Tempest

Chapter 3

Life aboard the Naunet over the course of the next few weeks proved to be vastly improved now that Belle had been granted permission to stay. No longer stuck hiding and having to only venture out at night gave the young woman a taste of freedom she hadn't experienced since her time before serving as the Dark One's maid. It seemed her earlier opinion of the crew members being nothing more than uneducated ruffians proved wrong as well. They'd been nothing but kind to Belle, even going as far as to ask after her well being and that of the 'little guppy' growing in her belly. The most excited of the crew seemed to be Toby who had taken to calling the unborn child his sibling and Belle hadn't the heart to correct him on the matter.

Over the course of the last three months, Belle's growing stomach hadn't been the only thing to change. The water supply had gone rancid long before it was expected to and a good portion of the food had followed suit. Sera (as she allowed Belle to call her in private) had stated that it was likely a bad crop and not due to any infestations aboard the ship. Either way, their supplies were running low and they were still a good month from making landfall anywhere reputable with viable sources of necessities. Many nights had found Belle restless and unable to sleep as she watched Sera from the bed as the blonde poured over maps. There were plenty of uninhabited islands, but none of them contained fresh water or food. To stop and make the journey to shore would cost them more precious time than they had. Especially with winter on its way in.

The decision to stop at the very next port, no matter what it may be, had been voted upon and won out unanimously. However, Sera had pulled Belle to the side and advised her not to take to the land in such a place.

"It's...not a safe place for anyone. Let alone a woman who is expecting. You'll be seen as an easy target." She pulled Belle by the hand and led her back to their shared cabin one evening after the vote had been set. "I know that I said I would allow you safe passage to the next port, but I can't in good conscience leave you in a place like that. A fate much worse than what your husband could bestow upon you awaits if you go."

A bright smile had crossed Belle's face as she beamed up at Sera who was several inches taller thanks to the heels of her thigh-high leather boots. "You care about my well being."

"Just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I am willing to leave you to such a fate!" Gruffly huffing, Sera pushed her way past Belle and stepped further into the cabin. Her hat was removed and the pins pulled from her hair so that the waist-length tresses cascaded down her back in waves.

"No. You're not." Belle watched as the blonde moved to her wardrobe and began digging through it for something clean to wear after her bath. "You're a good person. You just don't want to admit it."

"Pfft." Giving a roll of her eyes, Sera stepped behind the changing screen and tested the water. It'd been filled before the meeting and had been given just enough time to cool to a comfortable temperature.

"Scoff all you want. But I know the truth." Smiling as she spoke, Belle moved to sit upon the bed while looking to the screen.

"And what truth is that?" A splashing sound was heard as Sera sank deep into the tub.

"That there's good in you. I knew from the moment I saw you."

"What? In the galley?" The lid to one of her scented soaps was popped open and Sera took a deep whiff. "Or when I had you locked in my cabin for safekeeping?"

"Neither."

"Neither? Then please, enlighten me, my little bookworm. When did you see the nonexistent good in me?" The tone was harsh, but Belle was accustomed enough to Sera to know that it wasn't meant to be cruel.

"Before I snuck onto the ship. I was in an alley hiding and trying to find shelter. I hadn't enough money to stay anywhere, so I'd hunkered down out of the rain as best as I could." Belle's fingers ran over the silk of the shirt Sera had loaned her. The clothes Belle had been wearing at the time of her discovery had been so tattered and irreparable that Sera had taken to sharing her wardrobe. "There was a young boy who had been caught stealing. They were going to punish him, and you happened to be walking by. You stopped them from hurting him and bought him food. A cruel person wouldn't have done such a thing for a stranger."