Author's Note:
I'll be going back and editing chapters with the help of my dear friend Deelah there will be a * next to the title name for those that are edited <3
Hope you enjoy
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By the time the convoy had made their way to the Kylmia den, Rebecca was beginning to have major doubts about her decision to sponsor Adren. Maybe this was a bad idea. Johnson was right. A large percentage of those who passed through the den were from the fallen empires of Throne, Rushan, and Klem. If they recognized Adren, there would be hell to pay. Or at least the head of one extremely valuable Silverguard prince who had a bounty on his head that would make anyone an instant millionaire.
There wasn't a single fallen that wouldn't gut him on sight.
Without question or hesitation.
Luckily for Adren, he wasn't exactly recognizable in his current state. His hazel brown hair which was short in his time as a prince now reached his jaw line, which was sharp due to the lack of food he had and exercise while he was on the run. His body was much more toned, packing a nice chiseled eight pack underneath his shirt, which she had seen while tending to his wound. While his height wouldn't change he was practically a new person.
As she opened the door to the infirmary, she froze at the sight of Adren and Lilya. Her little sister must have talked the Silverguard into a card game session, and at some point, the two of them had fallen asleep. Cards covered the wooden floor as they lay cuddled side-by-side, sound asleep on the floor. Like two little puppies. Or her brothers when they… then again , her brothers were like that whenever they got together, and they already had sons and daughters of their own.
She smiled as warmth rushed through her. They were adorable in that position. Hating to disturb them, she quietly closed the distance to nudge Lilya awake.
Before she could reach her, Adren opened his eyes with a gasp.
He shot up and drew one of the knives that lined his outfit. It took him a second to realize she wasn't a threat. His breathing ragged, he spun the blade around, no longer point at her and placed it back inside its sheath.
"Sorry." Grimacing, he pressed his hand on his wound, "Are we at the station?"
"Indeed."
Adren scratched his cheek in a gesture that was almost childlike. With a gentle smile, he begun to collect the cards that had been scattered across the floor. "Looks like you won."
"Only because you fell asleep in the middle of our game." she pouted.
"Sorry about that. Next time, I promise I'll bring my best."
Lilya held her pinky out, "Pinky swear."
After locking pinkies, Adren rose to his feet and took a minute to pull an army scarf from his coat pocket. He wrapped it around his neck to cover the identifiable scars, then covered his eyes with a pair of shades so no one could see his eye color. "You think I don't know about my eyes?"
"I think they're beautiful, like the oceans and seas we sail."
"For normal people. Maybe. Sucks since they are a deadringer for assassins and enforcers to go after you." He adjusted his jacket so that he could reach for his knives should he need them. "When I first started this vacation I had contacts to disguise them, but after a few weeks I couldn't afford to keep getting new ones. Luckily the shades look cool."
Rebecca had a hard time taking it all in. His family was one of the richest families in Yasson. "They really did leave you with nothing."
"What can I say they are good at what they do. Last time I tried to access my Ybowen accounts, I was told that they were frozen by authorities, and before I could leave the building, over ten assassins were on me."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Everyone has their own problems. I'm sure you have your own to deal with. As my brother once said. Your problems are your problems I don't give a shit... For the record? It was a saying that I lived my life on for the longest of times."
She let out a short laugh, "How can you make light of it all?"
Adren shrugged. "What do you gain from crying over spilled milk. I tried it once. Made my throat sore and nose stiff. Pissed off my parents which lead to an ass whooping I will never forget. After that I decided it was easier to hold it in."
Knock Knock Knock
Someone knocked on the door before they opened it, "Captain? We arrived."
Rebecca nodded at the crew member. "Tell the crew that I'll be right behind them." She turned back to Adren. Sloppy elegance. A term she had heard of her whole life, but never truly understood.
Until now.
Adren was the embodiment of the term. Ruggedly masculine and yet at the same time refine and educated. His smooth voice, lifting accent and perfectly chiseled body and facial features didn't match with his worn outfit.
"You ready?"
"Lead on, Muta."
Taking Lilya's hand, she led them off the flag ship and onto the harbor. Luckily it was night, so there weren't many people to worry about.
Of course, being pirates, activities would pick up after an hour or two. Like the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm.
She headed for the main administrative building. There were only a handful of workers there. All lower-ranked members there saluted her as she entered.
Rebecca returned the gesture. "Where is Becky?" Every administrative base had a chief in charge of ship maintenance. They were in charge of specific quadrants of the harbor, and the maintenance crews who worked in them. Becky happened to be the one in charge of her sector, and was on good terms with her.
A male member pointed to the break room. "The CM (Chief of Maintenance) is in the back."
A large, friendly woman awaited us in the break room. She was eating a sandwich and flipping through some paperwork when they entered. "Hey Rebecca, glad you made it back." Cocking her head, she eyed Adren, "Where'd you dig this up?"
"He said Lilya. Apparently he's really good at fighting and knows his way with ships and weapons. Offered him to work in tradition to the Kylmia ways.
Becky took a slow drink as her eyes swept up and down Adren's body. "You got a name, pretty boy?"
"Adren."
"Experience?"
"Lots."
She rolled her eyes. "Recent?"
"Yes."
She wasn't enjoying his tomfoolery, but didn't comment on it. "See that you don't screw up. If you do, they'll mount her head on the wall. You ever work on battleships?"
"Cruisers and smaller ships, mostly. A crystal engine is a crystal engine. I should be able to find my way around. If I can't figure it out, I can always do research. They tell me when you don't know something you can ask and people will tell you the answer. Really, it is all dark magic if you ask me."
Becky laughed and shook her head. "Well, you are better than those pridefully buffoons in my crew. Welcome to the family. But stow the attitude, it will likely cause me to toss you into the sea. Report in tomorrow morning. I'll fix you into the first shift.
"Thanks, Becky,"
She winked at Rebecca, "Anything for you."
"About housing…"
"Mhmm," she was in deep thought. "The base got a group of rogues after you left and took up most of the houses available. All that's left is the shacks."
Rebecca visibly cringed at the thought. Shacks were literally prison cells converted into homes for the poor.
"As long as it's dry with nothing crawling around, it will be fine."
Becky got up and went to her office where she kept the keys. She came back sometime later with a pair of keys in her hand.
"You want me to show him the way or do you want to do it?"
"I'll show him." Rebecca stated as she take the keys and walked out the door. It seems that she is taking her role as sponsor quite seriously.
Adren didn't speak as she led him out the office with a walk that should be deemed criminal. He tried as hard as he could to focus on anything but her perfectly shaped ass.
Sigh
It truly has been a long time since I had last been with a woman.