To Catch a Merchant Princess Ch. 01

She received no answer, but felt her head swimming as the prickly sensation she'd experienced just before the carriage stopped returned. Too late, she recognized the touch of magic.

The sleep spell overcame her, and she knew no more.

†ΞΞΞ♥ΞΞΞ†

Alicia struggled to open her eyes, which felt gummy and heavy. Her mouth was dry, and she felt as though she was hearing the indistinguishable sounds around her from inside a barrel stuffed with cotton.

When she managed to open her eyes, she found that she could see little more than she had with them closed. Sunlight burned into her brain, causing her to groan and try to shield her eyes from the light.
It was then that she realized she was bound and gagged.

Panic quickly overruled confusion, and she struggled against her bonds. A shadow passing in front of an open doorway caused her to freeze in fear.

"My apologies for the restraints. I fear it is a necessity, as certain objects found in your possession point toward a study of the mystic arts."

Even with the glare from the sun blocked, Alicia could still see little. She realized that she was within some sort of boxy wagon, and that it was moving. She was lying upon a low, narrow bed, and staring up at the silhouette of a man. The man's voice was unfamiliar. Even once her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized the man was wearing a hood and some sort of mask over his face. She could see only hints of his eyes, which told her nothing.

"So long as your father cooperates, no harm will come to you."

The cowled man then turned and spoke to someone unseen behind him. "Allow her to break her fast, but watch her carefully." His voice dropped an octave and he spoke slowly as he continued, "Remember my orders concerning her person."

The unseen man answered in a low, smoky voice, "Yeah, we got it. We don't like it, but we got it. Not worth losin' pay over."

"Your pay is the least of your concerns if any man despoils her."

With that, the masked man stepped out of the wagon and two men replaced him. The men were unshaven, and dirty. Their clothing was well worn, and their leather armor dark with age. Both wore lecherous smiles and stared at her body in a way that made Alicia's skin crawl.

Alicia recognized the voice she'd heard earlier when the dark-haired man of the pair spoke. "We're gonna take out that gag and untie one o' your hands. If you start to screamin' or try to start magic talkin', we'll tie you back up right quick."

Holding her breath against their smell, Alicia couldn't have responded if she'd wished to.

The scruffy man lifted her head while the other untied the gag. Both took advantage of their position to stare down her blouse and chuckle. Alicia clenched her teeth as tight as the knotted cloth allowed her to, her face burning with shame and anger. The blonde rogue then untied one of her hands while the first man retrieved a wooden plate and a tin cup.

Despite her fear and disgust, Alicia accepted the cup eagerly. Her mouth was as dry as a desert, and she was thirstier than she'd ever been in her life. She drained the cup once, sipping slowly, and then drank half of another, doing her best to avoid eye contact with her captors. Her hunger encouraged her to accept the bread and cheese provided, despite how questionable it looked, and the unclean nature of the men serving it to her.

As she ate, Alicia winced, realizing her bladder was full. She clenched her muscles against the pressure, her legs already pulled tightly together against the men trying to see up her skirts.

The blonde man must have noticed, because he said, "Need to go water the bushes, do ya?"

Alicia nodded almost imperceptibly, the urgency of her need overwhelming her.

The dirty kidnapper laughed and opened the front door of the wagon. "Our guest needs to have a piss."

The dark-haired man leaned down and said, "No trouble out of you." He then tied the gag back over her mouth and blindfolded her as the wagon slowed, and then stopped.

"Come on then," he ordered once the wagon creaked to a halt and he untied her other hand.

Alicia managed to stand, her whole body stiff and sore from sleeping so long. How long, she didn't know. From the light streaming into the wagon earlier, she knew it must be at least the next day.

She winced when her captor grabbed her hand to lead her out of the wagon. Blind, she had no choice but to accept his touch. Once down off the wagon and away from the road, she felt tall grasses brushing against her skirts. She quietly prayed that it would hide her as she answered nature's call.

"Go on then — be quick about it," her captor demanded as he released her hand.

Alicia's face burned as she reached up under her skirt to pull down her panties. Even though she couldn't see him, she could feel the man's eyes burning into her, waiting for her to lift her skirt. She heard his soft chuckle as she squatted and tried to avoid soaking her dress or herself. The painful pressure in her bladder overcame her embarrassment, and she sighed involuntarily as she urinated. She choked off a yelp when the man pressed a cloth against her hand to clean up.

Almost insensible with shame, Alicia barely remembered her captor dragging her back to the wagon, or it lurching into motion as he tied her to the bed.

†ΞΞΞ♥ΞΞΞ†

A combination of the heat, pain from her bound wrists, and despair served to distort Alicia's sense of time. She knew that she had eaten a few times, repeated the embarrassing ritual of answering nature's call, and even washed once, but the memories all jumbled together in a vague, incomprehensible morass.

A cup of water — cool instead of lukewarm as were all those previous — and the welcome relief of strong nighttime breezes served to clear Alicia's head for the first time in quite a while. Light from the moon and a fire outside illuminated her surroundings, allowing her to notice her possessions from the carriage stowed on shelves at the front of the wagon. Beyond that and the bed on which she lay, there was nothing more to see. The glazed windows were too high for her to see anything save the sky, and the wagon's door was closed.

The sound of a horse broke the quiet sounds of the night and the fire, causing Alicia to take notice. She also heard swords slipping free of their scabbards, causing both her mind and heart to race.

Hope surged as she considered that someone might be coming to rescue her. Fear assaulted her when the possibility that the rider might be a highwayman entered her mind. A multitude of possibilities and emotions crashed down upon her in the space of a few, rapid heartbeats.

Whistles approximating a birdcall were immediately met with muttering and the sound of swords sliding against wood and leather once more. Whoever had arrived at the camp was not an enemy, and those outside were standing down.

"What news?"

Alicia recognized the voice as the cultured man in the mask. He spoke quietly, but obviously stood near the wagon.

"Our demands are in his hands. They have no idea where to look."

"Excellent. Should good fortune smile upon us, we will have our coin, satisfy our employer, and be rid of our unwilling guest soon."

"What if he don't pony up?" A gruff voice asked.

The masked man replied, "I am prepared to encourage him, if necessary. I'll begin with a lock of hair taken at the scalp, and I'm afraid it may become rather gruesome from there. I see little reason to doubt that he will pay what we demand, to ensure the safe return of his daughter. Soon, we'll all be rich, and our employer will find far less competition in his endeavors."

Excited muttering greeted that quiet announcement outside.

Inside the wagon, the harsh truth of her situation ignited a spark of anger and determination within Alicia. The continuing laughter fueled that spark, allowing it to sprout into a flame. Her eyes narrowed as she bit down on the gag in her mouth. Slowly, but steadily, that flame burned through her despair.

Chafed, rope-burned wrists once again pulled against the bonds holding Alicia to the bed. Though she might accomplish little, she was determined not to meekly accept her place as a pawn to ruin her father.

Whatever the outcome, Alicia planned to fight.

†ΞΞΞ♥ΞΞΞ†

"You do it. I'm havin' my chow."

"It's your turn."

"What's it matter? His mightyship isn't even here. Let her wait."

"It's your hide."

Alicia listened to the first man cursing, the sound moving off into the distance. She'd given up on trying to escape her bonds, even though she'd managed to loosen them tantalizingly close to freedom twice. Whenever they retied her hands after eating or answering nature's call, she lost all her previous progress.

Her stomach growled, reminding her of how long it had been since she'd last eaten. She suspected that the argument outside related to exactly that, and now knew why the predictable schedule she'd grown accustomed to had broken down over the last two days. Someone — likely the masked man — was not with the group right now, and discipline was growing lax. Laughter and boisterous voices hinted that the men had taken to drink this night.

The litany of curses she'd heard retreating into the distance returned in reverse, now growing louder as the man approached the wagon that served as her prison. The wagon had not moved in the last two days, indicating that they'd reached at least a temporary destination.

"Goblin-whore of a door," the man outside cursed as he fumbled with the latch. Alicia saw the reason for his difficulty when he managed to open the door — his attempt to carry both his own meal and hers.

He sat down a steaming bowl and a large tin cup on the floor, bringing over Alicia's cup of water and plate of bread and cheese. These he plopped unceremoniously on the bed next to her as he mumbled curses under his breath and worked to remove her gag. As soon as he finished removing the gag and untying one of her hands, he returned to his bowl and cup.

The smell of his stew overwhelmed even the stale, acrid scent of his sweat, making Alicia's mouth water as she ate. She couldn't help but glance in his direction as he noisily ate and drank, the smell of meat and vegetables almost maddening.

He must have noticed the looks, because he paused and let out a mocking laugh. "What, you want some of this?"

Alicia didn't answer, but instead averted her eyes and returned to her bland meal.

He stood up and said, "I tell you what, I'll give you some — but you gotta do something for me." When Alicia continued to ignore him, he moved the bowl close to her, torturing her with the sight and scent of the stew. "Come on, now. I'm not gonna ask for much. Smells good, don't it?"

Alicia turned toward him and defiantly stared into his eyes, ignoring the stew as best as she was able.

"Your loss. I kin always get more, but looks like you're makin' do with what you have. All I was gonna ask is for you to eat it with your tits out. Give me a little show, and it's yours."

One of the more disquieting lessons Trell had delivered just before turning toward training with weapons returned to Alicia in a rush. She could hear his every word as though he were speaking to her now, telling her what she must do.

If you can't use your fists and feet as weapons, you may have to use other things. You're not going to want to hear this, but it could be that this is something that could save your life.

A man with all the blood drained out of his head down between his legs will do stupid things. May be that he'll give you a chance to escape that you wouldn't have got otherwise. Modesty — or even your virtue — is a small price to pay for your life.

Alicia's hand twitched toward the bodice of her gown, her stomach turning sour. She swallowed to keep what she'd eaten down, and tried to summon up the determination to try something so desperate and humiliating.

He grinned lecherously when he saw her hand move, and let out a little chuckle. "That's a good lil' Missy. Show me them tits and you'll eat good tonight."

Her nerve nearly failed her beneath a wave of shame, but then she remembered the casual, cold words of the masked man. She had nothing more than his promise that she would be unharmed to assure her safety, and she assumed that they'd traveled far from her home by this point. The masked man had already confirmed that she faced tortures if her father did not pay. The distance that they'd traveled indicated that she might face far worse eventually.

With a surge of willpower, Alicia reached up and tugged down the bodice of her gown to reveal her right breast.

"Both of 'em, Missy."

Another tug left the bodice of her gown supporting both of her firm breasts before his leering eyes.

He walked over and handed her the bowl. "See there, I'm not such a bad fellow. I keep my word."

With only one hand free, she couldn't even try to use the bowl to hide her naked attributes. She had to sit the bowl in her lap and carefully bring the spoon to her mouth for each bite. She did her best to eat with a semblance of desire, but her stomach roiling with disgust from his stare made it difficult.

"Oh, that's nice," he sighed and adjusted the crotch of his trousers in such a lewd manner that Alicia nearly choked.

Somehow, she managed to put his stare out of her mind, even gaining some small measure of pleasure from having something different to eat. She took the last bite and sat the spoon down in the bowl, thinking that she'd abandoned her modesty for nothing, as he simply sat near the foot of the bed devouring her with his eyes.

He picked up his cup and said, "You know, some wine would wash that down right nice."

Alicia's cheeks burned, knowing that he wanted something in trade, and having little doubt about what it was.

"Hike them skirts up and I'll give it to you. Got me a little peek or two while you were having a piss, but I'm wantin' a good look."

Thinking her effort a waste, she dismissed any consideration of continuing with the humiliating charade. That thought, so adamant and final as it emerged in her mind, quickly eroded. She'd come this far, and decided to see it through, hoping for an opportunity of some sort. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she reached down for her skirt.

He let out a growling chuckle as she bunched up her skirt to reveal her curl-adorned sex. "Get them legs apart a bit. Gimme a good look, Missy."

Alicia bent one knee and pulled it back toward her where she reclined against the wall behind the bed. He held out the wine cup blindly, trying not to lose sight of her as he did so. She considered clubbing him over the head as soon as she took the cup, but decided that the light tin would likely do little, and he lurched away as soon as her fingers closed around the cup, anyway.

She made a show of drinking the cheap wine, knowing it for the low vintage it was, but still finding it as crisp and delicious as the finest wine from her father's table after nothing but water for so long. He moved in front of her to find a good vantage point, trailing mocking laughter.

As he sat with his eyes locked in the V of her legs, Alicia saw the opportunity she'd been waiting for. He couldn't have chosen a better position if she'd directed him. With her leg already cocked and ready, she acted as soon as the thought entered her mind. She drained the cup in a quick swallow, dropped it, and grasped the side of the narrow bed. Her foot snapped out, her heel connecting hard on the target of his nose.

His head snapped back, blood running from his nose. He wavered for a moment, shaking his head, and Alicia thought that she'd failed. Just as panic set in, his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell to the bed, unconscious.

Alicia let out a great sigh of relief and immediately reached for the rope binding her other wrist to the bed. Her deft fingers loosened the knot in the space of a few anxious breaths, and she was free.

She slipped out of the bed, away from her unconscious captor, her mind reeling with a thousand fears. She poked the grubby rogue, but he didn't stir. Seeing a sheathed dagger on his belt, she snatched it free. The naked blade felt good in her hand, especially since irrefutable evidence that what Trell had taught her was quite effective lay sprawled on the bed.

She retrieved her day bag from the shelf along the wall, knowing that it contained a few things that could be useful. In a flash of inspiration, she stuffed in the bread, cheese, and the kidnapper's tin cup. Last, she snatched up the panties she'd discarded before answering nature's call for the first time of her nightmare, refusing to leave those for the lecherous rogues.

Alicia crept over to the wagon door and cautiously peeked out the window. She looked for only fractions of a second at first, but steadily remained exposed in the window a bit longer until she had a good idea of her surroundings. The men were gathered around a fire near a barrel, drinking and making merry. Another fire burned nearby, but appeared abandoned.

Fearful that the smelly man on the bed could awaken at any moment, Alicia knew that she had to act swiftly. There might very well be someone just outside the door that she couldn't see, but she had to take that chance. Her only hope lay in escaping now, while the men were in their cups and distracted.

The door mercifully made little noise as she cracked it open, and a peek through the crack revealed no change in the attitude of the men. A faint, muffled groan from the man on the bed spurred her into action. As soon as she was outside the wagon, she darted around it to interpose it between her and the men, expecting to hear cries of alarm the whole time.

Having no idea where she was, she moved swiftly in what she hoped was a straight line away from the encampment. The seconds felt like hours, her ears perked to the wind trying to hear over the sound of her heart pounding. The sounds of the men faded as she moved across a narrow field at an angle, trees emerging from the gloom ahead.

When the previously quieted sounds behind her suddenly surged into the shouts of alarm she dreaded, she ran.

†ΞΞΞ♥ΞΞΞ†

Alicia lay huddled in a hollow beneath the boughs of a recently fallen fir. Her chest and legs burned from running, and she'd acquired uncountable bruises and scratches in her near blind rush through the gloomy woods. Somehow, she'd managed to hold on to her bag in her flight, but she knew her gown was in tatters.

Now that she'd ceased to pant for breath, she could hear the night sounds of the woods reawakening. She hoped and prayed that meant that her pursuers were nowhere nearby. Her mad dash across the field had culminated with startling several deer, and the animals had rushed off in all directions. Thanks to those unwitting accomplices, her kidnappers could not distinguish the sounds of her own clumsy flight from the frightened animals. The men had poorly chosen their route of pursuit, allowing Alicia to leave them hopelessly behind.

As her adrenaline drained away, so too did her strength. She tried to remain vigilant, prepared to run again if necessary, but exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Back at the wagons, the suddenly sober kidnappers fearfully prepared their story for the masked man.

†ΞΞΞ♥ΞΞΞ†

Alicia awakened damp, stiff, and still weary. The sunlight filtering through the canopy overhead and her impromptu shelter was still too bright to let her sleep, however. As she regained her senses, she realized that the fallen fir was far from an ideal place of concealment under the revealing light of day. She knew that she had to move — and quickly.