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princess-of-thieves-id · 25 days

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Dinner is over, what more could the night hold...

"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" Diyan sat back after they had finished eating. Most of the meal had been in silence. What wasn't, had been him apologizing to her and trying to get her to relax. Arik was no doubt going to have a lot to say to him later.

"No, but now it is over and I will be returning to my cabin." It wasn't just the Captain that had her wanting to get out of there. What he'd said about Arik’s words still had her heart aching.

"Is there any way I could convince you to have coffee with me and talk for a bit?" He rose and walked over to offer her a hand to help her stand. "Nothing more. Just talk. We got off to a bad start and I upset you this evening. I would like to remedy that."

Inara took his hand to stand then felt herself pulled closer to him. She looked up into his face and saw what she thought to be sincerity. "Noar, what are you hoping to accomplish with all of this?" She gestured to the table. "I've made my feelings clear. "

"Renisa," his hand not joined with hers rose to run his fingers down the side of her face softly, "you have. I won't lie that I'd like to change those feelings." He stepped closer to her, seeing how far she'd let him go.

"And this is what you think it would take to do that? A nice dinner and some seductive looks will make me forget that the man I am starting to care about is not in this room, but up on the bridge?" Inara remembered what Noar had said about Arik not being with a woman like her, and had a feeling she knew why. Noar stole them.

"Yet he didn't protest this dinner." He closed the small space between them. "He didn't declare you his. Didn't tell me not to touch, hold, or kiss. He said nothing of the sort." His fingers caressed her face as his drew nearer.

"In fact he didn't say not to do anything you might enjoy. So what does that say?" He was going to kiss her. As defiant as she seemed, she was going to let him.

"Is that so?" Inara’s heart hurt even if she knew why Arik might have done just as Noar said. She was trying not to get drawn in by those whiskeyed pools of Noar’s but it was hard with the way he was looking at her and the deep and seductive tone of his voice.

"It is, Renisa. He may care about you, but not enough to say anything." His voice deepened. His fingers danced across her skin. Almost there…

The shove away from her and hard slap Inara delivered caught the Captain off guard. "Maybe he was saving his breath. Goddess knows you haven’t listened to me because it's not what you want to hear. You say he hasn't had a woman like me? Maybe because you were too busy seducing them into your bed, or his other best friend, the asshole Prince, was." Her eyes were narrowed and she was trying to control herself, her hands balled to fists as she shook lightly. She was beginning to not believe a word of what Noar said, even if it stung. Something felt off.

"Now wait a minute, Renisa…" He was going to die. Arik would kill him.

"No, you don't get to tell me what to do. Throw me off at the next port if you have to, but I'm not some prize for you to try to win. I’m not a rope for tug-of-war. I've made it clear how I feel about your supposed best friend and you keep trying to seduce me and change my mind. I'm done listening to you. If I didn't know better I'd swear you were the asshole Prince Diyan who I was…" Inara’s anger had gotten the better of her and she'd almost given away who she saw. Arik was going to be upset. Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d just done and she backed up away from him more.

Diyan felt he'd had all the air knocked out of him. He was before her in one step, both her upper arms in his hands. "Who you were, what?" His words came out sharper than he’d intended and his face was closer to hers, needing to know what she was about to say. There was no way that she was going to finish the sentence the way he thought she would.

She huffed, trying to play it off. "That I loathe. I owe you no explanations, Noar." Her eyes narrowed and her voice dripped venom. "The only difference between you and the Prince is at least he has royalty going for him. You don’t, but otherwise your egos are the same size, as is your behavior. I want nothing to do with either of you." She wrenched her arms free from him and all but ran from the room. She knew he didn’t believe her lie. There was no way he didn’t know. Oh by the goddess and all the fates, what had she done!?

Diyan stood there trying to process what just happened. Had he been hosting his fiance this whole time? The more he went back over Arik's words, the more that he became convinced he had; and that now he had made things even worse for everyone.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 2 months

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Not off to the best start...

Diyan checked himself in the mirror one last time and adjusted his three piece suit again before heading out of his cabin. Everything was in order to try and impress Renisa, and maybe earn some forgiveness from her. Then he’d have to figure out how to fix things with Arik. The fact that if things went well with Renisa, it would make them worse with Arik, was on his mind. This was not a rock and hard place he liked being betwixt.

His hand impacted the door to the cabin Renisa and Arik were sharing harder than Diyan had intended, and he was glad she took a minute to answer, so he could take a deep breath and try to relax. Ever since he’d left the bridge, he’d been thinking over the conversation with his best friend, fuck his ONLY friend, and how horrificaly it had gone. He’d just become more tense, but for some reason, he just could not bring himself to cancel the dinner. Every time he considered it, he second guessed himself. Maybe Arik was right about it all.

When the door opened, Inara was once more struck by how tall Diyan was and how broad his shoulders were. He seemed to tower over her. He wasn’t that much taller than Arik, but the difference in the two men’s frames caused the difference in feeling…not to mention their personalities. “Captain Noar, I was beginning to think you might have changed your mind.” She gave him a soft smile and left out the part that she had hoped he HAD changed his mind. It seemed she wasn’t so lucky.

Diyan’s eyes raked down Inara’s body and he wondered if she could tell just how much he appreciated the sight of her in his clothing. He didn’t stop his mind from going places it probably shouldn’t, enjoying those thoughts a bit more than he knew he should, given the situation with Arik that involved them both. Still, he was a man, and there was not a formal relationship between the woman he wanted and his friend…so he was going to shove all that aside for the evening unless forced not to.

“Now, why would I do that to such a lovely woman?” He put on his best charming smile and tried to act a whole lot more relaxed than he felt. He extended his bent arm to her, “are you ready, my lady, to attend dinner?”

For a minute, she looked up at him skeptically, still not sure if she trusted him or not. Yes, she had promised Arik she’d try and relax, so that she wasn’t completely miserable the whole time, but she also knew that Arik was jealous and Noar had ulterior motives. The only part of either of those that gave her any amount of satisfaction was that Arik was jealous. To be jealous, you had to have some kind of feelings towards the other person. Sliding her hand into the crook of his arm, “I am. Remember that you promised that this would be painless, Captain.” While it was said with a smile on her face and not a drop of sarcasm in her voice, the barb was felt. She could tell by the way his eyes had dropped to view her sideways out of the corner as he escorted her down the hall. While he didn’t know it, she had been sitting at Court with her father since she was a small child and part of that was learning how to deliver insults without appearing to.

“I did, and I do plan on upholding that promise, Renisa.” Although he had a feeling she was going to make this painful for him. Diyan gently wrapped his fingers around her hand on his arm, trying to then lift it up to kiss the back the way he had so many times to women as he had at Court. He found, much to his dismay, that she was having none of it. This intrigued him once more as he wondered exactly who this woman was that Arik had with him.

“Is there something wrong, Captain? Your brows seem to be furrowing.” Inara gave him her absolutely best innocent and confused expression, belying the absolute delight she was feeling at thwarting any attempt at flirtation he might try. Had she not known better, she’d swear he was one of those annoying Princes who thought that they just had to smile and do the right actions and she’d swoon. Instead, she wanted to gag.

“Now, what could be wrong, Renisa?” There was no way she could be that clueless, which meant she was frustrating him on purpose. Lovely. Did Arik give her pointers? Or was he that obvious?

“I have no idea, Captain. You just seem…stressed. Weather holding? Arik able to handle the bridge? I do not want to distract you from your obligations after all.” The voice that Inara was using, the one that was just about a seductive purr, was about to nauseate her. They were playing a game, one very like chess. They were going to dance around the board till one of them cornered the other to get them to admit defeat. It was a pity for him that she’d been dancing around that board her entire life and not one male yet had gotten her in a corner. It was the lack of a game completely that she so liked about Arik.

Since he was taller than her, it was less obvious when he narrowed his eyes, more looking like he was just looking down at her. The truth was he knew she was up to something, but wasn’t sure what. That annoyed him. Had Arik asked her to piss him off to get out of dinner sooner? Their terse conversation up on the bridge hadn’t seemed planned, otherwise he might have believed that.

“Maybe you are not the only one nervous, Princess.” He gave her once more a charming smile and ran his fingers lightly over the back of her hand on his arm.

Inara stopped in the middle of the hallway, her face no longer hiding her annoyance as she ripped her hand away. “I’m sorry, did we suddenly become familiar, Captain? Do not assume that a term of affection used by Arik is free for anyone to use regarding me.” She turned to face him, eyes becoming cold and hard as her chin lifted defiantly. She had been dealing with men like this far too much. If they, or at least she, got kicked off the boat for this, then so be it. She’d apologize to Arik later. "You are not the man I choose to share a bed with, nor that I allow to kiss me. Before you think to use any name for me besides the one I have provided, ASK." She was well and truly pissed.

It seemed that Diyan was not going to be able to keep on her good side to even get to dinner, let alone through it. “I’m sorry, Renisa. It was not my intention to offend. I didn’t realize that it was that sensitive of a matter. I’m serious, I wasn’t trying to be an ass or upset you.” He sighed and looked around the hallway. If Arik appeared he’d be icing his jaw.

"Please, Renisa, I know we had a bad start," her snort at that told him he was in for a hard road, "but I am honestly trying to make up for that. I'm not really that good at this.' He couldn’t tell her she was the first woman he'd had to apologize to like this. How could he explain?

"I know that you and Arik are friends, but we are not. You are the man who attacked me when I was bound before you for no reason. Do not assume this dinner makes us good." She kept her chin lifted and her eyes locked on his. Inside she was a bundle of nerves but she couldn't back down now. If only Arik would show up and end this.

"I'm trying to make up for that mistake. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for what happened. That you mean something to my best friend makes it even worse. I really just want a second start." How the hell did Arik get anywhere with this woman? She was harder to crack than granite.

"Then do not assume familiarity. Maybe as a Captain you are used to women falling at your feet, but that is not the type of female that I am. I am also not promiscuous, so know that I am with Arik." She wasn't sure where that came from. They had kissed, yes. He'd admitted he was jealous, yes. They'd even admitted they both felt like they were falling. But that did not equal a relationship of any kind.

"That was not how I had understood things from him," Diyan started but stopped when he realized her expression was as if he'd slapped her. Fuck! Forget breaking his jaw, he was dead when Arik heard.

"What did he say?" There was a wobble just at the end of her sentence as Inara fought to keep emotion and hurt out of her voice. Had Arik really said that there was nothing?

How did he answer this and not end up on the receiving end of a hard punch? "That there was nothing officially between you. He didn't seem to have a problem with this dinner or say there was a line not to cross with you." Diyan stepped in closer, trying to eliminate the distance between them. He itched to take her in his arms.

Had he been putting on a show for her about being jealous and feeling like he was falling for her too, or was the show for Captain Noar about not caring? She honestly wasn't sure what to think, and Noar moving back into her space wasn't helping. Inara’s eyes moved everywhere, not wanting to look at Noar and trying to keep the tears from spilling. "Are you sure there was nothing else?" Could Arik really not care if she was with the Captain? One tear began to track down her cheek.

Diyan closed his eyes. She wasn't going to drop it, and now she was crying

He was fucked. "I was warned not to upset you, which I seem to have failed at." He sighed. If he upset her more or made her doubt Arik, it could get worse for him. "He trusts you to do the right thing, whatever it is."

There it was. The Captain didn't know it but the line about trust was what told her that Arik had been honest but also had tried to make it clear that they were something to one another. Why would he need to trust her if there was nothing?

"I see." She kept her voice a little withdrawn as a couple more tears joined the first one. "Let's get to dinner then." Without another word she turned and started heading down the hall. She could hear Noar start to follow. For some reason Inara’s heart still hurt, making her want this over even faster than before.

*****

"I wasn't heading down that hallway, she was pissed." One of the sailors was saying to another as they came onto the bridge. Arik’s head snapped up and over to look in their direction. What had Diyan done?

"Really? He must have made it worse before Jones saw them, he thought she was going to cry." Arik's teeth began to grind as he fought to pay attention to the sea and his instruments. "Said the Captain was apparently fumbling over his words."

"Who is she? Normally he just fucks them and leaves them in port."

"The female stowaway. He had some fancy dinner made for them. Guess she'll be more than a one night stand. Never known a woman to turn him down." Arik wanted off the damn boat, and to take Inara with him. After his conversation with Diyan earlier and now hearing this, he just wished to help them both disappear where they knew no one. It seemed his friendship might have been one sided.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 2 months

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It's time for the dinner between Diyan and Inara, it seems everyone's nerves are a bit...on edge...

"Well?" Inara turned in a circle in front of Arik once she had gotten dressed, she had a nervous smile that reflected the tone of her voice. She'd showered and pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, then gotten dressed in the shirts she'd been given. It was far from the dresses she’d worn in the palace, but she didn’t think that she looked too bad. That didn’t mean that she didn’t want Arik to tell her she looked nice. His opinion was the one that mattered to her.

"Truth?" He asked from where he was sitting on the bed with his outstretched legs crossed. Instantly her smile disappeared as she nodded, his voice hadn’t sounded positive. "Shouldn’t you worry about what Noar thinks?" His mouth had worked before his brain did, and he instantly closed his eyes and hated himself when the look of hurt was awash over her face. They has already covered everything and he was fucking it up, because he was jealous and hated the entire situation that was taking place.

Clenching his jaw, Arik got off the bed and walked over to her. When her eyes didn't raise to meet his, he was gutted by his own stupidity. He hadn’t meant to hurt her, but he had because he couldn’t contain his own emotions regarding what Diyan was doing. "Inara, the truth is, I'm jealous. You look sexy, and whether you intend for it to be for him or not, it is."

He took her chin between his thumb and two fingers to raise her face to look at him. The unshed tears in her eyes only added to the guilt that he felt. "I said I was jealous earlier, but I'm even more so now that I get to see how you’re going to look for that dinner." He stepped a little closer to her, placing a hand on the small of her back. "My only consolation is you're still mine after dinner. At least I hope I haven't ruined that." His head slowly dropped to bring their lips together ever so softly. Each kiss was savored, each touch relished, he would keep them all fresh in his memory during his time on the bridge. Moreso, he would be looking forward to all of the ones that would take place afterwards, not to mention being able to hold her in his arms for the night.

Inara couldn't help being a little relieved that Arik disliked this as much as she did. The feel of his lips on hers, with that brush of day old stubble he liked to keep, sent chills across her skin. There was just something about the feel of their bodies pressed together, along with his kisses that were always sensual and soft that made her melt. And if he kept kissing her like that, it would help her get through it. "Yes, I'll still be all yours afterwards. He's just borrowing me for a couple hours since it's clear his personality is the reason he's single." Her arms were around his waist and she gazed up at Arik affectionately. How had this man remained single? One look from Arik’s dark eyes and she felt like she wanted to melt into his arms. She’d started to feel that way once she could get a good look at him, in the hold of the ship. Maybe she just had a thing for valiant knights?

It took all of Arik’s strength of composure from serving in the Royal Court for him not to laugh uproariously. Once more he was finding certain parts of the situation hilarious. The reason Diyan was single was because he had been intended to marry Inara, herself. While they'd both run from the wedding to the other, only Diyan was now pursuing Inara. She still wanted nothing to do with him, and it was Diyan’s own fault this time. Diyan would be humiliated and horrified to know the whole situation, which Arik wouldn't do to him, for more than a few reasons. It didn’t mean that Arik couldn’t find the whole situation humorous and ironic secretly. There was also a sense of satisfaction that Inara would once more be in HIS arms at the end of the night.

"If I must share my beautiful Princess, I will make the sacrifice for a short time. Just try to have a good time. He can be a little bit of an ass, but he's not a bad person." Arik kissed the tip of her nose as he pulled her closer. "You're safe with him, even if annoyed." His forehead came to rest against hers as he gazed down into her eyes. She owned him and she didn’t even know it. He doubted even if she did that she would use the power over him. Of all of the Princesses that he’d met while serving alongside Diyan, Inara was definitely an enigma, and that is what drew him so deeply to her. That she looked at him like he was the one that was the Prince and hero only made her more special to him.

A knock came at the door. Time for Arik to go up to the bridge for a while. "See you soon." He kissed her softly, winked, and headed out. He would be counting the minutes till her date with Diyan was over.

***

"Is she ready?" Diyan asked when Arik stepped up on the bridge.

"Yes. And she looks lovely. Be nice, she's nervous." Arik was trying not to grind his teeth. Once more Diyan was going to try to seduce a woman that Arik had realized that he was in love with. It was not the first time Diyan would try and seduce a woman Arik had feelings for, but this time was different. The feelings were different. Inara was different.

"How far will not get me hit?" Diyan asked suddenly, catching Arik off guard.

"Excuse me?" What the actual fuck was Diyan asking and why did he suddenly was to hit him FOR asking? Did he really want to know what he could do with Inara that wouldn’t upset Arik? Seriously? So he DID know Arik cared for Inara and yet was going ahead with this dinner anyway, AND he wanted to know what he could do and not get hit for it. So much for being brothers and best friends it seemed.

"At what point is she going to slap me? And at what point are you going to try to break my jaw?" Diyan’s brows rose as he looked at his old friend. He still had no clue what their relationship was, and he preferred not to have a repeat of the previous interactions. He did however want to seduce the alluring Renisa into his bed for at least the duration of this voyage, and maybe for the foreseeable future. She was beautiful, smart, had a backbone, and could hold her own, these were all things he craved.

"I won't speak for her. However," Arik looked at the floor for a second before his eyes met Diyan’s again with a change in them making him appear much more threatening, "don't make her cry, upset, have to run from you, or slap you and I won't hit you. I trust her. She trusts me. I will know if something happens." There was something dark and sinister about his grin that made Diyan clear his throat once Arik had stopped speaking. He was on the cusp of breaking a cheekbone if not his jaw currently.

That spoke loud and clear. "I intend to avoid all of those." Diyan nodded towards Arik. "You are awfully protective of her, Arik."

"I am." Arik replied evenly. "I care about her, and she about me. She's been through a lot, and I won’t have that added to. I have promised more than once to always keep her safe. The more important she becomes to me, the more that promise means to me. And she is quite impotant."

"But there's nothing officially? You’re not engaged, or otherwise committed?" Diyan wanted to be clear. No intended status, no betrothal, and he already knew no marriage.

"Not yet. Yet." Arik wouldn't pull punches with him. They'd known each other too long. "I assume you will try to change her mind about the possibility of there ever being. As I said, we care deeply about one another, Diyan, and we are progressing. I trust her to do the right thing in regards to our relationship." What he wasn’t going to be able to do much longer was control his temper. Maybe he'd never realized how entitled Diyan was before. Arik couldn't imagine asking the same things of Diyan that he was asking currently, if the roles were reversed.

"It's just dinner. She seems to have made that clear." And Diyan couldn't help but show his annoyance at this. There was a bite to his words, making them clipped and short.

"What the fuck did you expect?" Now there was an edge to Arik's voice, his jaw tightening, and the volume of his words rising slightly; he saw Diyan’s eyes widen from it. "We got on this boat together. There was something starting even then, a binding trust, and we've only grown closer since. Did you expect her to just tell me to fuck off, to be with you? I’m not sure whether that idea is an insult to me or her more. Maybe you should think on it as well. She tried to make it clear last night that she didn’t even want the dinner, but of course you don’t care what anyone else wants, because YOU want her, regardless of whether she’s with me or not. Go to your fucking dinner." Arik’s arms crossed over his chest as he stared at Diyan with a highly irritated look. There was a tick starting in his jar and his molars were grinding.

"Arik…no…that’s not what…" Diyan sighed. He was going to end up with both of them pissed soon. It was coming out wrong or something.

"Really? Have you listened to yourself? I get it, we joked last night about things that we shouldn’t have, but I was NOT serious. I've felt guilty ever since and you're asking now how serious we are and how far you can go with her. What the fuck? I TRUST HER. That is how serious things are." Arik was actually becoming hurt, which in turn pissed him off. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He was really looking forward to Diyan returning to the bridge after this dinner so he could go down and relax, because there would be no doing so till it was over.

"Damn it, I don't know what to say. Maybe it's because she has no interest in me, hell can barely stand me. There's just something pulling me towards her. I was trying to avoid this right here, but I failed." Diyan sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I'm not trying to steal her from you."

"You should go, NOW." Arik was done with the conversation. He was about to lose his temper, which he didn't want to do. Inara already did not want this dinner, Diyan arriving with a black eye wouldn’t help.

"Alright, we'll talk later." Diyan sighed and headed off to get ready.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 4 months

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"So, were you just flirting with me back there in order to annoy Noar?" Trying to figure out what Inara had been doing had been driving Arik insane since she sat directly on his lap; and now he finally had her alone in their cabin again, so he wasn’t wasting time in finding out the truth. Until the thought had occurred to him, he had not realized how much it would bother him if she did. After the night they’d had before, he hoped that she was honestly attracted to him and wanted to be with him; and not just to piss off Diyan.

"What?" Inara turned quickly from where she was hanging up the shirts Noar had given her, her eyes narrowing as her brows drew closer together. Why would he ask that? She had thought they had both felt the same attraction and pull the night before. Had it been only her? When she saw the look on Arik’s face, she threw the hanger and shirts on the bed and crossed the room to him. It was clear to her that she had not been the only one to feel things, but that he was as unsure of everything as she was, and at least she could put his mind at ease. That he was unsure helped her to feel better. "No, Arik, it wasn’t just to piss him off! Did you really think that?" There was a slight look of hurt on her face, and it could also be heard in her voice as her eyes searched his face. He always wore a mask to hide his emotions but there were tells that she had started to notice on their journey to the vessel and now that they were on it.

"I needed to know. I didn’t want to assume and be wrong." He swallowed and his eyes wouldn't quite meet hers now. Clearing his throat, he continued, "As amusing as it was to watch you two trying to one up each other, I was hoping you'd win and there would be no dinner. I wanted you bringing me up, to be because you wanted to be with me, and not just because it made him grind his teeth every time you did." He shrugged and finally met her gaze, obviously somewhat uncomfortable.

"Are you jealous?" Inara’s head tilted and her brows drew together. She took a small step closer to him so that their bodies brushed against one another and her hands gently laid on his chest, where she could feel his thundering heartbeat. "Arik, I was trying to avoid it. You ARE the man I’d rather spend the evening with." He was one of the few men who had never treated her like a Princess, but an equal. The night before he hadn’t laughed at her nightmare, but instead made her feel safe without making her feel less. He had promised to keep her safe, and she definitely did feel that way with him.

"I know. And you looked at me more than once to help get you out of it." He leaned his head forward till their foreheads touched, his breathing deepening as he felt the need to be in contact her becoming like an ache in him.. "I wanted to, gods I did. Especially after how you reacted when I first entered the room." One of his hands gently caressed the side of her face, the other lightly resting on the small of her back. "Noar doesn't give up if he wants something. I knew stepping in would make it worse. That doesn't mean I like it, so yeah," he shrugged with an annoyed look that he had to admit it, "I'm jealous. I’d rather you be wearing my shirt and having dinner with me."

"Arik…" Her eyes softened as she looked at him, his emotions that had been impossible to read earlier now plain before her. He was feeling similar towards her as she was him. "As soon as dinner is over, I'll be with you."

"I'll still be jealous of the bastard the whole time." His lips twitched up into a smirk. "It might make it up to me if we had a repeat of last night, just without the nightmare." Why did he feel so nervous with her? She was confirming she wanted to be with him too. He’s held Princesses in his arms before, hell, he’d even taken a few to his bed. None of the women he’d entertained in the past were like Inara though, not in any way. She was special in so many ways, and it scared him a little.

"I think that can totally be arranged." Inara smiled and tipped her head back so their noses softly ran along one another before her lips brushed his. There was a tingle as they did that made her sigh at the feeling. His body was hardened muscle, honed from training and work, but his touch and his lips were soft. It made her want to melt against him. She had to be losing her mind.

"What's happening between us, Inara?" Arik felt like he could drown in her without a desire for returning to the surface for air of his previous life. She was perfect to him, especially that she was not like any female he’d ever met. Whatever it was, he didn't want it to end. He didn’t want to lose her to Diayn.

"I think that the Princess is falling for her valiant knight." She felt his arm around her tighten, but her eyes never left his dark ones that she was becoming ever more fond of gazing into. Inara knew it. She felt it.

"He promises to catch her." Arik's chest felt tight, like he couldn't breathe, and his voice was low and deep. Inara wasn't the only one falling. "As long as she promises to do the same for him."

Inara’s heart was thundering. The man that a little over forty-eight hours ago was helping her escape from a wedding she didn't want was now the man she did. "Always." It felt surreal, but she knew that fate and destiny had a way of doing that. She'd heard the tales from the seers and oracles to the Royal Court since she was a child of those who were chosen by the gods, but always considered them fairy tales.

For his part Arik was trying not to let doubt defeat him. Living your life in Diyan’s shadow wasn't easy. They were on even footing now and to have Inara still wanting him made her even more precious than she had been before. Slowly he pulled her tighter to him, his fingers getting lost in her hair slightly before his lips found hers and he lost himself in their kiss.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 5 months

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“Arik, I’d like to talk to Renisa alone, please.” Diyan was still watching everything meticulously. It was clear that even if there was not something official between them, that there was SOMETHING between them. For now.

“No.” It was not Arik who answered, but Inara. Her voice was firm and her chin lifted slightly as she continued, “There is nothing you could have to say to me, Captain, that you cannot say in front of Arik.” She reached over and took Arik’s free hand in hers, his other one was resting on her shoulder since his arm was still around her.

Arik’s eyes cut back and forth between Inara and Diyan. Once more he felt something had happened while he had been in the engine room. Now it was clear that it had been something that did not make Inara comfortable, which displeased him. What had Diyan done? “You heard the lady, Noar. Spit it out.” He shrugged with a grin. There was no way he was going to undercut Inara or make her feel like he didn’t support her. It was her trust in him that had gotten her to finally eat, and he still remembered the feeling of her with him in the bed the night before.

“As you wish,” Diyan’s eyebrows went up and it was clear that things had just gotten a little awkward for him. “Renisa, as you can now see that Arik trusts you in my presence, both alone and when he's here.” He gestured to his friend who was narrowing his eyes at him, clearly trying to figure out what he was getting at. “This evening, I would like to invite you to a private dinner in my cabin.” No charming smile, no flirtatious flattery, but there was an HONEST smile given to her.

“And Arik will be?” Inara’s brows went up in question. She felt his hand tighten just a tiny bit on her shoulder and his thumb moving in a comforting manner, reassuring her that it would be okay.

“There are to be storms into the evening and I would like to trust him with my bridge while we dine. Then if you wish to spend the remainder of the evening with him, I will relieve him. Lady’s choice.” Diyan inclined his head to her, noticing that she suddenly seemed unsure how to answer. That was exactly what he wanted. He knew that Arik wasn’t forcing anything, but he was trying to find out the true nature of what was going on. He wanted to make things cloudy and step in. She was obviously refined, add onto that her beauty, and she was more suited to him than Arik.

“A private dinner?” Diyan nodded. “And what am I to wear? I’ve been in the same clothes for 3 days, not quite Captain’s Dinner attire.” Arik coughed next to Inara as he fought not to laugh at her attempts at subterfuge. She was good, but he could tell that Diyan was determined. His thumb swept the back of her hand. He could not step in without looking jealous, but he would reassure her that he backed her.

“Stand up.” Diyan leaned forward just slightly with a mischievous grin.

Inara looked at Arik uncertainly, but all she got back in return was an amused look and a shrug. While he wasn’t thrilled at the idea, her reaction was amusing him no end at the moment. That Diyan was rolling with the punches as well as he was impressed Arik. He’d expected him to have more issues with Inara not just giving in and being hesitant, something Arik still found hilarious. Unfortunately there wasn't much Arik could do to help her.

Finally Inara released her hold on Arik’s hand and stood, placing her hands slightly out to her sides and shrugging. “And this is going to do what? Are you a sorcerer in addition to being a Captain, Noar?”

“No, Renisa, however I am a good bit taller than you.” He winked at her and walked over to one of the tall cabinets against the wall. His own shirts came down mid-thigh on him, and he guessed she was a good eight inches shorter than him. Shirt dress it would be. “And here you go, lovely. Multiple layers even.” He handed her one of his clean tees and a button down shirt. “Put it on, I bet it goes to your knees.”

The grin he wore made Inara’s face go blank. She was running out of excuses not to have dinner with him and Arik wasn’t helping when she handed him the tee and he just had a half smile. Slipping the button down over her current clothes, he was right, it went to her knees. “Okay, you are right. So, a dress.” Her lips thinned as she fought a smile, which turned into a half laugh when he handed her a belt too. “I see, you even have accessories.” Her eyes closed as she sighed.

Arik was finding this highly amusing. He also was looking forward to seeing her in the clothing. Earlier he and Diyan had spoken about sharing clothing since they were only two inches difference in height and had done so in the past. It would make things easier and limit shore trips. Apparently Diyan had run off with a full wardrobe. Bastard.

“Now, you have no excuse for not having dinner. Fancy shoes are not required, my lady.” Diyan’s smug smirk had Arik about laughing and Inara trying not to smile, but becoming resigned to dinner with the Captain.

“Fine. Dinner. No more. And then you can go to the bridge where you belong, and I will spend the evening with my knight, Airk.” As if to underscore the statement, she sat full on Arik’s lap, surprising both of them with her boldness. She was tired of cowering to the Captain, and Arik had been affectionate. If he had a problem with it, she would be surprised, and he didn’t seem to.

“Happy now, Noar?” Arik asked as his arms encircled Inara’s waist. He wasn’t exactly sure what the fuck had just happened to the dynamic of the three of the, but he had Inara on his lap and he was pretty sure she just claimed him in some form. All in all, he was pretty damn happy with this development, if still a little confused.

"For now." Diyan just grinned. "I'll be even happier after dinner." He winked and watched Inara blanch, and Arik rolled his eyes.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 6 months

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It was about the same time that the food arrived that Arik did. No one had told him why he'd been called to Diyan’s cabin,so he was surprised to see Inara there. He noticed that Diyan had tried to make her comfortable, but he also noticed that comfort was only physical. The way she was sitting, her expression, and fluidity of her movements gave the overall impression that she was anything but relaxed. Arik watched very closely, trying to decide if Diyan had actually done something, or if the problem was that Inara had not really gotten over their initial interaction. There was a certain satisfaction in that he was the only one that she seemed to relax around; it made his heart do a funny rhythm that he quite enjoyed.

“Arik,” Inara stood quickly when she saw him, with a relieved smile and just the hint of tears in her eyes. His brow creased as she just about toppled over in the process of moving towards him from getting dizzy. Both men reached for her simultaneously to keep her from falling, but she completely ignored Diyan and almost lunged for Arik's hold. This, once more, left Diyan confused. He could not remember a female he had so alienated as he appeared to have her, granted she WAS the first one he had ever choked in anything other than a consensual manner.

“Renisa, are you okay?” Arik glanced back and forth between Diyan and Inara, more concerned than when he had been called up from the engine room with no explanation. As he assessed the situation, his hand softly ran over her hair to soothe her. Had his friend actually done something to her again? Without thinking, he pulled her in even closer to him and just held her for a moment; feeling his heart race at having seen her unsteady and about to fall. He could feel her hands fisting the back of his shirt and a slight tremble in her whole body, which had him looking askance over at Diyan.

“She hasn’t eaten anything or drank all day. Add to that the sea sickness, and no, she’s not.” Diyan answered for her as he felt the weight of Arik's displeased gaze. “She also was not the most willing of guests, so can you please convince her to eat something or have something to drink with some sugar to settle her stomach?” While she may not have believed him, Arik would be able to see that he was honestly worried about her. Aside from her beauty, she was a female aboard his vessel, and that put her under his protection. If she got ill, he would feel guilty, especially after the way they were introduced.

“My princess, please, you need to eat. I don’t want you getting sick.” Arik tucked her shoulder under one of his arms so he could cup the side of her face with one hand, his eyes scanning her face. “Noar’s right to be worried.” Arik placed a soft kiss on her forehead, noticing how acutely that they were being watched by Diyan. What had been said between them when he was not around? For some reason, he felt uncomfortable not knowing, especially with her reaction to his arrival.

“I will. I didn’t mean to worry you.” Inara placed a soft kiss on Arik’s cheek, causing him to close his eyes and hold her closer. She leaned into him, letting him support her and relishing the feel of his strong arms enveloping her. In them, she felt safe and…something more.

Whatever had gone on while he had been down working in the engine room, Diyan’s normal charms hadn’t worked on her. There was a certain satisfaction Arik found in that. Like Diyan, Arik found her to be refreshing, but while he could not deny her beauty, the longer he spent with her, it was everything about her as a total that he found himself drawn to. He could think of no other woman he knew who would have dared try to escape across a castle roof, at night, with heightened security literally everywhere. Yet, she had and would have accomplished it even without him.

Arik’s head dropped so he could talk low next to her ear. “I told you that if you went with me I’d keep you safe, right?” She nodded. “Keeping you safe means making sure that you do not get ill on this vessel full of mercenaries that I can’t keep an eye on all of. I can only handle one emergency at a time.” He kissed her cheek, keeping his eyes on Diyan, though. For some reason, he could not relax with Diyan around her. “So you need to eat. I promise he’s not going to poison or drug you. You trust me, right?” Again, she nodded, and he could feel her hands tightening on the back of his shirt. She was scared and he was going to do the best he could to reassure her. “Then trust me that you are safe in this cabin and with the Captain, even if I’m not here. You’re especially safe if he’s trying to get you to eat. Okay?”

Diyan watched whatever was going on between them with keen interest. Arik wasn’t talking loud enough for him to hear, but Renisa seemed to be agreeing. They had known each other since they were children, but he could not remember Arik being so gentle with anyone as he was with the woman currently in his arms. If anything, it was the opposite. Who the fuck was this woman?

After they had finished talking, Arik kept one arm around Inara’s waist to guide her over to sit again. The three began to quietly discuss the storm, what port they were heading to next, and subjects of no consequence. Arik put a small plate on Inara’s lap, then he and Diyan took turns putting food on it as well as having some themselves. By the time that the sun had reached the midway point in the sky, the clouds were starting to part, and some color had returned to Inara’s cheeks. She looked a lot better and seemed a lot more relaxed.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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While Arik and Diyan were handling the vessel, Inara was down in the cabin trying to keep her bearings and the water Arik got her down. She had ended up pulling the duvet off of the bed and just laying on it on the floor. Laying flat seemed to be the best option.

The pitching and rolling of the vessel seemed to stretch on forever. Inara could hear the creaking of the steel as it adjusted to the stress from the waves outside the vessel. Never having been on such a boat she could only pray that the sounds she was hearing were nothing to worry about. Since Arik hadn't returned, she was assuming she was safe. It was taking all her trust to stick with that assumption.

Finally the seas did level out and calm. While there was still some wind and rain, the vessel was no longer being tossed as before by large waves. The radar showed the worst of the weather had passed, and the crew began to relax. While they were experienced, you still never underestimated a storm at sea.

Inara had just decided to move back to the bed when there was a knock at the door. Since the door didn't just open afterwards she guessed it wasn't Arik. Walking a little unsteady, she got over and opened it to find Diyan standing outside it , one hand on the door jam, looking down at her.

"Oh, uh, hi, Captain Noar. Arik isn't here. I thought.." Inara felt a little dizzy and gripped the door frame and door for balance. Her breathing deepened as she fought for stability and to not throw up on him.

"Whoa there." Diyan’s strong hands landed on her waist to steady her. He wasn’t sure her eyes were focusing either. "You okay there, Renisa?" He lowered his head so he could look directly in her eyes. "Arik said that you weren't feeling well and I wanted to check on you." Unless he was reading all of the signs wrong, she was most definitely NOT okay.

"Just a little dizzy. I'm fine. I’m not used to being on boats, that’s all." She was lying, but she was intimidated by the large man in front of her. He was taller and broader than Arik, something about the way his longer hair framed his face both made him alluring and dark. She knew his anger but not his triggers. Her mind couldn't focus enough to try to come up with answers and actions that seemed safe. She wanted to run.

One of Diyan’s hands slid behind her to her lower back to further steady her. "Sweetheart, when was the last time you ate?" He was worried, she seemed to be spacing out on him and her eyes were definitely not focussing correctly. Arik was already sore with him over the previous day. He'd prefer not to add to it by something else happening to her.

"Uh…day before yesterday?" She tried to think, but her brain was foggy. With all that had gone on the previous day, they hadn't eaten that she could remember. Her face scrunched up as she tried to think, but all it did was make her head hurt more. When she tried to take one hand off of the door frame to raise it to her head, it just made her sway more and the Captain’s hold on her tighten.

"Okay, you're coming with me. You need food." It was his fault they hadn't eaten the previous day, or at least the evening. Diyan needed to get her something before she passed out and Arik was even more pissed at him. Not to mention that if she got sick because he’d frightened her, any chance for redemption would be out the window. He had wanted away from the life of a Prince, he was certainly getting it.

"I'm fine, Captain Noar. Really, I promise." Inara wanted to go nowhere with him alone, she wasn’t really fond of the idea of going somewhere with him even if Arik was there. While she trusted Arik, and she knew Arik trusted Noar, she did not. "It's just from the storm, the swaying of the boat. Once it dies down, I’ll be fine." She let go of the door and frame to step back into the room but instead ended up stumbling forward into Noar, with his strong arms banding around her to keep her tight against him. Wonderful!

"Renisa, you suck at lying. The boat is barely swaying, it’s you that is." Chuckling, Diyan swept the svelt female up into his arms and turned down the hall towards his cabin. He had to be careful not to hit her feet on the walls due to her long legs. "I promise no repeat of yesterday and I am truly sorry for that. Let me make it up to you. Normally when I have gorgeous women in my cabin, they enjoy it far more." He looked down at her and grinned.

"Oh my God, are you flirting with me? Are you insane?" Inara laughed at the irony of the whole fucked up situation. "Is that why you're really kidnapping me to your cabin? Seduce the sick girl, that is your plan?" She looked up at him incredulously.

"No, I am honestly worried about you after you got sea sick, and you do need food. I won't deny flirting with you though. Any man would be a fool not to, Renisa. Are you going to tell me that Arik hasn't?" Diyan looked down at her with a brow raised as one of his men opened the door for him so he could get into his cabin. "Bring some food for the two of us and locate Arik as well, please." He told the man who nodded before shutting the door behind them.

"Maybe Arik doesn't have to flirt with lines like that, Noar." There was a bit of smugness in her tone, and the look she gave him was definitely cocky. Inara wasn't even totally sure why she wanted to get under his skin so badly, but she did. There was a twinge of guilt about using Arik to do it, but just a tiny bit. It was true that Arik had a way of affecting her without having to resort to overt flirtation.

"Don't lie to me. It is just the two of us now, Renisa, and you are far too beautiful to be with Arik. I’ve known him for years and can guarantee that none of his previous partners looked anything like you. So there is something more going on between you, I’ve known him long enough to tell when he’s hiding something. You can either tell me exactly what it is, or I can figure it out, but I will find out." He sat her down on the couch then knelt before her so their faces were just inches apart. "I know there is nothing formal between you, so don't try to bullshit me there either." Now he wore the cocky grin. "I guarantee if you give me a second chance that you won't regret it." He could smell just the hint of lingering perfume from being so close to her. It was intoxicating and he wanted to sink his fingers into her long, wavy, dark tresses and find out exactly how soft her lips were.

"Is that so?" One brow rose as he nodded with a smirk as an answer to her question. "What if there is something informal between Arik and I? " Her head tipped to the side as she watched his face and waited to see how he would answer. Was there something? She wasn’t sure, but she did know that she felt…something.

"If it is something informal between the two of you," he replied, “then there's still the possibility of you being open for something informal with someone ELSE. So, my statement still stands that if you give me a second chance, I am sure that you will not regret it.” He would win this, he always did. Arik might hate him for it though. He kind of hated himself, sounding like Prince Diyan in his head instead of Captain Noar.

Inara looked at him, he was full of himself, but she did remember that Arik said that he felt bad for the way that their initial meeting had gone. He was definitely handsome, even if he was intimidating when angry and seemed to have an ego just as large as he was. Tanned skin, eyes the color of burnished bronze, a beard that framed his face perfectly, and that hair of his that fell in ringlets around his face. She was sure seducing women had never been a problem for him.

The problem was, even if he was Arik's friend, he wasn't hers. There was just the beginning of something, just the littlest tint of something, developing between her and Arik. She wasn't the type of woman to play games with someone’s feelings, nor was she the type to be in a relationship with more than one man. The Captain's ego also was not one that she wanted to entertain. It was one of the things that she liked about Arik, he was down to earth and while he was a knight and had been sent from another kingdom to protect her, he never reminded her of his station or her own. He just treated her like another person, and he honestly seemed to care about her in a way that few that she encountered in her life did. It didn't seem to be, any longer, just because she was a princess, but rather, because he actually liked her.

The night before Arik could have been very formal and condescending instead of warm and understanding. She had spent the night in his arms, with her head on his chest. His heartbeat had been her lullaby and she had loved every single second of it. She would not exchange that for the smugness that she was getting off of the Captain now. Even if nothing developed between Arik and her other than deep friendship and respect; it was someone that she enjoyed being around. When he had helped her escape the castle, he’d treated her as an equal, few people did that. Most treated her like she was less because they assumed that she was spoiled, but not him. Before she would flirt or entertain ANY kind of further exchange with the Captain, she definitely would want to talk to Arik. She valued his opinion, and she trusted him more than anything.

It did not take Diyan long to realize that his current tactic was not getting him anywhere with the beautiful woman in front of him. He was going to have to talk to Arik and find out what she was really like. She was not reacting to his normal charms or flirtations. In fact, those things seemed to be annoying her at a pretty fast pace, at best she was just ignoring them completely, which was very strange. That strangeness seemed to Intrigue him more than if she had fallen for his flirtations and actually reciprocated them. He was glad that she was not the typical female that he encountered in his life as a prince. The females that he normally encountered reacted to his flirtation, were interested in him for his looks, and for station within the Royal Court; they were also the type of female he had been running from when he ran from his wedding. They were the type of female that the Princess was that he was supposed to marry.

No, Diyan had never met his intended bride, he had never spoken to her, and he knew absolutely nothing about her, but he didn't have to. The princesses were all the same though. They were not like the woman that sat before him, that needed more than just a handsome face and a charming smile to make them happy. He knew that if Arik gave his blessing for him to try to sway Renisa to actually have some kind of relationship, he was actually going to have to work for it. He could tell by the look on her face, the way her eyes were narrowed, and the little eleven lines between her brows, that she was not going to be easy to even get what most people would consider a date with, let alone get consideration for any kind of affection. As Diyan sat there considering this, he tried to think if there was actually ever a time where he had had to earn a date with a woman. He could not recollect in any of his years having to do that. Partly because he was a Prince. Women wanted Princes. Even if they could not stand their personality, all the Prince had to do was smile at the direction of a female, and they would fall at his feet to get his attention. Diyan absolutely loathed that.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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"Let me kick off my shoes and get more comfortable and I have no problem with that at all." He brushed both her cheekbones with his thumbs. "Anything I can do to help." He gave her a soft smile before sliding off of the bed. He didn’t add it, but like he was going to mind having her curled up next to him. He hadn’t planned on staying up much later to begin with.

Once he was down to just his boxers, Arik got between the duvet and the sheet. She was under both. Normally he wouldn’t have cared about keeping separation between them, but he did feel a little guilty after the conversation he’d had with Diyan where they both had insinuated certain situations with her. He had come to like and respect Inara during their escape from Tribaldi, and she didn't deserve to be talked about that way. He had been correct when he’d told him that no matter what either of them had in mind, Inara would do as she pleased though. Of that he was certain.

“Come here, Princess. Your knightly pillow awaits.” Arik teased her once he’d gotten comfortable. “I promise to slay all dragons and nightmares that come calling.” He wasn’t trying to make fun of her, just to hopefully make her smile and lighten her mood just a little bit.

“I’m going to hold you to that, Arik.” Inara rolled her eyes as she curled up next to his side and put her head on his shoulder. “I’ll have to figure out a fitting punishment for a knight that fails at his duty otherwise."

“And what about rewards for those of us who fulfill our promises?” Once she was in place, his arm came around her and his hand lay atop hers that was on his chest, the fingers of his other hand lightly stroking her upper arm. It was strange how natural it felt with her curled up like that. He kissed her forehead gently. Damn, he could get used to this and he silently hoped she wouldn't fall for Diyan the way so many did.

“I’m sure that I can find something appropriate for the valiant and handsome knight who helped me escape the prison of a castle, then saved me first from the pirate captain, and then from the nightmares. If dragons are involved though, well that might take special rewards.” She gave a very soft laugh and tipped her head to gently kiss his neck. He smelled of spice and whatever liquor it had been he’d shared with Noar. It was a deep and rich scent and seemed to fit him. When combined with the sudden closeness she was feeling to him, it caused a warm feeling inside of her.

“Your knight promises never to fail you again, my precious Princess." His cheek pressed against her forehead as his arms tightened around her. His eyes closed and the vision of Diyan choking her appeared on his closed eyelids. It was enough to almost make him enraged all over again. Days spent observing her in the shadow maybe had caused him to have some affection for her.

"You haven't failed me yet, Arik. Not from the roof of the castle to now." She looked at his hand laying over hers, his skin just a few shades darker from being in the sun more, but much larger and bearing the scars that came from his vocation. "I trust you and you make me feel safe, even here." Lifting her fingers, she let his fall between them, their joined hands just somehow feeling right.

There was a full minute and maybe a touch more where Arik was incapable of responding. Her words touched his battered heart that he normally kept closed off with high walls made of sarcasm and condescension. He might enjoy the comfort and company of a woman when the desire struck him but it was never more than physical lust. Not until now. The fact she was the first caused her to be even more special to him.

"I vow to never do anything to jeopardize that, Inara." His voice was calm and quiet, clearly serious. It was a promise to her that he meant to keep, even if that meant keeping his best friend from her. How had they ended up in this position?

****

Several hours after Arik and Inara had drifted off to sleep in one another’s arms, a storm arose on the sea they were traversing in Diyan’s vessel. At first it was just rain, wind, and some lightning that troubled the crew who were awake. But after a while the waves began to grow, causing the vessel to pitch and roll. First Diyan was awakened, ordering them to turn the bow into the waves till he could come fully awake and be on the bridge. This would keep a rogue wave from capsizing them, but they still needed to get a better idea of the storm and its path. Then the movement of the boat awoke Arik and Inara, the latter of whom found herself quite nauseated. She had never been on open water and was not handling it well.

Arik got Inara a water bottle from the galley before heading to the bridge himself to find out from Diyan how bad the situation was. When he stepped foot on the bridge and saw the state of the sea through the large windows, Arik did not need his friend to tell him anything. The bolts of lightning traversing the sky lit the churning sea and showed what a tempest it had become. There seemed to be no discernable break in the clouds indicating a foreseeable end to the storm. The waves were high and although the vessel Diyan had commandeered was not small, Arik could hear the whine of the large engines fighting the sea.

"Where is Renisa?" Diyan asked as he checked sonar and different instruments and gauges. He was surprised she hadn't come up with Arik. Had he really scared her that badly?

"Very seasick at the moment," was Arik's reply as he looked over all the information Diyan had gathered along with him. "Can't say I blame her, my stomach isn't handling this too well either. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have as much experience on a vessel as I do though." The men’s eyes met over the charts and reports for a brief moment.

"Does she need to see our medic for something to help with that? I don't want her to get dehydrated or anything. If you have troops after you, a visit to the hospital would be bad." Diyan looked concerned as he started charting a new course and talking to his First Officer about course corrections. He'd seen full grown men go down from rough seas, and Renisa hadn't eaten or drank the previous evening that he knew.

"I'll check on her in a little bit and see how she's doing. If she's not keeping the water I got for her down, then it might not be a bad idea." Arik’s look was serious. Inara wasn't an overly thin woman, but that didn't mean that she could stand repeated vomiting without side effects.

"That sounds reasonable." Diyan nodded and turned his attention back to the different readouts that were giving him information. "Can you run down to the engine room and see if they can tell you why we have erratic RPMs on main engine number two?" If Arik was going to be on his bridge then he would put him to work. While this wasn’t one of his yachts, the two of them had spent enough summers sailing to know their way around and engine room and a vessel’s bridge.

"Sure. I'll go see what's going on down there. If any other help is needed, I'll give you a call." Arik nodded and headed off.

The problem with the engine was determined and resolved within twenty minutes of him getting down to the engine room. Arik stayed down to help the Chief Engineer while Diyan commanded the bridge of the vessel. They stayed in constant contact and it helped calm the rest of the crew during the rough seas and high waves of the storm. The sea is unforgiving of mistakes and all were glad that she did not claim another life due to negligence.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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@saltysupercomputer @blind-the-winds @late-to-the-fandom @aziz-reads @writingmaidenwarrior @toribookworm22 @jessica-writes22 @outpost51

Arik arrives at the room Inara was taken to...

Arik was led through the belly of the ship to the cabin where they had put Inara. He knocked on the door and when he heard nothing, knocked again. Still there was no answer. Slowly he opened the door and peaked in.

Apparently boredom and exhaustion had won over waiting for him to return. The Princess was passed out on the bed. Her shoes kicked off at the end. She looked so peaceful that it made Arik smile. In other circumstances he might have worried about her safety, but knowing who the Captain was, they would definitely be on the "hands off" list.

As quietly as he could, Arik slipped into the cabin and closed the door. It had an internal deadbolt, which he did throw just to be safe. Then he took off his own shoes and made his way over to the bed. taking his side of the blanket , he wrapped it over Inara to keep her warm. He would be fine without it.

Just as he'd made it snug around her shoulders she came awake and sat bolt upright holding onto his wrist in a death grip that had her nails digging into his skin, she was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide and darting about the room. "Arik?" His name came out almost as just another pant rather than a word and she looked ready to flee the bed and the room if he so much as twitched wrong.

"Hey..hey..Inara, it's just me, Princess. Shhhh…. You're safe. I was just putting the blanket over you." He smiled to try and reassure her, not one hundred percent sure where the panic was coming from. He slid closer to her on the bed. "What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" His hands lightly ghosted over her, not quite sure what to do.

She shook her head. "No, no, just a nightmare I guess." Her eyes dropped to her lap as Inara tried to get a grasp on reality again. "I guess your touch just made it feel real and when I woke up…" her eyes squeezed shut as her head shook again. She had been back in that cabin with Captain Noar all over again, only this time Arik hadn’t been there.

"Shhh..it's okay,” Arik reassured her, now gently pulling her to him and wrapping her in a protective and comforting embrace. "I've got you and you are safe now. God, I'm so sorry about earlier, sweetheart. If I'd been conscious…" he growled, not able to finish. He was still so frustrated over the whole thing. Diyan kind of blowing it off didn’t help. "You're safe with me, my Princess, always." He gently kissed the side of her head.

Inara clung to him as if he was the last tether to life. She knew he had no control over what the Captain had done. "Noar is just an ass." She said softly. "Do you think we…or maybe just I am safe on this boat, Arik? Do you think he'll.."her words were cut off by a hic that turned into a stuttered breath as she still battled with her panic. She didn’t know what to do or where to go if they got off. It was obviously harder for the Tribaldi soldiers to find them if they were hidden on the boat, but she wasn’t sure she was much safer here than with them.

Arik pushed her back slightly from him so he could very gently take her face in both of his hands. "Inara, you are perfectly safe. He's an ass but he does feel bad and wants to try and make it up to you. He won't ever do that again. If he even tries, next time it won't be an option for him to stop before I hurt him. I WILL keep you safe." He kissed her forehead, letting it linger an extra beat. It was a vow he intended to keep no matter what happened from here on out.

He didn't know how a woman he had just been sent to make sure stayed alive and made it to a wedding somehow became so important to him. Maybe it was she didn't fight him, or that she was a quick study, or that they had so quickly learned to work together, or maybe it was something in that moment of seeing a woman he'd come to respect for all those things being utterly terrified and at the mercy of an enraged Diyan. The way she had clung to his back after he'd freed her had done something to him. He'd realized in that moment she truly trusted him to protect her. Even now, he could see *something* in her eyes that called to him like a magnet to iron.

"Arik?" She waited until he was once more looking in her eyes with a raised brow. "Would…would you mind holding me till I fall asleep? That nightmare…" Inara felt like such an idiot and so weak asking, but after everything, she wanted his comfort and to feel safe.

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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Arik arrives at the room Inara was taken to...

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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As soon as the door closed, he turned to Arik. “How fucked are we? Be straight with me. Does she have any clue who I am?”

Things get very interesting once Inara has left the room.

Arik wanted to laugh at the situation, but he couldn’t. Neither of them had a clue what was going on, and he couldn’t tell them. He was stuck plumb in the middle of it. How the fuck…

“No, I don’t think she does. I doubt she’d think a Prince would almost strangle a stranger at first meeting.” Arik sarcastically smirked at Diyan, who apparently also had decided to go by his middle name. “What are YOU doing here?”

“You think I was going to marry some prissy princess that wants waited on hand and foot all the time and have to deal with her temper tantrums. And you know that the ones they have to arrange marriages for are…homely. Fuck that shit! I hijacked my own ship on the way to Tribaldi.” Diyan winked back at Arik. “Used a different name, recruited a crew, and we’ve been pirating for three days.”

“How do you know she’d be prissy or ugly. Maybe she’s just a decent person and drop dead gorgeous.” Arik raised a brow and looked at him. He’d seen the way Diyan had looked at Inara, the way everyone looked at her. Not that he blamed either of them for not wanting an arranged marriage, but he was now finding this amusing in a dark and semi-sadistic way.

“Right. We both know she’s not going to look like your friend, Renisa, and Princesses are always the most annoying person in the room.” Diyan gave him a droll stare. “I haven’t met one that I could stand more than 30 seconds. Trust me, there is no way that I could have even made it through the ceremony.” He chuckled.

“So you would have put her up against the wall by her throat.” Arik was enjoying this far too much. Diyan had no idea what was going on, so he was rolling his eyes with what was said. Had Arik not insinuated the Princess was actually dead, Diyan might have caught the hints Arik was dropping.

“She would deserve it, unlike your friend who did nothing wrong. I will make it up to that beauty, by the way.” Diyan chuckled. “Unless you’re already a “thing”.” There was the question Arik had been waiting for.

“No, but you put us in one room. Are you trying to make us a thing?” Arik finally was able to laugh. It helped him to relax to be able to get it out finally. The more he was talking, the funnier he found the whole situation. Neither Diyan nor Inara had any idea what was going on, and they were going to be dealing with their intended spouse for the foreseeable future. It was hilarious and not simultaneously.

“I can get you your own room. I wasn’t sure. We’ll see how things work out with the beauty then. Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.” Now Diyan just grinned. “Just like old times, Arik.”

“Only this time we’re the ones being chased, not the ones chasing the outlaws.” Arik quipped back.

“Yes, but if we must be chased, at least with a beautiful woman at our side it is not so bad?” Diyan was still grinning. “I take it from the fact you get along with her, that waiting on her hand and foot will not be required.” Now he also laughed.

“Had you not had her by the throat and her hands bound, she might have been the one you had to deal with, brother.” Arik could not believe this was happening. How did he find himself in situations like this, and always with Diyan.

A brow rose as Diyan considered this. “Why is it that you always find the interesting ones, Arik?”

“Because I’m not the asshole prince.” Arik grinned in return. Being a knight did have some advantages to being the prince, not having to worry about who he engaged with was one of those.

“Neither am I anymore, Arik, I am Captain Noar. So maybe that beauty won’t find me such an asshole.” Diyan smirked over at his old friend.

“I think she’s pretty sure you are one after you almost choked her out.” Arik’s lips thinned and he gave Diyan a droll stare. “And, you know, I think we’ll keep that single room. Make things a bit more interesting.” He winked and watched Diyan’s jaw tick. “Should we all three be in one?” Now he just grinned.

“I might share, but I don’t share like that.” Diyan rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Not even for you.”

“Pitty, she’s worth it.” He was enjoying the game now, even if it looked like Diyan was about ready to hit him.

“If she is, then she would slap you for suggesting that.” Diyan chuckled. “Maybe I should just move her to my cabin. Apologize my way. You know I can be charming when I want to be.” He grinned. Arik wasn’t going to be able to argue with him.

“Do as you wish Diyan…I mean Noar. I have a feeling no matter what either of us have in mind, she is going to do as she pleases. Renisa isn’t going to be one swayed by your suave Prince act or my valiant knight one. You are going to have to overcome the jackass pirate captain though, that is ALL ON YOU.” Airk shook his head and closed his eyes, why Diyan had reacted that way, he still wasn’t sure. It had to be obvious that the Princess hadn’t been the one to knock him out. “I think leaving it one room for right now is best. She trusts me. Forget romance, you separate us and she’s going to hate you more.”

“Good point.” Diyan relaxed back into his chair. “I don’t want any more trouble than there has to be. I am glad you showed up though. Sorry it had to be like this. And sorry about the princess.” He suddenly looked like a weight was upon him and sighed heavily.

“It was totally unexpected how it happened. I don’t think anyone anticipated the course of action that was taken. It was so quick and in the middle of the night. By morning there was nothing that could be done.” Arik looked forlorn and downcast, as if there really had been a death and not an escape from the castle that he assisted with.

“Then when I didn’t show up, I’m sure that everyone thought the worst. I really should let my parents know I’m alive, but I just don’t feel like it. Let them think I’m dead too. It’s better that way.” Diyan sighed, hating the weight of the subject. It wasn’t that he didn’t like heavy topics, but this one was about him being a damn Prince and he DID hate that. He hated being constantly reminded that he would be King someday and it would all be on him to take care of an entire kingdom and that he had no choice in anything. Everything in his life had been dictated and line out since his very birth. He wasn't allowed to change a thing and that had been a struggle. He wanted none of it, especially marrying some pampered brat who he'd never met.

"Might be better to leave it alone right now. Let everything settle from the upset regarding the wedding." Arik suggested. Since the Princess had run away, not died, getting proof of life of Diyan might make people think they'd both been kidnapped and search even harder. "But it has been a long night and day. I probably should go check on Renisa. She is a nice woman, Diyan."

Both men rose, Diyan shaking his head as he did. "You looked like hell, my people were playing stupid and she was with you. I'll try and come back from it." He sighed. "Please offer my apologies again."

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princess-of-thieves-id · 7 months

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Further discussion between Captain Noar and Arik reveal more about the situation at hand...but not all are clued into what is transpiring...

"Fine. Then you are both going to tell me the truth of what is going on. Aren't you Miss. Renisa and Mr. Arik?"

“Let. Her. Go. First.” Arik slowly enunciated each word, pushing the tip of the blade harder against Noar’s back. A spot of red appeared, he’d pay for that later, but it would be worth it.

Noar released the woman’s neck with a growl in his throat, and held his hands out to his sides. His jaw was clenched and he was lightly shaking his head. If he wasn’t so pissed, he might have had to hand it to Arik for having balls big enough to hold the Captain of a vessel full of mercenaries at knife point. However, he was thoroughly and completely pissed, so all he wanted to do was turn around and hit Arik till he was unconscious again.

“She’s free.” Noar said as he moved then side stepped twice to get out from between them. Arik at his back with a sharp blade was not something he wanted to continue allowing. He’d prefer no one get injured, but if someone had to, he really preferred it not be him.

“Turn around,” Arik said to Inara. Once she did, he sliced through her bonds and then motioned for her to get behind him. This had Noar’s brow raising as he considered why the knight would do that. Who was this woman? Something was wrong with this whole scenario besides his best friend pulling a knife on him.

“Now, she’s free. I’m over here. Can one of you please tell me what the fuck is going on and why you both are on my ship?” Noar gave them a sarcastic smile and tried his best not to shout at them. His head tilted to the side as he waited.

Arik was about to tell one hell of a huge lie and he hoped he and Inara could pull it off. The male in front of him finding out the truth would cause another issue for them he didn’t want. The truth would come out in time, but by that time hopefully the man in front of him would be a fuck ton more calm. “My previous mission had a rather catastrophic issue, which had me exiting the castle far in advance of when I was to have. As I was doing so, I ran into Renisa who tried to help me out of sympathy, pity, or the goodness of her heart. As I now have a price on my head , I couldn’t just leave her there, so I brought her with me as I ran, Captain…” He had no idea what name the man was going by now and had been unconscious if there had been an introduction when they were brought into the room. He reached behind him and took Inara’s hand. He had no doubt after what had just happened she’d play along.

“Captain Noar,” Inara started, getting the idea that wasn’t his real name since Arik obviously knew he had a previous injury but not knowing his name. “There are Tribaldi soldiers who are searching for us. I do not know what the outcome would be if they found us. I’m sorry for the trouble we have brought to you, we just were trying to get out of the kingdom and to the next unnoticed.” She was almost trembling, but Arik’s hand tightening on hers helped calm her some. She was surprised he had defended her the way he had, and still was.

“Arik, put the damn blade away. If I’d wanted to fight you, I’d have tried to disarm you when you were behind me.” Now Noar had a droll stare as he looked at the two. What the fuck had Arik done?! “How much danger have you put me and my crew in with Tribaldi?” He looked at the two of them and sighed.

Arik turned and looked back at Imara, he couldn’t tell her how bad this situation was. He couldn’t tell Noar how bad it was either. He would ask what more could go wrong, but he didn’t want to chance the universe deciding to tell him. When he turned his head back to face Noar, his face was grim. “They would spare Renisa’s life, but I would face beheading.”

“Motherfucker!” Noar swore, and he saw Renisa move closer to Arik’s back, which meant he was scaring her. He held up his hands. “We already have Coaltmor legions after us, so it’s not like we’re not running as well.” He closed his eyes and shook his head, his arms coming up so his hands could pull his hair back and wrap a leather thong around it to tame it while he thought on what they were going to do now. One armada after his ship was one thing, now they had two. “What did you do, Arik?”

Here went nothing. He was going to be honest-ish. “There was to be a wedding in Tribaldi. I was to guard the Princess from murder.” He saw Noar’s jaw go slack and was glad, what he was hoping to imply was getting across. “She did not make it to the wedding. It did not happen, she was not there. By the time the ceremony was to be, the legion was already hunting me.”

Noar turned away from Arik and scrubbed his face with both hands. He should have been there. His mother had always told him his selfishness would one day cost someone their life. He was going to be sick. At least he could save Renisa, that would be his penance. He stood staring at the wall in front of him blinking slowly, trying to get a grip on himself.

Arik watched Noar and immediately hated himself. He knew how Noar would take it, but he could not reveal who was behind him. And he couldn’t let Inara know who was in front of them. The situation would go from a shit show to a full blown cataclysm; it was bad enough as it was already. Inara had a deathgrip on his hand and was pressed against his back gripping his shirt, what he assumed was her forehead was against his shoulder; it was not pointy enough to be her chin and she was shorter than he was. He could have sworn he heard a sniffle a time or two as well, he hated himself.

“Did she suffer?” Noar had not turned around, he couldn’t face Arik. He was still dealing with the news, and not well. What. Had. He. Caused?

“No, she went very quietly. Not a sound was heard.” Arik answered. It wasn’t a lie exactly, she had escaped without making a sound. If Arik hadn’t been in the room, hiding in the shadows, he would have missed her escape completely. He was hating what Noar was thinking.

Turning around to face the couple, Noar thought for a minute. “I will find you a room to share on the ship. You will help with the tasks on board. We are all fugitives and pirates, so you will be in good company.” He took a deep breath, “Renisa,” he waited for her head to rise and for her to move so she could see him, “I am sorry for my behavior earlier. Our departure from Tribaldi was stressful and I was shocked to see the state Arik was in. You did not deserve that. I hope in time you can forgive me.” He inclined his head towards her.

Inara nodded but said nothing. She was still in shock and slightly terrified of the Captain and confused about what was going on between him and Arik. The one thing she did know was that Arik was ready to commit violence to keep her safe, so until they were alone, she was going to be quiet and stay right next to him.

Arik let go of Inara’s hand and slid his arm around her waist to pull her next to him. The Princess was trembling, and he wanted to comfort her. He couldn’t really blame her for her fear. Noar was intimidating when he wasn’t completely pissed off. Six four, broad shoulders, dark eyes, and an overall demeanor that made most people uneasy. When Arik was around him, people tended to scatter, so the fact Inara was almost clinging to the six foot two, even darker complected in all ways Arik he found ironic. The fact he hadn’t had her up against the wall by her neck probably factored into that.

Noar was still trying to figure out this dynamic and it was not computing for him. Walking over to the door, he opened it about six inches. As he suspected there were several of his men out there, he closed his eyes and shook his head with a wry smile. “Will one of you please take the lovely Miss Renisa to one of our empty rooms with the larger bed, get linens, BE. NICE. Also, get some water, see if she’s hungry. She’s a personal guest at this time. Got it?” He raised his brows and got nods all around.

Turning back to where the couple stood. “You will be safe. No one is going to harm you. I need to speak with Arik privately. He will join you shortly, I promise.” Noar hoped she’d go on her own. Having one of his men pick her up and carry her would just make everything ugly again. No doubt someone would get stabbed, most likely him. “Renisa, it’s ok. I’ll be there in just a minute. I know Noar. He’s an asshole, but he doesn’t lie. If he says you’re safe, you are.” Arik nodded at her and kissed her cheek softly as he pulled her in tighter. “I told you I’d keep you safe, I’m not stopping that now that we’re on the boat.” He met her eyes when he pulled back and she nodded, Arik was thankful she trusted him. It was a small blessing.

“Thank you, Captain Noar.” Inara said as she passed him. He nodded, and felt horrible for what happened earlier. She was gorgeous and now seemed like a frightened kitten. While he didn’t mind intimidating his crew, and those he needed to, he normally didn’t go around attacking innocent women for no reason. The fact she was with Arik made it even worse.

As soon as the door closed, he turned to Arik. “How fucked are we? Be straight with me. Does she have any clue who I am?”

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princess-of-thieves-id · 8 months

Text

Further discussion between Captain Noar and Arik reveal more about the situation at hand...but not all are clued into what is transpiring...

"Fine. Then you are both going to tell me the truth of what is going on. Aren't you Miss. Renisa and Mr. Arik?"

“Let. Her. Go. First.” Arik slowly enunciated each word, pushing the tip of the blade harder against Noar’s back. A spot of red appeared, he’d pay for that later, but it would be worth it.

“Did she suffer?” Noar had not turned around, he couldn’t face Arik. He was still dealing with the news, and not well. What. Had. He. Caused?

As soon as the door closed, he turned to Arik. “How fucked are we? Be straight with me. Does she have any clue who I am?”

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princess-of-thieves-id · 8 months

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Ever had a day where nothing went right? It seems that Noar, Inara, and Arik all are!

“Inara, you are being irrational. In less than twenty-four hours you are to be married, you cannot just run off!” The Princess’ best friend Leona said to her over the phone.

“Ah, yes, let me marry a man I don’t know and have never laid eyes on. No. I will let you know when I get somewhere safe. I need to go.” Before her friend could argue more, Inara hung up the phone. She had preparations to make. There were two guards outside the door to her suite. Who knew how many lined the halls of her father’s castle. However, for the past week, she had mapped out the exact escape route she was going to use to get the fuck out of dodge before she was tied to life to some mewling Prince from a country her father wanted peace with. Daddy could work out the details later.

Little did Inara know that the Prince’s family had anticipated her escape, or at least an attempt to. While her father had put guards everywhere not only to make sure she did her “daughterly duty”, but also to make sure that no one interfered; the Prince’s family had assigned one special guard, Arik, to the Princess. Adept at hiding in shadows, he was often in the room with her without her even knowing it. During her phone conversation with Leona was one such time.

There was only one problem, Arik was the best friend of Prince Diyan. Due to this, he knew that the Prince didn’t want the wedding either. Would letting the Princess escape be the worst thing to happen if he made sure that she was not harmed? It was something he was having to consider while watching her change into all black and put her hair up in some kind of bun.

In the end, his loyalty to his best friend won out. Diyan didn’t want the ceremony, neither did Inara. Why should they be forced? Diyan was fully capable of brute force strengthing his way out of things, but the Princess seemed to have worked out how to do it too. If he kept her alive, maybe he could keep his head when this was all over. There was no doubt that Diyan would step in for him, at least Arik hoped so.

Out the window, along the stone ledge, up the clay drain pipe, across a roof, down onto another room, another, another, and Arik caught up with the Princess. A hand over her mouth kept them both from being discovered. “You want out of here, I can help. I’m supposed to keep an eye on you, but I know that a marriage isn’t what the Prince wants either. Let me keep you safe, and I’ll go with you.”

Inara considered her options. The only one that wasn’t going to get her locked up in the gilded cage she’d been in since birth was to go along with him. She nodded, and the hand over her mouth was removed. “Fine, but can we GO?!” If they had not been trying to evade trained soldiers Arik would have argued more with her. Instead he got in front of her and motioned with his head to have her follow. He’d help her with any obstacles and reduce the chance of injury. For her part, he had to hand it to Inara, she was in good shape, they made great time, and by the time they had slipped away from the castle and into the darkened streets of the surrounding city, she had even picked up shadow jumping like he did to conceal himself.

Another two hours and they were outside of the city. They had four hours till sunup, just enough time to make it to the next town where there was a port. If they can get on a vessel before it sets sail at dawn, they will be able to slip out to another kingdom with no one the wiser. Most of the ships dock at the next kingdom, or one over from that, so at most a day’s boat ride from where they are. They can do that easily without provisions. Arik and Inara talk in hushed tones and whispers as they move, helping one another in the darkness so they do not have to use light and give away their flight from the castle.

Much quicker than they had anticipated, they were in the next town, which fortuitously was a port. Even more so for them was the fact that there were several boats moored in the port. It would seem that they might have their choice of vessels to stow away on and make their escape, hopefully before anyone back in the castle realized that Inara was missing.

Taking a position off to the side of the loading area of the port, they watched the movements of the crew for each of the vessels. It was clear that one was much closer to leaving than the others. That would be the one they would take. With at least one royal army that would soon be searching for them, the last thing they wanted to do was remain where they could be easily found. No doubt Arik would also have a price on his head for “letting” her escape. If it was found out he helped her, possibly death if Diyan didn’t save him.

As soon as the coast was clear, they kept to the shadows and were quickly aboard. Inara let Arik lead, as he seemed more familiar with vessels than she was, and he quickly found a storage room where he was able to find a space between a few palettes of supplies where they could hide. Now they would just have to hope the voyage was either a short one or that they were able to pilfer rations till the next harbor where they could make their exit and figure out what to do next. Hopefully Arik would be able to then get ahold of Diyan and gain his assistance.

The first hitch in their plans came shortly after they felt vessel lift anchor, the gentle sway as it rolled with gentle waves and movement giving that notice. At the wrong moment, Arik sneezed. There was no way to cover the sound, and there were too many other people in the store room for it to be missed. Even keeping to shadows and moving as much as they could, it was less than fifteen minutes before they were found. Arik was knocked unconscious, Inara only had her hands bound.

Up to the Captain’s Office they were taken. “Sir, we have stowaways. If we go back, those soldiers that we were told were coming will be there and we risk arrest. What do you want to do with them?” The leader of those holding them asked. He was partial to throwing them overboard and letting the fish deal with them.

Captain Noar sighed heavily and ran a hand through his long hair. This was the last thing they needed. They already had at least a legion on their tale. "Fuck! How many?"

"Two, sir. Man and woman," was the reply he got. At least it wasn’t more, two they might be able to deal with.

"Bring them in. Let's see if we can do something with them or we're going ro add murder at sea to our charges." Noar was going to kill someone by the end of the day, he knew it. Could just one thing go right?

The man nodded and headed out, returning a few minutes later all but dragging Inara and another man literally dragging Arik. This is when a bigger hitch in their plans happened.

As soon as Noar saw Arik his whole demeanor changed. Anger filled his face and he cleared the room of all but Inara and the still unconscious Arik. Inara soon was backing up as the six foot four inch Noar was stalking towards her.

"What is the meaning of coming on my ship?! Who the fuck are you?!" Before Inara could even answer she was against the wall by her throat. Her hands were bound, she was at his mercy.

Hoping he would not recognize her middle name, Inara decided to give that instead of her first. She was already a hostage, but if the Captain thought he could get a massive amount of money for her, it could get worse. It wouldn't be the first time it happened, and none of the previous ones had been pleasant.

"I'm Renisa, he's a friend of mine. We're running from our parents." She started to shake and cry. The Captain’s brown eyes seemed to be trying to bore holes into her. "We just picked the first ship leaving port to get off land fastest." Her voice shook and her breathing was getting faster, slowly black was beginning to cloud the edges of her vision.

“Why shouldn’t I just have you and your friend thrown overboard? I need a reason to keep you alive, Miss Renisa. This isn’t some kind of floating charity.” Noar was resisting the urge to squeeze. These two were completely fucking up all fo his plans without realizing. Since Arik was unconscious, his friend was going to be the one to take the brunt of Noar’s rage over it. Not necessarily her fault, but sucked it be her.

"Unless you would like another scar to match the one on your left, you will remove your hand from her throat and apologize for touching her." Arik's voice came from behind Noar. He had a knife to his back and was prepared to stab him if need be. He'd honestly prefer not to, but if pushed, he would. Inara was innocent and didn’t deserve whatever the fuck was going on.

Noar stood there for a moment assessing the situation. He would find out what was going on, but he wanted to keep his kidney. One thing he knew, the asshole with the knife did not get beautiful women like the one he had pinned to the wall. So there had to be one hell of a fucking story of how this happened and why he was about to resort to violence over her.

"Fine. Then you are both going to tell me the truth of what is going on. Aren't you Miss. Renisa and Mr. Arik?"

#Princess Of Thieves #my writing #my ocs #writeblr #new story #new writing #first chapter #fiction #fantasy #original writing #original story #original characters #writing #writblr #writerblr #pirates #romance #fantasy romance #romantic fiction

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