Love Aboard the Priam: Chapter One

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.

Chapter One

Bella’s POV

“Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Come on, you scallywags! Put your backs into it!”

I watched the activity aboard ship from the safety of the Quarterdeck, amazed at the efficiency at which the men completed their tasks. The First Mate barked out orders from below us, his gaze sharp as he made sure everything was done to standard.

“Isabella, my dear. There you are. Your father and I wondered where you’d run off to.”

I winced slightly at the use of my full name, already knowing exactly who had called for me. I turned slightly to find my fiancé, Edward Masen, smiling indulgently at me from the stairs leading to the Quarterdeck.

“Apologies, my lord. I was simply interested in watching the shipmates go about their work,” I explained, blushing slightly as he smiled wider.

“I would have been more than happy to accompany you and ensure you safety. All you need do is ask,” Edward scolded lightly, coming forward to take both my hands in his.

“Of course, my lord. It will not happen again,” I promised, bowing my head slightly.

“What is with all this ‘my lord’, Isabella? We are to be married in less than three weeks. Surely by now we have earned the right to call each other by our given names,” Edward smiled.

“I thought it improper given the less than intimate surroundings,” I hedged, glancing back down to the main deck.

“Ah, my beautiful Isabella. Always the proper lady,” Edward chuckled, lifting our hands to brush a finger down my cheek.

I blushed under his intense gaze, feeling decidedly uncomfortable as his finger lingered upon my overheated cheek.

Edward Masen was the most sought after lord in all of the Four Kingdoms. His bronze colored hair was always slightly mussed from his fingers constantly running through it. Many of my friends often giggled while watching him from the other side of the room, lamenting that they weren’t the ones running their fingers through his hair. He was a well-defined man with strong legs encased in doeskin breeches, his waistcoat and cravat always artfully arranged despite being partially hidden by his overcoat, all of it finely made by the best tailors in England. However, the most notable feature was his eyes. Perfectly emerald, like the grass after a long rain, they sparkled when he laughed and danced whenever he spoke. Even if the King himself were standing next to him, Lord Edward Masen was sure to draw more attention.

“Come, love. Your father will be anxious for your return,” Edward stated, tucking my hand into his elbow.

“You will bring me out again, my lord? I so hate being cooped up inside while sailing,” I pleaded.

“Anything for you, my dear,” Edward agreed, patting my hand.

He took me down into the Captain’s Quarters, where we would be spending a great deal of time during the days at sea. My father was bent over the map with Captain Eleazar, reviewing our course for Edward’s homeland, the Kingdom of Isopholy. They both looked up when we walked in, their expressions nearly identical in their exasperated indulgence.

“Miss Bella, how many times have I told you not to wander the ship without me or your Papa with you?” Eleazar scolded mockingly.

“More than I can count, I regret to say,” I sighed dramatically, trying to hide a smile.

“Ah, whelp. You’re lucky your father pays so well or else I’d be tossing you overboard,” Eleazar grinned, wagging a finger at me.

“Eleazar, leave my daughter be. We’re about to get underway and I don’t want to run into any problems,” Papa insisted.

“You’ve nothing to worry about, my lord. I’ve plotted the route out with Levi and he sailed those waters many times with his previous captain,” Eleazar assured him.

“Relax, Papa. Everything will be fine,” I vowed, moving away from Edward to wrap an arm around my father’s waist.

“Aye, lass. You tell him. This little guppy’s been on less journeys with us than you and she knows we’ll get her to the church on time,” Eleazar winked.

“I trust you to get us there, Captain. I’m just not certain I want to be traveling around the South West Peninsula. I’ve heard of increased pirate activity around Penazac,” Papa frowned.

“I’ve navigated through pirates before, my lord, and I can do it again. We’ve got the canons in case it comes to a fight, but I doubt we’ll fun into any pirates on our trip. We’re not carrying much by the way of cargo,” Eleazar reassured him.

“Is there a plan for Isabella if it does come to a fight? She shouldn’t be left on board or unprotected,” Edward worried.

Eleazar looked at him, practically glaring as he sized him up.

“Miss Bella’s been trained by her father and myself on what to do if we get attacked. She’ll be fine,” Eleazar grunted.

“We will not be attacked, my lord. As Captain Eleazar said, we carry no cargo the pirates would be interested in,” I reminded him.

“You cannot blame me for my worry, love,” Edward smiled wryly.

“I don’t. I’m simply explaining why your worry is unnecessary,” I replied.

“Aye, lad. Why I’d be willing to be she could even best you over blades,” Eleazar chuckled, rolling up his map.

“You fence?” Edward questioned, his eyebrows high in his surprise.

Eleazar laughed as he walked out on deck to check on his crew and I cursed him silently for bringing the topic up in the first place.

“For all intense and purposes, yes, Bella fences,” Papa interceded, trying to hide a smile.

Edward frowned at my father, obviously confused at missing the joke. I moved quickly to distract him, throwing a glare over my shoulder at my father.

“Stop teasing Edward, Papa,” I chastised, slipping my arm through my betrothed’s.

“Worry not, my love. I am pleased you know how to defend yourself with a sword,” Edward assured me, patting my hand.

I blushed, glancing down at my shoes, suddenly uncomfortable in the small cabin.

“Do you think we can go back on deck? It’s rather stuffy in here,” I complained.

“Of course, love,” Edward agreed, already steering me towards the door.

“Papa, are you coming?” I asked over my shoulder.

“I’ll be along soon, Bells,” Papa waved off.

Edward pulled me out onto the desk, his hand covering my own as he led us to the side of the ship. I leaned against the railing, breathing in the salty sea air.

There was no place I’d rather be than on the sea. Papa and I had traveled for years together, sailing around the Four Kingdoms until King Marcus gave him the title Baron of Livley. Because my mother died when I was six, Papa and I had been all each other had. Papa allowed me to travel with him. I spent most of my childhood learning at the knees of Papa and Eleazar, taking in everything they had to teach me.

Of course, that all changed with Papa became titled when I was thirteen. He gave the ship to Eleazar and settled down in Livley to do the King’s bidding. I had to learn to become a courtier, fashioning myself like the ladies we saw in Delacor, the King’s home.

Even after all this time away from the Infamy, my feet still remembered the way the ship felt underneath and my body swayed easily as the waves lapped against her side. My fingers tingled as I gently traced a knot in the railing, watching as the shoreline disappeared from sight.

“Are you excited, my love, to see Timilue?” Edward asked, breaking the silence and interrupting my thoughts.

“Of course, my lord. Though I will miss the mountains, I am eager to see how Isopholy has changed since Papa and I were last there,” I smiled up at him.

“You visited Isopholy often?” Edward asked, leaning against the railing.

“Yes. Papa would take me into Arimol and we would spend all day traveling from vendor to vendor. There was always so much food, all of it different. And the crafts were beautiful,” I sighed, lost in my memories.

“The festival will be happening a few weeks after our wedding. I would be delighted to take you,” Edward offered.

“I would be delighted to attend,” I giggled.

Edward smiled down at me, making me blush under his intense gaze. I quickly turned my attention to the waves lapping against the hull.

“Isabella. I adore your blush,” Edward whispered, trailing a finger down my cheek.

“I wish it did not come so easily,” I murmured, turning away from him.

“It would be a great loss to lose such a beautiful shade of pink,” Edward lamented, his hands settling on my shoulders.

I allowed him to turn me around, though I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze. Instead, I stared at the ruby pin nestled against his chest, a symbol of his allegiance to King Aro. My hands came up to stroke across my own blue garnet, a symbol of my father’s allegiance to King Marcus. Soon, the garnet would be removed and a ruby would take its place, signifying my change in allegiance to King Aro through my marriage.

“You are no worried, are you, love?” Edward questioned softly.

“Worried? About what?” I asked, startled enough to meet his gaze.

“About marrying me,” Edward frowned.

“Oh, Edward, of course not. I am looking forward to being your wife,” I assured him.

“I promise to bring you to visit your father often, if it’s him you worry for,” Edward offered.

“I’m not worried, my lord. I’m quite eager to begin this new chapter of my life with you,” I smiled up at him.

Edward returned my smile, capturing my hand between his and bringing it to his lips. I bit my lip against the onset of emotions the simple brush of his lips caused me. A few shared kisses when bidding each other goodnight had been the only physical contact allowed previous to our engagement. Since the announcement was released, we were permitted a few solitary moments when we wished, but Edward insisted on maintaining our boundaries until we were wed. Still, he now held me much closer when he kissed me goodnight.

His crooked smile told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me and I huffed in embarrassment before removing my hand.

“You will excuse me, my lord. My father has come outside and is waiting for me to join him,” I curtsied before hurrying away.

I studied my father as I walked closer, taking in the ease at which he held himself aboard the swaying of the ship. After so many years of sailing, it was clear he had missed it being a baron.

“Oh, Papa. I wish you could still sail as you used to,” I sighed, hugging him briefly.

“Ah, Bells. You know Marcus would allow me to sail if I truly wished it, but I know he needs me on land,” Papa winked, patting my hand.

“But you do miss it, don’t you?” I questioned, already knowing the answer.

“Some days, yes. Most days I’m happy I was able to give you the chance to grow into a proper young lady instead of a hoodlum you would’ve become had I not become titled,” Papa teased.

“Wretch,” I accused, a smile ruining the sting.

“Aye, wench. Now, get back inside and tend to that sowing you’ve been putting off,” Papa insisted, his propriety slipping.

“Careful, Papa, or you might just find yourself sounding practically piratical,” I warned lightly, walking towards the cabin.

“Don’t worry, Bells. It’s as easy as changing a pair of shoes,” Papa grinned, waving me along.

I smiled as I hurried into Eleazar’s cabin to continue my sowing from the day before. I wasn’t anywhere near as good as my friend Emily, but I could mend Papa’s shirts just fine. My current project was one of Papa’s shirts from his sailing days. The shirt had been mended more times than either of us could count and the threadwork was evident everywhere. There was a small pile beside the chair I would be working in, other shirts that had clearly seen better days. My Papa really was somewhat of a packrat.

Lulled by the gentle rocking of the boat, I was able to become completely absorbed in my task, humming softly under my breath as the Infamy sailed on towards my new home.

We had been at sea for five days and already it was clear my fiancé was getting impatient. He spent most of his time in his cabin, cursing the slow nature of the ship. My Papa repeatedly told him the trip north was always longer because the winds were not in our favor. I was amazed at how sullen Edward became with each passing day.

Papa and I were completely at home aboard the Infamy, assisting the crew and enjoying the Eleazar’s company. I would often sit in on Papa and Eleazar’s conversations about how to better fortify the Infamy against attacks, the latest rudder system, and the best wood to use in ship building. Edward found such conversations dull and often retreated to his cabin to read one of the many books he’d brought with him.

I was amazed at how different he was from the man who seemed to ooze nothing but suave charm and irresistibility while we were on land.

Ours was not a love match, per say. I found him incredibly charismatic, as did many others, but there was a coldness inside of him that I had yet to accept. Everything was done by the book, no matter where he was or who was around. Papa and I held a more lenient household than most nobility, a reflection of our life as merchants. Edward could not fathom the idea of befriending one’s workers and tenants. Papa knew everyone by name on our mountain, often visiting each family at least once a month. When he asked Edward to accompany him on one of his visits, Edward replied that it was the steward’s job to see to the land workers and that Papa should not degrade himself by associating with them.

Needless to say, Papa had not taken the slur lightly.

However, despite that one flaw, Edward Masen was a good man. He always treated me with the greatest respect, never pushing boundaries I wasn’t willing to extend. He was handsome, more so than many of the young men who graced the King’s court. He enjoyed literature and music, being very accomplished at both. Over all, he was a good match for any young lady.

It still amazed me that he had chosen me to be his Countess. Many other young ladies had been eager to gain his hand in marriage, going so far as to trying to trap him into it. They were all beautiful, well-bred, gentile ladies. And yet, he had chosen me: a girl who still wore trousers when no one was around to naysay her.

“Bella?”

I looked up, surprised to find Papa and Eleazar both looking at me amusedly.

“Yes?” I questioned, setting aside my sewing.

“What has you distracted, my girl?” Papa asked, shifting slightly in his chair.

“Oh. Just wondering how different Timilue will be from Livley,” I answered airily.

“Hmph. Can’t say I could stand all that wide open space for too long. Isopholy’s nothing but flatland,” Papa grumbled.

“I will miss the mountains. The cool air that blows through, sometimes so hard you think it’ll slice right through you. And, oh, the view. The sprawling trees leading out into the endless ocean, all sitting right outside my bedroom window,” I sighed.

“Isopholy isn’t all bad, Miss Bella. Why, I’m willing to bet you’ll find yourself caught up in the sheer enormity of it. At night, I swear the stars double over Isopholy,” Eleazar claimed.

“It’s been so long since our last visit. I cannot remember if I even like the flatland,” I admitted.

“I’m sure Edward will do all that he can to make sure you feel at home,” Papa assured me, leaning over to pat my knee.

Eleazar opened his mouth to say something when we heard a shout from above deck. Eleazar bolted out of his chair and ran across the room, throwing the door open in time for his First Mate, Levi, to burst in.

“Captain! We’ve spotted a ship three miles out and gaining fast. They’ve just raised the Bearsalei flag!” Levi exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“Ready the cannons and prepare the crew. If they get aboard, we’ll never hold ‘em off,” Eleazar commanded, his voice calm despite the terror of the situation.

Papa turned to me immediately, a hard glint in his eye that I easily recognized.

“Go,” Papa muttered, pushing out of his chair and following Eleazar up on deck.

I ran into our cabin, throwing my clothing into my trunk. I knew I had little time and quickly stripped out of my dress, threw it on top of the other clothing, and locked the trunk. I hurried to Papa’s chest and drew out my pair of trousers and shirt, pulling them on as fast as possible. I heard the men shouting above me and the tell-tale sound of the cannons rolling across the deck. Grabbing the hat sitting beside the bed, I shoved it on my head, hiding my braid inside.

On my way back out of the room, I picked up Papa’s pistol and my sword, sticking the pistol in the back of my pants and tying the sword to my waist. I rushed onto the deck, looking around for Papa and Eleazar. I found them at the helm, Eleazar continuing to shout down to his crew.

“Papa!” I cried, taking the stairs quickly.

He looked me over, his eyes bright as he grinned eagerly.

“Good girl, Bells. Good girl. You don’t hesitate, you hear? Someone comes at you, you kill ‘em. No matter what,” Papa instructed.

“I know, Papa,” I nodded, bracing my legs apart.

“What the devil is going on? What’s all the ruckus?” Edward complained, coming up the stairs.

“We’re about to be over taken by pirates. I suggest you return below deck, my lord. This may turn into a blood bath,” Eleazar told him grimly.

“Good God, man. Are you insane?” Edward gaped, his face pale.

“Do as he says, Edward,” I insisted, pushing on his arm.

“Isabella. What is God’s name are you doing dressed like that?” Edward asked, eyes wide.

“I’m going to help the crew fight them off. Now, go,” I shoved.

“You cannot be serious. You’ve all gone mad!” Edward exclaimed, backing away slowly.

“Aye. If by mad you mean we’re ready to fight for our lives,” Papa smirked, gripping his own sword.

“Get below deck, boy!” Eleazar bellowed as cannon fire suddenly thundered.

Edward turned even paler before dashing off towards his cabin, no doubt terrified beyond belief.

“Got your pistol, Bells?” Papa asked.

“Yes, Papa,” I nodded.

“Good girl,” Papa repeated, giving me an intense look.

“We’ll make it, Papa. I know we will,” I assured him.

“Aye, lass! That’s the spirit,” Eleazar laughed as another cannon was fired.

I looked behind us and saw the pirate ship was closing in, the crew rushing around the deck in preparation to board.

“Bring it on, you sons of bitches,” I murmured, glaring at the ship.

Eleazar and Papa laughed being the only two who ever saw this side of me, the side that had developed while growing up on the sea. This wouldn’t be the first time I had been in the middle of a pirate attack.

I had been eleven when I had my first run in with pirates. I had already been trained by Papa and Eleazar on how to wield a sword and had surpassed their expectations by leaps and bounds. I had been able to take them both on, being smaller, lighter, and quicker than either of them. I could usually hold them off for quite some time before they vested me of my sword. They had always told me that was all the time they would need to get to me and take care of whoever I was up against.

The first pirate attack had been frightening. I had quickly shifted into a different person, one who attacked without thought. My muscles moved flawlessly and I had killed my first man that day. No one expected an eleven year old girl to be able to wield a sword, let alone do any damage with it. I remember looking up after kill the man and seeing a young boy, a few years older than myself, staring at me appraisingly, his grey eyes mesmerizing. I had raised my sword, expecting him to come at me. Instead, he’d lifted his sword in salute before quickly returning to his ship.

We had won the battle, with minimal lost to our own. The pirates had faired far worse, many of their own wounded and dead. I would later find out that I had killed the First Mate, or Quartermaster, as the pirates called them. I had found it difficult to believe that I was able to take out the second best swordsman on the pirate’s ship, but Papa had simply said no one would expect such a little girl to hold so much power with a sword.

Since then, my skills had improved and I was often able to best Papa when we sparred, a fact he was very proud of. As I watched the ship come closer, I found myself slipping back into the mindset I had on that first attack. My mind went blank and I began calculating moves in my head, plotting my moves and how exactly to counter any opposition.

A cannon shot erupted just to the right, causing water to shoot up over the side of the Infamy. I wiped the water from my face, braced my feet apart, and stood beside my father as the ship came up beside us.

“Remember, Bells. Kill first, regret later,” Papa whispered, grasping my shoulder.

I nodded, showing I’d heard even as my eyes darted over the pirate ship. It was beautiful, even I had to admit it. The wood was darker than any I’d ever seen, nearly black in some places. It wasn’t a large vessel, but it was in no ways small, being just slightly bigger than the Infamy. I briefly wondered at how a ship so large had been able to catch up to us so quickly, but pushed the thought away as the first pirates began to board.

“Captain! Surrender your ship or you and your crew dies,” a young man demanded.

I sized him up without actually looking at him. He was tall, well above my height by about six inches. His hair was sandy colored and tied back with a leather thong. His eyes were blue and seemed incredibly bright as he awaited Eleazar’s response. His arms were thick and he held his sword out, tip pointed towards Eleazar’s chest.

“Come now, son. You don’t expect us to surrender, now, do you?” Eleazar chuckled.

“It was worth a shot,” the man grinned.

In a flash, Eleazar had his sword drawn and was fighting with the blond man. The other two who had boarded with him quickly sprung towards Papa and myself. I heard the unmistakable sound of swords clashing on the main deck and sent up a quick prayer that we would win this battle.

I was fighting with a large man, nearly twice my size with huge beefy arms. His black hair was greasy and continuously fell into his eyes as we maneuvered around the upper deck. His size slowed him down and I plunged my sword into his heart within five minutes of our fight. Wide eyed, he fell back and over the side, submerging into the water.

I noticed Papa and Eleazar had their fights well in hand and jumped down onto the main deck to assist in the fighting there. I moved amongst the crew, slicing at anyone who didn’t belong aboard the Infamy. Shouts and screams rang up all along the deck. Men fell everywhere and blood coated the floorboards, making the deck slippery.

I was fighting with a black haired, tanned man of medium build and had been for quite some time, neither one of us managing to get the upper hand. It was clear he was enjoying himself by the way his brown eyes danced and he occasionally let out a laugh. I knew he was trying to spur me on, get me riled up enough to make a mistake in my anger. I remained cool and detached, attacking him with precision and accuracy.

I was on the offense when a shout went up and fighting ceased. The man in front of me smiled in victory as he pulled back. I glanced around quickly out of the corner of my eye and jerked back when I realized why fighting had stopped.

Eleazar stood in front of the helm, a sword across his throat held by a man who was clearly the pirates’ captain. I glared at him, my mind calculating how best to free Eleazar as I sized him up.

He was tall, the tallest man I had seen yet. He was built, too, his arms strong as he held the sword to Eleazar’s throat. His grey eyes swept across the deck and his mouth was set in a smug smile. He knew he’d just won this battle. No one aboard this ship was willing to risk Eleazar’s life.

“Gentleman, show our hosts some hospitality, will you,” the Captain instructed.

The pirates let out a cheer and moved to tie up those of the crew that were still alive. I search frantically for Papa, but couldn’t find him anywhere. My heart began pounding as I moved towards the helm.

“Oh, no ya don’t,” a gruff voice grunted, grabbing hold of my arm.

I used the momentum of his tug to swing my sword up towards him. He blocked me easily and we fell back into our fight. He was frowning now, though, confusion spreading across his face. I heard people shouting behind me, but refused to take my focus away from the man in front of me.

That is, until I felt two hands grab my arms, forcing me to drop my sword and immobilizing me against a hard chest.

“There ya are, lad. Fightin’s done. Time to put up that sword,” a voice chastised.

“Hold on a minute, Ben. There’s somethin’ different about this one,” the man in front of me frowned, moving closer.

I waited until he got within a foot of me before kicking out and hitting him right between the legs.

“Holy shit!” Ben cursed from behind me as the man dropped to his knees, wheezing.

Shouts of outrage rang out from behind. Ben turned me away from his fallen comrade and I had time to see another enraged man before he cuffed me in the ear, sending my hat falling to the floor.

“Blimey! It’s a girl!”

The shouts of outrage quickly turned into those of surprise as I raised my eyes to Eleazar. His eyes were wide and fearful as he realized we had been found out. We both knew exactly what this meant and I took a little comfort in the pistol still resting against my back.

“Hell, maybe the lass just didn’t like the looks of ya, Collin,” the man who’d hit me chortled.

“I s’pose we’ll just have to teach her a lesson about handling precious cargo,” Ben chuckled, his hand creeping to cup my breast.

“Stop!”

Ben’s hand immediately moved back to my arm, his entire body going ridged.

I looked up to see the Captain glaring down at his men.

“Get the cargo from below deck and take the lass back to the ship. Put her in my cabin. Randall! Guard her and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid,” the Captain ordered.

“Aye, Captain,” the man named Randall agreed, moving towards me and Ben.

I recognized him as the one who’d first engaged Eleazar in a fight. I glared at him as he approached, preparing to fight him off in any way possible.

“Now, now, birdie. No need to get feisty with me. Won’t do you much good,” Randall smirked, grabbing me from Ben and throwing me over his shoulder.

“Let me go, you son of a cock sucking whore!” I screeched, wriggling around to get away.

“Ah, now, birdie. My ma was a good lass, she was. Now, quiet down or I’ll had to gag you,” Randall warned, bouncing me on his shoulder.

My breath went out of me in a whoosh and I sagged against him as he boarded his ship. I scanned the waters as we passed across the board, searching for my father, but saw nothing. I bit my lip against a sob as I realized he was probably dead, either sunk to the bottom of the sea, or lying aboard the Infamy. Either way, I’d never see him again.

“Here we are now, lass,” Randall announced, walking me into the Captain’s quarters.

I took little notice as he proceeded to bind my hands and feet together before sitting me in a chair. He grinned down at me, clearly pleased with himself.

“I don’t know what your Captain has planned, but I can assure you, I would kill him and myself before I allowed any of you to so much as touch me,” I spat at him.

“Ah, but, birdie. I’ve already touched ya. So has Ben and Collin and Vasilii. And none of us are dead yet,” Randall teased.

“You know exactly what I mean,” I accused, glaring at him.

“Aye, birdie, I do. But I can assure you the Captain don’t take likely to the rapin’ of women. Not sure what he plans on doin’ with ya, but rapin’ won’t be it,” Randall mused, stroking his chin.

“Why should I believe you? What good is the word of a pirate?” I asked venomously.

“Birdie, I think you’ll that this crew is a bit different than your usual pirate crew,” Randall frowned slightly.

“If I live long enough,” I muttered.

“The Captain won’t be killin’ ya,” Randall chuckled, shaking his head.

“Then what exactly will he be doing with me?” I asked.

“That’s for the Captain to decide,” Randall shrugged.

Before either of us could say another word, the door to the cabin opened at the Captain walked in. Upon closer inspection, he looked much more threatening. He had scars littering his exposed arms, some of them crisscrossing in their multitude. He had a scar that traveled from his eye to the side of his mouth, causing his mouth to droop slightly.

Randall surged to his feet and saluted his Captain.

“Thank you, Randall. Go see to the crew. We have a few wounded and Vasilii will need all the help he can get,” the Captain instructed, his voice filled with quiet authority.

“Aye, Captain,” Randall responded before leaving the cabin.

I swallowed thickly as the door slammed shut behind him, locking me inside with a man as dangerous as the devil himself. There was no doubt in my mind, whoever this man was, he was a hazard to my very being.

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time,” the Captain began, walking slowly towards me.

“Have you?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“Oh, yes. You see, I only want the best for my ship, my crew, myself. And I’ve never seen anyone with as much skill as you,” the Captain grinned darkly.

“Have we met before?” I asked, frowning slightly.

“Met? Nay. But nine years ago, I watched you kill my Captain’s Quartermaster, one of the finest swordsmen I’ve ever met to this day,” the Captain answered.

It didn’t take any time at all for my mind to make the connection. This man in front of me was the same boy who had saluted me with his sword when I was eleven. I suddenly recognized the grey eyes staring intently into my own.

“You were that boy. The one who raised his sword,” I whispered.

“Aye. And ever since I’ve gained my own ship, I’ve been searching for you. Imagine my surprise to find you on the exact same ship as the first time. Time has been good to you,” the Captain appraised.

I felt the tell-tale blush stain my cheeks and cursed myself for responding so to this pirate.

“You fought well today. I watched you. I must thank you for killing Jose. The big lug never could wield a sword worth a crap,” the Captain muttered.

“I don’t understand. What exactly do you want from me?” I asked.

“I should think that obvious. You’re to be my wife.”