The Pirate and the Princess (Closed)

Vera was dressed in the same clothes she'd been wearing when she had found the princess. Dinner by all means was not a formal event, especially when the captian joined, which was most nights. The captian wanted nothing more than to relax and drink and have fun for dinner.

She had her arms crossed and foot tapping as she waited for the door to open. She wondered if the captian had even told her it was casually mist nit with how long it was taking for her to open the damn door. But then it finally swung open and revealed the princess. And she was looking a lot less princess like. The clothes fit her well and Vera was almost jealous that they might even fit her better.

"I'll bet it does. Just looking at you in that dress was suffocating me. I don't know how you do it." She did actually, but that was a story to be told another time. And not to a direct stranger. But she also knew better than to ket herself get attached to Rose when she would be leaving in a couple months as well.

"Let's get going." She gestured for the princess to follow her before turning and walking away. She led her below deck to the rest of the crew's sleeping quarters. Their things were all pushed aside so they could the ling dining table and bench. The crew did this almost every night for dinner and ate together. The only time they didn't was when they had all had a rough and long day.

The captian was already down there, sitting in the middle amongst his crew versus taking the head of the table. He was engaged in conversation when she arrived and was laughing at something his man on the right said. When he noticed Rose, he cleared his throat and stood. He walked over to her side, offering her his arm. "Guests get to sit at the head of the table, darling."

“If there’s one thing I don’t miss about court, it would be the dresses,” Rosemary replied. “I’m not sure who thought a dress that tight would look good on me.”

Rosemary waked up to the dining table and sucked in a deep breath, trying her best to push down her nerves. Dozens of pairs of eyes landed on her as she approached the captain. Why did she feel so anxious now? She had spoken in front of thousands of people in court without breaking a sweat.

She forced herself to look away from the other pirates and to the captain, who was already standing to greet her. A small, mischievous grin crossed her face as she took his arm, letting her fingers brush against his knuckles.

“Darling…?” She grinned up at him. “That’s… quite the nickname. I like it.”

She let him lead her over to where she would be sitting. She felt her heart tighten when he released her arm, well aware that he would likely not be sitting with her. She didn’t blame him, of course; there were other people he would rather be chatting with. But, at the same time, she hated the idea of being left alone amid the crowd of strangers.

Vera looked back at the princess, raising an eye. "It looks very good on you, doll. Though comfortable? Definitely not." Corests were restricting and tight. They certainly were not comfortable. But they did look good when done right. And a woman's weapon was her body. Vera had used hers more than enough to get what she needed.

Aedion gave her a dashing grin, rivaling her own. As she took his arm, he tucked her in to his side. He coukd tell she was nervous even if she did a good job of hiding it. He planned to stick by her side all night. Or at least until dinner was over and he escorted her to her temporary room.

"Well get used to it darling, because there's a lot more where that came from." He winked at her, hoping the teasing would ease her nerves. Then again, they had only just met that day themselves. What coukd he really do to help keep her calm? Hopefully his charming presence was enough.

He brought her to the head of the table but before he pulled out his chair, he cleared his throat and waited for the chatter to quite. This woukd be their first official introduction. "Everyone, this is Miss Rose. She'll be joining us for awhile so I expect you to treat her with respect and as a guest. Because she is." Then he made quick work of introducing her to each of his crew, something I'm skipping because I'm too lazy to make up that many names right now.

Once the introductions were done, he pulled put her chair and let her sit. Then he grabbed his own food and moved down the table so he was sitting on her right. He plopped right down and dug back into his food. There was already a plate and a mug of rum waiting for her.

“I’ve always heard rumors that you’re ruthless… but I’ve never heard anything about you being this flirtatious. Possibly charming,” she said softly as he led her to her seat. “You get all the women, don’t you?”

The attention from the captain felt nice, but Rosemary didn’t let it get to her head. She wasn’t the only woman Aedion had flirted with. She wasn’t special. He would likely try to charm her for a few weeks, but as soon as she left his ship, he would forget all about her. He would be off to chase another woman, never to see her again.

She tried to turn most of her attention to the captain. It wasn’t until he introduced her to the crew that her anxiety returned like a tidal wave. The crew seemed intrigued by their new princess companion, and, while most of them seemed fine, there were a few men who still made her nervous.

Her stomach tightened. When it came to eat, she found that she barely scoff down her food. She wanted to appear confident in front of Aedion, but she could tell that he could see right through her facade.

“You know, meeting you has surprised me. You’re a lot different than they say,” she said, turning her attention back to the captain. “Growing up in the castle, you hear a lot of rumors about pirates.”

"Oh, there's many things you don't know about me, darling. I suppose you're about to find out." Aedion didn't know plenty of things about her, other than being a princess and a daddy's girl. Though, he supposed not anymore. Not with her having snuck out of the palace. He wondered what spurred such an action. He would find out at a later time. Now was not the time to ask. Not when she had already given him a vague answer.

He winked at her and didn't say anything more. The truth of it was that Aedion's hear belonged to the sea. There was no other love out there for him. That's not to say that he didn't find someone to warm his bed when they made port because he did occasionally. Though it certainly was not as much as his crew did. They would screw all day if he let them. Then again, he did also have a married couple on board and sometimes they got a little too loud at times.

He had no expectations with the princess. She would be treated with respect during her stay with him. He might even befriend her along with some of his crew. But at the end of the day, she would be leaving them. It was best not to let themselves get too attached to her. And she was the daughter of his enemy. He needed to tread carefully in the case she was sent to spy on him.

"No one will hurt you," he murmured to her. He could tell a few made her nervous. And well, some of his crew were scarred and muscled enough to make anyone nervous. "They're not as mean as they appear." Though they definitely could be when needed to be.

He started to eat his food again, washing it down with his own mug of rum. He paused, hearing her speak again. "Stories usually end up exaggerated," he said, "But there is truth to all of them. But you also need to remember, it is our enemies telling those stories not our friends. Why would they share my good qualities when they want me dead?"

“I guess we both have our secrets to keep, don’t we, love?” She patted his hand. “I look forward to learning more about you. I find you very… intriguing.”

She noticed how the captain didn’t respond to her second question. Instead, he simply winked at her, making her think that she was right. It wasn’t a surprise, however. Pirates were known for their countless romantic partners almost as well as they were known for their love for rum.

She smiled at him when he tried to help calm her nerves, but it didn’t help much. She didn’t know a single person on this ship. Sure, she had formed somewhat of a connection with the captain, but she still wasn’t sure whether she could him. Not that she thought about it, she couldn’t really trust any of them.

“Mm… sure they aren’t,” she replied, clearly skeptical. “I can easily take one of them out if they try anything.”

She knew that was a lie, but she went with it. She would need to act more confident if she was going to survive on the ship.

She snorted at his next comment, taking a sip of rum as she did so. “Mmm… I’m not sure you have many good qualities,” she teased. “But lucky for you, I like men who have questionable morals.”

They certainly did have their secrets. Bit he invented on finding hers out before he sgared any of his. Other than the obvious, he was not as terrible as everyone believed. Oh, he could be terrible. He could be ruthless and murderous and down right awful. But he wasn't always. It was only when necessary.

He could see his reassuring words didn't reassure much. He knew there wasn't much he could do to make her feel better. Not until she met with his crew members and let them show her first hand they meant no harm to her. They would likely leave her aline these first couple of days and let her settle in before they started speaking to her. There were plenty on this ship that were desperate to talk to someone knew. They had seen their faces and been stuck with each other for years. It was nice to have someone knew on board with them.

He raised an eyebrow at her, surprised at that. Not that she would win agaisnt his men, because she wouldn't. Not even against the women on board. But he was curious that she had any sort of training. "Oh? You know how to fight? Perhaps we'll bring out the sparing mat and we'll see how you fare." He'd take it easy on her as well, so he didn't hurt her. And he would be the only one she sparred against.

He snorted at her next comment. "I have plenty of good qualities, physical and not. Perhaps I'll show you later," he winked at her, clearing teasing her. "Well, I do have questionable morals so maybe I have a chance."

He knew he had no chance. And wouldn't even say yes if she wanted to. He didn't mix business with pleasure and this was business. He was transporting her from one place to another. They would be done with soon enough.

"So where is it you're wanting to travel to princess?" He asked. He had planned to drop her off at their next port but if she had something specific on her mind that was possible for him, he would take her there.

“Mm, good luck with that. I’m only interested in physical qualities when it comes to the one I marry. Save the physical side of things for a woman who actually wants it.” She gave him a faint smile as her fingers brushed against his underneath the table. “However, I do like other forms of affection.”

Rosemary knew he was teasing, but she was quick to draw the line with this pirate. She knew he likely didn’t have the same ideals surrounding relationships as she did, but it didn’t matter. She found the captain interesting, but not in that way. She would never think of forming a serious relationship with him, much less marrying him. Especially when they would only have two months together.

His next question bought her out of her thoughts. “Oh, I don’t know. No where in particular. Just far, far away from my land.”

The last sentence felt almost strange as she spoke it. Just the year before, she would never say something like that. She lived for the people, after all. Her people. She would die for them.

She reached up and felt for the scar on her face. Oh, how quickly things could change.

“But it doesn’t matter.” Her knee bounced under the table. “That’s in the past.”

Aedion saw right through her. He knew she was only teasing and playing along with her to calm down her nerves. And distract herself from whatever had spurred her to run. And that was alright. If it was a distraction she needed, he was more than willing to distract. Though he would still put his foot down and set boundaries between them. And the same with his crew. If she was looking for a bedmate she would find none here.

He grabbed her fingers under the table and gave them a reassuring squeeze. He wasn't sure what he had done for her to trust him so, and so quickly. But he wasn't upset with it. He would provide comfort where it could be given and accepted.

"Ah, but you are free to marry whom you please now. You're a free woman. So there certainly must be more qualities than physical ones you are looking for." He winked at her, teasing back though still reminding her that she was free now. To free to work, free to marry, free to do anything she wanted.

He studied her, watching as she touched the scar on her face, and his thoughts turning dark as he wondered who might have done it to her. He grabbed his rum and took a swing from it to keep from saying anything. "Then far away we'll get you."

He would give her some coin and set her up with one of his contacts to get her going. If she was smart, she could live a nice life.

He placed a gentle hand on her knee, stopping it from shaking. "It's in the past. And you're on a pirate ship now, love. Enjoy it." He winked at her.

Rosemary felt his fingers press against hers, and for a while, she kept them there. The gesture wasn’t much, but it served to calm her nerves some as she listened to the chatter among the pirates. Eventually, she released his hand, giving it a squeeze before she did so.

“I suppose you’re right. But I still don’t know if there’s a single man in the world worth all that trouble.” She grinned at him. “Dare I say not even you.”

As her fingers traced the scar etched across her face, her mind tried to trace back to when everything started. To the exact moment her life had started to go down hill. She used to be an obedient princess, beloved by her people, but when did that change? But the captain was right. She needed to get her mind off of the past and have some fun. She was on the open sea now. She was free.

And yet, why did she still feel so trapped?

“What’s there to enjoy? A bunch of smelly pirates? The worst rum I’ve ever had?” she teased. “But you’re right. Best not to think about those kinds of things. They’re far behind me now.”

She felt his hand land on top of her knee, and it didn’t take her long to place her hand on top of his. This time, she didn’t let it go.

As the night went on, the pirates began to grow more and more rowdy. Rosemary avoided too much drinking, but she could tell the pirates were drunk out of their minds. Many of them began to dance, but Rosemary avoided joining in with it. Instead, she stayed at the side lines, signing and clapping along with the music.

Aedion only grinned. "Then perhaps some of us will be lucky enough to grace your bed. Or maybe you're so put out by us men you turn to women." It was then that Vera turned her attention towards them long enough to wink at them both.

"And I know I'm not worthy of your attentions. But I'm sure you'll find a nice man, or woman, to settle down with eventually." He had a light smile on his face. This was alright. This was fine. But he wouldn't let anything go any farther than this.

He watched her carefully now, watched as her demeanor changed as she touched that scar. He knew exactly then that it had not been an accident that had caused it. That it hadn't been some childhood accident or a little fall down the stairs. Something had happened. All thoughts of her presence there to spy on him went right off the plank. No, she was running from someone. And he was going to find out who.

More than a few pirates gwaked at her for her statement and there were a few protested shouts. Aedion only smirked. "I'll have you know we have very good hygiene here. And vest not to insult our rum unless you want to be thrown overboard." The looks she was getting meant he wasn't teasing about that. They took their rum very seriously.

As the night went on and the rum kept getting poured, his crew relaxed more and more. Aedion stuck to his one drink and that was enough for him, but the rest were having a wild time. A few tried talking to Rose but quickly became distracted in other things. Instruments were brought out and music began to play. Vera was singing. She had a surprisingly good voice.

The table and benched were put away and everyone had begun to dance. Their married couple were entangled with one another and the rest were jumping from partner to partner. Aedion sat out, standing beside Rose. He watched her quietly as she observed the others. There were a few standing out on the opposite side of them but they weren't paying attention to the two of them. No one was.

"Would you like to dance love? I promise no one will kotice if you're a bad dancer. They're too drunk out of their minds right now." He offered her a hand. "We can dance over here if you're shy."

She laughed at Vera’s gesture before turning back to Aedion. “Like I said before, the only person gracing my bed will be the man I marry,” she replied. “So all of you are out of luck.”

She smiled at his next comment, gently squeezing his hand. Some of the other pirates seemed to have a healthy fear of their captain, and it made sense. He looked like he could be a scary man. But he was incredibly soft and gentle with her. “Maybe I will. Although I’m sure that man would divorce me as soon as he sees how crazy I am,” she teased. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll be like you, traveling the seas without a partner.”

She snorted at the looks she got when she mentioned the rum. “Oh, calm down, you drunkards,” she yelled back at them. “Both you and I know that the rum here is good. Let’s not kill each other over it.”

As the night wore on, Rosemary watched the pirates, sometimes stealing an occasional glance at the captain. He looked so calm. Relaxed. The only reasonable person among the drunkards. He seemed to be having a decent time sitting with her, but she didn’t want to hold him back from having fun with the others. So, when he asked her to dance, she was happy to oblige.

“Shy? Pssh, who, me?” She grinned, taking his hand as she pulled him in. “I’m not, but I would prefer to dance over here. If you try to go into that mess, you’re likely to lose a limb.”

"Well then he's not the right man if he can't put up with your crazy self. You shouldn't marry him, plain and simple." Aedion spelled it out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it should have been. Whoever she chose should be able to put up with every side of side, crazy or not.

However, her traveling the seas, she just might. She was doing just fine here so far. Though he was curious on how she would take to the nastier part of this job. How she would handle a kill, the looting, all of it. Being on the sea was only part of it. Every crew encountered something that would spur a battle. It always happened out in the sea. No matter how big it was you were bound to run into conflict.

The crew would most certainly kill someone over their rum. A few of them had before on land when someone had tried to take it from them. Let's just say it had been a bad night for everyone. Aedion however, couldn't help but notice how she was adjusting to the crew rather quickly. That was a good thing. They were stuck with each other for awhile.

He squeezed her hand as she placed hers in it. He smiled at her. "Perhaps your right. They're not always paying attention when they're drunk." He just hoped everyone had discarded their weapons before hand. They didn't need another incident.

He helped her stand and put a small distance between the chairs so they wouldn't risk running into them. Then he pulled her into an upbeat dance, matching the pace of the song. He was surprisingly a good dancer. Vera had taught him years ago when she came aboard the ship to work. He was a lost cause before her.

“True. People do crazy things when they’re drunk,” she said. “You should see the king when he drinks. His people normally respect him, but they’ve never seen him intoxicated.”

Rosemary had first hand experience with it. When she was a child, he was a raging alcoholic. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that, and neither would any of the officials who worked with him. They cancelled countless meetings because of his hangovers, and the officials did everything in their power to prevent the people from seeing the other side of their king.

Of course, unlike the officials, Rosemary was the one who had to deal with her father when he went into a alcohol-induced rage. She could faintly recalling how he would throw furniture. There were even rumors that he had killed one of their servants.

Rosemary shook the thoughts from her mind. She had blocked out those memories for a reason.

Rosemary smiled as she stood up, intertwining her fingers with his. “They’re even clumsy when they’re not drunk. Most of them can’t even dance,” she teased. “How about you? Can you dance?”

Her question was quickly answered when the music started up again. To her surprise, Aedion could dance much better than her. Sure, she had taken a few dance classes, but they only taught her to waltz. Not whatever this was.

Despite not knowing many of the steps, Rosemary could feel herself begin to loosen up. She began to laugh as she tried her best to keep up with her partner.

Aedion gave her a sad look. He knew better than most what it was like to have a terrible father. It wasn't right and she deserved better than that. But instead of saying anything, he just gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He was a great listener for whenever she wanted to talk. Everyone on his crew had come to him for something. He knew everything about them, all their trauma, the why's and how's of everything. And he would offer than same thing for her while she was aboard his ship.

"Hmm, only a little bit." He smiled, tightening his grip on her hand. "But you best believe they have a steady hand when it comes to shooting guns and canons. Or rather better pray they do." He winked at her. His crew were amazing shots at what they did. He worked with each of then personally and helped trained them so they were more than a decent shot and stood a chance against any opponent. He wouldn't lose any of them. Not if he could help it.

She clumsy, at least to the rhythm of their music. But that was to be expected. She was speed to waltzes and whatever else they played at court. Not these bawdy tunes that you jumped and twirled and moved your feet too. And it was entirely okay.

He only smiled at her more when she stepped on his feet or stumbled over her own. He guided her as best he could to the song. He picked her up and tiwlred her around. He dipped her low before pulling her up and spinning her around. He pulled her back to his chest, smiling. There was a light in his eyes that hadn't been there previously.

“They better. You have a princess on this ship that needs protecting,” she replied. “Maybe you can teach me a few of those gun and canon skills when we have the time.”

She, of course, didn’t expect him to teach her. Aedion probably wouldn’t feel comfortable with the daughter of his enemy being around his weapons. However, the captain did seem to be warming up to her fast, so there could be a chance. For now, she simply hoped that his dancing skills were as good as his skills with a gun.

They, in fact, were. He was an incredible dancer, and while she tended to mess up on many of the steps, she didn’t feel embarrassed around him. In fact, he smiled down at her, almost amused by her mistakes.

It wasn’t long before Rosemary was fully immersed in the music, bounding around the deck and laughing with her partner. A few of the drunk crew mates glanced over at them, but Rosemary ignored them for the time being. She finally seemed to be enjoying herself.

Rosemary allowed him to pull her head to his chest, smiling up at him as he did so. “Dancing, shooting… is there anything you’re not good at, love?”

"Don't worry, love, I'll protect you with my life." Aedion meant that. So long as she had his protection, he would lay down his life for her just like anyone else on board. "I'll teach you whatever you're willing to learn. Though we have to be careful, we only have so much ammo on board." He wouldn't risk running out in a time of need. They would have to be smart about it. But the answer wasn't a no and thats all that mattered.

It would be good for her to kearn how to defend herself. Just because she was onboard wouldn't stop them from their usual pirating. They still had ships to loot and gold to steal. She wouldn't stop them from doing that. But it would also mean putting her in harms way and he would feel better if she knew how to protect herself.

He didn't talk much as they danced, enjoying the silence between the two of them. She was dancing and smiling and laughing and that was all that mattered. Whatever had spurred her to escape ale on his ship was temporarily forgotten and that was all he cared about.

Time passed by quicker than he would have liked and he knew it was time to get to bed. Most of the crew would be hungover by morning which would leave him to man to helm. It was alright. He didn't mind it even if he woukd only get a couple hours of sleep. He could take a nap during the day or have an early night tomorrow to make up for it. But if he didn't get some sleep now he would make everyone's lives miserable tomorrow.

As the song came to an end, he bowed and kissed her hand. "I'm off to bed darling. Would you like me to escort you to yours or would you like to stay a little longer?"

Rosemary had never felt so exhausted in her life. Sure, her daily royal duties often wore her out, but not nearly as much as dancing around on a ship deck did. To add to that, she was nauseous from the constant rocking of the ship. She would fairly sure that she would throw up if she didn’t lay down soon.

The dancing had slowed down as the crew began to grow more and more exhausted. Rosemary was leaning into the captain, half asleep and delirious from her sleep deprivation.

“I hate to say this, but the night has to come to a close.” She lifted her head, still holding his hand. “Walk with me.”

After saying her good nights to the few conscious crew mates, Rosemary walked back to her room with the captain. Before she went inside, she turned back towards him and held his hands in hers.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said. “I thought I would be killed when I boarded this ship, but the room, the food, the dancing… it’s more than I could ask for.”

Aedion was practically holding her up at this point and knew her answer ling before she gave it to him. But he had still wanted to offer her the choice. He knew what it was like to go without one and always offered it to his crew. She woukd be no different. Everything would be a choice for her, unless it be a life and death situation. Only then would he put her safety above her wishes.

He smiled and nodded his head, bringing her into his side so she could lean against him. He thought about picking her up and bringing her to her cabin but he wasn't sure how she would feel about that. This was the better option.

He said goodnight to everyone that hadn't already slipped into bed and helped her climb the stairs. Their rooms were above everyone else's sleeping quarters. Unfortunately, that meant navigating the stairs in their state. Well, hers. He coukd walk this ship in her sleep. But he worried in her sleep deprived state she might fall. He practically held her up as they walked up them.

"Do not thank me for something that anyone should have done," he said honestly. "I meant when I said you will not come to any harm while on my ship. I will take you safely to wherever you wish to go and I'll see that you are tajne care of. You have my word."

Normally, Rosemary was the independent type; she would’ve insisted on going up the stairs with no help. However, she had no choice but to let the captain insist her. She was exhausted that she would likely topple down the stairs if left alone.

Once they made it to the room, she finally managed to lift herself off of him as she turned around to face him. She leaned against the doorpost, rubbing her bare arms.

“Thank you, Aedion. And thank you to your crew as well.” She laughed softly. “Some of them may be a bit… different, but they mean well.”

She reached over, gently squeezing his hand. “Good night, Aedion.” She winked at him. “Don’t miss me too much, alright?”

Aedion tucked his hands in his pockets as they came to her door and they parted. As ge stood in front of her, he looked more like a man than a pirate or captian. His shirt had been undone more, exposing more of his chest and tattoos. His hair had come out if it's tie at some point in the night and was almost wild on his shoulders. His shoulders were relaxed and he had a kind smile on his lips. He was just Aedion.

His smile only widened for her. "You're welcome, princess. I'd suggest you get used to this however, it's the same thing almost every night." Maybe not the dancing, but the food and the drink and the atmosphere was all the same. It was their time to wind down and relax and let go of the day's events.

He bowed at the waist, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Sleep well, darling. I'll see you tomorrow."

He rose and waited until the door was firmly shut before walking his own cabin. But the time he made it, he barely had enough time to strip his clothes before falling asleep.

After a brief hesitation, Rosemary reached up as she spoke, gently smoothing Aedion’s wild hair with his fingertips. It was strange being somewhat close with this man after only a day of knowing him, but something about it just felt right. Like it was meant to happen, as silly as that sounded.

“Oh, I’ll be fine by the morning. Doing this every night sounds like a dream,” she replied. “But don’t let me hold you back from having fun with the others, alright?”

She smiled faintly as he leaned down to kiss her knuckles, and when he straightened once again, she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Don’t get used to it, love,” she whispered. “That was only to thank you. Nothing more.”

After Aedion left, Rosemary wasted no time before climbing into bed. Before she knew it, she was awoken by the sunlight filtering in through the cracks in her wall.

Now fully refreshed, Rosemary got up and began to clean herself up as best she could. It was a difficult task without any clean water, but she made do with what she had. Soon, she walked out of her guest cabin and down the stairs, looking around the empty ship.

Aedion was still as she brushed her fingers through his hair. A dangerous thing she was doing. She was toeing the line of those boundaries by touching him like this. He almost worried she might try to go too far. But from their previous conversation he knew she still held onto those courtly manners that she could only bed her husband. It was stupid but he wouldn't tell that to her just yet. No one here cared about her virtue. She needed to figure that out for herself.

"I wouldn't dream of it." His voice was just above a whisper. He could still feel the ghost of a touch of her lips on his cheeks. He felt it even after he had retired to his room.

He woke up with the dawn, his sleep being interrupted far too early for his tastes. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep but knew this needed to be done. And there was no one else to do it. He washed quickly and dressed in fresh clothing before going on to the deck and climbing up to the helm.

Despite his exhaustion, it was quite pretty as the sun began to peek in the distance. Soft hues of blue and pink began to fill the sky, chasing away the night. The breeze lifted his unbound hair and the smell of the sea filled his nose. This was where he belonged.

(( The reason I do the whole “only bed my husband” thing is because I’m pretty uncomfy even with suggestions or going in that direction; I don’t do fade to black, rather I completely avoid sexual themes. I keep it pretty much at a PG level with only kissing, hugging, and stuff like that. I completely stay away from anything else for a number of reasons. :) ))

Rosemary wandered down onto the deck, unable to keep her eyes from searching for Aedion. She could only remember glimpses of the night before— the food, the dancing, the singing. And of course, she could remember Addison. The way he’d taught her how to dance and constantly sent her those charming smiles.

It didn’t take her long to find Aedion with the deck being as empty as it was. He was up on the helm, staring out at the sea with his blonde locks going wild in the sea breeze. The same locks that she had run her hands through only the even before. Gods, did she really do that? She felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment just thinking about it.

Eventually, she wandered to the rope ladder the led up to the hole, grabbing a hold of it as she called up to him. “See anything interesting up there, my love?”

(No worries)

Aedion noticed her as soon as she stepped out onto the deck. How could he not when he was the only one up there? And she was a sight to see, even so early in the morning. He had the wheel gripped in his hands, keeping them on a steady course. They sea was calm and patient this morning, a good thing for the hungover mates below the deck.

He smiled as she moved towards him, laughing softly at the term of endearment she gave him. "Why don't you come up here and see, sweetheart." There was nothing but sea and sky but it was what held his heart. The beauty of it. Even when the sea was unforgiving he didn't want to be anywhere else.

The breeze fluttered through his unbound hair once more, brushing it back from his face and eyes. As the heat rose later in the day, he would tie it off his neck to provide some bit of relief. But until then he enjoyed having his hair down. He would need to cut it soon, it was starting to get a little too long for him.

"Ever steered a ship before, darling?" He was looking at her now, his attention shifting. "Come give it a try. You might be a natural at it."

(( Are there mythical creatures in this world? Magic?? ))

For moment, she hesitated before walking up to the helm. She had felt a little sea sick this morning, and climbing up to the front of the ship would only make it worse. However, despite her logic telling her no, she still walked up to the helm and stood next to the captain. She didn’t regret it.

She rested her hand on Aedion’s arm. “It’s beautiful…”

There was nothing in sight for miles. Only an infinite sea of blue. A sight like this should’ve terrified her, but somehow, it didn’t. Instead, it gave her a strange sense of peace. She was far away from her home, from her life before. She could start anew.

She smiled at Aedion’s request. “Are you sure?” she asked. “If your ship ends up at the bottom of the ocean, don’t blame me.”

Despite her protest, she still approached the wheel, placing her hands on the polished wood. The wheel felt good under her hands. Natural. Sure, she knew nothing about steering a ship, but she was sure she could eventually learn.

(I hadn't planned on it but we can always do something. Do you have something planned 🤔)

Aedion watched silently as she climbed up the stairs to stand next to him. He turned his head to her, instead of focusing on the sea. It wasn't as if he was going ti crash into anyone if he veered off course for a moment. Besides, he could do this in his sleep. He didn't need to look to know where to go. The currents and routes were all mapped out and memorized in his head. And he had his trusty compass with him.

He smiled at her as she placed her hand on his arm. Using his other, he placed his own hand over hers and squeezed it. He looked back at the open sea, his smiling widening. "It truly is."

The sea was a beautiful and terrible thing. So many had been lost to it. But so many had been found as well, as he had. And as his new companion might be.

She was quite beautiful as well, be wouldn't deny. And he would happily say it, should she be prompting him to. Which might have been what this was but he liked keeping her on her toes.

He chuckled softly. "You won't sink my ship." He moved aside, letting her take over the helm. The wind was calm and so where the waves. She would find no resistance trying to sail his ship.

He moved behind her, placing his hands over hers. "Keep her steady. We're going the right direction." He had bent his head to murmur in her ear.

(( Haha not anything planned necessarily, but I’ve always thought krakens, sirens, and creatures like that are cool xD I’m good with anything, though ))

“Oh, I’m sure I could sink anything given the right amount of time,” she teased. “It’s my specialty.”

She felt him move up behind her as he placed his hands over hers. She hadn’t realized how close he was until he spoke into her ear. Was getting this close really necessary? Probably not, but she wouldn’t mention it. Besides, he was likely simply trying to help her keep the ship steady. It didn’t mean anything, right?

“Do you get this close with all your female companions? Or is it just me?” she said, glancing back at him. “Just so you know, I’m separated from the royal family. You’re not getting any of the castle’s money, no matter how much you flirt with me.”

Aedion only smiled. He wouldn't let anything happen to his ship, not while he was there. And he'd watch her carefully to make sure she didn't take them too far off course. Though she couldn't, not with his hands on hers.

"Hmm, just me. If I got this close to any of my other female crew members they'd cut off my dick." He wasn't exaggerating either. He'd tried it one time back in his juvenile days and paid for it. He still had the scar to prove it.

He laughed, his shoulders shaking and chest vibrating. "I have more than enough money, sweetheart. I don't need yours. Plus, if I want something, I steal it." He winked at her.

He adjusted the helm slightly, keeping them on course. He stood up straight, though he didn't pit much space between them. "Now all you need if a hat and you could be called a pirate."

“Geez, quite dramatic.” She laughed. “Although, I have to say, some of them look like they would do such a thing. I’m not quite sure if I fit in with them very well…”

Rosemary assumed her friendships on the ship wouldn’t matter much. She was leaving in two months anyways. However, growing up in the castle meant that the only people surrounding her were cocky nobles who had no interest in her. She didn’t have many friends, and now that she had left the castle, she wanted to learn to form actual relationships.

“You steal it? Quite the moral compass you have there,” she replied. “Guess I should watch my belongings more carefully.”

She said belongings, but all she had with her when she’d boarded the ship was her dress. She had left almost everything behind in the castle. She didn’t want any part of her past with her when she started her new life. The captain’s comment pulled her out of her thoughts.

“I need a hat to be a pirate, do I?” She winked at him. “Well, why don’t I take one of yours?”