Chapter - 2 The Cursed Ship
The violent crashing of waves against the ship's hull produced a thunderous noise that roused the young girl. She flinched with pain at the rash opening of her eyes which sent a stinging pain in her skull. Elena failed to determine anything - no memory, not even a recollection of what occurred last night, came to her, despite how much she strained her brain. Slowly, the young girl's senses grew back as she felt the cold and hard surface beneath her. Her unrestrained locks were damp. She tried to concentrate on her blurry vision, which only sent another wave of piercing pain down her skull. But eventually, the scene became clear as Elena noticed the roof she was accustomed to witnessing first thing in the morning had altered. A rusty, moss-covered and damp wall had taken the place of the smooth pearl-coloured roof, which had some of the finest carvings on the four edges. The realization struck her late, but it did strike indeed, as she quickly posed herself up, only to increase the pain in her skull that almost blinded her. Clutching her head in an attempt to ease the ache, Miss Cunningwell managed to increase the pain as her soft skin touched the open wound on the right side of her forehead. Elena breathed heavily to calm her pain, and it aided a little. Pushing the pain aside, the young girl decided to investigate the change in her surrounding. Very slowly. Elena opened her eyes and glanced at her surroundings with her vision which was still a little blurry. She realized that she certainly was not in her chamber. This place was worse than the prisoner's cell of Verano. The metal of the slab she was sitting on, and the bars of her cell were badly corroded and covered with a layer of seaweed and moss. Fright infused her body as she felt her muscles stiffen and her heart palpitating thunderously against her chest. This place was strange, and she found herself all alone, on her own in this cursed place. Breathing was becoming an arduous task for Elena, who found blood on her hand, adding to her hysteria. Tracing the source of pain on her forehead, soon her frail fingers found the open flesh wound, which made her flinch on touching it. The pieces of the puzzle were not falling into their place no matter how much she strained her mind. Miss Cunningwell could not remember what happened last night, how she ended up on a ship's prisoner's cell, but most importantly - who was her captor? What was that he wanted from her?
Her chain of thoughts was broken by a thudding sound. The sound of a heavy gate opening was heard. Light entered the dark brig as Elena saw two male figures descending the stairs. The bright light from outside made it hard for her to see their faces. One of them struggled to walk upright as the other man pushed him. Seizing the moment the young girl spoke -
"Oh dear sir, I must ask for your help. What is this place?" Her refined voice echoed in the brig as she walked up to the bars to have a clear look at the men. Her request went unheard as the men made their way towards the cell next to hers and in those brief Elena caught glimpse of the men. Their skin was like no human she had ever seen. A dark-coloured scaly substance covered the skin of those men but what horrified the soul out of her body was their faces. Those pirates' face was beyond deformed, almost as if it was sculpted that way by the gods. Her quivering foot took a step back out of horror as that man shot a disgusted look at her. Elena kept taking steps back until she felt the cold slab attached to the wall while the pirate, whose head reminded her of a kind of shark she read about in a book, locked the other man in the cell. The young girl could feel her mind going numb at an alarming rate as yet another realization struck her - her abductors were the demons from the depth of the seas, and it failed to help her feel any better.
Elena stayed rooted on the metal slab as the deformed pirate locked someone and left. The entire time his eyes were fixed upon her. She felt suffocated under his stare, but she very well knew there was nothing she could do, and any of her actions could end up bad for her. Inhaling deeply, Miss Cunningwell pulled her legs to her chest and sat there completely still. The only movement was of her breathing. For a long time, the brig was cast in eerie silence which was broken by the sound of a match and the dark and claustrophobic place was filled with the warm light of the lantern the new inmate ignited. Elena had no desire to see the appearance of the other prisoner but was eventually forced to glance at him when she heard his pained voice -
"Ye be the lass Cap'n abducted yesterday, don't ye?" The tone with which he spoke was soft, almost sympathetic, making it impossible for Elena to ignore him. Looking up, she nodded in reply. The man preferred to keep himself in the shadows as he hung the lantern on the bar wall their cells shared.
"W-what happened yesterday?" The young girl managed to formulate the question as she strained her eyes to get a look at the other man.
"Yer father owed a debt to our Cap'n, but 'e refused to return it for a long time. Now ye'll be 'ere till yer father brings what 'e owes to 'im. Pray yer father finds that there thin' because Cap'n Jones doesn't show mercy not even to a young lass such as yerself." Answered the pirate.
The realization came painfully slow to Miss Cunningwell as the man's words sink in.
"T-this cannot be true. My father could never make such deals with pirates. He is a man of virtue. There must have been a misapprehension." Cried Elena, who refused to accept the words of the pirate.
"Calm down, lass. Ye'll get a 'old o' it." The pirate told with a slight hint of fear in his gravely voice.
Passing him a look of utter disbelief, Elena exhaled deeply. It was certain that the young girl could never get used to being in the captivity of sea pirates. She forfeited that it would be prudent to ignore the pirate's words.
"Who was that creature?" Miss Cunningwell asked the man in the shadows, her whisper was overpowered by the sound of the mighty ocean.
"He? 'e been Maccus, Cap'n's right-hand man." Her query wasn't left unheard. This unlikely exchange was sunshine of hope for the poor Elena, who felt relieved to find a man with a sensible approach on this ship, which was presumably filled with savages.
"Apologies for never asking your name, sir?" The horror in Elena's voice faded a little as she took a little step towards his cell.
"Ye can call me Morey."
"What offences did you perpetrate to end up in a miserable place like this, Mr Morey?" Asked Elena.
"Me? Nothing, I just spill a barrel full o' rum." Said Morey from the shadows. "I don't blame them, even I would 'ave flogged any o' them filthy rats if they would 'ave spilt that there precious rum." He added with a sad chuckle.
"Those creatures flogged you?" Implored the young girl, her whispering tone was laced with sympathy for the pirate. A mumbling answer came her way.
"Oh dear, that is awful of them! You must allow me to have a look at your wounds. I have no aptitude for medicine but I have no desire to let you endure this pain." Gasped Miss Cunningwell, who scanned the cell for something she could use to treat the poor man but to her disappointment found no suitable material in the tiny cell.
"There be no need fer that there, lass. They will 'eal with time." Morey's response came from the other cell as he tried to bury himself more in the darkness of his cell.
"That would be unacceptable, dear sir. At least let me have a glance of your wounds." Elena's refused the pirate's response.
"Be ye sure ye want to see me? Ye wouldn't like it." Expressed Morey.
"If I weren't sure I would have never asked you, Mister Morey." The young girl declared. To her annoyance, the pirate took his time considering her proposal. Eventually, when he did step in the light of the lantern, the sight in front of her eyes left Elena petrified. Morey looked not like a human but a creature from the book on witchcraft her father never let her read. Every inch of his skin was covered with greasy grey scales. His face was far from deformed, the poor man's face emerged like that of a snake, but his eyes did not possess the cruelty of the other pirate, Maccus. On the other hand, his small eyes were filled with sadness as he looked down at the girl with royal blood, who had a horrified look on her face. The emotion on her face made him want to return to the shadows as he took a heavy step back.
"Don't." He heard a feminine gasp. "Don't go back." The girl's voice requested him.
"Forgive me for the rudeness I displayed. I-I must ask you to show me your wound." Elena asked for forgiveness as she took a deep breath to compose herself. The pirate complied with her request as he turned to face his scaly back to her. The sight of his bloodied back terrified her beyond repair. Fresh blood flowed down his back, soaking in his worn-out pants. The wounds were fresh and large, and they appeared painful. The young girl's heart broke as she raised her hand, passing it between the bars to slightly touch the back and saw the man winch with pain. Without a second thought, Miss Cunningwell tore the silk of her dress and used the tore cloth to wipe the flowing blood. It took no time for the piece of cloth to get soaked with blood causing Elena to tear more of her exorbitant dress without a second thought.
The young girl had only wiped the blood and cleaned the wounds when the thudding sound was heard again. The gloomy brig was filled with air as they heard two men entering it. Miss Cunningwell ignored the pirate's entrance as she kept Morey's wounds her centre of attention.
"Cap'n wants to see ye." Elena recognized the voice which addressed her causing her to divert her gaze to the entrance of her cell which had been opened by the freshly entered men.
"Apologies but I am currently preoccupied with treating Mister Morey of the cruelty he faced from your hands." The young girl spoke with the refinedness of an aristocrat.
"Cap'n wants to see ye an' that 'e will. 'e will not wait because o' this filthy Morey." The threatening voice of Maccus resonated in the sunken brig sending chills down Elena's spine. But the threat failed to dismantle her royal pride as she stood in the tiny cell with her head held high. But pride is nothing in front of the brute force of a pirate. Maccus entered the dirty cell, his imposing stature dominating the cell. Without another word, the pirate forced a handcuff on her fragile wrists, who was refrained from a chance to revolt. And before she could have realized it, Miss Cunningwell was being forced to walk against her will under the force of Maccus, who pulled the chain forged to her handcuff. Her flowing dress mopped the moss-covered floor of the Flying Dutchman as the young girl was dragged towards the Captain's cabin. The horror she felt on seeing Maccus and Morey died as Elena spectated that every of the crew member was deformed beyond restoration on this ship. Their body had transmuted into unholy matrimony between the ocean and humans and it scared every fibre of her body. Soon the prisoner was standing in front of the door of the Captain's cabin. Maccus knocked on the door and yelled something. His rough diction was incomprehensible to the well-versed girl who could hear her heartbeat. The door opened with an eerie sound that infused an incomprehensible feeling in her heart. Elena prayed to dear god for the forbidden Captain to be a man of reason like Morey. The poor girl was pushed into the room by Maccus, which offended her, but she wasn't in a position to feel offended, was she? The cabin was just like the ship, ghostly and tattered except for the fact this place was far cleaner than the rest of the moss-covered ship. The moderate-sized room lacked any luxury, in fact, it lacked any basic comfort. Only a long table with chairs at both ends occupied the space. A human figure was seated on the head of the table and just like everyone abode this ship he too was covered in scales. The formidable Captain lacked a nose and instead of a beard, tentacles flowed down his face. The very sight of him created a vacuum around her, making it hard for to her breathe. Captain Jones, as Mister Morey addressed him, was seated in a leather bounded armchair on the opposite end of the table with his icy blue eyes fixed upon a hardcover book in his hand. The scene appeared unlikely and wrong to Elena, who stood there rooted to her place, trying to process how she ended up in the cabin of a nightmarish creature.
Maccus closed the door with a thud which broke both Miss Cunningwell's and Captain Jones' chain of thoughts. The young girl felt uneasy as she found herself in the company of a demonic creature, and to add to her misery she found his cold gaze was no longer on the pages of the book but her. A sickening smile made its way to Davy's lips as she saw the trembling figure of the Cunningwell girl. Just like he had expected, she was terrified. But it was not her terror that captured his attention - it was her handsome looks. The young Cunningwell was fairly handsome, but nothing about her looks was outstanding, yet something about her was captivating.
"Ah, the precious daughter o' Benjamin Cunningwell. I been expectin' ye, Yer 'ighness." The Captain's voice echoed in Elena's ears. She could sense the derision in his sinister voice. A nod was the only reply she could conjure up.
"Poor little lass." Jones Mocked her further as he stood from the armchair as he very gently placed the book on the dust-covered table and took a step towards her. His wooden leg producing a blaring noise in the process. Elena took a scared step back, instinctively.
"No need to be scared, Princess. I won't give ye to save me skin. I might not be born to a kin' like yer father but I be a man o' me word, Miss Cunningwell." Reassured Davy, but both of them knew that was not his intention.
"I assure you there must have been a misunderstanding Mister Jones. My father is a man of honour and he will never under any circumstance do the dishonesty of giving me as a lien to a pirate." Elena said as she held her head high to see her captor, who had walked halfway through the length of the table. Davy's gaze softened on hearing the confidence for her father in her voice. The poor girl was living in a world of delusion.
"Ye did not inherit yer father's deceitfulness, did ye?" The immortal Captain asked, but his statement lacked any curiousness. Jones knew from the moment he laid eyes on her that she lacked the qualities on which her forefathers had built their empire.
"I would very much appreciate it if you would be kind with your words for my father, Mister Jones. I might be unaware of the ordeal between you two but he is my father and a good one at that." Elena politely requested as she turned her gaze away on seeing the cursed man approaching her. Unbeknown to her, the young girl had been taking steps backwards the more Davy Jones tried to increase the proximity between them.
"A jolly father who would trade 'is daughter to save 'is own skin an' 'ere I thought Lord Benjamin raised a smarter 'eir to 'is throne." The words stabbed daggers in Elena's heart, who felt the coldness of the wooden wall against her back. Her fear was visible on her face, but that didn't refrain Captain Jones from decreasing the distance between them.
"I-I see no reason to believe your words, Mister Jones. I have no recollection of yesterday's events and I would not let you dictate my verdict towards my father." Poor Elena was still in a state of denial as she refused to look the cursed Captain in the eyes. It would be a lie to say that Miss Cunningwell was not feeling scared, but her fear was not for the hideous appearance of the man who was making his way towards her but for the heinous things he was capable of doing to her. No mockery came her way this time, but the young girl felt the shadow of Captain Jones casting over her, suffusing her heart with fear. Elena lacked the courage to face the consequence of her father's ordeal as she shut her eyes tightly, waiting for him to be done with his intentions. She was well aware of the fact that she was incompetent of protecting herself from the pirate, and any of her actions might end up making him angrier.
"An' what about the wound on yer 'ead that yer dear father gave ye as a partin' gift?" The undying pirate's words fell on her ears. This, unlike any of his other words, lacked the mockery. Elena could sense that Captain Jones was desiring to prove something. The words struck her like lightning as the faint memory grew stronger. Her fingers unintentionally made their way to the wound on her head. Her father's last words echoed in the hollowness of her mind as a tear escaped the captivity of her eyes against her will. He was the one who knocked her unconscious, but why? No reason seems to explain the irrational behaviour of her Father. Elena was drowning in her overwhelming emotions and was pulled out of her ocean of thoughts by the sound of chain clanking saved her from completely submerging into the thoughts. Opening her eyes, she found the chain forged to her handcuff in the cursed man's hand.
Davy on the other hand noticed the thin flow of blood making its way to the elbow as her thin fingers traced the dried blood down to her collarbone. Every of the Captain's predictions had proven to be right and it failed to make him feel pride like he had anticipated. The sight was disheartening even for a heartless monster like he claimed himself to be. With a heavy sigh, the immortal Captain directed the claw which once was his hand. With a snap, the constraining metal fell on the wooden floor.
Elena could hear the echoes of the metal hitting the floor. Out of the blues, her hand felt much lighter. For the first time, the young girl looked her captor in the eyes, his icy blue eyes looking down at her. To her solace, the stare held no emotion - neither lust nor anger. Only the distance of a footstep kept them apart as they stood that way for a short-lived moment.
"So, what is it that my father owed you, Mister Jones?" Asked Elena to diffuse the eerie silence.
"Glad ye asked." Clamoured Jones as he took a step away from her. "I would love t' tell ye the reason why when ye would join me tonight fer grub." He counted.
The invitation earned him a look of confusion from his hostage, and he did not blame her. Davy was enjoying this little game of unravelling the curtain of delusion from her eyes.
"I was unaware of the fact that pirates graced their hostages with such hospitality." Miss Cunningwell tried to put exposition to the little cunningness she inherited, but her mockery seemed to have no effect on the cursed Captain.
"Yer father asked me to take jolly care o' ye. An' I wouldn't want to disappoint 'im." Davy teased her, an odious smile dancing on his face as he amused himself with the look of disapproval on her received.
Elena decided to hold onto her silence, for she had nothing to say about the wicked sense of humour of her captor.
"Do I have your permission to return to my cell, Mister Jones?" Elena finally spoke as the image of the bloodied lash came in front of her eyes.
"Do as ye wish, I know ye won't escape." Jones ridiculed her request.
Without another word, the young girl swirled and held the creaking door to open it. Davy Jones felt compelled to take a last look at his mysteriously captivating lien when his eyes fell upon her flowing gown as she was escorted out of the room by Maccus. The wine-coloured silk was torn hastily. The immortal pirate felt his anger boiling in his veins when he realized his men had laid their filthy hands on her. The Captain recollected how precisely he had given his men the instruction to not even look her in the eyes until she is on this ship for the next week, and this disobedience was unacceptable.
Cursing under his breath Jones as he marched out of his cabin, his wooden leg declaring his aggressive arrival. The echoes of Captain of the Flying Dutchman's arrival send shivers down every crewmen's spine, for it was a rare occasion to see their leader walk faster than his pace. The urgency his walk displayed was almost unnerving to the cursed crew, for it meant Captain Jones was enraged. Elena, too heard the echoing footsteps causing her to halt as her feet went numb and her heart palpitated against her chest.
"Which o' ye bastards touched 'er?!" Demanded Jones as he stomped to where his young hostage was standing. No answer came his way, which sored his rage further. "Did I not ask ye all to tell me who been the one who laid 'ands on 'er?" Hissed Davy as stared down at his crew with contempt. The crew felt their souls crush under his unforgiving gaze, but to their peril, they unaware ot the answer of his question.
Elena, on the other hand felt the confusion taking over the fear she felt. The crew despite gazing at her with disgust or anguish, never tried to do anything more, at least not since she had opened her eyes back in that grungy cell.
"Morey been down in the brig." The shaky voice of Anglar fell in everyone's ears.
"Morey." Repeated Jones as he considered the character of that pirate. "Morey. Brin' me that bastard! 'e must know the price o' disobeyin' the Cap'n." He hailed with a growl as he pulled out his sword. The metal of that weapon unlike the other metallic things on this ship shone brightly in the warm sunshine.
"No!" Elena shouted. The behaviour was against the manners she was taught but this situation needed her intrusion desperately. Miss Cunningwell's interference caused her captor to shift his gaze to her fragile-looking form. Davy stepped closer to her. The distance between them was dangerously small.
"Did Morey not touch ye?" Asked the immortal Captain. No attempt was made by him to mask his exasperation.
"N-no, Mister Morey has not laid even a finger on me." Replied Elena as she struggled to mask the terror her poor heart felt at this moment.
"Then 'ow would ye justify this, Princess?" Jones demanded as his clawed hands grasped the torn silk cloth of her gown. Tracing his gaze the young girl was met with the sight of the missing piece of cloth she had used to wipe the blood off the pirate.
"This is the ramifications of my own doings, Mister Jones. There was a severe lack of bandages in the prison's cell for me to treat Mister Morey's grave and undeserving injuries." Spoke Elena.
Captain Davy Jones did not rebutted her with a mocking remark, not even a sneer to mock her. Her answer was satisfactory, but Jones despised it for the very same reason. This young girl belonged to royalty - she was not supposed to sympathize with the pain of ordinary people and primarily not pirates. The royals do not breed their children to have a heart, to value anything more than profit. Yet this girl who lived her whole life in those ivory towers knew what pain was. The thought left him baffled, and it was vexing for the immortal pirate. Jones parted his lips to speak, but his mind was still in a state of dubiety, and his heart was not there to help him. With a grunt, Davy Jones walked away, giving Elena a chance to release the breath she had been holding for so long.
The crew of The Flying Dutchman went back to their work as if nothing perplexing happened in front of their eyes. Maccus this time, very courteously asked Miss Cunningwell to walk instead of pushing her as he did previously. The walk back to her dingy cell was shot, but to her relief, Elena felt no eyes fixed on her.
Morey was seated on the metal slab with the blood-soaked silken cloth of Elena's dress, in his hand as he looked at her with sadness in his eyes. It appeared as if he felt bad for the precious cloth because it was wasted to wipe his blood. The young girl saw the look in his eyes but did not know what to say to the poor man.
"I suppose we should presume to treat your wounds, Mister Morey." Elena tried to divert his attention as she walked to the bar wall they shared. A small smile danced on her lips to cheer his gloomy mood.
"I be fine. I told ye they would 'eal in some time." Morey replied as she turned a little so his back was exposed to the young girl. To Miss Cunningwell's amazement, she found not a single scratch on his back, just the fine lines tracing the wounds.
"This can not be true." Gasped Elena in disbelief as she took a trembling step back.
"An' yet it be," Morey whispered back as he refused to look her in the eyes.
*
There was no means to count hours in the dark cell where Elena killed the time talking by talking to her fellow cellmate - Morey. Neither of them knew for how many hours they spent conversing about the few topics of common interest they struggled to find. The sound of the brig's door opening was heard yet again but neither of them graced it with any importance. In a blink of an eye, the enormous shadows of Maccus and Anglar were falling on Elena's cell but this time, no fear infused in her heart at the sight of those men. The reason might have been Mister Jones honouring the promise he made to her father, but it was relieving nonetheless.
"Cap'n Jones wants ye to stay in the chamber not 'ere." The shark-headed pirate announced. He sounded uninterested, and so did his fellow who leaned by the wall and hummed something incomprehensible.
"May I beg your pardon?" Asked Elena out of pure and raw confusion as her eyebrows arched in disbelief.
"I 'ad the same feelin'." Muttered Anglar.
"Are you sure your Captain gave those orders?" Questioned the young girl.
"Believe it or not, 'e said that." Maccus ridiculed her question as he opened the gate wider for her. Without another word being spoken, Miss Cunningwell walked out of the claustrophobic cell.
"An' Morey Cap'n said ye be free but don't spoil any more rum." The pirate addressed the man in the cell as he unlocked the rusty door of his cell.
The two prisoners were shown out of the brig. While Morey was stationed back to his duty sown in the storage cell, Elena was shown her chamber which to her astonishment, was near the Captain's cabin. The chamber exceeded her expectations as she entered it, and the door was shut behind her. Despite not being lavish, it consisted of everything a person needed for living peacefully. A small window on the right wall gifted her with a majestic view of the seemingly never-ending ocean. A small cot was placed adjacent to the right window with a tattered quilt. A wooden table with a chair was placed right opposite the cot with a considerably big mirror hanging over it. A chest was kept beside the cot that appeared out of place. Unlike everything in the room that was worn out and faded, the chest's oakwood shone in the dim light of the lantern. A gold-plated seal of Verano that shone under the sunlight caught her attention. The essence of home overwhelmed her as Elena made her way toward the chest. Carefully opening it, she found it filled with robes for her. Did her father give dresses for her when he gave her up as a lien to this cursed pirate?
"Oh lord, why does nothing makes sense?" Heaved the young girl as she buried her petite face in the palm of her hands, trying to process what had become of her life in a matter of few hours, how she went from enjoying the evening tea with her family to dining with a cursed pirate who had tentacles for a beard. One evening she is rehearsing for her dance with Frederick at the Kingdom Ball and the next evening a pirate named Jones was trying to convince her father was not the virtuous man she believed him to be. Elena wondered what she did to end up in a situation like this.