Somewhere Weaknesses Are Strength

"Touch her and I'll fucking kill you," Hayley growled.

Shocked, Sebastian glanced at Hayley. The pirate's face was twisted in anger. Killer instincts shone from her eyes. Fear ran through Sebastian's spine. Hayley was going to fight. For her. Losing wasn't an option, and Sebastian wasn't so sure how the pirate would fair against a man nearly three times her size.

But she wasn't just a pirate. She was a captain. Men bigger than King Ferdinand were under her command, all too scared to cross the line. Her aim was immaculate, Sebastian assumed the sword wielding skills she had yet to see were as polished. Hayley was a bred killer. Her chances at winning were high.

King Ferdinand stared at Hayley, his eyebrows drawn, cradling his wounded hand against his chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You don't have the right to keep her alive."

"According to the contract, I'm allowed to keep any treasure I so desire. Princess Sebastian is my bounty. Taking her from me would be breaking contract."

A loophole that wasn't truly a loophole. Hayley was pretty proud of herself for coming up with that one on the spot. Apparently, his presence in the home wasn't enough of a contract breaker.

Sebastian's brows furrowed, her gaze still on the captain. Bounty? She was her bounty? A little dehumanizing, but if it kept her in the mansion, so be it. Bounty was a better title than sex slave anyway.

Though she knew she was far more important to Hayley than either of those.

"She doesn't count as bounty. I told you to leave no survivors. I didn't think you were stupid enough to keep the heir to the throne alive."

Sebastian snapped her head to face the king. Hayley wasn't stupid. How dare he call her such?

"You never specified what bounty referred to. How was I to know?"

"You know now. Hand her over."

"I don't think so."

"Well, I have no choice but to take you, too." He looked at the two knights posted at the door. "Get her."

The knights approached them on command. Sebastian glanced back at the knights, then up at Hayley, who kept her eyes on King Ferdinand. Before Sebastian could open her mouth to beg the pirate to do something, Hayley slipped her gun from the hem of her pants with her free hand. Without looking, she aimed over her shoulder and shot. The loud bang caused Sebastian to jump, her eyes widening. Her heart beat frantically in her chest.

One of the knights dropped to the ground, dead. Hayley's shot had been spot on. The other knight stopped in his tracks, staring at his dead companion in disbelief.

"You're still outnumbered," King Ferdinand stated.

No remorse dripped from his tone. The dead knight meant nothing more to him than security.

"Am I?" Hayley asked.

"Appears so."

Sebastian knew she wasn't being considered a threat. With no weapon, she wasn't one, and she knew that. Hayley was outnumbered and, unless she was given a sword light enough for her to handle, Sebastian could do nothing to help.

Smirk cracking on her harsh expression, Hayley whistled. The door to the living room swung open. Sebastian recognized the men who barreled through the opening, relief flooding her.

Jeremy, Josh, Zac, and Taylor.

The remaining knight attempted to rush away from the group. Josh caught him, locking his arms behind his back in a tight hold. The man struggled against the grip but found no release. The other three stood in a line. Jeremy and Zac kept their hands over their weapons. Taylor crossed his arms over his chest, face stoic.

Where the hell had they come from? They were not in the hallway when Sebastian was being led to the living room. She hadn't heard them approach or enter the mansion. They appeared out of nowhere.

Had Hayley brought them there for backup before the first plan failed?

If Hayley weren't in a face off with King Ferdinand, Sebastian would have kissed her for the precaution.

"I don’t think I'm the one who's outnumbered," Hayley said.

"You'll regret this," King Ferdinand said.

"Draw your sword. I won't fight an unarmed man."

Stepping back from the weapon aimed at his throat, King Ferdinand pulled his sword from its sheath. "It's hardly wise of you to let me draw my weapon."

"You underestimate me."

Drawing his sword back, King Ferdinand rushed her. Hayley pushed the Sebastian to the side and out of harm's way. Sebastian fell against one of the various couches, her air escaping her lungs, her blonde hair tumbling over her eyes. Clutching her chest, she gasped for air until her breathing returned to normal. She pushed her hair from her eyes and turned on the floor to face the battle.

The swords were a flurry of movement, clashing against each other repeatedly. Each move Hayley made, King Ferdinand met with a move of his own. For someone so large, he was quick. Hayley, with her small stature, was proving to put up a decent fight against the man. The match seemed even, and Sebastian wasn't sure who would make it out alive.

She knew who she wanted to survive.

Hayley's crew remained in their spot. Jeremy and Zac kept their hands poised over their weapons, prepared for any sign of need. If their captain appeared weak at all, they would be there to help in an instant. They wouldn't interfere otherwise. Their captain had honor to retain. They wouldn't jeopardize that by fighting her battles for her.

Josh continued to hold the knight, his grip tight enough to keep the man from moving. He watched the action, knowing he wouldn't be taking part in the battle. He would be of use later.

Taylor approached the princess, steering clear of the violent fight. He knelt next to her, one hand rested on the couch. Her gave Sebastian a once over, checking for any visible wounds. The captain's throw had been anything but cautious.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Sebastian nodded, her eyes trained on Hayley as she dodged strikes and attempted strikes of her own.

"Does anything hurt?"

Her lungs hurt, as did her ribs and the skin that hit the couch. But that was small, that was unimportant, compared to Hayley's situation.

"No," Sebastian breathed.

Losing Hayley would hurt worse.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright, that's good. Let's get you to a more secure area." He tried to reach under Sebastian's arms to help her stand.

Sebastian vaguely heard him, too intent on watching Hayley, making sure she wasn't hurt. He wanted to move her from the area, she understood that. He wanted to take her away from watching her lover fight. She couldn't have that.

"No," Sebastian blurted, shoving his hand away.

Taylor looked from his dejected arm to Sebastian, eyebrows drawing. "What?"

King Ferdinand stabbed for Hayley's stomach. Before it could touch her, she twisted out of the way. Sebastian whimpered, gripping her skirt. White dusted her knuckles from the pressure. She didn't hear Taylor's question, didn't acknowledge that he had even spoken.

"We need to get you to a safer area," Taylor urged.

She was seriously making his task difficult. He was tempted to throw her over his shoulder and lock her in a closet somewhere in the mansion so she would be out of the way.

"Not without Hayley."

There was no way she could leave the room, no matter what risks existed, till Hayley was safe. She couldn't be held up in another room, away from the pirate and her fight. She had to know, had to watch.

Not that watching was helping much either, only bringing up irrational fears in her that hadn't appeared in years, but she couldn't be away.

"Princess, she'll be fine. You, on the other hand, are susceptible to danger sitting in front of this couch without protection. Stop being stubborn."

He was seconds away from loosing his temper.

Sebastian tore her eyes away from the scene, eyes penetrating the ones of the man harping in her ear. "No."

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Hayley's yelp. Sebastian darted her attention back to the fight. Hayley was still fighting against the king, blocking his attacks. She seemed fine. Sebastian couldn't understand the reason for the yelp.

And then she caught a flash of red peaking through a cut in Hayley's jacket arm.

Vision tunneling on the cut, Sebastian paid no attention to anything around her. Blood began to dribble from the wound, staining the still in tact portion of the sleeve.

Hayley was hurt.

With one swift motion, Hayley knocked the sword from King Ferdinand's hand. It clattered to the ground, the king following after. Grunting on impact, he landed flat on his back. Hayley positioned the point of her sword at his throat.

And Sebastian was still staring at the wound.

"You should have just left," Hayley growled.

"Go ahead, kill me. I can guarantee someone will come here to avenge my death," the king said, snarl on his face.

"I'm not going to kill you, not yet. No, that's too easy."

"Do your worst. Someone will still come here to kill you, your crew, and that whore."

Hayley held back the urge to slash his throat and kill him on her living room floor for the comment. Instead, she drew her sword lightly over the man's throat, drawing a line of blood. He grimaced.

"You sound so sure of that," Hayley said.

"My subjects are loyal."

She doubted that.

"Are they?" Hayley asked. "We'll see about that. Josh, bring the knight here."

Josh did as instructed, forcing the knight to stumble towards Hayley. The captain looked at him, no worry that Ferdinand would attempt to escape.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Samuel." He choked his name out, attempting to keep calm.

"I need you to do something for me, Samuel."

"What's that?"

"I know you want to live and I can honor that wish," Hayley said, "under one condition."

"Anything."

King Ferdinand glared at the knight, who didn't see the look.

"I want you to go back to your country and tell your people that Captain Hayley Williams has killed your king and if anyone comes here with the purpose of killing me, my crew, my workers, or my lover, they'll suffer the same fate. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She looked at Josh. "Get him out of here."

Sebastian didn't hear any of Hayley's words, didn't take comfort in the safety Hayley was providing her. She couldn't focus on anything beyond the blood seeping from Hayley's wound, fears welling up inside her.