Bondage (formerly Escape from the Obstinate Prince)

Ami felt as if the night would never end. After Jack woke her up, she couldn’t fall asleep. His breathing sounded labored and his condition pitiful.

She sat, with her arms around her legs, curled into a ball, watching Jack — making sure he didn’t die. As long as her gaze rested upon him, he couldn’t leave this world. He wouldn’t; not on her watch.

The rain stopped a few hours before, though the wind still howled.

At long last the sun started to peek over the horizon.

“Princess!” there was a precise knock on the door and a servant barged into the room.

Ami jerked her head up. She had just started to drift to sleep.

“The Master was informed by the doctor that Jack was not treated properly,” he said. “I have brought some yellow nectar with me. The Master says it heals blood fly infections.”

Hope surged through Ami. “Yes, please help him.”

Jack was still unconscious, his breath short and shallow.

“Can you open his mouth?” the servant asked. “I’ll pour it in.”

Ami quickly parted Jack’s lips and pushed his jaw down. Jack emitted a whine. The servant opened the flask and dribbled some of the yellowish colored fluids down his throat.

“Is he swallowing?” he asked.

Ami peered down his throat. “I think so.”

Jack started to cough, spitting out yellow liquid.

“Jack!” Ami cried. “You have to swallow it!”

He didn’t even open his eyes. He simply rested his head on the pillow and his lips parted a fraction of an inch.

“Try again,” she prompted the servant.

He poured some more into his mouth. This time Jack visibly swallowed the medicine.

“You should see results soon, and if you don’t,” he grimaced. “Then you are the only hope left for ransom money.”

He smiled and left, closing the door behind him.

“Insolent! I am not a money bag and you cannot just - use me for money!” she called after him.

“I used you for money.”

“Jack!” she whirled around. “You’re alright!”

He used his arms to push himself into a sitting position. “Did you even hear what I said?”

She squealed and knocked him over in a hug. “You’re alive!”

“Haven’t I always been?” he mumbled.

“Just barely,” her voice cracked and he felt something suspiciously wet splat onto his cheek.

“Could you get up? My back still hurts a bit. Still raw, you know.”

“Yes, of course,” she let go of him. “Let me see your back.”

He grumbled but did as she said.

“It’s going away. All I see are some pink scars.”

“What?”

Ami ran her hand over his back. “It was there this morning, I was sure of it.”

“What’s gone?” he peered over his shoulder, trying to get a glance at his disappeared injuries.

“The marks on your back where you got whipped,” Ami’s small fingers traced his baby scars.

“Stop it! That tickles,” he arched his back. “And they can’t be gone. Nothing heals that quickly.”

“This did.” She didn’t stop.

He glared at her.

She stopped.

“Jack! It was probably that medicine the Master gave you!” she drew her hand back as fast as snake strikes its prey.

“What? What’s wrong?” he turned around and reached over his back to touch it. “Am I dying?”

“No,” she nibbled on her fingernail, “you, you’re terribly alive.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” he grimaced.

“No, it’s just suspiciously magnificent.” She scrutinized it. “Are you going to sprout wings next?”

He gawked at her.

“I’m not serious, dope.”

He frowned.

She felt his forehead. He felt fine. “It doesn’t seem to be harmful.”

“What doesn’t?”

“The nectar.”

“What?” he yelled and jumped out of his bed. “What did that man give me? What did you let him give me?”

“A yellow substance that is supposed to heal you,” she backed up. “Is something wrong?”

“That stuff is evil! It stupefies you!” he squeaked. “I have been told of the yellow nectar of Svenland and it is used for making people act like a dull-witted fool! Barely comprehensive!”

“I’m sorry.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “But, at least you’re alive?”

“Ami!” he looked ridiculous in only his breeches. “Any minute I could start acting like a drunkard and do stupid things! I won’t be able to use my brain!”

“I don’t think that will happen and I have seen you drunk before,” she muttered.

His flame died and he looked at his feet like a puppy caught tracking mud into the house.

She stepped forward and lifted his chin. “I’m sure you won’t act like a drunkard. And certainly not the way you did before.”

“At least you have that to be grateful for.” Remorse was evident in his voice.

She wrapped her arms around his middle. “My only regret is that you still think my ideas of a God are foolish.” She looked up into his eyes and let go of him.

“Ami, I-” he stepped forward. He sighed.

She looked up at him, daring to hope that maybe he had changed. When he said nothing more she sat down on the bed and avoided looking in his direction.. The bed dipped. She glanced at him.

He changed the subject. “What happened last night? Was I dreaming the whole time?”

“I’m not sure.” she said.

“You seem so unaffected I have reason to doubt that I did anything but sleep,” he looked slightly repelled.

She didn’t enlighten him.

“Shall I repeat myself then, whether I said it last night, or only in my dream?” he asked, his eyes piercing hers.

“I don’t know if that’s necessary,” she turned away.

He turned her head towards him again. “I think I will.”

She closed her eyes and compressed her lips into a thin line. She could feel his warm breathing near her ear. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Though she had heard it before, she still flinched.

“Ami, open your eyes.”

She opened them and looked at him.

“Am I so revolting?”

“You know that’s not it, Jack-”

“Then if I told you that I believed in this God of yours, would you then let me take your heart?” he whispered.

She put a hand on his cheek. “Jack, I know you don’t. Saying you believe isn’t going to change anything.”

Hope being crushed was the whole of Jack’s expression. He clenched his jaw and stood up. “I don’t see why this has to be such a big deal! So what if I don’t believe? As long as we love each other do we need anything else?”

Jack felt depression seep into his soul like leaking oil. She never said she loved you, he breathed sharply through his nose. But she did kiss me.

Ami’s face displayed only misery.

Because you forced her. She never initiated it.

“Jack, you don’t understand!” she stood up as well. “It’s part of our faith. You can’t just pick and choose which parts you want to keep. If I had my way, we wouldn’t be married at all-”

Jack drew back and scowled.

“No, I don’t mean it like that, I meant that-”

“I think I know what you meant, Ami.” Jack took a few steps back. “I know that you treasure this God of yours above your own husband. And I think that’s all I need to know.”

“Jack! Would you stop it?” she took a step towards him. “Let me finish!”

She grabbed his face with her hands and looked straight into his eyes. “It is against all I believe in to be married to you, but I never said-”

Bang. The door swung open. Ami removed her hands and backed up.

“We’re moving out. This instant. Ships have been spotted a few miles off and we must make haste.”

Lars’s gaze roamed the room until it landed on the couple. Jack’s hand rested on Ami’s waist in a protective grasp. “Here’s a shirt for you, scum.” Lars tossed a threadbare wool shirt to Jack.

Jack grabbed it out of the air with one hand.

“Some guards will be back for you within a minute.” He slammed the door shut on his way out.

Silence filled the air. Jack pulled the shirt on over his head. “This is scratchy.”

“It isn’t silk, dear,” Ami commented, her face void of emotions.

“See, Ami? That is what I don’t understand! You talk as if I were dear to you, and yet you treat me as if I am but a mere stranger!” he ran a hand through his hair and his voice softened. “I do not understand your ways.”

“Just because I believe we shouldn’t be married, does not mean that I do not-”

The door opened again. Ami fell silent. Two guards appeared. “We are to escort Your Highnesses to the ship.”

Jack sighed. Ami stomped her foot on the floor. “Are we never to have a moment’s peace?”

“Hurry up now,” the guards ushered them out the door.

The guards hurried through the house with Jack and Ami close behind. Jack did not need any assistance, as the yellow nectar had healed him of all previous ailments.

They followed the path back to the ship. The briars had not been cleared (not that she expected them to be) and Ami’s feet objected to the harsh treatment.

“Hurry them up, guards!” Lars already stood at the top of the gangplank. “They’re making good speed. With this wind they shall catch up within the hour!”

The guards prodded Jack and Ami fast up the gangplank and onto the deck.

“Ouch! You needn’t poke a hole into me.” Jack glowered at the guards.

Lars shouted out orders. “Make haste! Those are the Kral’s ships!”

“Kral?” Ami murmured.

“King,” Jack glanced at Ami and stepped towards the edge of the ship.

“That’s a funny name.”

Jack didn’t reply to her. In fact, he did not talk to her at all for an hour. Or the hour after that.

“You are to be taken to your previous cell,” the sticky sailor that had dragged Jack before, now stood in front of both of them.

“Igor! I want the Princess put back in her former room.” Lars stood stiff at the ship’s wheel.

“Yes, sir,” he replied. “Come along, Prince. I’ll be back for you, dearie.”

Igor grinned at Ami. He revealed his grimy teeth, black tobacco juice oozing through the gaps. Ami glared at him, feeling a shiver run up her spine and tingle on her neck.

“I shall be quite glad when this affair is dealt with,” she closed her eyes. I don’t think I can stand this much longer. She turned back towards the rolling waves. Perverted sailors, a wicked pirate, and a husband who loves me. “What am I to do?”

“Get some rest, that’s what you should do.”

“Robert?” Ami looked the young man up and down. It was indeed Robert.

“Shh, not so loud. I shouldn’t be talking to you as it is. Suspicion is already arising,” he whispered.

“I’m afraid you aren’t making much sense.”

“Shh, now just listen. I’m on your side, but I-”

“Robert! Get away from the Princess. She is not tied to you any longer and you are supposed to be not talking to her,” Lars scrunched face fixated its little eyes on the two humans.

“Goodbye, Princess,” he said and backed up.

“But Robert…” Ami frowned.

“This way, Missy.”

Ami’s heart leaped. Igor stood behind her, his stale breath was humid and warm against her neck. He grabbed her arm and dragged her off to her bedroom.

“You have no right to man-handle me like such!” once she was inside her room, she yanked her arm out of his rough, sea-smelling hand, kicked him in the fat, jiggling stomach, slammed the door shut and slid the bar across the door. Now Igor wouldn’t intrude her private space.

She breathed a sigh of relief and buried her head in her hands. “Perhaps I shall soon be free from this horrid reality.”

“Ready the chase cannons!” Ami could hear Lars’s voice through the wooden walls of her bedrooms.

What?

She ran to the windows of her bedroom, unlatched it and stuck her head out.

Two cannon barrels peaked out below her. She glanced up. Out at sea, another ship trailed close behind the Valerie.

It wasn’t one of Rhone’s ships. She had seen too many models back at her palace to confuse it with one of her own. It wasn’t one of Carenthia’s either. It wasn’t nearly as tall as theirs and not so large.

Svenland. Ami drew her head back and slammed the window shut.

As she did so, two blasts shook the floorboards beneath her. She grabbed onto the windowsill to keep her balance.

A splash next to the Svenlandian ship signaled a miss. She didn’t see any other splashes and concluded that the Valerie had scored a hit.

“All hands on deck! Get the Princess down below!” Lars’s voice reeked with authority.

A knock landed on Ami’s door. “Princess, please open up.”

She opened the door. Robert stood in the doorway and grabbed her wrist. “We’re taking you into the brig. You’ll be safest down there.”

She looked back through her window. She was sure she could see the ship catching up. “What ship is it? If it’s Svenlandian why is it attacking Lars?”

“Hard to explain,” he said and opened the door to the brig. “In you get.”

She entered. He closed and locked it behind her.

Darkness enshrouded the musty brig.