With that, Lily took her by the hand, kissing the back of it and led her away. She took her back to the pirate’s private chambers. Jade was a little confused. She had just left here. What was going on now?<br/><br/>“Through this door, my lady.” Lily said, pushing open a small blue door on the far wall. Jade had assumed that this was a closet or a storage room but the door opened to a small, but luxurious bedroom. The bed was hung with mosquito netting in the softest white imaginable. The bed was appointed with white cotton sheets and mounds of pillows. Jade frowned at the lengths of satin ribbons that hung from each post of the four poster bed.<br/><br/>On the floor was a woven jute mat and on the light brown dressing table was a glass vase with assorted cut flowers that brought a riot of color to the room. Jade noticed there was no window but there was a wardrobe full of clothes and a hairbrush with a matching comb on the bureau.<br/><br/>“What is this?” she asked the woman, turning to her with panicked concern.<br/><br/>“This is where the master’s favorite slave lives. She waits on him and satisfies his needs, both in bed and in board. You will sleep late and will be available to serve the master as he decides. You will eat only the best food and often from his hand. You will not disgrace him, and especially not in front of the others.”<br/>Jade put her hand on her hip and inquired,<br/><br/>“Oh, I will? What will he do to me? Beat me?”<br/><br/>Her hand went to her jaw that still ached.<br/><br/>Lily slowly shook her head.<br/><br/>“Yes, of course, he will beat you, but at the worst, he will kill me. Cut my hands and my head off in front of you. He has done that once before, since I was his slave. I was once his favorite and I defied him. He did so to my keeper. When he was finished, I joined the ranks of the slaves and have served the men as you see the younger women do. I have had no protection, only a bit of favor, since my son is the fruit of his body. I beg you, my lady, do as he says. Open your bed to him. Open your mind to him. You are his and if you know what is good for you, you will obey. I beg you, lady, for the sake of my son, please, obey him. Serve his needs when he comes to spread your legs. “<br/><br/>Jade’s mouth hung open and she could see the woman was in earnest with what she said. Jade could also see the remnants of former beauty and she could see the woman wasn’t as old as she first seemed. Life with the pirate governor was arduous without protection. With the realization taking over her face, Lily sighed and managed a small smile.<br/><br/>“You will bathe twice a day and keep yourself clean for the master. You will wear these clothes and use the perfume that is provided. Above all, you will not look at the other men and El Senor will not allow them to look upon you nor touch you. Address El Senor as Master and as sir, and nothing else. You  have no rights here and never assume that you do, not even if he calls you his queen. You are nothing more than a slave, a favorite concubine. The best you can hope for is that if you please him well, that when he replaces you, as he will, that you will retire to a small house on the small island. You will have all that you need and no man will ever have the power to bother you again. Am I clear?”<br/><br/>Jade nodded.<br/><br/>“Another thing. This door is never to be shut by anyone but El Senor and there is no lock.”<br/><br/>Jade followed her from the room, thinking, I have a luxury jail and I am to be the pirate’s whore. Other lives are at stake here and if I live long enough without offending him, I can live the rest of my life in peace. Her shoulders saggd. All the hopes she had had, or rather, her father had had for her were dashed. He always told them that they must survive and do what they had to do to survive. Jade bit her lip.<br/><br/>“Yes, Father,” she whispered, “ I will become this man’s whore, to survive.”<br/><br/>“What did you say?” Lily asked as they left the pirate’s chambers.<br/><br/>“I said, I will do what I must so that all can survive.” She answered, modifying the words to assure the woman of her intent. “If you will help me and be my friend, I will do what needs to be done.”<br/><br/>“Willingly?”<br/><br/>With a sigh, Jade nodded.<br/><br/>Lily took her to the pirate's private business office, indicating that Jade was to stand before him and wait for orders. Lily sat in the corner, in the shadows, obediently.