The rest of the crew fiddled around for what seemed like a while, after rushing to get the rest of their goods in the hold. Clark paced around the deck, slightly hoping Gerard looked better enough to have his back. He was also hoping the princess would keep to his quarters, although she probably would try to enlist Finley's help as a form of female solidarity or whatever. The sounds of the next ship over got louder, music was playing as well. Were they celebrating a large haul? What was the cause for celebration?

He motioned his men to let down the anchor, although he made sure to keep watch. Finley swung over, landing on deck, boots and corset and all. Clark mustered a small enough smile. "Finley. Surprised to see you in these waters," he mused, nodding over to her ship. "Celebrating?" She smiled and walked up to him, although she was slightly shorter than him, she made it up for the fierce look in her eyes, as brown as they were. "Just the usual fare," she answered and nodded to the rest of the crew. "There was news about a royal ship on these waters." Clark raised an eyebrow. "Royal ship? 'aven't seen any on my way here. Got caught in a nasty fog, though." Gerard would've been there with him, cracking jokes and cutting the tension in the air.

Ariel quietly helped him with whatever he needed, although she made it a point that Finley would ask him about that nasty wound. As she wrapped it around him, there were a lot of questions racing through her mind. A female pirate? And a captain at that? She wondered if she would have a chance at a life like that, but where would she even start? She sort of wanted to see what she was like, maybe join in her ranks... but what a dream that would be. "You know, the captain wanted you to hide out here," she mentioned again, once she made sure that he looked well enough.

Ariel remembered the princess. "I don't suppose there's a way for me to look after the princess before she comes?"

Was that music she could hear? Rose mumbled to herself as she climbed out the bed and went to the porthole in the room, wondering if she could see this other ship. Yet what if they could also see her? Frowning she tried her best to peer around without standing so directly in front of it. The music was louder and she wondered what the other ship was celebrating. Besides that, she was so curious about this female captain. Never before had she heard of a female being quite so powerful, without a man above her, anyways. Sure, her mother as queen had power, but even still she served her father.

It was difficult to see much, other than the blue ocean stretching until it blended into the horizon.

===

Gerard grunted and groaned as she helped him into his clothes. "She wont see the wound and the captain needs me. He doesn't want Finley to know about the princess, I bet." That was for good reason, too. They didn't need a war between the other ship over the princess. Unsteady on his feet he stumbled around the room, trying to walk normal. His head was spinning from the drink and probably blood loss and he really just wanted to stay in his bed all day.

From his chest he pulled a half full bottle of ale, the watered down mess he was coming to hate, and held it tight. At least he could play off some of this as being drunk. Who wouldn't believe that? "See to the princess." He said, motioning her to follow him out the door. The short walk down the hall was difficult, he gripped the wall and closed his eyes as he waited outside the captains cabin. "Don't let her leave this room. When Finley leaves, I think I'm going to need your doctorin' skills again." Already his chest was aching and he was sure he was undoing every bit of progress they made.

With that he left her and made his way up the stairs and onto the top deck. The crew was pretending to be busy while the captain talked to Finley, hopefully Clark had enough time to warn them not to say a word about the royal haul. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself the best he could and strode onto the deck, only a little sway to his movements, which the drink would hopefully explain. "Finley!" He called out as he approached the pair, pasting a large grin on his face. "Missed me already?"

Finley narrowed her eyes at Clark, while he did the same. The silence between them was cut when Gerard stumbled up on them. Clark hid his surprise, but was grateful for having the old man by his side. Finley's attention was stolen by Gerard, shooting him a nasty look. "Now, three girls on my ship are lamenting over his buffoonery," she motioned towards Gerard, then added, "You should keep watch over your first mate, mate." She gave another look over at Clark before she flashed a smile. "If you hear or see anything of this royal ship, let me know. I want a cut of some of that." She looked over at her ship and motioned for some of her crew to come over.

"Let's stay for a little bit, unless you all are in a rush?" Clark stepped back a bit. There were too many chances for them to stumble upon the treasure. He wasn't sure what else to say to her that wouldn't drive suspicion. As long as they kept to the deck... and the men were itching for some women to sleep with recently. In retrospect, this wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't hiding the princess and her servant girl out somewhere on the ship. He hoped that the girl would stay put. He made a face at Gerard, nudging his head towards Finley as she greeted the rest of the crew, giving them hard slaps on the back. "What in god's name should we do?" He whispered, trying to not look as nervous as he felt at that moment.

With a nod, Ariel kept silent. She patched him up and deemed that he looked good enough to pass as healthy, although his little stumble once they left the room sort of worried her. Worry? Why would she worry about a pirate that done nearly turned her life upside down? At least he was nice, and not really overbearing, although the flirting could lighten up a little. She sneaked into the captain's quarters, reaching to bolt the door behind her but decided that a locked door on his won ship looked suspicious enough. She found the princess looking out the porthole, trying to see what Finley looked like.

"Princess." She simply said, feeling as if she'd already changed in a day since they were captured. Ariel looked down on her, a sullen smile on her face. "How are you holding up?" She asked, her voice sort of weak. The ale was still in her system, and as much as she wanted to appear well-enough, she slightly stumbled a bit. The danger of being found out by another pirate slightly sobered her a bit, but as she said, the ale wasn't the watered down shit the upper class tried out every once in a while.

Gerard managed a sly smile, ignoring the pain he felt, and the dizziness. He was probably really going to regret getting out of bed today, but the captain needed his help if they wanted to keep their haul secret. What would Finley do if she knew they had the princess, as well as all her treasures. Hopefully they wouldn't have to find that out. "What can I say? The ladies love me." Hopefully those ladies wouldn't be too insistent today, he wasn't sure he could perform, and didn't want to risk them finding out about his injury. Would he be able to play it off as a sword fight between him and the crew? No, it would be unlikely she'd believe that, he was a good swordsman, better than the crew, and it wouldn't be likely he'd get something so serious.

He cringed when she mentioned staying, but what could they do? If they said no, she'd probably think something was up. "Distract her until she leaves. The maid is with the princess, hopefully she keeps the girl down there." Perhaps he should have had the princess taken to his cabin, what if Finley wanted to go to Clark's cabin for a drink? "Finley! You've any ale on that ship of yours? I've just about drunk through our stash and ain't had much luck out here on the waters." Maybe that would help her realize that they didn't have much, and remind the men that they were not to mention their recent haul.

===

"Are you drunk?" Rose said, tilting her head and staring at Ariel with a curious look on her face. She could smell ale, and the girl stumbled. Had that pirate been awful to her? As much as Rose wanted to be upset at her for leaving, she knew deep down it wasn't Ariel's fault. How could they say no to their captives?

She hurried from the window and grabbed a glass with some water, holding it out towards her maid. "Drink this." It should help her. Unless the maid wanted to be drunk? She knew her father often drank when things were not going so well, when he was stressed and it seemed to help. Perhaps she should take up drinking... "Where did you get the ale?" Princess's didn't drink, but then again, they also shouldn't be captives on pirate ships, so what difference would it make?

Clark felt the relief rise up his chest. Thank god for Gerard and his demeanor. He was careffree enough to not warrant any suspicion. Finley, on the other hand, laughed at his question. "Of course we got the ale. We all don't use our womanly charms for nothing," she noted swinging back to her ship to let her crew know of the situation. She knew that Clark wouldn't take too lightly for her crew to start snooping around like usual. And if they happened to stumble upon something, well, Finley could hold her ground.

Clark called for tables and chairs to be brought out on deck, to lessen the chance of Finley and her crew to snoop around. Davey and Barclay entered the captain's quarters every once in a while, nodding to the princess and her servant as they came and left with tables and chairs. They made sure that her belongings were out of sight and when asked by Finley, musing how much alone time they haven't had in a while, Clark retorted with a stink that never seemed to leave his room. "Barclay had the wonderful idea of bringing a cow onboard. No other place to store it other than my room unfortunately. The poor thing died within days but it's stink. Finley, you wouldn't believe." He made a small retching sound, which made her laugh all the same. She told him that she tried out cows once, and decided that they were too much of a hassle to handle.

The old cook made sure to lessen the amount of food to put out, which was perfectly fine as Finley had left port just a few days ago. She brought on baskets of fruits and wines and meats. The music came from a traveling troupe that agreed to pay her for transport in the form of entertainment.

Ariel tried to shake her head, but shook it one too violently which left her lightheaded. A bad idea. "Yes," she managed to say, holding on to a bed post as she sat down. Lightheadedness on the ocean wasn't a good combination, she found out. She watched the princess get some water for her, and she was grateful that she decided to help her out rather than shun her. The princess was truly too kind for how royal she is. With a small nod, she took the cup and drank some of it, the added liquid in her stomach helping her sober up a bit.

The princess asked where she got the ale, and Ariel couldn't help but laugh. "Sailors are smart enough to stow away the good ale, princess." She smiled softly at her, the guilt of leaving her alone suddenly rising up in her throat. "Princess, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you. Did the captain...touch you?" There was no other way to ask, the princess would most likely be taken aback by her intrusive question but as her lady-in-waiting, she must know. Ariel's old mistress always had some concoctions lying around to stop an unwanted pregnancy, although the captain most likely just left the princess well-enough alone to lessen the wrath of her father. It didn't hurt to ask, however.

Clark tried to laugh and appear as nothing was wrong, he smiled and cracked a few jokes, but his chest was aching and everything around him was spinning. At least if he stumbled about they'd blame drink. The thick leather vest he wore would hopefully stop any blood from seeping all the way through and giving away his condition. Hopefully Finley would want to be off soon enough because he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to stay on his feet. When she turned her back, he turned to Clark and whispered, Ask her about the royal ship often, we want her to not forget it is out there. Perhaps she'll leave quicker in her quest to find it."

The setting up of food and drink was not a good sign, as much as he'd welcome some ale, he wasn't sure he'd be able to eat, and if they expected him up and active, well... Perhaps his only option was to drink. Hide his symptoms behind that. He grabbed a bottle of the wine Finley brought over, not bothering with a cup and drinking directly from the bottle. It was decent wine, and considering how much ale he had drunk, it wouldn't take long. He just needed to make sure he didn't pass out, which he wasn't sure was a goal he'd be able to manage.

One of Finley's crew members was eyeing him, normally he'd be delighted by the prospect, but he could only groan and hope she kept away.

===

Rose turned red at Ariel's question. Of course he hadn't, but he could have, and it didn't even matter one way or another. "Does it matter?" She all but snapped, not wanting to talk about it. Instead of answering Ariel she paced the room, when the group of sailors came back in, gathering stuff for what sounded like a party on deck, she stepped in front of Davey. He looked confused when she wouldn't let him go around her, "Bring me some ale. The stuff from my father's ship." When he narrowed his eyes at her she glared at him, "I am a princess, captive or not, and I asked you to bring me some ale. If not, I will simply scream and make as much noise as possible to alert this Finley to my presence." As if to prove her point she stepped to the porthole and threw it open, all but sticking her head out, ready to call out.

It was a bit childish, but she didn't want to be stuck in this quiet room for hours on end. Ale always seemed to put her father and brothers in a good mood, why wouldn't it do the same for her? Also, if it helped her to avoid Ariel's questioning, it was worth it.

Clark kept an eye on Gerard as Finley practically took over part of his ship. He was worried, not only for his health but also for the slight chance that they would be found out. He took his advice, though, and spoke to her about the ship and what it could be holding. Treasures, good food, drink, and the like. Some of her crew came over to flirt with the crew and eat and drink. It seemed as if one of them had her eyes on Gerard, Clark noticed. Despite that, he didn't eat or drink much, fraught with worry. Finley urged him to celebrate with them, clucking about the royal ship that would eventually come their way. "We're all pretty much in the same sea, right?"

After a few hours, they all tired themselves out. A few of them slunk to bedrooms to have fun, while those who had kept watch on Finley's ship started to pack up. " 'ey, I want the rest of my crew present and accounted for," Finley called out as she swung back to her ship. Clark told the rest of his men to let go of the women they were able to bed in such short time, although it didn't usually take long to hit 'em hard. He told Gerard to check in his room for any stowaways, and brought him close to go check on the princess. It seemed they were safe, for now.

Ariel clicked her tongue. "It was just a question..." she trailed off as she saw the princess get Davey's attention. What, is she stupid? Why did she want the ale? She probably didn't set a good example, lumbering in like that. She tried to hold the princess down. "Are you out of your mind? Do you want to be caught like this?" she seethed, telling Davey to pay no mind. That the princess had enough of the seas or something along those lines. Despite that, he began to feel confused, not sure who to listen to, the princess or who it seemed to be Gerard's partner. Shaking his head, he left the room, and Ariel was about to breath a sigh of relief if it wasn't for him bringing back a bottle. One of the watered down bottles at least. So far it was only her who knew where the actual ones were.

Ariel did nothing but stare Davey down, who wanted to shrink from both of their stares. Women were truly terrifying, and he left them alone with that thought lingering in his head. She looked at the princess and then at the bottle. "Go ahead. It's not like anything else will change once you drink it," she seethed, anger seeping into her words. Ariel wasn't sure why she was so angry about this, maybe it was because she thought of the princess who was better than everyone else, who managed to keep herself together, although her outbursts the past few hours seemed to prove otherwise. The princess seemed to just wither outside of the castle, she twisted this enough to think that this whole experience would be good for her. Ariel got up and paced around the room, filled with worry for their predicament and for Gerard's health. She wasn't sure if she could do as well on a ship full of women, although she was known for sometimes swinging the other way.

Gerard had just drank and watched the excitement go on around him. A few times he had flirted with a girl or two, hoping to keep away suspicion about his condition. His chest was aching more than he wanted to admit, and he felt like he might pass out on a few occasions. When Finley finally ordered her crew back to their ship he wanted to run to his room and sleep for the next three days.

As he stood, he stumbled and held onto the nearest sturdy item. He could hear the chuckle of Finley's crew, they probably thought him too drunk to function. Normally he was, and it was a good cover up for what was really wrong with him. "Aye, captain, I'll check for an stowaways." He muttered, clawing at the wooden wall as he made his way down the stairs and hall. He could hear some sort of racket from the captains room, but Davey was stood patiently outside, so obviously things were mostly in hand. He raised his eyebrow at the pirate and Davey only shook his head and motioned him through the door.

"I feel like hell. I need doctorin'." He grumbled and slurred as he opened the door.

===

Rose was pleased that Davey has listened to her and resisted the urge to sneer at Ariel. She sniffed the bottle after opening it, cringing at the strange smell. It was nothing like the sweet wine she was allowed at the castle, but that had always felt so warm in her stomach and calmed her nerves, so perhaps this would do the same. She took a small drink, not really enjoying the taste, it was like watered down... something. Yet perhaps after she drank enough she'd be used to it.

Ariel didn't seem happy about it, Rose simply sat in a chair, holding the bottle in her dainty fingers. Every so often she would take a ship, which soon graduated to gulps, and before long her head was all but spinning. How long had it been? She could hear all the noise above, and food had been brought in for them but she only picked at fruits. Never in her eighteen years had she been drunk before, princesses didn't do that, but she was sure she was now. Is this what it felt like? She wasn't sure she enjoyed it, since she felt a bit sick, and if she stood she wasn't sure she'd make it far.

She had been nodding off a bit in the chair, when the door opened and a loud voice made her jump. The pirate who Ariel had been taking care of was standing there, he looked awful and his words confirmed he wasn't doing so well. When she tried to say something only a hiccup came out, which caused her to giggle, and when she did that the nearly empty bottle of ale dropped to the ground, spilling the remaining contents.

Clark made a tight smile as he watched the rest of Finley's crew plop back to her ship. some of the ladies half-dressed and giggling. It was a fun time, maybe he would've had more fun if he wasn't stuck worrying about their load. Finley came and returned on both ships, offering him some of their supplies to last the rest of the week. He gratefully accepted, although at a lesser amount than she had initially offered. This made Finley narrow her eyes in suspicion, but she probably figured that boys would do anything to prove they're alright, given the circumstances. Fine. If he and his crew perished on the sea, then it wouldn't be her problem.

Before she finally made her way back to her ship, Finley gave Clark a big sloppy kiss on the lips, winking before she swung. "Until next time!" she called out, and the sea air was finally quiet and murmuring. It was high on the afternoon, and the sun was setting quicker than Clark anticipated. Where had the day gone? He ordered the rest of his crew to clean up, and that there would be a beating or two if he ever found any of Finley's crew on his ship. He wasn't for waking up to an angry Finley on her bed, although that had happened. Once or twice. He walked back to his cabin, and made an amused look as he saw the bottle of ale clatter to the floor. "I see that our little princess had her hands on one 'o these," Clark commented, raising an eyebrow at the serving girl who quickly went to Gerard's side and giving a smirk to Davey. "It'll pro'lly be easier to toy with ya now." He walked over to where she was, and swung her up to carry her in his arms. "Come on. Off to bed ya go."

Ariel watched in dismay as the princess continued to drink from the bottle, somewhat grateful that it wasn't as strong as it should be, although for a princess of her size, it might as well be one of the stronger ones. She practically sat there, hoping and wishing that she wouldn't start bawling or making any loud noises that would alert Finley. It turned out that the princess was a quiet and sleepy drunk, less annoying than your average one. For that, she was grateful. Hey, she learned something everyday. Ariel couldn't help but laugh a little.

Once Gerard bolted into the room, obviously in pain, she quickly got up to hold him at his side. She cursed under her breath, suddenly berating him for going against the captain's orders, not that the captain seemed to mind anyway. He always seemed to have an interest in the princess, and with good reason. She was pretty, charming, obviously not of this world. It was like one of those animals at the zoo, not that she'd seen one, but the stories that they come up with. Out of this world. She moved Gerard to a nearby chair and told him to hold still as he lifted his shirt. The stitches were still intact, thankfully, and some of the blood began to coagulate but she would have to wash it out for infections. It would hurt a bit, maybe sting, as Ariel thought of putting a good bottle of ale or two to douse it down. "I'll tidy you up once we get in your room."

Rose was slow to react, she was feeling better than she had, her head was swimming quite nicely, she was warm and calm. Until her whole world shifted. When she realized it was because she was being carried she protested, battering her small fists, weakly, against the captain who carried her. "Put me down, I am capable..." She hiccuped and shook her head. "I am capable of walking, and I am not sleepy." She forced her rosy lips into a pout and pushed against him, trying her best to get away. His touch was making her feel warmer, the whole room seemed to be getting warmer, and her gown felt tighter than it had before. She attempted to kick her feet, but even in this state she knew better than to seriously injure the captain, so her protests were weak and more than likely ineffective.

===

"Aye, lass, if ye are going to undress me, at least take me to me own chambers..." Gerard manage to get out with a small chuckle that hurt his chest more than expected. His words had slurred a bit, a combination of the drinks he had consumed as well as the pain from his wound. Of course he didn't fight the woman, he just sat in the chair, wondering if he would ever be able to get up from it again. It didn't feel like it at this point. When she was done inspecting the wound he motioned over to Davey, "Get me to my cabin". The beast of a man only nodded and all but pulled him up and drug him along. Gerard was thankful he didn't have to help much, as he legs felt like jelly and everything was spinning.

Once deposited on his bed, Davey left him to be tended to, and likely to see if the captain needed anything. He struggled to pull his shirt off, it getting caught up around his arms, but he wanted to rip the bandages off and let the wound breathe. Right now it felt like it was on fire, which was probably not a good thing. He wasn't sure how he had managed to keep it together in front of Finley, not when her and her crew kept trying to get his attention and pulling him from the chair he sat in. Of course he had to play along, like the only problem with him was that he was drunk, which hadn't been too difficult, the pain making him dizzy and lightheaded. "Curse that meddling woman..." He muttered, glad Finley hadn't insisted on staying the night. Already they lost a day of travel, and he wasn't fully sure that Finley didn't suspect something was up, with Clark not inviting her to his cabin and all.

Clark couldn't help but laugh at the princess' futile efforts. He had to admit, it was cute, and she probably wasn't used to being carried this way. His arms tightened on her as he deposited her on the bed, the warmth from her still lingering on his chest and arms. Her scent, too, seemed to stay with him as he sat down at the edge of the bed, wondering what she would do next in this stupor of hers. He was grateful that Finley didn't seem to expect much out of him, but worried about their predicament a bit more. It was another one of those times where he needed to good talk, just to tell himself that all of this was worth it. It had to be worth it. It felt like it was worth it as he watched the princess muddle around on the bed.

Once the rest of them were gone, Clark took off the clothes he kept on for show, keeping a white, loose flowing shirt with a pair of black, tight pants. He knew that the night came with the cold but he didn't care. It seemed that he would have to keep watch over the princess anyways. The rosy glow in her cheeks made him stop for a moment, though. How close they were when he carried her, the proximity of her face to his made him look down in slight embarrassment. Why did he feel so embarrassed? He had to admit, she was beautiful. But off limits. Of course.

Ariel was grateful that Davey managed to bring Gerard back to his quarters, although her worry grew as she realized how much pain he was hiding from Finley and the rest of them earlier that day. She quickly set off to work, demanding a fresh bucket of water and any old ale from Davey before settled in front of Gerard to take off his shirt. The poor thing must've been in much pain, although she hoped that some of the ale in his brain would offset it a bit. She didn't say much as she unwrapped the bandages, racking her brain for something else she could do to make the pain go away a bit. Ale doesn't hold itself for so long.

And it was dehydrating.... Water. Once Davey returned with what she asked for, Ariel gave him a slight curtsey, as if she was back at the palace, busy and bustling and tending to someone's needs. At least in this way, she didn't have to deal with thinking much about anything else other than the matter at hand. She gave Gerard a cup of water to drink from, and told him that ale would have to come later. Unwrapping the bandages, her mind reverted to the female captain. "Tell me... about Finley," she asked hoping to get him away from thinking about the pain.

"What do you think you are doing?" Rose muttered weakly, unable to muster up the anger she should be feeling at being handled like that. Everyone else left the room and she was alone with the captain, and even in her drunken state she was sure that was not the best idea. He hadn't touched her, yet, but for how long would she be safe? The drink made her bold, she considered asking, but he stood and was puling off clothes. A blush rose up on her cheeks and she averted her eyes, she hadn't seen many men in any sort of state of undress, even if he was still covered. A giggle escaped her as she recalled the time, just two years ago, the curious mind of a sixteen year old, she had peaked into the knights secret quarters and watched as they removed their armour and clothing. Of course she had been too embarrassed to stay long, having only glimpsed toned backs and chests.

Seeing him in such comfortable clothes reminded her of how stuffy her gown was feeling. Despite it being one of the looser ones she still felt confined. It was wrong, but perhaps if he promised not to look... It didn't matter, she felt like she couldn't breathe, like the room was suddenly three times hotter than it had been before. Her fingers felt numb when she tried to reach behind her to undo the small pearl buttons, all the while muttering under her breath about gowns being so difficult. Frustrated by her lack of progress she pouted, "This is all your fault." A hiccup escaped her, which made her giggle despite the serious look she tried to keep on her face. "I don't know how to this all alone, and you ruined everything..." She couldn't make herself sound as angry as she like, instead it sounded far too husky for her liking. When had her voice gotten deeper? Ale seemed to change a lot about a person.

===

Gerard drank the water, willing to do just about anything to ease some of his discomfort. When was the last time he had felt so awful? He couldn't remember, probably because he had never been wounded quite so badly, and had never spent an entire day partying while trying to hide it. Ariel's gentle touches were reassuring, he hoped he hadn't damaged all her hard work, as she might not be willing to keep patching him up. If he was in her position, he'd probably let her die of infection or bleed out on the cabin floor.

"Finley?" He grumbled, hardly wanting to talk about her, but he understood why she'd be curious. A female captain, making her own way in the world, probably something a ladies maid from the castle would never have dreamed of. "Damnable woman. Too smart for her own good, too perceptive." It wasn't that he didn't like her, he never had a reason to dislike her before, since she often had a crew of willing females and was a good pirate, but hiding their important haul from her had been tiring and more difficult than he would have liked.

Clark couldn't help but smile as he listened to the princess giggle and titter to herself. Who knows what she could be thinking about? Everyone seemed to be more fun inebriated, that's for sure. Seeing how much fun she was having, he figured that getting a bit more drunk would do him some good. He needed some time to chill out, work out the knots that formed due to stress. He grabbed a bottle of wine and drank straight from it. It took him longer to get as drunk as the princess, but he was working his way. He cocked his head to the side as he watched her struggle to get out of her clothes. Did she feel uncomfortable or was there an ulterior motive?

Whatever it was, he set the bottle down and neared her. Her hands reached to where she was struggling, his face close to hers. "Tell me what to do," he said, as he tried to fiddle with the dress, waiting for her to say something. A thought struck him. "I don't think you ever told me your name. I'm Clark." The deeper voice the princess had put on gave him a warm feeling in his stomach, he liked this sort of princess better.

"That sounds wonderful," Ariel commented, her voice a little light. Wouldn't it be nice to feel like a captain? Feared on the seas. They could go anywhere with no one stopping them for the most part. It seemed more exciting than her own drab life. How did Finley come across such an opportunity anyway? It didn't seem like a walk in the park. She mulled over a life on the seas as she washed out the wound, putting a bit of ale to staunch it before she wrapped it again. She stood up and looked him over. "Now that she's gone, I do expect you to stay here until it's all better. It'll stay that way or get worse if you try to do anything," Ariel sighed. Who knew that tending to such matters made her feel drained?

Rose could smell the wine when he neared and she turned her head to the side, not sure how to react to his closeness. "The buttons..." She managed to mumble, rather lamely, hoping he understood that she needed his help undoing the small buttons at the back of her gown. It was highly improper and she couldn't believe she asked him for help, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

He was too close and she didn't know what to say or how to act, this wasn't a common problem brought up when raising a princess. All she knew was that she wasn't supposed to allow any male, other than her husband, this close to her... Yet why was she not yelling at him? Not pushing him away and searching for Ariel to help her out? Her head felt fuzzy, the ale was not allowing her to focus, no wonder she hadn't been allowed to drink before. It was hard to act like a princess when you could barely remember you were one. "Clark..." She mumbled under her breath, not sure what she expected, perhaps something horrible and gruesome to go with the man who had sunk her ship and kidnapped her. "Rose." She answered in reply, nearly breathless. The room felt like it was getting even warmer, and it seemed like it was spinning, the only thing she could focus on was the captain, who was far too close.

===

"Aye, a pirate isn't so bad a life, most of the time. A wee bit dangerous, but the freedom..." Gerard tried to shrug, not sure what else to say. He could see why Finley's life would be appealing to someone who was basically a servant. At times even he envied her, but then working beside Clark reminded him of the dangers and stress of being a Captain. You were responsible for many people, their fate in your hands, and when it all came down to it, the bounty was on your head alone.

A hiss escaped him as the ale touched his wound, but it quickly faded, replaced by the ache that hadn't stopped in hours. Curse him for going up there, yet they had just barely managed to keep Finley in the dark. What would have happened if he had hid down here and left Clark to fend for himself? "Aye, aye Captain." He muttered at her commands to stay put. An order he wouldn't be able to disobey, even if he wanted to. He managed to get himself down on his back, his side pressed against the wall. His body was weary but his mind was not, he wasn't sure he'd be able to rest just yet. "Lie with me, lass?" He asked, trying to wag his eyebrow but nothing seemed to respond correctly. It was hard to be a flirt when you couldn't even get out of bed, the thought making him laugh, which was mostly a grunt followed by a few coughs.

With a small smile, Clark reached around her and undid the buttons she talked about. Well, more like something she breathed out rather than said. It seemed the ale hit her hard. It also seemed to make everything she said make him feel a little bit warmer, more so until he felt like touching her bare skin. He imagined it to be soft, not as coarse as the women he'd had. As he undid the buttons, he shrugged what seemed to be her gown off of her, and wondered if the ale was making her suddenly ask for his help. The poor girl. She probably needed it, what with her servant off somewhere.

"Is that it?" He asked, clearing his throat a bit. It was starting to get a little bit husky as well, and it usually took him a bottle or two of wine to reach that point. His ears perked when the princess answered him back with her own name. Rose. How fitting. He hadn't realized that he was that close to her, his eyes tracing over her face and her neck. He could tell that she felt woozy, and...was she sweating a bit? Clark frowned. "Is it too hot in here for you, Rose?" The name through his lips seemed to give him small shivers up his spine. It was a beautiful name, too fitting for a beautiful girl.

Ariel made a wistful look on her face as she listened to Gerard talk about how freeing a pirate's life was. She shook her head, she couldn't be thinking about matters much like this. It didn't look like her life was going to change further than what it was now. Once they were on land, she would have to trail after the princess again, and probably tend to her amidst the court drama. More exciting than the usual, but probably more exhausting than she would expect. She would be back to her old life in just a week's time. She'd have to do something dramatic in that span of time if she wanted to change the course of her life.

With that in mind, she quietly got in bed with Gerard, the rocking of the sea slowing her frantically beating heart. Just thinking about the chance at freedom made her heart race; it was foolish of her to become excited just at a small chance. Ariel sighed, and turned over to face Gerard, not minding the fact that he had tried to flirt with her all this time. As long as she was playing the game at the moment, and make sure that she doesn't get her heart involved, then it would be alright. It had to be alright. "It must be tiring, keeping her at bay and all," she mused, a hand tracing his face. It looked more weathered than ever, but she suspected a good night's sleep would do him good. "Thank you. I guess I have you to thank for not leaving me on that ship."

No, something wasn't right about this. She didn't feel right, things didn't feel normal... Rose shook her head, trying to get control of her thoughts for just a moment. When the Captain said her name something strange shot through her, a feeling unknown to her, and frightening because she didn't dislike that feeling. Was she too warm, he had asked. Yes, she was, but she wasn't sure it was the room that was causing it. She needed out of this dress, away from him... Despite the fog in her mind she managed to slip away from him, standing a bit unsteadily after climbing off the bed. The second she was upright the dress fell to the floor, bunching around her slippered feet. Already she felt cooler, less restricted, the fine linen shift loose and free against her skin.

Yet still she felt warm, perhaps it was the captain, or the ale... Either was she slowly made her way over to the porthole, throwing it open and breathing in the cold sea air. Her thin shift did little to block the wind, she could see it almost as if she was wearing nothing at all. If only she could just feel it on her face... she stepped as close as she could to the porthole, her hands gripped the frame as she leaned out, the wind icy against her face. How would it feel up on deck, standing there as the ship moved through the water, the cool air against her skin... And the water, it looked inviting... "How nice it would be to swim..." She muttered to herself, leaning further over the edge to watch the water, the waves crashing against the side of the ship.

===

Gerard closed his eyes, trying to ignore the burning in his chest. The room felt warmer, and he was sure he was probably on his way to an infection. If that happened then he'd be in trouble, infection was often deadly on the seas. It would be fitting, dying because of a fight over a woman. Sure that woman was a princess, who he had no chance with, but a woman all the same. Ariel's touch surprised him, but he kept his eyes closed and focused on it. "Normally we have little to hide from her..." He muttered, wishing that had been the case now. Hopefully they would not encounter Finley until the princess was unloaded from their ship and on her way home. Though if word got out that Clark ransomed her, well... a lot of Captains might not be happy.

"Aye, lass, ye are here because of me, but don't take that as me being nice..." Pirates didn't get reputations for being nice, and he had done a few things lately that wasn't helping his case. He valued his reputation, it was the most important thing for a pirate, next to the ability to sail a ship. Even if his reputation was for being drunk and bedding whores, he'd take it. He grunted and shifted onto his side, facing Ariel, trying to ease the ache in his chest any way he could.

Clark watched her as she moved to the porthole, regaining his composure once they weren't close anymore. He shot up and reached over to her, grabbing her by the wrist. His face practically screamed with worry. "Hey, things aren't that bad here," he mused, a small jump in his chest. He tried to have a lilting tone to his voice but that came across as more desperate than lighthearted. He watched her continue to look down at the water. Maybe the poor girl just needed some air. It would take a while for the crew to adjust to her being on the ship, though. He couldn't take that chance.

Clark held her, gripping her upper arms. He heard her mention something about swimming, and chuckled quietly to himself. His worries seemed to be for nothing. "It's not safe out in these kinds of waters, Rose." The name was a little uncomfortable to say, not wanting to attach names to faces as often. Wouldn't this mean that he would become more attached to her? Surely there had to be truth in what his father told him about naming animals they found on the streets. Rose wasn't an animal, though, so maybe it didn't necessarily apply to her. He looked at her again in her shift, and thought about how naked she felt initially when she went to sleep this way. Wouldn't she be cold? At first she could be warm, but now with the sea breeze pulling in at full speed, the entire cabin felt colder.

He reached for his coat and placed it on her shoulders. "I'd feel better if you had this on you," Clark mentioned, wondering if it would be a tad heavy on her. It was made of the most handsome leather, although weathered and worn since the first time he got it.

Ariel laughed. "I most definitely did not call you nice, although you have treated me better than most men I've met." She could tell he was trying to distract himself from the pain, and pity filled her being. Getting sick or injured on the seas usually meant death, and somehow she wasn't fond of the idea of him dying. Not while she was on the ship with him anyway. How she wished the days went by faster, so as to forget about him and their predicament and to just simply go on. Despite that, she absentmindedly started to stroke his face. She'd also want him to stop hurting through any way that she could provide.

She started to hum. There was a song that she always sang to herself whenever she needed a distraction, when nothing else seemed to work. Ariel started off with a low tune, and then switched it up to a high one, the humming making her voice sound softer than usual. Vulnerable. Full of compassion and care. Her hand continued to brush itself on his cheek, feeling the years on him. "You should sleep," she whispered, a solemn look on her face.

Rose jumped when he touched her, she had been lost in the enjoyment of the cool breeze. Was he worried she'd fall? She had been holding on, and had no plans to go out the window and crash into the sea, so did he not trust her? "Even if it was, I do not know how to swim." Princesses had no need to learn to swim, at least as far as her mother was concerned. It wasn't as if she could swim in her gowns, anyways, and she could never be out in less. Gowns. She had taken hers off, and she was only in her shift. A blush rose up on her face, but before she could do anything, a heavy weight was draped across her shoulders. It was warm, and smelled like salt and ale. It must be the heavy coat she often saw the captain wearing.

With his grip no longer on her arms, his presence not so near, at least with this thick barrier between them, she felt like she could almost think again. Perhaps the ale was beginning to wear off. Which means she would worry, and fret, and concern herself with everything that would happen as a result of this... whatever this was anymore. Leaving the porthole she made her way to the table, trying to ignore the desire to talk to Clark, to be near him. It wasn't right and she couldn't process the meaning behind it. Before he could object, she poured herself a glass of wine and downed it. It filled her nearly empty stomach, she still hadn't eaten much other than a few fruits, and hopefully it wouldn't take long for her to feel the effects.

While waiting for that she made her way back to the bed, dropping down onto the not so plush mattress. the coat fell off her shoulders, a bit uncomfortable on her back but she didn't feel like moving. "You've ruined everything, you know. I was supposed to finally be able to go somewhere else, to see something new..." Her words slurred, a reminded of her inability to hold her drink.

===

The gentle hum worked to help calm him, lulling him into a sleep. Rarely did he managed to fall asleep without being completely drunk or worn out after bedding a woman. He supposed there was a first for everything. "I'm trying." He muttered, trying to sound annoyed but he failed at it. "It'd be easier if this didn't hurt so damn much..."

Yet despite his protests, it didn't take long before he was out, a few snores escaping him.

Clark made a small smile. "Not many of us pirates know how to swim either. You'd think it's funny, how seasoned sailors like us don't actually know how to keep ourselves afloat on her without our ships," he laughed, the notion almost hard to believe. Of course, he and his crew had been tossed off a ship once or twice but they always seemed to have a stroke of luck in these waters. Pirates looking after their own and themselves or something of the sort. He felt better once Rose kept the coat on, at least for a little while, before she jumped in the bed. The ale probably was waning.

Before he could be satisfied with that judgment, Rose went and drank a glass of wine. One from the bottle he had opened for himself. A little rude, considering he meant to finish off the whole thing himself, but everything that the princess did seemed to make him laugh. What an interesting, little creature. He made his way to the bed and sat alongside her, looking over her face for the umpteenth time that day. Why couldn't he get tired of looking at her? He readjusted his coat on her, so that it fully covered her, including her shoulders. "You're still seeing something new. Not many people get the chance to get on my ship," he joked.

Ariel was satisfied with the fact that he was able to get to sleep. She quickly got up, called for Davey outside to get her a new bucket of water and some of the good ale, finally entrusting him where she'd been hiding them. She told him to help himself to some, as repayment. Once they were left alone, she stood by the door, looking around. There wasn't much in the room she could use as some sort of weapon, just in case something went wrong. But she so desperately wanted to see what the deck looked like, what the rest of the ship looked like. A day or so on the ship and all she knew of it was the captain's quarters, Gerard's, the kitchen, and where they stored the hauls. Shaking her head, and not giving it much thought, she left his room.

Ariel balled up her fists as she walked right past some of the crew, a few of them taking an early snooze while others had dice among themselves. There were a few tugs on her skirts but she didn't pay that much attention and even threatened to step on their hands so hard their fingers would break, which only elicited laughter and some more whistles from them. Men. She made her way to the deck, the salty air hitting her hard. True, she had spent some time on the royal ship's deck, but every ship has character. Ariel had to admit, the captain did pick a fine, weathered one. She made her way to the stern, passing by mopping young boys and the wheel, only to be greeted by the setting sun. She hadn't realized a day had already passed, which meant lesser time for her to get acquainted with him.

Rose wanted to protest when he wrapped the coat tighter around her. Wasn't it just as warm in the room for him as it was for her? She swatted at his hand and pushed the coat off her shoulders, oblivious to how exposed she may be in her linen shift. All she knew was that it felt cooler and she liked it. "Yes, yes. A ship. But when all this is over, I'll probably end up back at the castle once more, and perhaps for the rest of my life..." The slurring wasn't so bad, but she hiccuped at the end and giggled about that fact. Apparently drinking made her laugh far more than she normally did, a fact she wasn't all too fond of. Yet she didn't feel so concerned, so... anything. Perhaps ale was her answer to survival.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" She finally asked, narrowing her eyes at him. By now she managed to sit up, leaning herself against the wall and crossing her legs in front of her. A feat which took longer than it shoulder have, struggling with the material of the shift and resulted in her throwing her slipped across the room with a rather unladylike grunt.

===

Gerard was restless in his sleep, his chest burned and ached, his body felt like it was on fire, and his stomach was revolting against him. Only once in his life had he lost the contents of his stomach, after a particularly poor meal from a shady port tavern. Yet now he found himself rushing for the nearby chamber pot and throwing up. He had nearly missed, the pain in his body, the ache, too great to climb from the cot and the few feet across the planks. Was he dead? He felt like it. If he wasn't, he was sure he would be soon. Never before had he been in so much pain. Such a small wound had turned into a nightmare. More than likely he was sure it had become infected, it would probably rot from the inside out.

His throat was on fire and he needed water but Ariel was nowhere to be found. His attempts to crawl back to the cot failed, so instead he stretched out on the floor, closing his eyes and waiting for... something. Death, probably. It didn't take long before he slipped back into a restless sleep.

Clark was a little annoyed when she shrugged off the coat but he guessed that it was getting hot in the room already, what with the wine working its magic on her. She mentioned that she would probably just be stuck in another castle for the rest of her life, and he paused. If she spent nearly her whole life in there, being satisfied with whatever she was given, then why the need to see the world? He figured it was a question he would want to annoy her with later, when she was thinking more clearly. He got up and finished off the rest of the wine, looking over at her again just as she asked him the question.

"I've never seen royalty," Clark simply answered. "All I've seen were from illustrations and parades, and even then I couldn't see much." He made his way to the bed, squarely locking eyes with her. "You're pretty, Rose, do you know that?"

Ariel stayed there for a little while longer, taking deep breaths. The longer she stayed there, the longer her mind tended to wander so she decided to get back inside the cabin. Hopefully, Gerard didn't feel like he was dying without her watchful eye. She turned around, holding her sides, and was about to make her way back to his room if a couple of the crew hadn't blocked her way. They were all leering at her, as per usual. She looked at them squarely in the eyes and straightened herself. It looked like cold stares and a few threats weren't enough to keep them at bay. It was almost appalling when she learned that men liked that type of woman in the first place!

"You're in my way," she spat, nudging her way through the throng of men. She managed to push herself enough that they backed off. Ariel hadn't noticed how red-faced she got and how fast her heart beat until she reached his room. Davey looked at her, a questioning look on his face but didn't mention anything as he handed more water to her. She gave him a tired smile as she entered the room, pausing to see (and smell) newly made vomit on the chamber pot. Taking a deep breath, she set the water down and opened the porthole, hoping that the smell would go away eventually but she doubted it. With the water, she made some sort of concoction with some of the items she found in the chest. Hopefully to stave away the infection. It seemed as if he was getting worse.

Rose huffed, "I'm a princess, of course I'm pretty." She didn't say it in a way that was condescending, more just confident than anything. From what she knew, all royals were pretty, her brothers were handsome, her mother beautiful, her grandmother the same. There was an entire hall of portraits of ancestors who were attractive. Wasn't that just how it was? She didn't understand why he said it like she wouldn't know, like most of her life hadn't been based around how good she looked, how presentable, everything about her physically.

Not that she probably looked all that good now, she patted at her hair, the long braid was messy and loose, and she was without her gowns, powders, or anything that was part of her daily routine. Oh, she was worrying about gowns and hair, perhaps the ale was wearing off. That wasn't good, she didn't want to be worried, she just wanted to survive this week. "Is there anymore wine?"

===

He was vaguely aware of the cool breeze that hit his bare skin. It felt wonderful and his eyes flickered open as he tried to move towards it. His arms wobbled as he tried to drag his body there, wondering how he had gotten so weak. For a moment he focused on Ariel, she was busy doing something... had she been here the whole time? No, she wouldn't have left him on the floor. But then where did she go? Maybe the princess had needed her help...

"Ah, you have returned..." He mumbled, his words slurred as he spoke them. "Couldn't live without me?" He managed a short laugh, still able to flirt despite his horrid condition. He managed to drag himself to the porthole, pulling himself up and resting his head against the opening and breathing in as much fresh air as he could. It cooled his overheated skin, yet his body still felt like it was on fire.

(( Thanks for being patient!~ ))

Clark couldn't help but smile. He had to admit, it was a breath of fresh air how she knew that she was pretty. It was annoying when other women tried to pull such strings with him. At least put on an air of confidence, he thought, knowing that pretending seemed to be enough for him. He sighed and handed her a plate of fruits and some meats at her question of more wine. "Just filling up your stomach with such will fatten you up, and make you sickly. I'm sure you wouldn't want such a combination with how rocky this boat can get," he mused, getting a grape or two for himself. He sat in front of her, and looked out at the porthole.

"What are you going to do once you marry this person?"

Ariel couldn't help but laugh bitterly at his question. It seemed as if she couldn't live without him, at the moment anyway. Once she got her hands on any sort of formidable weapon... oh what was she thinking? She didn't even have proper training to defend herself, just a bold enough spirit. That would do half the job, at least. At that, she gave him the mug and urged him to drink it. "It doesn't look good," she muttered as she lightly pressed on the wound, pus starting to seep out instead of blood. This was bad. How could she have been so stupid? If only she hadn't left him alone like this.

"I don't want to lose you like this," she unconsciously told him, her mind racing at what she could do about it. If she left it alone like this, it could get worse. So she decided to keep doing what she was doing, dabbing ale instead of simply pouring it on the wound. It would hurt a lot more, and for longer, but the sight of the unknown substance scared her. It made her feel a pit in her stomach, as if she could feel his pain. "You're also heating up, fuck, shit-" Ariel continued to string curses as she looked in the chest for something, anything to stave off what was happening.

Rose frowned at the food put in front of her, it didn't look appetizing in the least, but she knew she needed to eat something. So far she had only snacked on a few fruits, perhaps now if she did the same it would be alright. With a delicate touch she picked at the fruits, eating small bites and only planning to eat enough to just fill her stomach a bit. His question made her pause, what did he think she would do? "If the prince is still willing to marry me, then we shall, and I will do my duty. I will run the household, provide him with an heir and children, and when the time comes, perhaps stand by his side as queen." She shrugged, wondering how he didn't know this. Other than the queen part, that was the duty of just about any woman to her husband. Royalty or not.

The effects of the wine and ale must be wearing off, as she was now feeling a bit more sleepy than anything else. Was that all that drinking did? Make the room spin for a few hours and then make her tired? She didn't understand why people drank it so often, then.

===

"Hey now..." He muttered, patting her on the cheek weakly. "I'm going to be okay, a bit of your doctoring, some sleep, and I'll probably be up and trying to seduce you in a few hours..." He attempted a laugh that came out as a ragged cough. He felt worse than he ever had before, he didn't even believe his own words, but she looked so worried, something he was used to. Whatever she had been doing hurt, the wound more tender than it had been before. Obviously infection had set in, he was sure not much could be done, other than letting his body fight it out.

When she left his side to look in the chest he managed to crawl and drag himself to the bed, pulling himself up the best he could. It took all his strength, but he made it. With a heavy sigh he flopped onto his back, breathing hard from the effort it took to get in bed. "Lass, isn't much you can do for me. Give me something to make me sleep, and let me body do what it needs to."

Clark thought about her answer for a while. It made sense, his own parents were a good example. Though, his mother worked at the shop as well as his father, but that and taking care of a child? It was almost terrifying, what with him wanting a life of not being shackled to anything, even a person. He picked off some of the food on the plate, not wanting to fill himself up with just wine this whole time, and looked over at Rose again. He could almost feel her drifting off, a side-effect of what drinking can do to a person. He got up, and nodded to the princess, telling her that he would be back in a little.

Clark got outside and breathed in the sea air. It was almost nighttime, and yet he hadn't heard a word from anyone about Gerard. A little worried, he walked over to his cabin and simply barged in to see Ariel letting him drink whatever. "How is he?"

Ariel tried to hide the smile that rose on her face at the mention of the seducing thing he'd been trying to work at this whole time. She couldn't. Frankly, anything else could distract her from whatever chances he had staying alive. She blanked out, staring at the chest's contents as he had tried to get back on his cot. She turned to look at him and could barely hear him telling her that there was nothing she could do. There had to be something, anything... Despite that, Ariel picked up a packet of chamomile and mixed it in with some water that was left over from what Davey had brought in. She knew that royalty liked their tea before bed, she hoped this was enough to work on him.

She walked over to him and helped him drink some of it, saying nothing. Maybe she needed to learn when it was time to step back before she got too invested. This could get her a chance to check up on the princess again. Before she could help him finish off the drink, the captain came in and asked her how Gerard was. "He's... managing. I've done the best I can."