessible. She despaired at that fact that she had changed into her dress at all instead of stayed in her corset and pants, which probably wouldn't have stopped him but would have at least made his efforts of rape considerably more difficult. She hated herself for not following the instinct her gut had warned her about. Lastly, she wondered what she had done to deserve this, had she angered the Captain so by ignoring him that he had decided to punish her?
Had the Captain ordered this pirate to touch her and take her at his heed, like so many threats and similar warnings he had made to her before this moment.
The feel and sound of the front laces of his britches opening made her clench her eyes shut tightly, trying her hardest to be anywhere in her mind than in this moment, her body becoming lax against the sheets with the sickening realization of what was about to happen to her.
Eustace grinned down triumphantly at her prone form, finding immense pleasure in the way the fight fled from her soul, he loved it most when they finally gave up their struggles and submitted to him. There was nothing more pleasurable then watching as the fire inside burns out. He lives off the high of domination and power; maybe if he didn't lose himself to the ecstasy of her supple defeated body he wouldn't choke her to death in the midst of his passions. Maybe.
All she could do was wish he would just get on with it then, so that this nightmare would be over as quickly as possible.
Right before she was covered in blood.
Author's Notes
Few things:
1. Sorry for the complete lack of Killian in this chapter. I know a lot of you want more Hook/Ariel scenes and development in their relationship be it positive or negative. Trust me I am itching myself to get to more of that, and I promise it's coming soon - this is after all a Hook/Ariel romance fic. I am purposefully taking the time to develop Doc and John (heck even Eustace) for a very good reason and it will all be clear soon. I can say that there are a few chapters soon of mostly Hook/Ariel interactions planned.
2. You can thank my wonderful, horribly awesome best friend Lis for the cliff hanger in this chapter. I was really torn between writing out the entire scene and leaving it all as one chapter or breaking it up into two. She convinced me to leave you all with a cliffy, so you are welcome to go after her with the flaming pitch forks ;)
3. I am sincerely sorry if this chapter offended anyone. That was not my intention. Unfortunately disgusting horrible events like rape happen in real life all the time (I know, I work at a life/death emergency call center). My writing about it isn't to promote or insinuate that I condone or approve of it. I thought long and hard about including this scene into this fic and decided for plot purposes that I was going to stick with my original plan and include it – even at the risk of losing some of my readers.
4. At the risk of sounding like a broken record – if you can stick through this with me, I promise it will get better for Ariel and a romance will start to blossom between Ariel/Hook.
Playlist: 10 years -Actions and Motives / Birdy – Without a Word / Taylor Swift – Red / MSMR - Bones
Please review and let me know what you think. Love it, hate it – I am open to all reviews.
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