Lillian's Mercy: King slayer

Chapter 3

I woke to a bright ray of sunlight on my face, its warmth generating a small contented sigh as I snuggled further into the warm blanket. Shouts drifted through the closed door as I opened my eyes.

For a moment I was startled to find myself in an unfamiliar room, in a bed that wasn't my own, and then I remembered everything.

I had been chased through the streets of my home, and then through the surrounding forest before finally being captured and slapped into submission. I remembered the ugly marred face of my captor as he crammed me roughly into a tight dark barrel.

I shuddered as I remembered the fear I had felt and the struggle of my lungs in need of fresh air. Then I had been rescued by the Captain.

Captain Samuel Lynch.

I turned my head to inspect the other side if the bed. He wasn't there. The shouts above deck told me he had either not yet come to bed, or that I had been asleep longer than I'd intended.

Careful of my still sore muscles, I got up and stretched. Most of my body felt better than the day before, but my neck and legs were still stiff and sore.

Hesitantly I opened the door, peeking my head out. The deck was filled with bustling men and they worked to haul crates and barrels over the side of the ship while others moved them to a neat grouping for inspection.

I spotted Doug as one of the inspectors. I stepped out and closed the door behind me, several men turning to me as I did so.
I averted my gaze and did my best to ignore them as I moved to the safety of Doug's side.

"Mornin' beauty!" He smiled and wrapped me in a warm hug.

"Good morning Doug. How long have I slept?" A small yawn slipped out.

"Through the rest o' yesterday." He looked up to the sun, "It be past noon today already. Do ye feel better?" He asked in a worried tone.

"I feel much better, thank you. Can I help with anything?"

He smiled and shook his head as he motioned to my stained dress. "Not much ye can be doing in such a fancy frock. How 'bout ye head to the galley and look through the old chest in the back? There be plenty o' ladies clothes in there ready fer repurposin' and a needle with some thread. Ye could use the basin to wash yer dress too. Then maybe we can be findin' somethin' fer a fine lass such as yerself to do."

"Thank you Doug. I truly appreciate it."

"It be no trouble to me Lilly. Now off with ye, we can't be havin' the men distracted by such untamed beauty." He smiled warmly and gave me a light shove towards the galley.

As I stepped inside I was grateful to find it empty. I hurried to the chest in the back and began sorting through it.

There were several pairs of black tights and shorter than usual skirts, one pair of small-looking black leather trousers and many white blouses. I grabbed the trousers and slipped them on beneath my dress. They were quite tight, almost like a second pair of skin. I dug a little deeper and found a thick belt with a shiny gold buckle. I lifted my skirts and fastened it to my waist to keep the trousers from falling.

I positioned myself behind a tall stack of crates and undid the binding of my dress, slipping out of it with as much grace as the swaying ship would allow- which wasn't much.

Deeper in the chest I found a black waist corset with golden trimming and ribbons. Hesitantly, I removed my own corset and quickly replaced it with a white blouse.

I slipped the smaller corset over my head and tightened the golden ribbon. In a dark corner I found a broken mirror. Grabbing a lantern I set it down on the floor and took in my new appearance. With my long black heeled boots I truly looked the part. The part of a pirate.