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Chapter Three


He came back to my chamber after the fight, and the next day we fought again. For three days I won, and then finally he triumphed. He’d learnt me, I suppose. A dangerous achievement for someone who considered himself my enemy. I wasn’t afraid though.


And I kept my word. I let him leave my room, and take up quarters with his wife. The beautiful woman had rediscovered her interest in him, or so it appeared, since his triumph over me.


“Thank you, pet.” William said, as he held a hand out and helped me back to my feet. That was our tradition, though it had never been this way ‘round before. I collected my sword, and sheathed it at my side. Then I nodded, with a sharp smile.


“You won.” I said, “Fair and square.”


“Good fighting with you.” He said. Then he left me, and I watched him go to his wife. He caught her up in an embrace that looked more tender than I’d ever have imagined him capable of. He swept her back and kissed her, while my men catcalled and cheered. For one strange, disconcerting moment, I felt like a villain. I felt like William had trumped the bad guy, and won back the lady. It was odd. I’d never felt so disconnected from myself before.


Then Xander came up beside me. “Just about three and a half weeks until we hit land.” He said, touching my shoulder as I watched the beautiful couple. I jumped, turning to look at him. Then I blushed as I realized he believed me jealous.


“Brilliant.” I said. “We’re making good time. He’ll be pleased.”


“And you will too, I’d imagine.”


“Of course.” I said, “That man’s been nothing but a nuisance since he boarded my ship.”


*


The next day, I was surprised when he approached me of his own will.


“You’re a free man now, William.” I said resignedly. “You needn’t spar with me any longer.”


He looked half-abashed. “I was hoping I could fight you again, this time for some other prize.”


I was agitated by him. I’d heard him laughing and making merry with his wife all night long, and I didn’t like the way that he had made me feel. I didn’t like to let my feelings show, but he had me pegged as less than a woman, and that really did hurt. I’d never had a man of any description give me such grief before. I was strong, and respected, but he made me feel like an ant.


“What else could you possibly want, Mr. Arlington?” I asked, my voice sharp.


A slow grin crossed his face. “Dinner rights.” He said.


I felt my eyes narrow. “What?” I asked. “Explain yourself.”


His grin did not fade. “Truth is,” he admitted, “I find I enjoy fighting you, Miss. It passes the time quite spiritedly.”


“I’m glad to be a source of amusement to you, William.” I said, feeling perhaps more bitter than I should.


His grin widened at my barb. “I thought you mighten’t be pleased by such a confession. However, I believe you enjoy fighting with me, too.”


I gave him nothing. “If I do?”


“I advocate a continuation of this working relationship.” He said. “The men enjoy watching. Cecily has never loved me so well. And we continue to pass the time in good spirits.” He spread his hands wide. “So, what’ll it be? If I win, Cecily and I are to be allowed dinner with you and your men. What will you have us fight for?”


I stared at him, and then cocked my head. There was nothing that I wanted, but his offer to continue sparring did strike me well. In honesty, I enjoyed the fighting more than he could know.


“How about…” I said, still thinking. “If I win, you must give up your Red coat. Surrender it to me.”


“Done.” He said, before considering. He grinned. “A smart bid, love.”


I cracked a grin. “We’ll see if it pays off.”


*


After that our daily fights were a ship tradition. The men were riled with good morale, and we were making great time. I fought William for three days in the name of his coat, and during that time he was granted dinner with me and my men, his own pair of heavy pirate boots (which he wore only whilst we fought), and a new weapon to practice with. After that, I won his coat, and wore it to dinner that very evening for a jovial gag.


“Looks better on a tiny slip of a pirate than it ever did on me.” William remarked as I walked into his sights. For half a moment, I felt the blood creep into my cheeks, but then Cecily was at his side again, fawning at his shirt, and I felt a fool. Something strange was happening to me, and I could tell that the same was not true for him. It was embarrassing.


Still, I took my seat at the head of the table and raised my glass of wine with a cheery grin.


“To The Valencia’s impromptu guests.” I said, toasting my ship’s unfathomable cargo. “May the good times carry us right up on to the shores of England.”


“Here here!” Said William, and all of my men at once. Cecily took a great swallow of wine, and William smiled at her endearingly. There was a warmth in the air that night. It made me feel grand, and alive. But I also noticed how alone I really was. For all the men I had at my command, I’d never had one so solely entranced with me, the way that Cecily had William. It ached a little to watch them, though I found I couldn’t look away.


“I believe I shall miss this ship, in equal part with my relief to be rid of it.” William confessed after the meal was half eaten, and we were awaiting dessert.


“Of course you shall!” I laughed, raising my wine glass to be refilled. “A man is free to be a barbarian whilst amongst good company! When you return to England, you will have to be a soldier once again. More’s the pity, Mr. Arlington. Something tells me that you would make a most excellent pirate!”


“Why, from you I suppose I must take that as a compliment.” William mused, fixing me with the most melting of smiles. I felt my embarrassing blush rise once more. William chuckled. “You’ve been a dreadful surprise to me, Miss Elizabeth.”


I laughed. “You’ve been a menace!”


Everyone joined the laughter, and then we toasted to The Valencia once more. William was in good spirits, and I could tell that he was no longer planning to turn us into the law upon his return to the mainland. Somewhere along the line, he had lost his desire to see my hanging from the neck.


The next day we fought again, and for a week after that we proceeded to bargain fickle things in order to continue our game. Our attacks upon each other were growing in ferocity, but they no longer held the same early menace. William grinned when we fought, and I laughed more than ever.


It was two weeks from the start of our fights, however, when we made our final bargain. The bargain which changed things, without foresight.


“If I win,” William grinned, bowing low to me as he posed his offer, “I wish to see you out of pantaloons, and in a dress instead.”


I flushed. “I beg your pardon sir!”


“Just as I said.” He smirked, “For one whole day, until we fight again of course, I wish to see you dressed as a lady. A real lady, Elizabeth.”


For a moment, I felt myself prickle. And then, all of a sudden, I felt alright. I smiled, in fact.


“It’s a deal.” I said. “And if I win, then I request a kiss.”


William looked startled, and he was quiet for a moment, comprehending my face. Finally, he spoke. “A… Kiss?”


“Yes.” I replied, fighting the embarrassment that I felt. After all, it was no light request. I had never been kissed before, and he was the one that I deemed worthy to be my first. If he rebuked me then I wasn’t sure what would be left for me.


“But Cecily…”


I smiled quickly. “Just a kiss, William. Don’t tell me your wife would mind that.”


He looked over at Cecily. Her attentions had wandered again, and she was gazing across the sea of men. It seemed to me that though William doted on her relentlessly, she was always going to be looking at other men. What harm was there to be found in giving me just one little kiss?


“Alright.” William wagered. “You in a dress, or my lips on yours. Seems a fair trade-off, Elizabeth.”


I faltered, just a moment, then told him: “I like to be called Buffy.”


“Buffy?” He repeated. I nodded, and he grinned. “The fearsome pirate, Buffy!”


*


We took our places before each other, and drew out our weapons to the cheers and catcalls of the pirate men. Xander raised his arm above his head with a wide grin, then dropped it forward.


“En garde!”


William did not hold back on me when we fought. He brought his sword down hard against mine, and I staggered backwards from the effort to block him. He grinned maliciously, then swiped beneath my poised arms. No foul, I arched my back to avoid contact with his new sword, then span a 180, bringing my sword around fast into his side.


He met it with a clanging of blades, and then raised his weapon to knock the black hat from my head. It fell, and I felt my blonde hair spill out over my shoulders.


Now I was at a disadvantage, as my long tresses tumbled in front of my eyes, obscuring my vision.


“A break to fasten her hair!” Xander called out, but I waved him off with my spare hand.


“No!”


We fought on, though William’s face seemed different now that it was more obvious that he was fighting a woman. He’d always been fully aware, of course, but my tumbling blonde hair seemed to have done something odd to him.


“Time out.” He said, as he swung to block another of my attacks.


“No!” I repeated, swinging again. His block turned into a counter strike, and I staggered back slightly. I didn’t want to take a break right now, I wanted to finish this and claim his lips as my own. I wanted to feel what it was like to be loved by a man, even if it was just for a moment. I wanted him, but most of all, I wanted him to want me, too.


“Buffy- take a time out when it’s offered!” He said, his voice stern as he swiped at me again.


I leapt back, and staggered at the sound of my name on his lips. It was wonderful, I found. He swiped again, and I wasn’t ready for it as I always had been before. His close blade caught me off guard and I toppled backwards, landing hard on my back, with the blue sky above me. My stomach lurched as he stood over me, looking angry as he lowered the blade of his sword to my chest. He held the end of it between my breasts, and we were both panting with the exertion of our fight. No one cheered this time, Spike’s face was too stormy.


“Why didn’t you step down?” He snapped, keeping his sword where it was.


I said nothing, just stared back up at him. He shook his head, hard, then turned and snatched his weapon back to his side. He went to Cecily and kissed her ambitiously, and he did not offer me his usual hand up. I knew that he was angry, and I knew why too. William fought fair, and he did not like that I had continued to fight with a handicap. He was an honorable man, really. I had offended him by giving him an easy win.


Still, he had won, and in my eyes it was fair as could be. I would wear a dress, as he had requested, and I would not mention stealing a kiss from his lips again. Tomorrow we would fight for trivial things again, and I would make it alright.


Chapter End Notes:
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