Trigger warning. Intense.
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To Bell's relief and horror it turns out they will not hike for 3 days but rather they will continue their journey on boat.
Bell wants to ask why they didn't just use the port that was next to them and why they chose to walk for one day just to get to this one but she doesn't say a word. She looks after Richard and she says nothing else to anyone. 1 day in and she still doesn't know what his name is. The blond. The Boss. Whenever they speak to him, they whisper in his ears. Either everything he deals with is top secret or they're trying to hide something from her. Either way, it's not good.
She gets the shock of her life though when she walks into the boat and sees a man. His skin brown, almost black. Bell has never seen one of them wearing clothes this fine and standing without shackles on his hands and legs.
"You've brought a girl" he says. He has an accent. She's never heard it before.
His voice also shocks her, sends a jolt through her. It's deep, as deep as the color of his skin.
He says it like he's uncertain, surprised.
"yes I have" he says "she's a nurse. takes care of Richard"
"you've brought a girl to a boat full of men" he says again "that's asking for trouble. Men in sea are desperate"
he scuffs "you sound like we've been in sea for months, our journey is only two days from here"
"but-"
"enough George" he says, his voice weary and not at all tough "she's essential to his survival"
he grabs his shoulder in an almost loving gesture "let's go to my cabin shall we?"
he looks back "Jared show her where she will be staying and tell the captain to move"
Jared glances at Bell "come on"
Jared and the rest of the men lower richard's cot down at the lower decks, across where all the crew sleep.
Suddenly the dark skinned man appears, George.
"you can have my place" he says and leads her to a small corner, away from the rest of the crew "better than sleeping over there"
"thank you" Bell says quickly
he looks like he doesn't know what to do with those words. He eventually nods.
"I have a question" she says quickly
"just the one?"
"Couple actually but I'll like this one" she says "where are we going?"
He smiles at her and Bell welcomes it, feeling like something lifted off of her. Finally someone she might tolerate.
"we're going to the king's castle" he tells her the name of the city and she gulps
"never been there before?" he asks
"tend to avoid places with those kinds of people"
"what kind of people?"
"rich people"
he nods "I try to avoid them too"
he glances at her wrists and she catches it. She looks at his and sees familiar lines.
they both stand awkwardly. Both knowing the other person was traded as a slave at one point. She wants to defend herself and say she was rescued before she was even sold but she doesn't. Doesn't matter, the marks say everything.
he nods and leaves her. She sits in her little corner and lays her back against the boat. She doesn't even try to think about what has happened to her, she doesn't try to reflect. Wouldn't do her any good at this point.
She sits by Richard later and notices they haven't moved yet. Of course there's no one she can ask. Jared walks over to her "we're heading over town. Do you have all the medical equipment you need?"
Bell checks her supplies "for a two day boat ride?" she asks "yes I'm covered"
he nods "do you need anything?"
"water" she says quickly
he nods "oh right" and heads off.
It's like they forget she's human.
5 minutes later he gives her a water bottle "Here. Try to preserve it" he says "we've traveled light"
"why so light?" she finds herself asking "I'd think the king's guards will have a better boat"
he scuffs " yea right" then he looks at her seriously "you ask too many questions. Might just get you killed"
she closes her mouth and looks down at richard
"how is he?" he asks softly
"alive"
"not for long?"
"I don't know"
"what do you know?" he snaps and walks away, stomping as he goes.
Bell gawks at his outburst. kid.
She hears as heavy footsteps walk on the upper deck and slowly get off the boat. Wow a large number of them left the boat, maybe even all of them. Bell might just have a chance of running away but quite honestly, she doesn't want to risk it.
finding herself finally alone with Richard, she leans closer to him and starts singing the song. He relaxes instantly at her voice.
"sorry didn't do it earlier" she whispers "can't have them see"
after an hour Bell is fed up with waiting. It's been an hour and they still haven't come back yet. She's about to stand to go upstairs when a voice spins her around.
"what's your name?"
Bell recognizes him instantly, it's the man that pressed her against the wall that first day in her small cottage. Dread fills her stomach. She doesn't reply.
"you're not mute. I've heard you speak" he says, an ugly look on his face "so talk to me"
"Bluebell" she says quickly
He laughs. She jumps slightly, rising to her feet.
"Bluebell" he says. Her name sounds like shit coming from him. Suddenly his grin disappears and another look takes over him "There's no one here other than you, me, and comatose over there"
he suddenly approaches her. She moves away from Richard to not step over him when she takes a step back. She tries to act tough, like he isn't scaring her. She watches him as he comes closer.
calm down she tells herself maybe he just wants to talk, don't jump to conclusions.
One hand touches her face. She recoils, moving her head away.
He persists, trying to grab the side of her face until she shoves his hand off.
Suddenly he grabs both her wrists and jams her against the wall. She gasps, shocked by the movement. His face is in her neck.
She strains against him, trying to get him off. She's hysterical, scared out of her mind.
"get..off me" she grits out as she shakes her body and head furiously, trying to release her wrists.
she sees black as the back of his hand slams to the side of her face. She tastes blood in her mouth but she doesn't pass out and instead manages to push him off by raising her leg between them and kicking him off. She runs. Her mind is reeling, telling her it's the wrong direction, the stairs are that way but Bell is only trying to get away from him.
he grabs her arm and lets go as she falls to the ground. She turns to her back instantly and pushes herself away with her hands and feet. He's grabbing her feet, trying to stop her kicking.
she kicks savagely but he's stronger, eventually getting a hold of her ankles and getting on top of her
"get off me!" she cries
"there's no one here so stop..resisting..so much" he's straining against her, trying to stabilise her enough to do whatever he wants.
he grabs her punching fists and pins them to the ground "who do you think you are resisting me?" he spits out "slave"
"no" she cries, screams it.
she screams when he licks her neck, she feels his hand slipping inside her dress. Trying to lift it up. She's sick, she feels like vomiting. This is it, it's happening, it's over.
Feeling his hand sliding up her right leg, her left one shoots up and gams against his groin so hard he screams, instantly his arms going weak. She pushes herself up, out from underneath him. By now his face is where her feet are. He shoots out to grab her but the bottom of her feet slams onto his face so hard she hears something crack. He shouts, grabbing his face, blood between his hand. She gets on her feet and runs past him towards the stairs.
"you piece of shit!" he shouts and she can feel him running after her. She's running up the stairs when he grabs her ankle.
Her body slams on the stairs and her breath gets knocked out of her. She gasps as she feels a cut on her forehead. She blinks to clear the tears.
"come here you whore" he shouts "I'll kill you"
She kicks his grasp on her ankle until he eventually shouts and lets go. She manages to get back on her feet.
She reaches the top and runs out only to slam into someone. She screams.