Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch

by Stefano Pastor

  She made a face, which I found unflattering on her.

  «There’s no time. You must do as I ask, do you understand?».

  I nodded.

  It took almost half an hour for them to arrive.

  I could hear my comrades dying as the battle raged on, but I could never muster up the courage to open the door and look outside it.

  Lady Stuart spent that time getting ready. Not that she needed to. She didn’t give me any other order, nor directions on how to act. She powdered her face, put some colour on her cheeks, wore her most expansive jewellery and by the time she was done, she gleamed like a star. Anyone would have marvelled at her presence.

  When the shouting ended, she gave me one simple order. «Stay behind me at all times».

  So, her game began.

  The first ones who found us were two disgusting pirates, jailbirds of the worst kind. Their hands and their swords were drenched with blood. Still, standing before her beauty, they did nothing.

  Lady Stuart was standing in the middle of the room and she was dominating the space. Her ample white dress filled it. I disappeared behind her.

  One of the pirates ordered the other. «Go call the Cap’n, tell him we found her».

  Then he didn’t do anything else, he didn’t try to assault her or touch her. Because Lady Stuart was Lady Stuart. I was certain that he wouldn’t have done the same with any other woman who could have the misfortune to cross his path. He didn’t even notice me.

  After a few minutes, the captain came, and he wasn’t alone. Four heavily armed men came with him. Lady Stuart didn’t even flinch.

  The captain was quite young, tall and muscly, his skin was sunburned and his beard somewhat ginger. He didn’t have any visible scars or menomations, so he probably was used to charm the fairer sex. Though, against Lady Stuart, he couldn’t stand a chance.

  «Milady!», he greeted her with irony in his voice.

  This wasn’t a coincidence, he knew quite well who she was. It was likely that he assaulted the ship just for her. She was worth more than the goods in the hold, for sure. Only, he had never saw her before, he had no idea who he would have faced.

  Lady Stuart stood perfectly still, like a statue. «What are your intentions toward me, captain?».

  He was entertained by that woman that didn’t scream nor cry, and who didn’t even seem to fear him.

  «I’m afraid you’ll have to follow me on board my ship, Milady», he said, faking ceremony in his voice. «There’s a new cabin waiting for you».

  Lady Stuart held her arms up by her sides, in perfect sync. «I will have to change my dress, then. I can’t come wearing this».

  Her fingers were moving, inviting, simulating the motion of sea waves. It took me a few seconds to understand that she was calling for me.

  I was shaking. Until then, the pirates didn’t even notice me. Those could have been the last seconds of my life. I was looking at her hands, not realising what she was asking me to do. Hers were delicate hands, covered in see-through white gloves.

  I realised, at last, and then I stepped forward.

  A couple of pirates promptly pointed their guns at me. I forced myself to continue, faking unawareness. I lightly touched her hand and started to remove the glove, using all the gentleness I could. Then I moved around her fluffy dress and I did the same to her other hand.

  Only then Lady Stuart, with a slight, graceful move, brought a hand on her neck and started stroking it. She seemed bothered by the ruff that was covering her neck. I moved to her back and leaned up to reach it. It wasn’t easy to learn how to take it off, but in the end, I made it. Now Lady Stuart had her neck exposed and started rubbing it languorously.

  The bystanders, if at first perplexed, were now starting to get troubled. Lady Stuart stroked the wide skirt that surrounded her.

  I was embarrassed. Did she wanted to undress in front of them? How far would she go? What was she playing at? I understood it abruptly when I saw those men lowering the guns they had pointed at me. They forgot about me. Even worse, now I served a purpose. They wanted me to continue.

  As much as it pained me to expose her to their eyes, I quickly started to find a way to take her skirt off. I found the strings and untied them. Her skirt softly fell to my feet, causing a somewhat laboured breathing from the bystanders.

  There were more skirts below, two layers of underskirts, but I didn’t lose any more time. I took them off her. The whalebone crinoline showed itself, and through that we could see her undergarments. I found myself entering that frenzy too, since every piece of clothing I took off her was increasing my hope for survival.

  I freed her from that uncomfortable cage and took my chance to whisper in her ear: «More?».

  Her hands stroke her back. With trembling hands, I started unbuttoning her dress. When that fell to the floor, the corset which shaped her body appeared. The garters were keeping up her white stockings and left a little skin show.

  «What are you doing, Lady Stuart?», the Captain asked. He had lost most of his confidence.

  She stroked her corset, and I understood her meaning. It was very tightly tied.

  «That wasn’t the best suited dress for enduring discomforts, don’t you agree, captain?».

  He was about to reply, when I started to free her from the corset. He was left gaping, as the noblewoman’s shapes flourished. She even let out a voluptuous sigh when her corset fell on the ground and she started breathing normally again.

  There wasn’t much left to take off, but she seemed to be determined to get to the bottom of it.

  «What do you think you’re proving, doing this?», the captain said, although looking at his henchmen. That woman was too important to him to risk triggering the lechery of his subjects.

  «Get out!», he commanded. «Everyone get out!».

  They didn’t like that, but were compelled to obey.

  The oldest of them, who was probably his lieutenant, dared to object. «You want to be alone? It’s too dangerous! She’s setting up a trap!».

  Whatever game Lady Stuart was playing, he couldn’t resist it, he was already lost. One minute later the three of us were alone in that cabin.

  The last piece of clothing fell to the floor and Lady Stuart was left bare-chested.

  I tried not to look at her. I kneeled and started removing her garters. Next is was the shoe’s turn, then the stocking’s, one after the other. I closed my eyes as I slid her underwear down her legs.

  She was naked, completely naked before that man, but she still wasn’t satisfied Only her wig was left. I moved behind her, trying to keep my eyes off her, and took that off her head. A waterfall of blonde hair fell on her shoulders.

  The captain’s voice was hoarse. «What now? What will you do now?».

  Lady Stuart smiled, showing off her statuesque body, her firm, full breast that had no need for support, her tiny waist, her snow-white skin.

  «Now I’ll get dressed again», she said. Her voice turned suggestive. «I enjoy changing dresses often, during the day. I hope you’ll be kind enough to let me bring my clothes with me».

  I stopped breathing, because in that moment I understood what she was playing at. I was part of her wardrobe. Even more so, I was a fundamental piece. Was that what she was promising to him in exchange for my life? Was she promising him more shows like that one? Many others? But why was she doing something like that, for me? It was insane, but I couldn’t guess any other reason.

  It was funny, undoubtedly that pirate had raped many women, but still, before Lady Stuart, he lowered his head. «Dress up, then. And hurry. We need to move ship».

  Then he turned around and exited the cabin. He closed the door behind his back, too. He didn’t even look at me once.

  I met Lady Stuart’s eyes. They were calm and cold, and now she was looking at me. I felt extremely uncomfortable as I was desperately trying not to look at her naked body.

  «You heard him, now hurry! Help me get dressed!».

  Ex
iting that cabin was horrible. There was blood and dead people everywhere. I was alone, carrying eight chests. No pirate tried to help me. Those eight chests were my life, I had to make it, I had to even if it seemed impossible.

  I put one on my back and went down the stairs to get it to the deck.

  The few who survived the carnage had been gathered there. I recognized the captain and few others. Even the captain had been gathered with the crew, he was worthless to them. I counted only thirty people. Our crew had over one hundred members.

  I tried to look away, but I couldn’t. What would happen to them? Would they kill them all?

  In the back, behind everybody else, I recognized Mike.

  He was terrified, and this time he had every reason to be. He knew he was about to die. Would they spare him? If he had been in my place, would Lady Stuart save him? I highly doubted it. What did she see in me, that made me different from him? Why was she doing this?

  I felt like a thief, I couldn’t help it. Mike was dressed like me, or maybe I should say that I was wearing his clothes. I abruptly missed his friendship. I remembered everything he did for me and how I rejected him. I felt the need to save him, at any cost.

  I raised my voice and said something crazy. «Mike! Come help me! I can’t do this by myself!».

  It was insane, they would never let him do it. Yes, he was dressed like me, but would that be enough? Could this uniform be a ticket to safety?

  «Hurry up!», I shouted once more.

  He was paralyzed by the fear, confused and disbelieving. Without realizing it, he took one step forward. Then another, and another. He emerged from the crowd of prisoners.

  The captain of the pirate ship was on deck and he was watching me as I trudged down those stairs.

  «Hurry!», I yelled again. «There’s seven more to bring down here».

  Mike was about to cry. He was surrounded by pirates and he didn’t dare take one more step ahead.

  The pirate captain raised his voice. «Is he one of yours, too? You have two?».

  I froze. He wasn’t speaking to me. Lady Stuart should have got out from her cabin and was coming down the stairs. She came to my side and then got over me.

  She was now wearing a more practical dress, made of green velvet, with less ample skirts. She wasn’t wearing her wig, she replaced it with a bonnet. Her eyes were cold.

  It was all in vain, she would have never forgiven him. Not after what he did with her husband. She casted a look at Mike. I couldn’t the code her facial expression.

  The she smiled. «You have no idea how vital they are to me, captain, but I will show you very soon».

  The captain stood still for a moment, then gave a tiny head nod.

  The pirates that were surrounding Mike walked away.

  I didn’t really think about why she acted like that, why she decided to save him after what he did. There wasn’t time for that.

  «Come help me!», I yelled.

  Mike ran.

  Two hours later they sunk our ship with what was left of the crew, including the captain.

  Mike was crying, looking at that from the porthole of the cabin we had been confined to. He was sobbing and wailing, even though those dying men hated his guts. Once, though, they used to be his friends.

  We hadn’t even exchange a word, there had been no time. We were devastated, those chests were too heavy even for two men.

  When they finished transhipping the loot, the ship sailed. For a moment, we believed they would let the others live.

  Our cabin was a storeroom, barely big enough for the two of us, but Lady Stuart’s was next door, and I was certain it had to be the nicest of the ship.

  No one harmed us and I couldn’t understand why. After all, we didn’t exist, we were part of the noblewoman’s luggage.

  Though we were alive. Both of us.

  The moment came when Mike hugged me, crying. I saved him, I knew he was thanking me, he was desperate, but still it bugged me to be touched by him.

  I had to decide. Mike would have never spoke to me, he didn’t have the courage to do it, I had to be the one to take the first step to rebuild our friendship.

  Instead, I escaped his hug and kept silent.

  That evening we were brought to Lady Stuart, as the noblewoman had to change to dine with the captain. Then again, a few hours later, to prepare her for the night. The same happened twice in the morning and in thrice in the afternoon.

  Lady Stuart changed clothes constantly, and every time he was there to witness it.

  The captain was bewitched by her. That bloodthirsty pirate, whose orders made the entire crew shake, was wrapped around her finger. He was content to watch her, he never dared to touch her.

  Lady Stuart undressed more than it was needed, always ending up naked in front of the captain’s hungry eyes. In those moment, I suffered, almost physically. More so for Mike’s presence, than for the captain’s. Together we undressed her, in what had almost become a dance. The fact that we were both male didn’t bother the captain. On the contrary, it enhanced his experience, because there was nothing to keep his mind away from the noblewoman’s beauty.

  What was happening between the two of them wasn’t our business. Probably the ransom request had already been sent, but Lady Stuart was still regarded as a guest and treated as such.

  We weren’t allowed to exit our cabin if not to dress her up, even our meals were brought to us.

  It went on like this for almost a week, before something changed.

  One night someone woke me up.

  Mike and I were sharing the bed, because there was only one. He was always careful not to touch me. He understood that I could barely tolerate his presence.

  He was awake already, laying with his eyes open, and wasn’t making a sound.

  I raised my head, my heart beating in my throat, confused.

  Lady Stuart was there.

  She was the one who woke me up. She was alone, no pirate was watching her.

  «Come, hurry!».

  She backed off and exited the cabin.

  I didn’t understand what was happening, it was the middle of the night, she couldn’t possibly want to change clothes again. I stood up like a sleepwalker and dressed. I looked at the open door and with disbelieve I noticed that there was no guard on duty.

  Mike was still laying on the bed and I was forced to speak to him to get him to move. «Come one, hurry up!».

  He shook his head. I got angry and pulled him by an arm. «Stop it! We must do as she says! Our lives are at stake!».

  There was no one on the deck, the ship was immersed in the silence of the night. I couldn’t understand how that would be possible. Were we not their captives?

  Lady Stuart’s cabin was next door. I very softly knocked on her door, afraid to be heard by the wrong ears. Then I was forced to open the door, since there hadn’t be any reply from inside.

  I violently shoved Mike inside the cabin, because he was still motionless.

  Lady Stuart was alone. She was wearing her purple dressing gown, with all its laces and doilies. She was already posing, in the middle of the room, her arms up like a statue.

  I started feeling uneasy just as Mike. It was the first time we were left alone with her. How was that possible?

  We helped her get undressed, as we were used to do. When she was left wearing nothing but her underwear, I stopped, unsure of what to do. What was the need to go any further, considering that there wasn’t any audience, this time?

  But I met her gaze and I knew I had to continue.

  When the last piece of garment fell to the ground and she was left naked, I, looking at the floor, asked her: «Which dress would you like to wear, Milady?».

  But she wasn’t there anymore, she already climbed on the bed, sinuous like a cat.

  Mike had a strange look on his face, one I couldn’t decode.

  «Get undressed», she said. «Come here with me».

  Who was she talking to? What was her meaning? I had my
eyes fixed on Mike, because I couldn’t bear to watch him obey.

  «Don’t make me beg! Don’t force me to do it!».

  I turned to look at her, my heart beating in my throat. «Me? Are you talking to me, Milady?».

  It was impossible, I couldn’t believe it. I was too young, invisible. Mike was better than me in every aspect. She was asking him, it couldn’t be otherwise.

  «You see any other men, in here? There’s only you».

  I was startled by it. She was kneeling on the bed, completely naked, she wasn’t even trying to cover up. Her beauty never shined so bright.

  «What do you want me to do?», I whispered.

  Her eyes remained emotionless. «You have to give me a child, boy. You have to hurry, before someone else can do it».

  I was paralysed. No, I was petrified.

  She went on: «I don’t want the future Lord Stuart to be the son of a pirate. One day he could be king, and I don’t want such a man to be his father».

  I could only stutter: «Me? Why me?».

  «There was only you, I had no choice. Anyone is better than a pirate».

  My voice was ever more shaking. I did something crazy, something that just a minute before would be unconceivable to me. I pointed at Mike. «There’s him!».

  Once more I could see that strange bent on Lady Stuart’s lips. «He can’t do it, I already tried it. I’ve been trying for a month. I did nothing but undressing in front of him, but to no avail». Then she sentenced: «He’s just like my husband».

  I instinctively moved away from Mike, but I denied it: «It’s not like that, he did it for his personal benefit, that’s all».

  Lady Stuart sighed sadly. «That’s what Rupert believed, too. In a way, he was right. But what your friend was looking for was different. He wasn’t looking for power, or trying to rise above his station. He just wanted to be himself, but was too coward to search for another way. With Rupert, he was safe. Therefore, he did it».

  Horrified, I looked at Mike. «You… you…».

  After Lady Stuart’s explanation, Mike looked almost relieved. For the first time in his life, he didn’t have to pretend any longer.

  «What is the meaning of this? Why?».