Chapter Text
Este's Pov
"I think we should head home, Este. You know, being out this late is a risk. I don't want to run into that creep."
I knew who she was talking about, although I still asked who she was referring to. "Which creep would that be?" She gave me a quick smack to the head, nearly causing me to spill my drink. However, as I rubbed the back of my head, she started to speak. "You know who I'm talking about. I'm talking about that fucking creepy Sheriff Laffitte. If we're caught breaking the curfew, he'll throw us both into jail for the night."
She worried too much. Besides, we still had another hour before the set curfew. "Sweet Mary, learn to relax a little. The curfew isn't for another hour." Picking up my drink, I continued sipping although Mary was taking a couple of beri from her dress pocket.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going home... Remember to avoid the south side of town when you finally decide to call it a night. He likes to patrol that area more than the rest of the town."
Her advice wasn't necessary. I always crossed through the south when heading home. "Yeah, I'm not following that advice. If I avoid the south side, it'll take me twice as long to get home." She clearly didn't like what I said. Her judging look said it all.
"Suit yourself, but don't call me crying when you end up in jail. Goodnight, Este."
I waved her off and finished my drink. It was only my third one, so I was barely feeling drunk. Well, that and my drinks weren't that strong.
"Did you want another drink, Este? It's nearly closing time."
The bartender was waiting for me to answer, and I decided to take a risk. "Make this one strong." He did as I asked, and soon enough it was placed in front of me. "Enjo- Oi! You two keep your clothes on! I'm not running a whorehouse!" Ignoring him, I started sipping my drink, feeling the burn as it went down my throat.
"That's strong."
It may have been stronger than I expected, but I still sipped away, shifting my eyes to the clock every so often. Soon it would be time to head home. However, for now, I'd enjoy this. There were still 45 minutes until the curfew. That left plenty of time to finish up my fun.
An Hour Later...
That last drink was affecting me more than I wanted to admit. Things were refusing to stay in focus, and I was sticking to the building walls, trying to keep myself upright. I really should have gone home with Mary when I had the chance.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
While the world was spinning, that voice came in as clear as day. It definitely belonged to a man, and it came from behind me. So, I turned away. Unfortunately, I spun just a little too fast and ended up on my ass. As I sat there, I heard the softest sound of tapping right before something cold touched below my chin.
"You poor little thing. Let's get you back on your feet."
Things may still have been spinning, but those few words set me off. Immediately, I swung my hand up and slapped what must have been his hand off my chin. As I did that, I also started yelling at whoever this man was.
"Who the fuck are you calling poor little thing!?"
When my head looked up, things spun for a moment, but as they settled, I could finally make out the man who was crouched in front of me. It only took me a single second to realize I had fucked up. That shiny golden badge with the single word engraved on it told me everything I needed to know.
'Sheriff'
I had not only just yelled at the town sheriff, but I also slapped him. There was no way he would let that slide. The rumors about him were terrible. He'd probably kill me right where I sat. How could I have been so stupid? Why couldn't I just have gone home when I had the chance?
"You're quite the feisty one... Oh, you're shaking. Are you cold? You must be. I can't imagine you'd be shaking for any other reason." The sarcasm poured out of him, and while I knew it was stupid, I still yelled at him again. My stupid, drunk self yelled at him. The sheriff of all people.
"I am not cold! I'm shaking because you're going to kill me!"
He seemed to think over what I said as his finger tapped along the side of his face. It almost looked like he was thinking it over.
"Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho. Now, why would I do something like that? I'm the sheriff, silly. The protector of this little town. I'd never kill someone... Especially not someone I paid good money for. Your dowry was quite high. In fact, I think I overpaid. Shall we return home, my little rulebreaker, or perhaps would you prefer spending the night in jail? It's not very nice there."
He had said a lot, although when he mentioned a dowry, my eyes widened. There was no way my father would have allowed him to pay my dowry. "What are you talking about?" I demanded answers, and when he started to give them, my eyes widened even more.
"Well, my little Este, I paid your dowry earlier today. Your father didn't want to upset you with the news. He said you would react badly. So, he said I could retrieve you from the bar. I was running late, but at least you weren't that hard to find... Any other questions?"
He knew my name. He knew my fucking name. So, he must have been telling the truth, but I didn't have time to react. No, this man had picked me up from the ground. I was in shock and allowed him to carry me.
Soon enough, we arrived at a house. He unlocked it before bringing me inside. "Home sweet home. Please ignore the mess. I didn't have the time to tidy up, but I'm sure you can manage that in the morning." The liquor was starting to make me tired, but I still managed to fight back as I spoke. "I am not a maid." He may have claimed to have paid my dowry, but I wasn't about to give in to his demands.
"Give it time. You'll change your tune soon enough. Now, you should rest; it's been quite the night for you."
His hand was running its way through my hair. I didn't like it, so I slapped him. Oh, but that's when his free hand grabbed mine, and I froze.
"That is enough! Do that again and I-"
Laffitte's Pov
As the girl went limp, I realized she had fainted. My hand was still wrapped around her tiny wrist. "I'm sorry I let my temper get the better of me." My grip loosened before I moved it to get a better hold of her. She was quite small, although that was most of the time the case. There weren't too many women who shared my height. None of the ones I'd seen would come near me, so I had to settle.
This girl's father was the only one who didn't care who he was giving his daughter to. It was sad in a way, although in the end I didn't care. She now belonged to me. However, I'd need to learn to tolerate her aggressive behavior and poor language.
"You need to find yourself a wife, Laffitte. The citizens are all afraid of you... Tsk. As they should be."
"I'm....cold."
She was still asleep, but as she shifted, I started to head upstairs. The house was quite cold. I'd have to light the fire. However, I first changed Este into one of my shirts and tucked her into bed.
"Sleep tight... I'm not as bad as they claim... At least I'll try when it comes to you. Sleep tight, Este."
To Be Continued...