The Princess of Pirates

Chapter 9 - [The Surprise]

Nerina waited as Richard finished off the rest of his work. When he came to her, she began to throw her questions at him. “Is it really dangerous for a ship to be out during a storm?”

Richard shrugged. “Not really… well actually, it really depends on the intensity of the storm… and how high the waves are.”

“What happens if the storm is intense and the waves are high?”

“Then we’ve got to worry about flooding. Now that is troublesome.”

“What do you do, if there is a flood?”

“We gotta run around and open a bunch of hatches and get that water off the deck. Or else we could sink.”

Nerina nodded her head. “Is it dangerous for someone to be up on the deck while it’s raining?”

“If you’re fit enough.” Richard said with a grin. “You should ask the captain… since you’re all good with him now. Every time there is a rainstorm, he sits up on the deck and soaks himself to the bone.”

“Why?”

Richard shrugged. “Dunno, it’s just a silly habit of his. I think he enjoys rainstorms.”

Nerina nodded “I see.” She said.

She remained quiet as Richard walked her too her room. She was thinking about how strange it was that the captain and she had something in common. They both love to be out during rainstorms.

When they arrived at her room, he bowed like a gentleman and then smiled. “I suggest you stay inside, Princess.”

“You know, you can call me Nerina. I don’t mind.”

His smile widened. “As you wish, Nerina.” He said with a wink before he left.

She smiled and walked into her room.

She sat in her room for the rest of the evening and stared out the small, round window. She could see that the sky was darkening and it started to drizzle lightly.

A short while after it had begun raining, she was called to eat dinner.

The captain was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was already enjoying the rain.

When dinner was finished, she returned to her room on her own, beginning to get to know her way around. But after standing at her door for a while, thinking, she decided to go out in the rain.

She was glad that she was getting to know the ship better. It wasn’t that big, but there were many doors. She was so tempted to open many of them, but decided it would be smart not too. Who knows what she would find. Treasure? Dead bodies? Skulls and bones?

But she had now realized that the small staircase to the deck was a straight walk.

She stood at the glass doors for a moment and stared outside, it was pouring. Some water was coming in from underneath the door and her bare feet were getting wet.

But she didn’t mind.

She remembered what Richard said, the captain was always out during a rainstorm. Would she find him there today?

She giggled to herself at the thought of finding him dancing in the rain. But what else would he be doing? She usually dances in the rain… but knowing him and his personality, it was hard to believe that that was what he was doing.

Pushing her thoughts aside, she pulled open the doors and water rushed in. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to soak the bottom of her dress.

She stepped outside, closing the glass door behind her and looked up at the sky. Her whole body was soaked in moments and she suddenly felt excited. She skipped around the deck, letting the water continue to soak her, but froze when she saw a figure.

Stepping back, she hid herself, slightly embarrassed but then she looked back at the figure, realizing that it was just the captain.

He was sitting on the floor, leaning against a crate with his head tilted upwards. He wasn’t wearing his hat, so she saw his black hair which was tied back into a low ponytail. However, strands of hair fell over his face.

She stared at him and noticed his closed eyes and the small smile on his face.

It was only then that she remembered how beautiful this pirate was. His features were all so defined and for the first time, she could really see his muscular body under his white shirt.

She never knew that a boy… let alone a pirate, could be so beautiful.

Before she had met the captain, there were only two beautiful men in her life. Her father and her brother. She had always thought that they were the most beautiful men in the world.

Her father was tall, with dazzling green eyes and curly brown hair. And though he was old, he was still dashing and artists come from around the world to request to paint his picture. Then there was her brother. He looked identical to their father, except he was young and energetic and had a smile which made girls go insane. Everyone knew that those two were beautiful.

But that is expected of a King and a future King. They were expected to be beautiful.

This man however, was a pirate. He was someone who many people consider scum and detest with all their hearts.

“You shouldn’t be outside in this weather.”

Nerina, who was still staring at the captain, was so deep in thought that she hadn’t realized the captain was looking at her.

She stood up straight and it took her a moment to recollect herself. “I… Why are you out?”

“Because I am the captain. I can do anything I want.” He said with a smirk as he looked away.

Nerina walked over to him. “Well, I am a Princess. I can do anything too.”

He looked at her, with a smile, which surprised her. “I have to say, that was a good comeback.”

Nerina smiled too. “I’ve had a lot of practice of talking back with my mother.”

He laughed, which surprised her even more. “If you’re annoying me this much, I can’t even imagine how annoyed your mother must have been.”

“Very annoyed.” She said. “So annoyed that she decided to get rid of me.”

The captain raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He asked. “And how was she planning on doing that?”

“May I sit down?” Nerina asked.

“Of course.” The captain said, kindly, again to her surprise. “But you may get your dress dirty.”

She sat down on the wet floor. “It’s alright, it’s already torn in all kinds of places. I don’t really care.”

He looked at her for a moment and then ran his fingers through his wet hair, getting the strands off of his face. But it was still raining, just lighter, so it didn’t help much. “So.” He started. “Your mother—”

“Practically engaged me to some man I barely even know!” Nerina’s voice was rising. “Prince… Prince Dale of… I don’t even remember.”

The captain chuckled.

“You know what’s funny? I found out right before those two men kidnapped me… I really hope she thinks I ran away.”

The captain raised an eyebrow. “You would really want to scare her like that?”

Nerina shrugged. “I want her to know that I do not want to marry Prince Dale of wherever.”

“Why don’t you just tell her yourself?”

“Because she won’t listen to me. She never does. She’s never understood me.” Nerina hugged her legs tightly. “I liked to leave the palace grounds a lot, but it’s always me sneaking out you see. And I usually go to the beaches along Caspian because I adore the ocean so much… but my mother absolutely hates it when I do that.”

“She must be worried.”

“But why on earth would she be worried? It’s not like there is someone out to get me or anything—”

“Your mother must know that the ocean isn’t the safest place to be, Princess.” He said. “And she is right to think that, of course. The ocean is very dangerous… I would know.”

Nerina looked at him, wondering why he would defend her mother. “But still. I’m not a child… and she should realize that when she holds me back… that just makes me want to leave more.”

“Why do you like the ocean so much?” He asked.

“It’s beautiful!” She said, immediately. “And the smell of the air… and… all my life, my brother told me hundreds and hundreds of stories about mermaids and sea monsters and even pirates!”

“Your brother… really?”

Nerina nodded. “Those stories fascinated me…”

“What did he tell you about pirates?” The captain asked.

“Oh, my brother adored pirates! Pirate stories were the ones he told best.” She thought for a moment. “Oh yes, the story of Blackbeard! I was always afraid of that pirate!”

“Mmm, they say his head is still on to bowsprit of Maynard’s ship.”

“Really?”

Captain Edward nodded. “My father told me that story too. To him, the moral of that story was to never be cocky… never just think you have the upper hand. Only go into battle if you are sure you will win.”

Nerina laughed. “That actually sounds like something my brother would say.”

“How old is your brother?”

“He’s twenty-five years. He got married a year ago though… and now that he’s married my mother has told me that I need to understand that he will be busy.”

The captain nodded. “He must be wise, for such a young man.”

“He is.” Nerina said with a smile. “I love my brother very much.” She then looked at the captain. “Were you close with your father?”

“Very close…” The captain said. “He spent a lot of time with me… even though I knew him for such a short time, he was able to teach me almost everything that I know today about being a pirate.” The captain paused. “Of course, his way of being a pirate was always much more different than the way of ‘true’ pirates.” He quoted true with his fingers.

“Why?” Nerina asked. But she immediately realized the answer. The captain wasn’t your everyday pirate… he was actually kinder then other pirates… so was his crew.

“People say it’s because my father fell in love with such a civilized woman.” The captain said. “Sam told me that before he met my mother, he was the same as most pirates.”

“Your mother changed him?” Nerina asked, finding that absolutely adorable.

“Yes. And apparently the crew thought my mother was a mermaid.”

Nerina laughed. “Really?”

The captain nodded with a smile. She could tell that he enjoyed talking about them.

“Are your grandparents still alive?” Nerina asked out of curiosity.

“My father’s parents both died years ago… my father killed his father.”

Nerina’s eyes widened.

“One day my grandfather was furious with my grandmother for some silly reason, at least, that’s what my father told me. That night he killed his own wife. My father was destroyed because his mother was actually a good woman, so he avenged his mother’s death by killing his father.”

“Oh my…” Nerina said.

“That’s what made him the Caspian King of Pirates.” The captain said. “Because he was brave enough to kill his own father.” The captain paused. “As for my mother’s parents… Her mother died years before I was born.”

“And her father?”

He smirked. “He would rather shoot himself then see the lovechild of his daughter and a pirate.”

“Your parents were never married?”

“They were… but only after I was born. Sam told me that the reason my mother ran away was because she had me while she was still with her father. She was engaged to another man, you see, and her father would never accept a pirate as her husband. So her father was prepared to kill me. So she took me and left with my father.”

Nerina liked this story very much. The story of Edwards parents. “Your mother loved you very much.”

The captain shrugged.

“Have you ever met your grandfather?”

“I have. And trust me… he wasn’t happy to see me. And it was funny, he knew exactly who I was the moment he saw me.” He said. “I think it’s because I look identical to my father… but I have my mother’s eyes.”

Nerina smiled as she imagined his parents.

“Sam tells me everything… about my parents… in unbelievable detail.”

Nerina laughed. “Really?”

The captain nodded. “And when I say everything, I mean it.”

She continued to laugh. “It’s nice that you know so much about your parents.” Nerina said. “Now that I think about it, I would love to know the story behind my parents.”

“You could ask.” He said.

“Oh… that would be strange.”

He smiled and looked away. “Do you enjoy this type of weather?”

Nerina nodded eagerly. “Very much.” She said. “When it rains like this in Caspian, I run out of the castle and dance!”

The captain looked at her and smiled.

“But my mother would always pull me back in and tell me that I would get sick… I know that that is not true. I’ve come to realize that the reason why parents tell their children that they will get sick if they are in the rain is because they are too lazy to dry them off afterwards.”

The captain burst out into laughter, which made Nerina grin. “I’ve never thought about it that way.”

Nerina nodded. “It’s true! I mean, you can’t really get sick just by getting wet!”

The captain continued to laugh. “Have you mentioned this to your mother?” He asked.

Nerina nodded. “Yes… she got very mad.”

He laughed some more.

“Why do you sit outside during rain storms? Richard told me you do it all the time.”

“Whenever it rained… my mother and father would take me outside.”

Nerina’s mouth fell open. “Really? That is the complete opposite of what my parents do! You are so lucky!”

“Were.” The captain said, still smiling though. “I was lucky… when they were alive.”

Nerina suddenly felt bad for him.

They were quiet for a moment, but then Nerina spoke up. “I don’t think they’re really gone.” She said.

The captain looked at her.

“I mean… They’re probably still with you…”

He looked away. “People tell me that all the time.”

“It must be true though.” She said. “They loved you so much. There is no way that they would leave you.”

He turned to her. “You know, this is quite a surprise.”

She raised an eyebrow, confused.

“I’m actually starting to like you.”

Nerina laughed. “And it is a surprise to me too.” She said. “Since I’m starting to like you too.”

They both smiled at each other and then spent the rest of the rainy night talking like the good friends they were soon going to be.