Rose Connington looked around the Siren’s Wings with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Excitement, because this had been a long-held fantasy of hers: sneaking out of the gilded cage that was her family home, slipping down to the docks, posing as a commoner, and mixing with rough, adventure-hardened sailors. Aside from brief glimpses from a distance and with several layers of protection between herself and them, these people had essentially been the stuff of bedtime stories and daydreams for the young lady, and now she was here among them, in the flesh. Trepidation, because… well, while Rose wasn’t especially worldly, she wasn’t so sheltered as to harbour illusions about what this place was like. These people were dangerous - to their enemies, first and foremost, but potentially to her as well. While many of them would claim to be ordinary sailors - and perhaps, for some of them, that was true - the Siren’s Wings held a reputation for being a pirate haunt. She knew she’d need to keep her wits about her and avoid, at all costs, giving the impression that she didn’t belong here.

Right now, that meant stopping her gawping, and instead striding purposefully over to the bar. The tavern-keeper was a bald middle-aged man, muscular arms sporting several scars that Rose was sure would have been incredibly painful to receive. He looked up as she approached, giving her a brief once-over. A small, traitorous part of Rose insisted to her that she had been caught already and should bolt, but she managed to quell those feelings, meeting his gaze full-on. To her relief, he didn’t seem to have spotted anything unusual about her. “Ya new ta Hallowedharbour, missy?” he asked.

Rose tried to remember her vocal training to quell her posh accent. “Aye. Jus’ got in on t’high tide.”

“Well, ya’ve picked a fine spot fer ya waterin’ hole. What’s ya poison?”

“Ale.” The keeper nodded and tapped a clearly well-used barrel, sliding a mug to Rose, who passed him a few coppers for it. Rose had only had ale a few times, snuck to her by friends who had friends, or shared with the servants she’d managed to develop something of a rapport with. Truth be told, it was far from her favourite, but she knew that a total stranger, dressed as comparatively shabby as she was, asking for wine would turn heads.

As she nursed her mug, letting strands of her black curly hair fall in her eyes, she began looking around the tavern. While she was here for an adventure in general, her ultimate goal was something more specific: finding a cute woman to flirt with. Rose’s parents had always expected her to fall in love with and marry a man, and perhaps she would eventually settle for one who wasn’t too dreadful. But comparison of her feelings towards her fellow young women with those towards young men had soon suggested that that was not where her heart lay - a fact that some furtive kisses exchanged with her house’s maids had confirmed. So, if all went well, by the end of the night, she’d be cuddled up with some gorgeous sailor, exchanging tipsy kisses. Maybe more, if things went really well, although she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go quite that far just yet. She was aware, of course, that this was hardly the safest way to do this. But Rose had always longed for adventure, and sailors - and pirates in particular - carried that flair for her. By coming down here and allowing herself to be swept off her feet by a beautiful stranger, she was fulfilling multiple fantasies of hers at once, and getting to defy her parents at the same time. It was a win-win, really. As she looked around, she noticed several people looking back at her, probably trying to suss out who this stranger was. Some of them, she noticed - men and women - were openly checking her out, eyes fixing on her chest despite the modesty of the dress she’d picked out. The attention was equal parts gratifying and alarming, especially coming from some of the more brutish types among them. No-one attracted her attention in return, however… until she spotted her.

Tucked away in a dark corner of the tavern, sitting alone at a table, was the most beautiful elf Rose had ever laid eyes on. She was dressed in luxurious clothes in deep reds and blues. Her shirt was dangerously low-cut, revealing an enticing expanse of well-tanned skin and framing a dark green gemstone, carved intricately and hung from a simple leather cord around her neck. Her wavy brown hair trailed over her shoulders and down her back. She cut a tall, striking figure; Rose was certain that, if she so desired, this elf could get the entire room of rowdy sailors to fall dead silent with a single gesture.

Perhaps some part of her realised that this woman was too good to be true; that there must be some reason she was left entirely alone and to herself. But if so, that part was overruled by the rest of her mind, which was telling her to walk up to this beautiful lady from straight out of her dreams and shoot her shot. She motioned for the tavern-keeper. “Two more.”

He frowned slightly. “Service ‘s only one at a time, miss stranger. I won’t be ‘avin’ this ‘ere place a’ mine turnin’ inta a pile a’ drunks. We keep things civil ‘ere, if ya know what I mean.”

“One’s fer a friend.”

He eyed her suspiciously. “I’ll take yer word on it… once. If I see ya scullin’ both back, yer out t’door b’fore ya can say ‘one more fer the road.’ Do I make m’self clear?”

“Aye.”

He nodded gruffly, refilling Rose’s mug and grabbing another, sliding both across the bar to her. She nodded in return, giving him a silver - a bit more than the asking price, but hopefully enough to smooth over any misgivings he may be having - and, a mug in each hand, walked over to the dark corner.

The elf only acknowledged Rose’s presence right as she was about to sit down, looking up in surprise at her appearance. This expression was quickly replaced with a lazy smile. “Well well well, what do we have here? What’s a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like this?” There was an unusual quality to her voice; although she wasn’t raising her voice in the slightest, Rose could hear her deep alto perfectly over the bustle of the tavern. It was almost as if she wasn’t hearing her entirely through her ears, but rather in her head as well.

Rose shook aside the thought and made to sit down; the elf offered no objection. “I could ask the same of you, miss,” she managed to say. “Ya don’t seem ta have any companions here, so I thought I might lend ya my comp’ny.” She pushed one mug towards the elf, who accepted it, raising it to her in a toast. Rose returned the gesture, allowing some of her drink to spill into her new table-mate’s as the elf did the same for her. They both took a sip before the elf spoke up again.

“To return your statement back, I could say the same thing to you; you also seem to be here alone. Are you new here?”

“Aye. Only recently became a sailor; I ain’t exactly bound to any one ship jus’ yet. So I was thinkin’… ‘s there any advice or assistance ya could give me? Or even any stories ya could tell. I’d be sure ta make it worth yer while.” She tried to accentuate her figure as she made that last statement, jiggling her breasts slightly. It was probably a hopelessly amateurish attempt at flirting, but the elf seemed interested nonetheless, sitting up slightly in her chair. As she did, the pendant round her neck caught the firelight a bit better for a second, seemingly glowing from within. Rose couldn’t help but stare at it for a second, only snapped out of her brief reverie by the elf chuckling, low and deep.

“Alright, I think I can see where this is going. You seem to have your eyes on something you’re interested in already.” Rose flushed - did the elf think she’d been ogling her chest? Well, maybe she had, but not on this occasion!

But instead, the elf grabbed the cord of the pendant, hoisting the gem off her chest so that it hung in the air, spinning slightly. “You did ask for stories, and this pendant has quite an interesting one. I gather you’ve already noticed how it catches - or almost seems to capture - the light?” Rose nodded, spotting the gem doing just that again. The elf continued. “I’ve never quite figured out how it works. The way it interacts with the light is quite special, and there’s also the carved pattern - can you see it?” Another nod, as Rose found herself leaning in almost involuntarily to try and get a better look. The elf never seemed to quite stop swaying it around, though, meaning Rose’s eyes were forced to track it as it moved back and forth. “The technique with which it was carved doesn’t seem to make much sense; the grooves seem to ignore the stone’s natural faults. And the markings don’t seem to match any normal tool, either; it’s almost as if someone just took the raw gem and moulded it into this shape, like clay. That’s a fascinating thought, isn’t it? How something that seems so rigid and fixed, like this gem, or someone’s mind, can possibly, under the right circumstances, become so soft, and malleable, and agreeable. Isn’t that right.” Rose nodded once more, briefly thrown off by the mention of minds, but lulled back into agreement by the elf’s soothing tones. “But enough of that; you want to hear how I came across it, don’t you? Well, it’s a long story, so why don’t you get yourself comfortable?”

Rose sank back into her chair, fascinated by the elf’s voice and the sway of the pendant. If you’d asked her to repeat it, she probably wouldn’t have been able to tell you anything of what her interlocutor - or perhaps lecturer, at this point - was saying, caught up more in the rhythm and flow of her words. The pendant seemed to match her voice, the illusion - because it surely was just an illusion, right? - of its internal light rising and falling along with the elf’s cadence and pitch. Rose found herself swaying slightly back and forth, slipping in and out of awareness of the other woman’s words: “…set aside our worries, our doubts, our distrust… sinking deep, deep down… didn’t fight; shouldn’t fight… so good for me…” Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn that the elf’s eyes were glowing the same as the gem; they were already naturally the same colour (probably; she couldn’t give much thought to it), but somehow this effect was enhanced, her irises pulsing in time with the light of the gem and her words. Rose felt herself beginning to feel very distant and dreamy; as though the tavern were all unreal except for this elf and her pendant, finding her body relaxing and her eyes glazing over as a dreamy sigh escaped her lips. She was so lucky to have found such a nice, beautiful woman here who was willing to indulge her. Why had she been worried? She wasn’t in any danger at all.

Rose was roused slightly as the elf’s cadence changed from the steady rhythmic tone she’d adopted to a more natural speech pattern. What was she saying? “…thering on here, and you’ve not even had anything to eat! Unless you ate before you came?”

“No, Ma’am,” Rose mumbled. She tried for a second to retain the faked accent, but abandoned it almost immediately; it was just too much effort.

“Well, I should rectify that, no? Here’s what’s going to happen. I’ll have dinner brought to you; you’ll stay here and eat it all up. Then, after that, you’ll leave quietly and come join me on my ship. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Yeah…”

“Good girl. You can’t miss my ship; it’s the biggest in the harbour. I need to leave now to attend to some business of my own there, but so you don’t forget our appointment…” The elf stood up and slipped the necklace off over her head, placing it around Rose’s neck instead. She could feel its presence on her chest, the heat comforting her. The elf stooped down to plant a kiss to Rose’s cheek, the human turning bright red as she did so, then walked away to the bar. She exchanged a few brief words and some coin with the tavern-keeper, then walked out.

Rose sat perfectly still at her seat, a dreamy smile plastered on her face. All she could think of was how pretty the pendant around her neck was; how beautiful the elf was; how nice she’d been to her. If she thought of anything else, it was how well this daring adventure was going; how she certainly hadn’t been found out; and how exciting it all was to sit here, among real sailors and - perhaps - pirates, without any of them being the wiser. But mostly, she just sat and smiled. Dinner was placed in front of her, and she ate it mechanically, barely noticing the taste as she swallowed it down. As soon as she was finished, she placed her spoon neatly in the bowl, stood up from the table, and walked outside. If she’d been paying any attention to her surroundings, she would have noticed the lecherous stares she was attracting from the tavern’s occupants, only to be hastily averted when they saw the pendant she was now wearing.

The night was a warm one, and it was only a quick walk from the Siren’s Wings to the docks. Rose’s path was direct and unfaltering, her gaze still fixed straight ahead, dazed smile still stuck on her face. As she reached the shore, her eyes instantly met the largest ship, and briefly she marvelled at how big and fancy it was. The nice elf must be really important, she thought, as she made her way there. A couple of sailors were stumbling around on the pier, clearly drunk. Most paid her no mind, but a couple, seeing her approach, called out to her.

“Hey, pretty girl! Wanna come home wiv us?”

“Yeah! We’ll treat ya real good!”

Rose, mind completely filled with thoughts of the elf, paid them no attention, not even sparing them a glance. As she got nearer, they tried again.

“Oi! I’m talkin’ ta ya!”

“Ya gotta look at a man when ‘e’s talkin’ ta ya!”

“Or are ya too good ta-”

The gem on her chest pulsed brightly, reflected in the sailors’ eyes. As soon as the glow faded, their expressions changed from leering hostility to neutral disinterest, and they turned away from Rose as though they’d completely forgotten she existed. Rose, of course, was still uninterested, course fixed to the large ship. The name on its side indicated it was called the Fitheach Mara.

The gangplank had two guards on it: a dwarf and an ursid. Both were festooned with weapons, as was the ship itself. Rose knew very little about ships, but even she - even though the pleasant haze filling her mind - could tell that this ship would be dangerous to encounter at sea if you weren’t friendly to it. The guards looked up at her approach, moving to stop her before they too noticed the necklace. Instead of blocking her, the elf stepped aside as the dwarf hollered, “Cap’n! Yer visitor’s here!”

The elf - the Captain - appeared from a door towards the aft of the ship. For the first time, Rose could get a good view of the sword at her hip: a long, slender blade, with a large emerald set in the pommel. She smiled. “There’s my cute little actress, complete with the pendant! What a good girl, coming here so quickly. Follow me.”

Rose trotted obediently on the captain’s heels, following her through the door, past some stairs leading belowdecks, and into what was clearly her cabin. It was well-appointed, not just for a ship, but in general. Plush carpet covered the floor; a well-made writing desk and bookcase sat in one corner and several storage chests in another. It was lit, not by lanterns or candles, but by some sort of magical lights, taking the form of globes set in sconces on the walls. On the starboard wall, next to a large external window, stood a proper bed, covered in an absolutely gorgeous quilt and satin sheets. “Sit there,” the elf commanded, and Rose obeyed, sitting cross-legged in the dead centre of the bed. The elf reached over to her and reclaimed the pendant, holding it up in front of Rose’s eyes again. “When I wake you up, you will obey the following orders. Do not leave the bed. Do not touch me without my permission. Do not attack me. Do not bother trying to call for help. Tell the complete truth. Obey any other order I give you. Now wake up.”

Rose blinked rapidly as she felt the commands settle in, truly taking in her surroundings for the first time in almost an hour. Hang on… this very much wasn’t right. She’d not planned to go anywhere but the Siren’s Wings, and certainly not onboard a ship or into someone’s bed. How had she been convinced so easily? It was as if her mind had been temporarily taken away from her. And there was something else, something that seemed to almost be lining up, about who exactly this elf was…

“There you are, little mortal,” the elf crooned. Rose gasped as everything slammed into place. An elven sailor, captain of a fully-armed warship called… the Sea Raven, as the name Fitheach Mara translated. An elven captain who had placed a spell upon her mind; whose voice sounded in her mind as well as her ears; who wielded a sword with an emerald in the pommel; who wasn’t mortal…

“Oh hell,” she whispered, more to herself than her captor. “You’re Captain Alvina of the Depths.”

The Elf chuckled, low and deep, in a sound that didn’t quite seem possible for her body to physically produce. “Got there in the end. Captain Alvina of the Depths, at your… well, we both know that would be a lie, don’t we? Really, you’re at my service now.” As she spoke, her appearance shifted, ever so slightly and yet in a way that could not have been more dramatic. Her curves became rounder, more perfect and even; her angles sharper and more striking. The colour of her skin and hair became more vibrant, to the extent that her clothes - with the exception of the pendant she’d enchanted Rose with - now looked almost dull in comparison. And her eyes… In their depths, Rose could now see something - something alluring, and dangerous, and beautiful, and deadly, and somehow unreal, as though Alvina was not a being fully of this world at all. Because, indeed, she wasn’t.

Poets of all species often liked to rhapsodise about how aloof and mysterious and distant elves were. If you used that sort of language to refer to the type of elf the average person would come across day-to-day - a wood elf, or high elf, or sea, or night, or cloud, or any other regular, mortal elf, you would be talking out of your posterior, as Rose’s family preferred to phrase it. They might live longer than any human, beastkin, orc, or even dwarf, but they were, fundamentally, mortal, with the same limited lifespans, physical frailties, and humdrum concerns as anyone else. Alvina, however, was not any of these. She was a True Elf, a type of Sidhe from the immortal realm of Faerie; all mortal elves were descended from True Elves mating with mortal species from the Material Realm. True Elves were ageless; they could recover in seconds from injuries that would kill a mortal instantly; and they were made just as much from magic as from physical matter. This rendered them a fundamentally alien type of being, no matter how much they might pretend towards mortality as Alvina had done in the Siren’s Wings. It also made them highly dangerous. As Sidhe, they were not bound by mortal politics, treaties, laws, or any other such concerns. Indeed, they were explicitly exempt from them, and from any repercussions that would ordinarily result from their violation, unless the Faerie Lords and Ladies revoked their protection. The last time that had happened was almost a millennium ago. But even unprotected, well… a supernaturally strong and magically skilled warrior, with barely any sense of mortality and a completely unrecognisable sense of morality was not a being anyone wished to trifle with. Captain Alvina of the Depths had made infamously good use of this. Being protected from mortal law, she technically wasn’t a pirate. Privateer was perhaps closer in a legalistic sense, as she was attacking mortal ships and forts on behalf of her nation - if the Sidhe could be called such. But whatever you wanted to call her, the Elf was known as the terror of every nation on the Pearl Ocean, and plenty that weren’t, for that matter. The Sea Raven was effectively a sailor’s real-life boogeyman: appearing as if from nowhere, its cannon and crew could tear through a fleet of any size in a matter of minutes; the best-defended fort perhaps an hour. They would take anything they set their hearts on and kill anyone who stood in their way - unless, of course, they had set their hearts upon that person as well. If that were the case… Alvina’s command of enchantment magic was legendary, as were the deeds she reportedly made her thralls do.

And Rose had brazenly walked up to her, flirted with her, and basically handed her mind over to her on a silver platter. She could barely understate the amount of danger she was in. She could feel her skin paling, which the Elf clearly took notice of. “See, that’s more the reaction I was hoping for. But now you know my name, while I don’t know yours. Tell me your full name.”

The words were out of her mouth before she had even fully heard Alvina. “My name is Rose Maria Connington.”

“Connington… That’s the name of the governor around these parts, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Ma’am. He’s my father.” The verbal deference was still automatic - although Rose thought it would probably have been prudent to display it anyway. Alvina chortled.

“Oh, isn’t that just lovely? It’s not just any bored little lady fancying she’d rough it with us seafarers, it’s the daughter of the governor himself! And what brings you to grace us with your presence, Lady Connington?”

“I wanted an adventure, and sailing just seems so exciting. So I wanted to hang around a tavern for a bit, maybe chat with some beautiful women, and… well, I suppose I did do that? Just…” Rose felt her face reddening, the enchantment compelling her complete, painful honesty.

Alvina’s face gave nothing away, but Rose felt she might have seen a slight softening in the Elf’s stance. That may have been wishful thinking, however, as her voice was just as neutral as before. “You humans are still so backwards in your attitudes towards love, aren’t you? And I suppose you got bored in that gilded cage up on the hill, hm? Well, you certainly won’t be bored now, will you?”

“N-no, Ma’am.”

“The problem for you, of course, is that you’re so obviously a landlubber, it’s almost painful. Do you want to guess when I figured you out?”

Rose flushed again. “I would guess at least as soon as a total nobody walked up to the most notorious captain in the entire world and started brazenly flirting with her?”

Another chuckle. “Merits for the brutal honesty, I suppose, but you’re far off. I - almost everyone, really - spotted your inexperience almost as soon as you stepped into the tavern. You tried to hide it, but you were clearly overwhelmed. And you don’t carry yourself like a sailor; far too prissy and steady on your feet to have just come off of a messy, swaying ship. You did alright on the accent, I’ll give you that… although I doubt you’d be able to keep it up if I actually started talking shop. For instance, how would you assess the chances of the Fitheach Mara against a kraken?”

Rose tried to regain the accent. “Well, miss, I’d say it’d have a very good-”

Alvina waved her hand. “And you’ve stumbled at the first hurdle. Ships are shes, not its. But enough of that; let’s get on to what happens next.”

Rose took a steadying breath. “What will you have me do, Ma’am?”

Alvina raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Not going to beg for me?”

“I see no point in it unless you ask me to, Ma’am. You have my mind in the palm of your hand; I’m helpless against you. I would prefer to keep my dignity, if at all possible.”

“Huh. You’re more sensible than it would seem, Your Ladyship. Although you do assume that I wish to keep you alive at all. Perhaps…” The Elf drew a dagger from her belt and passed it to Rose. “Raise that to your throat. Don’t cut yourself yet.” Rose felt the cool metal against her skin, the weapon held in her hand but feeling as though it belonged to someone else. She was trembling all over as Alvina continued. “If I gave the word, you would end your life right here and now. I could throw you out the window, let your body sink to the seabed, and nobody would ever be the wiser. I assume nobody knows where you are right now?”

“N-no, Ma’am.” Rose’s eyes were locked to Alvina’s, the Elf’s countenance completely without mercy. Alvina strode forward, placing a hand against Rose’s neck.

“Or perhaps that is too impersonal for me. Should I strangle you instead, press your body to mine as all the breath leaves it? Or wring that pretty little neck, let you die before you even hit the pillow? What a waste that would be, all because some stupid little noble decided she wanted an adventure.” The two of them stayed there, motionless, for some time - how long exactly, Rose wasn’t sure. It might have been seconds, might have been minutes; for all she knew, it could have been hours they were locked there: Alvina’s hand pressed to her throat, occasionally giving it a gentle squeeze; her own hand poised with the dagger just next to the Elf’s; one of Alvina’s legs between Rose’s own. The standoff was finally broken when the Elf, seemingly at random, snatched her dagger back from the frozen human and stood back. Rose collapsed against the mattress, breathing a shuddering sigh of relief.

“Fortunately for you,” Alvina continued, “I’m not in the mood for killing tonight. I want you alive, at least for now. But that brings us back to the question of what I am to do with you. Let me think… You would be a very good prize for me to ransom off, as I’m sure you’re aware. How much would your father pay for you, I wonder? On the other hand, that may not be the best use of the time and effort I spent ensnaring you, especially given how much wealth I have already. Perhaps I should make you mine, instead? Turn you into a perfect, loyal member of the crew, firing on your friends and family? Although… it would take a long time for you to get in shape, surely. Perhaps I should keep that delectable body of yours as it is; put you to service right in this cabin. How would you like that?” The Elf reached out a hand towards Rose’s face, and the human found herself almost drawn to it, carnal instincts longing for her touch even as the rest of her mind and body screamed at her to run far, far away from such a fate. Alvina looked almost surprised as they touched, but caressed Rose’s cheek nonetheless. “You do realise I haven’t yet ordered you to do that sort of thing? You could well have run away just now; retreated to the other end of the bed.” Still Rose stayed there, feeling drawn to the Elf’s touch as if by a magnet. “Are you… actually interested?”

“I… maybe? I’m certainly terrified of such a fate, but… somehow attracted to it - to you - as well? I can’t explain.”

“…How old are you?”

“Twenty, Ma’am.”

Alvina moved away and looked her directly in the eyes. “Show me.” As Rose flailed in confusion, the Elf added, “Start with those pretty tits of yours.” Now Rose moved with purpose, pulling the top of her dress down, and then her breast-band with it, to reveal her small, perky breasts, nipples hardened despite the clear danger she was in. Alvina openly licked her lips as she stared at them. “Answer me truly; this is a question, not an order disguised as one. May I?”

Rose had no need to think about it for too long. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good girl.” Alvina almost whispered it, but it still rang true in Rose’s head, the magic of the Sidhe projecting the Elf’s voice directly into her mind. Alvina slowly, delicately stretched out a hand and brushed it over Rose’s chest, the human shuddering as she moved over a nipple, gently gathering it between her fingers and slowly increasing the pressure on it to a pinch. Then the sensation was gone. “How wet are you?” the Elf whispered.

“Soaked, Ma’am.”

“Show me. Do not remove your underclothes.” Rose knelt up on the bed, gathered the hem of her dress up, and raised it to her waist, showing her dampened knickers for the Elf’s inspection. Alvina said nothing, instead quietly contemplating the young noblewoman sitting on her bed, naked except for her shoes and the dress gathered around her belly. She walked closer, in her true form somehow still tall enough when standing that her crotch was near Rose’s face. “Can you tell what you have done to me, Rose Connington?” she husked. Rose inhaled deeply, instantly smelling Alvina’s own arousal. It was sweeter than a human’s - or at least than hers - and distinctly foreign, comparable to nothing Rose had ever smelled from the Material Realm; it was alluring, but at the same time hinted of deep, deep danger - much the same as the Elf herself. Rose let out yet another shuddering breath, feeling as though she were only held up - indeed, as if she were only conscious - thanks to Alvina’s will.

And then the Elf stepped away, appearance returning to something closer to mortality. “But that is enough for one night, I believe. Make yourself presentable again.” Rose scurried to obey, dropping her skirts and pulling the top of her dress back up. Alvina nodded in approval. “I believe that that should have been a sufficient lesson in why young nobles shouldn’t just go faffing around, seeking adventure. I have no need for ransom money, nor another crewmember, nor a sex slave… so I have no more use for you tonight. You will be free to go, with orders to forget this night, and not to seek out this sort of danger again.” Her tone brooked no room for argument, and given that it seemed she was determined to let Rose go unharmed, the human was hardly interested in contesting that anyway. The Elf continued. “However… Hallowedharbour has always been a favourite port of mine. Perhaps I should add one more reason to favour it, hm?” Rose nodded eagerly. Alvina smiled. “Very well. In that case…” She walked over to her desk and produced a small green pendant from it - a lesser version of the one she wore around her neck - and held it in front of the human’s eyes. As it began to glow, Alvina began to issue her orders.

One Year Later

Rose was sitting down to luncheon with her parents and her latest suitor when the message came in. “M’Lord! The Sea Raven’s returned to port!”

Rose, as far as she knew, only had a passing awareness of the ship, but something deeper within her knew differently. When she returned to her quarters, without really knowing why or even that she was doing so, she retrieved a small green pendant with an intricate carved design upon it from her drawer, and flew a green scarf from her window. That night, she sat alone on her bed, naked except for the pendant, staring straight ahead, face and mind completely blank. She did not react when a hook landed on her balcony, nor when she heard someone climbing the attached rope, nor even when that someone walked through the balcony doors that, if asked, Rose would have sworn she had locked.

Only when a tanned hand gripped her chin and a deep feminine voice whispered in her ear and her mind, “Remember and awaken,” did Rose turn to look at her mistress in both senses, Captain Alvina of the Depths, and find herself ready and eager to serve her.