Cynric shut his eye-sockets tightly, trembling. He silently prayed as he stood there.

Mother... Father... if you can hear my pleas, know that I was deeply in the wrong and wish to return home more than anything! But, I'm afraid I might not come out of this in one piece.

"THE BIDDING FOR THE INFAMOUS PRINCE CYNRIC SHALL NOW START AT FIFTY GOLD PIECES!"

Cynric opened his eye-sockets, the cold metal around his neck suffocating him. This was terrifying.
How did he get caught so easily?
All he did was help a slave woman over the loss of her dead child. They asked him for an ID and he tried lying about it. That failed miserably.
Plus, they recognized his family crest, so he couldn't do anything about that either.

Now, stripped of all his money, clothing, and dignity, he stood facing a crowd of buzzing slave traders with grim realization that he just might die soon.

"A hundred gold!" A woman in a mask and puffy dress shouted, waving an elegant hand. Cynric eyed her.

"A hundred and fifty!" A bulging man retorted, also adorning a mask and a overstuffed suit. Cynric gave him a disgusted glance.

"Two hundred." A man called and Cynric couldn't help but stare. The man looked like a prince and he seemed even more alluring than Cyrus! He smiled at Cynric when they made eye-contact and the Prince quickly made an effort to cover himself.

"Two hundred and ten!" The same woman snarled, glaring at the man. Cynric frowned. Wait no, go back.

"Two hundred and thirty!" A noble family in the back yelled, two parents and a entitled looking little girl. He grimaced at what she might do to him.

"Two fifty." The pretty face called and everyone turned to him. Cynric flushed. Could this man be his dashing knight in shining armor? Could it be? His one true love?

"THREE hundred gold." Everyone froze and turned to the very back, the stunned handsome man included. Cynric's hopes of love shattered when he laid his gaze on the highest bidder.

A drunk, scraggly man stood there, swaying.

He recoiled at his appearance. "HIM?"

The handsome man turned to Cynric, raising a hand desperately. "THREE fifty!"

The man in the back pulled a wine bottle from his belt, drinking to about half way before raising his hand. "Five hundred."

The crowd grew still and quiet. Cynric blanched. No way in hell. No absolute way in hell.

The auctioneer smiled. "Going once!"

Cynric shriveled towards him. "You can't be serious!"

"Going twice!"

"HE'S DRUNK!"

The auctioneer laughed. "SOLD!"

Cynric nearly crumbled then and there. This was awful. This was worse than hell.

This was ugly hell.

He growled as the auctioneer yanked him by the chain attached to his collar, talking with the half drunk man. Turns out, the man did have the money and he forked it over no problem, snagging Cynric's chain and dragging him along as he stumbled. He stared at the ground, blushing bright green as eyes bore into his backside when he passed.

"Such a shame!" The woman huffed, fanning herself with an expensive fan. "I was going to dress him up and show him to my friends."

"I was going to have him kiss my feet!" The fat oaf laughed.

The entitled girl whined, pointing to him. "He was going to be my personal dog!!"

Cynric shivered. Horrible. They were all horrible. He glanced to his right to see that his knight had caught up with him, now walking beside him.

Although he adorned a pretty face, irresistible physique, and dashing hair, the man smelled... odd. Cynric met his eyes. The man smiled, leaning closer to him so that he could whisper. "It's a shame, Cynric. I wanted you for my collection of dismembered beauties~."

Cynric went pale, now feeling a hundred times safer that he was bought by a drunk than by him. He stumbled as the man walked away, cackling. Even the prettiest faces can be evil, he supposes.

The drunk man dragged him along until they were at port. Cynric expected him to live in some tiny, sad little box near the shore. What he didn't expect was to turn the corner and lay his gaze on a massive, wondrous PIRATE ship. The torn flags of fear, the mighty mast of adventure, the radiant, bloody colors. His eye-sockets widened and his chest leaped.

The man looked over his shoulder, chuckling at Cynric's awe. "Captain wanted ta have ye."

Holy sh*t. Cynric couldn't help but smile dumbly. This man was a pirate. Cynric cranes his head up to peer at the ship when he saw a familiar face on board.

She was waving to him happily, relief on her face. Violet. He couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh. She was safe.

At least, he thinks these pirates are safe.

They soon climbed aboard and Cynric was met with a lot of stares. He grinned. They must have never seen a Prince before.

Violet stared, blushing. "Cynric."

Cynric turned. "Yes Violet?"

"Where are your clothes?"

He finally remembered he was naked. With an embarrassed squawk, he tried his best to cover himself up, the crew of pirates sharing a laugh.
The man which bought him tossed him his clothes. "Here. I bought these with ye."

Cynric violently put them on, hurriedly slipping his arms into sleeves and his legs into pants. He was so ashamed.

Once he was done, Violet came over and hugged him tightly. "Oh god, I thought you were a goner."

"I was close to being one." Cynric shivered, remembering that creepy handsome guy. "Remind me to not always fall for a pretty face."

"What happened?" Violet tilted her head.

Cynric shivered. "I was going to be a member of the dismembered body club."

Violet stiffened. "Got it. Don't fall face first for hot men anymore."

"Thanks Violet."

"Your welcome."