Chapter Text
Waves hitting a pier close to my head woke me with a groan and aching limbs, sitting once my head cleared. Only to groan again for an entirely different reason when I raised my hands finding them smeared with blood.
"Not again. I thought that the shackles would have..." I whispered, my voice cut off when I noticed that I still had one shackle attached to my right wrist the other missing. "Wonderful." I muttered to myself as I staggered to my feet, shaking the dizziness from my head before I stared at my bare feet.
Gazing down at myself I sighed noting that my clothing had only just survived my latest transformation the torn scraps on what used to be a dress barely covering my breasts and backside.
"Going to have to find more clothing soon or I'm going to get arrested for indecent exposure." I muttered as I glanced around, getting my bearings until I heard quiet footsteps and I froze in place.
Wonderful. Bad enough that I have no clue where I am now someone's following me.
Once I spotted three barrels side by side I rushed over to them, diving behind them just as the footsteps grew closer. I had just crouched down behind them when someone walked past me and I narrowed my eyes, watching with my teeth bared as a young man paused inches from my hiding place.
When he knelt, peering at something I couldn't see I rolled my eyes debating whether I should sneak away while his back was turned or keep hidden.
It wasn't until he started to rise that I let out a breath instantly regretting it when he froze, turning his head slightly and I ducked as far as I could mentally scolding myself for being so stupid.
Now he's going to see me!
"Hello? Is someone there?" He asked, rising fully before he turned around. Once I realized he was heading my way I grimaced slowly backing away as he moved closer to me. Backing up I didn't notice how close I was to the edge of the pier until my right foot shifted back and I found nothing under my foot, my balance gone. With a startled cry I slipped falling backwards into the waves below.
I went under coming up seconds later spitting out icy cold water in time to see a hand reaching for my flailing ones. "I've got you!" The man called out and I grabbed his outstretched left hand, grasping it before he tugged me towards the edge of the pier.
Once I caught the edge of the pier I pulled myself up, coughing as he knelt beside me. Getting my breath back I lifted my head when I heard my rescuer speaking and I had to shake my head to clear it a second time so I could understand him.
"Wh...what did you say?" I coughed, a hand pressed to my stomach as he fixed me with both raised eyebrows. Seeing his cheeks turn a slight pink and his head turn slightly away I glanced down only to discover that due to the water my shirt, what little there was anyway, had now become see-through. "Oh...hell." I muttered as I wrapped my arms around myself in a vain effort to keep my breasts covered and also to try and keep warm. After my rescuer cleared his throat his gaze moving to my face this time I looked up.
"Miss, what are you doing all the way out here? And in those rags." He asked and I snorted, still kneeling with both of my eyebrows lowered. "Sorry." He said, taking off the jacket he was wearing before he quickly drapped it over my shoulders. Rising from the pier I stared at him until he held out a hand looking slightly embarrassed.
"Where are my manners? I'm Louis de Richet. I didn't get your name." Louis said and I sighed, giving him a nod as I wrapped his jacket around me tighter.
"Miss Hazel but you can just call me Hazel." I replied with a sigh and a tiny smile and he raised an eyebrow at me. "My last name doesn't really matter anyway."
"Alright then, Hazel. Let's get you into the castle and into some warmer clothes. Those are rather lacking." Louis offered me his arm and I nodded, wrapping mine around his before he started to lead me towards the mansion in the distance.