STOP and READ PLEASE

If you have not yet read Tapestry of Deceit (by Lady Rosesong), then this story will make NO SENSE to you. Please go back and read the thrilling adventure of Erik the Black Knight and his lady Christine FIRST and then come back here to see how it all ended…or at least how WE thought it should end.

With that being said...

We are not affiliated with the previous authoress, or claim to own any of the characters found within the following chapters. They are, and will forever remain, the property of Lady Rosesong. We are only borrowing them in order to finally put to rest the story which she so sadly abandoned for reasons we are not aware of. We intend no offense or plagiarism, only humble admiration and appreciation.

Many months ago we both found and read this delightful story yet were deeply saddened and frustrated by the disappearance of the amazing and wonderful authoress, Lady Rosesong. After our many attempts to contact her failed miserably, we decided it was time to take matters into our own hands. Thus began the personal journey to write an ending to her beloved story Tapestry of Deceit, and more importantly, to do it justice.

We are aware of another attempt having been done by LadyLunaTwilight, and while we heartily applaud her submission, we simply had a slightly different idea of how it all ended. We realize that the original authoress said she was going to finish up the story in two more chapters…however, we found it impossible to do so. Instead it has taken quite a number of chapters for us to wrap everything up in a nice neat bow and offer solutions to all the intricate mysteries that Lady Rosesong so expertly wove throughout the story.

We, 'FantomPhan33' and 'PoE99', would like to thank you for reading this story's ending and would love to hear what you thought of it. We hope it satisfies your need for closure.

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Chapter 44

Shocking Revelations Pt. 1

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Erik lifted his hand to feel the lump on the back of his head, it pounded fiercely and when he pulled his hand back he saw the red mark of blood on his fingers. It would have to wait though, his wound was a minor inconvenience compared to his need to get Christine back. He let his eyes drift once more to his childhood friend, lying silently on the ground as the rain fell upon his now peaceful face. Raoul was at rest. He no longer yearned for his lost love or desired revenge…but Erik did. Gripping his sword he let out a loud yell, one of rage and frustration at having been temporarily defeated by the Jackal once again. The devil himself had risen from the bowls of hell, and Erik swore that before the sun set, he would see the man returned to that dark prison once more. Yet before he could take a step towards the castle gates in order to follow his adversary, he felt a hand reach up and grab hold of his arm.

"My lord," Anne said with tears in her eyes. "Your children…they need you too." He watched as her eyes turned towards the entrance to the main hall. "They are beside themselves with worry, for the last thing they saw was her ladyship being torn from them and carried off. Please, spare a moment to reassure them before you follow after this villain."

Erik began to protest, his only desire being to hunt down the Jackal and rescue his wife. Yet over the din of shouting men and the fires that still raged around him, he could hear the weeping sobs of his children and his heart bled for their fears. Taking one last look over his shoulder he quickly grabbed the nearest man at arms and growled his orders.

"Assemble the men and make chase, do not let them get to their ship or there will be hell to pay!" he commanded, giving the man a shove as he turned and raced inside the castle.

The main hall was a disaster, tapestries and paintings were torn from the walls, smashed and cracked pottery lay everywhere and the servants were just now putting out the fire that had apparently destroyed some of the furniture in the center of the room. Yet Erik's eyes did not stay on such things, instead he wished only to see his children and offer them assurance that he would return shortly with their mother.

He found Sabrina, Sarah and Charles, all crying as they huddled together with Luc beside Ophelia, who was sitting on one of the remaining lounges. The teary eyed woman was staring down at Karl, whose head now rested on her lap, as she stroked his hair gently. The young boy's eyes were open, but Erik could see that he was in pain. A quick look at the broken arm, which had been wrapped in a splint, told him where the damage lay. What had happened here?

"Papa!" Erik heard his youngest son shout just before he felt the small boy's frame collide with his leg. "Papa, they took Mamma and Helena!"

NO! Erik's eyes scanned the room quickly, his heart dropping like a stone when there was no sign of his eldest daughter. That witch had taken Helena as well! He had been so shocked by the sight of his former mistress that he had yet to fully grasp the ramifications of her return. Erik gave a sigh of relief knowing that Jacob was safe with Bernard and some of the men he left behind with the supply wagon. If his stubborn son had not defied him and stowed away, he too might now be in the clutches of that evil witch. Erik's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at the thought of what he would do to her once he caught up with her and the Jackal.

Sabrina and Sarah soon joined Charles, wrapping their tiny arms round his legs as their tears continued to fall. Erik knelt down and engulfed them all into his arms, drawing strength from them in order face what he must soon do. For taking Christine and Helena, as well as frightening his other children, the Jackal would most assuredly die…again.

"My lord," a voice from behind him quietly called, causing Erik to turn his head away from his children. The call had come from Antoinette, who was being carried into the main hall on a makeshift litter, born by Robert and another male servant. The woman looked pale and Meg was walking beside her, clutching her hand as tears streamed down her face. "My lord, I must speak with you," she said, reaching out with her one free arm towards him.

Giving his children one last reassuring hug and the best smile he could muster, he released them and walked over to where the two men placed her on a large table.

"You must not speak, you need to conserve your strength," Erik ordered her, looking over at Meg for understanding as to what had happened to her mother.

"I will be just fine," Antoinette argued, waving off his concern as she grabbed hold of his forearm, willing him to listen to her next words. "I will live…but Christine and Helena, they are the ones in true danger. You must not follow your men, you must not go after them that way."

"How did you…" Erik began, never quite sure how this woman knew more than she possibly should, but she quickly cut him off.

"Trust your instincts. She is calling to you, but you must hear with your heart," she instructed, stopping only to stifle a harsh cough that made Meg pale with worry. "When the time comes to battle for what is yours, remember that nothing is as it seems. Fight with your head…do not let this villain get to you. Burry your feelings, remain calm and you will prevail."

Erik was unsure what to make of her words, yet he knew she spoke in earnest.

"I have dealt with this cutthroat before. I bested him once, I will do so again," Erik vowed, taking her by the hand and giving a gentle squeeze, hoping that once he left this room, it would not be the last time they spoke.

"Now…" Antoinette spoke again, a determined gleam in her tired eyes. "Go bring our girls home."

Erik needed no more encouragement than that and giving the woman a nod he turned to face Robert.

"I leave you in charge, take care of my children and see to the wounded. I will return with Christine and Helena…or I will not return at all." Erik looked over at his son and two daughters, as they were now being gathered into Anne's arms for comfort. For the first time he truly felt he could see a touch of Raoul in the two tiny faces that stared back at him with such love and confidence. He swore that one day they would know the deeds of their brave father, that he would tell them of the fine linage they were born from. But not today. Today they were still his children and he would give his life to protect them…all of them. So with one last look into their teary eyes, Erik turned and stormed from the room.

Erik had not gotten far when he stopped suddenly, the words that Antoinette had said now having their full impact. Do not follow your men, she had said. Listen with your heart. Yet what was his heart telling him? His heart belonged to Christine and his children, his heart would always lead to them. Erik closed his eyes and tried to calm the pounding in his ears, listening to anything that would give him direction. Then it hit him…she was on the beach. Christine was down by the waves just as he had found her before when he returned that night. That night that seemed so long ago now, but was ingrained in his mind forever. He had known where to find her then, and for some unknown reason he knew where to find her now! With no more hesitation he gripped the hilt of the Ghost Maker and ran to the secret passage that would take him to the edge of the sea cliffs…and to Christine.

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Christine was doing her best to remain calm as the two men who held her continued to drag her forward. She had seen Erik and his men arrive as they had carried her away, catching only a brief glimpse of him engaging the Jackal in combat before she was taken from view. She had called out to him, begging him to save her and Helena, but he had not come. Fear gripped her heart when soon she saw more of the pirates following, and with them were both Beatrice and the Jackal. Had the masked pirate somehow won? Was Erik injured or…no, oh God, please no! Christine could not even think of such a thing. She must remain strong and full of hope, she had to, for her sake as well as for Helena.

She glanced over at her daughter who was also being carried along by one of the pirates, Beatrice having handed her over to the man when she had gone back into the castle walls when she saw Erik arriving. Helena's eyes were red from crying and she looked over at Christine, silently pleading for understanding and direction. She did her best to provide it, but it was hard to muster more than a nod and a halfhearted smile as she was hurriedly forced along the road. Where were they taking them?

Christine turned her head to look over at the man they called the Jackal. He was holding his arm with his other hand as if he had been injured, but his eyes betrayed nothing, only determination could be seen peering out from above the red scarf that continued to cover the lower part of his face. But no disguise could mask his identity from her any longer. She knew who this villain was…Philippe de Coleville. Only he could concoct a plan so devious, as well as throw in with a woman so vile as Beatrice. She felt herself give an involuntary shudder of fear at the thought that she was once again in his clutches, and she prayed that Erik was still alive and coming to her rescue. He had to be.

"You fool!" Beatrice berated him as they hurried along. "Must I do everything? Your one chance to finish him and you fail. And what of the map and the treasure? Riches beyond our wildest dreams could have been ours and you let that slip through your fingers. Erik has the tapestry, you know he does and yet you left without it?"

"SILENCE WOMAN!" he shouted back at her, his dark brown eyes taking on that demonic look. "I have had just about enough of you and your opinions. I am in charge here and don't you ever forget it." He then turned to look over at Christine who was still staring at him, her eyes now wide with that old familiar fear. She could not see his mouth but she could almost imagine that sly and sinister grin lay hidden behind the scarf and she felt her stomach tighten in disgust as he seemed to leer at her once more. She needed to find a way for her and Helena to escape…and fast.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of thunder…and yet it was not truly thunder, but instead that of horse hoofs coming from ahead of them. The rain was making it difficult to see through the mist but she could hear them approaching, and apparently so could the pirates for they stopped short and drew their swords in readiness. It could not be Erik or his men for the castle still lay behind them, still she felt a glimmer of hope rise in her chest at the sound.

When the horses and their riders finally came into view Christine could distinctly make out the banner of the Black Knight, and while they were still a ways off she could clearly see the face of Bernard, riding in the lead. When they too spotted the pirates, they halted and drew their weapons, prepared to charge in and battle the enemy, but a sudden cry stopped them short.

"Look, there is Helena!" Bernard heard Jacob shout from behind him. The boy had been riding up front with the wagon driver and was now standing up as he strained to see past the men and horses blocking his view. His sharp young eyes had spotted what Bernard had not. One of the pirates in the lead indeed held the young red head child captive in his arms, her little body struggling for freedom. But Jacobs's next words caused a wave of panic to wash over Bernard. "The pirates have Helena…. and Mother too!"

Christine saw Bernard quickly searching the group in front of them until his eyes at last settled on her, his face going pale at the sight. She could tell then that he was now hesitant to order the men to engage the pirates, for fear of harming either of them.

"Surrender your hostages and we will show mercy." Bernard shouted into the crowd, yet he realized that since Erik had taken most of the men with him when he rode ahead, they were hopelessly outnumbered. He only prayed that the rain was offering enough cover to conceal the fact that the men behind him did not even come close to matching the number of pirates they faced. Yet he was ready to do battle in the name of the Black Knight in order to free Lady Christine and Helena. The fact that these pirates were now on the road leaving Winterbourne filled him with a sense of dread. Where were Erik and the others? Had they been defeated while defending the castle and the few men with him were all that remained? Bernard's questions were quickly answered by the sound of a horn being blown somewhere in the distance ahead of him. He recognized the sound of the battle charge and knew that Erik and his men were quickly advancing – they now had the pirates in a crossfire.

Beatrice and Philippe looked from the men in front of them and then back to the sound of the horses approaching from the rear and knew they were trapped. They could no longer go forward to where the boats waited to take them to the ship, and they certainly could not go backwards. The only escape left to them was down the cliffs and along the shoreline skirting the ocean, perhaps making their way to the beach in time to reach the boats.

With a swift motion of his hand, Philippe signaled their retreat and they all began to descend down the cliffs like rats deserting a ship. One of the men holding Christine grabbed her around the waist and hefted her up on his shoulder and carried her like a sack, his brawny size hardly noticing her added weight as she kicked and screamed. She quickly regretted her actions since her outburst apparently frightened Helena, and lead to the young girl letting loose the sobs she had been trying her best to contain.

"Helena, don't be scared, everything will be just fine. Your father is on his way," Christine told the young girl, doing her best to turn her head in order to see her daughter. Her words reached Helena's ears and this seemed to comfort her somewhat. However this was short lived as Beatrice was suddenly beside her, pulling the girl away from the man who had been dragging her behind him.

"I would not count on that," Beatrice hissed, loud enough for both Christine and her daughter to hear. "When I left him, that monster was lying flat on the ground and he did not look to be getting up any time soon… if at all." Her evil smile punctuating the horror of what she had just said.

"NO! PAPA!" Helena cried, thrashing frantically as she tried her best to free herself from the woman who was now leading her down the slippery cliffs. Helena then turned to Christine, her little cheeks wet with tears. "Mama?"

"STOP CALLING HER THAT!" Beatrice shrieked, her hand striking out as she slapped Helena across the cheek harshly, making the little girl sob even harder. "I AM YOUR MOTHER!"

"YOU WITCH! LEAVE HER BE!" Christine shouted, struggling in vain to free herself and rush to her daughter's aid. "Touch her again and I will kill you myself, you vile hag!"

Beatrice shot Christine a hateful look as she drew her dagger, still coated in Sir Raoul's blood, and took at threatening step closer to where she was being carried, but Philippe stopped her short.

"ENOUGH!" Philippe shouted, his bruised hand gripping the flame haired woman's forearm so tight that it was sure to leave marks. "You will not lay a hand on what is mine. Now, get moving or we will all die here on this cliff, and with it your dreams of revenge!"

Beatrice was stunned by the ferocity of his grip as well as his words and she almost meekly continued their hurried decent in silence.

Once on the beach the pirates fanned out checking their flank to make sure the Black Knights men had not followed them downward. They half expected to see the men either trailing behind them or sitting up on the cliff, but to their shock there was no one in sight. This both confused, as well as pleased the pirates, thinking they had made good their escape. The rain was letting up and they all began to run along the beach, heading down the shore as fast as they could, their two captives still in tow.

However, just as the pirates thought they were home free, Bernard and his men rounded the bend up ahead, having found a path large enough for horses to make their way down the cliff. The Black Knight's loyal steward had ordered Jacob to stay with the wagon and not to move, taking the rest of the men down the trail after the escaping pirates. He knew that Erik would never forgive him if he had let these villains escape with his wife and daughter, and he was not about to let the Black Knight down a second time. He had been foolish enough to fall for their lies once, leaving the castle unguarded and unprotected. He would not fail again.

"Blast it!" Philippe cursed, pulling up short as he spied the men thundering down the beach towards them. He turned around only to see more of the same coming up behind once more, those who had been following from the castle had now caught up and were closing in. Once more they were trapped with the sea and the cliff hemming them in.

"There! A cave!" Beatrice yelled, pointing towards the opening in the cliff. "Maybe it leads somewhere, perhaps there is a way out," she yelled, once more grabbing Helena by the arm and dragging her towards it, her large bald guard following close behind.

Philippe growled his frustration, but he too made for the cave, signaling for the man holding Christine to join them as well.

"Hold them off as long as you can, I will signal you if we find a way out through the cave," he told the men standing beside him, hoping they believed his lie as he ran for cover.

Once inside, the man holding Christine sat her down roughly, causing her to lose her footing as she fell backwards onto the rocks and sand. With Beatrice temporarily distracted by looking for a way out of the cave, Helena was able to at last wiggle free from her vice like grasp. She quickly ran to the awaiting arms of Christine, burring her face against her chest as she trembled in fright. Beatrice shot the two of them a hateful glance, but made no move to separate them.

"It is all right, Helena. I have you now, don't cry my darling," Christine whispered soothingly into her ear as she rocked her back and forth gently.

"This cave leads nowhere!" Philippe growled, picking up a lose rock and throwing it at the wall in frustration. "We are worse off in here than we were on the beach. Damn you Beatrice, you have just sealed our fate!"

"How was I to know it was a dead end?" she shot back, her eyes ablaze with the madness of a trapped animal. She turned to head back outside but the sudden sound of clashing blades stopped her short. Erik's men had reached them at last and to exit the cave now meant fighting their way through a battlefield.

"DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!" Philippe bellowed again, pacing back and forth as he tried desperately to think of a way out of this mess. He quickly turned to the one man who had carried Christine inside. "Get out there and when you can find a break in the battle where we can get through safely, come get us," he ordered, shoving the man towards the cave entrance. The pirate hesitated for a moment, but a stern look from the large bald man beside Beatrice left him no room to argue.

Christine was glad to see the man go, this left better odds for her and Helena to somehow escape, but they would have to make it past Philippe, Beatrice and her bodyguard first. Yet right now Christine was simply glad that they were being left alone so that she could comfort her frantic daughter.

"Shhhhh, sweetheart. Don't cry. Your father will be here very shortly," Christine continued to whisper, trying not to speak too loudly and draw attention to them. She only prayed that her words were true.

Erik emerged from the secret tunnel just in time to see his men engage the pirates in battle, the ringing of swords and the guttural shouts no stranger to his war weary ears. Yet the only sound he wanted to hear at that moment was the voices of his wife and daughter. Antoinette had been right once more, he had listened to his heart and it had led him straight to Christine…yet where was she?

His eyes scanned the battle below, desperately searching for a glimpse of Helena and Christine. His face darkened when he saw no signs of them, and nothing of that witch Beatrice or the Jackal either. Yet deep down, Erik knew there was no way in hell it could be the same man he battled so many years ago on these very cliffs, no matter how much he resembled him in looks and sword skills. Yet the question still remained…if it was not the true Jackal, who WAS he?

Deciding that he would learn the truth when he severed the man's head from his body, Erik gave a loud shout as he drew the Ghost Maker and ran headlong into the battle. His mind and body was made for combat and he swore that he would kill any and all that stood between him and his loved ones.

"SHUT THAT BRAT UP!" Philippe shouted at Christine. "Do it now or I swear I will shut her mouth permanently!" The child's tears had begun to grate on his already frayed nerves and he needed silence to think. His shoulder was killing him where von Desslar had struck him with his sword, and his hand still stung from the kick the other knight had given him before Beatrice had ended his pathetic life. Yet he could not dwell on that right now, the only thing on Philippe's mind was getting out of this alive…with Christine. True, he had hoped to lay claim to the treasure of Winterbourne as well, yet he would have to settle for what he did have, the prize of the fair little servant girl. He had waited a long time to have her and now at last she was his.

His eyes turned towards her, sitting on the ground as she clutched the sobbing child to her breast. His mouth began to water slightly as he thought of his own face buried there, enjoying the pleasures she had been so amply blessed with. Distracted by his fantasy, he let his eyes run the length of her body, reveling in all the things he wished to do to her. Christine must have felt his heated gaze, for she looked up slowly, her own eyes filling with fear as she recognized his lustful stare.

"Do you know how long I have waited to make you mine, my sweet?" he asked, his voice low and coarse. "For years I bided my time, waiting for you to grow into womanhood, watching for that perfect moment to pick you at your peek of ripeness. Years of waiting, and all for what? So that monster you now call a husband, could swoop in and steal what was rightfully mine? Yes Christine, he stole from me and I intend to make you pay dearly for his thievery. You will pay back in spades the loss I suffered by not being your first." With each syllable he spoke, Philippe had stepped closer and closer, his voice becoming more and more dark and foreboding. He could tell that his words were causing her to tremble like she used to whenever he was near. Yes, that is how he liked her, cowering and afraid. That is how he preferred to take his innocent little Christine. "I can see that you remember all those times we shared before. In the hallways or alcoves when you were still my pretty little servant girl. Do you remember what I said to you then, what I whispered I would enjoy doing to you? Well you are mine once again Christine, mine to do with as I please….oh and you will please me, my dear, you will please me to no end."

Christine was petrified, all her worst nightmares were now coming true and just like in her dreams, she could not move or speak, her voice and strength stolen from her. Suddenly it was if she was back in the de Coleville mansion once again, trapped in a life that she could not escape from, a life as a servant…a slave. She recalled the torment both he and Carlotta had enjoyed inflicting upon her, the abuse, the beatings and worst of all, the threats. Where Carlotta's words had been hateful and her punishments painful, Philippe had been twice as bad. It was as if he truly enjoyed his ability to frighten her, not only with the physical abuse, but the mental torture as well. Her mind flashed back to the time she had struggled and cried out and he had struck her across the face, a gleam of pure sadistic pleasure in his eyes. It had been over a week before the bruise on her cheek faded away. Yet that mark was nothing compared to the scars left on her mind by the vile things he would whisper in her ear as he held her prisoner against the wall whenever he found her alone. How he would run his hands up and down her arm, his nails scratching against her skin as he threatened to do things to her body that she knew were an abomination and a sin. Those words he had said were the source of all her nightmares, and now she was living it once more. She prayed for Erik to come, to save her from this hell, and yet she was all alone. Philippe was only inches away from her now and she could feel her skin begin to crawl as she looked into his horrible, disgusting eyes.

"I WANT MY SON!" Beatrice's voice suddenly broke the terrifying moment, causing Philippe's eyes to drift to the tall red head in anger. "You swore I would have both my children as payment for all my help, and yet here we are, trapped in this hole and I have only one of the brats."

"And whose fault is that? It was your bright idea to run into this cave, hoping there was a way to escape. Well look around, Auntie dear, as you can see, there is none." Philippe spun around, his arms wide as he gestured towards the unyielding stone walls.

"Aunt?" Christine repeated in a shocked voice, hardly believing what she had just heard. "You…you two are related?"

Philippe rounded on her, his eyes holding a fury once more. Perhaps his anger was at himself for letting this piece of information slip, or simply at the frustrating situation, but either way it frightened Christine to the bone.

"Does this shock you, my pet?" Philippe asked, kneeling down in front of her, his face now much closer to hers. "Does it surprise you to learn that I am not truly the son of that weakling I called father for so long? I admit that I too was skeptical at first, but I soon learned the truth, that my own mother had a fondness for the darker side of love and whored herself out to the first cutthroat that came along. And apparently she could not get enough of him, for she allowed him to plant his seed within her twice. Our clever mother managed to conceal her indiscretions from that buffoon of a husband of hers, passing both Carlotta and I off as his own offspring. Old Pierre never once noticed the lack of family resemblance. Oh no, Baron de Coleville is no relation of mine, the blood thirsty pirate known as the Jackal was my true father."

Christine could not help but gasp in shock at this revelation. Yet it all made perfect sense. Both Lord and Lady de Coleville had blue eyes while Philippe and Carlotta's were that demonic brown that seemed dead and void of all humanity. Now she knew why. If Philippe and Carlotta were sired by the same man who had cruelly destroyed her beloved Erik's face, his wickedness must coarse through their veins as well.

"So you see, dearest Christine, raping and pillaging is in my blood. It is my birthright and my legacy, an inheritance I plan to pass on to my own sons. Ones that you will bare for me, my pet…if you last that long," he added with a sinister smile as his hand crept out, intent on stroking her soft curls. But his arm was slapped away by Helena in a fit of rage as she sat up, unable to listen to another word this evil man was saying to Christine.

"YOU LEAVE MY MOTHER ALONE!" she screamed, ready to do battle to protect Christine. "My papa will kill you for the horrible things you are saying!"

Christine's blood turned to ice as she saw the look of rage in Philippe's eyes and she tried to pull Helena back away from him, but he was too fast for her. He grabbed a fist full of the child's red hair and yanked her roughly from out of Christine's grasp, a cry of fear coming from both of them simultaneously.

"LET HER GO!" Christine pleaded, perched on her knees as her hands reached out towards her daughter, who was now standing beside Philippe as he held her in place by her flaming locks. "Please, let her go, she is just a little girl."

Philippe looked down at Helena, her hands reaching up to claw at his fist that held her aloft, wiggling to get free.

"I remember when you were just a little girl as well," Philippe mused, turning his attention back to Christine. "Do you remember all the fun we had back then? At the lake, in the barn, your room and especially out back with the whipping switch when you had been a naughty, naughty girl? So you know what I can do to little girls, my pet. Which brings up the question, what will you give me, Christine, if I let her go? What will you offer me in return?" He asked, pulling even harder on Helena's hair as she cried out in pain, still tugging at his arm in an attempt to free herself. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Beatrice took a step closer to him, her hand tightening around her dagger. But a threatening glance from him stopped her cold, warning her to stay out of this and to let him handle it. She continued to seethe, but did not interfere.

"Anything," Christine swore, her heart torn in two over the cries of her precious daughter. "I will do whatever you ask, just please let her go, Philippe."

"Master," he hissed, his eyes sparkling with glee at her words. "Call me master, my pet, and maybe I will consider it."

Christine swallowed hard, trying to quell the sickness in her stomach over his request. He had always delighted in making her call him that, watching as she stumbled over the word as if it would make her gag. It made her feel weak and belittled, as if that word alone had the power to make her belong to him.

"Please…master," she whispered, her head bowed in defeat and shame.

"I am sorry, I did not quite hear you," Philippe said with an evil chuckle. "A little louder, if you don't mind." He pulled on Helena's hair a bit more, causing the little girl to whimper and rise up on her toes to release some of the pressure of his grasp.

"PLEASE MASTER!" Christine cried out loudly, tears streaming down her face in desperation. "I will do anything you want, if you will just let her go."

Philippe looked down at the trembling woman before him and he knew he had won. He always won, but this victory tasted all the more sweet since he had now broken her will. He quickly flung Helena towards the waiting clutches of Beatrice, who had watched the whole exchange through narrowed eyes. Once his hands were free, he reached down and pulled Christine to her feet, crushing her to him as he felt her tremble.

"Anything, my pet? I assure you that I can think of quite a few things that will keep us busy for a long, long time. And while most of what I have in mind will have to wait till we are safely out of this cave and back aboard my ship, I see no harm in giving you a little preview of what your life will now consist of," he whispered into her ear as he brought his hand up to grasp her chin roughly and tip her head back. Using his other hand he quickly pulled the red scarf down towards his throat, revealing the wicked smile that had haunted her dreams for so many years. He reveled for only a moment in the terror he saw in her eyes before he brought his lips down on hers in a punishing fashion.

Christine cried out but her scream was muffled by his lips on hers as he ground them down upon her harshly, his fingers inching up to squeeze the side of her mouth until she was forced to open to his invading tongue. She struggled and tried to turn her head but he held her in place as he plunged in deeply, tasting, exploring and conquering her like the pirate he now claimed to be. It was worse than she had imagined, and tears coursed down her cheeks as her whole body fought to be free from him. Yet he was just as unyielding as ever and she began to weaken as her strength left her, her body suddenly very weary from the struggle. But when she felt his hand slide down her side and grip the hem of her dress, her mind sprang back to life. Summoning her last ounce of strength, Christine renewed her fight, knowing she must if she wished to escape this horror.

Philippe had just found her creamy thigh, his fingers painfully digging into the back of her leg as he pulled it up to his waist, when he felt her bite down on his lip without mercy. Jumping back with a startled cry, his hand flying to his injured mouth, but when he pulled it back he saw it was now covered in blood.

"You little…" he began, backhanding her viciously across the face, causing her to jerk away and fall to the ground in a heap. "You will pay dearly for that!" he growled, spitting blood from his mouth and taking a step forward until he towered over her like a demon from hell. "You like to play rough do you? Did you learn that from the monster when he took you to his bed? Does he enjoy it when you fight him? Well I prefer my women weak and submissive, not the little wild cat you have become… but I am sure I can beat it out of you in time." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a slender rope. Kneeling down almost on top of her he roughly grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her forward.

Christine's head was spinning, his blow had left her dazed and she could hardly make out what Philippe was saying, but she knew it was nothing good. When she felt his hands on her once more she renewed her struggle, desperate to free herself from his vice like grip. Yet his next words took all the wind from her sails and she froze in place.

"Cease your struggles or I swear I will take you here and now on this cave floor in front of the child. You would not wish for such innocent eyes to witness something like that, now would you?" he asked, his dark and threatening tone telling her that he meant every word. When he felt her go limp, defeated by his warning, he gave a satisfied smile. "That is much better. I can see that you will learn to obey your master well, given the right motivation."

Christine watched mutely as he swiftly tied her hands together and moved to binding her feet as well, now making it impossible for her to move, fight or escape. When he was finished he sat back on his heels and dabbed at his lip with the red scarf that now hung around his neck. The sight of the blood seemed to enrage him all over again and he looked down at her with those cold dead eyes that were void of any humanity.

"I look forward to continuing this later, my pet, back on my ship where there will be no one to interfere, and no one to care if you scream. And scream you shall, I will make sure of that. However, we can't have you betraying our escape with that lovely voice of yours as we make our way to the boat, so for now I will have to ensure your silence." Taking a long piece of cloth he roughly gagged her mouth, tying the knot tightly in the back so there was no way she could spit it out. "But what say you give me a quick taste of your sweetness, for old times' sake? Just a little preview to tide me over? You would not deny your master his due, would you?" As he said this he grabbed hold of her bound ankles and let his other hand begin a very slow and deliberate ascent up her leg and under her skirt, his eyes never leaving hers as he watched Christine begin to squirm, biting down on the gag to keep from crying as she turned her head away and shut her eyes tightly.

"One more inch and I swear you will lose your arm!" A low and threatening voice said from the entrance to the cave, stopping Philippe's hand instantly.

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