Ryu took the key and listened to him, she did wait however with her promise to open for him any time. In her eyes he turned from the most hated person to at least a good brother for helping her out. She snuggled up into the jacket as she kept the front together, then stepped back as he pointed out where his room was. "I'll return it as soon as I can, promise."

The key slid into the lock as she assumed the room had been sealed, then opened the door and stepped in, slowly closing it behind her. It lacked the narrowest bit to close completely. "Shin .. I'm thankful and I don't say it just like everything else. I give you my word .. once you strive to enter my room I shall open it."

Then she closed and locked the door, a relieved sigh passed her lips as she found herself in the safety of her own room. During her childhood and youth this had always been her haven, the place she could retract to whenever she felt like it. The key remained where it was as she turned around and let her eyes descend on her new surroundings. It apparantly didn't differ much, but she did not observe everything as her spent body approached the bed. Slowly, she slid out of the jacket and placed it on a chair next to the bed similar to the one she noticed before.

There seemed to be a wooden closet, obviously nailed to the floor so it wouldn't be loose. Then there was a small round, wooden table with a chair next to it, also there seemed to be a candle in the midst of the circular furniture.

A nightstand next to the top of the bed, however Ryu did not care about further decoration by then. The light was put out, coming from the candle already glued to the table by its own and a loose lantern next to the door. Apparantly it had been prepared for her.

Not caring about anything else, she slid under the covers, then stuffed them under her form so it would be tight around her curves. Eventually she laid her head on the pillow. "This can't be happening." A subtle whisper to herself as she closed her eyes and attempted to fall asleep.

Ryu had stirred only once that night as the door knob to her room turned, someone was trying to gain access to her sleeping chamber but found that the door had been locked. Guido most likely though whomever, or whatever, it was had not tried to force the door and let her be.

But this had seemed to be happening. Everything felt real, save for her absence of physical pain that had been severed from her considering what the demon was likely doing in the real world. Again she woke up though ... well believed she had seeing that she was still fast asleep.

Her right shoulder had been shaked, and when her eyes opened they focused upon Bryce who had been half leaning over her. "Yeah, sleepy head." His words soft as they rolled passed his lips. His attire changed, their seemed no hole in his garments where the stiletto had penetrated him, obviously.

"So, I take it you lost? No concern, I didn't do much better. How are you holding up? Think you can last a day, maybe two at the outset?"

Awakening from her slumber, her eyes opened and gazed upon her husband she thought would be lost forever. Her arms immediately reached up and wrapped around him, she almost pulled him closer to her as she hugged him tightly while her breath rested against his neck. It wasn't a long absence but still, the scent of his had the same soothing effect similar to the one of a highly beloved friend.

"Idiot.", she stated a bit annoyed though she was more than happy to see him. "I thought I'd never see you again .. and you ask me if I lost. That's heartless." Ryu pulled away and revealed her cute smile as she sat a bit more straight. She couldn't hide her tears of joy which welled up but hadn't been released however as she looked up the covers.

"But .. well .. I think it's not about the amount of time I can last since I know you're around. I'm only worried what might happen during the days on this ship .. Guido seems to be after me but I won't leave this room at all, not even think about it if my brother is not around. Shin actually saved me from him as he dared to touch me."

Then she seemed to realize something as she recalled that she locked the door behind her. "H-how did you get in my room, I thought the door was .. wait .. do you have a plan to get me out of here?" A shimmer of hope came into view as she noticed it. Lazily one of her hands reached out to rub her sleepy eyes for a brief moment.

"That'd be absolutely great news." Of course she kept a low tone, Shin was living next door and she couldn't risk to get caught. "Even so I'm just glad you are not seriously harmed."

Bryce smiled back. "The door is still locked. It's hard to explain how ..." his voice trailed off though his smile grew. "The wound was deep but not fatal, I was lucky that it missed the heart by mere millimeters. I'll deal with Guido, that shouldn't be too much of a challenge but know this, that I am on my way.

"A day, perhaps two and the ships will be together again. I suspect that the other will try to evade us and we'll give chase. This vessel is quicker being a merchant ship rather then a refurbished war ship not designed with speed on the mind."

He reflected on things though, nodding a little about developments. "Two days at most. Your ship has a bigger compliment though that won't be an issue either. The men were hired on to retrieve you, not fight, though if they do the later I don't think that will matter much either.

"But my time here is short." His lips touched hers in a kiss before continuing though now he had been mere inches from her face. One hand rested at her side, the other clasped her shoulder as he peered into her eyes. "I love you, Ryu." Again his lips touched against her own.

"Two days ..." he repeated in a soft whisper. His touch against her had been warm and relaxing after the hardships of the day.

Her hands on his sides, the kiss was enough for her to break free. Never again she would give up on someone she would miss just as much as Bryce. "I love you, too." Then they were giving in to a second sensual moment before the man retracted. Ryu knew he couldn't stay for long, so she let him go.

"Two days are less than the lifetime I thought I'd have to live without you, I will anticipate the time we shall meet again." A soft kiss approached from her this time as it meant goodbye, then laid back into her sheets as her hands returned to her sides. The red head did not want to see where he had entered or how, it should be a secret.

Ryu managed to close her eyes after she looked at her husband one last time, then allowed him to do as he pleased. Two days would be a long time with such limited space to move, she'd wait for Shin to get her. That's what I'll do. As long as Guido wasn't taken care of she wasn't able to move around like she normally would.

This short meeting let her drift asleep quite fast, her dream about staying in a city and taking care of the house with Bryce by her side, what a beautiful image it was. Unfortunately this reminded her of a certain girl she had been willing to do this with but moved away, however that was beyond her thoughts and memory when she'd awake.

"I know," he said with a smile as he pulled away, there kisses lingering on his lips. Though had she been watching he simply faded away as if he had not been there in the first place. Upon waking in the morning it had been Shin that had acquired her for breakfast.

The meal taken she had gone back to her room, mall in comparison with the house she had grown up in. The locked door serving to protect her once again as later on that evening there had been a jolt at the door as if someone placed a shoulder against it but the lock held.

She could see a shadow beneath the door indicating that there was someone there. She heard voices too, nearby, though there was no follow up to someone placing their shoulder against the door. Yet later still as the sun had been ready to set there were shouts on deck, some commotion with people running here and there.

From their shouts and speaking on deck Ryu could make out that a ship had appeared on the horizon, that and the fact that throughout the evening it seemed to be closing in on them. There were grumblings from people that they had not signed up for something and every so often she could mark the progress of the ship into the early hours of the night.

It grew quiet for awhile after half an hour or so of commotion. After two hours or so there had been shouts from someone, perhaps someone in the crow's nest, shouted out that "It's time!"

The days passed by amazingly slow, most of the time Ryu stayed in her room and did a few exercises to stay healthy and flexible, she even managed to regain her dress as Guido wasn't around. This ship did not give her the opportunity to practice her sprint properly so there was little she could do. However, the joy of knowing she'd be free to go soon let hope remain in her line of sight.

By the time the two days were coming to an end, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared up at the ceiling as if she could see through the wood towards the deck. She analyzed everything going on up there. It wasn't tiring to wait, but when it grew silent she stood up and tried to hear something .. anything possible.

As the shout reached her, she was quick to stretch her muscles in case she was going to be involved in something, then walked over to the door and impatiently attempted to open her locked door. It flung open as she rushed into the hallway and almost stumbled over her own feet, but nonetheless continued, this time walking cautiously.

Ryu missed to check if somebody was around, her back would be without shelter. Doubt spread that someone would try to sneak up on her since something big seemed to be happening on the deck.

She had been right about her assumption. All attention seemed to be up on the deck and she had been forgotten about for the moment. Up on deck had been a good portion of the crew, wind whipping through their hair as they gripped gaffs and belaying pins as if they suspected something might happen and it was best to be armed just incase.

Adjacent to the ship had been another. The Shining Star, the vessel she had been on into previously. Planks had gone from one ship to the other and grappling hooks had been on the rail of this one allowing the ships to pull together as close as they had.

"... you can't have her!" Guido spat as he flourished his blade. Evidently Ryu had came in on the tail end of what he had to say. Though she could see Bryce, a blade brandished from it's sheath as the tip pointed toward Guido.

Shin had been close by Guido, though it was uncertain what he was thinking at the moment, though of course he seemed the more level headed of the two, possibly since he had nothing further to gain. He did what he set out to do, what he had been instructed to do. He retrieved Ryu, there was nothing that said that he had to come back with her.

His hand drifted down towards the hilt of his sword though. "Bryce, to what do we owe your company?" As if he had not known as those words left his lips.

Once more her eyes settled on each opponent before she eventually stepped out of her cover, the stairs, and seemed to only recognize the night around them. Actually it was the only thing she saw these days, not to mention those times she was having a meal or looked out of the porthole in her room.

"You know very well.", she said but kept a distance between her and the armed ones. Ryu wasn't going to get into trouble, at least not when she couldn't fight back. "And I think it's not in your interest to harm me while I try to travel with the one I love." Oh, she had nothing to lose from there on.

"Or, more importantly, the one I married and love deerly. No matter what you or Guido might do .. it will take you a lot more to break the connection between us." Again she crossed her arms in front of her chest to emphasize her point, she might have lost him the last time they met but she wasn't going to make the same mistake and leave him behind.

"Married?" Shin and Guido both said in unison as their gazes flickered toward her, though in Guido's case it floated back to Bryce awfully quick. Confusion and indecision seemed to flicker on Shin's face for a moment.

"Then be ready to become a widow," Bryce snapped as he lunged forward though Bryce sidestepped as he brought his blade up in defensive posture. It soon rattling off of Guido's as they danced about with dueling swords.

Shin watched on, he studied the movements and remained close to the action as the two battled on. He studied the two determining that the pair where more or less evenly matched and things could go either way. But just as Guido interfered in the earlier duel with Ryu, Shin interposed in this one.

His leg going out just enough to trip up Guido. He had weighed matters in his mind, the attempteed rape of his sister for one, and had decided that Ryu was better off with Bryce rather than Guido who was likely to see her as a trophy of some kind, an object.

Guido stumbled, a hand reaching out to break his fall while he turned and tried to skewer Bryce with the tip of his blade even from such an ugly position. The attack had been unexpected though Bryce reacted as if he had seen it coming jumping up above the tip of the blade and when landing he came up with a kick to Guido's jaw that snapped his head back and thus unaligned his eyes so that he could not cage where his strike would be coming from.

He made a thrust with his blade, the tip of which sinking into Guido's shoulder causing him to cry out in incredible pain as Bryce brought his blade up to the throat of the downed man.

A hand raised to her chest as she found it hard to breathe while watching the two struggle against each other. It's always been hard to find something, or someone, that's worth fighting for, in Ryu's case it seemed to prove less fortunate than in many others. Often it had been a let down, but for a single time she couldn't intervene.

An unexpected move of her brother however seemed to change the progress of their fight completely as Guido was brought to the ground as he stumbled. It was breathtaking to see her husband evade the desperate move of the man and then kick his jaw. Then again she could feel pity for Guido as he cried out in pain, nonetheless he deserved it and she was pleased to see him in agony. It was taking some time, but when Bryce brought his blade to Guido's throat she managed to step in.

"Bryce, don't! Let him live!" Ryu went closer and stopped right out of their range so she couldn't be harmed if someone even dared to. "You wouldn't want to be like him now would you?"
It made her feel uncomfortable to stay on the ship any longer, like a jail with the only exception the other inhabitants couldn't enter her cell and she was under the protection of Shin.

"We should simply get off this ship and disappear into the night, no need to kill a broken man like him. Please, I wouldn't want anyone get hurt because he wants me as his wife."
She explained, then moved a bit closer and glanced at Shin for a second, then down to Guido and back to Bryce.

"A new life, remember? Somewhere else than home? Don't ruin this with murder like he was going to, I beg you."

Bryce held the tip of the sword to Guido's throat while the other man glared up at him silently as blood oozed out of his shoulder. Choice seemed to flash in Bryce's eyes then he lowered the blade itself.

"Your right," he said though his gaze did not leave the downed man in front of him. "We'll need a doctor."

From the sea of spectators came the ship's surgeon who knelt down at Guido's side and opened up the man's shirt to get a better look at the wounded shoulder. He did not move though even as Bryce resheathed his blade.

Bryce reached out a hand to Ryu taking her hand in his as he had to backed up. Shin gazed at her, then at Guido. This was going to be a long trip.

When at the railing of the ship, Bryce helped Ryu up to the plank that had been laid out between the two ships.

Finally on the other side, she eventually leaned against the railing and looked back at the ship she just came from. If someone wasn't going to get her things from the lower deck, neither would she. It wasn't worth it now that she regained everything important. Perhaps she could afford to buy a few things once they reached their destination.

"Not bound to my family and their rules it's like I started to be alive a single minute ago." By the time she let go of his hand and looked back at Shin. He wasn't that far so it wasn't necessary to talk loud.

"Hey Shin, let us hope we don't meet again under those circumstances. However, although you did treat me in the most honorable way you could, it's unlikely I will ever return to Italy."

"We better leave. Unless you or someone else wants to get my things, I don't want to be reminded of the events with Guido and Shin any longer." The words were obviously adressed to Bryce who would, with no doubt, stay close to her. With this she turned, then wrapped her arms around him and snuggled up against the cloth of his.

"It's been a tough time."

"Mathias," Bryce pronounced and a young man scrambled across the planks and retrieved Ryu's things. In the heat of the moment no one had thought of them.

"Return to Italy, sister? I'd be surprised if you did, besides everyone knows that France is your port of call now and if they wished to find you it would be there were they first look."

When Mathias had returned the grapples attaching the ships together had been undone and the planks were drawn back. They slowly pulled away from the other vessel, watching as darkness swallowed it as they made a u-turn as they started off.

As soon as they had though things seemed to pick up on the ship. Individuals began to work at maximum capacity on the ship's rigging and the like.

The wind had been moderate from the east and the ship tuned in such a way that it would have a favorable wind at least for the time being. Bryce had his arms about Ryu just holding her close to him for the time being.

"It's all over now," Bryce began as a hand stroked up and down her side as he embraced her.

"That's good." Ryu sighed and felt the warmth of her lover against her. It seemed they'd be making better progress than before since the wind seemed to let them travel faster. For once she was happy, happier than before all this happened, including the struggles and her imprisonment.

Her eyes went a bit wider as she appeared to remember something. "Oh~ .. Is there anything prepared .. I mean, for us to stay and live in? I bet it won't be all over if we get to search for an establishment first." She grabbed onto him a bit tighter as she looked up at him, her large mounds pressed against him as if forcing him to pay attention to her body.

"And the income .. Perhaps I could work somewhere too as long as we don't earn enough money. Yes .. we have to watch our income." In the end her thoughts only seemed to convert into words as her voice trailed off.

However, she broke this attitude with a giggle. Subconsciously she began to rub her chest up and down his front, with the least bit of movement so others wouldn't notice she intended to turn him on slightly. Also her cheek started to rub against his chest as the busty red head purred and closed her eyes. "Mmm .. You're so comfy .."