MAN OF WAR

4

Jade picked at the food on the platter beside her. She had been alone for hours. Since her attempt to escape, the Captain rose early the next morning and left her chained to the floor. She had expected him to return as he usually did to bring her food, but instead, when the door opened, a young cabin boy entered.

            He must have been about sixteen, a tall and gangly boy with blond hair and a frightened expression. He, like so many others, must have believed her to be a witch. Afraid that she would cast some spell on him and steal his soul. He had dropped the platter on the floor near her and kicked it closer then rushed out of the room. She supposed his fear was preferred to his lust.

            For three more days, this was the norm. Titus rose early and left Jade alone on the floor without so much as a word to her. A few hours later, the young cabin boy nervously brought her food and water then again later in the day. She would then spend many hours alone in the stateroom with nothing to do and no one to talk to. She was left with nothing but her thoughts and her fears of the future. Jade felt helpless soon. They would make port, and she would be sold off. Late in what she could only assume was night, Titus would return. He would not speak to her, only crawl into his bunk and go to sleep. She had the feeling he was trying to avoid her.

            On the fourth day, Titus rose and left the stateroom as usual, and Jade paced the limited space the chains would allow for some exercise. She was waiting for the cabin boy to arrive when she felt the floor shift and pitch oddly beneath her feet. She held tight to the chains to keep her balance. They must have been docking, she realized; they had reached their destination. Fear gripped Jade forming a lump in her belly.

            She looked around the room, desperate to get away, but seeing no means to do so. She looked across the room and saw her bodice still laying on the floor out of reach. She still looked a wreck. She could feel the ship come to a slow stop, and after that, she watched the door expecting it to open, but it remained closed. It was a long time of waiting before she heard it… footsteps.

            Jade held her breath as she listened to the heavy footsteps grow closer to the door. She heard the brass key in the lock, and the door opened. The first mate entered the room and looked at her. His expression turned lustful when he saw her ravaged state. Jade pulled back to escape him and came to the end of her chains. Her back against the wall as he came at her with that brazen smile. “‘Tis time to sell the Captain’s w***e,” he mocked, unlocking her chains from the iron ring on the floor. Affronted, Jade lashed out, slapping the first mate across the face and scratching him. Enraged, he grabbed her by the hair and gave her a shake dragging her out of the stateroom.

            He pulled her through the ship and above deck. Jade closed her eyes when she came into the sun. Six days below deck, her eyes needed to adjust to the brightness. She opened her eyes and held up her hands to block the bright sun. She could see the other prisoners being ushered down the gangplank and tied to a long rope, which was, in turn, tied to the back of a group of horses. She did not see Miya anywhere.

            “Move it!” The first mate growled, shoving Jade so hard she fell over, landing on her hands and knees on deck. She looked at the set of boots that stepped in front of her, and her gaze travelled slowly up his tanned britches to the extended hand offered to assist her to her feet.

            “Gulliver, we do not wish to damage her before we reach court,” the Captain said, taking Jade by the hand and helping her to her feet.

            “She is being disagreeable, Captain,” the first mate argued.

            “That is no reason to be a brute. We are gentlemen aboard this ship,” Titus scolded.

            “Aye, Sir. Sorry, Sir,” Gulliver said with a respectful nod.

            “I will take her from here. Make sure the men staying behind understand their assignments. I want this ship fully stocked when we return.”

            “Aye, Captain,” the first mate said, walking away.

            Jade stared up at Titus as he held her chin lightly between his fingers. His expression was soft and kind. “Are you alright?” He asked. Jade nodded. She was as fine as she could be under the circumstances. “Come,” he said softly, leading her toward the gangplank. Titus took Jade off the ship, and they walked along the dock to where the horses were being readied. “She will be tied to my horse,” he ordered the crewman as he unlocked her chains.

            Jade was free for but a second as the other man began to tie a length of rope around her wrists. Jade felt a familiar sensation, a quiver deep inside her, the feeling her people all had when one of their own was near. It was like a warning system, silently alerting each other to the presence of another. Jade turned and saw Miya being brought off the dock and led to the horses. He saw her too and broke off from the crewmen holding him as did Jade.

            She ran to her brother, and Miya lifted his arms still bound at the wrist and brought them down around her, hugging Jade tightly as happy to see her as she was to see him. “Are you well?” He asked, looking at her state of undress, her long hair flowing loosely, her bodice missing. “Have they mistreated you?”

            “The Captain is utterly frustrating,” she said, lifting her hands to touch the shallow cut across his cheek. “You have been hurt.”

            “It is nothing,” Miya assured her, hugging Jade tightly and kissing her forehead as the crewmen tried to pull them apart. She felt two hands take her by the waist and pull her from her brother’s loving arms as he was dragged over to another horse and tied to a long line with the other men. “Take your damn hands off her,” Miya yelled back.

            Jade looked over her shoulder to find Titus ushering her toward his horse. “You will travel with me,” he ordered, climbing up into the saddle. He leaned way over and wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting Jade up onto the horse in front of him. Nestled snugly in his lap, his arms around her holding on to the reins, Titus looked back to see if all was ready. The prisoners were secured, a handful of his men were mounted. Titus then dug his heels into his horse’s sides and spurred the beast forward.

            His horse led the way at a steady pace. They travelled through the small coastal town and up the winding dirt road leading into the woods. Jade shifted uncomfortably. The horn of the saddle was digging painfully into her thigh. She could not get comfortable. She shifted and wiggled, trying to relieve her discomfort. She heard Titus groan quietly as if in some form of pain. “Sit still,” he warned her.

            “I am uncomfortable. The saddle is poking me,” she complained.

            “That will not be your only concern if you do not sit still,” Titus said sternly. Jade recognized the heated look in his dark eyes from the other night. It was the same look he had the night he had kissed her. When he had touched her and made her feel so mad with untold sensations. The very memory of what he had done to her brought heat to her cheeks. She became very aware of how indecently close they were and the growing hardness beneath her bottom. She became alarmed once she realized he was becoming aroused.

            “I wish to walk,” Jade insisted, desiring to put distance between the two of them.

            “I doubt very much that you could keep pace with the horses. I have no intention of having you slow us down,” Titus said, offering her a cocky smile. “But if you so wish, you may ride with one of the other men,” he suggested.

            Jade leaned back slightly and looked back at the other men. Each looked as if they were incapable of keeping their hands to themselves. She most certainly did not wish to ride with one of them. “No,” she protested.

            “Then sit still and behave yourself,” Titus warned. She did as she was told and sat as still as she could. Jade could see Miya tied to the line behind another horse along with three other men. Her brother was watching them closely; his eyes narrowed with disapproval. Titus had noticed Miya’s displeasure as well. “Your man disproves of you riding with me,” Titus observed.

            “He believes you intend to ravage me,” she said with a glare.

            “Perhaps I do,” he grinned wickedly, his threat creating a strange warmth between her legs. Titus shifted in his saddle so she could more fully feel his arousal pressed firmly against her bottom.

            Offended, Jade pounded her bound hands against his chest. “You brute,” she growled. Titus only laughed and leaned into her, his lips capturing hers in a dominating kiss. His men were laughing at her expense. She could hardly hear them as his tongue invaded her mouth and demanded a response from her. She felt her pulse flutter as his kiss stoked a fire within her. He broke the kiss, a flame burning in his dark eyes.

            Coming back to her senses, she heard Miya yelling at Titus, while his men laughed and cheered him on with lewd comments. Her face flushed hot with humiliation. Titus looked over his shoulder and shot Miya a triumphant grin, and Jade realized the whole display had been purely for her brother’s benefit. He had been trying to incite her brother’s rage. “You should not provoke him,” she warned.

            “Is it my fault he is easily made jealous?”

            “He loves me,” she snapped, watching the Captain’s face turn harsh. “He would die for me.”

            “And you for him?” He asked.

            “In a heartbeat,” she snarled quietly.

            Titus glowered at her with annoyance, his voice low so no one beyond the two of them could hear the words he spoke next. “If you love the man so deeply, then why were you so ready to give yourself to me the other night? Had I not stopped myself, I would have deflowered you,” Jade gasped, surprised by what he had said. Titus smiled at her reaction. “Oh yes, love, I could tell you are a stranger to a man. I question your love for him.”

            She narrowed her eyes, annoyed with his accusation. “Despite your opinion of me, I do love him, and there is nothing you or anyone else can do to come between us.”

            She had made him angry as he scowled at her. Titus kicked his heels into his horse’s side and urged it into a quick trot. “Pick up the pace,” he called back to his men. Titus did not say another word to her as they rode through the woods. The wide trail cut through the trees providing a direct route to the Kumun capital.

            They had been travelling for a few hours when the trees cleared, and a grand palace was in sight. Jade could not believe her eyes. The palace was enormous and extravagant. It was utterly breathtaking with alabaster stone walls and towers with polished jade conned rooftops that stretched high into the sky. She could see many levels of grand gardens and stone terraces. Ivey crept up the walls with violet blossoms. Jade had never been to such a place like this in her lifetime. Her people tended to stay away from heavily populated areas in order to remain undetected.

            The road toward the palace was lined by many farms — small huts with grass roofs filled with peasants and farmers. Gathering along the road, the residents cheered the men on the horses and booed, spat, and assaulted the bound men on the line, calling them traitors. Jade saw one woman throwing rotten food, hitting her brother in the head. Another man kicked him, knocking him to his knees. She watched as he had difficulty getting back up onto his feet as the line continued moving, dragging him along as the peasants continued yelling vile, hateful things at him.

            “Stop it!” Jade yelled, trying to get free from Titus’ hold.

            “Sit still, or you will fall,” he ordered.

            “Make them stop,” she begged, watching the abuse. “Please, I beg of you, make them stop.”

            “They are traitors; they deserve far worse.”

            “Have you no mercy?”

            “I let them live, that was my mercy,” Titus argued.

            Jade looked back at her brother holding his arms up to shield his face from flying food and rocks. She could not bear to see him being attacked and so helpless. She needed to do something. “I will do anything if you just prevent this. Anything you ask,” she promised, looking into his heated eyes. “Please stop this,” Jade pleaded.

            Titus stared into her eyes for a long time and then spoke quietly. “If you double-cross me, I shall make you regret it,” he brought his horse to a stop and slid down from the saddle. He drew his sword and stalked around his prisoners, warding off the peasants. “This will stop right now. I will not be having anyone damaging valuable property. Or should I tell the Emperor you all are responsible for the damage to his new slaves?” He asked loudly, watching the crowd nervously backing off. No one wanted to earn the Emperor’s wrath. “I thought not,” he said, sheathing his sword and climbing back into his saddle, he urged the animal forward.

            “I thank you,” she whispered, grateful for his intervention.

            “You will,” he promised. It only took a few moments to reach the fifty-foot gate to the city — two massive jade stones doors, meticulously carved with images depicting the lineage of the Emperor and his ancestors. The gates opened on to a small city worth of row dwellings that housed the Emperor’s fighting men and their families. There was a large courtyard surrounded by beautiful flowers and a high outer wall that protected the city within. The Imperial city was magnificent.