literature

To Sail the High Seas: England x Reader ch1

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Chapter 1

Dark, damp, and depressing. Those were the first things you had noticed about your surroundings, the second had been a dull throbbing that resounded in your skull. It didn’t take long to discover the blood encrusted to your scalp. Fear sharpened your senses; your hands were bound, wrists raw from the thick rope, and you hurt. You soon realised that you were not alone in this darkness. Peering through the gloom, you met restless shadows and frightened eyes, many of which glistened with tears. You vaguely recalled screams of terror and pain as flames licked the ship’s tall mast, twisting around the wood in a dance of destruction. The fire had long since been consumed by the sea as the smouldering shell of your previous vessel had been sent to a watery grave. The smell of burnt lumber still clung to your clothes, but it was now dulled by the salty musk which stemmed from the appalling conditions in which you currently found yourself.
The shadow closest to you whimpered slightly, choking back a soft sob. It was an improvement from earlier, you noted. If your hazy memory still served you well, then she, along with many others, had initially responded to imprisonment by shrieking with a volume to rival that of the cannon-fire.
A pointless action.
You sighed internally; it was her fault that your head hurt like hell. Earlier one of your captors had become tired of her wailing and decided to strike her. Being the idiot you were, you’d voluntarily taken the blow in her place. The last thing you remembered before passing out was your own voice telling the quivering girl to shut up unless she wanted the crew to use other means to silence her. Clearly she’d heeded your advice, hence the muffled crying.

After another hour or so of contemplating your situation, your heard heavy footsteps descending into the gloom. The newcomer paused at the base of the stairwell, striking emerald eyes surveying the scene coldly. The brute from earlier approached him, and the pair exchanged a few murmured words before someone produced a lantern, illuminating the figures closest to the pair at the front of the room.
It took your eyes a moment to adjust. When they had, you squinted into the light to see a crimson coat which was lavishly embroidered with gold. The undoubtedly expensive item adorned a roguishly handsome man who appeared to be in his late twenties; his blond hair seemed permanently tussled by the wind, and he wore black trousers and a thin cotton shirt which exposed a fair portion of his muscled chest. The flamboyant feathered hat and multiple gold piercings completed the look. He was every bit the pirate you’d expected when you’d first heard his name on the lips of your dying father.
Captain Kirkland.
A name which struck fear into the hearts of many a brave man, and for good reason too. His reputation was that of a pirate who took what he pleased when he pleased, cutting down any who stood in his way. According to the tales you’d picked up from other prisoners over the last few days, you’d gathered that he’d become a captain at the age of only twenty-two, but that despite his youth his crew were loyal to a fault (though for respect or fear you knew not).

The captain strode with arrogance through the prisoners, sparing no more than a passing glance of disgust for any one person. They all recoiled from his path as he swung the lantern almost lazily in one hand. You observed him through the dank haze, silent and unmoving as if you weren’t there at all. Compared the trembling mess of a girl beside you, you should have been no more than a fleeting existence. You did nothing to draw attention to yourself and yet it was this exact quality which brought you to the captain’s eye. Your shoulders sagged slightly as the worn leather boots came to a halt before you. For a moment the silence was deafening, and you could have sworn that even the creaking of the ship as the gentle waves rocked it had ceased.
“Eyes up here, love.” Cursing internally, you tore your gaze from the black boots to meet glowing green orbs.
“Captain Kirkland I presume?” You couldn’t help the edge to your words; your father had always said that your sharp tongue would get you killed one day.
“Indeed. And who, may I ask, do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
“__________.” You gave him your name begrudgingly, clinging to the faint hope that the sooner you fulfilled his requests the sooner he’d leave you alone. However you had no such luck. Repeating your name quietly, the captain watched you for a moment longer before offering you his hand.
“Well then __________, you shall accompany me.” Turning his head back to his larger companion he added, “You may take a couple of them to entertain the crew, but mind you don’t kill them, they’re valuable cargo.” He turned back to you who remained frozen to the floor. With a sigh he withdrew his still extended hand.
“Come on poppet, don’t make this difficult.” Wordlessly you complied, staggering slightly as you stood on your numb feet. Having not walked anywhere for days, the sudden use of your legs made them ache. The man beside you held your arm just above your elbow firmly, and it was unclear whether this was supposed to be a gesture of support or simply the captain’s own interest of leaving the lower decks of his ship as quickly as possible. The last thing you saw as you were guided out of the room was the sobbing girl resume her shrieking as the grinning brute chose her as one of the crew’s ‘entertainers’.

The sun was low in the sky as you stepped out on deck, dyeing everything with an orange hue. Two tall masts stood proudly before you, sails billowing in the strong wind. Everywhere you looked, pirates scurried across the large ship like rats; some clambered up the rigging while others lifted supplies. You counted at least twenty men with the knowledge that there could be almost ten times that many hidden elsewhere on a vessel this size. To think that a group of the prisoners had been talking of escape, it was almost laughable.
Captain Kirkland led you up the left of the two grand staircases that wound gracefully up the stern, leading to a raised deck. Stopping at a large oak door which had clearly been carved with great skill, the grip on your arm was released and the captain made a grand sweeping gesture.
“Ladies first.” You complied without a word, happy to escape the wandering eyes of several lewdly grinning crew members. Before following you, the captain announced to the crew that that they would have company tonight handpicked by ‘Ironarms’, who you assumed to be the abusive brute of a prison guard. This news was met with a cheer and much shouting as the message was relayed to the men below deck. You cringed with pity for the two victims-to-be of the evening.
Next Chapter: insanityvixen.deviantart.com/a…

Look at me writing a multi-chapter! Normally I don't because I have the worst attention span, and I get easily bored if I'm stuck writing any one thing for an extended period of time. However Pirate England holds a special place in my heart because he makes a damn sexy pirate~
So I hope you guys like it and stuff x


Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or the characters used/mentioned in this story (the plot line's mine though). You belong to yourself... or possibly Arthur.


England x Reader oneshot: insanityvixen.deviantart.com/a…
© 2013 - 2024 InsanityVixen
Comments4
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StoryTeller1215's avatar
This story was fantastic! I mean very very well put together.
I love the fact that it keeps you on edge the entire time. i literally spent 2 days just reading through the entire thing :)
Amazing, wonderful, adventure-filled and completely original, one of a kind story. I would desperately ask you to make a book!
Thanks so much for the great read!