Evelyn leaned back in her chair at the table and gently rubbed her stomach now that more than half the food on the table had disappeared in what seems like her bottomless stomach.
Looking at Evelyn, Freya says, "With a toned stomach like that I'm surprised you eat at all."
Evelyn worked hard when she had time to work out and her motivation when she did was all for Jackson. Knowing him as well as she did, she had never really known what type of girls he liked because she had never seen him be romantically interested in anyone. But that kiss back in his office. That boy sure knew what he was doing. But she wasn't feeling any sense of rejection for Freya's admiration and attention to her either.
"I, uh, thanks. Um-"
"Like really! That was a lot of food! Where did it all go?" Freya said.
"I can't help to think she's calling me fat now," Evelyn thought with a uncomfortable look on her face.
"Sorry," Freya said. "I just haven't seen anyone eat like that in a long time."
"Can we change the subject?" Evelyn says. She took a deep breath composing herself. She slowly looked at Freya and asked, "You mentioned my parents. Do you know who they are?"
"I do," Freya answers honestly. "You are for sure your father's daughter. He eats exactly like you just did." She laughed a little. "Anyway, I've met many humans all throughout my life and I will admit that they are surely the greatest people I have ever met."
"So you know who they are?" Evelyn says excitedly, "Then you can tell me who they are? Do you know where they are?"
Freya looked at Evelyn from the corner of her eye as she opened another bottle of a Red wine that read the year 30 on it, poured it in the vibrant red transparent wine glass she had been drinking from. Put the bottle on the table and took a sip and placed the glass back on the table. "Yes and No." She finally responded. "And before you ask, no I will not tell you who they are."
"Really?" Evelyn says with a tone of disappointment in her voice. "I thought we were becoming friends. 19 years of my life and NOBODY has any knowledge of my parents and the one person I've met won't tell me anything?'
Freya sighs as Evelyn's words start to come out frantically and looking like she was on the verge of tears. She puts her hands on Evelyn's and says, "Let me tell you why before you get too carried away and your mind starts spinning you down a rabbit hole."
Evelyn looked at Freya intensely since she was going to tell her something at least.
"So," she began, "When your mother and father were expecting you, they made the decision to drop you off at the island. They had been regulars for many years before then. Never made themselves highly known or to draw any attention to them. Their status at the time also did not let the presence of their ship at the docks raise any alarms either. So, they knew the place well and knew it would be a good place to grow up." She went for another sip of her wine. "Your mother and father loved you so much and you have no idea how much it hurt them to leave you there. They would have never left you if the life they lived would have been safe for you."
"What are you saying?" Evelyn says. "Are you saying my parents are assassins? Royalty from a falling nation? And they were wrong! It was a horrible place to grow up! Leaving me there deemed me an orphan and they don't have laws or protocol for orphans, so they treat them like slave workers. Or at least me because I'm the only orphan the island has ever had!" Evelyn blurted out.
"Ah," Freya said. "Yeah, that's something I guess through all their study they would not have been able to see."
"Hey Freya," Evelyn said. "If you say the life, they live was not safe for me," she paused and slowly asked, "Are they pirates?"
Freya smiled which was all Evelyn needed to get her answer.
"Neptune's sack! Are you kidding me!" Evelyn shouted standing out of her seat and started pacing the floor as things began running through her head.
Freya's smile went away at Evelyn's reaction, "Ah, you went down that rabbit hole after all."
"What kind of pirates are they?" Evelyn demanded an answer out of Freya.
"You seemed excited but now I see the excitement you have is not the excitement I thought you were experiencing."
"Bloody hell," Evelyn says, "My parents are pirates. They're on some hellbent path that they couldn't pause their life to take care of their own child? Raise her? Me! To be just as good as pirates as they are or if not, better?"
From all her time learning about pirates from Captain Goob, he did teach Evelyn that there are different types of pirates. There are monster hunters, treasure hunters, lords of war, destroyers, pillagers, conquerors, and then there is the Pirate King, or Queen, who are all the above. Captain Goob is a monster hunter because he and his crew love the thrill.
"Better aye?" Freya said. "I see what you mean now." She sipped her wine again.
"So what kind of Pirates are they?" Evelyn asks again.
"Important ones," Freya says.
"That's not an answer."
"Well it's the answer you're going to get," Freya now gave a mocking smile. "There is nothing you can do now but so you're not too angry at them, they didn't plan to leave you there your whole life. Quite frankly, your parents had planned to pick you up when you were around the age of 10. That's how long the voyage they set off should have taken. Almost a whole other decade and now you resent them." Sitting back in her seat she adds, "They're actually who I was expecting."
"Sorry to disappoint," Evelyn says as she finally stops pacing the floor and sits back down in her seat. "I feel like them, leaving me there, I missed out on a childhood that could have made me happy. Maybe if I was treated differently, I wouldn't have so much resentment to the island."
"Then you might not be here, right now." Freya finishes Evelyn's thought.
"Sorry," Evelyn says shyly.
"Don't be," Freya smiled, She put her glass down. "I must say though, you are a very lucky girl."
"Not sure why you say that. But about that storm you mentioned," Evelyn grabbed an orange off the table and began to peel it as she said, "There wasn't a cloud in the sky. How did a storm come by?"
"It' the ocean," Freya answers. "It's unexpected. You were sound asleep when I pulled you in."
"I didn't realize I was that heavy of a sleeper. My escape seemed to be poorly planned though. I left without any food or water. And the damn pirate's boat I stole had nothing, but rum stored in the storage on the dingy."
"Was it good rum?" Freya asked excitedly.
Evelyn was looking at Freya with a content look and sternly said, "I don't know. It was my first time trying it and honestly did not expect it to burn my throat, so I put it away."
"Ah," Freya said. "I only have wine here so to have something other than wine and water would be nice."
Halfway into her orange, Evelyn put it down and said, "Hold up," She looks around the room and then says to Freya, "Are you really the only one here? Did you make all this food? Where are you getting the vegetation and meat that's set out?"
Freya pursed her lips and said, "Can I just tell you tomorrow? How about I show you to your bedroom tonight and we talk more in the morning?"
"Are you going to join me?" Evelyn asks.
"You're inviting me?" Freya replies with a smile.
"No," Evelyn said letting down Freya's excitement. "You've just made several advances and glances to me I wasn't sure you would actually grant me privacy."
"Oh I'm sorry," Freya said as she stood up. "It's been so long since I've felt the touch of another woman you can't imagine how it drives me wild imagining it."
"I can't imagine," Evelyn said.
"Oh my god. I've ended up in the temple of a sex crazed woman. I mean I've always been curious but what in Neptune's name?!" Evelyn thought.
"Well here you are, and I am not," Freya teased as they arrived at a mahogany door with an intricate carved design into it.
"Back on the surface what's been done to this door would be considered a crime," Evelyn said.
"Really?" Freya asked getting off track.
"I mean, kind of?" People treat it as a kind of wood been blessed by God. Sure it's nice to be used as furniture but to actually carve something into it like this? You'd single handedly create pandemonium and be deemed an anarchist," Evelyn said. "She grazed her hand along the design, "I love it."
Holding back her laughter Freya continued, "Inside you will find a bed, desk, a bathroom, everything you could need."
"A bathroom?" Evelyn laughed. "Was that bathtub you dipped me in just for show?"
"Ha ha. Very funny. No matter how you say it there is no bath in there but it's what it's called. There is a toilet and sink and mirror." Freya said.
With a questioning look Evelyn asked, "So you actually have plumbing down here?"
Well," Freya started to laugh as she looked out a window close to where they were in the hallway, "Let's just say the plumbing system is pretty efficient."
"WHAT?!"
"Well, all urine and fecal matter upon flushing gets cast out into the ocean."
Shocked Evelyn says, "So that sea monster outside of the dome is okay with that?"
Freya looked at her with a serious look and says, "Sea monster?"
"Yeah. The sea monster. I saw it swallow a whale whole outside the dome before I followed you into the temple."
Freya smiled and said, "Oh yes, that. Don't worry about him. He's harmless. Anyway, I'm going to turn in for the night as well. I'll talk more to you tomorrow." As she walked away and her back to Evelyn, Freya's smiling face turned serious again.
Evelyn stepped into her room and saw it was large with everything Freya had mentioned. In the corner was a beautifully crafted ivory wooden desk. In the center of the room was the biggest bed Evelyn had ever seen. It was almost the size of the apartment she lived in back on the island and was a type of a pale pink color with ivory silk sheets.
She was having a hard time grasping how large this room really was because with the bed and desk there was still a lot of area in this room including a reading nook in the corner opposite of the desk in her room. The room's ceiling was high vaulted, and the walls were a pale type of sage with gold accents throughout and on the floor in the center of the room was the largest rug she had ever seen. It almost covered the entire room and has a black and white design that almost looked tribal.
Evelyn was figuring out if she was starting to get sleepy or her eyes and mind was tired of everything she had seen thus far. She assumed it might still be her birthday and that storm that pulled her in was the middle of the day, which is probably why Freya served food after that bath as soon as she arrived. It was mostly likely dinnertime. She could also be tired from all she ate. She's never had that much freedom for food, so she wasn't so sure how her body was handling it.
She slipped out of her clothes and crawled into bed. She was so tired that she didn't bother to see if there were any pajamas left behind like her clothes were, so she just decided to sleep in the underwear Freya gave her after the bath.
A few hours went by that Evelyn laid there wide awake despite her tiredness. She was thinking about the island and how it wasn't so bad growing up there. She had made friends and memories. Most of those she considered friends were pirates she met when she was helping at the pub. Especially Captain Goob. She was her favorite. How she would listen to all his stories about being a pirate whenever his crew and ship would come by.
He was who she considered was a real pirate. From what she heard from Goob is that those of pirates who live on the sea on long voyages are treasure hunting pirates for great gold. From that information, Evelyn assumes that's what her parents are. Though if their life really was too dangerous for me, they could be conquerors or Lords of War. At least under those circumstances she would at least understand. She's still angry they didn't raise her. She just wanted to know them.
And though she had no mother, Fawn. One of the five women on the island council was the only one who treated Evelyn like she was her child. Though the age difference is nowhere near where someone could assume Fawn was her mother. Fawn joined the council when she was 19 when Evelyn was only 10 years old. She volunteered to care for her. Sure, she hired Delilah to look over her when council work took up too much of her time, but the attention and affection Fawn showed Evelyn, she would have adopted her as her own if she was allowed to. But the island has no adoption laws because they had never had an orphan before, so she wasn't allowed to. Or at least she'd be ruled out of the decision because for things to be accepted it need go through a vote among the council women and best three out of five votes decided a yes or no.
Evelyn grabbed a pillow and rolled over to her side and pulled it close and hugged it hard. When Evelyn was worked too hard and just felt pain Fawn would always be there to cuddle her and hold her tight and assure everything will be okay. It was her compassion that made the fact of an absent mother seem less as a fear because at least someone cared about her and treated her like a human instead of just a worker for the farms, cleaning crews, pubs and the papergirl handing out fliers for the entertainment district. A tear fell from her eye she whispered, "Fawny. I just wish one last time you could hold me close and like a mother to a child tell me everything was going to be okay."
Freya made it to her room that looks similar to Evelyn's and as she prepared for bed, she summoned a fireball in front of her and it turned transparent to a woman.
"Freya?" the woman said. "What a pleasant surprise! You don't reach out to me too often out of the blue! Or in this case, red. How long has it been?"
"Years," she said sternly. "Too many years."
Seeing the look on Freya's face and the tone of her voice the woman says, "Oh," then nervously, "That."
"You never went back to get her," Freya said sternly. "Especially how hard and conflicted you were to leave her. How hard you cried after you did and how much you two loved her. You. Did. Not. Go. Back."
"Come on Freya," the woman said. "I just haven't gotten around to it." Looking at the annoying look on Freya's face she said, "Okay. Okay. How about I swing by there and introduce myself to the little rascal. I am her mother after all. What is she now? 10 maybe? And we'll come visit you too! Fulfill that promise we made to you. Geez, you're talking like it's been like two decades."
Freya looked furious now, "Are you kidding me?"
"What's wrong?' The woman asked.
"Do you pirates really not keep track of time?!" Freya exclaimed. "It's been 19 years!"
"Don't pull my leg like that Freya," The woman laughed as she looks around on her side and then said, "Oh shit."
"Yeah," Freya said. "Oh, shit is right. And apparently you didn't do a good enough thorough examination of the island. You know what happens when To children who are orphans?"
"I actually don't remember seeing anything in their laws about orphans."
"Because there isn't! So, once she was old enough to leave the daycare, they used her and made her work jobs all over the island. Planting, watering, and harvesting on the farms. Serving food and drink in the pubs. Making fliers and passing them out in the entertainment district for shows and movies. Stocking shelves are the markets. Cleaning the docks, streets, warehouses, offices, rooms at the inn and pubs into late hours of the night until they're sparkling clean." This wasn't everything Evelyn told Freya, but she could read between the lines in Evelyn's words.
The woman was quiet except for a slight hum that sounded like she was annoyed. She finally spoke up and said, "Nobody deserved to live like that. How did you find this out?"
"She escaped," Freya said.
"Escaped? What the hell do you mean she escaped?" The woman asked.
"One of the islands laws is that citizens who were born or grew up on the island are not allowed to leave. It's against their law.'
Quiet again the women break with, "So where is she now?"
Freya smiles as she answers, "Unknowingly sleeping peacefully in the nursery turned bedroom she was in after you had her here at my temple."
"CAN YOU KEEP HER THERE?" The woman exclaimed. We'll turn this ship around and come to you in the Tarragon sea immediately. Once we get her, we'll enact revenge on that island!" The woman exclaimed.
"You're letting your Lord of War attitude slip out there Captain Bloodstone," Freya said with a serious face.
"Sorry, it's just now I feel like my daughter was robbed out of a pleasant childhood due to our decision to leave her there without considering how they treat their orphans." She yells out in the background, "Honey! Come here! I'm talking to Freya!"
Loud footsteps could be heard on the other side until a man showed up and exclaimed, "HOW THE HELL ARE YOU FREYA!"
"Eh," Freya studders as she waits to answer once the ringing of the mans yell disappears from her hearing. "I was just talking to your wife about your daughter, Captain Blackbeard."
"Oh," she says. "That."
"What the hell is really wrong with you two?"
"I will fill him in on the details but we'll be turning around now to you so keep her there!"
"Our daughter is there?" The man said excitedly. "What's she like?"
"She has her mother's hair and eyes. There's no doubt about that. And she has your appetite. Her attitude, like a true pirate. I mean, like the attitude of the two greatest pirates I know."
"You flatter us," The man says smiling.
"How long are you from here?" Freya asks.
The woman pulls out a compass and looks at a piece of parchment that is probably a map. We're at the edge of the Sage sea so I think about six and a half months?
Freya sighs and says, "I pray it's much quicker than that."
"Is there a problem?" The woman asks.
Freya's voice gets a little angry and says, "It seems Tsunova has become aware of her powers which means that Lobalisk has awakened and it just so happens to have found my temple."