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.
you can have anythin' you want but you betta not take it from me - -
BANG. BANG. BANG. That was the sound that he awoke to.
Groaning, Benjamin rolled over onto his stomach, stuffing his face further into his pillows on his king sized bed. “Five more hours…” he mumbled to himself, ignoring the loud banging sound.
“Uh, Cap’n?” a voice yelled nervously from behind his cabin door.
“GO AWAY,” Benjamin replied, throwing a pillow at the door, but missed completely and knocked over a lantern. “Shit,” he mumbled to himself, rolling back over to face the damage. Well that was yet another damaged lantern, Mac would not be happy. Those lanterns had been scavenged off one of their raids and his chef had taken quite a liking to them and placed them around the ship. If he found out that Ben had just broken another one, well, let’s just say that he may have to not eat for a week or so.
The cabin door opened slowly and in walked a young lad, staring at his feet and fumbling with his thumbs. “Cap’n, we have a problem…” the boy said quietly. Benjamin grunted as he slowly stretched and got out of his bed. His dark brown hair stood up in all directions, giving him a very boyish look. He yawned, stretching again before acknowledging the boy’s message.
“Can’t the problem wait until I can eat something?” He asked, pulling on his light brown pants and grabbing the nearest white shirt, leaving it unbuttoned before quickly sliding into his black boots and throwing a black bandana around his head to hide his bed head.
The boy eventually glanced up to look at him before shaking his head, “N-no sir, this needs to be dealt with right away actually,” he said.
Benjamin nodded, walking over the boy and ruffling his hair. “Lad stop being so jumpy and relax. Now c'mon and join me on deck with the rest of the crew.” He said, giving the boy a lazy smile. While he may be a feared captain, he was certainly not a cruel one. Sure he had his drunk moments and maybe he was a bit overbearing and an idiot but he wasn’t a monster. At least, that is what he liked to believe. Benjamin headed up the stairs to the deck and opened the door to be greeted with the fresh sea air and a bright sunny day. Had he not been rudely awakened with loud banging sounds, he would have really appreciated how beautiful the morning was. Instead he found his first mate and the rest of his crew yelling about something.
“WHOA WHOA WHOA, BOYS!” Benjamin bellowed, instantly calming the crew down to just hushed whispers. “What is this about a problem I hear?” He asked, before turning his head to the right of the ship to see smoke rising. His brown eyes widened and his heart almost stopped. Why if these landlubbers somehow damaged my beauty of a ship, there’s gonna be more than just a problem, he thought angrily, running over to the side of the ship. But instead of finding the side of his ship damaged, what he saw was quite the opposite. Instead, a smaller ship floated next to his own, greatly damaged. He turned around to face his crew who all bared big grins. “Do not tell me this so called problem is that joke of a ship?” he scoffed, growing angrier by the minute. He did not like to be interrupted from his slumber, but most importantly, not allowed to eat once he woke up.
His first mate, Micah, ran up to his side. “No Cap’n, the ship was no issue, it’s er… their captain.”
Benjamin raised an eyebrow, “Well why not kill him and be done with it? I see no issue with that.”
“Well uh, you see Cap’n… he is really a she and uh we ain’t so sure about killin’ a lady.”
Sighing, Benjamin ran his hand over his goatee, thinking profoundly. “Fine, let’s see her,” he grunted, not wishing to be dealing with this. Yes, he loved him his ladies, but pirate girls were a different story. They were smelly and ugly looking creatures, and most of all, they were very tasteless beings. You think men are bad? Well for some reason, the ladies thought that since they were pirates that hygiene was non-existent. That goes for everything. Yeah, gross. He shuddered at the memory of previous female captains he had ran into. Please let this go quick and easily, he thought to himself.
Two of his men had gone below deck and brought the girl up, the rest of his crew moving out of the way as they walked her to Benjamin who was now standing at the front of the ship lighting a Cuban cigar. He flung the match overboard, inhaling a good amount of smoke before turning and blowing it directly in direction of the woman. His crew chuckled while Benjamin smirked, putting the cigar back into his mouth. The smoke covered the woman’s face and he heard her cough a bit but what he didn’t expect was to see a bright blue pair of eyes glaring at him as the smoke cleared. Or to see dark, curly locks surrounding her face. For a second, he caught himself in a trance staring at her. She was a great deal shorter than him, but her petite frame did not disappoint.
Benjamin coughed slightly on the cigar smoke in his throat, pulling the cigar out of his mouth and clearing his throat before looking back at her. Well that was not what he was expecting to see, in fact, she was the exact opposite. There was no way this was the captain his crew was talking about, she was way too gorgeous, and suddenly he found himself chuckling.
“T-that’s her?” he sputtered out between laughter. Micah nodded and came forward.
“Yes Captain, she was the captain of that ship. She had only two crew members and we killed them quite easily, but we were unsure of what you wanted to do with her. Shall we do what we normally do?”
Benjamin stopped laughing immediately. Like hell they would do what they normally did to her. He was about to speak up when he heard a loud shrieking sound, covering his ears and cringing.
“BENNY! OH BENNY BABY!” A high pitched squeal came from his captain’s quarters. Shit, he thought. A red head wearing one of his shirts came running down the steps towards them all. He groaned as his crew gave him looks. He had completely forgot all about this girl and her being on their ship before they set sails last night. She was quite forgettable actually, and was really only means of getting rid of some stress and tension.
The girl draped herself over him, blinking her eyes in a way that was supposed to be attractive. Benjamin rolled his eyes and pried her arms off of him. The girl pouted, whining, “Baaaaby, what’s wrong?”
“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?” he growled, his easy going demeanor completely altering to an irritated one. The girl was not getting the hint and kept trying to give him puppy dog eyes and whine. God, girls are annoying, he thought to himself.
“Benny, just come back to-“ she was immediately cut off by him yelling at her to shut up.
“Call me Benny one more time, and I will throw you off this ship into the sea and let whatever lurks in it eat you alive. Micah, get someone to take her below deck, and change her into something else.”
“Uh, what would you like us to change her into?” Micah asked, not really knowing what sort of clothes Benjamin was referring to.
“I don’t know, it could be a potato sack for all I care! Just get her out of my shirt,” He yelled. “It’s one of my favorites…” He added shortly afterwards, mostly to himself. Micah nodded and sent two men to grab the girl and take her downstairs. She started to scream but one of them clamped their hand over her mouth, shutting her up quickly.
Benjamin sighed, running his hand through his facial hair again. “Alright, back to the more important matter at hand…” he stated, turning his attention back to the captain. “So, little lady, what’s yer name?”
"Well..." The man who looked to be of royal descent croaked just before taking a sip of the muddled down rum from his silver mug. "Be prepared to weep." He laid down a set of cards, showing a royal flush - a hand hard to beat.
"Well for Davey Jone's Sake, William!" Amelia threw what cards she had in her hand at the man, her drink as well. "That's the third royal flush you've come up with!" She lunged at the man pulling at his sleeves, "You must be hiding cards up here you bastard!!" She shrieked.
The man, William, chuckled as he shrugged the small girl off him. "Now, now Amelia. No need to be a sore loser. Just pour me another drink and we'll start another round!" His tone was somewhat teasing, but the smile on his face proved he meant no harm. Amelia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, picked up his mug, and her mug she had chucked at him and headed over to the barrel where they were storing the rum.
"We'll play another round, but take off your jacket!" She hit the spout with one of the mugs, amber liquid spilled from the spigot, and she caught the rum with the silver mugs. She filled up both before looking back at Adam, her third mate. "Aye, Adam? Refill?"
Adam stood up from the barrel he was sitting on to refill his mug and together they sat back down. Amelia passed a mug over to William. "Alright, no chea-..."
Just before she could finish, her eyes caught something that dotted the horizon. "Hmmm..." She stood up and climbed to the top of the lookout tower and grabbed the telescope to get a better look at the object. "Shit..." She muttered under her breath before signaling the two to come up and join her with a flick of her wrist.
"Hey you two dimwits! Take a gander at this yourself, pirate ship, eh?" She handed off the telescope to William who nodded his head in confirmation. Adam grabbed the telescope from William to steal a look as well, "Amelia... do not engage. We've been drinking. To engage would be stupid."
Amelia scoffed at Adam, before snatching the telescope from his hands, "Well if we can see them, chances are they've already spotted us too and are probably going to attack, we have no choice!" She shoved the telescope back in Adam's hands before swinging herself over the railing and climbing down the rope ladder. "You two better be prepared!" She hopped off from the rope ladder and landed on the deck of her ship. Well, she wished she had a bigger crew, but these two fools would have to do for now. You see, Amelia was stubborn about who she let on her ship. She didn't let just anyone join her crew. William had been a lifelong friend of hers, and Adam was a trusted friend of William so of course he was allowed to join the crew. But as for everyone else, well, Amelia didn't particularly like anyone else - or get along with anyone else. So it was just her, William, and Adam for now. And so far it had worked out just fine, but they hadn't come across any ships, this was their first encounter. And honestly, Amelia had no clue how this would turn out... But she was going to do what she knew best, fight till the death.
Amelia grabbed her sword and gun that had been placed up on the wall on her weapon mount. She took her broad-brimmed hat as well and placed it atop her disheveled black curls and laced up her boots. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the black flag that flapped in the wind atop the mast of the ship that was quickly approaching. She cursed under her breath as she headed to the front of the ship to man the cannons. "ADAM! WILLIAM! MAN THE GUNS!" She shouted, her voice lost in gunfire from the other ship. They were clearly outmatched in gun-power and manpower, but that didn't daunt Amelia one bit.
Cannons pelted against the side of her ship, causing splintered wood to fly in the air like bombs had gone off. "SHIT! ADA-" She looked around to see both Adam and William dead from the flying debris, and her stomach instantly dropped. This was it.
The pirates boarded her ship taking all her rum, ammo, weapons, and herself as well. A grunt took her by the back of the neck, his hand easily fitting around her whole neck. She squirmed and kicked, but to no avail, "Get your sweaty, filthy hands off me you foul creature!!!" She shrieked.
One of the guys looked at her and laughed, "Well... we can't just kill the lass. Let's take her to the captain and see what he wants done with her." He commanded. All the men had already transferred all her goods to the other ship, it was clear they had done this many times before.
They brought her to the captain of the ship, a cigar hanging from his fingers. Amelia took in a deep breath, oh was this man about to hear it from her. Who does he think he is? Well... he was certainly nice to look at. Her glare softened as her blue eyes ran over his nice... sculpted... tanned... frame. AMELIA! SNAP OUT OF IT! She shook her head to rid the naughty thoughts that were beginning to form. There was no time for that nonsense. This man has to pay for what he did!
She eyed him as he chuckled, "T-that's her?" What an insult! What did he mean by that? She'd show him. But before she let him hear it, a pathetic woman threw herself at the captain calling him Benny. So, Captain Benny, was it? Amelia raised a brow as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. My God, what a pathetic woman who had no sense of worth. She was better off as shark bait honestly. Amelia's attention was focused back on the man as he questioned her, "So, little lady, what's yer name?"
She eyed him up and down, before spitting in his face, "Why don't you go fuck yourself!" It wasn't a question, it was a demand. She wriggled free of the man's grip that was holding her, stomped on his foot. He bent down in pain, and Amelia took advantage of his lowered, unguarded stance, took him by his head, and kneed him straight in the nose, causing him to flop to the floor unconscious. "Why don't you all go fuck yourselves! I was just minding my own business, playing some cards with some friends, drinking rum, enjoying the sweet salt air, and you all think you can just do whatever you want!" She wiped the debris off the brim of her hat and walked straight up to Benjamin, pointing her gun in his face. "You don't need to know my name, and if you dare bother me again you'll never get a chance to ask me for my name again because you'll be dead." She lowered her gun before quickly turning around and shooting two of his own men straight in the face with deadly aim. "Now we're even. Don't mess with me." She warned waving a finger in Benjamin's handsome face. For a second, her blue eyes were stuck on his brown. My God, he was nice to look at. His face could have been sculpted by God himself it was that good. Good looking men - Amelia's kryptonite. But she was not going to let this man's devilishly good looks distract her from making a scene. After all, she was trying to make a point and look damn good doing it too.
She broke the magnetic gaze they seemed to hold and looked back at her ship. Her poor ship. It was in shape to sail at all, but Amelia wasn't going to stick around with this crew. God forbid that. "You pirates think you can attack whoever you like, take their goods, kill the men, and whatever else you want to do. But, I'm not going to let that happen to me. You're going to leave me alone." Demanding people was second nature to Amelia - she had grown up telling servants and others what to do as a princess, and now was no exception. She was telling these pirates what they were going to do. Whether they are actually going to listen or not was up to the captain.
you can have anythin' you want but you betta not take it from me - -
Wet, his face was wet now. "Why you little-" Benjamin spat out, starting to head towards her when the little lady then decided to fly her little tramp mouth off. He gazed angrily at her, his fondness for her good looks gone now and instead was hatred. No one disrespects him, especially someone as small as her. He just watched her little frame shout angrily and started to actually find it amusing. She was so worked up over one little pirate raid. C'mon, she had two crew mates, did she really expect herself to be getting far without being raided? he thought smugly.
Benjamin had spent a good amount of years building a crew before he even attempted to venture out on the open sea. He had now a good twenty men or so aboard his grand beauty of a ship and, well, the rest is history. Glancing back up, he realized he had completely dazed off, missing most of the woman's long rant. What did I say about women being annoying? Yeah well, exhibit A. They just talk and talk and talk your ear off, he thought to himself, furrowing his eyebrows again.
Then, in what seemed to only be a second or two, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. "You don't need to know my name, and if you dare bother me again you'll never get a chance to ask me for my name again because you'll be dead." The girl spat out before turning around and killing two of his men. Okay, that was it. Who did this little thing think she was? Walk right in here and kill TWO of his men? Men that had been working with him for quite some time now, men that were not easily replaceable.
"You pirates think you can attack whoever you like, take their goods, kill the men, and whatever else you want to do. But, I'm not going to let that happen to me. You're going to leave me alone." She added, her attention now towards her ship.
Benjamin stared down at her for a second before he started to laugh hysterically. "You have had to have lost your goddamn mind if you think you're getting off this ship after the shit you just pulled," he snarled, grabbing her arm and pulling her face only inches from his. He could feel her hot breath on his lips and he saw her gasp and hold her breath for a second. He smirked, licking his lips while he glanced at her. While she had been one pain in the ass so far, remember, he wasn't cruel.
"As I see it, you have two options. One, you die. We leave you on your ship and you will die a slow, non-exciting death. Or two, you join my crew. Since I seem to be two down now, no thanks to you, I need someone to sweep and mop the bottom barracks of the ship and any other mindless chores my mind can come up with, " he said, keeping his face close to her's. Benjamin kept his gaze, his brown eyes staring into her blue ones. "This is a good offer, m'beauty. Not just anyone gets to join my crew. You're lucky I'm in a good mood this morning, otherwise you may have just been left below deck with my crew until we dock again."
At the sound of his words, his crew immediately started hooting and hollering. Benjamin raised his head, taking his face away from hers to glare at his crew. "Everyone back to their posts! I did not give the command that you all stand here like spud-faced idiots!" he yelled angrily, watching as his crew jumped back into action before he looked back at the girl.
She was glaring at him again though, and she just yelled at him, "No fuck you! I'd rather die than spend one second with you or your goddamn crew again."
Benjamin sighed, releasing his grip on her arm and tossing her towards Micah. "Suit yourself. Micah, drop her off on her boat, we have business to attend to," he stated, walking away and not even giving the girl another glance. What an unusual start to the day, he thought.
After they had dropped the girl back off on her boat, they had sailed away, aiming towards Cascara port so they could sell the valuables they had gotten from their raids over the past week. Benjamin was sitting in his quarters reading over some maps and letters when one of his crew mates busted in.
"Captain, a big storm is a'coming. Don't think we will be able to sail through it.
Benjamin nodded, "Alright, tell Micah to set course for the little isle of Tranile. It's close and should give us some cover from the storm until it's gone."
Amelia's blue eyes flickered with rage as Benjamin's teasing laugh reached her ears. It was one thing for him to kill her two friends, nearly destroy her ship - but it was another thing for him to laugh at her mockingly after barking her demands. One, she was not used to others teasing her and blatantly ignoring her commands; she had grown up with people bending over backwards for her every whim. Two, she was sort of a spoiled brat with no real concept of how things worked in the "real world."
"You have had to have lost your goddamn mind if you think you're getting off this ship after the sh*t you just pulled," at this point in the conversation, he actually had the nerve to grab her arm and pull her closer to his face. A slight gasp managed to escape her pouted lips at the thought of this man actually laying a hand on her, plus his breath kind of rank like a heavy night of binge drinking followed by a lack of dental hygiene. He started listing off some options, but Amelia had partially tuned out at at that point as she found herself lost for a second in his brown, stern eyes. She had to blink a couple of times to mentally break this spell he seemed to have cast on her.
"Or two, you join my crew. Since I seem to be two down now, no thanks to you, I need someone to sweep and mop the bottom barracks of the ship and any other mindless chores my mind can come up with," Those last words rung in her ears. Chores? Join his crew? Basically be there maid? Oh no, she was too pretty to just be scrubbing floors. Well, that's what she thought anyways. She about lost it there. She was seconds away from strangling the man with her bare hands for even suggesting something so stupid. All men were the same. Nice to look at, but just plain dumb. Did he have any common sense? Did he even know who she was? Most likely if he knew the kind of connections she had - a queen as a mother (unlimited riches, but the two were not on good terms, but that part needs no mentioning..) - he wouldn't be barking orders at her, instead he'd be rubbing her feet, and addressing her every need. But for now, she'd keep that on the down low. There's no need to tell stingy, ruthless pirates the kind of connections she had. Who knows what they would do with that kind of information..
Amelia could feel her blood boiling beneath her skin at the nerve of this kid. "No f*ck you! I'd rather die than spend one second with you or your goddamn crew again." And with that, Benjamin ordered one of his men to drop her off back at her ship. Smart choice. This boy had no idea who he was messing with. If Amelia had stayed on board and been forced to work for these men, Lord knows what she would do to them. They would be in for one rude awakening - cause Amelia was anything but an angel. She was a rude, condescneding, feisty she-devil who was not shy of resorting to violence or shameless seduction to get her way.
Sighing, Amelia took a glance at the destruction of her ship. Her small ship, which she had stolen from some poor fisherman, was nothing impressive and she was surprised it even fared so well under the cannon fire it had just recently endured. She needed to sail to the nearest port to get it repaired. And of course, there was poor Adam and William she had to give a proper burial. While she was slightly evil, insane, and just on the verge of being a psycopath - she was extremely loyal to those she opened up to and trusted. But that sweet side of Amelia was extremely rare. Her whole life she had struggled with trust. It was hard to trust people when your own mother lied to you most of your life about who your real father was. Maybe that was why she was so bitter and cruel most of the time.
The wind began to pick up, and the sea began to rock back and forth and churn which left Amelia with this sick feeling in her stomach. Her eyes looked up at the sky, only to catch a glimpse of the storm heading her way. Her fingers clenched by her sides when she realised she was completely alone, and her ship was in no shape to fare any kind of inclement weather at this point. She pulled her black strands up into a high messy bun atop her head and ripped her ragged jacket off. While she might have been a little daunted at the fact that she was probably facing a brutal storm that would most likely destory her ship, she wasn't going to go be a little bitch about it. That wasn't in her nature. She was going to look this storm in the face and laugh at it. If she was going to die today, she wasn't going to go down without a fight.
Her ship began to rock back and forth, creaking and groaning against the strain caused by the choppy waves. Rain began to trickle from the sky at first before coming down in a torrential down pour. And suddenly the storm had engulfed the whole area. There was nothing but pitch black skies all around her that was occasionaly lit up by bolts of lightning that streaked across the swollen storm clouds. "Well shit...." She muttered under her breath as she ran to the wheel of her ship to take control. If she remembered right, they had sailed past a little isle not too long ago before they had been attacked by Benjamin and his crew of not so merry men. If she could get close enough to that isle before her ship fell mercy to this storm, she'd have a better chance at surviving.
Before the storm got to worse, Amelia spotted the little island, a little speck amidst the gray of the storm. She spun the wheel of her ship pointing her bow towards land.
She had made it about halfway to the small isle before a large wave lifted her boat into the air with the swell, and was sucked underneath the brute force of the wave, sucking her underneath too.
What had happened? Amelia woke up totally disoriented. Her mind was foggy. Her whole body ached. And she felt sick to her stomach. But she was laying on a sandy beach, the sun was shining, and Benjamin was standing just above her looking at her funny. It took a while before her eyes could focus on his. A smug grin was plastered on his lips as he stood over her, bending down, his face just inches from hers. Her normal reaction would have been to punch him square in the jaw, but she was so weak, she couldn't even find the strength to stand up.
"Well m'beauty, I'm sure not a knight in shining armor but you seem to be a damsel in distress."
She blinked a couple of times before sitting up, only closing the gap the between them before she was just mere inches from his face. She could have sworn she felt some magnetic attraction towards his lips but ignored the weird feeling, because it almost made her sick to her stomach thinking of even kissing him. "I don't suppose you're expecting a kiss from this damsel cause you'll be rotting in hell before I'd ever kiss you." Amelia mustered up the strength to roll over and remove herself from the situation she had just woken up to - with Benjamin hovering over her. Something about it, she wish she'd react and just kiss him. But the other stubborn half of her wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
"This is all your fault anyways." She muttered under her breath as she shot him a glare. "I'm going to DIE." She felt weak, sick, and just confused. Her memories faded after the ship had been sucked underneath the water, and now she had woken up on an island with Benjamin claiming to be her rescuer. Oh please. "I HAVE NOTHING. EVERYTHINGS GONE." If Benjamin weren't here, she might have just bursted into tears. But she would never let Benjamin see her in such a weak and vulnerable state. No one would ever see that side of her. She balled her hands into fists with frustration, her nose crinkling , and her eyebrows knitted over her eyes.
Amelia gathered her black strands of hair into a ponytail before glancing back over at Benjamin, "So what are you going to do about this? Leave me here to die, I don't care. You've already taken everything else from me..." As she looked over at him, she caught herself staring at him. God, he was nice to look at. Everything about him was incredibly handsome, but everything inside her was screaming at her to be a bitch to him. Her mind began to wander... what if she did kiss him for saving a damsel in distress? That'd be nice, she cocked an eyebrow at the thought. Ooh, that'd be very nice. She had to shake herself out of this. Whatever spell he was casting on her, was working, and she was doing everything to resist.
you can have anythin' you want but you betta not take it from me - -
They had made it to the little isle with just enough time to dock, lock down the ship and find some shelter before the worst hit. Luckily there were some abandon shacks not too far inland which allowed Benjamin to lay down for some time. Unfortunately he found himself unable to sleep, every time he closed his eyes he just saw those blue ones staring right back at him. Grumbling, he rolled onto his side and face the brick wall, glaring at it.
Not my fault, he thought to himself, she chose that and I'm a man of my word. But still he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for just stranding her out there, especially with this huge storm hitting only but twenty minutes after her little ship disappeared from view.
No matter what she was going to die, this was just a faster option than starving to death. He glared at the thought.
She killed two of my men in cold blood.
But so did I...
This mental argument back and forth was non-stop since they had been here which had been around seven hours now. He rolled back over onto his back, his dark brow furrowed. Alright enough moping around, time to get some work done, he thought, jumping off of the makeshift bed he had made earlier. Opening the door, he was greeted with some clouds but no more rain. The sky was darker than it had been earlier in the morning but the storm had definitely passed. There was more of a chill in the air though so he grabbed a brown jacket and made sure his white shirt was buttoned up now.
Benjamin started to walk towards another shack that was much larger and which held the majority of his crew. A few members had been switching off roles of guard duty. The door creaked open loudly and a bunch of heads turned towards him. Some were lounging around but most were playing card games to pass time. He smirked, leaning against a nearby wall. "So you boys thought you could start a game of blackjack and not invite me?"
Micah stood up and walked over to him while some of his crew mates chuckled, returning to their game. "Sleep rest, Cap'n?"
Benjamin grumbled and shrugged, not glancing in Micah's direction.
"Benjamin." Micah stated, grabbing his attention. He rarely used his name, in fact he was the only member of his crew that was allowed to call him by his name. This man who stood only a few inches shorter than his 6'2'' frame with dreads to his shoulders and hazel eyes and light ebony skin was more than a first mate to him, he was a brother. They had grown up together on a ship with a very cruel Captain. Since before he could remember, Micah was the only family he knew. Unlike Benjamin, Micah was more quiet and patient. He was not a man you would imagine as a pirate, but yet here he was by his side.
"You need to let go of that guilt, you cannot get like this again. Remember what happened last time?" Micah whispered. Benjamin's blood felt like it froze as he recalled the memory. The blonde hair, those bright green eyes and that irresistible smile still haunted his dreams at night.
"We do not speak of her, Micah." He whispered harshly, starting to head back towards the front door before he felt Micah's hand grab his arm.
"Then do not let this girl cloud your judgment. 'Sides, by the looks of the damage the storm brought in, she's already in Davy Jone's grips."
That last comment drove him over the edge. Benjamin had just turned back to face Micah, rage displayed all over his face when a crew mate busted in through the front door.
"CAPTAIN."
Benjamin rolled his eyes. "What?!" He barked out, turning towards the man.
"We found somethin' on da beach. Yer gonna wanna see dis." The man said, grinning and showing a mouth full of missing teeth. Benjamin sighed, yanking his arm out of Micah's grip and nodding.
"Alright, show me the way Toothless."
-----------------
His boots crunched under the sand and debris and he felt like an elephant walking down the beach since it was so quiet now after the storm had passed. The man he was following seemed to have been taking his sweet time as he hummed some pirate songs and almost seemed to be skipping along.
Benjamin was fuming by now. If it was so important to have him see something then it shouldn't have been a little thirty minute stroll to see whatever it was. Just as he was about the yell at the man and throw him into the ocean, the crew mate spoke.
"AYE. There she is!" He said, pointing off into the distance maybe some five meters away.
Well it was a person but he could not tell who it was and why it was so important he saw her. As he got closer, he slowly started to recognize her. How could he not? The dark curls were sticking to her face and her full lips were parted ever so slightly. Her clothes were soaked and clung to her little frame. Benjamin smirked, What an ironic change of events.
He bent down, hovering just over her to see if she was still alive. He was about to feel for a pulse when her blue eyes shot open. For a second he was caught off guard and just stared at her before he grinned smugly.
"Well m'beauty, I'm sure not a knight in shining armor but you seem to be a damsel in distress."
Suddenly she sat up, only inches away from his face. She smelled of the ocean, but there was still this lingering sweet smell to her. His grin disappeared completely as he glanced down at her lips, suddenly very tempted to taste them. Just one, innocent, little peck, he thought.
"I don't suppose you're expecting a kiss from this damsel cause you'll be rotting in hell before I'd ever kiss you."
I'd rot in hell for thousands upon thousands of years for just one little taste, he thought hungrily.
Okay whoa, he needed to calm down. Just minutes ago he thought she was dead, she had killed two of his men earlier, and for heavens sake he didn't even know her name! She rolled out from underneath him and stumbled to her feet. He stood up and cleared his throat, rubbing his beard. This girl was a complete stranger and somehow she had him acting like a horny little teenager.
"This is all your fault anyways. I'm going to DIE. I HAVE NOTHING. EVERYTHING'S GONE." She started exclaiming, her face squishing up from frustration. He chuckled softly to himself, she looked sort of adorable angry, like a feisty little kitten.
"So what are you going to do about this? Leave me here to die, I don't care. You've already taken everything else from me..." She added and Benjamin slowly got an idea, smirking.
"Fate seems to be bringing us together and since you rudely declined my offer of joining my crew, and since I'm here to rescue you, you will be coming with us. 'Sides, I know those thoughts you're having in that little head of your's." He stated, a smirk still remaining on his face. Her face was full of shock and almost a little guil. "It would be cruel to keep you away from your true love... Micah." Benjamin added, watching as shock changed into an angry glare. "Hey hey hey little lady, I've seen how you look at him. You two are meant for each other." He said chuckling.
He looked over at Micah who was shaking his head, basically telling him that this was an awful idea. Well suck it, I do what I want. I'M the Captain, he thought.
Amelia bit her bottom lip, "Fate seems to be bringing us together and since you rudely declined my offer of joining my crew, and since I'm here to rescue you, you will be coming with us." Her stomach began to do little flips at the idea of her joining Benjamin's crew. A smile almost managed to work its way on to her lips before she sternly replaced it with a pout. Secretly she was falling head over heels for this man. Whether it be his devilishly good looks, or his cocky attitude, there was just something about him... oooh she wanted him. Her train of thought came to a screeching halt with his next words that hit her like a ton of bricks, she could feel her face flush with a red undertone, "Sides, I know those thoughts you're having in that little head of your's." Her sky blue eyes widened, there was no hiding her initial shock. Did he see the lingering glances she had been given him? Was she too obvious when she was checking him out? Suddenly she was extremely self-conscious until he directed his thoughts of her love for... Micah? Oh, he was totally messing with her now. Oh boy, if she wasn't so weak right now, this boy would be in a world of hurt. She would have been beating him up for teasing her like that.
The men and her began to head out back to Benjamin's ship since she had no obvious choice, and besides she didn't mind lingering around a little longer if that meant she could stare at this hunk of a man all day. Of course she was going to deny any obvious signs of attraction towards him and pretend she still hated his guts because that's how she rolled.
Benjamin seemed to stick close to her side during the trek back to the ship, she didn't mind. She took a deep breath before breaking the silence, "Since fate brought us together...." She started out, mumbling off towards the end. Her blue eyes caught his brown eyes, before quickly falling down to the sand beneath their feet as she avoided that mesmerizing gaze of his. She pursed her lips together before continuing her thought, "Look.... I'm sorry if I came off a bit..... bitchy?" She shrugged her shoulders and let out a chuckle before smiling and shaking her head, "I'm.... difficult at times, but I mean well... I swear." Was she actually opening up to this complete stranger? He didn't even know her name, but she found herself so at ease at this moment, and she had no idea why. She never felt at ease around anyone. She never let her guard down. But this time, it was different. She stopped in her tracks, and tucked the stray pieces of black hair that framed her face behind her ear. "What I'm trying to say is... I think we started off on the wrong foot." Her eyes locked on with his, "You asked for my name earlier." She could see he was listening intently to every word she spoke to him, "The name's Amelia."
you can have anythin' you want but you betta not take it from me - -
Just keep walking, don't stare, one foot in front of the other, look forward and not at her.
These were the thoughts that were constantly replaying in Benjamin's mind as they walked back to his ship. Most of his crew walked ahead of him, singing jolly songs and being loud and rambunctious. Micah walked behind them and he could almost feel the rage radiating off him. Well too bad, so sad. He should've known to not tell him what to do, no one did that anymore. Benjamin was the maker of his own destiny and he did not need anyone, even Micah, telling him how to live his life. It was just one girl. One girl that had his emotions all over the place at times, but other than that, just one girl.
You know that's not true...
Shut up self. I don't need no lecture from myself either.
"Since fate brought us together...." the woman broke the silence and he looked down at her, their eyes meeting for a second before she turned away to look at the ground. Goddamn it, what happened to not looking at her? he thought.
"Look.... I'm sorry if I came off a bit..... bitchy? I'm.... difficult at times, but I mean well... I swear." She said and for once she smiled, chuckling. Okay he was in trouble, that smile could actually kill. He swallowed, feeling like there was a rock suddenly lodged in his throat. Benjamin turned his gaze towards the scenery in front of him, realizing he was just staring at her.
All of a sudden he realized she was not beside him. He stopped and turned around, confused as to why she just stopped walking.
"What I'm trying to say is... I think we started off on the wrong foot." She said, her eyes raising to gaze into his. Not fair, how could someone's eyes be so blue? They weren't even comparable to the sea or the sky, her's were indescribable.
"The name's Amelia," she stated. This made Benjamin smile, and actually smile, not a smirk or a playful grin, but just a huge smile.
"Took ya long enough." He teased, turning back around. "C'mon, she's right around this bend up here." They had reached his ship soon after her name confession and he grinned as he watched her take in his ship. "Took me almost five years to earn enough coin for her, but boy was she worth it," he said, looking back over at his ship. He didn't mention all the bloodshed and horror that accompanied those five years as well, but that was a tale for another day.
"So... wanna tour?" He asked, already knowing her answer. She just nodded her head quickly, still not taking her eyes off the ship. Benjamin cleared his throat, getting her attention back on him. "Follow me."
They had toured the entire ship for the most part. He had showed her all the crew stations above deck and below as well as the dining area and the sleeping barracks. He was just about to enter the kitchen when he bumped right into someone.
Benjamin yelled a bunch of incoherent profanity, holding his nose in pain. "Watch where yer goin'!" He looked up to see a very angry face. Uh oh.
Mac, the ship's chef, was staring down at him glaring. Benjamin was already a tall guy, but Mac stood at an unbelievable 6'7''. He was bald with dark brown eyes and a black goatee. He had tons of tattoos over his arms and chest and for being 35 was still in very amazing shape.
"Heeeeey Mac..." Benjamin said, starting to back up but he just bumped right into Amelia. Oopsies.
"Ben, Ben, Ben... How's it going?" He said, smiling and showcasing a few gold teeth.
Well maybe he hadn't found out about the lamp and just didn't like to be bumped into. "Pretty good actually. Just picked up a new crew mate," he said, beckoning behind him to Amelia.
Mac nodded, smiling friendly. For a big guy, he was a big teddy bear for the most part. Unless he was mad. Then he's an angry bear, very angry.
His friendly demeanor suddenly changed when he looked back at Benjamin though. "So, how's your cabin? Liking the new decor?"
"Uhh yeah! Lovely. Those new lamps really tied the place together, you've got a great eye."
Right as he said the word lamp, Mac's face hardened, his eyes turning almost a coal black color. Sh*t.
"Listen Mac, you gotta understand.." he sputtered out, backing out of the doorway and towards the deck of the ship. "It was an accident. I swear. You know I have terrible aim throwing stuff, and there were loud noises waking me up and I just didn't--" He didn't have enough time to finish his excuse when Mac lunged for him. Benjamin let out a loud squeal and high-tailed it up the stairs to the deck of the ship. He was lighter than Mac and had the advantage of speed but he really had no where to go since they had already left the port. Benjamin ran along the side of the ship and grabbed onto a rope, swinging away from Mac's grasp. Unfortunately he didn't think about how ropes work and came flying back towards him seconds later, sending them both to the ground.
He tried to scramble to his feet but Mac grabbed him and pinned him to the post. "M-Mac... I'm sorry." He squeaked out, gasping for air.
Suddenly Mac let go and started cracking up. Benjamin dropped to the ground, rubbing his neck. Mac and some of his crew were dying in laughter.
"D-did you hear that squeal?!" Mac bellowed out between laughter. "I've never heard anythin' higher pitched than that!"
Benjamin glared at him and his crew that was still laughing. Great. Way to go, embarrass yourself in front of all of them.
He looked over and saw Amelia standing at the doorway also laughing.
"ENOUGH." He raged out, shooting his pistol into the air. His crew hushed immediately.
Mac wiped a few tears from his eyes, patting him on the shoulder. "Relax kid, just giving you a hard time. It's just a lamp, no need to shed any blood over it." He said, shaking his head chuckling as he headed back down to the kitchen.
Benjamin walked over to Amelia, rubbing the back of his head shamefully. "So uh... let's forget that just happened. But that's basically the entire ship. She's in pretty good shape and can hold her own. And the crew, well most look pretty menacing but they aren't too bad once you get to know them. But I might stay away from Huck and Buck over there since you killed two of their buds earlier."
After what felt like hours of walking along the beach of the small isle, they finally reached the ship. Amelia sighed as her curious eyes took in the whole ship. It was probably the pirate blood coursing through her veins, but there was just something so majestic about ships... the ocean... this whole lifestyle. That's why she ran away from home. That's why she killed people. That's why she escaped to the open ocean. It was in her blood. She was still bitter at the fact she had lost her ship, but in all honesty she had stolen some poor fisherman's ship. The ship had seen better days. This is was her next goal. To get her own pirate ship. A frigate. Something that packed huge fire-power. Something that would strike fear in everyone's hearts when they'd see the ship sailing towards them. Her mind began to wander off in this fantasy of hers. Maybe fate brought Benjamin in her life for this reason. She could learn a few things from him.
Benjamin cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him, her eyes never left the ship though, "So... wanna tour?" Amelia nodded and followed him on the tour of the ship.
They ran into a huge man, like incredibly huge. Like he must have been a mutant or something. No way could someone be that big. She admired the tattoos that covered his skin as Benjamin and Mac exchanged casual conversation. Casual conversation that quickly led to a chase around the ship. It ended with Benjamin pinned to a post, begging for Mac's forgiveness. Amelia couldn't help but giggle at the sight, he was a lot less intimidating looking after that. A little smile creased her lips, and she leaned her small frame against the door frame, crossing her arms across her chest.
Benjamin approached her, rubbing the back of his head before rambling off. She raised an eyebrow at his warning, "I'm not scared of anyone." She stated stubbornly, her eyes glimmered with a stubborn fire to them. So she killed two of their buds? They killed two of hers! In her eyes, they were even, and she had nothing to worry about.
------------------
It had been several months since Amelia had lost her friends and ship, and several months since she had joined Benjamin and his crew. Things were alright. Amelia was only along for the ride to learn a few tricks from some experienced pirates and just so she could keep an eye on her little eye-candy, Benjamin.
She had gotten along with most of the crew surprisingly, mostly because she was just as gross and stubborn and cruel as most of the guys on the ship - she fit right in. Plus, the men probably didn't mind having a female on board - mind you, a foul mouthed, rum-drinking, card playing, sharp shooter girl. Oh, she fit right on in in the pirate life style.
She often found herself thinking of her dad, Captain Del. He was dead now. Or so, that's what the word around the sea was. Who knew if he really was dead? Amelia had gotten to spend some time with her dad before he had disappeared. He taught her most of the skills she has. He was the one who taught her how to load a gun, how to clean a gun, how to aim, how to disarm someone with just one pistol shot. If her mom knew what Del had taught her, oh she would have been locked in her room forever.
Del had visited Amelia in secret when she had turned 18 - the day she learned her mother had been lying to her for years about who her real dad was. Of course, Amelia's mom Guineverre was completely against the idea for obvious reasons - no one needed to know Amelia was a bastard child, or even the fact that her dad was a pirate. It was completely, and utterly controversial. She didn't want to ruin her good image. But Del wanted to be in Amelia's life. Sure he was a cruel pirate, who killed thousands of men in his life and did unspeakable things, but he was a father above all - and Amelia was his whole life. She was a spitting image of him, only in girl form. She had favored his jet black hair that fell in disheveled curls, crystal blue eyes, his pale skin that would turn a bright bronze in the sun, his fiery temper, his passion for the sea, and his genuine heart. While Del might have been a fearsome pirate, there was a side to him no one ever saw - a real side, one that genuinely cared for others, his fiery passion would turn into a fiery loyalty for the ones he trusted most. That's what made him so great, legendary even. He was a bold and fearless leader who cared for his crew.
She hoped she could be reunited with him one day, maybe join right by his side. Oh she could picture it now. Captain Del and his first mate Amelia. They would rule the seas. Everyone would fear them. Amelia would make her mom pay for the torture she had put her through her whole life - for messing her up in the head.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the men on board hollering, alarm bells going off. She had been leaning against the railing at the front of the ship, staring off up into the night sky, admiring the stars that dotted the black velvet night. What on earth was going on? The last couple months had been quite quiet. No raids, no attacks, no nothing. She caught a glimpse of Benjamin emerging from his quarters, wrapping a bandanna around his head, swinging a sword in the air and hollering.
One of the men ran up to Amelia and shoved a pistol in her hands, "THE NAVY! THEY'RE HEADING OUR WAY!" Amelia blinked a couple of times, and ran her hand over the cold metal of the pistol. Oh... so that's what was going on. Well, this couldn't be good. She rushed over to Benjamin's side, through the months they had been growing quite fond of each other. Just as friends though, Amelia could feel the tension between them though and wondered if he ever felt the same. But they had never opened up that can of worms, and it was best they probably didn't. Things would probably just get complicated, messy, and just weird. Besides, Amelia wasn't really the dating type. She was more so just looking for some fun than anything else. "Ben..." She breathed, her voice barely coming out. "I have a weird feeling about this...."
Everyone was prepared for battle, but the Navy ship skipped the battle, rammed straight into the ship, and began boarding. Hundreds of men in coats and rifles boarded the ship, and Amelia's eyes caught the insignia on the flag causing her stomach to instantly drop. It was the flag of her home land. Had her mother sent men to find her? Or was this just pure coincidence. Chaos had erupted on the ship as the pirates attacked the boarding navy men, but Amelia couldn't move. Her legs were frozen solid, and it felt like her feet were glued to the floor. She felt a familiar gaze glued onto her.
"AMELIA!"
sh*t.... sh*t sh*t sh*t. IT IS HIM! f*ck! WHAT THE HELL! Amelia's mind went into a frenzy. She had no idea what was about to happen but she knew it wasn't going to be good. Everybody had frozen at this point. Benjamin's crew stopped to look at this man approaching Amelia, and the navy men had stopped to look over at Amelia. She could hear them whispering to each other.
"That's her." "That's the queen's daughter." "It's the princess."
Amelia's heart was beating a mile a minute, and she felt like it was about to explode. She could feel Benjamin glaring at her and she began to wonder what he was thinking. He was probably so confused. Maybe he felt betrayed or lied to. But this was a part of Amelia she had tried to leave in the past, but here it was, knocking at her front door.
The man who had shouted her name came rushing to her side, and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Oh this is so great, my dear! Your mother has been so worried about you! Your dad too! We all thought you were dead!" This was the admiral of the Navy of Esme. He was second in command to the king and queen, and he had known Amelia since she was born. In this moment of confusion, the navy men had managed to cuff all the pirates except Benjamin. "These pirates must pay for their crimes of kidnapping the princess!" The admiral, grabbed Benjamin and forced his arms behind his back, "Seize the ship and all their goods! And let us celebrate at the finding of Princess Amelia! Tonight we will all be feasting and drinking!"
"NO! THIS IS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING!" Amelia lunged at the Admiral, but missed and fell to the floor. She saw the look of hatred Benjamin was given her and she felt her heart break a little bit. This was not what she wanted at all though!
"Lukas! Get Amelia, she has probably been brain washed by these pirates! Put her into some fresh clothes and bring her to the main cabin, give her food and drink and let her sleep. We'll talk to her later about everything to try to understand what has happened." The man nodded and grabbed Amelia and brought her to the main living quarters aboard the Navy ship.
i thought i knew you thinking that you were true - - -
The last few months had been amazing. They had not faced much and had just been enjoying sailing around. The open ocean was quite peaceful and such an unbelievable force of nature. Amelia had immediately grown on his crew and fit in without a problem. He was surprised actually that a girl like her could demand the attention and respect of men twice her size. He had grown a sort of admiration for her spirit, he had seen it the first day he met her but she just kept surprising him day after day.
They had grown quite a friendship as well but he still had to keep his guard up. He could feel himself softening up to her but feelings just didn't work well with him. He could barely get along with himself let alone another person. Although, Amelia was quite different from the other women he had met. Yes she was a pirate, but more than that, she was smart and still held herself in a certain way that made you want to respect her and listen to her.
Benjamin chuckled softly thinking about her as he looked out of the window in his quarters. The moon shone brightly, reflecting off the ocean. It was a very peaceful night. He was enjoying the quietness of the night when suddenly the alarm bells started ringing, announcing that they were about to be attacked. He sprung into action, grabbing his sword and his signature black bandanna before throwing his door open.
"CAP'N. THE NAVY ARE HERE." A crew mate yelled.
Benjamin snarled, "GIVE 'EM HELL BOYS!" His men yelled and were about to start battle but the Navy ship decided to collide with his ship and boarded immediately. He tried to quickly get to his feet and fight but found a musket pointed right at his head. "Don't move, scum. The soldier spit out harshly at him. He glared, spitting in the man's face. Immediately he was smacked in the face with the back of the gun, earning a nice bloody nose. He turned back to face the soldier and grinned, looking like a maniac.
"Yer gonna end up regrettin' that, matey," he threatened, but before he could anything he was rudely interrupted.
"Oh this is so great, my dear! Your mother has been so worried about you! Your dad too! We all thought you were dead!" The admiral of the Navy ship was talking to Amelia, but instead of being hostile, he was being quite friendly. Wait, did he say mother? Father?
"These pirates must pay for their crimes of kidnapping the princess!"
Princess?! Amelia?! In his state of confusion, the admiral had grabbed him and cuffed his arms behind his back. He tried to resist against the restraints but it was no good. He looked over at Amelia. Why that little b*tch... he thought, glaring death daggers towards her back. She yelled at the admiral about it being a misunderstanding, lunging for him but missed. She looked over at him, confirming all the thoughts of betrayal running through his mind. Guess this was all just a little bit of pretend for her. Run away and play pirate for a bit until it was over. She basically was mocking his lifestyle.
Benjamin was shaking with anger at this point. The admiral shoved him forward to have him board onto their ship. As he passed Amelia, he had to stop himself from lunging at her. Her time would come. He had just made it onto the ship when he saw Micah talking to a Navy officer, the issue was that he wasn't cuffed or anything. Micah looked over and saw him and a look of shame and guilt flooded his face before it hardened and he looked away.
"Ah Micah! Our great warrior has finally returned. The Queen will definitely reward you for a job well done. Look at all the pirate scum you have helped get captured. Including this so called "Captain" here," the admiral sneered.
"Micah..?" Benjamin's voice came hoarsely as he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
"Oh you didn't know? Micah here is a Navy spy. He's been on a job to hunt down a bunch of pirates since he was young. He has done his job and then some. He will be known as a hero when we return home." The admiral added, his words feeling like a sword twisting in his chest over and over. Benjamin just hung his head, the fight inside of him completely gone now. The admiral and his soldiers just laughed as they shoved him below deck into a cell. He went to the back corner, sitting down and resting his head on his knees as he stared at one of the walls. He heard hushed whispers of some crew mates talking but they eventually shut up as they just passed out.
Amelia stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was quite shocking to see herself. She was dressed in royal attire, like the clothes she had grown up in. A tan bodice laced up forced her tiny body into a tiny hourglass shape. Her creme dress was bedazzled with jewels and lace. Her haid had been brushed and pinned up in curls. Her face had been powdered white, her lashes done, and a red stain had been applied to her lips. She could barely recognize the face staring back at her in the mirror. This was Princess Amelia. This was a look her mother would approve of. Not the shabby wardrobe she had adopted during her life living as a rogue pirate. Gone was the loose fitted button up cotton shirt and slouchy boots, the disheveled hair that she wore down so it framed her face. It had been years since Amelia had dressed like this, and she hated it. She hated everything about the royal lifestyle. To her, it felt forced, unnatural. Her whole life she felt different... and now she knew why. This was not the life for her.
There was a knock on the door, Amelia glanced over from the mirror to the door, "Who is it?"
"It's me.."
It had been years since she had heard that voice. The deep, raspy, almost breathy tone. It was comforting to hear a familiar voice, one she trusted.
Amelia unlocked the door and let Lukas in. He instantly grabbed her hand and kissed it before turning around to close the door behind him. In habit, Amelia courtseyed before sitting down at the small dining table in her room.
"I'm almost at a lost for words.... everyone thought you were dead."
Lukas ran his hands through his hair and poured himself a glass of wine, "A drink, Amelia?"
Amelia nodded and accepted the glass of wine Lukas handed her. She swirled it around a couple of times before chugging the entire glass in one gulp.
Lukas chuckled, "Oh you haven't changed a bit. Still a rebel." He paused before licking his lips, then looking back at her, "If you don't mind me asking.... what ha-... what happened?"
She figured she had a lot of explaining to do. She had never thought she would run into any of these people ever again... but here she was.
"I ran away. Simple as that." She reached over to pour herself another glass of wine, she planned on drinking as much wine as she could until she passed out so she could escape from this hell.
"So... you weren't kidnapped? What were you doing with...... pirates? Amelia have you lost your brain?"
Amelia scoffed at him before taking a giant sip of her wine, "Have you lost your mind?! Why would you stay on that dreadful island?"
"Dreadful island?! That island is safe!"
With that, Amelia let out a mocking laugh, "Safe?! Lukas, you have no idea what you're talking about. You're delusional. Everything about that place is a f*cking lie."
No one knew of her mother's secret besides Amelia and Del. Not even the king himself, to this day he still believed Amelia was his - even if she looked nothing like him. What an idiot. She rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine to finish the glass. Amelia was about to spill the beans, "Lukas.... I'm about to tell you something no one knows but my mother..." She was about to reach for the wine bottle before Lukas stopped her.
"What are you talking about? You're crazy! Why would you run away from home and not tell anyone? Do you think about anyone but yourself?! Your mother is depressed, she does nothing but sit around the castle all day praying for your return. And now you're going off about secrets? These pirates have brain-washed you!"
Amelia's blood began to boil. She used to be extremely close to Lukas. They had grown up together, and always had sort of a special friendship. Everyone around town believed they were going to get married one day... until Amelia dissappeared. So for him to be acting like this, she was shocked.
"Lukas I know you're mad and upset and confused but you need to listen.... trust me." Amelia reached for his hand and rubbed her thumb along his skin in a circle motion to relax him. His muscles seemed to relax at her touch.
"Okay fine. I'm listening."
She told him everything.
"On my eighteenth birthday my mom broke the news to me that King Henry was not my dad. She said my real dad was a pirate named Captain Del and for my birthday present she was going to let me meet him in secret. The day I met my real dad was the day my life changed. I felt like I finally fit in... I felt like this was the life for me. The pirate life. I wasn't met for fancy dresses, good manners, fancy balls, princes, any of that sh*t. I had pirate blood in me and I lusted for the pirate life. I would meet my dad in secret behind my mother's back, against her will. She didn't want anyone to know of her secret. But I wanted to know my dad... He showed me how to fight, how to defend myself, how to handle my alcohol, gambling, and he taught me that life isn't about putting on a fake to make everyone else happy, that I had to do what made me happy..... We had plans to meet one night, and he never came. I spent the night at the pub only to hear rumors he was dead, killed by some of our Navy men." She paused for a second. Lukas had this deer in a headlight look taking all this information in, he had no idea of this secret side of Amelia. "I ran to the docks, stole a boat, and never looked back... I thought I was running away from my old life and I thought I would never see it again.... until now."
"My God Amelia." She could see he was at a lost for words.
"So now you see that this is a terrible idea and you need to help me out of this! I don't want to go back home! I don't want to see my bitch of a mom! I want to be free!" She almost began to sob, but she was stronger than that. Instead she grabbed Lukas by the hand and pulled him close to whisper in his ear, "Help me out of this mess."
He pulled away, and stood up rather fast. "Amelia! I don't know what to believe. You just basically explained to me that everything I know... about Esme... about you... about your mom... It's all just.... lies."
Amelia nodded silently. She wished she wasn't lying. Her whole life was practically a lie, and it seriously f*cked her up in the head. It was the reason she had trust issues, it was the reason behind all her motifs. "Lukas...."
The two were interrupted by a knock on the door. Amelia stole a glance at Lukas real quick before she opened the door. It was one of the men coming to announce that they were almost at port.
"Amelia, your presence is requested at the main deck of the ship as we arrive at the Island of Esme. Your mother has been waiting for years for your return home."
Amelia nodded and the man left. Just before she left the room, she looked over at Lukas, "You have to trust me, Lukey. Just wait and see..." She coursteyed before leaving the room.
She marched up the stairs to the main deck, and she could feel a lump stuck in her throat. She was nervous about what was going to happen next. What was going to happen to Benjamin and his crew? Surely they were going to be hung for privacy and probably numerous other petty crimes... And, what was Amelia going to tell her mom? That she just ran away? Without saying goodbye? No note? No... she couldn't. She had to come up with a story. If Amelia admitted to running away, surely she'd be locked up in the highest room of the castle for the rest of her life. Just the thought of that was dreadful.
She joined the Admiral by his side as the ship approached the port. There was a crowd of people at the docks, and Amelia spotted the King and Queen at the edge of the pier, with arms locked, huddling close to each other. Disgusting. The king probably was still under the impression that Amelia was his daughter.
They had docked at the pier, and Amelia avoided any eye contact with anyone on the pier. These were all the faces she had wished she would never see again. She was escorted off the ship and over to the king and queen by the admiral, "Your Majesty and Royal Highness, I present to you... your lost daughter, Amelia."
Queen Guineverre engulfed Amelia in a hug and showered her with kisses, "Oh my lovely, lovely Amelia! My darling! My heart ached for you every day! And now my heart aches with love and happiness that you are finally here again!" Amelia squirmed and wriggled her way out of her mother's grip, "MOM! GET OFF ME!" Guineverre laughed, "Oh you haven't changed a bit! Still my fesity daughter!" God, this was so awkward. Everything about this made Amelia's skin crawl. This was so uncomfortable. King Henry wrapped Amelia in his arms, "Oh what a glorious day! Our beautiful daughter has returned!" Amelia rolled her eyes, God this man was something else. Just down right dumb. Could he not see she looked nothing like him? Or was he just pretending he didn't notice? Maybe he secretly knew that Guineverre was unfaithful and just didn't say anything so it wouldn't be a huge controversy. Whatever it was, Amelia hated it, and hated him.
The Admiral ordered the pirates to be brought off the ship, "King Henry, these were the pirates that held your daughter captive. We found them south-east of here with Amelia dressed as one of them... some probably sick, cruel game of theres. Who knows what they did to her." Amelia almost intervened, but she wasn't about to blow her cover. Everyone believed she had been kidnapped, so that was the story she was sticking with until now, before she would runaway again.
"HANG THEM ALL!" Guineverre commanded, and Amelia couldn't hold her tongue at the this point.
"NO!"
Her plead for them not to hang th epirates was lost in the crowds excitement. The pirates were hauled off to the local prison and Amelia was taken back to the castle.
