Taken at Sea: A Voyage to Submission

I wanted to touch him too, to feel him. I didn't care any more about proper or not. I put my hands on his chest, strong and commanding. I moved my fingertips through the bit of soft curls that painted it like reeds on a shoreline. I ran them up to his shoulders. We didn't stop the dance of our tongues, not even for a moment.

An ache was building, unfamiliar and throbbing, like a fire building down inside of me...deep down. I've never felt this before. I don't know what it means. All I know is that I have this intense need to feel him inside of me.

As if he could sense it, he pulled away, smiled, looking deeply into my eyes and said, "We have to stop, Your Highness." I was confused. I thought you wanted me.

"But —" I started to argue.

"It's your first night on board. And you've been through a lot today. That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I lowered my head again in shame.

"Trust me, Princess," his strong hand was back at my chin, lifting my head. "I want to ravage you. I want to take you to places you didn't know existed. I want to do things to you that nobody speaks of. But...I want you to give it a few days at least to be absolutely sure that you want it too. Because once we start down that road, there's no going back. Understood?"

I smiled through my slightly teared eyes, "Yes, Captain."

He reached around me and pulled down the blanket, "Into bed with you, Your Highness." I climbed in and quickly pulled the blanket over my body, embarrassed that I had let things get so out of my control with this man, this stranger, this PIRATE. He walked around and blew out most of the candles in the cabin. I could still make out his naked form as he climbed into the bed next to me.

"Your Highness?" he said softly.

"Yes, Captain?" I was trying to hide the fact that I had been crying a bit in the darkness.

"Please don't cry. We stopped not because I wanted to for me, but because I wanted to for you. However, I would be honored if you would let me hold you while you sleep."

Without a word, I slid toward his voice, feeling the warmth of his body beckoning to me like a lighthouse beckons a ship to the shore. I used my hand to feel his chest and felt his arm wrap around my back, then shoulders, gently pulling me down to lie my head on him. I let him lead me there, to that space where I felt safer than anywhere I ever had. And after a mere moment, I was fast asleep.

Two days later I found myself on deck, staring out at the ocean as the sun set. Pink, purple and orange hues painted the sky like the canvases I had been lucky to see in our castle back home. I found myself thinking of him again. I had thought of nothing but him since that first night on board. I thought of him touching me, kissing me, penetrating me.

I blushed to myself. Of all things. I thought of his commanding voice, of him scolding me and telling me of how women begged him. It made me feel jealous yet...it made me desire him all the more. I was feeling dizzy.

I turned to make my way back to the bed. I needed to lie down. As I climbed the stairs to the Captain's cabin, I glanced up toward the helm to find Edward looking back at me with concern. I paused. His concern turned to a smirk and I was caught off-guard as the flush warmth took over my face. I hurriedly climbed the steps and burst into the cabin, slamming the door behind me.

It's like he knew! I paced around the room. Round and round. Finally, unable to catch my breath, I stopped and leaned on the fireplace mantle and heard a click. What was that!? A small panel in the wood next to the bed opened. I pushed the slightly ajar door to find nothing but darkness.

Scared but intrigued, I grabbed lit a candlestick and carried it toward the strange opening in the wall to find a steep stair, so steep it looked more like a ladder. The curiosity got the best of me and I found myself climbing down the steps, one by one, slowly, lifting the hem of my simple, sky blue dress so as not to trip and tumble. I reached the bottom to find myself in a very narrow, dark space. I paced around, the candle lighting small portions as I moved.

There was a bed as I turned to my left, centered on the wall, with chains and leather cuffs. As I approached the far wall, I found a cross of wood with more cuffs and chains. I ran my hand over the rough yet soft grains. As I continued along that wall I found all manner of leather straps hanging from hooks. I recognized some of them...at least in some form...as torture devices I had read about in my studies.

"It's a torture room," I whispered to myself, suddenly afraid. I could find no door, which means I had found the only way in or out.

"No. I assure you. Torture is not what happens in this room," Edward's voice nearly scared me half to death. I spun around to find him with his own candlestick, lighting others throughout the room.

"But...these are for..."

"It's hard to explain, your Highness, but, for some, pain and pleasure are inseparable and make great bedfellows."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I can show you, but..." he stopped and looked around, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"You have to give me your absolute trust....your virtue....your freedom to some extent."

"Excuse me!?" I had no understanding of where he was going with all of this.

"Look, Princess," he stepped toward me, backing me to the wood cross against the wall. "I've been very patient. I want you. I want you to want this, but you can't want something you don't understand. And if I explain it, you'll think me a monster. Hell! You might even after I've shown you! But I don't know how to find out unless I do just that. So...will you give me your virtue?"

"But I'm to be married..."

"Forget all of that! You don't love him and nobody will be checking to make sure that you're intact."

"Well, it wouldn't matter, I guess. I ruined anything that would have been intact horseback riding years ago." He smiled down at me, but I went on, "Trust? What choice do I have being here? I hate to say it, but you have my life so I have to trust you. But freedom?"

"It's hard to explain, your Highness, but...when we are alone in a certain way, you will have to belong to me. It's a big part of trusting me. If you don't, I can't show you what I want to show you and what you're so curious to know about."

I swallowed, closed my eyes and thought for a moment. Then I said, "What does 'belonging' to you involve?"

"Well, let's start with the basics. You'll do as I say when I say without question..."

"Ok..."

He grabbed my hair at the base of my neck and pulled my head back, "No. Not ok. You're to say 'Yes, Master' when you're answering me....or 'No, Master', whichever is warranted by the question."

"Master? But —"

He yanked harder, "Say it!"

"Yes, Master," the moment the words fell from my mouth, I was aroused. I felt, oddly free giving up this very simple freedom to him.

"Now....let's take off your dress...and begin."

I looked him in the eyes, willfully wanting to argue, but I bit my tongue, so turned on by the thought of being his to do with what he wanted and said, "Yes, Master."

The adventure continues in the next chapter...