The Pirate Queen (The Royal Pirate: Book Two)

Prologue

The air around the Kingdom of Renevia was energetic and filled with celebration. The kingdom and castle were greatly decorated with the proud royal colors of Renevia. But, the town echoed in silence, and not a single soul was seen strolling the streets. Everyone was gathered outside the Royal Castle of Renevia as joy reflected in the air.

The people of Renevia looked up at the big balcony, their eyes fixated on their long-lost princess, who was adorning the Ruby of Renevia crown on her head. The King and Queen of Renevia stood proudly by her side, their eyes welled up in precious tears.

Lance, the loyal guard, stepped forward and ushered the princess forward. “All Hail Princess Charlotte of Renevia! Long Live the Princess!”

“Long Live the Princess!” The crowd shouted out with enthusiasm as they waved the Renevia flag in the air.

Generally, it looked like everyone was pleased with the return of their princess and supported her ascension to her rightful position as Princess of Renevia. Yet, not everyone was particularly satisfied with the coronation and kept silent within the crowd, their eyes narrowing at the new princess. Apparently, certain rumors had incited doubts in their minds.

A mature citizen of Renevia nudged his neighbor, his face contorted into a look of disgust. “How can you be so supportive of this, Barry? That is no princess. She may have royal blood in her, but she is still a pirate! She terrorized us and kept her own father hostage!”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down, Wayne! That’s the princess you are talking about and you’ll be charged with treason!” His neighbor plastered a fake smile on his face, his eyes scanning the crowd to see if there were guards around.

The slightly older man shook his head. “So what? The king is weak and has been for decades. Now you’re telling me that the heir to the throne is a pirate? The royal throne of Renevia would be tainted if she became queen!”

“At least Renevia has an heir again. We were considered weak for not having one before. Perhaps this is a good thing, Wayne. Right?” his reasonable neighbor replied.

Grumbling under his breath, he huffed at his neighbor and squeezed out of the crowd, stomping the ground along the way. Much to his surprise, his neighbor came running after him and gripped his shoulder.

“Wayne! Listen, I don’t want to get in trouble. But, I don’t want Renevia to waste away. I have roots here and I want my children to be well taken care of. If what you say is right, I’m afraid that our home might be plundered by pirates one day and we’ll be left for dead,” Barry said.

A wicked smirk curved Wayne’s lips as he clasped Barry’s shoulder. “Fear not, my friend. We will not let that happen. We will protect Renevia from dirty pirates and unworthy royals, one way or another.”

The two men walked towards the desolate town, heavy in a discussion of the future of their beloved kingdom. The rest of the townspeople stood loyally outside the castle, cheering for their unsuspecting new princess.

Little did she know that her long and hard journey to get to where she was had not ended. In fact, it was her journey that was just beginning. The only thing was that this time she had countless eyes on her, waiting in anticipation of when she would fall.

Would Princess Charlotte Charlie Edwards survive or will the pressures of royal life crush her spirits and push her away from her newfound identity?