THE PRINCESS & THE PIRATE

Chapter 16: The loss of innocence...

" I think I found it my Lady..." Gabriel shouted with genuine excitement.

His excitement was not due to completing a good deed, however, but because of his thoughts over the dark one he was about to commit.

" REALLY? Oh Sir Gabriel may god bless you..." Edwina replied as she sprang towards him with agility and speed that was a novelty for a woman of her advanced years.

Gabriel pointed towards the ground and Edwina fell to her knees in excitement to search the spot where Gabriel was pointing. " Are you sure you saw it? I can't seem to see anything, mind you my old eyes don't work as they once did..."

BANG!!

Edwina's sentence stopped as her lifeless body fell to the muddy ground with a thud and Gabriel smirked with glee.

" I have been longing to shut you up since you started torturing me with your sad little tales of your beloved dead husband. Its pathetic ... the way you pine over a corspe that has long since rotted away..." Gabriel exclaimed with annoyance as he dropped the now bloodied rock he had struck Edwina with and slithered closer to her lifeless body to proudly inspect the damage he had inflicted.

" Fear not old hag you shall live...King Sebastian needs you subdued yet alive for his plan so he gave me strict orders not to kill you . You are lucky that the Princess values you dearly as well or King Sebastian would have allowed me to play with you to pass the time until we can return..." Gabriel said as he crounched down to gently remove the hair from Edwinas closed eyes.

" I would not have played with you in a s****l way, as you are too old for my tastes. I could of had great fun breaking a few of your frail old bones or perhaps removed a few fingers or if time permitted a limb though..." Gabriel whispered as his manhood began to rise in arousal at the thought of all the bloody and horrific things he could of done to Edwina...if only Sebastian had allowed.

" Never mind though, I still have my two victims from earlier today...who are tied up in an old hunting lodge not far from the Palace. They no doubt are keenly awaiting my return as we had great fun playing together this afternoon. Allow me to return the favor of you sharing your fond memories with me earlier, I will tell you all about my fond memories of this afternoon...they are both young women, I guess no more than twenty and one would you believe it was still pure and untouched ..." Gabriel lifted Edwinas unconscious body and cradled her in a almost gentle embrace as he disribed in vivid detail how he sickening spent his afternoon.

" My maid and your man has been gone awhile..." Reanna said as she nervously clasped her hands in her lap.

" Gabriel is probably busy getting his hands dirty..." Sebastian said not being able to keep his amusement at his clever words fully from his tone, making Reanna raise her brows.

" He will be searching vigoursly to find your maids ring and the ground is not the best condition ..." Sebastian continued making Reanna look to the ground and then nod in understanding at Sebastians words.

Reanna could not help but feel slightly foolish, all evening Sebastian had acted as the perfect gentleman and given her no reason to feel uncomfortable and yet with every conversation Reanna felt some how Sebastians words carried a hidden meaning that she did not understand.

Perhaps it was because she was so out of her comfort zone, that her instincts kept telling her something wasn't right?

When she was dressed as the hood and doing what came naturally to her, fighting for justice, she trusted her instincts and they had always proven right. Her warriors instincts had seen her threw difficult situations and many bloody battles keeping her alife but in this situation she felt so out of her depth.

Reannas parents had died when she was young and since her brother had seen no value in her, as she was of too young age to be married off, Reanna had been shunned away in a convent for seven years until the age of ten. So by the time she was permitted to return to the Palace and was taken under Edwinas care, Reanna had been too long without a tutor to teach her all the things a woman of her status was expected to know, thus she had never developed 'womanly instincts' as her brother so often critised.

Reanna felt no urge to spend hours grooming herself as other woman of breeding did. She never developed the skill nor patience to take afternoon tea or sown with grace, she had no natural skill in any dignified womanly pursuits either, such as playing a musical instrument, singing or flower arranging.

Despite her brothers regular and harsh critism of her lack of womanly instincts, Reanna had never felt self conscious or at a disadvantage for not having them...until now.

She did not care that she niether had the inclination nor skill to groom herself presentably, or that she was unacomplished in any field of approved ladylike persuits... but she wished she had been educated in the matter of courtship. If she had been then she would not feel so out of place as she did now as she would have ' womanly instincts' to aid her.

Reanna's thoughts were suddenly interupted as King Sebastian boldly reached over and took her hands into his grasp. " Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you Princess," Sebastian cooed as he held her hands more firmly as Reanna automatically tried to pull them from his hold.

" I mean no disrespect either Princess so please forgive my boldness. It's just I can see you shivering and since you have no cloak and I am not wearing one that I can offer...my intentions are purely to offer you warmth," Sebastian said in a tone that sounded so innocent that Reanna again began to chasten herself for doubting his honour.

" Thank you Sire for your chivalrous intent but it is not proper and besides your man and my maid should return shortly..." Reanna said not thinking Sebastian meant any harm but wishing to draw a clear boundary between them to keep thier relationship formal.

" Yes, they should not be too long and then your maid can take over the duty of caring for you but until then...please allow me to see to your needs. I would feel very ungentlemanly if I just sat here and watched your body shake and lips quiver with coldness and I offered no aid..."

Reanna disliked being in such close contact with Sebastian but she could not risk offending him by denying him the chance to carry out a chivalrous and innocent deed. " Then I will accept your offered warmth until my maids return and I thank you for your chivalry," Reanna said as she smiled at Sebastian with kindness and prayed that Edwina would return post haste.

Gabriel quietened his footsteps as he reached the pond. For a short moment he looked at the water longingly and fantasied about wakening Edwina up so he could force her into the water and watch with satisfaction as her expression contorted in fear as she pointlessly struggled whilst she gasping for breath as he held her under the water...

Gabriel would love nothing more than to indulge his desires but sadly he had a plan to stick to and Sebastian had ordered him to have Edwina ready to use as hostage to force Reanna into Co operation if needed.

Sighing at being denied the opportunity to unleash his dark desires Gabriel quietly placed Edwina's still unconscious body on the ground and peered threw to bushes to see if Sebastian had commenced his plan.

Seeing the figures of Sebastian and Reanna in horizon, sitting respectfully on the bench however, Gabriel's disappointment grew. It looked as if Sebastian had chosen to try seduction before brute force and Gabriel would not be lucky enough to slake some of his dark desires by seeing Reannas r**e - this evening was proving to be rather dull compared to the pleasures of this afternoon and Gabriel could not wait for it to end so he could return to more entertaining activities and the delightful company of his new friends that awaited him in the hunting lodge.

Sebastian had tried several times to subtly advance thier intimacy beyond simply holding hands and yet with every attempt he made Princess Reanna had gracefully countered keeping a respectful distance between them and ensuring thier relationship was nothing more than polite companionship with a formal edge.

Sebastian knew he had run out of time and so he focused his attention on her plump red lips as Reanna continued her speech and without further delay he launched himself forward, crushing her lips between his.

Reanna was telling Sebastian about her childhood in the convent when he suddenly grabbed a fistful of her fiery locks and pulled her towards him forcing his lips to hers.

Reanna was stunned.

Despite a small voice inside her head telling her to be on her gaurd she never thought Sebastian would do anything ungentlemanly, how wrong she was. Why didn't she trust her intuition?! Reanna thought as she pushed at Sebastian with all her strength attempting to rid herself from his unwanted attentions.

After a few powerful shoves that accomplished no more than a few uncomfortable groans from her attacker, Reanna realised she was no match for Sebastian strength wise. So she decided to defended herself by using her teeth and as he tried to deepen his kiss Reanna ceased her opportunity.

" AHH!" Sebastian screamed as blood began to flow from his lip.

Using her warrior training Reanna struck quickly whilst her enemy was caught off gaurd.

SMACK!

" AHHH!" Sebastian screamed again as Reanna's fist made contact with his jaw so hard that it sent him flying off the bench and onto the muddy ground.

Knowing she didn't have the time to enjoy the sight of Sebastian lying in a tangled, muddy mess with a dumbstruck expression on his face, Reanna quickly smirked at him before she turned and attempted to run towards the direction Gabriel had taken Edwina. Fearing her gentle maid was currently in danger and in need of rescue.

Reanna had only taken a few steps however before she was roughly tackled to the ground and then quickly flipped around and straddled by Sebastian.

Reanna tossed, kicked and bucked wildly but it was no use. Sebastian had her firmly pinned with the weight of his body and by holding her wrists painfully tight above her head.

Reanna was trapped.

Fear engulfed her as her heart beat erratically and she squeezed her eyes shut fearing what was about to happen next, but to her surprise nothing did.

A few minutes passed and Reanna didn't hear a sound nor feel Sebastians dreaded touch and so she curiously opened her eyes. As soon as she did what she saw frightened her so much, she felt like for only the second time in her life that would swoon.