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Alucard took a moment to himself, in the corridor before the captain’s quarters of the Night’s Spire . He smoothed the lapels of his coat—midnight blue, gold buttons, flaring cut mocking the lines of a Royal Navy uniform—and adjusted the sit of the sword at his hip. It was a real pirate’s sabre, not his usual dueling blade. The contents of the bottle in his hand would leap much more readily to hand, should real danger arise. His boots were polished to a mirror shine and his pants were tighter than he ever would have worn on a ship at sea, when you never knew when mobility would suddenly be essential.
It felt good just to be back on his ship ( his ship, no matter what Lila said, nor that he’d had to ask her permission to use it for the night, and to clear all the crew out until dawn.) Waves nudged the deck side to side, slight as they were here in the London harbor, and his balance adjusted automatically. A single set of footsteps trod the deck above, the obligatory royal guard, who was no doubt doing her best not to think too hard on why she was here tonight.
Or maybe she was. Why should Alucard care? He had never been modest. He was the captain of the Night’s Spire , charming and dangerous and unwanted in nearly every port in the world.
He pushed the door open without knocking and had to pause there, just barely inside, at the sight of Rhy on the bed.
Rhy’s wrists were bound together above his head, tied tightly to the headboard with silken rope, and one leg more loosely to each bedpost. His shirt was off, revealing the only scars that ever stayed. The threads of silver magic wrapped around him shone without illuminating, a stark contrast to his dark tan skin. His hair was mussed beneath a slim gold circlet and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow, as though he had struggled for hours against the knots Alucard had tied not five minutes ago, A believable defiance lit his dark eyes.
“The dread Captain Emery, I presume,” he said, with a proud jut of his chin that just bared his throat further, and Alucard had to resist the urge to drop the wine and pin him to the bed right then.
Then again, why resist? He was a dread and dashing pirate captain, after all. For the night.
He set the wine on a side table and crossed the cabin in three quick strides, stopping only when he was close enough to take Rhy’s chin in one hand and bend down to catch him in a fierce kiss. He pulled away just as quickly, and murmured, “And you are the handsome Prince of Arnes.”
“King,” Rhy corrected—reflexively, not part of the plan they had made. He winced at his own slip-up.
Alucard just laughed, sliding easily into a role he had...never played, no; in the brief time that he had been truly a pirate, he had been much too full of rage and betrayal for this sort of confidence. But a role he had dreamed of.
He let his hand linger on Rhy’s cheek for a moment more before standing to fetch the wine. “All the more impressive a ransom, then, for your people to get you back.”
He poured two cups, and took a sip from one while presenting the other with a bow. “Your majesty.”
Rhy raised one eyebrow. “I’m a bit tied up at the moment.”
“My apologies for treating a guest so ill.”
Alucard gestured with Rhy’s cup and the wine flew from it with a thought. He turned it into an icy blade and sliced the ropes from Rhy’s ankles, and the knot binding him to the headboard.
Rhy sat up and cast a significant look at his hands, which were still tied together.
“I must take some precautions,” said Alucard. He returned the wine to the cup and offered it with a smile like a knife’s edge. “I’m sure you could still make trouble if you chose.”
Rhy’s breaths came quickly and Alucard knew that his own matched pace. But the king’s expression stayed calm, and he sipped slowly. “You’re too kind, Captain.”
Alucard tossed his own drink back in one gulp. “Please, don’t insult me.” He placed a hand on Rhy’s knee and edged closer. “I only offer common courtesy while we discuss your ransom.”
“Oh?”
“I was going to ask for gold. But for a king…” He leaned close enough to whisper in Rhy’s ear, hand sliding up his thigh. “Is there anything worth a king, save the king himself?”
“I’ll see you hung,” Rhy breathed. His lips were parted and his eyes were bright, his circlet askew from their previous kiss.
“I already am,” said Alucard, and grinned a pirate’s grin when Rhy broke character to laugh.
Then he kissed him, and this time, Rhy kissed back. This time, Alucard’s hands came around to Rhy’s back, to the nape of his neck, and Rhy’s rose to mirror them, tearing off Alucard’s fine coat. This time, the wine fell forgotten to the floor and neither of them pulled away, as the ship rocked softly in the harbor’s waves.