Chapter 26 - Pirates!

Raymond simply glanced at the young, frail girl and frowned. "Eloise, listen to me carefully. I want you to go back to your room, close all your windows and doors. Don't open them at any cost. And if you see a pirate, run and hide. Got it." he peered into her sky-blue eyes. "Fred! Get over here!!"

Fred rushed over, pushing past many other guests of his.

Raymond pushed Eloise and her mother to him. "Get them both safely to their room. And stay with them. I will come get you after I deal with them."

"But Duke... wait," he watched as his vampire friend shout orders after orders and rushing out the ballroom. Fred swiftly composed himself. "Servants!! Open the doors wide and my dear guests please do not rush out. Maintain decorum,"

After giving out his orders, he pulled Eloise and her mother out the door. Outside he was greeted by a huge amount of the ship's inhabitants running about in panic.

"Lady Eloise, madam Ayles, are you both doing okay?" he whispered while he pushed past the crowd to guide them back to their room.

Eloise glanced over to the side and saw a few of the pirates shooting a strange hook out of cannons. It pierced through their ship and gripped on, so that they can haul them closer. 'I didn't think I would see the live action version of Pirates of the Caribbean.' She pulled her trembling mother close and rushed away.

Soon they reached their room safely.

Mister Fred being a gentleman he decided to stay and protect them. He rushed over, closing all the windows and doors.

Eloise sat down her weak mother on a comfortable couch. "Mister Fred, how are the security measures in our ship,"

"Not that good," Fred mumbled while he peered through a small gap in the curtain. "The route we are sailing is considerable safe. There had been no sightings of pirates in these waters. So this ship focused only in luxury and adding too much pirate protection did not match with the design of it."

"So we have nothing to protect us from them?"

"Not exactly. We have ample amount of soldiers that were travelling with Duke Raymond. They would be able to howl them back with ease. But...." Fred said with a frown still on his face.

"But?"

"I fear that it might be too much for Lord Raymond." Fred mumbled while he barricaded the doors with a huge wardrobe.

The fighting and killing will cover this ship with blood and poor mister vampire would go on a feeding frenzy. He worried immensely at the thought of this possibility.

Once his father had recounted an incident about how Lord Raymond went crazy with the scent of blood. He bit almost twenty human that night, leading them to die instantly.

That instant had haunted him even now.

Fred wordily gazed out the window. 'I hope he had a good amount of blood wine, or else he might not be able to hold back.'

Eloise frowned a little at this. "Mister Fred"

He snapped back to reality. "What is it Miss Ayles? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you feel dizzy or..."

"Go back to him." she said whist peering into his dark eyes. "I know he ordered you to protect us, but he is in danger. Please go and assist him as much as you could,"

"But miss Eloise.."

"We will be safe here. So don't hesitate any longer. Go to him," she urged him.

Fred glanced at her intently. The young girls' eyes were steady with no show fear in them. If it were a usual lady, she might have screamed and begged for him to stay. But this young girl calmly told him to go.

He bit his lips and contemplated what to do. The doors and windows were firmly barricaded. No pirate can come in unless the walls are torn down. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at her. "Then I shall take my leave, Miss Eloise. Stay inside. Don't come out on any occasion,"

Eloise nodded. "Stay safe, Mister Fred." She watched him pushed the wardrobe a little, and he squeezed though the gap between the door and the wardrobe. She went up and pushed the wardrobe snug to the door.

"Mommy, let's get you some tea to calm your nerves." she handed her mother a warm cup of tea and led her to bed. "Would it bother you if I change my clothes here?"

"No dear, not at all," madam Ayles tiredly whispered. Her eyes were slowly shutting closely and soon she went to a fitful sleep.

Eloise swiftly changed out of her heavy and fluffy clothes into her usually riding outfit. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and rolled it up into a bun.

A loud cry was heard, and soon the night was filled with painful screams.

Her mother suddenly shouted, "Odette, Odette," in her sleep.

Eloise rolled up a two small strips of cotton and plugged it in her mother's ears. 'What am I going to do? Odette is not here yet. Should I go out? Or should I stay? Are the maid quarters enough?'

She held her aching head and leaned closer to her mother. "Mum, shall I go out or should I stay? Odette might be in grave danger."

She walked over to the window and glanced out. Many pirates were howling and shouting as they swung around on ropes like monkeys.

"I've decided. I am going to fight. Let's see if my black belt would be of any use against these savage pirates."

Eloise searched the room for a weapon, but she didn't find anything other than a small dagger. Its brass colour was slightly faded near the hilt as if someone had used it thoroughly before. The end of the hilt was encrusted with a huge green ruby. "It looks fancy but is it durable," she threw an apple in the air and slashed it.

The dagger went through easily, like it was cutting through butter.

"This will do."

She swiftly rushed out the door with a rolled up cotton ribbon She placed it on the hinges and closed the door shut, jamming it from the outside.