The Princess and The Pirate
Chapter 51

Kyle was sailing and loving every moment of his time at sea. Naval ships rode smoothly and were held together with more than just simple luck. It was an odd feeling, having an honest, employed crew manning the numerous vital details. Sailors for the crown made for better company as well.

The salty breeze whipped his face and rattled the medals hanging on his sash. Awards were such cumbersome things. He hated them and when the sun reflected on them at the wrong angle, they blinded him at times, but Jacqueline insisted he wear them. These days, he had a very royal look about him – properly fitted clothing, gold-embroidered jackets, and pearl buttons. Even his title of Prince Consort was a major improvement.

Ah, the imprisonment of marrying a princess…

“So, how are you liking it?” said Magnus, clicking his cane against the wooden floor, admiring the view of the city from the ocean. He hadn’t sailed much but the old man could see the appeal.

“I could be in a rowboat and be content,” Kyle said while looking at the Rocqueburne naval flags flapping about on the high mast. “She’s a hell of a ship.”

“Named her yet?”

“H.M.S. something or other. Haven’t decided. I figured the Silver Ogre’s Revenge II would be in bad taste.” He gave a catty half smirk, considering he had stitches in the other side. Lillian’s slice nearly took his eye and cheek. Now it would be just be a gnarly, indented scar.

Magnus only smiled, looking out into the horizon. He had been left here by the Emperor. Figuring out the details of the new king and queen would need some hearty advising. His warring days were over, his back slowly healing in the four months that had passed.

“The Emperor and his wife are coming to the wedding, you know.” Magnus fished a letter from the inside of his jacket, stamped with a great, unnecessarily large dragon’s head wax seal.

“They’re not my favorite people” he muttered with a hint of exasperation. He had learned to be cautious around any Imperial presence, but he had grown to like Magnus, as old and bent as he was now.

“They’re only coming to give their blessing and to make sure their interests are protected, like the port and whatnot. It’s no wonder, considering Rocqueburne has been in such perilous leadership lately.”

Kyle only shrugged, pretending he had nothing to do with it. He looked away from the water, trying to ignore that he was sailing atop his father’s bones as the captain of the enemy’s navy.

“Barring any issues at the wedding, they’ll throw rice and leave you two alone.” Magnus waived his hand at the sky, ready to be done with the visit already. “They had talked about dissolving this troublesome kingdom, thinking it’d be easier without the whole royalty business. That’s a powerful consideration. They usually only think about doing that to a certain kind of people. Any guess as to which kind?”

Kyle shrugged again.

With a deadly serious tone, Magnus looked over the soon-to-be young king’s profile. “People they deem traitors, regardless if there was any treachery.”

“What?” The pirate looked over to the old general. “How does that make any sense?” It didn’t seem very fair.

“One doesn’t get to stay emperor by being fair and just. Crushing any hint of trouble is how he keeps power and avoids complications. Imagine if he had to deal with kidnapped princesses every week.”

“I’m not ready to be a king,” Kyle muttered. He loved Jacqueline and had no qualms about marrying her, but why couldn’t she have just been some baker’s daughter instead of the future queen to an imperial province? A baker’s daughter wouldn’t make him wear stupid medals or get him threatened with treason.

“No one is ever ready.” Magnus’s smile faded slightly but a fragment of it stayed on his lips. To see Jacqueline get married brought him a warm paternal happiness. Aside from his lawless past as a pirate, he liked Kyle.

“But it’s two days away!” Protesting, the future king twisted his mouth to the injured side and grimaced.

“And you’re sailing on a beautiful ship, betrothed to a beautiful girl, on a beautiful day,” the old man snapped.

“Woman, not a girl. She’s a woman now,” Kyle corrected him, matter-of-factly.

That same paternal feeling twisted sharply in his gut. Magnus didn’t want to hear how the little princess he had known his entire life was now a woman. The corners of his eyes narrowed, trying to picture a tiny, frilly princess playing with her tea set and nothing more.

Kyle laughed to himself, enjoying making the old man uncomfortable. The winds changed and he corrected the ship to catch it. It seemed as if Poseidon had decided it was time to return to Rocqueburne.