Lost At Sea

@ BearGirl
Narrowing his eyes at the Prince continued to speak, Nate did his best to not scowl. The man was quite a greedy fool, but then again, weren't all rulers? The fact that he won't so easily give up on Charlotte was quite annoying and Nate has quite tempted to anger the man by calling Charlotte a good fuck. "I like the chick, she's feisty and won't take a shit." That's all that Nate was going to give up. No way in hell was he going to say how he loved her, and they were childhood friends or anything.

Then, a snort escaped from Nate as he listened to what the Prince wanted. Followed by a small chuckle. "You drive a hard bargain. Your Grace." Nate mused, before chuckling once more. "Give me a pardon and I'll get you whatever information you want on the King of Renal, Mr.Hopkins and the training regimen for one of the strongest troops in Renali."

@ FallenHope95

Prince Harrison's smile broke out again. "She is a lovely lady but she is certainly trouble. I am sure that is the case even for a man like you... In truth, I would not be willing to give her up if it wasn't for the stubbornness in her." The prince glanced over at the pirate for a moment. He was curious as to how much he knew about Charlotte, but Harrison knew it did not matter. All the running away was driving him crazy and how she acted when she was stuck in his castle was, frankly, heartbreaking for him. If she wanted to be somewhere else, so be it.

"We have a deal." The prince said as he stood up a little straighter. While the alliance was sure to fall apart, at least now he would have a spy to give him the leg up. "You will get me any information you can find, and I will let you live. As for my engagement to Lady Charlotte, I will publically announce it nullified once you are able to prove yourself to me. I will not do it any sooner, as an insurance policy for myself in case you do not deliver."

@ BearGirl
The right corner of Nate's right eye twitched ever so slightly. He really didn't like listening to the Prince talk about Charlotte like that. He had no right to throw someone away just because they were stubborn. That was just terrible practice, still though. He couldn't react very much or The Prince would catch on that something else was going on between them and he couldn't risk the Prince going back on his word.

"Fine, we have a deal," Nate mumbled quietly as he listened to the Prince. "But you'll have to give me a written letter or something to get out of your waters safely. Afterall, I am a wanted man and I can't get out of here without being chased." Nate pointed out to the Prince. "Now, can you get me down from here so we can shake on the deal?"

@ FallenHope95

"I will give you a written letter but if you are captured by another country, you must burn the letter before they see it." Prince Harrison said before turning to the door and calling for the guards. They came in and at the prince's orders, they took pirate captain down from the chains. Once he was down on his feet, he held his hand out and shook on the deal with the man. Perhaps it was a bad idea to make a deal with a pirate, but there was a lot that he could gain from it.

"You may stay here at the castle for the next few days, if you wish it. Though, in the least, have a meal before heading on your way." Harrison said before continuing on. "And can I assume you know how to get this information to me discreetly?"

@ BearGirl
A small sigh escaped from Nate as he was unchained. His arms falling to his sides before he raised them once more and slowly flexed them so that he could get some movement and feeling back into them. Being chained up really made them still, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to fight fully for the next day or two. Meaning that he'll be stuck hiding in the shadows.

"I'll accept the meal, but nothing else. I really need to get back to my ship as soon as possible." Nate said once he was done stretching his arms before crossing them over his chest as he looked towards the Prince. "Don't take me for a fool, your highness, I've been sneaking things since before I could walk." He said, offering a small smirk. "Just remember to be kind to the blind and unfortunate." He told him, hoping he got the clue to how he was going to be getting his information.

@ FallenHope95

"Very well." The prince said as he started to lead the captain out of the dungeon. He let out a small chuckle at the man's words, looking over at him as he did so. "Oh, I do not take you for a fool, Captain." Harrison said as he looked forward again. "And, I assure you, I will keep close attention on them." A bit of a smirk came over his face, understanding what the pirate was hinting to. Once they were at the top of the stairs, the prince motioned to his servants before turning to Harrison. "They will escort you the rest of the way to your meal. I wish you the best of luck, captain." With that, the prince turned and made his way down the halls.

---

It had been several days since the captain had gone missing on the ship. The first night, Marina was furious at Louis, assuming that he had just run off to take care of some matters, and just blew her off to do so. She had waited at the restaurant for two hours before finally heading back to the ship and heading to the room and locking Nate out of it. But, the next day, Marina started to worry. Others on the ship thought that Nate was just taking care of some matters...at least until that night.

One of the crewmen came rushing onto the ship in the middle of the night after spending his day at the tavern. Apparently, he had heard some castle guards boasting about having the Phantom Thief in their jail cells. It set the whole ship into a frenzy, but unfortunately, most of the crew were drunk now that the captain was away.

Once the second day came around, Marina and the first mate argued for most of the day on how to get Nate back. But eventually were able to settle on sending out men to scope the area out to figure out how to sneak into the cells to get the captain. They didn't come back until noon on the third day and now that they had all of the information, Marina and the first mate were back to arguing.

@ BearGirl
Once his stomach was full and Nate had drunk his fill of the royal's fancy wine, he was off. Nate collected his parchment with the Prince's signature on it and headed out of the palace. He whistled tauntingly as he passed by the guards. The ones who interrogated him scowled, while the others looked on in confusion. Why the hell the Prince had let him go when they worked so hard to catch him was above their heads.

It took Nate a good couple of hours trying to find his way back to the ship. The castle in which he was held was quite a way away from the water. Thankfully, Nate managed to find a merchant that was heading towards the marina to collect his wares from overseas and offered Nate a ride on the cart.

The smell of stale ale was the only thing that bothered Nate as he rode on the back of the cart. The old man seemed to be a talker, which didn't bother Nate. It was a good way to have spent the time. Learning that the old man used to be a soldier until he was stabbed in the eye when he was drunk at a bar ended his career as a soldier. Now, he made money by selling goods from overseas and trading things. The old man even told Nate that he could find him a good deal on ale if he wanted something fancy like the stuff the royal's got to drink. To which, Nate humored the man and told him he'd love to try some fancy ale one day. An the man told him where to go if he got the money for it.

Finally, after what felt like ages, they arrived at the marina where all of the ships were. A without even telling the man he was getting off, Nate hopped from the cart and moved to the ships. As soon as his crew could see him walking towards them, they all froze and stared like they had all seen a ghost. "Ay, what are you all looking at?" Nate called out in a loud voice as he climbed onto his boat and looked around.

@ FallenHope95

Cliff and Marina were arguing in the captain's office when Louis finally made his way on board. The only thing that stopped them from yelling at each other was when Marina noticed the eery silence coming from the rest of the ship. She slowly made her way towards the door and peered out to see exactly what was happening. Her eyes followed the eyes of the men and soon enough, she saw Louis heading onto the ship.

Charlotte's heart stopped for a moment before she swung open the door and ran towards Nate. The layers of her dress were flowing around her, her short hair doing the same thing. She almost jumped right on top of Nate once she reached him, but she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks just inches in front of him before slapping Nate hard across the face.

But literally in that next instant, Charlotte launched herself at Nate, her arms wrapping around him tightly. Her face buried into his neck as she held Nate close to her, clearly not planning on letting go soon. "How dare you leave me alone." Charlotte hissed at him as tears started to roll down her cheeks. Though any anger in her voice was quick to dissipate. "I was so scared that something was going to happen to you"

Her hands slid down to his shoulders as Charlotte pulled back slightly to look his face over. "You need to be more careful. More aware of your surroundings." Charlotte started to lecture him. "You can't be just letting yourself disappear like that on me. What am I suppose to do without you?" The young moment took another step back to look him over, her hands still on his shoulders as she did so. "God, you look awful. What did they do to you?"

@ BearGirl
As soon as Nate laid his eyes on the beautiful Charlotte, he couldn't help the slight grin that appeared on his lips. He slowly opened his arms, ready to wrap his arms around her waist when she neared, only to freeze as she smacked him. His head-turning to the side form the shock more so than the impact. He wasn't expecting something like that to come from he king hearted woman that he knew.

Although, the next instant, Nate was finally able to wrap his arms around the woman that he vowed to protect with his life. "It's not like I expected to be caught." Nate said casually as he allowed for his arms to loosen around her waist as she pulled back. An arch of an eyebrow his only reaction as Charlotte spilled her heart to him. "You know that I'm not going to loosen my hold on you that you're in my grasp, right?" Nate asked as he looked the woman in the eyes.

Then, a small sigh escaped from Nate as he pulled back from Charlotte's hold and started to walk towards his office. "Just a bit of torture, nothing that I haven't been through before." He said like it wasn't anything serious. Although, as he spoke, his right hand came up to rub at his sore chin where a nasty purple and blue bruise laid.

Moving into his office, Nate walked towards his desk and got to work on opening the drawer where he kept a hidden stash of his favorite whisky and got to work on preparing himself a nice glass of it. Then, he sighed as he sat back in his chair, glass in hand. "We've got a big score on our hands." Nate said as he looked towards Cliff who was still in his office and then towards Char if she decided to follow him into his office. Then, leaning back in his seat, Nate took a few sips of his drink before he started to explain what their mission was.

@ FallenHope95

A small sigh left Charlotte's lips as Nate pulled away and headed into his office. What she really wanted to do was head down to bed with Nate and just relax after what had been a couple of stressful days. Though, she was sure that Nate would have a lot to say after what had occurred. So, without complaint, Charlotte followed him into the office, closed the door behind her and sat down.

Cliff grinned over at Louis as he came into the house. He leaned back into his chair, also feeling that he had the ability to relax now that the captain was back. Though, there was something new about Cliff since Louis had last seen him, a rather large black eye. "It is good to have you back Captain." The man said before listening to what the captain had to say about this big score. Though, the more that the man listened, the more he raised an eyebrow at Louis. "And why do we want to help this prince out exactly?"

Charlotte, on the other hand, turned quiet as she listened to Louis go over the details of their 'mission'. Her hands moved into her lap, and she glanced off out of the window, deciding it was best not to say a word while Cliff was still in the room. Though this was about the worse news that Louis could have come back with, in her opinion. He wanted to work with her fiancee to spy on her father and the King. All three were men that Charlotte desperately wanted to get away from. She wondered if Nate was using his brain at all.

Cliff, on the other hand, seemed a bit more interested in the idea. "I mean, we can do it no problem. But I want to hear about the payout that this prince is going to offer us."

@ BearGirl
Relaxing in his seat, Louis just allowed himself to stare boldly at the idea as it clicked around his glass as he slowly stirred it around. The liquid in the glass sloshing around now and again as he did so. The aroma from the liquor leaving the cup and filling Louis' senses as he raised the glass and took a couple of small sips from the drink that he had deserately missed while locked up those couple of days.

"Think about my bounty, but add a zero to the end of it." Louis said quietly as he glanced towards Cliff once he set his drink down. The blink of the ice as they rolled around the empty cup being the only thing that came from the room. The look at the first mate was giving the captain was priceless. "Yeah, we could afford some much needed things once we do this shit." Louis murmured and let out a small sigh as he rested back in his chair.

Quiet swallowed up the room as Louis thought. His gaze lingering on Charlotte as he wondered what she was thinking of this whole mess. "It's also going to allow us safe passage in these waters. Shall we please the Prince." He murmured quietly, his gaze never leaving Charlotte's. "We'll be rewarded handsomely, given safe passage, and I get to get rid of something that he desperately wanted." Louis hoped that Char understood what that last bit meant. The Prince was willing to give up on Char if he was given information on the man who practically gave her away like a sack of potatoes.

"Who knows, maybe we'll be able to afford a bigger ship at the end of all of this. Sail a little more relaxed on the open waters. Access to places we've not gone to before." Louis sat up in his seat, a small sigh escaping from Louis as he looked to Cliff. "Get things ready, we're leaving tomorrow." Then, he looked towards Charlotte. "Marina, get the first aid kit and bring it to my quarters." He instructed as he stood up to his full height. "Dismissed." Louis said calmly as he moved out of his office and headed towards his sleeping quarters.

Once he was inside of his quarters, a loud sigh escaped from Nate as he felt himself finally relax. He was home, and away from that damn stuffy feeling that he loathed since he was young. Pulling his shirt over his head, a hiss escaped from Nate, releaving welts from a whip. A couple were open and he was sure were ready to start bleeding again if he dared to move the wrong way. Walking towards his bed, Nate groaned as he laid down face first. His arms folded under his head as he closed his eyes. Waiting for Charlotte to come with the first aid kit. Hopefully, she won't hurt him more then those damn whips did.

@ FallenHope95

A small sigh left Charlotte's lips as the captain and first mate both left the quarters and headed on their way. Charlotte took a few moments before rising to her feet and making her way below deck to grab the first aid kit for Nate. His plan didn't sit well with her, even if Nate was saying what she thought he was saying. It was all well and good that the prince was open to letting her out of their engagement but that didn't mean she was so peachy keen on heading to her father and the king. All she wanted was to sail away from that mess, not go back and try to untangle some of it.

Once the first aid kit was in Charlotte's hands, she headed off to his quarters. She opened up the door quietly and closed it just the same, making sure to lock it behind her as well. Her eyes then glanced over to Nate, seeing the redness and blood on his back. it was clear to her that it must her a lot. Charlotte headed over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed, setting the first aid kit down as well before she opened it.

"It looks like they hurt you pretty badly." Charlotte murmured as she picked up a wet cloth and started to lightly run it over his welts, wanting to clean his back off before wrapping him up. There was a lot that Charlotte wanted to say, about missing Nate, wanting to know what happened and maybe even a bit of yelling about this outrageous plan that he had up his sleeve with her fiancee. Though that was quickly pushed down for her, feeling a deep need to care for Nate before any of that could start.

Her fingers were gentle against his skin, not wanting to worsen his injuries in any way. Once the blood was cleaned off, Charlotte lightly put some ointment over his back. Charlotte then grabbed the bandages and started to wrap it around him, needing to keep the welts clean while they healed.

@ BearGirl
The sound of familiar creeky floorboards filled Nate's ears. Allowing for him to know that someone was in his bedroom, then as he listened to it a little bit lcoser, he was thankful to know that it was Charlotte. Opening his eyes, Nate watched at the beauty that he'd grown up with walked in with that he had asked for her to bring. She was always a sweet girl, head strong and a little to stubborn sometimes for her own good, but that's what he liked most about her.

"Thanks." Nate breathed out quietly as he closed his eyes once more and allowed for Charlotte to take care of his wounds without him asking her to. "They look a lot worst then they feel." Nate murmured, hoping that his words would soothe his beloved a little bit. "They heal pretty quickly as well. Give me a couple of days, and they won't even be visible." He told her, a small smile playing across his lips as he felt her delicate fingers cleaning his wounds for him.

A couple of times, Nate couldn't help the wince's that pulled at his muscles, but otherwise he was perfectly still while Charlotte cleaned and dressed his back. "I know what you're thinking about." Nate murmured quietly as he felt her putting some oitment on his wounds. "You're thinking that his is a terrible idea, working with the Prince. That you don't want to go and see the King or your father."

As Charlotte finished wrapping his wounds, Nate moved so that he was laying on his side. One arm folded under his head as he looked up at the beauty that was on the bed next to him. "Hey, I promised that I'd protect you, didn't I?" Nate asked as he placed his free hand on her leg, his thumb rubbing calming circles on her covered leg. "This was the only way to clear you completely of that Prick of a Prince, and your father. You don't even have to come and help with the information gathering, you're more then welcome to stay on board the ship. We'll be fine. We will get out of all of this and live our lives free. Got it?"

@ FallenHope95

"You are a fool if you think that somehow frees me from my father. If he were to find out, about us stealing information or you making a deal with the prince, then he'll become even more determined to find me. What you are offering to do for Harrison is treason and it will get everyone on this ship killed if you get caught." Charlotte's words were not harsh as she spoke. Instead, there was exhaustion coming through in her voice. She had grown tired over the last few days and she didn't really want to fight with Nate when she just got him back.

Her head dropped a bit and she let out a small sigh. "I trust you but sometimes I wonder if you fully think over the decisions you make. You are potentially getting yourself into a lot of trouble to get Prince Harrison to no longer be interested in our engagement... I suppose the King would no longer want to put much effort into finding me if it was canceled. But if they find out that you're gathering information then it's over for us." Charlotte shook her head a bit. "It just sounds dangerous and you've already gotten kidnapped."

Charlotte laid her hand down on top of Nate's, her fingers lightly wrapping around his. As she looked to him, there was worry in her eyes. "I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again. And is it really worth it? To do all of this? Maybe the prince won't follow his end of the deal. Besides does it really matter if he cancels the engagement? We could just sail away from all of this couldn't we?"

For a moment, she was quiet before carrying on. "I don't know if I can change your mind on this. But if you do it, I'm not leaving the ship. I never want to see my father or the king or even the prince again. And I love you but I would still rather kill myself than to let them get their hands on me again. I'm not going through that again."

@ BearGirl
As Charlotte spoke, Nate stayed quiet. Allowing her to get everything off of her chest. She was right on so many levels, but he couldn't agree with her. He was the captain and he made their beds, so. Theryone better lay in them when he says so and deal the fuck with it. Rather Char was happy with the decision or not, well, she'll have to handle it like she said she will, by staying on the boat while he and the crew did their own thing to protect her.

"I don't want you to run your whole life." Nate said quietly as he glanced up at her for a moment before going back to looking straight ahead. "You might hate my decision, but I'm not going to change it. I will stop the Prince's forces from coming after us, and if he doesn't keep his end, then I'll get back at him by taking him down." Nate's words were matter of fact. He wasn't going to be pushed around by a rich boy.

Slowly, Nate closed his eyes. Exhaustion from the torture and traveling back to his ship, his home, was exhausting. "I'm sorry I felt you alone." He mrmured quietly, talking about the past and the present. "I'm going to make everything right, I promise you that." Nate murmured quietly as his hand slowly stopped rubbing her leg as he started to doze off falling asleep next to Char.

@ FallenHope95

Charlotte looked down at Nate a bit sadly as he started to doze off. She reached down and gently ran her fingers through his hair, wanting to comfort him so he could fall into a deep sleep. Of course, Charlotte didn't approve of the plan. But, at the end of the day, she knew that he was the captain of the ship, and it was his decision to make. Charlotte didn't have to like it but, she supposed, it would be okay as long as she didn't have to participate. Though she was going to be furious if Nate got captured or killed. Or if the boat got attacked while she was on it, alone.

There were too many things that could go wrong and she knew better than to dwell on them. Charlotte just had to trust that Nate knew what he was doing. So, she leaned down and pressed a light kiss against his cheek before she changed into her bed clothes and crawled in beside him.

When morning came, Charlotte was the first one out of bed. She made sure not to disturb Nate as she crawled around him, dressed and left the room. A bit later, Charlotte came back in with food for both of them. She was rather sure he would try to hop right back into work, but she also wanted him to be able to rest. He needed it.

@ BearGirl
It felt so amazing falling asleep on a bed, It might be old and rickety, but it was his bed. Plush the feeling of Charlotte next to him was such a great relief, that Nate felt like he could sleep for hours without having to toss and turn to get comfortable. Which he did he realized when he woke up in the same position. The bed was still warm in the place where Charlotte had slept next to him last night.

Sitting up slowly, Nate stretched his stiff arms above his head. Wincing ever so slightly as he felt the muscles in his back complaining since he was still wounded. "Damn." He mumbled quietly and busied himself with trying to get dressed. Although it was kinda hard since he couldn't bend, so putting on pants was a little troublesome. He managed though!

Just as Nate pulled on a clean shirt, he heard the door to his room open and glanced over. A small smile appearing on his lips as he spotted Charlotte coming in with some breakfast for the both of them. "Hey." He greeted her as he turned to her. Walking over, Nate leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before grabbing both plates and carrying them to the small table in his room for her.

Setting the plates down, Nate pulled out a chair for Charlotte and pushed her in before going to sit opposite her. Doing his best to ignore the pain his back was in as he walked and did things he normally did for his lover.

@ FallenHope95

"Good morning," A little smile came over Charlotte's face as she felt Nate press a little kiss against her cheeks. She glanced over at him, pleased that Nate was back with her. Though as he moved to take the plates, Charlotte pulled back slightly, hesitant to let Nate handle it. But once Nate took them and started to pull them out of her hands, Charlotte let go and let Nate move on his face to the table. For a moment, Charlotte hesitated, watching Nate move around the cabin before she followed him over to the table and sat down in the chair that he pulled out for her.

"Thank you," Charlotte said gently as Nate pushed her in. With that, the young woman folded her hands and moved them into her lap as she continued to watch Nate closely. A bit of a displeased frown moved over Charlotte's face as she noticed that Nate was moving a bit strangely. There was no doubt in her mind that Nate's wounds had not healed. After all, she only started to treat them last night and it appeared that Nate could feel the misery of the wounds.

"Love, you should be resting today," Charlotte told Nate. Though even as the words passed her lips, Charlotte knew that it probably would not make a difference. Nate was a very stubborn man. She loved his determination but sometimes it did more harm than good. "You only came back yesterday and your wounds are in bad shape. Let your first mate run and sail things today. He can get you to where you want to go and then I can tend to your injuries. Would it not be better for you to be healed before you go spying?"

As much as Charlotte wanted to roll her eyes at the thought of Nate's plan passed through her mind again, she stopped herself. Charlotte was much more worried about Nate's wellbeing right now. "At least rest for one day."

@ BearGirl
Moving to sit down in his own seat, Nate did his best to not allow for Charlotte to see his wince. The marks on his back were irritated and no dought still red. He could feel the ting of each scab scraping together with each of his movements. Scars were sure to place those whip marks. Surely, they'd be nice reminders for him to always keep an eye open, even when he thought he was safe.

Picking up his fork, Nate listened to Charlotte speak as he started to push the food around on his plate. Right around now, he was starting to miss prison food with how horrible the ship's cook was. "Charlotte." Nate paused as he glanced up towards the beautiful girl that was sitting across from him. His lips pursed into a thin line. "You know I can't just allow for him to take charge for the day, I'm alive and breathing. So I should be more than capable of being on deck to give charge."

Setting his spork down, Nate let out a small sigh. He knew that this conversation was going to be a lot of back and forth if he didn't just nip it in the bud right now. "How about this." Nate started, crossing his hands as he rested his elbows on the table. "I have the men bring out a table and chair for me on the deck. From there, I can relax and still give orders. We're not going to make it to our destination for at least half a week. So in a way, I'm half relaxing, half in charge. Deal?" Nate arched an eyebrow as he waited for Charlotte's reply to his little idea. Wondering what she'd think.

@ FallenHope95

A bit of a frown came along her face as she listened to Nate's "compromise". Though, in truth, she didn't find it to be much of a compromise. Yes, he would be sitting instead of walking around the ship but his injuries were on his back. Putting pressure on them would only aggravate his wounds. It would be fine for most injuries but not this one. For a moment, charlotte started to open her lips, wanting to push the issue a bit further. Though, her mouth quickly closed. She knew Nate well. He was stubborn, he did what he wanted. And, the truth was, Nate didn't really ever listen to her advice or what she wanted. Especially if it somehow involved the ship, what she wanted quickly became ignored even if it deeply affected her.

Charlotte could feel herself beginning to get worked up over it. Though she didn't want to fight with Nate. He just got back, she had missed him and been so worried and he wasn't feeling well. Besides, the fight wouldn't really be about Nate relaxing on deck but about so much more. Like him deciding to become a spymaster against her father or cutting her hair or forcing her to live when she tried to commit suicide three times. Or really any decision Nate had ever made that was not what she wanted even if Nate had made the right decision. Fuck, Charlotte could tell she was getting in a mood but at least she still had the forethought to not turn this conversation into a whole thing.

Rather quickly, Charlotte was able to get onto her feet, stepping away from her uneaten breakfast. "How about you just do whatever you want since that's what you will do anyways." Charlotte had to hold back a groan after she spoke, having not wanted to sound so snappy and forceful. Though it was too late to try to fix it and Charlotte wanted to leave before she started a fight. "I'll go to work," Charlotte mumbled before hurrying out of the room and down the hallway. Normally the escape plan wouldn't work against Nate but luckily, she had the advantage today. He was injured so Charlotte was rather sure she could out-maneuver Nate and hide before he could really stop her.