Waking up

"Mom... Mom!"

Hilda blinked awake, a familiar voice echoing near her. As her vision cleared, she saw her daughter's face staring back at her, fear turning to relief in her eyes. "Oh, thank heavens!" Tina hugged her mother, their bare chests pressing together.

"T-Tina?!" Hilda cried, still somewhat loopy from her head injury, held her daughter as tightly as she could. She looked around fervently, trying to determine where they were. It seemed they were surrounded by glass, in a tall cylindrical chamber with a cap over the top. "Where are we?"

"Ye be in me quarters, lasses." Both Brandts turned to see the fairy captain, still just as tall as them, sitting on a stack of books outside their prison cell. As she sipped on a tiny glass of red wine, she smirked at her prisoners and said, "I be havin' big plans for the two a ye."

"Turn us back to proper size at once, your brigand!" Tina yelled, while Hilda looked down at herself, embarrassed not by her nudity, but by the exposure of her less-than-stellar body shape to these pirates.

"I believe ye not be knowing where ye be at, oh noble lass." Rey stood up and hovered over to the edge of the glass, staring down at the two tiny ladies. "Ye see, I be having the power here. If I be wanting it, there'd be nothing stopping me from shrinking ye down further and crunching ye beneath me boots. I could give ye over to me crew and let them have ye for a snack. I could even go more traditional and make ye walk the plank. The possibilities truly be endless."

Tina and Hilda held each other, looking at their captor in fear. "S-so, what a-are you going t-to d-do with u-us?" Hilda ventured.

The fairy landed on the floor and started pacing around the jar holding her victims. "Well, I have considered a number of options. Mirelda wanted to keep ye as mascots, of sorts, but I weren't wanting to waste such an opportunity as this. I be a business-minded woman at the end 'a the day, so I thought I'd be selling ye to the highest bidder on the next continent. There be plenty 'a people across the sea with... let's say a special interest in persons 'a yer current stature."

"You're going to sell us?!" Tina cried, clutching her mother more tightly. "That's inhumane! You're a monster!"

"Not a monster, deary, just a businesswoman. I got to please me clients, after all." She looked down at the despoiled knights, chuckling to herself. "Ye must have paid a fortune for that shapewear ye came onto me ship with, Lady Hilda. To conceal a body like that can't be cheap. Were that really preferable to simply payin' me what I asked for?"

Hilda was about to protest when something crossed her mind. "What did you do with my clothes?"

"Oh, they be in the hull, not that it be mattering much to ye. I doubt ye could wear them right now, and I not be letting ye take anything 'a mine. Ye be fine as is for what ye'll be doing soon enough."

"M-my husband won't stand for this." Hilda declared, her voice shaking as she tried to muster up some confidence, naked and small as she was. "He'll be coming after you soon enough, with all of the might of the Brandt stronghold at his disposal."

"Sounds like something ye should have used instead 'a coming alone."

Hilda's face went red, but she continued, "I mean it. With all of our weapons and gold in our keep, your little band won't stand a chance."

Rey's ears perked up at this. "Really, now? Tell me more."

Hilda's eyes went wide and her lips sealed shut. She couldn't quite tell what the pirate's game was, but she wasn't about to give her what she wanted.

Unfortunately, Tina didn't grasp this, as she said, "Daddy is one of the best fighters in the land, and we have more than enough money to beat you down. Dozens of soldiers all decked out in the best armor and weapons will tear your ship to shreds. They're pretty close, too, just a three-day's journey by boat, so if you want to run, now's your chance."

Rey held her chin, leaned back, and let out a raucous laugh. Hilda held onto her daughter's shoulders protectively as they both backed away from the cackling fey. Rey wiped a tear from her eye and said, through her giggles, "If that's true, I may have gotten more than I bargained for with ye. Perhaps I'll have to pay the Brandt Keep a personal visit to see it for meself."

Tina's face went pale as the fairy flew away, turning one last time at the door to say, "And don't worry about yer little secret, Lady Hilda. I be making sure that your little, and I do mean little, body secrets remain between the two 'a us." She closed the door with a flourish of her hand, and both women could her a muffled call for her crew to set sail.

Tina turned to her mother, shivering, her mouth unable to form words. "I... uh... m-mo- I..." She blubbered out to her mother, who clung to her tightly. "I'm sorry mommy. This is my fault. If I just did what dad said-"

"This isn't your fault, baby." Hilda reassured her. "We're going to get out of this, I promise."

"How?"

Hilda looked up at the lid of their jar and smiled. "I've got an idea."