“OF COURSE she’ll be fine. Damien don’t worry so much.” This time it was a feminine voice that perked up beside her.
“She’s been out for two days now. Did her wound get infected Marklin? Did one of her ribs puncture a lung?”
“Not that I am aware of.” This was a soft tenor’s voice coming from in front of her. “According to the tests run, she just has multiple abrasions upon her abdomen. Her corset managed to save her ribs from breaking.
‘Where am I? These voices must be from someone nearby but I don’t have the strength to move. My body’s gone numb. Did I drown? What’s going on…?’
Mumbling in her sleep Charlotte attempted to roll over to her side, only she realized that she couldn’t. A hand held a firm grasp on shoulder. She could tell that the owner had been holding her down for quite some time because of the sweat accumulating between their skins.
“Miss are you alright?” These people must not know who she was.
Groaning in protest, Charlotte forced her body and mind to rouse itself. She was not going to succumb to the darkness a third time. If she did there was no telling when she might wake up next.
“Where am I?” She mumbled hoping that a conversation would keep her awake. Using her other hand she kneaded her temples to stop the headache she had.
“You’re on The Division Miss. I’m Damien Drummond, the Lieutenant Commander and Navigator. The young lady next to me is Sarah Moreno. Tyler Marklin is in front of you. He helped tend to your wounds.”
She shook her head attempting to process the information. Where had she heard of The Division before? She remembered her father stating that some vessels that roamed the sea were mercenaries and pirates alike.
‘The Division does belong to the Drummond Clan, a well-known merchant liaison for The State. If I remember correctly, there were two heirs to the clan.’
“Who are you?” She cried out plucking her hand away from the mysterious male with the azure eyes. “Why are you so touchy feely?”
Sarah, the one who knew this would happen, grew tired of her loud voice. “Hey lady shut the hell up. We saved your sorry ass while it was sinking to the seafloor.”
Damien took this time to reach for Charlotte’s hand again showing intent of not harming her. “Miss calm down. We’re mercenaries and naval officers working together while scouring the seven seas in search of the same man that destroyed your hometown. Further, we have tact and class not resort to such perverted methods.”
Charlotte didn’t believe him necessarily. His choice in words was that of a merchant. Most pirates had that accent which was easily picked up by the ear. They were not dress slovenly or smelled of the typical alcoholic booze and they were relatively clean and spoke warmly. Still unsure, she was pondering whether she should accept their story or not. This could be another ploy by Zaine and Claire to get her to drop her defenses.
“You could be lying to me. I will not lower my defenses from such sweet talk from you, no matter how you cajole me.”
Damien just sighed and turned to the girl with the green eyes, “Get some food prepared for our guest, she must be hungry from all the bantering.”
Charlotte revolted at the idea, “I am not hungry!” But before she could say another word, her stomach growled.
“See, ‘told ya.” A smile played across Damien’s lips as he took up the stereotypical pirate slang. Her face flushed and her ears were tinged with red. It was both from embarrassment and anger.
That was when the door burst open to reveal two more people to the room. Aden and Xavier meandered their way in before stopping at the foot of the bed.
“Took her long enough.” The green-eyed one said with a scoff before turning to Damien. “What did she say?”
Sarah piped in from her spot. “The disgraceful git hates pirates, whoopee-do. We save her sorry ass and look what we get? You should have let her drown.”
Charlotte who didn’t take well to name calling retorted back. “Takes one to know one, you permed midget!”
“Oh hell no!” Sarah practically lunged at the girl.
Before things could get worse between the two of them Damien intervened by capturing Sarah’s writhing form within his arms and stepped away from the bed. Aden gave a dark look to the young maiden in bed while Damien was pulling Sarah away to the doorway.
“Alright that’s enough you two.” Damien spoke in a controlled voice as Sarah tried to claw out from his restraint.
“Are you trying to aggravate your injuries?” Aden directed his question with some authority to the girl in bed. When she did not have an answer he turned to Sarah.
“Sarah, go and cool down. Anna should have some food prepared in the Caboose.”
Sarah began to protest but Aden gave her the same dark glare. “Go. Now.” Without batting a lash she left the room, muttering that the hazel-eyed girl should have been left for dead.
The auburn haired girl muttered into her blanket that she wasn’t hungry, and the guy with the beanie stated with some satisfaction.
“Lady your stomach says otherwise. Fill ‘er up, you ‘ave a long journey ahead of ya.”
His blatant statement made her pout. “You cane take your food and shov’ it.” Charlotte resorted to using her own version of the pirate slang. She had seen enough pirates banter for an evening to imitate it quite well.
Damien gave a reassuring smile to Aden and Xavier, glad to see that the girl was raring for a fight already. He knew Charlotte would fit right in once she was better.
“Feisty one ain’t cha. Good enough, Aden?” The man with the moon and stars tattoo turned to the girl in question.
The male in question was still staring at her. “She’ll suffice.” Aden replied before turning to Damien. “Come to the hallway.” Directing him to the hall, the two left the room while Xavier stayed behind with the girl.
“My tone was that of an insult.” Charlotte said. Indignantly she continued. “It was not meant as a teasing affection for invoking a friendship.”
The Commander known as Xavier smirked before going forward to her side and grasping her hand (which Charlotte was abhorrent about). “I figured, but I tend to look at the brighter side of things. You’ll warm up to us. I think you’ll like the foods that Anna had prepared. Wouldn’t that be good?”
Then he looked in the corner of the room to see a humble boy with gauze wrapped around his forehead and arms. His glasses were still cracked, and he was sitting with a hunched back. “Why don’t you console the young lady, Marklin?” Xavier smiled.
Surprised, Charlotte peered at him. “I’ve been wondering for some time now but why does your name sound familiar?”
Tyler mumbled something before getting up from his spot. “I’m Tyler Marklin, and I was in town running an errand for my own Lady. Perhaps you know her?”
Charlotte merely shrugged not sure of who he was talking about. “If I had a name it would definitely help my memory.” Tyler smiled at her.
“Her name is Lady Oli-” Xavier interrupted him with the screech of his chair.
“Sorry Marklin, you guys can talk more leisurely later but can you please tell the miss that we’re not as bad as she claims we are?” The man with the tattoo smiled uncomfortably as the girl with the hazel eyes had been staring at him with a “get out” expression.
“We were actually saved by these men and I give my gratitude to them for allowing me sanction. I hope you may find it in your heart to do the same Miss?” Tyler Marklin paused unsure of her name.
“I’m Ch—Lottie—Lionsheart.” She then looked at the man with the beanie. “You are?”
“My name is Xavier Drummond. I used to be the Captain but lost my seat due to—political reasons—Anyway I’m now the Commander on this fine vessel. The girl who was just in here is called Sarah Moreno. Be wary, she can be very waspish.”
Charlotte nodded. She didn’t really like her that much as of yet. “She was a bit much, but I can see from her perspective too. Wait, did you say Moreno? We’re talking about the clan Moreno from the Trading Company Moreno, correct?”
Xavier nodded before continuing. “The very same, and the Blonde Demeuillien is my younger brother Damien Drummond. He’s a bit of a pansy, but he has a heart of gold. The guy with the green eyes is a Bherghen, Aden Summerfeld. He’s also my younger half-brother who took up my seat after I resigned it. He can be a prick but he has his moments of—” Charlotte was about to warn him about the foot connecting to his back, but did not know when to say so. Especially since the ones named Aden and Damien stood with icy glares behind them.
“What was that Xav, you want to die that badly?” The one with emerald eyes leered.
Damien pounded a fist into his open palm. “And I’m not a pansy either brother.”
Charlotte started to giggle. They all turned their attention to her even with a beaten Xavier beneath their feet. “Thank you for everything.”
Aden disregarded the guy at his feet before shrugging in a non-blasé motion. It was this that made Charlotte already thinking that this crew maybe was not so bad after all.
“All in the day’s work Pink.” He smirked his trademark expression right back at her and Charlotte paused. Pink?
She looked down at herself in confusion before looking back up at him. “Pink?”
He gave a smirk before pointing at the blanket she was laying under. Removing said blanket, she saw a huge square cut out from her dress and how it ran down to the front of her skirt showing her pink undergarments for the world to see. Damien and Tyler flushed a deep red before swiftly turning away and Aden just crossed his arms with smug continence. “You would think you’d have worn sexier lingerie or something. What are you, ten?”
Charlotte twitched her eye in irritation before swiftly grabbing the blanket to cover said underwear. When covered, she shrieked: “You pervert!!”
‘On second thought, I don’t like them.’
۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞ ۞
Tessa Renalds 