The Siren

“Welcome aboard the Siren.”

My jaw drops and Niall whimpers into my shoulder.

I have no idea what to think or feel. What happened at the hanging? Was it an ambush?

“I can hear you thinking from here. Come on, stand up. The captain wants to see you.” Liam approaches us but I can hear Niall gasp in surprise as she does.

Liam notices this as well and smirks, “Come on, delicate little dove, there’s nothing to be scared of.” She pops her hip and rests one of her hands on the hilt of her sword.

Niall gasps again, thinking she was going to draw the weapon, I protectively throw my arm in front of her.

“Whoa whoa! I’m not going to hurt you!” she laughs softly, “Sorry bit of a habit.” She motions to her hand on the sword, “But we really must go, the Captain doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” She extends her hand trying to give us a kind smile.

I look to Niall, whose eyes are shiny with tears, but I nod and we both stand up. She’s clinging to me as we follow Liam out of the dark, empty room. We reach a small set of stairs that lead above board. The daylight shines obnoxiously into the darkness below deck and we have to shield our eyes as we make our way up.

The noise of bustling and crashing waves is clear now, no longer muffled. I blink around at the sight. We are indeed on the vessel that is the Siren. And unlike the tales that we’d been told as children, there aren’t grimy men that don filthy clothing and are lazy drunkards. Instead, there are men AND women moving about the ship, actively so.

Liam continues moving to another set of stairs leading up towards the ship’s wheel. She waves us over, smiling. She stops at what is obviously the door to the Captain’s cabin. Liam knocks and pokes her head in. After a muffled exchange she turns and motions for us to go in.

Before we can take a single step Liam stops us and gets a hold of Niall’s arm, she goes still as stone and tightens her grip on my arm.

“Not you love, just Lady Styles.” Niall’s eyes get wider, if that’s even possible. But I couldn’t tell if it was because Liam knew my name or because of how scared she was to be left alone.

Liam continues, “She has to stay right here with me.”

“No—” I’m about to wrestle Liam’s arm off of her but Niall places a hand on mine.

“I- I’ll be fine Harry.” She swallows and tries to smile but it goes away just as quick as it appeared.

“Are you sure?” I whisper before sending look to Liam.

“I won’t hurt her. How many times do I have to say it?” Liam sighs exasperated.

Niall nods at me and squeezes my hand before letting it go, “Maybe you can talk to the captain and use a ransom to get us back home.” Her eyes are hopeful.

I take a deep breath before slowly going through the creaky doorway. The room is dark, the curtains drawn almost to a close. My eyes drift across the many objects strewn across the floor, closed wooden chests, an open map on the centered desk, in the corner a pile of jewels, and next to it a crumpled cream-colored dress. My eyes are glued to the dress until the door slams shut behind me.

I spin around and am met with a petite figure, shrouded in a black coat, tight trousers, and knee high brown boots. On their head a large, brown, tricorn hat is tilted just so it covers their face.

They take a step forward, and I take one back knocking my lower back into the desk. They take another step and I speak up, “D-don’t come near me!” my hand blindly reaches behind me for anything I could use as a weapon, or at least something to throw.

“Lady Styles, you seemed much more shy and apologetic when in the company of your parents.” They say with a smile. Wait…I recognize that voice. That sweet tinkle of a tone and the lips that it comes from.

“Who are you?” a stupid question escapes me.

She looks up at me, “Captain Louis, at your service.” Her blue eyes seem to shine brightly despite the low lighting of the cabin. Her smile is charming to say the least, and she is extremely beautiful in the clothing not traditional for a woman.

“I must say I felt a bit distressed to not have introduced myself properly to the daughter of the Duke Styles. But you ran off so quickly I was left in the dust.” She stays in the same spot, but she didn’t need to move for me to feel her invading my space.

“Do you mind telling me what made you take off like that?” I shook my head at the question, but I still didn’t answer aloud.

“Is it because I’m a lowly pirate? Unworthy of your time?”

“I…I didn’t know that you were a pirate.” My voice shakes.

She raises a brow, “If you had known of my status, would that have affected the conversation differently? Would you have stuck around because you crave the adventurous life that we have? Or would you have run off still?” she moves the my right, going towards the wrinkled dress.

“I still would have run.”

She stops moving and turns to me again, “Why?”

Because you’re beautiful, “I don’t wish to share why.” I didn’t notice how tightly I was holding onto the edge of the desk, my knuckles turning white.

“It is because I’m a pirate isn’t it?” she baits me, “because I’m not good enough to share the same air as a noble lady. One who could have any lord or boy she wanted. Because I steal from her kind and give it to the poor—”

“Because you’re beautiful.” I shut her up and grit my teeth. I don’t think any one person is above another no matter what our society says.

Louis smirks as if she got what she wanted, “I know.” She picks up the dress and oh my god her bum. While women wear petticoats to make their bum appear larger the real solution is standing—or bending--- right in front of me. Wear trousers. I couldn’t decide if it would work for every woman or if it was just Louis. No. It was just Louis.

She shakes the dress out and hangs it over the arm of a nearby chair, “I knew that was why you ran away. And I also know I’m beautiful,” she grins as she makes her way to the desk and I back up, “but most of all I know that you ran away because of you sexual desire towards me.”

My eyes widen and my heart begins to race, “How dare you! You can’t go around making assumptions like that! I complimented you because it’s true not because I desired you in any way!” That’s a damn lie, “And you don’t know me. I am Lady Harry Styles and I demand that you let Lady Horan and I return home!”

“Why?” she plops down in her chair.

“…why?” my brow is furrowed.

“Why do you want to go home? Aren’t you bored of you life of routine and strict guidelines?” she licks her lips and I can’t help but watch how her lips become wet.

I clench my fist, “No. I’m not tired of it. I don’t feel safe here and I want to go back to my family.”

She tilts her head and narrows her eyes at me, “Here’s how this is going to work Lady Styles. You can either join my crew willingly and enjoy the journeys we will go on, or you can be taken as a prisoner and can spend your days malnourished in a holding cell below deck.”

I would be lying to myself if the former of the options didn’t sound appealing—a fantasy of mine coming to life. But I knew sooner or later my family and Niall’s family would be sending the King’s army after us and we would be saved.

“I’d rather rot in a cell than serve under a Captain as rude as you.” I huffed.

“So you had to think about being under me?” there’s a glint in her eye.

I let out a frustrated groan and turn around to leave the cabin, but before I reach the door, Louis grabs my arm and turns me around. She shoves me to the closest wall and despite her stature she is deceivingly strong.

“You’ll regret your decision Lady Styles.” I’m suddenly conscious of her hand tight on my hip.

“Let go of me.”, my voice falters

Another smirk, “Do you really want me to, love?”

I take a deep breath, “Yes.”

She stares down at my lips before releasing me. She opens the door and motions to me, “Liam, show these ladies to the holding cell please.”

Liam looks confused, “But Louis—”

“Now Liam, that’s an order from your Captain.” There‘s only seriousness in her voice.

Liam hesitates before guiding us back towards the stairs to below deck. I spare one last glance towards Louis at the wheel. She looks absolutely majestic standing there, her short hair flowing freely with the wind. She looks back at me with a mischievous smile then she blows a kiss at me.

I hide my face before she can see me blush and I scurry to catch up with Niall and Liam. She shows us to a different dark room, this one is much scarier than the one we were originally in. Not to mention it smells awful in this room.

Liam moves to unlock a rusty looking cell in the corner of the room. She looks to us with eyes full of regret, “In you go.”

Niall and I go into the cell quietly. Liam locks it behind us and leaves without a word.

“What the hell happened? I thought you were going to persuade the Captain!” Niall sits against the wall of the cell.

“The Captain is a she.” I snap back at her

She throws her hands up, “That should be even easier for you! What happened?”

I groan as I sit across from her, “She was rude! And not to mention she disguised herself at the hanging and implied that I couldn’t even introduce myself because of my intense sexual desire for her!”

Niall gives me a look, raising her brow, “Well is that true?”

My jaw drops, “It doesn’t matter! We’re trapped here until our families send help for us.

Niall sighs, “Harry, we’re aboard the Siren. No one is able to catch this ship.”

I look to her before lying to her face, “Don’t worry, they’ll find us.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It’s been about a week since Niall and I were kidnapped. I’d been keeping track of the days and nights by scratching tallies into the wood of the bench with a pin from my hair. Liam comes in the morning and afternoon with stale bread and leftovers from the crews breakfast or dinner.

Niall is suffering, not from any illness but because she can’t sneak into the kitchen to steal snacks like she’s used to at home. She’ll go on for hours about how miserable she is not being able to move around much. Not that I can blame her.

It’s about noon when Liam comes into the room. Niall sits up immediately and stands up next to me.

“Come on ladies, Captain is allowing you a bit of time outside of your cell.” Liam smiles as she unlocks the gate.

“Why?” Niall asks unsure if this is some kind of trick.

“Don’t know. But if there is one thing I do know, it’s that you don’t question the Captain.” She guides us out of the room and when we see the light from above deck it nearly burns our eyes.

We see and hear the crew moving about, shouting to one another. But I see Louis at the ship wheel staring straight ahead. My breath catches in my throat as she makes eye contact with me. She looks to Liam then nods.

Liam then turns to me, “Lady Styles, the Captain would like a word with you.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and slowly make my way up to the wheel. I can tell where this conversation will go as soon as I see the look in Captain Louis’ eyes.

“Why hello Lady Styles. You’re beginning to look as dirty as a pirate.”

I bite my lip and look anywhere but her eyes, “Why did you allow us out of the cell?” I look down at my hands, which indeed are covered in dirt.

“I have a proposition for you Lady Styles.” I make eye contact with her, “Would you like to hear it?” she moves her eyes forward. I nod in response, “Very well. By tomorrow noon we will be making port in India. We’ll be restocking necessary supplies and whatnot and the crew are allowed to explore the city. Even you and Lady Horan.”

My eyes go wide as saucers, “Thank you—”

“As long as you are escorted by me.”