"How long are ya gonna sleep Princess?" Lilly faintly heard a male voice say to her. Lilly's eyes fluttered open before she slowly began to lift herself up off the bed. The half-asleep Princess could feel the warm sun shining on her, she welcomed the first touch of warmth in what felt like forever. Lilly looked around the room until her eyes landed on the man standing at the door. "Hurry up you damn Siren, the Captain is waiting." The man spoke harshly. Lilly looked at the very ticked-off short man staring at her. She rose from the bed, her body feeling heavy, she began to sway before catching her footing. Her body ached from being cold for so long. Lilly wanted to just crawl back into bed and enjoy the sunlight a little longer. The sound of the calm sea and the birds were making her feel more sleepy. "Hurry the hell up Siren!" The short man snapped again. Lilly jumped and her heart raced as she looked at the man shooting daggers with his eyes aimed straight at her, "Do you have an issue with me Mister? I've done nothing to you to deserve such treatment ALSO SIR! My name is Lilly!" Lilly snapped, finding it difficult to keep a level head. She had gone through hell for so long that she was finding it almost impossible to remember her manners.
"You fool, your presents here puts us all at risk! A woman on a ship is a death sentence!" The man snapped back, taking aggressive steps towards the Princess, causing her to step back. Lilly wasn't used to people acting aggressively towards her, so she was understandably scared. "Your superstitions aren't my problem, you have no right to treat me this way!" Lilly snapped back at the man. "I have more than enough rights to treat you how I chose you, Siren! You could get us all killed! I don't know what has gotten into the Captain's head by letting a WOMAN on bored!" The man yelled at Lilly. The Princess stood there in shock watching the man's face, bright red, his veins sticking out of his neck and the sides of his forehead. Lilly continued to stand there looking at the man, his glasses almost falling down his face, his long messy salt and pepper hair was now getting into his face. The short chubby man looked to be in his 50's. "Your way of thinking is out dated! Women have been sailing and even became fishermen for the last 3 generations now! Nothing has happened like your old wives' tales claim would happen!" Lilly argued back, now feeling more insulted than when he rudely woke her from her sleep. "Why you damn witch!" The old man fired back. He went to slap Lilly, but at this point, Lilly lost her patience and she grabbed the man's hand before he managed to touch her. "Enough! You will NOT TOUCH ME! I am Princess Lilly of Maybelle, daughter of Queen Diana and King Nathaniel, and you will get me home and mind your manners!" Lilly commanded. She'd never used her title before. She was more used to treating everyone as her equal, she was ashamed of being so demanding with the old man.
The man stood there dumbfounded for a brief moment before he opened his mouth. "Right, you're royalty, huh? That's what you're going with? Why should I believe you, Siren? Aren't you supposed to be up in a big fancy castle or palace or whatever? You claim to be a Princess, heh? HA! Don't make me laugh!" "I don't care if you believe me or not and, the only reason I'm in your presence is because I was kidnapped by Prince Zeal! Now take me to your Captain!" Lilly snapped back, currently at the end of her rope with her elder. The man gritted his teeth before spinning around and storming out without another word. Lilly had to walk fast to keep up with the old man. She was pretty impressed he could walk so fast at his age. They walked down a dimly lit narrow hall, Lilly memorized the plain wooden walls throughout the ship, noting that the ship had been repaired in certain spots. The planks creaked underneath them as they walked. Lilly kept good pace with the man, she briefly stopped twice, once because of the sharp right turning, avoiding clashing with her already pissed-off elder. The second time to go up two flights of stairs that led to a door. While they were opening the heavy door, it creaked due to it's rusty hinges, they went through the door that led them through another long plain hallway. Again, the planks creaked with every step they took. As they continued to walk further along, Lilly was able to hear voices. "Keep your head down Siren, the Captain wants your presence secret for the time being." The man said harshly in a hushed tone. Lilly didn't argue, she didn't want to push her luck she knew these men were pirates and pirates clung to the old ways. They believed in the old fisherman's tales.
It was honestly a miracle they didn't throw her over bored.... Or worse! Lilly and the grumpy old man went up another flight of stairs, opening another door and walking through. They made three lefts and one right before making it to the door of the Captain's office. "Stand behind me and stay quite until the Captain speaks to you." The man said harshly but still hushed. Lilly nodded and the gentleman looked back towards the door, knocking loud enough for the people on the other end to hear. "Enter." A deep demanding voice snapped, Lilly's heart raced for the second time today. Did all pirates sound so scary? Lilly asked herself. The old man opened the door, looking back towards Lilly, and took a step in, making sure to also hold the door for her. Lilly made sure to follow the old sea dog's advice she stayed behind him and didn't speak until spoken too. "Sleep well?" The Captain asked while starring at the pale Princess, "I think so yes thank you." Lilly replied. "I had a couple of my men check out your story..." The Captain spoke while placing a piece of paper down on his desk, clear as day it was a poster claiming her to be missing, Lilly gasped at the cash reward for her safe return. It was clear her parents were not sparing any expense to get her back. "I knew my parents would give a hefty reward for my return but I didn't think it would be that much." Lilly said in shock. "Like I said, I sent a couple of my men to investigate your story... Turns out your claims are true... However, can you guarantee that we will be paid for getting you home in full? More importantly, if we do, what are the chances we will make it out alive?" The Captain finished. "The Kingdom of Maybelle always keeps true to their word. We never backtrack. I will ask my father for yours and your crew's immunity. Under the agreement no harm comes to my Kingdom. You can trade there and rest there, but no illegal activities." Lilly replied firmly. The Captain nodded. "Sounds like a deal, but first we need some insurance, write to your parents and tell them this. Lilly walked to the Captain's desk before he started talking. Picked up a pen and grabbed a clean sheet of paper.
--------------------------------------------------Lilly's letter to her parents.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear mama and papa,
I can't wait to see you all again, I miss you dearly. I am currently safe a bored a pirate ship. They kindly rescued me from an island that I washed up on after Prince Zeal kidnapped me. You won't believe what all I went through. Much less how horribly Prince Zeal and his people were treating me. The Captain of the vessel I'm on and his crew have agreed to safely take me back home, they are going out of their way doing this for me. So I'm quite thankful. Before I'm safely returned, however, they want a guarantee that they will receive the asking price in full along with a guarantee they won't be hanged. They are also asking for immunity and the ability to be able to trade and rest in Maybelle. No illegal activities will happen when they visit or if they visit again. I hope to be able to hear from you soon.
Love,
Lilly ( Hummingbird)
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"What's with Hummingbird? Is that a secret word we need to watch out for?" The Captain asked while peering over her shoulder. "No, it's a nickname my grandpa gave me and my family uses for me, no one else other than you and my family know this, however so they will know for sure it's me." Lilly replied with a smile. The Captain nodded and got a messenger hawk to deliver the letter. "How long do you think it will take for the letter to reach my parents?" Lilly asked. "Couple days give or take." The Captain responded. "I don't know if Mateo told you or not... but your presence needs to be hidden, if not that there is going to be chaos amongst my ship. You should already know having a woman on bored is considered bad luck. So you are not allowed to leave your room unless I say. Only a handful of my crew know you're here. Myself, Mateo, my right-hand mate and two other crew members. I'd like to keep it that way." The Captain said sternly.
"I understand, thank you for taking such a large risk." Lilly replied. "Mateo will be in charge of getting you food and drink, you are staying in my quarters. So keep it down. I'm not usually there, especially not during the day. As you can tell, I have a couch and a bathroom here, so I spend most of my time in my office. If you take a shower, shower at night, less suspicious that way. No candles should be lit in the room either. Keep the door locked unless Mateo announces himself." The Captain finished giving all the rules. Lilly agreed, nodding along. She knew she didn't have the right to complain about being stuck in the room. At least it wasn't a cell and, at least it was more comfortable. "One last thing if,for some reason, I call you back to my office, disguise yourself and try to look less feminine. Just incase one of my crewmembers spot you. Mateo will give you some baggy men's clothes for you to wear. Make sure to hide your big ass tits!" The Captain finished. Lilly turned, beat red, no one ever commented on her breasts before much less called them tits. Mateo gestured for Lilly to follow him and she did still feeling the heat of her embarrassment. It was a quiet walk back to the room Lilly woke up in just an hour ago. Seemed like she got to the room much faster than walking to the Captain's office.
Once she entered the room, she finally got to see what it looked like. It was simple and plain. There was a bed near the window, a dresser and a desk, a rug by the bed and that was it. There were some tattered white curtains hanging over the small window. Lilly walked further into the room, sitting on the bed. She watched as Mateo closed the door and she laid down, covering herself with the blankets, allowing herself to get more sleep. She couldn't believe she was still so exhausted after everything. Sleep was honestly becoming her best friend. A few hours later, Lilly woke up to someone knocking on the door. "Hey, you awake? It's Mateo." Lilly stirred a bit before quickly getting up from the bed to let Mateo in. On his left arm was a pair of tattered dirty brown pants that were torn in the knees and a stained white oversized long sleeve shirt. There was also a piece of tattered long white fabric in his hands was a trey of food. Hot split pea and ham soup, a roll, a cup of oranges and some water. Mateo handed it all to Princess Lilly. "The long white fabric is so you can bind your chest down. The oversize shirt should also conceal your figure. Try putting on this scarf too. If you do it right, you can make your hair look short while keeping it up." Mateo replied while pulling out a reddish brown scarf from his pocket. Lilly nodded and thanked Mateo for all his help. She closed the door and walked back to the bed where she began to eat. Lilly waited until nighttime before taking a shower. She bound her chest and put the clothes provided to her on. The oversize clothing did really well concealing her figure just like the Captain and Mateo said it would. She used the scarf to put up her hair just right to make it seem short. Her face however, still gave her away.
Lilly sighed to herself, hoping to hear back from her parents soon. She really missed her home, she missed her family, more importantly, she was fearful that Zeal would make another appearance. She missed seeing her handsome Prince Brandon and even wondered what she would say to him.
-------------------------------------Back At The Kingdom of Maybelle POV-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Your Majesties, we received a letter from the Princess!" One of the guards called out while storming into the throne room. King Nathaniel quickly hopped up from his throne and before the guard could take a knee, the King stopped him and told him no need. That was pretty common with the Royal family of Maybelle. They treated everyone equal and didn't much care for people bowing or kneeling. King Nathaniel quickly read the letter while the Queen waited impatiently. "Well Nathaniel?!" The Queen asked with worry. "She's safe, pirates are bringing her home safely. They just ask that we give them the award that is on Lilly's missing poster, reassurance they won't be hanged and immunity that will allow them to dock for trade and rest. They promise no illegal acts." The King quickly summarized. "Agree then! They are willing to bring our daughter back if they promise to sign a treaty. What's the issue?!" The Queen snapped impatiently. "There are none," The King replied in a hurry. He quickly walked over to a table near the thrones and began to write.
-----------------------------------------King's letter--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Dearest Daughter,
It's s wonderful to hear from you again. Your mother and I have been so worried, everyone has been so worried.
They have our word they will be paid in full, double than what's on the poster if they make sure Zeal doesn't get his hands on you. We will welcome them as heroes and offer them a large feast, after we will sign a treaty agreeing for them to trade and rest. Under the agreement, they don't break any laws while in our Kingdom. They can shop and do whatever while here. Just so long as they bring you home safely! My dearest daughter, I can't imagine the hell you've had to endure just get home safely!
Love,
Papa and Mama.
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After writing his reply, he looked back at the guard handing him the letter. "Make sure this gets back to my daughter at all costs!" The King commanded, the guard nodded and rushed out of the throne room, placing the letter on the hawk and sending it off. The King was pacing back and forth, the Queen staring down at the letter crying, thankful her baby was alive, praying for the day that her daughter would return. "Please Nathaniel, tell me our little girl will be home soon.. I don't know how much more my heart can take."
The Queen pleaded while tears streamed down her face. The King looked at his Queen and his heart broke. There was always one weakness. He could never avoid the very thing that brought him to his knees. That was his wife and kids, their tears especially made him lose all sense. "Shhh my Queen. Our little one is resilient, they all are. After all, you're their mother." The King said warmly while cupping Queen Diana's face and kissing her on the head. He wrapped his wife in his arms, holding her warmly, determined to comfort the love of his life. "She'll be home soon my love." He softly spoke to his Queen, while rocking side to side. He knew his wife loved to dance, so anytime he held her he would rock side to side with her like they were dancing slowly together. It always cheered her up.
----------------------------------------------Back on the pirate ship--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been two days since the letter had been sent. Lilly was growing concerned that they hadn't received her letter. The seas were a little rocky today. She heard one of the men from outside say there was a storm brewing. Lilly quietly closed the window once the waters started getting rough. She was feeling a lot of anxiety come on as she remembered bits and pieces, from when Prince Zeal took her captive, she did't want to go through that again. She definitely didn't want to be stuck on an island again. Lilly tried to calm her breathing some when she was jolted by a knock at the door. "It's Mateo." Lilly recognized the voice and quickly got up. Mateo was standing in the doorway with extra blankets and some food. He saw the nervousness on Lilly's face. "You okay? You look uneasy." Mateo asked. He made his way into the room, Lilly closing the door behind him. "Honestly, I am a little uneasy. The last few times I was on a boat was when Prince Zeal kidnapped me and the waters were rough than too. I was already injured and I kept slipping in and out of consciousness. I almost drowned several times." Lilly replied. "That's because a woman has no place on the water." Mateo said harshly. Lilly could hear a hint of concern in his voice."Don't you worry Princess, we'll get ya back home in one peace." Mateo said trying to reassure the Princess. Lilly smiled and nodded. "Thank you Mateo, I really appreciate it and I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused." Lilly spoke softly. "Don't be, let's just focus on ya getting home. Honestly, being able to trade in Maybelle will benefit all of us." Mateo continued. He handed the blankets to Lilly and walked out, leaving her alone with her thoughts while she ate. Lilly ate her honey buttermilk roll, her trout and then ate her apple. She drank it all done with some red wine and laid down on the bed. Lilly lay there day dreaming, listening to the thunder roll in and the crashing of the waves. She continued to stare up at the ceiling while the waves pushed and pulled the boat side to side. The once sunny sky just hours before were now dark and gloomy with lightning lighting up the sky. "Unknown ship approaching!" Lilly heard a man scream loudly. She jumped to her feet all of a sudden, quickly aware of the spinning room. Her heart racing so hard she heard it in her ears and felt it in her throat. an earthquake was happening within her and she couldn't catch her breath.
Lilly quickly hopped on the bed and tried peaking out the window to catch a glimpse of the approaching ship. No luck! The damn thing is out of her field of vision right now! "Someone get the Captain they are trying to invade!" Another man screamed out. Lilly continued to try and catch her breath. Just then, Lilly got scared when a knock came at the door. "It's Mateo and the Captain," Lilly heard. She quickly rushed to the door, swinging it open, her eyes wide and her face pale. The Captain noting her body language and seeing how freaked out the Princess was. "Calm down, we still don't know it is or what they want. In the meantime, Mateo is going to stay inside this room with you. Neither of you are to open this door unless I say, keep the door locked and neither of you open this door." The Captain commanded. "Ay Captain." Mateo replied, closing the door as the Captain took his leave, putting his hat on and heading to the top deck to meet their guests. After locking the door, Mateo looked towards the Princess. "Make sure that window is shut and locked, place the curtains down so no one can see in." Lilly nodded and rushed to follow Mateo's instructions. "Good now get away from the window." Matero demanded. Lilly did just that and sat at the desk away from the window's view.
-----------------------------------------------The Captain's POV------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Captain quickly made his way to the top of the deck and saw the other ship instantly. They were within boarding distance from his ship. "I request to board your vessel." A young man yelled across the way. "Denied." The Captain replied loud and roughly. "If I do it anyway?" The young unfamiliar man asked the Captain. "I'd kill you." The Captain replied without haste. "Why don't you tell me what this is about fancy man?" The Captain popped off. "I'm looking for my wife she went missing a little while back, we encountered some rough waters and we were seperated, I know she's alive just don't know where. Saw your ship and figured you knew." The young man replied. The Captain quickly put two and two together, realizing who he was in the presence of. "I hate to break it to ya laddy, you won't find no Siren on my ship. Can't tell if you are stupid or brave, having a woman on your vessel. That's a sure way to get killed. Unless you don't know that it's bad luck?" The Captain replied with a smirk. His crew mates began to laugh. "You pirates honestly believe in that tall tale?" The youngman fired back. "It's no tall tale lad, it's real, it's as real as the waves are rising right now." The Captain replied with a smile. "Then let me come aboard and search your ship if there are honestly no woman." The young man persisted.
"No can do, laddy, you just admitted to having a woman on your vessel, are you trying to get my crew killed and my ship sank?" The Captain responded this time holding a poker face. "I told you it's a tall tale, to keep woman at home and to keep strickly men at sea." The young man replied shortly. "Say what you well, but I know what's true, you had a woman on your ship and that's probably why the sea is so damn angry! Probably why we have issues catching fish right now too! If you want to sink your ship, go for it, but don't get mine involved because you can't respect the sea!" The Captain fired back angrily. "All you damn fishermen and pirates are the same, holding onto your false knowledge. Believing mermaids and Sirens will lead you to your death by their beauty and power of their voices, believing having a woman on board will get you killed. Your folklore stories are ridiculous." The young man shot back very angerily. "Say what you will, but my men and I are alive because we don't allow women on this ship, doesn't matter if we catch them drowning. Women have no place on the water." The Captain replied calmly but firmly. The young man starred at the Captain for a moment and then told the Captain to back off of the ship.
"Just follow this ship but make sure you are not in their sights, enough to where we can see them but they can't see us." The young man told the Captain of his ship. The Captain nodded and walked back to his station. The young man glared at the Captain and said, "If I find out you are lying to me, you, your crew and your ship will be erased permanently." The young man threatened. "And whom might you be to think you have such power? To actually think I would lie?" The Captain said with a proud smile. " King Zeal and even though you didn't ask, my Queen's name is Lilly. We were traveling back home when the storm hit." Prince Zeal finished as his boat was pulling away. The Captain smirked and replied one last time."That's why you don't travel with women. She wouldn't be God knows where and you wouldn't have lost her if you had simply respected the sea and kept the Siren off of your ship." Men began to laugh and praise their Captain for his remark, while the Prince looked pissed off at the pirates. As Prince Zeal was no longer in their eyesight, the Captain went to his room to talk to the Princess.