Hello and welcome to Cascara, a pirate RP for role players of all levels! Here at Cascara we strive to keep a fun and friendly enviroment with a warm staff and fun members. To keep things fun and simple there is no word count or character acceptance needed. Join Cascara today to enjoy all this site has to offer!
The weather is cooler for the Caribbean this time of the year. Temperatures range from the 75s to 80s. January is the dry season, so rainfall is pretty rare, but storms are still a possibility.
Current Weather: Cloudy
awards.
affiliate.
TBA
credits.
Skin created by JESS !? of CAUTION 2.0. All of the codes are credited to their owners, and nothing belongs to us. All images belong to their respectful owners. Site plot belongs to Lexi and Meg. All characters, ideas, plots, posts are credited to the members of Cascara.
Somehow Benjamin had managed to fall asleep. He didn't dream, at least not any that he could remember. His body just seemed to shut itself off for a few hours to allow his mind to stop thinking and beating himself up.
How could he?
How could she?
How could he be so stupid to not see that Micah and Amelia were both tricking him?
Those questions repeated over and over in his mind, haunting his thoughts. Benjamin awoke to a jolt as the ship came to stop. End of the line, he thought to himself, chuckling softly to himself. Who would've thought that this was how he would go out? He always imagined a grand death, fighting over a hundred soldiers single-handily and as he deals the last blow, the ship explodes. He runs as fast as possible as the ship lights on fire before jumping off into the ocean.
Death in the ocean, the place where he had spent the majority of his life, very fitting. But yet here he was, about to walk his way into certain death, on the isle of Esme no less. All because he couldn't distinguish between who could and couldn't be trusted. Hell, could he even trust himself? Who knows anymore.
Benjamin leaned his head on the cell wall behind him, staring straight ahead. A small part of him still hoped she'd come down, explain that this was all part of some evil plan of her's and they were going to escape. But as the seconds ticked by and the only noise coming from some crew mates talking and the sound of waves crashing on land, he knew that was never going to happen.
Face it, Ben, you got screwed over. Again. Didn't Micah warn you?
Benjamin sighed, closing his eyes, trying to shut out all the thoughts. He didn't have any fight left in him. Sure he was still pissed and beyond hurt, but the urge to fight back until he no longer could was gone. His spirit was killed, they had tore it to shreds and stomped on it over and over. He didn't even flinch when the cell door was opened, or when the soldier spit on him and kicked him in the side, or when they cuffed him and dragged him above deck. His feet dragged, his head hung low as they walked him and his crew to the port.
Yelling and cursing followed him as the soldier dragged him along. The soldier suddenly stopped, shoving him forward. Benjamin looked up to just glance at where he was now, but immediately regretted it. In front of him was her. She was being greeted by the Queen and King, but that wasn't what was upsetting him. It was her appearance, she actually looked like she belonged here. There had been a doubt in his mind that this was all some crazy hiatus, there was no way that Amelia was truly a princess, but seeing her now in a dress with her hair pulled out of her face and light makeup on, he couldn't deny it anymore. Her blue eyes met his and the emotions came flooding back to him: hurt, anger, confusion, sadness. It felt like his heart was tearing him apart from the inside, but he refused to let her see. He kept his eyes stone cold and stared at her like she were nothing more than the royal scum that she was.
"HANG THEM ALL!" The Queen yelled, erupting a loud cheering from the crowd that had formed since they had docked. Benjamin tore his gaze away from Amelia's, looking over at the Queen. When he looked at her though, an overwhelming feeling came over him. He was transformed into another world where he saw her face behind flames. High-pitched screams surrounded him, making him wince in pain and shut his eyes. When he reopened them, he was back on the port, staring at her. Her face was now staring at him and for a second she looked shocked before she quickly masked it with a grimace.
"Get them out of my sight, men. They will be hung in the morning." The Queen announced before departing with Amelia following behind them. He didn't even dare to look at them again, for fear of seeing that awful image again. He had no idea what it meant, but for some reason he felt like he knew the Queen from somewhere. Impossible? Yes, so he hung his head back down as the soldiers shoved him forward again.
-----------
He was back in a cell, back against the wall as he twisted a piece of barley through his fingers. It had been a couple of hours since they had arrived, at least that's what he thought. Benjamin had not truly been keeping track of time, for all he knew it could've been days. His mind was a jumbled mess, and while his eyes burned for needed sleep, he refused to close them.
The sound of footsteps arose and the prison door opened and closed with a high-pitched squeak. Benjamin avoided his gaze from the visitor, staring at the opposite cell wall in front of him.
The visitor cleared their throat, demanding his attention. He sighed, glancing to this left to see her.
"A cup of tea m'dear?" Guineverre stood over a small tea table, mixing together a small cup of tea for herself.
Amelia turned her nose up in disgust, "Pass. I'll take an ale."
Guineverre eyed her daughter, before sitting down at the table and blowing on her steaming cup of tea. "Darling... I know before you disappeared, we weren't on the best page. But please don't be nasty with me. I've missed you so much. I'm so glad to have my daughter back home. I don't know what these pirates have brain-washed you to think, but a princess does not drink an ale in the afternoon. It's simply not lad-"
"Lady-like. I know." Amelia snapped at her while she crossed her arms across her chest in defiance. "I'm not even a princ-"
"SHHH! You shall not speak of such things."
Amelia felt her mother's glare like stabbing daggers. Oh, how things haven't changed. Obviously Guineverre had managed to keep the secret of Amelia's illegitimacy for this long, and she was probably going to go to her grave claiming Amelia was hers and Henry's.
"Mom, I don't want to play games like this anymore, and I want you to free those pirates. Princess orders.
Amelia caught Guineverre stiffen for a second, before taking a breath and relaxing.
"No, they will be hung tomorrow promptly when the sun reaches high-noon. By orders of the king."
A loud groan escaped Amelia as she stood up hastily and flipped the small dining table they sat at. She could not stand for her mother's bull shit anymore. She was 24 and past the point in her life where she was just going to go along with this lie. She wasn't going to lie to the people, herself, anyone! This had gotten out of hand. "Mom! Those pirates are my friends! If you hang them, you might as well hang me too because I'm one of them! And you know it!"
Amelia stormed out of the room before her mother even got a chance to get a word in. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to hear more lies. All that came out of her mom's mouth was a load of crap. What did Del see in her?! It must have just been her good looks, because besides that she was just awful. Everything about her was awful. She was rotten to the core. Who could lie to there husband for years on ends about the father of their supposed child? A cold-hearted witch... and that's exactly what Guineverre was.
God, poor Benjamin, his poor crew. They were sitting, rotting in a jail cell with their live's in the hands of a psychopath. What a deadly combination. If Amelia didn't do anything, they would definitely be meeting their fate tomorrow. And Amelia was not going to let that happen. Luckily she still had some ties with some of the people of the Isle of Esme. During her teenage years she had gained friendships and good favors with some of the guards, if she talked to the right people she could possibly get them out of jail. The gears in her mind began to spin as she came up with some ideas of how to get Benjamin and his men, and her off of this dreaded island.
Amelia stormed up to her room and locked herself in there. It was odd being in her old room. Everything was exactly how she left it several years ago. Dust had collected everywhere, but everything was in its place, like she had never left. She crawled under her bed to pull a wooden crate with a lock from underneath, "Aha!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the key that was hiding on her bed frame and unlocked the wooden box. In it was her old pistol that Del had given her and a cutlass, she grabbed both and set them on her bed. She rummaged through her closet to find some clothes she could change into. She ripped off her corset and dress, ripped her earrings out, and unpinned her black curls until she was stripped down into her undergarments. She felt like she could finally breath again. She threw on a loose fitted cotton shirt and some tight leather pants and slipped on her black knee-high boots, tied a red sash around her waist and grabbed her now dusty cavalry hat. Her fingers played with the feather before blowing the dust off her hat, and placing it atop her messy curls. "That's more like it," She muttered under her breath as she stood in front of her large, grand floor length mirror and admired her look. This look was so much more flattering on her then the stuffy look of a princess. Amelia checked to make sure her safety was on before stuffing her pistol in her boot, and tied her cutlass to her red sash so it hung just at her hip.
Lukas had entered her room just moments before she was about to leave, "Oh good! Lukas, just the man I was looking for! I need your help." Amelia eyed him before continuing, "If my mom asks where I am, I'm at the stables playing with the horses.... got it." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before dashing out the door, "I don't know if I'll ever see you again, I hope I do, but I just want to let you know I love you!"
And with that she took off towards the jail. Luckily, she had spent a lot of time over at the jail in her teenage years. She spent some of her time messing with the guards and they had all grown to love her. At the time, there was only one guard watching the front door, and luckily it was a guard she knew.
"My god! The rumors are true! You're back!" The guard loosened his stance and bowed before Amelia.
"Oh stop that! You don't need to bow for me, I need you to do me a favor though...."
"Anything for you my dear."
Amelia bit her lip, "I just need to talk to the pirates... please!"
The guard scratched the back of his head and let out a couple of uhms before standing straight back up, "Okay, but only for you. And if you take too long in there, I'll be coming for you." He warned sternly before opening the door for Amelia, "Thank you!"
Amelia closed the door behind her and made her way over to the cells, all of the men didn't dare look up, but if they did they would have all been shocked. Amelia spied Benjamin sitting on the floor, back against the wall. She stood before the cell before clearing her throat to get his attention. "What do you want?" He hissed at her. Amelia's eyes narrowed, "I'm here to rescue your dumb ass." She could see the hatred in his eyes and he probably didn't believe a word she said... for obvious reasons. She knew he was mad, and she knew exactly why he was mad. But he was only mad because he didn't know the whole situation. He saw her as a princess escaping pretending to play pirate, but he had no idea that she wasn't pretending, and this other side of her was something she tried to leave behind in the past. Amelia kneeled down on the ground and reached for Benjamin's hand, "Please trust me, you don't know the whole story to this situation, you only know a glimpse. I'll be more than glad to share my whole story with you, you just have to listen. But right now I don't have time for that so you're just going to have to trust me." She could see it in his eyes his struggle - to trust her or not to trust her. "I'm going to get us all out of here." He refused to take her hand, so she pulled it back, her heart breaking a little. "Please..." She whispered.
She had no idea why this man had such an effect on her. If it was anybody else she would've just let them all rot in this jail cell for all she cared, because honestly this wasn't her problem. They just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was there fault for being pirates, they would have been hung for piracy whether they had her on board or not. The fact that this man had her emotions all over the place was really starting to drive her crazy too. She was at the point she'd have dreams, and he was in them. Something about him had her going crazy. So she was going to get him and his men out of this cell, no matter what. Even if that meant she'd be forced to stay here stuck on the Isle of Esme for the rest of her life. She just wished Benjamin saw that.
The door to the jail creaked open signaling it was time for her to get out of there. She glanced up at the light coming from the cracked open door and glanced over at Benjamin, "I'll send my friend Lukas to brief you with plans once I come up with them. Please, please, please believe me. This will only work if you trust me." And with that Amelia stood up and headed back to the castle.
Lukas sat on Amelia's bed wondering what she was up to. She had ran off in a hurry commanding him to cover for her. She had given him no time to respond either, so here he was, in her room, waiting for her return. It wasn't long before she came busting through the door.
"Lukas..." She stated mid-pant. It looked like she had just run a mile, her face was flushed, and sweat beaded her forehead and she was gasping for air.
"Yes?" He stood up from where he was sitting and strutted over to Amelia's desk and sat down on the chair there.
"I need you to help break the pirates out of jail with me..." She had this dead-serious look on her face, and if it wasn't for that he would have thought she was playing a prank him.
Lukas bit his lip and grabbed a pen from her desk and rolled it around in his fingers. Basically what he had just learned in a day or so is that his best friend from child hood who disappeared was suddenly alive and well, but everything he knew about her was pretty much a lie. That she was a pirate, and she needed his help busting her and her pirate friends out of here. Sheesh, it was lot to take in. "Fine..." He paused to take a moment to rub his hands together, "But this isn't something that's just going to happen over-night. We have to plan this Amelia." She seemed annoyed at his response, but hey at least he was helping.
"I know... but I need your help to come up with a plan. See if you can go talk to the pirates at jail and see if you can devise a plan with them. I have to stay here at the castle or my mom will begin to wonder where I am and what I'm doing.... But I'll start brain-storming up here, and then report back to me tonight, got it?" Okay, that seemed fair. Nodding, Lukas stood up and headed to the jail.
Lord knows what he was getting himself into, but it seemed like an adventure, and Lukas wasn't one to shy away from a little adventure, plus if Amelia trusted these pirates enough to want to break them out of jail they probably weren't that bad of people then... But then again, Amelia didn't have the best judgement, she was always sort of a little rough around the edges.
Lukas made his way down to the jail cells, he could feel there unwelcoming glares burn on him. He cleared his throat before speaking, "Uhh. Amelia sent me. And I'm here to help come up with a plan to get you out of here... See I know my way around this island so I can help devise a strategy and you pirates must have your cunning ways so we're going to all work together to get you out of here before the hanging at noon tomorrow. Got it?"
Together they had managed to come up with a plan. Lukas worked mostly with Benjamin who obviously held some sort of leadership role. It was perfect, tonight Lukas would come dressed as one of the guards to brief the guard who would be on duty at the time and tell him that he was going to transport the pirates to the jail where they held the prisoners that were going to be hanged, they were over by the docks where the gallows were. From there he'd smuggle the pirates and Amelia on one of the ships in port and they'd sail off from there. Really it was a simple plan, but it would work.
After they had finished drawing up the plans, Lukas stood up, "Alrright we'll be back later tonight." And with that, he left. He wasn't trying to get all friendly with these pirates though, he was only doing this for Amelia.
Every bone in his body was telling him to not trust her, not trust this plan they had just come up with, but it would be selfish to have his crew meet their end like this. This was not their fault, so he had to go along with it all. Long enough for them to be safe before he could strike, there was no way in hell she was getting away unscathed.
The day seemed to drone on for ages. He found himself passing time by throwing rocks at the wall and seeing if he could ricochet them to hit the guard. One time he nailed him right in the head and had to fake a cough to stop the laugh that was about to erupt from inside of him. The guard looked around in all directions and then glared at Benjamin. He shrugged his shoulders, a mischievous grin on his face. The guard cursed and was about to enter the cell but was stopped by another soldier who was taking his shift. Benjamin waved like a little school girl, chuckling as the guard glared his way out of the prison.
Finally, night arrived. He leaned on the metal bars, trying to stick his face through the bars to see around the wall next to his cell so he could see if Lukas had arrived yet or not. The sound of a wooden door opening and closing sounded like music to his ears and he scrambled to get his head out and lean against the wall casually. Lukas came down the steps shortly after mumbling some words to the guard who was relieved of his duty.
Soon enough, Benjamin and his crew found themselves all free from their cells. He took a deep breath of fresh air, realizing just how musky the air was down in the prison. Lukas put some linked handcuffs on his crew mates to keep up the appearance. Once he got to him though, he tore his hands away.
"Nice try, matey. I ain't getting hand cuffed again. Time to move." He said, earning a glare from Lukas.
Cry me a river, he thought before following Lukas as he led them through the town towards the gallows. Supposedly they were close to the docks which would allow for a quick escape. They would meet Amelia there and run off into the sunset and live happily ever after.
Well, that's what Lukas and Amelia believed. Benjamin was going to get his revenge, one way or another. She was not getting off this island even if he had to stay and die to keep her here. No way in hell would he allow for her to gain her freedom again and play make believe and mock his life.
The night was quiet aside from crickets chirping and the sound of their boots crunching the gravel below them. He looked up at the sky, staring up at the glorious stars that twinkled against the black backdrop. A small smile reached his lips as he recalled a memory from a couple of years ago.
"Where are we going?" she asked for about the 100th time. Benjamin chuckled.
"Patience is a virtue."
"Patience can suck my a**, I hate surprises. Why can't you just tell me?" she whined, trying to pry off the blindfold.
Benjamin stopped her quickly. "We're almost there, trust me," he said, leading her forward.
He stopped her on the cliff overlooking the ocean below. The night was in full effect, crickets chirping, owls hooting and the stars shining. It was beautiful, the night made the tiny isle of Navella more beautiful than it was in the daytime. Fireflies were circling around his little picnic area, giving it a very romantic fairy tale effect. He grinned, taking her blindfold off. The look on her face was worth all the trouble it took to get this all organized. Her green eyes lit up and her mouth morphed from shock to a huge smile.
"It's.. beautiful," she whispered, gazing around her.
He grabbed her hand, pulling her small frame towards him. "Thank you," she said against his chest.
Benjamin smiled, gazing into her eyes. He leaned down...
The memory was disrupted by him being bumped from behind by one of his crew mates.
"My bad, Cap'n. Wasn't watchin' where I was goin'."
Benjamin nodded, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't thought about her in a very long time, at least not a good memory. He looked up to see Amelia's figure not far from view. They were so close. His good mood changed quickly and he felt himself stiffen a bit as she ran up to them.
"Thank you, Lukas," she said, smiling up at him. They had more conversation but Benjamin just tuned them out, his mind focusing on her completely. He hadn't really looked at her when she stopped by earlier at the prison, but she was back in attire he was used to. For a second, he hesitated about his decision for revenge as he took her in. Don't get him wrong, she didn't look bad in dresses, but he preferred this version of her. It was raw, pure, and just simply hot. Who knew a girl could look so damn good in men's britches?
His staring was interrupted when she turned to him, asking if he was ready to go board the ship. He nodded and followed them to the docks quietly. Benjamin allowed his crew to board like the nice gentleman that he was. Okay, that was a lie, it was because he was going to make sure that they all got away safely while he dealt with Amelia. Once his last crew mate boarded, he immediately sprung into action, lunging for Amelia and pinning her against one of the wooden walls to a store stall along the dock.
He expected Lukas to react, so he pulled out his pistol that he had strategically stuffed in his pants and pointed it right on his forehead. "Move even just one inch, white boy, and I will not only kill you but make you watch as I ruin this little b*tch's life, understood?" he snarled out, not even glancing at him as he stared into her bright blue eyes. Even in the situation she was in, she still managed to glare at him. Any other girl would've been crying their eyes out, begging him to spare them.
"Sooo, princess," he spat out at her, glaring death daggers at her. "You didn't really think you'd be getting out of this situation with us, did you? Not after all this shit you just put all of us through. Thinkin' you can play dress-up and be a pirate 'cause your royal life is just sooooo boring. Boo hoo, so sad, let's all cry for poor little Amelia," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Y'know, you almost had me. I almost believed you were one of us. Maybe it was a good thing Micah sold us all out, I don't keep rats on my ship."
He felt Lukas flinch a little under his pistol. "I SAID DON'T MOVE YOU PIECE OF--" he was cut off by a voice.
"Benny?
Benjamin froze, one arm having Amelia pinned to a wall and another pointed a gun to Lukas' forehead. His face paled as he turned his head towards the land to see her. She's not real, he thought to himself as he stared into her green eyes which were latched onto his.
Alessandra stared at him as he kept two people basically hostage. She smiled softly, walking closer to him.
"I see you haven't lost that temper of your's," she said. He smiled down at her, releasing the two people and taking her in his arms. Benjamin squeezed her tightly and she laughed, hugging him back.
When she looked back up at him, his eyes were glazed over a bit with emotion. He ran his hand over her face and tangled it into her hair. Ali smiled softly at his tender touch, she had missed him, but now was not the time.
"I know you have a lot of questions, Benjamin, but you need to leave. Now." she stated, pulling away from him softly. His face broke for a second before he stood straighter. Uh oh, she knew that look.
"No," he stated firmly, "Not again, Ali. Don't make me do this again.
But she shook her head in response. "No Benjamin, there's something really f*cked up going on around here. I work for the Queen now and I've heard things, terrible things. Your name was even mentioned last night, you need to go. Now." She stated before glancing over at Amelia.
"You should go as well, princess. I believe that your mother know's and is planning something that is ungodly. For both of your own sakes, please," she begged, looking back up at Benjamin. She could tell he was torn, he rarely showed his emotions but he was worn out at this point and couldn't keep them under lock and key any longer.
He went to open his mouth to respond but they were suddenly met with a loud bang. She ducked instinctively before turning around to see the Queen's Guard marching before them. No, they were too late...
"GO MEN, LEAVE. GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN, I'LL FIND A WAY TO MEET YOU GUYS BACK AT CASCARA." Benjamin yelled up to his crew mates before shoving her into a near-by empty stall. Ali wanted to protest but he only shook his head sternly.
"You are not getting caught up in this mess as well, stay there until we are completely out of sight. Understood?" he whispered to her sharply before directing his attention to the troops that were making their way down the dock.
It was so strange being back. It triggered this weird nostalgic feeling for her. While most of her life she felt out of place and like she didn't belong, her life wasn't all bad. There were certain benefits of being royalty she didn't mind. The fact that she got to just enjoy the beauty of the island everyday with no worries in the world was one of those benefits. The smell of the sweet salt air mixed with the smells of the tropical fruits and plants that were abundant on the isle was tantalizing. Let alone, the island itself was beautiful. It was like every other Caribbean paradise with white sandy beaches and crystal blue water with tropical birds and animals.
Amelia closed her eyes, letting her other senses take in the wonders of the isle - the smell, the sounds (the rustling leaves of the palms, the monkeys howling in the dense jungles, the sound of the ocean kissing the shore), the warmth of the air.
She opened her eyes and looked up at the sky to see the moon's position - it was almost time for the rendezvous... if everything had gone to plan. She had no doubts though, Lukas was royalty around the island as well - his family was close friends with hers - and he was incredibly brilliant. Part of her began to wonder what would have happened if she had stayed... would her and Lukas marry like everyone else predicted? Probably.. they always got along, they had a special friendship - but they were so young before she disappeared. They never had a chance at any relationship. And now she was at the point where she wanted nothing to do with this island - not even Lukas. She wanted to start a brand new life somewhere with no recollection of her past. So she hoped...
And just on time Lukas and the men had arrived. A smile lit up Amelia's face as she ran up to them - thankful that they had actually gotten this far with the plan. "Thank you, Lukas." Amelia pulled Lukas in to hug him before pulling away and looking at all the men. She sighed, "All right, well I can't believe we've gotten this far... I mean I can, it's just kind of unreal. I've already escaped this island once, guess I gotta do it again." She chuckled before looking over at Benjamin who looked like he was completely ignoring her presence at this point - which drove her absolutely mad. She felt her blood begin to boil as her hands balled up into fists. This mother fucker. What was his problem? Here she was, risking her life, her friend's life, for his pathetic ass. She could have left him to rot in jail for all she cared, and here he was being an ungrateful, spoiled brat. It kind of reminded of her. This was spoiled princess behavior.
"You ready to board Benjamin?" She spoke casually, ignoring her flaming temper.
And with that they started getting the men onto the ship. Everyone was on board when Benjamin lunged towards her, pinning her against one of the wooden walls in one swift movement. OH HE WAS SO IN TROUBLE. She watched as Lukas tried to defend her, leading Benjamin to pull a pistol on him. Okay, fuck him. That was the last straw. Amelia was going to ditch his ass. 'Have fun staying here, leaving your fate in my mom's hands'. She thought, silently cackling in her head. He even had the nerve to call her a little bitch. "I'M NOT JUST A LITTLE BITCH!" She screamed, thrashing around in his grip trying to hit his pretty face, give him a nice shiner. "IM A BIG BITCH!" God, she was fuming. She tried to bite his hand, but it was just out of reach. He was lucky, cause she was so mad at this point she probably would've caused some major damage to his hand. She was running on pure adrenalin now. He stared her down, and her eyes matched his glare - two could play at this game. She was not one to back down to a fight - of any kind, even if it was a stare down.
"Sooo, princess." The word princess rolled of his tongue in a mocking tone, and he started going off on a tangent about her pretending and mocking his pirate lifestyle. He had no idea what he was actually talking about though, he didn't even know her!
Everything stopped by the stray voice of a dainty girl. "Benny?"
BENNY?! HOW MANY GIRLS CALLED HIM BENNY?! Who was this kid? Some pirate casa-nova going around breaking girls hearts asking girls to call him Benny? Real cute. She lost any remaining respect for him. She couldn't take a boy named Benny seriously. No matter how tough he was. Benny. Hah.
They obviously had a thing in the past, they talked so casually like they had already been acquainted and quite close... but somehow this girl knew of all the Queens secrets. But how? Amelia thought she was the only one who knew.
Suddenly the queen's men were marching down to the docks, awwww shit. Amelia glanced at Benjamin, then at Lukas, then at the navy men, then back to Lukas, "WELL, WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING AROUND HERE LOOKING LIKE A DUMB APES FOR? GET OUT OF HERE! DON'T LET THEM CATCH US!" And with that Amelia darted towards the docks. At this point she didn't care about any one else, maybe Lukas, but anyone else was left on their own. She had put her neck on the line to help these guys, and Benjamin and went and betrayed her.
But when she got to the ship, her stomach dropped. The queen must have known about their great escape, because on the ship that they were going to use to escape was hundreds of navy men, all pointing their rifles at her. "SHIT!"
"By order of the Queen, you're all arrested. Amelia you shall return to the palace for your punishment, Lukas, go home." The admiral commanded. Everything just turned a complete 180. "And Benjamin, you have been ordered to meet with the queen."
The next few events passed by him in a blur. What was once a peaceful night had turned into utter chaos. Navy soldiers had them completely surrounded, even his ship was filled with them. Someone must have ratted out, and his bet was on Lukas. He was tired of all this backstabbing, all the lies and betrayal that seemed to be following him now wherever he went. Everything was going just peachy... until he met Amelia. This was all her fault. All of it. It was as if bad luck was her middle name.
The Queen started to walk towards them, her face cold and clearly pissed off. She looked him straight in the eyes even while he towered over her before she said two words that would haunt him for the rest of his life. "Kill them."
For a moment, it was silent, and he expected to feel the front of a rifle pointed to the back of his head to blow his brains out. Instead was something way worse. There was gunfire, but it came from his boat. They were slaughtering his crew. Benjamin stared at her in horror before lunging for her. Soldiers grabbed him before he could reach her, one of them slamming the butt of their rifle on the back of his head. His visioned blurred and started to turn black, the last thing he saw before he passed out was Amelia's angry eyes glaring at him.
---------
Benjamin slowly opened his eyes, groaning as the light of day shone right onto his face, making the throbbing of his head increase. Squinting, he let his eyes adjust so he could see where he was. Surprisingly, he found himself in quite a nice bedroom. He closed his eyes, opening them again to still see the same room. Well, he wasn't dreaming. Slowly, he stood up, stretching out his sore joints. He looked to the bedside table to see some food and tea. Things were getting weirder by the moment, did he die and wake up in someone else's body?
On the other side of the bed, he saw some clothes laid out as well as a note. He reached over, picking up the note to read it.
Benjamin,
You may not understand where you are or why you are here. To answer the first question, you are at the castle of Esme. We wished to have brought you here on better terms but were forced to take you down last night after all that had happened. As for why you are here, that will be answered later. First, eat and put on the clothes given to you. We will talk soon.
Guineverre.
Guineverre? The Queen?! Why was the Queen keeping him in her castle as if he was a guest. He scoffed, crumpling the note up and tossing it to the side. Whatever, I'm not following her dumb rules no matter the situation, he thought as he walked away from the clothes. He'd just wash up a bit and he walked to the linked bathroom where he found tons of expensive colognes and soaps.
He stared in disbelief. Who had this many soaps? Most he couldn't even understand since they were in different languages. Benjamin decided to just pick the most generic one, cleaning himself off and pulling on his white shirt and black pants. He washed his face briefly with water before deciding he looked good enough and headed for the door.
Wait a minute, he thought, as he started feeling around his pants. Where was his pistol? He ran over to the bed, throwing the sheets around but found nothing. Glaring, he went back to the bedroom door where he was greeting with yet another note.
By the way, your weapons have been confiscated. Don't need you getting any ideas. The guard outside will guide you to where we will meet. Cooperate, and he will not harm you.
F*cking great, he had a babysitter. Groaning, he opened the door where a guard moved from his post to face him.
"Follow me, sir," the young guard said.
"Don't call me that," Benjamin stated, following him down the long hallway.
"Uh sorry, mister."
"Or that."
"Not sure what you want me to call you then, m'lord."
Benjamin groaned, rubbing his face in frustration. "I don't know, I'm a pirate. At least talk to me like I am feared and not hurt my ego."
The guard looked at him in shock, "Wait, you're the pirate?"
He gave him a 'duh' look. The guard gulped, turning his attention back in front of him.
"Don't worry, kid. If I were trying to escape, I would've broken your neck already," Benjamin stated bluntly. It was a true statement, he was curious what the Queen had to say and why she was treating him as a guest.
In a few minutes they reached a room where the Queen's Guard stood watch. They opened the door for him, following him in. The Queen sat in a chair in the middle of the room, a huge window behind her that had a grand view of the ocean. She looked up from her stack of papers she was sorting through, smiling at him. Alright, there was definitely something going on. Just a day ago she was going to have him hung for piracy, but now she was smiling at him?
"You can leave," she said towards her guards. They looked as if they were going to protest but she gave them a stern look and they nodded, leaving the room quietly.
"Now, Benjamin..." she started, her blue eyes gazing into his own. While her appearance was no where near Amelia's, she did have those striking blue eyes. The Queen was attractive but not in the way her daughter was. Amelia had this confident, badass aura that added to her physical beauty.
Wait, I'm supposed to be pissed at her, not daydreaming of her, he thought.
"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here," the friendly smile was gone from her face as he addressed him now. "You can sit down," she said, motioning to the chair in front of her desk. He reluctantly obeyed, only because he was curious to hear what else she had to say.
"I believe we can both benefit from one another. You see, Amelia needs some help, and you, well you need off the island alive and with the promise of Navy immunity."
That last part caught his attention. He smirked, leaning closer to her. "Alright, I'm listening."
The Queen grinned evilly before explaining her plan. Benjamin would stay at the castle and appear to be a 'changed man', so to speak. Guineverre wanted to show Amelia that even the biggest, baddest pirates could be changed, that the pirate life was not forever. He would spend a week here, dressing and acting as if he was now one of the nobles. It would convince Amelia that she had made a terrible decision and would not run away again. In return, he would be allowed off the island and she would let all of her fleet and soldiers know that he was to not be harmed as long as he stayed away for good. Basically, he could do whatever the hell he wanted with no worry about the Navy attacking him.
"So, Benjamin, do we have a plan?" she asked, holding out her hand. He looked down at her hand, before back up at her face. Grinning, he took her hand, shaking it and securing the deal.
Something wasn't right here. Lukas sat at his desk that was pushed against the window that out looked over the cliffs of Esme to the glistening sea of the Caribbean. His fingers pressed together so his hand formed a triangle as he picked over the details of the past few days. Everything he had grown up to believe true was suddenly shaken up, flipped, upside down, and was not all a bunch of lies. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the whole Amelia thing. The two had known each other since they were babies, and his whole life the idea of Amelia he had grown up to know was a complete lie. Everything boiled down to one sole common denominator, the queen. Guineverre was extremely respected amongst the people of Esme but the more Lukas began to discover the more he realized their endeared queen was a pathological liar. If she had lied to everybody, even Amelia - her own daughter -, about who her real dad was, at what point did Guineverre stop lying? Does she have hidden secrets still? Did Lukas even really know the real Guineverre? His mind ached for answers. The royal isle of Esme was full of secrets and he felt like it was his personal duty to play detective and find the real truths. And he would start with Amelia.
Lukas sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair, thinking of what kind of questions he would ask Amelia. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to know all the secrets about her. Who really was Amelia? Was she really a pirate? Was her dad really the infamous Captain Del?
He stood up and grabbed his coat that hung from his bedpost and threw it on before heading out the door to the castle. Something fishy was going on here and he wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Once he reached the castle grounds, he was waved past by the guards - they all knew him and knew he was granted full access to the castle grounds. Lukas threw his hand in the air as a thank you gesture before stuffing his hands back in his coat and heading to the entrance of the castle. He entered the castle and walked past the room where Guineverre spent most of her times and he couldn't help but catch her voice coming from the room - it sounded like she was talking to somebody. Oh, this was going to be good. He stood near the door, listening into the conversation pretending he was admiring the art work that hung on the wall in front of him. He couldn't make out everything she was saying, but he could hear some of it. A male voice caught his hear... a familiar male voice. Lukas casually storlled closer to the door to hear it better. It sounded a lot like tat stupid pirate Amelia was trying to rescue.
He only heard pieces of their conversations, "Amemlia, you need off the island alive, immunity, do we have a plan?" Oh shit, something serious just went on in that room. He had to tell Amelia. He rushed up the stairs to where her room was, didn't knock, just busted in. He was greeted with a pair of boots thrown in his face.
"GET OUT N- oh it's you." Amelia grabbed his arm, and slammed the door closed behin him, "What the hell Lukas?! What if I was in the middle of changing?!" She shrieked before throwing him onto her bed. Lukas couldn't help but chuckle as his mind wandered off as all boys brains do, he started to think about if he had walked in on her changing, before Amelia slapped him across the face, "LUKAS! STOP! I SEE THAT LOOK ON YOUR FACE!" Dear God, he had forgotten how much he loved this girl. The way she commanded attention and respect, it was something else. And now they were both older, he began to wonder what it would be like to date her... probably hell. Don't get him wrong, he loved her and her fiery personality, but dealing with her feisty attitude all the time would probably get old real fast. He shook his head to rid his head of the thoughts, he had more important issues to deal with here.
"Amelia..." He started out, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh man, where do I start? I came over here because I feel like there's this shroud of mystery around you, and I wanted to get to know the real you better, the side of you no one seems to know... but on my way over here I caught your mom talking to that pirate boy... they're planning something..."
Amelia's eyes widened at the news Lukas brought. She stood up in fury, running around her room, picking up random objects like books random odds and ends and started chucking them at the walls in anger. "SHE'S WHAT?! THAT BITCH! SHE'S SO EVIL AND CONTROLLING. I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
Lukas came over to calm her down. He pulled her into her arms, and pressed her head to his chest. He felt her heart racing against his chest and he couldn't help but laugh, "Shhh... Amelia. Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to help you. I promise." Amelia paused for a second to take in his smell that was so comforting. She sighed before wrapping her arms around him, "Okay, but how?" She breathed.
There was a knock on the door, "Amelia, can I come in?" It was Guineverre. Amelia pulled away from Lukas' grip before strutting over to let her mom in. "Hi mom..." She managed to mutter before closing the door.
"I know you must be mad at me for everything.... I can see why you'd be mad... I'm here to make it up to you though, I'm going to let you have more freedom, and tomorrow night there is going to be a grand feast in your honor. Lukas you can come too. I've missed having you over every day. So... can you just give me a hug Amelia and I'll get out of your hair for now?"
Amelia groaned before stepping up to hug her mother, who knows, maybe after years of her being gone, Guineverre's changed. Although she doubted that, especially with the news she just got. Amelia just had a hard time trusting her. But, she'd give dinner a chance and see if Guineverre really has changed.
"And before I leave, I believe Benjamin would like to talk to you about some matters, he should be over later tonight." And with that she left, a grin graced her lips.
YOU’RE TEASING ME & YOU KNOW IT • baby, don't you fight it • IGNITE ME UP AND JUST FLAUNT IT
After the meeting with the Queen, Benjamin was sent back to his quarters to freshen up for later tonight. Apparently there was going to be a grand feast officially welcoming their princess back home. His job was to appear to be a changed man, no longer living the pirate life and that there was a such thing as second chances for those who were willing to change their sinful ways. Honestly, it was a bunch of bullsh*t, but he got out free at the end of it all. That's what he had to focus on.
But before the night got officially started, he needed a drink. He opened his bedroom door to be greeted to a new guard who was about his height and size. Bummer, he found the other kid amusing and wanted to keep him around, but guess the Queen didn't fully trust him. Smart woman.
"You wouldn't happen to know where the ale is around here, would you?" he asked, grinning. The guard's only response was a blink and a blank face. "Okaaaaay, how about some rum? You gotta have some of that, mate." he asked, trying again. Unfortunately the guard's response was still the same blank stare. He glared, slamming the door behind him.
"Can't wait to get off this d*mn island..." he muttered to himself, before heading to the bathroom to get cleaned up. He decided that maybe he should bathe instead of just running some water over his face and hands. It was a bittersweet moment as he cleaned all the dirt and grime off of his skin, he had grown quite fond of his little dirt buddies. They were family to him, y'know? Alright, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but he did know that ladies loved a rugged appearance, and he wasn't exactly sure that he was happy to give that up. But it was only for a week, then he could roll in a mud pile or something.
He stood in front of the mirror with a towel around his waist, staring at the shaving supplies in front of him. To shave, or not to shave, he thought, chuckling at his awful joke. There was no way in hell he'd shave off his whole beard, but maybe he could groom it just a bit. So he got to work, and by the time he rinsed the shaving cream off his face, his appearance looked quite different. Benjamin looked more dignified, as if he held some sort of title and demanded attention. The beard was still there, but it was cleaned up nicely, making him look more sophisticated than a rugged pirate boy. He took another towel, drying his hair off quickly and letting the soft waves fall around his face. There was no way he was cutting his hair, though, the beard was enough.
Now... time for clothes, he thought, grimacing. A maid had stopped by earlier, dropping off some clothes for him to wear. This was probably going to be the worst part of the deal, why couldn't he just stick to his shirts and pants? Benjamin glanced over to his clothes on the floor, seeing how ripped and dirty they were. Sighing, he walked over to his bed, picking up the fancier version of his white button up and put it on. It was definitely a lot softer, the fabric of way higher value. The pants and jacket were black with small hints of gold embroidery up the sides. He walked over to the mirror to see himself, fixing the cuff on one of his sleeves. Well, this was one hell of a transformation he had to admit. The gold complimented his skin and eyes well, giving his brown eyes a more golden hazel appearance. The black was definitely more of his comfort zone, and just how the clothes felt! They were amazing quality, this definitely was not as bad as he thought.
Benjamin ran a hand through his hair before glancing at the clock in the room. 7:00. The party started in an hour, he had some time to talk to Amelia as him and the Queen discussed. He took a deep breath before walking out of his room and heading towards her own.
He briefly knocked on her door before just waltzing in, not waiting for an answer if he was allowed to come in or not. They weren’t on the best terms at the moment, but it was time to put his acting skills to the test. The door shut behind him, the sound of it closing the only sound in the room at the moment. Amelia’s back was to him, but once she turned to face him, he felt all of the confidence he had just worked up dissipate. She was dressed in a black and gold dress, ironically matching his own outfit, except her’s outdid his by a landslide. The top was a decorative pattern of some royal design with a plunging neckline that matched the back of the corset; the sleeves hung off the sides of her shoulders, and the skirt was long black fabric that looked more expensive than his entire existence. Her hair was down but instead of messy curls, her face was framed by soft, romantic ones. She had some makeup on, brightening her already bright blue eyes.
He realized that he hadn’t been breathing as he took her appearance in as he took a sharp breath in, trying to steady himself. While he may hate her guts right now, he could not deny that she was one of the most exquisite woman he had ever laid eyes on. For him, girls were a dime a dozen, but she was something different. Even the way she held herself standing in front of him, he couldn’t deny that.
Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck slightly. ”I believe we need to talk, Amelia,” he stated. There was a movement to his left, and suddenly Lukas came out from her bathroom, rubbing a towel over his face and head. Great, blondie is here to be a party pooper… he thought, sighing.
found myself alone, a l o n e Alone above a raging sea
Read more: The Cure - Just Like Heaven Lyrics | MetroLyrics
After her mother had left, Amelia closed the door behind her, and collapsed on her bed. She forgot how completely exhausting it was to be back home. Everything about her life was controlled; when they would have grand feast in her honor, how she was supposed to behave, where she was supposed to be, what clothes she had to wear. Without even looking around her room, Amelia knew there was an outfit all planned out for tonight that she was going to have to wear. Sighing, she sunk deeper into her feather-down comforter before finally pushing herself off the bed. She glanced over at Lukas who was deep in thought about something, "So is that what you're going to wear tonight?" She watched as he shook his head, probably to refocus his attention back on her before he glanced back at her, "Oh... uh yeah. I'm just going to go clean up, you don't mind if I use your bathroom?" Amelia giggled before shaking her head, "You don't even have to ask y'know..."
When Lukas left to clean up in the bathroom, that;s when Amelia stripped down to her undergarments and danced around her room for a couple of seconds before strutting over to her wardrobe to find the dress her mother had soooo kindly hung up for her to wear tonight with a note attached to the sleeve, "You will look just marvelous in this dress, my darling." Amelia's nose crinkled up in disgust at the note as she crumpled it in her hands and tossed it behind her. She grabbed the dress from the closet and held it up in the air to study it... her mother was may things: horrible, a liar, psychotic, but above all she had a unique taste for style that Amelia didn't mind. The dress was gorgeous. It was an ebony black with gold trim - something that she probably would have picked out herself.
She slipped into the dress and pulled the strings behind her tight. She couldn't tie the strings together so she waited till Lukas got out of the bathroom for that part. She sauntered over to the full-length mirror she had nestled in the corner of her room and stood in front of it to admire her reflection. Not bad... not too bad at all. The dress clung tight to her body at the top and flowed in ebony waves at the bottom. The top was her favorite part about the dress. It was a long sleeve, that fell off her shoulders. The front of it plunged to show off the girls, without revealing too much and tied together in the front. The top of the black fabric was laced in a gold scale print, and flowed into the black satiny fabric that made the skirt that billowed outward. This dress was fit for only a princess such as herself. While she felt stunning.. it just didn't feel natural. She missed the feeling of her loose baggy clothing. But her mother would never approve of such an outfit, especially for such an occasion.
Amelia sat in front of her vanity and ran a brush through her jet-black disheveled curls. She found sticks, and mud that had caked itself in her hair fall out onto the wood of the vanity and she couldn't help but laugh, she was a mess. A hot mess. But a mess over-all.
It had only taken her less than an hour to finish her hair and makeup. She had done her hair in loose romantic curls that framed her face, and had kept her make up simple and fresh faced - only applying some mascara to brighten up her eyes and applied a red lip stain to pull the whole look together.
There was a knock on her door, and before she could ask who was it, the person had already strutted into her room. Her blue eyes locked onto his brown eyes and she felt time slow down. What was standing before her wasn't pirate Benjamin, but a cleaned up, noble Benjamin. His hair had been washed and dried, his beard cleaned up, and his old shaggy pirate clothes had been traded in for a fresh clean shirt, a fresh pair of black pants, and a black jacket decorated with gold embroidement and buttons. She would have said something smart about him barging in, but she was at a lost for words. This new Benjamin... it was a turn on, but then at the same time she began to wonder what evil tricks her mom had up her sleeve. Surely this wasn't Benjamin's idea. To dress.... like this. Like one of her people. It wasn't but maybe yesterday he was mocking her for her lifestyle?! But she had to admit, he did clean up rather well..
She was about to say something before interjected, "I believe we need to talk, Amelia." And almost as if on cue, Lukas strolled out from the bathroom, a towel around his waist and rubbing off his face and hair with another towel. "Alone."
She felt Lukas' eyes on her at this point, but she ignored it.
"Fine..."
She had to get to the bottom of this.... whatever this was.
"Pardon me Lukas." And with that, she grabbed Benjamin by the arm and dragged him out her door and into the hallway before she shoved him forcefully into the wall. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOURE DOING?!" Amelia threw her hands up in the air in one huge gesture of frustration, "What kind of game do you think you're playing, lass?" Her blue eyes glazed over with a burning hate glare as she eyed him down, "Whatever you're doing, you're playing with fire..." She warned, waving a finger in his beautiful... handsome... face. She caught herself lost in his brown eyes, and felt that weird magnetic attraction between their lips again. There was no denying they had obvious chemistry, but Amelia was doing whatever it took to ignore whatever chemistry they might have. For a second, she wanted to break down the defensive walls she was putting up and just have a taste of those salty lips of his.... Okay... no, she REALLY wanted a taste. The way he was dressed... he looked so handsome all cleaned up. His chiseled face wasn't hidden behind a layer of grime and sweat and mud. Amelia leaned in closer to him unintentionally before she was just inches from his lips. She felt his warm breath on her, and she was dying for just.. one... little.. bitty... and before she knew it, her lips were locked onto his. She had no idea who initiated it, but she was loving every second of this. She felt his hand grasp her black curls at the base of her neck and she leaned in closer, wrapping her arm around his neck before her common sense kicked in. What the hell had possessed her?! She pulled back before wiping his slobber off her lips. Her eyes narrowed into little slits, "SO BENNY?! What is... thiiiiiissss" She pointed at him up and down before continuing, "All about?! Because I'm a little confused."
She gripped him by his arm, pulling him towards the door. Benjamin smirked at Lukas who was giving him the death glare at the moment. Take that, blondie, he thought smugly. The door had barely just shut behind them when he suddenly found her little frame slam him against the wall. D*mn, she was small but she had some strength.
"Whatever you're doing, you're playing with fire..." she said, wagging her finger in front of his face. He chuckled, smirking down at her. Amelia's eyes were locked with his own, his thoughts turning to mush as she gazed into his eyes. She leaned closer, her lips merely inches from his own. His eyes flicked down to her lips quickly, a small groan slipping through his lips. As much as they seemed to be wrong for one another, he could not force himself to pull away. She had him in some sort of trance, and suddenly he found himself closing the distance between them, or maybe it was her. He wasn't sure but he didn't care, her lips tasted exactly how he had imagined for months before all this drama erupted. They were sweet and soft, but there was a small bit of tanginess to them, completely fitting for her personality. Benjamin wrapped one hand around her waist, pulling her closer and one around the back of her head, tangling into her dark curls. He was completely and utterly giving in to whatever he had been feeling since the first day he had met her months ago.
But just as quickly as the kiss began, it ended even faster. She pulled away from him, both of them out of breath and at a loss for words for a few seconds. She wiped her lips in disgust and he felt a small twinge of pain in his chest. His face remained calm, though, not revealing how that small movement made him feel.
"SO BENNY?! What is... thiiiiiissss all about?! Because I'm a little confused." she hissed out, looking him up and down. His jaw flexed when she used the nickname, but he held his tongue, not wanting to risk giving her any hint of aggravation.
He immediately changed his demeanor, leaning casually on the wall and looking down at her. "Amelia, Amelia, Amelia... you can't have truly believed that the life of a pirate is the way to live, right? It's all fun and games, but it's time to grow up. That's what this is about, I realized what opportunities there were for me in life: live as a rebel pirate, constantly on edge, or live a life where luxury is at my finger tips. The choice was rather clear to me, your mother was even kind enough to give me a second chance and forgave my pirate sins." Benjamin looked at her, her face in utter shock of his words. He decided to add some other statements to get her back for her little attitude after the kiss.
Slowly, he raked his eyes up her figure, taking his time and making sure he had her full attention as he did. "This life seems to fit you better anyway, princess. Someone like you doesn't belong in that world, anyways." Liar. It was all a lie and he could feel a bit of guilt eat at him as he watched her face. He could tell she was trying to hide her emotions, but this was a touchy subject for her and he was digging a knife into her and twisting it. The truth was, she did fit in; she fit in so much that it was still hard for him to believe that she lived this double life as a royal princess even though she was standing right in front of him.
"The truth is, Amelia, I'm a changed man. I made the right decision to part that life, you should consider doing the same."
It was hard to take Benjamin seriously like this. Part of her doubted these were really his true intentions. To dress and act like ... nobility? He was a pirate! No way in hell would he trade in a life of adventure and chaos for such a boring, structured lifestyle? It made her sick just thinking about it. Her attention was brought back towards him when he began speaking. "You can't truly believe that the life of the pirate is the way to live... It's time to grow up." She felt her jaw drop at all the bull spilling from his mouth. He was dellsuional, this wasn't the same Benjamin she had met earlier. Her mom must have poisoned him or something - or she had offered him a large sum of money to act like this... Something was off here, she just couldn't pin-point what exactly it was. Or it was her just in denial about everything, maybe he did change. Maybe he wanted the life of luxury. She couldn't even fathom the idea of him changing like this. It was unreal.
But what was more unreal was what came out of his mouth next, "Someone like you doesn't belong in that world, anyways." He was clearly talking about her... She felt tears sting her eyes, but she refused to let them lose. Whatever games he was playing, he wasn't going to win. He wasn't going to see her emotions like this. Or so she tried.
She didn't even hear the last word she said to him, it sounded like a bunch of jargon. She was too distraught by what he said to even listen to anything else he was saying. Truth is, he had no idea what he was talking about! Her blood began to boil with her fiery temper, but at the same time she felt she was just seconds away from busting out into tears, "You have changed. And I don't like this new you." Her words came out from behind her clenched teeth, her jaw tightening with her growing anger. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT THIS INSTANCE BEFORE I CALL THE GUARDS!!!" She screeched, her finger pointing towards down the hallway. She wanted him gone. Gone. Forever. He could stay here on Esme and be a "Changed man." But she wasn't going to stick around here and watch that. No, she was going to leave tonight after the dinner. It was settled.
Amelia didn't even give Benjamin another look as she stormed into her room. She stomped over to her bed where Lukas was sitting and crumpled onto her bed, a crying emotional mess. "Lukas!" She cried as he gathered her small, sobbing frame into arms.
His giant hand rubbed her back and his other hand held her head close to his chest, he was always protective of Amelia - it just came naturally. He had always seen himself as a big brother but he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to their relationship than that... "Amelia... it will all be over soon. I'll get you out of here tonight, I promise." He watched as she pulled away from his chest to look up at him, her body erupted with hiccups and small sobs - it was rare to see her this vulnerable... she was always one to put up a fiery disposition and act like nothing could touch her... to see her like this, it was almost heartbreaking. "But for now, we have to attend your dinner and you can't show up bawling your eyes out. Toughen up! You're stronger than this Amelia, I know it." He wiped the smeared mascara that was running down her face. "It will all work out, I promise."
Amelia sniffled before biting her tongue and holding her tears back, "You're right. Crying is for weak people." She took in a deep breath before standing up to look in the mirror and fix her makeup. After she had fixed all the smudges she joined Lukas by the arm and headed towards the banquet hall, "Let's go have a feast in my honor, Sir Lukas!"
Together the strolled down the halls until they reached the grand hall where all the feast, balls, any sort of social event was held. The venue was gorgeous. It was one large room with ceilings about 4 or 5 levels high. One side of the room was just windows, as it looked out over the cliff to the sparkling blue sea of the Caribbean. The rest of the room was embroided in gold, one grand chandelier hung from the middle of the room, the floor was a white marble. The whole room was gleaming of royal elegance. At the center of the room they had set up the table. It was a long table that sat about 50 or so "esteemed guests." The queen's chair was at one head of the table, the king's the other. And Amelia's chair was right next to her mother's. Lukas's was right next to Amelia's. There were already several guests, gathered in the room, all huddled around the banquet tables that had been set up right in front of the grand windows that overlooked the ocean. Dozens of servants walked the room with trays of appetizers and glasses of champagne and aged rum. Amelia's parents certainty knew how to throw a party to say the least...
Amelia grabbed Lukas' arm tighter hoping to avoid running into Benjamin. At this point, she was too emotionally vulnerable to even deal with that man. He had her emotions all over the place. One second she wanted to run off with him into the sunset and make out with him on a beach, the next second she wanted to kill him, and the next second she was balling her eyes out because of him. She just couldn't handle that kind of emotions right now.
And unfortunately it seemed like she just couldn't avoid him. Her eyes caught with his from across the room. He was in the clothes he had been wearing before, except this time he had some blonde haired vixen on his arm. That bastard.
Even though he was expecting her to react the way she did, her words still made him flinch a bit. Benjamin had seen her angry on multiple accounts, but this wasn't just anger. He had emotionally hurt her, for a few visible seconds, she was vulnerable and her emotions shined through her blue eyes. He watched her storm into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. There was inaudible whispering and he could of sworn he heard her crying and a part of him was seriously wondering if this was the best decision. She had gone out of her way to break him out of prison and all but he had let his anger get the best of him. In his defense, the situation looked very bad for her, but when he saw the way she looked at him when he said she didn't belong in his world, there was a part of him that began to wonder if she wasn't pretending to be a pirate. Maybe, just maybe, this princess as a pirate just like the rest of him.
But what's done is done, he had to get off this island alive, with or without her. Sighing, he made his way down the long staircase. The feast was going to begin soon so he might as well make his way down to the grand hall. Benjamin was lost in his thoughts as he walked down the long hallways when he bumped right into someone. He immediately reached out and grabbed the girl's waist, catching her before you fell to the ground.
"Oh uh, my bad, miss.,," he trailed off awkwardly, but his eyes met a familiar green pair. Alessandra burst out laughing, grabbing her stomach as she tried to calm down.
"You.. look... RIDICULOUS," she said between laughter, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. Benjamin frowned, staring down at his appearance. He thought he looked good. Sure, his pirate attire was definitely more him but he could pull this noble sh*t off as well.
Ali caught her breath, wiping her cheeks, still chuckling softly. "Did the Queen brainwash you too?" she asked, grinning.
He frowned, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean brainwash?"
Her face lost its playfulness immediately and she looked around carefully, seeing if anyone was near. "We can't talk about this now, Benjamin. After the feast we can discuss what I've been needing to explain for a long time now..." she whispered before taking his arm and taking him in the opposite direction they had been going. "By the way, the ballroom is this way," she added, chuckling.
It was then that Benjamin noticed Ali's different appearance. She was dressed in an emerald green gown that cinched at her waist with a decorative gold band. The sleeves were a sheer green and billowed around her arms. Her hair was pulled up into a decorative up-do, small decorative silver jewels sprinkled in her curls, giving the appearance of fairy dust. She had light, natural brown makeup that framed her green eyes wonderful and a light nude lip. Alessandra was breathtaking enough as it was on a regular basis, but this was a side of her he was not used to seeing.
The grand hall was in sight within a few minutes, people of all sorts were dressed to their very best and entering the doors to find a seat. Benjamin stopped for a second, Ali's hand slipping out from his. She turned to look at him and he tried to force a smile but wasn't doing to well. "You'll be fine, Benjamin. Come on, let's just get this over with," she said, reassuring him. He nodded, linking her arm with his and entering the hall.
There was a bunch of chattering that was mixed with music from the band in the corner, he had never seen so many people in one place. He felt very out of place and made sure Ali was always in view because if he got lost from her, it would be bad news. His brown eyes drifted across the room until he met a bright blue pair, his heart stopping for a second. While she still looked like a beautiful dark angel, he could see her eyes seemed to appear raw and slightly bloodshot. Benjamin could feel the anger and hurt radiating off of her from where he stood, but his attention was soon caught by the Queen who appeared beside her. She gave him a nod and he looked away, trying to find reasons on why he was going along with this dumb plan in the beginning. It was getting harder by the minute to find legitimate reasons.
Alessandra pulled him forward, grabbing them seats as the feast seemed to be about to begin. He fidgeted in his seat as the final guests got situated, doing his best to keep his gaze away from her's.
Tapping on glass interrupted the murmurs of idle chit-chat, the Queen standing up and getting everyone's attention. "Attention, everyone! We are gathered here today to welcome the great return of the princess, my dearest daughter, Amelia," she announced, beaming down at her daughter. Cheers erupted around the huge dining room table. "Quiet down, quiet down!" she demanded, silencing the guests. "I just want to thank the Admiral for bringing my daughter safe and sound and for each and every one of you who have never lost doubt of finding our lost princess, whenever my husband and I were losing hope, you guys always brought us faith. So thank you, now, let us feast!" she ended her speech, raising her glass as did everyone else, clinking their glasses.
The rest of the night seemed to pass in a blur for him. Had it not been for the wine, he would have been banging his head on the table listening to all drama and pointless conversations around him. While it wasn't ale or rum, it did the job for the night. The food was amazing, he couldn't remember the last time he had ate just a good buttered bread roll. He had done a good job avoiding Amelia and Lukas the entire night, sticking close to Alessandra most of the night or hovering by the bar. He had been feeling a bit claustrophobic, listening to this snob next to him talk about which necklace she would wear tomorrow and discussing drama about the woman she had just been talking to five minutes ago before she left.
"I'll be right back, need some fresh air," he whispered to Ali. She nodded in response before returning to her conversation with a gentleman next to her. He stood up, finding the exit and walking to the nearest balcony. Benjamin had just opened the door when he stopped short, staring at the two people who hadn't even noticed him yet. What he hadn't expected was to recognize both of them. In front of him was Amelia and Lukas, but they were both caught up in each other, eating each other's faces off. Okay, maybe it was just an innocent kiss, but that isn't how it appeared to him. Benjamin wasn't even in the mood to start anything with them so he just walked off quietly, not bothering to look behind him. He rushed back into the grand hall, grabbing Ali's hand. They were leaving. Now. He needed a break from this life, and she was the perfect escape. As he stormed out of the hall with Alessandra following him, the Queen glared as she watched them leave.
Benjamin kept walking, dragging her into the gardens and kept walking, trying to process all the confusing thoughts and emotions running through him.
"Benjamin..." a soft voice called to him, but he ignored it, still keeping a quick pace.
"Benjamin. STOP." That caused him to stop in his tracks and turn and face her. He grabbed her face and crashed his lips to her's. He kissed her repeatedly but was getting more and more frustrated. Benjamin pulled away, staring into her green eyes that were filled with pity.
"Why....?" he asked quietly, feeling more confused as time passed. Kissing Ali wasn't bad, it was exactly how he remembered, but something had changed. She had always been comforting to him, but she never made his skin feel like it was on fire with just one look.
"Benjamin... we were never meant to rekindle anything. I figured that out when I saw the way you looked at her," she said, sitting on a nearby bench.
He frowned at her response. "If you're talking about Amelia, you've got it all wrong," he muttered.
Ali only shook her head, smiling soflty. "You still don't know anything, even after all these years. But that's not what I need to tell you, Benjamin," she said, her demeanor changing to a more serious one. "There are things going on here, awful things, and you have got to get yourself and Amelia off this island before it consumes you as well."
He looked at her, "What do you mean?"
"The Queen, she isn't what she seems. I know you've made some sort of deal with her because if you hadn't she would have already killed you. But whatever she's convinced you to do and said she would give you, it's all a lie. You won't get off Esme with her help, she's using you. Amelia... Guineverre knows that she will never stay here on her own, so she's using you to distract her while she works on a brainwashing serum to reverse everything."
The words took a while to sink in, but he suddenly got a sick feeling in his stomach. "She would rather destroy part of her own daughter's brain than just let her live her own life...?" he asked. Alessandra nodded.
"There's more, Benjamin. I don't know the exact details, but somehow, the Queen knows you. She knew you as a young child and all I know is she is planning to get rid of you once her plan with Amelia is fufilled."
His teeth ground together and he screamed and punched the wall next to him in frustration. "That b*tch! I f*cking made a deal with her! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN," he yelled, crumbling to the ground. Ali got up and rushed over to him, running a hand through his hair.
"So make this right, Benjamin. While you may be a pirate, you have the biggest heart. You are the most caring, trustworthy and loving person I have ever met. Don't let her win, alright?" she whispered to him. He nodded, cradling his now injured right hand.
He nodded, standing up and helping Ali to her feet. Benjamin pulled her to him, squeezing her into a hug and kissing the top of her head, and with that took off sprinting back to the castle. He pushed his way through people that were clearing out from the feast, not caring if he got weird looks or insults. He rushed around the grand hall, looking for Amelia, but she wasn't in sight.
A nearby servant was cleaning up the table and he ran over to her. "Excuse me, have you seen Amelia by chance?" he asked. The girl nodded, saying that she had last seen her walking to her room in a hurry.
He mumbled a quick thank you before sprinting out and quickly bounding up the stairs, by the time he had to catch his breath, gasping for air. He stumbled towards her bedroom which seemed to be forever and a day away down the long hallways. When he reached her doorway, he didn't even try to fix his appearance and busted in.
"Amelia," he said out of breath, and it wasn't just because of his long run towards her. He felt as if he was a little teenager again staring at girl and suddenly he found himself at a blank for what he was going to say. He walked over to her and she backed up to the wall as he trapped her there with his arms. Benjamin didn't even hesitate as he pressed his lips to her's, kissing her frantically. This wasn't like their first kiss which was softer and more intimate, this one was raw, full of emotion and desire. She had snaked her arms around his neck, her fingers running through his hair, giving him chills. Pulling away for a second, he stared down at her flushed expression.
And I know I shouldn't say it But my heart don't understand Why I got you on my mind - - -
Amelia's eyes were locked onto Benjamin's from across the room, her grip tightening along Lukas' arm until she was interrupted by her mother placing her hands on her shoulders, "Oh darling, you're just stunning!" There was this special look in her mother's gaze, almost like an admiration. Whatever it was, it made Amelia feel greatly uncomfortable. "Let's get to our seats and have a toast!" Her mother summoned over a servant and grabbed two wine glasses off his tray, "One for you!" Amelia took the first glass, "And one for you, Sir Lukas!" And Lukas grabbed the other. There was an over-enthusiastic tone to Guineverre's voice that sounded just like nails on a chalkboard to Amelia. Nothing was ever sincere from this woman, it was all one big act.
Everyone took a seat at the grand table as the clock struck the hour. The room was full of endless chatter that echoed off the grand banquet room walls, the notes from the small band danced around in the air; it all stopped though when Guineverre tapped her glass to summon everyone's intentions. Everyone's eyes were glued to the queen, everyone's except Amelia who was staring longingly out the window out to the sea - she could hear it just calling her name; maybe her dad was still out there. The thought brought a small smile to her face and her thoughts were interrupted when everyone toasted each other at the end of Guineverre's speech. Lukas had nudge her gently with his elbow, and grabbed his glass to toast with Amelia, "To the lost princess!" He teased, a small smile tugging on his lips. Amelia grabbed her glass to clink with his, one hand was held in the air mocking her mother's grand royal gestures, "To the lost princess!" She sneered, her tone making fun of the nosy, snobbish tone of the rich. She giggled before taking a sip of her wine.
For the most part Guineverre was lost in pointless conversation with the admiral sitting next to her. Amelia loaded her plate with pounds of ham and mashed potatoes and stuffed her fast as fast as she could before she leaned in close to Lukas to whisper, "Let's dip." She wiped her mouth with her napkin before excusing herself from the table and grabbing Lukas by the hand.
"Wait.. Amelia! Where are we going?!" He yelled up at her, as he was taken by the hand and literally dragged through the ballroom and up a set of stairs. He forgot how big the castle actually was, it wasn't as big as he remembered from being little - but that's probably because he was much bigger than he was as a little child. But the place was like a maze with grand staircases every turn, hidden doors, hallways that split into random sections of the house, like the library, or the kitchen. But where Amelia dragged him to was a long hallway lined with doors that led out to balconies that overlooked the ocean.
She sat on the balcony railing, a simple task if she had been wearing her normal attire, but quiet a daunting task in the dress that constricted her movement. She clumsily got settled on the ledge, her hands anchoring her position as she looked out to the ocean. The sun was just setting over the water, leaving the sky to be painted a bright orange tinted with pink around the edges of the clouds. The water sparkled and reflected the sun's last light and illuminated the land with a soft glow. It was absolutely breathtaking. Amelia found herself almost out of breath at just the breath-taking view. She sighed before looking over at Lukas, "When I look out at the ocean... I just see freedom."
At this point Lukas had positioned himself in front of Amelia as she sat on the ledge, his hand brushed a stray curl behind her ear. While she was admiring the beauty of the sea, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. He couldn't help but admire the passion burning in her eyes - and that's when he realized she would never be his. She wasn't the girl you could just keep and hold - she wanted to be free.
Her gaze shifted from the ocean to look into Lukas' blue eyes - his eyes almost matching the crystal blue of the Caribbean. She felt her heart jump a little at his gaze, but she couldn't help but feel there was something missing. She leaned in closer, leaving her lips just inches from Lukas' before she closed the gap.
This was something she had wanted to do for years, she always had a small crush on her childhood best friend. But she began to wonder if that was all they were meant to be. The kiss was awesome, but it didn't leave her aching for more.
Lukas had pulled away before she got a chance to, "Amelia..." His tone was breathy but serious, "It's not meant to be is it?"
Amelia's thoughts began to rush at this point. Things with Lukas would never work, no matter how much she wanted them to. Their lives were so different at this point, they were in two separate places in their lives right now. She didn't need to force something that just didn't seem possible at the moment. She jumped off the ledge before stumbling over to the door, "I'm sorry Lukas." She muttered before she dashed off to her room.
The whole time she had been kissing Lukas she could only find herself thinking of Benjamin. His brown eyes kept flashing in her mind and it was driving her crazy. She needed to leave this island now or it was going to drive her off the edge into the loony bin. By the time she had reached her room she stripped from her dress until she was left in the small, lacey silky white dress that she had worn underneath her dress. She stood in front of the mirror taking one good look at herself. What she saw in the mirror was the girl who wore lose baggy clothing, boots, hats, with swords and pistols haltered to her waist. She didn't see herself as the princess.
She ripped off the small dress before changing into her old clothes.
Just moments after she had changed into her clothes, the door to her room flew open, her eyes catching with his. Benjamin. He had stumbled into her room out of breath. What the hell was he doing in here? He stumbled to her and she backed up into the wall in surprise, this was the last person she expected to see here, and what was he so frantic about? And before she knew it, he had trapped her with her back against the wall, his arms trapping her right before him before his lips were pressed against hers. She felt that spark as soon as his lips touched hers, something that was missing in her kiss with Lukas. Something about the kiss seemed so natural, even if Benjamin had forced himself upon her. Her body melted into his, her hands wrapped around his neck and she tangled her fingers in his soft brown hair.
What felt like an eternity was probably just mere seconds before he pulled away, leaving her aching for more, “Does he kiss you like that?” No. Not even close. Though Amelia would never admit that. Wait… they had never kissed before until just now? How did he know Lukas kissed her? Maybe he just assumed they had a history. She found herself at a lost for words… for everything. Her blue eyes darted to the ground as she tried to avoid his gaze which seemed to be penetrating her, prying her, waiting for an answer. In fact, she was downright confused as to everything that was happening. What happened to the blonde girl? And just hours ago she was screaming at him to leave. She didn’t know what was going on anymore, what she wanted, who she wanted… “Why are you here?” She muttered under her breath, brushing her hair behind her ear. For the first time in her life, she felt confused and vulnerable. Her emotions were all over the place; usually they were pretty consistent she was either in a great mood or extremely pissed off and bossy. Right now, she was just lost… in everything.
“What do you want? I’m just…. confused. You’ve been dragging my emotions all over the place, and I honestly don’t even really know you! You don’t… you don’t even know me. You think you do….” She started pacing around her room, frantically walking from one side of her room to another thinking of how she was going to approach this conversation. She felt they both needed a moment of extreme honesty, a heart-to-heart so to say. She needed to open up to him. For some reason, she felt she could trust him. She didn’t open up to just anyone, but she felt he only knew a small part of her. He didn’t know her full story - of what made her… her.
“This whole life I live here… it’s not what… it’s not what you think it is. Most of my life here is based on lies…. and deception. My mom…. she’s not to be trusted.” Her voice was starting to get shaky, this was an extremely sensitive topic for her - the reason why she had trust issues. And the fact that she was even trusting Benjamin, to tell him all of this, was a major step for her. “I’m not a real princess….” She stopped to stand at the giant window that looked out to the ocean, “I’m a fucking bastard child that my mom is ashamed of. She’s lied to her husband for years…… the man who thinks he’s my dad isn’t. I’ve been forced to make him believe that I’m his child… even if I know the truth. It’s horrible….” She felt tears beginning to build up, but she had to remain strong… she had to. There was no other choice. “My real dad….he’s out there somewhere… I’ve heard rumors and tales that he’s died, but I know he’s still out there… I just know. His name’s Del… he’s a… he’s a… pirate. That’s why my mom is so ashamed, she can’t let ANYONE know she had a child out of wedlock…. and not just with any ordinary man… but with a PIRATE? Oh she’d be in so much trouble…..” Amelia had fought back the tears at this point, now she was just angry… angry at her mom. Angry at this forced life she had to live. “That’s why I ran away……. that’s why I need to get off this island.”
At this point, she had completely opened up to him. She had never told any of this to anybody, not even Lukas. He had just learned the secrets of Esme Guineverre worked so hard to keep in the shadows. But she couldn’t remain quiet anymore, she couldn’t just go her whole life living the lies she was forced to live. She looked over at Benjamin who seemed completely shocked at everything she had just told him, but he looked genuinely concerned, which made her feel at ease…. just a little bit. “I’ve never told anyone any of this… not even Lukas. So I feel like its only fair you tell me a little bit about yourself… since fate seems to have brought us together. I don’t think it was by accident.”
He stared down at Amelia, watching the inner turmoil roll around her mind. This was not how he wanted to fix things, he wanted to do it civilized, explain the danger she was in. But seeing her as her, in her usual pirate attire, caught him off guard and made him lose track of everything he had been planning on saying. Benjamin was a mess, that's really what it summed up to. A girl had managed to completely f*ck up his mind and make him feel more emotions in a day than he was used to feeling in a month.
He watched her frame pace around her room before she stopped and faced the window, the moon illuminating her features. She began to explain her story, the one she had promised to explain back in the jail but he had been stubborn and didn't want to even give her a chance.
“I’m a fucking bastard child that my mom is ashamed of." Those words hit him hard, his jaw clenching. It was all starting to make sense as to why she had ran away. The queen, she was a disturbing human being enough as it is, but having her as your own mother, he could understand now why Amelia was the way she was now. She wasn't just a spoiled princess wanting to play make-believe. She wanted freedom from a life that offered no chance of that, it was admirable.
“My real dad….he’s out there somewhere… I’ve heard rumors and tales that he’s died, but I know he’s still out there… I just know. His name’s Del… he’s a… he’s a… pirate. That’s why my mom is so ashamed, she can’t let ANYONE know she had a child out of wedlock…. and not just with any ordinary man… but with a PIRATE? Oh she’d be in so much trouble…..” Amelia stated, her voice breaking slightly. For a second, he thought he heard her wrong. Her father was Captain Del? The one, the only Captain Del? This was bigger than being royalty, Del was the biggest and most feared pirate there was. The stories told, true or not, are ones told about legends.
But now wasn't the time to gawk about her lineage, it was his turn to speak up. She was staring at him expectantly and he froze for a few seconds. Backstories, they weren't his thing. His past was messed up enough as it is and he didn't even know who his parents are or if they're even still alive. Sighing, he did the only thing that he knew would explain a part of his past and quickly threw off his jacket and white shirt. Amelia stared at him in bewilderment, clearly wondering what stripping off his clothes was explaining his past, but it wasn't until he turned around that he heard a small gasp. He felt her soft fingertips run along the scars lining his back from the whipping he had received as a young child.
"The only past life I know is the one I had aboard Blackeye's ship. From such a young age I was I guess what you would call a slave. I would be whipped at night and did endless chores throughout the day," he began, keeping his back to her at the moment. "He... I wasn't a bad kid, I did what I was told to day in and day out, but he still whipped me. There's a part of me that believes he just enjoyed inflicting pain on others, and I was his perfect subject. Not sure how long that lasted, I must've blocked out most of the memories..." he muttered, walking over and sitting down on the bench overlooking the sea. He watched the calm waves crash on the sand, realizing just how much he missed being out at sea. "When I was about 8 years old, Micah joined us. He became my brother, in a sense, I used to think he felt the same about me. That traitor. It explains why he wouldn't get the whippin', I just thought Blackeye had a soft spot for him or something... The years passed and eventually I become one of the crew mates. Truth be told, I would have rather remained a slave," he stated bleakly, closing his eyes.
"I have done terrible things, Amelia..." he whispered, opening his eyes and gathering the courage to look over at her. Benjamin was unable to read her expression, but he had gotten this far, he might as well finish the story, whether she still wanted anything from him or not once it was over it wouldn't matter.
"Blackeye had this lust for blood, but not just pirate or navy blood. No, he was more cruel than that. He craved for the blood of innocent's, so our raids consisted of villages and towns. I can still hear the f*cking screams and smell the death at night!" he said through gritted teeth. Benjamin was now back in time, a vision from his past. He could see fire on all the houses and hear cries for mercy from women and children. "I... I didn't want to do it. I promise you, I didn't. I had no choice, he put the gun in my hand and forced me to pull the trigger... the kid was only 10," he choked out, the scene replaying in front of him as he told Amelia the story. The boy's brown eyes and brown hair reminded him of himself as a young kid and he watched in horror as the life was gone in an instant from his eyes from the weapon in his hand.
Benjamin closed his eyes and reopened them, relief overwhelming him as he realized he was back in Amelia's bedroom. He didn't want to look her in the eyes, he knew the look she must have on her face. He was a monster, he knew it. Keeping it hidden wasn't easy but he managed but he knew there would be a day he would eventually have to confess.
"That was the last straw for me and so the next chance I had, I escaped, but not before I killed that messed up son of a b*tch. But," he said, chuckling bitterly, "he still won. Blackeye turned me into the monster I am today."
