I yawned as I fiddled with the worn out quill in between my fingers, the soft texture of it being enough to occupy me from my boredom for the time being. The angered voice of the woman from earlier as she spoke the name Icarus had yet to leave my mind even after two days' time. I knew I had heard of that name before, only I was not able to pinpoint it, which was slowly annoying me. I sighed as I switched the position of my legs that I had rested onto the wooden desk. I leaned into the captain's chair, having claimed it as a sleeping spot for myself as I refused to sleep beside him. I wasn’t keen on the idea of sharing a bed with someone, unless we were to engage in activities other than sleeping. I looked around the room for probably the hundredth time, thinking that if only he had something interesting in here it would be easier to make time pass by faster.

As a sudden breeze blew onto my cheeks, probably from the small gap underneath the door, I could hear the faint sound of familiar footsteps approaching. I stopped the movement of the quill in my hand, putting it aside as I began tapping on the desk instead as I waited for the door to be swung open.

- Have you never thought of decorating this place? It could use some color.

I let the words roll off my tongue, a smile growing onto my lips as I was clearly hinting at his lack of skill in decorating. Not that he seemed to care as he pushed my legs down from the desk, slamming a wooden tray with food onto it in a harsh movement.

- Eat.

I let my eyes scan the food presented before me, a slice of bread and some jerky, before looking up towards the man who brought it to me. 

- No thank you.

- I won’t let you starve yourself.

- Oh? Are you perhaps worried for me captain?

- Dead men speak no tales, nor can they give directions. So eat.

It wasn’t easy trying to explain the reason behind my actions, as I couldn’t possibly just tell him, knowing it had caused many before him to lose either their lives or minds. I could only hope he would give up trying to feed me if I were to act picky.

- Maybe I would if the food satisfied me.

- For a false royal your taste sure is picky. There is nothing wrong with our food.

Maybe not for him but I would still go starving even if I were to eat it.

- The food is not to my taste. I have a peculiar diet-

The bread didn't stay long on the tray before me as the captain used it to cut me off mid-sentence, shoving it into my mouth. By mere reflex I reached back for something to defend myself with, feeling my fingers curl around the frail quill, and instinctively lashed out towards the assaulting hand. I quickly spit out the mushed up bread, wiping off my saliva from the edge of my mouth as my pulse was beating fast from the sudden movement. It all happened so fast that I barely registered the small resistance from the tip of the object in my hand until the newly made scent of blood reached my nostrils.

Until now I hadn’t looked up towards the captain, seeing as he held his hand close to his chest, a faint visible cut onto his outer palm, which was now slowly dripping with fresh warm blood. I felt myself slipping into something resembling a trance, not blinking as I couldn’t shake myself off from the sight of the blood. My body moved on its own, climbing up onto the desk as I crawled towards the smell. Closing the distance I didn’t hesitate taking a hold of his wounded hand, as I let my tongue travel over the cut in slow satisfying motions. I made sure to lick every drop of blood that had leaked out, carefully changing the angle as I started to suck around the opening with my soft lips.

Every little drop felt like heaven, as if I had been stranded for days in the desert and finally took a sip of fresh water. But the satisfaction didn’t last long before the captain ripped his hand away from me. Like a wake up call I finally returned to the present, watching as the captain looked at me with something akin to morbid curiosity. As if he’d discovered a new breed of animal. I would have thought he would be angered or perhaps disgusted, but he did not, rather as he tilted his head a little, he wore an expression that indicated clear interest.

- What is the matter with you?

He said in a low voice, reminding me of what had happened and what I had done. My mind became a mess in an instance, unable to find the words that could justify my actions.

- I- I just-

I was thankfully interrupted as a man came barging in, standing in the doorway as he watched the scene before him. It was clear that he hadn’t imagined seeing me in a sitting position on the table and his captain two feet away from me with his hands tucked close to his chest. But he only froze in place for a second before neutralising his expression and returning to why he was here in the first place.

- I would like you to join me on deck Captain.

The captain responded with an affirmative grunt before turning towards the man as they headed out. He didn’t even spare me a glance, simply ignoring me as I was left alone yet again in the pale depressing captain quarters. I huffed, unsure of what to feel as many emotions were swirling around inside me. Should I be angry for being ignored? Anxious from my earlier actions? Or perhaps saddened that I didn’t get to continue?

Now looking around me, the tray of food from earlier was lying scattered on the wooden floor beside the desk. The clattering of the tray must have been loud in the room, yet none of us seemed to have noticed it happen at all. 

I took up the jerky from the floor, giving it a sniff before deciding to throw it out of the window. 

I wasn’t gonna eat it either way.