Dear readers,

If my calculations are correct, it has been eight years since I updated this fic. In that time, we have had 3 Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. I have changed. You've changed. Likely I've lost a good number of readers, but hopeful I will be gaining some new ones. It's been a while since I've exercised my writing muscles on a consistent basis, so it might take me a little while to get back in the swing of things. And while I will try to raise the quality of my work, this might take some time. But make no mistake, I always put in my best effort. I will be updating several fics over the next few months. Hopefully completing alot of the work that I have started over the years. Wish me luck and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

- OMA

Anamaria sat on the bed that she and Jack shared the night before. The dress that Selena finally convinced Anamaria to wear fit quite nicely. It showed of her curves and hid her daggers, as far as Anamaria was concerned, that was as perfect as a dress could get. Selena combed out Anamaria's hair as best she could and then plaited it into a French braid that came down her back. Selena was about to put make up in her face, but that's were Anamaria drew the line. As far as she was concerned, she was a pirate first and foremost, no matter how much Frost wanted to 'girl her up'.

Selena looked at Anamaria a final time.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Frost said he wanted me in a dress. He said nothin' about making me a strumpet," Anamaria replied.

"You know what he meant. He's going to take one look at you and…"

"And what? Know that I'm not about to follow orders so easily. I'm not thirteen anymore. He needs to know that," she said firmly.

Selena set her lips in a hard line, "Trust me, he knows. And he plans on finding out how much tonight."

Anamaria looked at her sister, "What?"

"You're taking my place tonight. He always wanted you anyway and now that you're back, he's not going let you go."

"I'm not staying here. Did you not hear Jack? He's—"

"He's coming back. But is he coming back tonight? How long will it take before he saves ya? And what are you going to do to survive 'til then?" asked Selena.

"I'm not opening my legs for him. Ever. Again," Anamaria said with a deadly finality.

"How are you going stop him?"

Anamaria smiled.

"See, that's where you always went wrong, Selena. You follow the rules. Do what's expected. I'm a pirate," she said and lifted up her skirt to reveal her concealed weapons, "I cheat."

Selena stared at the dagger strapped to Anamaria's leg, "You're going to turn Frost into a eunuch?"

"If I must, but if things go the way I want them to, it won't get that far," she said.

The door swung open, interrupting Selena before she could question Anamaria further. Jensen looked at Anamaria appreciatively in her dress.

"The captain wants to see you. Now."

Anamaria got up and walked past her sister. Selena grabbed her wrist. Anamaria looked back at her.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Anamaria made a sound between a grunt and a laugh and went out the door, leaving Selena behind with her thoughts.

Yells and shouts turned into a tense silence as Anamaria ascended the stairs to the deck. Her dress swept across the wooden planks as she walked. Captain Frost sauntered across the deck with the smirk on his face. His clapping pierced the silence as he moved closer to Anamaria. He circled Anamaria like a vulture. She followed his every move with her eyes, anxious to reach for her daggers if he got to close. Frost turned to address the crew.

"Aren't I a lucky man, gents?" he shouted.

Grunts, howls and cheers erupted from the crew. Anamaria tried to keep calm, but she knew that Frost exciting the crew was not a good thing.

"Almost seems unfair, doesn't it," he continued, "That I have, not one, but two lovely wenches at my disposal. Doesn't the crew deserve one?"

The roar of lecherous desire filled the deck. Fear creeped into Anamaria's blood as she saw not a single friendly or slightly remorseful face in the crew. Frost was exciting them into a frenzy. If the crew attacked her, she wasn't sure if she would survive it. And even if she did, she wasn't sure if she would want to. Frost turned to Anamaria and winked at her.

"What do you think? Should I let them have you?" he whispered to her.

Anamaria held her head high, but remain silent.

Frost ran his hand up and down her arm, "I know that Sparrow allowed you alot of freedom on that little boat of his. You've probably forgotten your place."

Anamaria turned her head away from him in disgust. He grabbed her chin and forced her to face him.

"You will remember," he commanded with a lethal edge to his voice.

Suddenly he smiled, "In the meantime, I'll indulge this freedom o' yours."

He walked behind her.

"It's your choice," he said.

He grabbed her shoulders and let her face the lecherous crew, "Them… or me."

Anamaria swallowed, but kept her voice strong.

"What do you think I choose?" she asked.

"I don't know," Frost replied and grinded his pelvis into her backside, earning some more cheers from the crew, "I'll have fun with you either way. If I'm the first to have you or the only one to have you, it don't matter to me. It all depends on how badly you want to live."

"I want to live," she stated.

"Good choice," he whispered in her ear, "Then tell them. Shout that you belong to me and only me."

"They—" Anamaria started.

"They won't lay a hand on you. Just say that you're mine… forever," he said and pulled her closer to him by the waist.

Anamaria forced herself to relax in Frost's possessive embrace. She slowly turned in his arms and faced him.

"That's all? I say that I'm yours and no one touches me except you."

Frost smiled, "Si."

He squeezed her waist, "These hands will be the only ones touch this beautiful body."

Anamaria smiled back at him.

"Well, Captain, that's one too many," she said and grabbed the dagger in the waist of his pants and lifted it to his throat.

"You Bitch," he spat.

Anamaria smiled again, "I'll take that as compliment."

With her other hand, she pulled out his sword.

"Captain Frost," she shouted, "In the presence of these witnesses, your crew, I challenge you, on your honor as a pirate, to single combat for control of your ship, your fortune and the freedom of me and my sister. Let those who see you reject this challenge forever see you as a coward. One who feared he could not best a mere slavewoman."

"You're insane!" he shouted.

"Am I?" she asked and laughed.

"Choose your weapon," she challenged.

"Fighting you is behind me. Jensen, shoot her," he ordered.

"Is this pathetic seaslug really the captain of the mighty Ruby-Maria? Gents, how can you be loyal to man who doesn't have the guts to fight a woman on his own ship?" she asked of the crew.

"Shut up!"

"Oh, I get it," she started and raised her voice so everyone could hear, "If I fight you, even if I lose, they'll know the truth. That you're just a little rich boy from Cuba who doesn't really have heart of pirate."

The click of the hammer on Jensen's pistol rang in Anamaria's ears and she felt the cold metal on the back of her head.

Anamaria squinted her eyes at Frost, "You really are a coward."

"Shoot her," he ordered.

A shot rang out across the ship.

Anamaria jumped.

And Jensen fell to the ground. A pistol slid its way back into the shadows.

Noticing she was still alive, Anamaria stepped away from the body, but kept her eyes trained on Frost.

"Who was that? Who's helping you?" Frost demanded and looked at his crew.

"Don't know, but I'm reckon the next bullet will in your head if you don't accept my challenge. Pick your weapon Frost, 'fore someone picks for ye," she replied.

Frost looked at his crew. Everyone was watching him. Tense, anxious and measuring his worth as this bold woman challenged his manhood. Looking at the fire in Anamaria's eyes as his own crew stood in judgment, he felt rage boiling to the surface. If he killed her, he couldn't have her, but he couldn't let her win. He marched over to Jensen's dead body and took Jensen's sword. He stood up, sword in hand and stepped toward Anamaria.

"I would have given you an easy life. You could have had everything, but you ruined all, you stupid whore!" he shouted.

"I'm not a whore, " she said defiantly and throw the dagger at Frost's face. He dodged and barely blocked Anamaria's swing at his throat.

"I'm a pirate," she finished and fought with everything she had.