Amelia the Pirate Queen Ch. 02

The pirate sloop Phantom had begun life as the French ship Epée born in the shipyards of Marseille. The Epée had been built for speed, in order to run the blockades of the British navy. Although she was lightly armed, with only six nine-pound cannon, she was light and under full sail ran fast on the bowline. One night she had been anchored in Port-De-France on Martinique, with most of her crew ashore celebrating their escape from the British fleet, a group of out of work sailors, led by an English ex-patriot named William Cooper, appropriated her. Because he was the most educated among them, having spent a year at Christ Church before his money ran out, the sailors voted and agreed that William should be their captain and since most of the pirate crew was formally of the Royal Navy it was agreed that things should be run as much as possible as if she were a king's ship, except the cat would be permanently put to rest. All aboard signed a list of rules that they would obey, under pain of marooning. Among these rules was the provision that no women were to be kept aboard the ship.

William Cooper knew that having a woman on board was considered by sailors to be bad luck, and though it was clearly against the ship's rules; he hoped that since they had done so well on this voyage, taking a ship bound for London loaded with rum, allowing him to double the crew's grog rations, the crew would not notice or at least would not mind his infraction. So while it certainly would cause his crew to be jealous of him, he was willing to risk a mutiny to have Amelia aboard. He had to have this young woman for himself. The little blonde woman, who had gotten so excited when he had taken her, was more than he could resist, and now that she was settled into his cabin and living with him, each night he found he wanted her all over again.

He was able to find one his shirts that was not too dirty for her to wear among the rags he had in his cabin. In the scant light put out by the single candle lantern he used to illuminate his cabin, the slight young woman was nothing short of beautiful. Her pale complexion and long blonde hair glowed in the dim light, and with the overlarge shirt, she had a look of helplessness that even a gruff pirate found irresistible.

From the first he had her tied to his bed and, although he brought her food and water, she refused to speak to him. Each evening, when he returned to his cabin for the evening, she would lie in the bed silently. Remembering her excitement the first time he had taken her, he wished he could do something to get a response, but no matter what he tried, she remained icy to his advances.

One evening, confident in his charisma, he decided that he would confront her about her silence and hopefully get her to talk. As before, she sat in his bed, tied to the headboard, as impassive as a statue. Amelia, stubborn as ever she had been to the many women her father had brought into their house to educate her, was determined not to give up her silent protest. To her mind she was acting like a newly abducted Persephone.

"Won't you talk to me?" he asked.

Still she stared at him impassively.

"What's your name?" he asked for the umpteenth time.

Still there was no response.

Seeing that he seemed to be sailing into the wind, he decided to take another tack. "I'm sorry but your mother is dead. I assume the woman that you were traveling with was your mother. She did look like you. I am sorry but she was so hysterical, she was made to walk the plank. Boys will be boys you know," he said, not mentioning that like her, her mother had been ravaged.

Though saddened at the news of her mother's death, she did her best to show no response. Although a few tears did well in her eyes, she did her best to blink them away.

"Why won't you talk?" He asked.

Her eyes boring into him, she seemed to be telling him that she wasn't happy with how she was being treated, but he didn't yet feel that he could do anything about that. The idea of her running free about the ship was impossible. Not only would she distract the men from their duties, she would be reminder that he had chosen to break the rules that the pirates lived by, but he didn't want to tell her the latter reason for her captivity.

"You know, I am keeping you tied up for your own safety. While you may be safe inside this cabin, going outside would be a bad idea. This way you aren't tempted."

And even when he had his way with her, which he did nightly, there was none of the excitement of their initial encounter. She would bear his copulation with her as impassively as she could. When he would finish inside her, she would eye him as if to say, "Are you done yet?" And when he was, she would quietly clean herself, still barely acknowledging his presence.

And so she remained silent, impassive at his advances for nearly two weeks. Though he kept her bound for her own protection, he thought, the sight of her bondage was eventually too much for him. He seemed to understand her feelings that her imprisonment was the reason for her silent protest. He hoped that if he released her, she would finally respond to him.

"Is that better?" he asked, removing the ropes that had held her wrists.

"Yes it is, thank you," she said, her voice weak from disuse.

"I was afraid you might try to get away. I know you can't get off of the ship, but don't believe that outside of this cabin you will be safe."

"I understand and I will stay here," she said plaintively, acknowledging her imprisonment..

"What is your name?"

"My name is Amelia. I am the daughter of Rufus Stackhouse."

"My name is William," he told her

"What is your father's name?" she asked.

"Edmund"

"Very well, William, son of Edmund, if I must stay in your cabin, I understand. I will submit to imprisonment. You will not need to tie me up in the future."

"That is good," he said, trying to cover his amazement at her acceptance.

"If you can get me some sail material, I will make myself some breeches, so that I may be properly clothed."

"Sure, I can do that."

The next morning several yards of indigo cloth that the pirates had appropriated from the ship Amelia was voyaging on were delivered to the captain's cabin. After eight bells, when he returned from the second morning watch, he saw that Amelia had sewn herself a pair of trousers. She had also cut her hair short, so that in her new outfit she could easily pass for a boy.

"So what do you think?" she asked him, "Now I should be able to go out on deck."

There were a few moments of stunned silence, as William took in Amelia's new look. While it was true she could pass for a boy, the crew would still know that she wasn't.

"No Amelia, the crew still knows your secret. You would still be in danger if you went out on deck."

Amelia started to pout. He watched her face turn into a scowl in the dim light.

"You know it is for your own good, I'm sorry. Look, I have to go back, I'll see you tonight," he said, leaving the cabin for the afternoon watch.

The afternoon watch had been uneventful. The sun shone brightly down on them and a with a brisk westerly filling their sails they were making about ten knots for Nassau, probably making it there in four more days. At eight bells, and the beginning of the first dogwatch, one of the able seamen was missing from his post. Jeffries, the first lieutenant informed the captain that Lewis, one of the forecastle men had not shown up for his watch.

"Where is Lewis," bellowed the captain.

"He was in his hammock last I saw him," said the first lieutenant.

"Mr. Williams, have a couple of men go bellow and see if they can't find Lewis"

"Aye, sir."

And just after this exchange was finished there came a loud yell of anguish from bellow the forecastle, from the direction of the captain's cabin.

"Mr. Jeffries, you have the con", said the captain as he quickly left the quarterdeck, walking forward.

"Aye, sir," said the first lieutenant.

The captain left the quarterdeck and headed for his cabin. Upon reaching the door to his cabin he heard a loud whimpering coming from inside. Opening the door he found Amelia with a bloody dagger in her hand and Lewis, the man who had been missing from watch, with his trousers at his knees, clutching his bloody crotch and whimpering in pain.

"What the hell is going on in here?" yelled the captain.

"Sir, she attacked me," said the wounded man.

"This fool thought he would have his way with me," sneered Amelia. "So I had to teach him a lesson."

"Lewis, get out of my cabin."

"Yes, sir," said the mate in a low voice. Making his way by the captain in the doorway, he made to leave the cabin.

"You forgot your pecker, you dog," screamed Amelia. She reached down and picked the mate's severed penis off the floor of the cabin and flung it at the escaping man, hitting him in the side as he bolted through the door.