Lillian's Mercy: King slayer

Chapter 2

I was startled from my deep slumber by a loud thumping noise followed by a cracking sound.

I knew I needed to escape this wooden prison but a deep commanding voice had me frozen to the spot as it shouted orders.

"Check this one." The voice ordered as a thump resounded off the top of the barrel.

My blood froze in my veins as someone began to pry the sealed top off, loud gasps resonated through the room as the top popped off and I sucked in the dank air eager to fill my lungs.

Another set of footsteps approached as I tried to hide my face in fear of this new presence.

"May this be a stow-away?" One man asked in a deep gruff voice.

"No, a stow-away does not bind herself and certainly cannot seal themselves into one of these." The commanding voice spoke with certainty.

Slowly, I raised my head to find a dark haired man looking down at me curiously.

"Miss?" He spoke gently this time, his voice sending a shiver through my body.

I looked around at the men in the room. Their dirty attire and the smell of sweat and rum combined with their odd words and the sway of the floor beneath me told me all I needed to know.

Pirates. I had been kidnapped by pirates. Bloody pirates!

"Miss, are you alright?" He spoke again.

The fear must have been clear in my eyes as I looked up to him, and then back to the men around me.

"Get back to your chores. She is scared, and I don't blame her. Back to your chores, the lot of you!" He turned and ordered the men who in turn left quickly through the only door I could see in the darkness.

As soon as the last man left the strange man held his hand out to me, "Come on then, I promise I don't bite." His smile was warm and kind, "You must be stiff as a board being in there so long."

Cautiously, I reached my arms up, wincing from the pain.

The man noticed and stepped closer. "I'm going to help you climb out, alright? I won't hurt you."

Slowly I nodded. He grabbed my shoulders slowly lifting me enough so that he could scoop me up with one arm under my back and one arm under my legs. I winced and whimpered quietly as my muscles stretched out for the first time.

He sat me down gently on a crate and untied the knot from my gag.

"There." He smiled warmly again and placed his hands on the ropes around my wrist. "I will untie you, but you must not try anything foolish, alright?"

Pirates were sly and untrustworthy, or so I'd been taught, so my uncertainty was reasonable as I slowly nodded my head.

He nodded back and began to untie the impressive knot. "Only my men know how to tie such an impossible knot." He frowned and muttered as he threw the rope to the ground. As he looked up, his eyes roamed my face. When his hand touched my cheek I whimpered causing him to freeze, his eyes widening.

Slowly his hand stroked my cheek. "Its alright, I promise you'll be safe. I will not hurt you, nor will I allow my men to." His voice was filled with concern. "Did someone do this to you?"

I hesitated but nodded anyway, unable to find the courage to use my voice.

"Someone hurt you." He frowned and clenched his fists. "Was it the person who put you here?"

I felt the tears burning at my eyes, and under his deep blue gaze I couldn't hold them back, his concern was too genuine.

So I nodded again.