A Princess, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Tavern...

Tollie

Though the entire discussion was ABOUT Tollie, she seemed to be the only one onboard not allowed to have any say in it.
Everyone always imagined that a princess' life was one of great privilege, and though that was true in a way, in Tollie's personal experience 'princess' was just an embellished title for 'slave'; only she didn't have just one master, oh no! Her master was any random individual who felt it was their duty, because she was princess, or that it was HER duty, because she was princess, to do whatever random act popped in their heads as 'proper for the princess' in that particular moment.
Or in other words, it was true she had never gone hungry or naked BUT, on the other hand, nor had she ever had a say in what she ate and when and how much, or what she wore and when and to what.
Which is why, at this time, she was allowed no say in the 'whether it was safer to leave the princess on the ship or take her along' conversation.
It wasn't like she didn't understand. She got that whether she expected it or not people felt obligated to protect her, thus putting everyone around her in greater danger, and she certainly didn't want that for anyone! She also got that she was absolutely helpless in protecting herself, when compared with the individuals that surrounded her at least, making her an even greater danger to herself, and them all, than it would otherwise have been.
It's just...she still hated it, sitting and staring down at her hands unhappily in the Captain's quarters as everyone else discussed the plans for the night, which evolved into the afore mentioned princess discussion.
At first it was almost unanimously agreed upon that she should stay aboard. West had ordered his crew to stay onboard and ready should they need a hasty retreat, and because he knew if he let them loose in a place like Echo Isles there was no way they'd be sail ready before noon the next day. With them, and a designated guard, she should be safer here than anywhere else. Only who was to stay?
West offered but was immediately shot down, much to his amusement. And as one by one the others offered, it was decided by someone else why they would be needed elsewhere. Then Gov'ner offered, saying he should probably keep an eye on the crew anyways, and that seemed like an acceptable suggestion as he was certainly capable of protecting her from just about anything anyone could imagine coming after her, and was also felt to be a respectable and honorable enough person to properly care for a princess.
But then it was mentioned that word had probably spread that the princess was with West, thus making his ship a target for anyone searching for her, and an easy sort of place for an ambush – so wouldn't she be safer just staying with them where they could keep an eye on anyone a little too interested? Besides, with her new disguise of sorts it was possible no one would think it was her at first. She certainly didn't look much like a princess...
So it went.
Until Tollie finally stood up and said over them all, "It seems to me that, either way, I am in an equal amount of danger. Making either choice equally acceptable in its unacceptability. Therefore, logically, the decision comes down to merely preference. Thus, I would like to put my vote towards coming along...not that it's worth much." She added as she walked past them all and out onto the deck, not stopping until she was all the way to the railing at the fore of the ship, the cool but no longer fresh air, as it was blowing to them from the city, whipping her hair this way and that.
She heard him come up beside her, but didn't look at him...well not directly...yet she peeked enough out of the corner of her eye to see him lean back leisurely on the railing, facing back the way they'd come, his arms crossed.
"You know, you could have said all that with half as many words." He teased.
She smiled half-heartedly, shaking her head.
It was silent between them for a moment, the moonlight perfectly highlighting his profile.
"Officially," He began thoughtfully, "You outrank everyone in there." Looking over at her then, waiting until she met his eyes before he continued, "But no one's ever going to think of you that way, until YOU do."
Her eyes widened in surprise. She'd never thought of it that way before, and he must something about it as he wasn't always a Captain...
He held her gaze until his words had sufficient time to sink in, then pushing himself up off the rail smoothly he said over his shoulder, "They're readying to go." Then turning back to look at her, continuing to walk backwards he added with his ever present smirk, "Duhningham wants to see you."

"It goes here, underneath your...er...top." Duhningham said, looking at the corset with incredulity, as if completely mystified as to why someone, of their own free will and choice would not only wear such a top but consider it a desirable option. Shaking her head she continued, "Real armor would draw too much attention, so this will have to do." Handing Tollie a stiff, arched hunk of material. It could move somewhat, so that it would fit against her under her...er...top, but was also tough enough to provide some protection.
She merely nodded in answer, as she was also trying to follow Clarity who was showing her a quick series of three movements with a dagger. Her motions were swift and direct, moving in exactly the same motion, speed, and reach each time...she must have done it thousands of times to be able to do it like that. "Out...in...down and back. Out...in...down and back." She repeated, then handed the long dagger to Tollie, nodding for her to give it a try, saying as she carefully handed it over, her hand at the far end of the knife from Tollie's as she did so. "It doesn't take strength. It won't kill, well...at least not quickly, but it will give you a window."
They both watched as she ran through the series a few times, each correcting or adding advice until they nodded shortly at each other, Duhningham saying while already walking towards the door. "We'll need to teach you more later, but that'll have to do for now. Time is short."

Echo Isle, though technically under the reign of Estavan, had a separate set of laws completely, as well, the rich and powerful needed somewhere to go for money to change hands, for their questionable deals to go down. Estavans soldiers kept a loose presence here, but things that might get you locked up on the mainland, wouldn't even cause a blink of an eye here. And where there was free flowing money and loose eyed soldiers, the scum of the earth gathered to play.
And play they did, Tollie seeing several things merely on the walk to their destination to give her a life's worth of education...
Duhningham had her own contacts and had parted ways with them at the ship, for the time being, though she hadn't gone alone. Though under normal circumstances she would have been fine, her title protecting her, as it was, no one knew what kind of a bees nest they were about to stir up.
She, Clarity, and Hawke, followed West to The Hall - a large oval building with an expansive roof, a stage at the front that showed everything from the most tasteful opera to the most tasteless of comedies, and table seating and bars filling the rest of its floor. It was the most popular gathering point on the island, and therefore where West felt he should start.
There were several entrances, and as many people crowded around socializing on the outside in the cool night air, as were in the body and candle heated interior. Still, as they reached the door West pulled her aside, Clarity and Hawke continuing on in before them.
Surprised she looked up at him. He had her pressed slightly up against the wall to the side of the door facing him, the press of people and their noise forcing him to stand almost against her, his face very close to her so she could hear as he spoke. Only...he didn't speak right away, and seemed, judging by his expression, to be trying to figure out how exactly to say what he was meaning to.
Which was probably good as, had he spoken right away, Tollie probably wouldn't have been able to understand him, overwhelmed as she was by the sensations of having him so close to her – where she could smell him: slightly spicy and salty and...man-y,
where she could feel all the places that his body was touching hers, even the completely innocent ones, like where he held her arm, yet they still tingled like they were more alive than the rest of her,
where she couldn't get the ridiculous idea out of her head that he was going to kiss her again.
She knew it was ridiculous...and yet knowing that didn't seem to change how much her body was pretty darn sure that was the only reasonable explanation for their current position.
"Dove..." He began, the concern for her in his eyes so apparent that it was finally successful at cutting off the kissing idea. "You know I adore you right?" Something about the way he'd said it making her feel worry instead of pleasure at his words.
"But we just met yesterday and...before that...before I had a sweet doe-eyed princess to keep company with...I had to make do elsewise...you understand?"
He seemed to be hoping that what he'd said so far was plenty of explanation, but she was still just staring at him with big apprehensive eyes.
He sighed, "Listen, there are going to be some women in there tonight who know me pretty well...very well." The lights set up about the buildings reflected off his jade eyes as he looked at her, his expression serious, and all of the sudden she understood, dropping her head in a wave of unhappiness. "And...I just wanted you to be prepared."
She knew it was unfair to think that, like herself, he had never cared for anyone before she happened into his life. She knew she should be touched that he cared enough about her feelings to try and prepare her. She knew many smart and grown-up things...but none of them could quite penetrate the hurt and jealousy that had taken over her entire insides.
She nodded her understanding as she felt him waiting for some kind of response, then felt as he lifted her chin until her eyes met his, he cocking his eyebrow and smiling at her, teasing her gently into smiling again...though hers was half-hearted and fleeting. Turning she shoved herself back up off the wall and entered The Hall.
The noise was even more deafening on the inside, and she had to rely on her other senses to orient herself in the confusion of it all, seeing Clarity and Hawke by a bar and heading their direction, West heading off the other way, neither of them with another glance at each other.
It was thought best that West go it alone, keeping up appearances as he learned what he could, she Clarity and Hawke keeping watch from afar, as well as looking for those that West had described to them, just in case one of them should show up.
She didn't get more than a few steps before she heard it though, the high pitched squeal, "Caaaaaptaiiiiiin!" The first call followed in short succession by a few more from various areas around the room. To her credit though she only paused for just a second before continuing forward to the others.
They found a table against a wall and between two exits so they could easily watch the faces of those coming and going, only...it wasn't enough to keep Tollie's attention away from West making his way through the room.
Though to a certain extent he was supposed to be keeping up appearances, trying to be the same cocky flirty Captain as always so he could get the information they were needing, she could see him trying, she knew for her sake, to keep the various women that were approaching him, following him about, and otherwise invading his personal space - at arm's length.
But it didn't matter, it was still the most awful thing Tollie had ever had to watch.
She tried tuning it out, counting random things in the room, pinching her arm to distract herself with the pain...but it was no use. Finally, when a relentless broad sat down right in his lap, she just couldn't take it anymore. Slamming down her mug, which sloshed everywhere as she hadn't drunk any of the horrible stuff, she stood and stormed across the room towards him. She saw Hawke out of the corner of her eye start to stand as if to try and stop her, but Clarity reached over, stopping his progress with the barest briefest touch of one finger to his shoulder.
It was the shock of it that had stopped him as there couldn't have been any force behind the motion, small as it was, he sitting back down and eyeing Clarity, though she looked now only to her drink.
She really didn't have a plan, really wasn't even thinking at all as she shoved her way across the room through the mass of bodies, her tunnel vision only allowing her to see West who had just stood, presumably in an attempt to get the woman off of him without having to actually broach the subject, though the woman didn't go very far, continuing to lean up against him.
He obviously hadn't seen her coming as he seemed just as surprised as the woman when Tollie shoved by her, grabbed West by the collar and pulled him down into a kiss.
He certainly didn't resist.
She kissed him long enough that it got attention, first with quiet and then an outbreak of hoots.
Breaking away but still holding on to him she turned and looked around them, making eye contact with every woman within their vicinity, her meaning clear enough. Then shoving him gently back down into his seat she sat down on his leg and turned to the game he HAD been playing with a few others before all of this had happened.
West just smiled and shrugged in a 'what are you going to do?' way, moving on with the game as well. The other woman slowly moved off elsewhere though Tollie could feel them glaring daggers into her back, and she really hoped this particular evening wouldn't end up in a fight like the last one as she was pretty sure there would be an all out cat fight, one she would most definitely lose.
He let things settle down a bit before leaning forward while laying down his cards and murmured in her ear, "What are you doing?"
She blushed and dropped her head, only managing after a minute an almost desperate, "I...don't know."
He laughed quietly, looking over at her and putting a strand of her hair back behind her ear, saying into it afterwards, "Well if this is you when you DON'T even know what you're doing with me...I think I might be in more trouble than I realized."