Pirate Prince

Part 5

Posted: March 2003
Author: Estella Greenleaf

*****

Karl awoke at the first light of dawn with David sleeping peacefully in his arms. The serene, vulnerable expression on the Naval Officer's face compounded the guilt the pirate felt. It did not matter that David was willing; what counted was Karl had no right to take advantage of the other man's gratitude. The captain knew he owed the young officer an explanation and an apology; but he could not face the object of his desire now. He needed to calm his raging emotions for the beautiful young man as well as his overwhelming shame before their `conversation'.

Gently disentangling himself from David's warm embrace, the pirate got dressed for the day. Turning to look upon his beloved Naval Officer one last time, he memorized every detail of David's gorgeous form before leaving the room. He knew it would be the last time he would have the privilege to behold this heavenly sight.

*****

Orli had finished the predawn drills early to make time to visit Karl's `mystery guest'. Those two were not exactly very discreet in conducting their `activities' last night. The first-mate bet half the ship could hear them. But that was the least of the young man's concerns. What troubled him was his captain's strange behavior. To say Orli found what happened last night inexplicable was an understatement. He even doubted his own ears when it first started.

The first-mate knew that rape was something his captain was incapable of. Karl was not one to take advantage of people, not even if the said person was David – a despised enemy. That led to the logical deduction that the tactician had come to Karl's bed willingly, trading his desirable body for favors that only his captain could provide. Orli could believe that. It was something he would do if he were in David's situation. But that left the question of why his gallanted friend gave in.

The young man still remembered the incident ten years ago that told him Karl would never take up the Naval Officer's offer. Orlando had only been on board the Revenge for three months; but within that short period, Karl been so kind to him that he wanted to do something to repay the pirate. As he had nothing else of value to give, he decided to offer himself to his captain. Orli had sneaked into Karl's room while the other man was still on deck. Removing all his clothes, the naked beauty waited in his savior's bed. Karl's ravenous expression when he first saw the seductive `temptress' was priceless. But instead of giving in to his lust, the older man draped some sheets over the naked boy and told him this was not what he wanted. Karl wanted Orli to be happy; and if the young one wanted to show gratitude, he should live his life to the fullest, not offer his body to others as coin.

Orli was certain his captain knew of David's intentions; Karl was too decent to allow the other man to go through with degrading himself, even if the officer was an enemy. The young man was thinking how things did not make sense when his older friend stormed past, entirely unaware of his presence. For the brief moment that his captain's face was visible, Orli could see the guilt and shame marring Karl's handsome features. It would seem the tactician had done what the young first-mate could not. David had managed to break Karl's iron resolve and charmed the pirate into bed despite his principles. The young man considered going to comfort his captain before deciding to confront the scheming tactician first. He knew his words would not lessen Karl's guilt; but he could make David pay dearly for hurting his dearest friend and savior.

*****

What Orli found in the bedroom was hardly what he expected to see. He did expect the tactician to still be in bed; what he did not anticipate was the content smile on the Naval Officer's face. The scene felt so familiar; and his heart immediately recognized David's expression was the same as his own when he slumbered in Viggo's embrace. Though it seemed rather unbelievable that the young officer had tender feelings for Karl, part of Orlando knew it was the truth. All the pieces of the puzzle would fall perfectly into place if his friend and David were in love but believed their feelings to be unrequited.

Orli was of a mind to wake the Naval Officer to `discuss' the situation when the slumbering beauty shifted towards Karl's side of the bed, instinctively seeking the pirate's warmth. Now, the young man was quite certain that David was in love with his captain. As the other man's eyes flickered open, startled by Karl's absence, Orli knew it was up to him to play matchmaker for the couple. The officer's expression told the young man all he needed to know. From the sadness and resignation in David's eyes as he regarded the emptiness beside him, Orli could tell the tactician had expected his lover to leave him; but the reality of Karl's departure still hurt more than the officer imagined possible.

The young first-mate considered announcing his presence to offer comforting words to his captain's lover. But he knew David had no reason to believe him. The couple had so many logical reasons to believe their feelings were not mutual. One was a pirate, the other a Naval officer; David's father murdered Karl's entire family, and Karl was responsible for David's father's death. They had every reason to be enemies; they would not believe Orli even if the young man told them the obvious truth that they were in love with each other.

Conversation would be useless in this case; they would just put up shields around their hearts and deny everything. Orli needed something better – a situation where both would be forced to admit their feelings in front of each other. Smiling deviously as befitting the first mate of the Revenge, the young man sunk deeper into the shadowy corner of the room and watched in silence as the heart-broken Naval Officer left. Now was time to begin setting the stage for his `master-plan'.

*****

David returned to find his older friend pacing worriedly in the confines of their room. Well, it seemed that he had gotten Viggo to MOVE since the day Orlando left; that was quite an accomplishment. But the tactician was too hurt from his one-sided crush on Karl to be excited about this minor victory. At the moment, all he wanted to do was to curl up in bed and never get up. However, his state of dress, or more appropriately – undress, was not lost on his protective friend.

"What happened?" thundered the General, assuming the worst as he noted David's torn uniform, which was of course logical under the circumstances.

"Nothing," lied the young man as he attempted to climb the ladder to get into bed.

"Dave, whatever happened, you can tell me; I can help," begged Viggo sincerely as he caught the younger man's arm. He could tell something was wrong with his friend even in his own depressed state.

"Don't worry, Vig. I'll be fine. You can't help me this time," sighed David, turning to look at the older officer, giving him a sad smile.

Though Viggo wanted to get to the bottom of his friend's trouble, he knew pressing David would be useless. The tactician would just change the topic and lead him round in circles. He would have to wait until the younger man was ready to talk. Reluctantly, he let go of his friend's arm and smiled back, "All right. But if you want to talk, I am here for you."

"Thanks, Vig," answered the young officer as he moved onto the upper bunk and lied down to stare aimlessly at the ceiling. Now he understood how much it pained his friend to see Orlando leave; because now, he felt the same way.

*****

It was a good thing Karl spent the rest of the day in a daze. It made Orli's job of scheming behind his back much easier. The first-mate had disclosed his plans to the crew concerning their captain and David. If the pirates had any objections to Karl being together with a Naval Officer, they kept it to themselves. It was partly because they feared the young man; but the main reason was that they all knew no one was more protective of their captain than their first-mate. If David had Orli Bloom's approval, he had theirs. They trusted the dark-haired youth's judgment explicitly. So it was that the crew of the Revenge all `conspired against' their captain for the first time in the history of the ship. They could only hope their effort would not be wasted, that tonight Karl would find a lover worthy of his affections.

*****

David had been staring at the note for some time. He considered not going, since he was unsure if he could keep his sadness and love a secret from the perceptive pirate. And the last thing he wanted was for Karl to know how he felt. He could not bear to hear the chivalrous captain reject him gently with pity in his voice. But at the same time, he knew he could not refuse Karl this opportunity to `set things right' between them.

The young officer did not wish to be like Viggo, grieving in silence over the loss of a lover, hoping there was still a chance for redemption. David would rather face his demons head on; he wanted closure, even if it would break his heart into a million pieces. He needed to hear Karl say what happened last night should never have happened; it was the only thing that could stop him from foolishly dreaming of a future together with his pirate prince. Steeling his heart and putting on his best `cool and collected' expression, David made some excuse to leave Viggo before going on deck to meet his beloved pirate.

*****

Karl knew it was time to face what he dreaded this whole day. He needed to apologize to David and beg for forgiveness. He wanted to come as soon as he finished the final check of the ship for the night, but he was detained by their doctor and cook who wished to discuss issues concerning their supplies on board. Usually, Orli would take care of these details; but his young first-mate, being more affected by his problems with Viggo than he pretended, had forgotten to see to these minor aspects of his duties.

Taking a deep breath, the captain motioned to the guards to open the door. To his surprise, the younger officer was not in the room. "Where is David?"

"He went to get some fresh air," replied Viggo, suspicion clear in his voice. He knew his visitor's voice. It belonged to the `Dread Pirate Roberts'. What could the captain of the Revenge possibly want with his friend? If he had not been wallowing in his own misery for the past three days, he might be able to venture an educated guess. But as Orlando had dominated his mind since the day he left, Viggo could only give Karl an answer, hoping the other man would give him some information in return.

"I see. Can you ask him to come see me when he returns?" asked the pirate softly, wondering if David was deliberately avoiding him. He knew the young officer was very intelligent. It was likely that he had guessed that Karl would come to his room tonight.

"And why do you want to see him?" inquired the General bluntly as diplomacy was not his type of game. He had no doubt it was Karl's fault that David had returned this morning looking sad and troubled. He wanted to know what Karl did to determine if he needed to pummel the pirate.

The captain responded casually, "It really isn't your business," before turning away to leave.

At the superior tone of the pirate's voice, Viggo lost his composure and rushed the other man. He was now certain Roberts had raped his friend and was returning for more. Now that Orlando had left, Viggo did not have much to live for. He did not mind dying, but he would drag this monster who defiled his friend with him.

Karl did not need any more incentive to fight back, landing his own blows on the one who broke his little Orli's heart. Of all people, Viggo had no right to judge his actions last night; at least, Karl cared about David and never meant to hurt him; at least, he was here to apologize and seek redemption! In the heat of battle, what his lover told him last night about Viggo had escaped his mind.

As the general took a stranglehold on his neck from behind, the pirate instinctively knew his two choices were killed or be killed. Karl forcefully rammed his elbow into the other man's side, causing Viggo's hold to loosen slightly. Taking advantage of the increased maneuvering space, the pirate shifted and brought his foot behind the older officer's and kicked him. Spinning nimbly out of the way as Viggo fell, Karl now had the upper-hand, fully intended on ending the general's miserable existence with the next blow.

*****

To say the guards were disturbed by the noise within the room was an understatement. But they were under Karl's expressed instruction not to interfere. As much as they were worried about their captain's safety, they could not go inside. And there was the small matter that Karl was running late. Orli expected them to do their part in sending their leader on deck to rescue David almost ten minutes ago. They were sure that their first-mate could improvise and handle the glitch in his `master plan', but the young man would not be pleased if the captain were delayed here much longer.

After a loud collective sigh, they decided they would just have to `whisper' very loudly and hoped their captain could hear them inside the room despite the ruckus. "That brat will get what's coming to him soon enough."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Orli is going to show him his place," laughed another.

"Bet he won't dare show his face ever again in public, when our sweet, little first-mate is through with him," agreed a third.

*****

The guard's loud chatter had reached the ears of both combatants who were currently trying their best to kill each other. Karl's hands were wrecking Viggo's neck, while the dark-haired man retaliated by trying to break the pirate's ribs and choke him with his legs. But the crew's words had piqued their curiosity as well as aroused their protective instincts. As Karl loosened his grip on Viggo, the other man returned the favor. Swiftly, the captain and general walked to the door. In his most authoritative voice, Karl demanded, "Open the door at once."

His command was promptly answered; revealing two very peeved looking men inside the small room. "What's going on?" hissed Karl, glaring at his crew.

"Nothing," they all lied in unison, looking appropriately shocked and scared. They expected their captain to be angry, but not THAT angry. They had never seen Karl so intimidating before, almost as scary as Orli with an icy smile.

"Do you know lying to the captain is punishable by death?" threatened Karl, tone low and dangerous.

Nervous, they shifted on their feet, casting sidelong glances at each other. They needed to sound convincing; and it would not be so if they just tell the `truth' outright. At last, one of them answered in a fearful voice, "Orli will kill us if we say anything."

"I will kill you if you don't," whispered Karl in a voice to let the other pirates know he was serious.

At that very moment, the pirates decided their captain was more frightening than their first-mate. This was a side of Karl they hoped they would never see again after tonight. "Orli just wanted to teach that Naval Officer a lesson, that's all," stammered the three men together.

"Where are they?"

"On deck. But…." The pirates did not even have time to finish their answers before their captain rushed off to save his beloved from his best friend. Following closely in his footsteps, Viggo too ran onto deck. He could not believe his Orlando was capable of harming anyone. He needed to see with his own eyes that what the pirates' said was not true.

*****

The tactician was surprised to find Orli waiting for him, malice shining in those feral dark eyes. "Hello, Dave," said the first-mate casually.

Venom interlaced with the words clearly such that the greeting sent shivers down the Naval Officer's spine. Immediately, David knew this young beauty before him was a thousand times more dangerous than the sweet, chivalrous `Dread Pirate Roberts'. Surveying the area cautiously, the officer was dismayed to find the deck deserted. Suspecting a trap, the tactician asked quietly, "Where is Karl?"

The young first-mate laughed; the sound so icy and cruel that made David wondered if this was the same person Viggo fell in love with. "If you are referring to the little note you received this afternoon, I sent it."

"Why?" asked David as he began to slow back away from the young man. He was very far from the stairs that led below deck. Escape would not be easy; Orli had picked the location well.

Karl was supposed to be here by now, rushing to stand in front of David to protect him. Orli paused for a little moment as he glanced at the stairs, making sure he seemed nonchalantly enough that the officer would not discover all this was just an act yet. But there was still no sign of his captain; it seemed he would have to improvise. The young man knew there was one act that could faze even the cool tactician, a trick that would definitely bring out the vulnerability behind David's careful cultured mask. This was much further than the first-mate wished to take this charade, but it was too late to turn back.

"You see, I kind of like the sounds you make in bed. I thought I will give you the opportunity to make them for me," replied Orli with a predatory gleam in his eyes as he gracefully glided closer to the officer. The young beauty knew the look of pure carnal lust well; it was something he memorized, an expression he was subjected to for three years of his childhood. The first-mate knew his act was extremely convincing; maybe even Karl would be fooled, though he hoped his captain would understand him better than that. It would not do for Karl to shoot him on sight for touching David before he got a chance to speak.

*****

This could not be happening; Orlando and Viggo were in love with each other. The young first-mate could not possibly mean what he just said. This had to be a trick. But there was no denying the menace in the pirate's voice or the arousal in his tight breeches. It would seem that Orli had every intention of raping him. "It's not what you think," stammered David, flustered under the heat of the pirate's gaze. He had never been looked at like a morsel of meat for the taking before. It made him slightly sick in the stomach.

"No? I have ears, Dave. I know you whored yourself to Karl thinking it will help you escape. But what you don't realize is that though Karl is the captain, I am the one who is effectively in charge. You should have come to me instead, beautiful," said Orli, an icy smile frozen on his face, now only a few inches away from the officer.

Inwardly, the first-mate was screaming, wondering where was his older friend. Forcing his body to react to David was difficult enough. After Viggo, the young man never wanted to be with anyone else. He had vowed that he would spend the rest of his life alone. He knew there was a good chance that he would be sick if he had to kiss the other man. Silently, he prayed that his captain would come rushing in at this very moment to save them both from this act gone horribly wrong. But his prayer was not answered. He would have to play his part and fight the bile that rose in his throat at the thought of what he must do.

"I…." David's protest was cut short when the pirate crushed their lips together in a bruising kiss.

The officer tried to struggle, but Orli anticipated his moves and easily captured his hands. Breaking the kiss, the dark-haired man spun the blonde one around and twisted his arms behind his back, securing his wrists with a coil of ropes that was lying on the ground. Chuckling softly, the pirate shoved the now helpless David against the railings and pressed himself flush against the officer's back.

"You smell nice," commented Orli as he leaned closer to breathe on David's ears. The young man was glad the officer could not see his expression for he was about to gag. Before he met Viggo, this act would have been easy. Now, the simple thought of touching someone he did not love made him sick. He could not go any further in this scheme; but it would be strange for the aggressor to be nauseated in an attempted rape. That was why he manipulated their position so David could not see his eyes or face. From here on, all he could do was buy time with taunts that made David believe he would go through with his crime.

The tactician knew struggling was pointless. Before, he would have made the best out of the situation and submitted to Orli, hoping this incident would bring discord between the first-mate and captain of the ship. But now, being in love with Karl, David could not bring himself to betray his feelings. Instead, he tried to fight the young man with all his strength. "Let go of me!"

"Come on now. The role of innocent victim really doesn't suit you," taunted the dark-haired pirate as his hands moved to touch David's still clothed chest. The fact that the other man was still clothed did not seem to matter to his treacherous heart or body as Orli fought another wave of nausea assaulting his senses. He could not play this role of sexual predator much longer; it brought back too much memories, pain buried deep down inside the young man's scarred psyche. All Orli could do now was hope that Karl would come soon, before all he worked for came to naught.

Orli's words struck deep inside David's heart. Shame and hurt swelled inside the officer as he thought of how he had given himself to Karl even though the other man did not love him. The first-mate was right; he was not much better than a whore. Tears now trickled freely down his face, David sobbed in a broken voice, "Please stop…"

*****

It was at this moment that Karl rushed onto the scene. Viggo stood at the top of the stairs, frozen in shock and disbelief at the sight of his beloved trying to force himself on his helpless best friend. Without thought, the older pirate grabbed his friend, pulled him away from David and punched him hard on the side of his head. Ignoring the fallen young man, Karl untied the crying officer and gathered him into his arms. Placing his head atop David's, he whispered soothingly, "Everything will be all right. I won't let anyone hurt you."

David responded by cuddling closer to the captain as he buried his tear-streaked face in Karl's chest. Holding the sobbing and shuddering officer in a firm embrace, the older pirate turned towards his protégé. "What do you think you are doing?" His voice was low; but the danger in it was unmistakable. Karl was going to seriously harm Orli for touching his beloved. He would have done much worse when he first came upon the scene. But luckily for the young man, the captain was so angry that he had forgotten he had a pistol and had charged Orli, hitting him with his bare hands instead.

"You hit me," whispered the young man in shock, staring at his captain, fighting tears that were attempting to surface. He could not cry over Karl's mistrust in him now. It was not part of the script. Mustering all his strength to sound indignant, Orli accused, "You hit me over a stupid whore!"

Sensing David cringe in his arms, the captain narrowed his eyes at the young man, "That's enough, Orli," warned Karl softly. He had loved the dark-haired beauty like a little brother; but there was no excuse for what Orli tried to do. Though Viggo had hurt the young first-mate deeply, he had no right to take it out on David. The incident with the general must have pushed the normally cynical young man over the edge to become a cruel, dangerous beast whose mind dwelled only on taking revenge.

"God, Karl, you sounded like you are in love with him," remarked Orli, voice full of contempt as he gingerly touched the side of his face. He knew it would be swollen by the morning, but it was a price worth paying to see Karl happily in love.

"I…." Karl caught himself before he finished his sentence. He could lie and everything would be finished between himself and David; life would return to normal. But looking at the blond beauty in his arms, he knew he could not. It would not only be self-denial; it would denigrate what happened last night. He could not allow David to think of himself as nothing more than Karl's sex-toy for one evening. Even if the officer and Orli laughed at his stupidity and romantic ideals, he would not let his beloved degrade himself in such fashion. Holding Orli's eyes with an intense gaze, the older pirate announced, "I care about David. And what happened last night meant a lot more to me than pure physical gratification."

David could not believe his ears when he heard his beloved Prince's words. Karl cared about him! Daring to raise his head to look at his pirate, he was surprised to find the man holding him was none other than the handsome rogue he fantasized about a few days ago. Seeing how destiny seemed to be on his side concerning his `love life', the officer decided he would risk everything and confess his feelings. "Karl, I…"

At the sound of his beloved voice, Karl broke eye contact with his first-mate to gaze tenderly at the man in his embrace. "You don't have to say anything, David. I understand," sighed the captain as he gave the officer a sad smile. This was the part where the tactician rejected his affections; this was precisely why he wanted to lie.

"I don't think you do," replied the officer softly as he tiptoed to kiss Karl gently on the lips. Pulling back slightly, David gave his pirate a sweet smile, hope and love shining in his eyes.

Though still in disbelief, Karl whispered the officer's name before placing a hesitant kiss on David's pliant lips. When the smaller man wound his arms around his pirate's neck to bring him closer, all doubts vanished from Karl's mind. By some miracle, David returned his feelings! Hands on the officer's hips to pull him closer, the pirate deepened the kiss, claiming and tasting his beloved's mouth with ardor as their tongues mated in a passionate dance. Soon, both men were moaning as Karl ground his hips against David's, delighted in the wonderful friction as their straining arousals touched.

*****

The feverish foreplay, however, was interrupted by a very loud cough. Viggo had recovered enough from his shock to discover his sense of decency. It was difficult to imagine the pirate captain and his friend as a couple, but David seemed happy with Karl, which was all the general could ask for; especially since his own love interest turned into a rotten scoundrel who was capable of the most heinous crimes. He could not condone the atrocity Orli attempted to commit upon David. Pretending to stroll leisurely to the lovers, Viggo closed the distance between himself and the young man before charging him.

The impact sent the two dark-haired men tumbling to the floor, with the general's hands firmly on the young first-mate's neck, seeking to suffocate the outlaw. Shocked by the sudden assault, the young pirate tried his best to fight off the older man, but Viggo had the advantage of size. Orli's vision began to blur; and much to his surprise, his best friend and captain stood on the side, watching the scene with David in his arms. It soon dawned on Orlando that Karl would not be coming to his aid; he was simply not needed anymore. Karl had David now; and the only man Orlando ever loved obviously hated him enough to want to kill him. Closing his eyes in resignation, Orlando stopped struggling and waited for darkness to take him.

"Stop or I will shoot!" yelled the crewman who was on night watch as he pointed his pistol at Viggo.

"Stand down, Sean. You will not interfere," ordered Karl. Though it broke his heart, he believed death was the only way Orli could find peace again. The young man's act was so convincing that Karl truly thought he had lost the last shred of dignity and became a monster.

"No, Karl, this is an order I cannot obey," replied Sean as he moved pressed the gun against Viggo's head. Understanding that watchman was serious, the General loosened his grip and stood over a breathless Orli. Gazing at the young beauty with concern, Sean asked, "Are you all right?"

Rising to his feet quietly, the young man stared at the floor as he answered his savior with a question of his own, "Why did you stop him?"

The sadness in Orli's voice was not lost on the intelligent young Naval Officer. He had suspected it was a trick before, but the first-mate had been too convincing for the whole incident to be an act. Still, forcing himself to relive the terror of the events of the past few minutes, David realized that the young man had never once tried to touch him in his private parts intimately. The single rough kiss and Orli's malicious words were the only reason for his belief that the pirate intended to rape him. But why the act? He supposed there was one way to find out, `It was all a trick, wasn't it? You never really intended to hurt me, did you? Why did you do it?"

When the young man continued his study of the floor, Sean could not longer stand how his captain had misunderstood Orli so completely. The first-mate deserved Karl's most sincere and utmost gratitude for planning this whole thing, for bringing him and David together. As more of the crew gathered to watch this unfolding drama, the watchman acted as their first-mate's spokesman, answering passionately in his defense, "Yes, it was all an act Orli set up to bring you and our captain together. He figured both of you were too stubborn to admit your feelings under normal circumstances, so he planned this to force it out of you. The entire ship is behind Orli on this, since he said you and Karl were perfect for each other." He wanted very much to add that he was disappointed by the way his captain treated the young first-mate, but he knew it was not his place to judge Karl's reactions.

Staring at Orli with disbelief and the first hint of guilt, Karl asked, "Is what Sean said true?"

Soon, the captain had his answer. Eyes still focused on the ground, Orli whispered, "You know what I've been through, Karl. I may be a cold-blooded murderer, but I will never force myself on someone else." Though the young man had expected that things might happen this way, it still hurt to think his best friend thought so little of him. And the agony of knowing that he was now disposable, that he was no more than trash whose life meant nothing to Karl - that was as bad as the pain Viggo caused when the older man admitted he wanted Orlando only for sex. But then, what did he expect? He was such an all-out scoundrel that no one in his right mind would trust him completely. His captain should be no exception. He was the infamous Orli Bloom, a cold-blooded outlaw capable of every atrocity under the sun. And beneath that surface, he was just damaged goods, touched and used, a plaything not worthy of love or trust. He could never be anything else; Viggo had showed him that. And now his captain had just confirmed it. Sean should have let his former lover kill him; death would hurt so much less than living.

Two voices simultaneously apologized as they approached the young man, "Oh, Orli, I am so sorry. I should have known better."

Karl knew he had failed his friend when it mattered most; for all his words of trust, he did not believe in his first-mate enough to see the truth behind the act. Instead of giving Orli the gratitude he deserved, he betrayed the young man's trust, standing by to watch Viggo try to kill him. The captain's remorse, however, paled in comparison to Viggo's. Not only had the general jumped to conclusions, believing the worst about the one he loved, he tried to kill Orlando when the young man's only crime was his amazing skills in observation and talents in acting.

Viggo thought he could not hate himself more than the day he lied and made Orlando leave, but he was wrong. This time, he had condemned the first-mate without giving him a chance to explain, just because he still needed an excuse to not be in love with the young pirate. Being still too afraid to admit how he felt for Orlando, Viggo would have killed his beloved if Sean had not stopped him. The general knew that at this moment, he had reached a new height in his self-loathing. He wondered if he could ever forgive himself even if the raven-haired beauty forgave him.

When Orli shrunk back from them without a word, not meeting their eyes, the two older men could feel their heart break. They would do anything to right the wrongs they did to the young one. But before they could plead further, the alarm sounded. Three quick rings followed by two more after a brief pause; it would seem their enemies comprised of two battleships and one `command' ship. This signaling system was devised once again by the genius first-mate three years ago. It allowed the captain the maximum time to react and get the ship ready for the potential threat. As much as Karl wanted to speak to his young protégé on personal matters, it would have to wait, "Orli, bring David and Viggo back below deck."

"The ships are from Kurena," commented the first-mate softly as he looked at their enemies. Though Karl thought him dispensable now, he would remain by his captain's side until David was ready to take over his duty of caring for his savior.

Kurena was a large island kingdom that had long been at odds with Erasia since the mainland tried to colonize the country almost a hundred years ago. It was usual for the Kurena Navy to send battleships to terrorize their enemies' outlying colonies. But the presence of a command ship suggested otherwise. Now, Orli understood why there was no pursuit party. The North Sea Fleet was busy elsewhere; they had an invasion on their hands.

"How do you know?" asked David incredulously since the vessels were but small dots on the dark horizon. There was no way the young man could see the flags they carried.

"No warning canons," replied Orli as if that explained everything. When David frowned at him, the pirate expanded, "If they were from Erasia demanding your release, they would have started firing the moment they laid eyes on us. Since the Navy thinks the Revenge will balk at the three to one odds, they will warn us to hand you two over lest they shoot us out of the water. They don't really want a direct conflict unless it is necessary, not when we are holding their general and chief tactical advisor hostage."

While the two officers stared in amazement in the pirate's brilliant deduction, Karl asked, "Do you think they are friendly?"

Looking at his captain with dead eyes, Orli replied, "No, they probably knew who we have on board as hostages. They want to pretend to be friendly to stage a takeover."

"How do they know we are here?" asked Viggo quietly. He saw the complete lack of emotion in the young man's usually expressive chocolate eyes; this was a thousand times worse than seeing the pain that was there when he first lied to Orlando. At least, pain meant there was still hope; that the dark-haired beauty still cared. Now, Viggo was certain his chance had past. There was only one thing he could do now – protect the one he loved from this fight. He would surrender to Kurena's command ship in exchange for the Revenge's safe passage. As David held no power over the command of the North Sea Fleet, their enemies should be willing to let his friend go with the pirates.

"My guess is that some of their fleet ran into our pursuit party, and had captured one or more of those vessels," answered the young man quietly, understanding the knowledge that some of his ships were lost would bring the general pain. Despite all that had happened, Orlando wanted to move to his former lover's side and hold him in a sympathetic embrace. He supposed he was just too stupid to learn that he should stop torturing himself over a one-night stand. A desirable bed partner was all he would ever be to Viggo. And judging by how fast the general left his bed, the officer had not found him too good of a lay.

"I see," whispered Viggo as he glanced at his friend, the captain and finally his beloved Orlando who showed absolutely no emotions. Taking a deep breath, the general suggested, "We cannot win this battle. Just give me to them, and they will have no reason to fire on this ship."

"No!" exclaimed David as he rushed to his hero's side.

"Sorry, Viggo. Can't let you do that," replied Karl as he smiled at David reassuringly.

"As captain of this ship, your first duty is to the crew. You have to let me do this," argued Viggo, knowing the other man was an honorable captain who cared deeply about the men who fought alongside him. As much as Karl loved David, he would choose place his responsibilities first.

Karl frowned as he watched the approaching ships through his binoculars. Three against one were not bad odds if their enemies were normal Naval vessels; but these particular battleships had thick steel plated armor. It would render the Revenge's smaller canons useless at long ranges. But at short range, the pirate's ship would be at risk of being pulverized by the battleship's heavy arsenal. This would be a hard battle, with uncertain outcome. As much as he wanted to protect his beloved, he could not risk the ship and the lives of everyone on board. He would have to let Viggo go.

"There is no need for heroics yet. I know how we can beat them," said the first mate as he smiled. This would be his last fight; Orli would do everything he could to make his end a grand and glorious affair. Perhaps then, Karl and Viggo would remember him fondly when he was gone.

*****

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