Improper (Complete)

Chapter 8: The Magic Aboard

Zahra refused to do anything. She was not some common animal that they could treat in any manner they wanted. She was a Princess and her captors should treat her as such. No matter what they said, Zahra went off the unpalatable food, and she would not clean herself for fear of being poisoned. Who knew what they could be putting in the water? Arsenic? She didn't care that she was weakening as her father's army would soon come and squash the measly Pirates that had kidnapped her.

Avelina was in a better mood than ever, especially on the days were Azadi allowed her on the upper deck, even if it was under tight control. Zahra refused to do that too as she would not give the crew the satisfaction of being horribly insolent when they saw someone as high up as her. However, as the maid relaxed around the captors, she found that she was becoming more and more irritated.

When Avelina noticed that she wasn't moving and her skin had apparently turned a pasty white as a desperate plea for nutrition, her snapping attitude was replaced by kinder words, asking her gently to eat, to come to the upper deck, to clean herself. But no matter how Lina phrased her words or how kindly she said them, Zahra would not budge.

In the end, Azadi came to talk to her. She listened to his tone which was almost begging. She would only change her stubborn ways if he offered her something in return.

Then, however, she was completely thrown when he did.

"Okay, Zahra," he said after running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "We make a deal?"

She huffed to show she was listening and Avelina came and sat beside the Pirate boy. Zahra was starting to get sick of their friendship which had grown like a flower the moment she had escaped confinement instantly. She could hear them talking outside the door before Lina was locked in again and sometimes, when she knew Lina was not about to enter and Zahra would lean out the window, she could hear them laughing so even glimpse Lina swimming. The Princess wasn't even jealous of the maid but secretly cherished the idea of bathing too. Yet, she remained adamant to her position.

"You see, not even Lina has seen the other crew. Captain Syreni prohibited it. But she says you can see them if you will actually eat," he said, glancing at Lina.

"What's so special about the crew?" Zahra asked, not trying to hide the sass in her voice.

Azadi paused. "Well, they are different basically," he explained, obviously not trying to give away too much information.

"How?"

"That is something you will find out if you accept the deal."

Zahra tried desperately to not fall for it but her curiousity had grown. If Avelina hadn't seen the crew either, then there must have been something truly special about them. It was true that she didn't want to be starving all the time, that she wanted to change clothes and that she wanted something more than the cloth Avelina had been given for a blanket. All she had done was a sign of protest but maybe it was time to get out of it. She realised that when the King did save her, either by paying the ransom or sending his army, if no Pirates survived, at least she would have information to give them and they wouldn't be disappointed.

"Fine."

Avelina smiled in relief as Azadi went to get Zahra food and water. She tried not to eat too quickly because that would show her vulnerability. When she had finished, her arms tingled with the new energy that her body had derived from the dried meat and she could now stand up without shaking.

"Come," Azadi said imperiously and she found herself yielding to his words, feeling like a baby animal following its pack leader. She trailed behind him, noticing that Lina seemed to know where they were going. This sent another stab of annoyance in her gut and she hated everything about the maid: her scars, her confidence, her curiousity.