Pirate Princess Read online

  PIRATE PRINCESS

  By: Catherine Banks

  Cover by: Thomas Moralez

  Map by: Draconic Maps

  Copyright © 2015 by Catherine Banks

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is also available in print.

  Ebook Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  DEDICATION

  This novel is dedicated to Jess. You’re a great friend who has helped me in so many ways and I wouldn’t be as sane as I am without being able to vent to you. Thank you for everything that you do for me.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to Jess for letting me bounce ideas off of you during my writing process. This is the longest novel I have written and I was able to accomplish the first draft (122, 964 words) during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2014! Thank you Thomas for the GORGEOUS cover! You, my friend, are fabulous. Thank you to my beta readers: Dawn White and Tiffany Revelee. Big thank you to James, Stacy, Armando, and John for helping me work out some kinks. You are all friends who I greatly value. Thank you also to my wonderful editor, Ellie! You are amazing! And as always, I am beyond grateful to my best friend and soulmate, Avery, for helping me throughout my entire process.

  Chapter One

  I stood on the main deck outside of the Captain’s quarters waiting for him come out. The ship swayed gently beneath my feet, but I barely noticed it. The sound of the ship moving through the water did not calm me as usual. My long blonde hair was braided, the thick braid hung over my shoulder so that I could play with the hair at the end, a nervous habit I had been unable to break.

  Captain Rocco, my father and the King of Pirates, had instructed me on the previous night to meet him at first light. The crew was starting to wake up and move about the ship to start their day, but most were still sleeping in their hammocks below deck. I felt like a stretched rope; nervous and impatiently waiting for my father to tell me what he wanted. What felt like hours later, but was probably minutes, he opened his door and stepped out. Some of the crew had gathered nearby and I felt even more agitated and unsure. I wished he had asked to speak to me in private instead of on the main deck.

  “Good morning, Tilia,” my father said with a wide smile. He was well over six feet tall, built like a mountain, and one of the fastest swordsmen I had ever seen in my life. He had black hair that he kept tied back with a leather thong. His dark eyes which made most men freeze in fear only looked at me with warmth and love even when I misbehaved. His crew was undeniably loyal to him and he did everything he could to make their lives blissful. That was a big reason why he had wanted to become King of Pirates, since it gave them the most security.

  “Morning, Captain,” I said with a forced smile. I wrung the bottom of my shirt nervously and held my tongue from saying anything more. He would tell me what he had to say when he was ready and not a moment earlier.

  He sat in the wooden chair that the carpenter had made for him, which was bolted to the deck to keep it from falling overboard during storms. It had started off a dark brown and after years in the sun had turned almost white. When I sat in the chair it looked large, but when the Captain sat in the chair it looked like a toddler’s chair. More of the crew gathered, interested to hear what was going on.

  “I know you are wondering why I brought you here and what I want to talk to you about. I want you to remember that everything I do for you is to help you and to make the best decisions for your life. I just want what is best for you.”

  My heart hammered against my chest in fear. When the captain made speeches like this things usually went poorly for whomever he was talking to.

  I was the person he was talking to.

  Oh no.

  “I considered this long and hard and I talked it over with the Quartermaster as well to get his opinion.” He paused and smiled at me, the sweet smile that was reserved for his daughter. “We are going to take you to live with your aunt in the Capitol of Crilan. You are a royal and it is time that you had a proper education and learned to be a lady instead of a pirate.”

  He was sending me away! To live in a dusty castle! “I don’t want to live in a castle!” I said nervously, “I don’t want to be a lady. I want to be a pirate.” A few of the men laughed softly and talked to each other about me. “I’ll behave more ladylike if you want me to. I’ll stop cursing…”

  “I don’t think she can talk without cursing,” Timothy, the boatswain said with a laugh.

  “Shut up, you filthy mongrel!” I yelled at him. I bit my lip and turned back to my father, “I’ll curse less. I am getting better with my training and I can hit the center target with my dagger every time now. I’ll swab the deck every day and help cook. I’ll learn more about medicine from

  Doc to help lighten his load when I’m able to,” I offered everything that I could think of that might entice him to keep me on board.

  “This is what your mother wanted. I have already notified your aunt and she is expecting you. We set sail in an hour. I know you may not understand it now, but this is what is best for you, Tilia.”

  Arguing with him was useless so I stormed down to my barracks, locked the door, and cried the rest of the day. Some of the crew stopped by, trying to console me, but I ignored all of them and refused to let any of them in. He was sending me away. He was sending me to live in a castle with people I didn’t know, where I would have to learn to be a proper lady and wouldn’t be able to fight or have any kind of real fun. It wasn’t fair. I wanted to be a pirate. I was a good pirate. I was already really good with the sword, I could throw a dagger on target, and I was decent at hand to hand fighting. I wasn’t going to fit in at this royal place with daughters who were taught to curtsy and speak pleasantly. Dad was one of the smartest men I knew and he was very educated so I was taught to speak properly, but I didn’t know the first thing about how to talk to a royal or talk like one.

  I stared at the water out a port hole as they took me to be dropped off and realized that I wasn’t going to be able to sail anymore either! I didn’t want to be on land where I couldn’t even see the ocean! I needed the cool air in my hair, the constant sway of the boat beneath my feet, the smell of salt so thick in the air. I didn’t want to be on the land! It wasn’t fair! I hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve this.

  Sometime later that night my father came by. I opened the door for him and sat facing the port hole. I had never turned my back to him before, but my heart was heavy with the fact that my father was abandoning me.

  “I have a few things to tell you before we get there,” he said, “So face me and pay attention.” I turned around and faced him despite really not wanting to and tried to hide the scowl on my face. “You can’t let anyone know who I really am. You are going to have to lie and say I’m a royal from a far off land. I already started the lie with your aunt so you just have to continue it.”

  “Why can’t I tell them who you really are?” I asked. I was proud of my dad. He was the King of Pirates! He kept order and ensured every pirate stuck
to the Pirate’s Code and was a kind and good captain to his crew.

  “They might try to use you against me if they found out that I am your father. The kingdoms have been trying to bring me in for years now and I don’t want you to be hurt on account of me. Do you understand? This is very important.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. I want monthly written reports from you. You will need to pass them along in secret, not letting anyone see you hand the letters off or who you handed them off to.”

  “How am I going to find someone to give them to in secret?” I asked. I doubted a young royal lady was given much freedom.

  “Sedgwick is going to help us with that.” Father turned to face my door and called, “Sedgwick!”

  Sedgwick was the ship’s doctor, a young man by doctor standards with wild black hair and gentle hands. He walked in with tools I rarely saw used. He smiled at me and said, “I’m quick so it won’t hurt too much, but it is still going to hurt some.”

  “You’re giving me a tattoo?” I asked in shock.

  “I’m giving you my mark so that you can find one of mine and pass your reports along. Also, if the royals do figure out who you are, try to escape and find someone loyal to me. They will hide you and help you escape. I’ll come blow up the Capitol if I need to, but let’s hope it does not come to that. The only person you can trust fully is yourself, Tilia, remember that.”

  I swallowed nervously. I had seen the others get my father’s symbol tattooed on them a few times. I knew it was going to hurt and yet I was so overjoyed at getting his symbol tattooed on me that I didn’t care. I had wanted his symbol as long as I could remember; only the best were given his mark and knowing I would finally get it filled me with pride and excitement. “Alright,” I said with a nod.

  Sedgwick patted a chair and said, “Sit here, please.” I sat down as instructed, pulled my shirt down so he could tattoo my shoulder, and held as still as possible as he tattooed me. It stung, but as soon as the spot he was working on began to hurt a bit much he would move on to another part. “All done,” he said after a couple of minutes.

  I stood in front of the mirror, looked over my shoulder, and inspected my very first tattoo. My father’s symbol was the boat symbol our ancestors had used, one curved line to make the boat shape, a straight line to represent the deck, and three straight lines to symbolize the masts. “It’s perfect,” I whispered.

  “Use this medicine on it once a day, don’t pick at it and keep it out of the sun for a month,” Sedgwick ordered and handed me a small jar of white paste.

  “Now, I want you to pack your things and get ready to go,” dad said, “You can say goodbye to everyone when we get to port.” He left the room quickly and didn’t look back.

  “He’s having a hard time dealing with this,” Sedgwick whispered, “He doesn’t want to be separated from you, but he knows this is the best thing for you.” He gave me a soft smile and said, “I’m going to miss you, kid.”

  “I’m going to miss you as well,” I said with a smile for him. He left and I grudgingly started packing. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would since I didn’t have very many things in my possession but then again I didn’t think many ten and a half year olds had a bunch of possessions. I turned and looked out my port hole and saw land. “This bites,” I muttered as I looked at the only room I had ever lived in for the final time. I carried my bag up the stairs to the main deck and tried to memorize everything about the ship I had lived on and would miss. I stepped up and looked at the land in front of me. The port was full of ships of varying kinds and people milled about. I looked at the main mast and was shocked to see that our flag with my father’s symbol had been taken down. He must not have wanted to cause panic amongst the people if they saw Captain Rocco was here. Beyond the port was an area of houses and passed that were fields of crops and then off in the distance was a large castle. It gleamed white in the sun and looked majestic. I said I didn’t want to live there, but I could see how girls wished to live in that place. It was stunning.

  “Give this letter to a guard and they will take you to see the queen. It was written by your mother and has your mother’s seal on it so they should accept it and take you to the queen without question. The queen has promised to raise you as her own and will ensure you are educated in every way, even magical arts,” my father explained.

  “They teach magic here?” I asked and was a little excited at that prospect.

  “Yes. Remember to write me and hide that tattoo until you need it to find my people. Do you understand?” he asked me.

  I looked up at my father, the toughest man I knew and asked, “Will I see you again?”

  I saw a shimmer of tears in his eyes and he squatted down so that he was eye level with me. “I definitely hope so, my girl. It may not be for a very long time though. I am going to miss you more than you know.”

  I wrapped my arms around his massive neck and squeezed him as I fought back tears. “I love you, dad.”

  “I love you too. Go say your goodbyes to the crew and then Rockwell will take you to land.” I backed away from him and he got a strange gleam in his eye. “Wait, I have a gift for you.” He pulled out a purple satin pouch from his pocket and set it in my hands. I untied the strings securing it and stretched the top open to find a gorgeous diamond and amethyst necklace. It was one of his greatest treasures. He loved to tell the story about how he had stolen it from a queen who had turned him down for a dance at her ball and how the look of terror on her face when she realized the necklace was missing was almost greater than keeping the necklace. “Keep this and remember that no treasure is greater than you,” he whispered.

  I tied the bag shut and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

  The crew said goodbye to me and I was surprised to find more than a few of them with tears in their eyes. I climbed into the dinghy that we used when we had to take a small amount of people to shore and Rockwell started rowing. I waved to the pirates I considered my family, having been raised by them since I was three years old and my mother had died, and felt a hole inside of me forming.

  “Keep your wits about you and remember to defend yourself. Let them know that you aren’t to be trifled with and that you know how to use those daggers and sword you have on your sides. Even if they tell you that you can’t wear a weapon you find a way to keep at least one dagger on you at all times,” Rockwell instructed me.

  “I will,” I promised.

  We reached the closest dock and he held the dinghy steady while I climbed onto the creaky wood. “Good luck and I hope to see you soon,” he said with a sad smile.

  I waved to him and then walked down the dock towards land. I couldn’t turn around to watch them sail off or I would cry and make a scene. I had to be strong. To stay strong I had to keep facing the land and avoid looking back at the ship that had been my home. I stood at the edge of the dock where it met the land and stared at the dirt in front of me. One more step and I would be on land and off the sea for the first time since I could remember. I had visited islands with my dad, but we only had short visits and spent most of our time on the ship. Now I wouldn’t be able to sleep on a ship in a hammock or stand at the bow with my arms out as the wind pressed against me.

  Men watched me curiously, but no one said anything. People walked around me going about their days. Dock workers, fishermen, and guards milled about. I felt small and unimportant. The fish market was in full swing with people bartering prices for the fresh caught fish in loud voices. The scent of the market was almost too strong for me to handle so I hurried away, heading for guards I saw in the distance. I passed various vendors with brightly colored tents and items ranging from jewelry, to bait, to clothes for sale and moved farther inland. Finally, I found a guard with the Crilan symbol on his shirt standing with his hand on his sword’s hilt watching the people around the docks.

  “Sir? I need to see the Queen,” I said in my best voice.

  “Really?” he asked, looking down at me
with a smirk. I held up the letter and he stared at the seal in shock and then looked at my face for a moment. “Follow me,” he instructed, the smirk gone and replaced by shocked seriousness.

  He led me to a small building which had more guards and a man behind a desk, writing notes down and instructing the other guards on their tasks for the day. He was most likely the Commander. “Sir,” The guard said, “You need to see this.” He handed the man at the desk the letter I had and stepped back next to me.

  “Holy Mother of All,” the man at the desk whispered. He looked up at me and swallowed, “She definitely looks like her. You escort her straight to the castle!” he told the guard who had led me to the building.

  The guard nodded his head, took back the letter, and led me outside. “Put that note away somewhere safe until we get to the castle, miss.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said and tucked it into my pants pocket.

  “Can you ride a horse?” he asked me.

  I shook my head. “I’ve never even seen one in person,” I admitted.

  “Alright, we will take a cart. Wait here a moment.” He motioned at another guard across the way and spoke to him quietly a bit away from where I was standing so I couldn’t hear what he said. Quickly a cart with horses already attached to it was brought round to us and they helped me climb up into the back. “Hold on,” he told me, “It gets bumpy.”

  A whip cracked and the cart lurched forward. I gripped the wooden side of the cart and watched as the sea grew farther and farther away. The land was lush and green here with many people working in the fields, including some kids my age. What did people do for fun here? Did they just frolic through the grass like the crew always teased the land lovers about? They were close to the ocean so surely they sailed. Hopefully. Soon we were entering the castle’s main grounds. I found it odd that there was no wall around the castle. Didn’t they worry about invaders?