Chapter 3 - The Lighthouse

Melromarc cringed at the sight of sunlight for the first time in a few days. He had spent the rest of his journey in near silence. Caspian refused to speak to him and Serenity had only bothered to pay attention to him when giving him water and checking his bandages. His whole body ached from being stuck in the same position. The only time he had been let up was to relieve himself. But now they had reached their destination and he’d be free from this wretched ship.

He blinked rapidly until the sunlight didn’t hurt so much and looked at his surroundings. They had docked at a port the admiral had never seen before. The docks bustled with activity as well as the nearby market.

“It’s the Triton’s Lament!” was called out throughout the port. As the call was heard, more people rushed to meet the ship. “Captain Serenity! Captain Serenity!” Civilians stood near the docks, waving, as the crew set to work unloading cargo.

“What is this place?” Melromarc asked his captor. Caspian grunted and ignored him.

“To you, I’m sure it could be called Neverland,” Serenity said, walking towards the gang plank. “But to us, this is home.” Melromarc couldn’t help notice a hint of sadness when she said ‘home.’

“Does this island have a name?” He pressed, curious about this place and the meaning it held for Serenity.

“Not one that would mean anything to you.”

“Can you tell me anyway?”

“Stillshell.” She said the name and turned away from him. Caspian pushed him towards the gangplank. Mutters began as the crowd saw Melromarc in his rear admiral attire. He could tell that the crowd despised him. An old woman spat at him as he passed.

“These royal navies are all the same. They don’t give a damn if people can eat so long as they keep a healthy number of ships off the sea.”

“Go to hell, you navy dog! I hope Captain Serenity gave you a good lashing!”

“Now, now, Benedict, there’s no need for hostilities.” Serenity descended to the docks. “The Rear Admiral here will be working to earn his keep if he wishes to stay. That is if his king leaves him to rot. If he’s to return home, we’ll be rewarded handsomely.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the man named Benedict said, bowing slightly.

“We have plenty of food and supplies to last us the next month. Help the men unload and distribute the goods.” Serenity patted the man on the back. “I’ll treat everyone who helps to a pint of Murdoch’s finest ale. Or rather, Rear Admiral Melromarc will.” She smirked as she glanced at him. A flurry of motion overtook the walkway as men scurried to assist. Serenity took Melromarc’s arm and Caspian left them, returning to the ship. Serenity led Hraesvelgr to a smaller boat.

“Ready to go, m’lady?” a man asked. Serenity nodded and boarded the boat with her prisoner and escort. Hraesvelgr watched the red and white striped lighthouse loom ever closer.

Hraesvelgr rubbed his wrist where the cuffs had been. “You suddenly trust me now?”

Serenity scoffed. “Hardly, but you won’t be able to cause any trouble without them. The town will kill you if you hurt me and you have no way of returning home.”

He cocked his eyebrow. “I’m a rear admiral in the royal navy. You really think I can’t navigate the seas well enough to return home? I could easily commandeer your ship.”

“This island can only be found by people who already know where it is.” She smirked. “You were kept in my cabin under constant supervision for a reason. Didn’t you ever wonder why you weren’t kept in the brig?”

Melromarc gritted his teeth. The thought hadn’t occurred to him. He’d been too distracted thinking about her. He turned away to gather his thoughts. He studied the spacious room around him. He was surprised by the interior, considering they were inside a lighthouse. The room reminded him of a palace. A gorgeous table was laid with a fine white cloth and set with gold embossed china dishes. A golden high backed chair sat at the head of the table. Black curtains hung as an elegant backdrop. The look made him think immediately of a throne.

The thought infuriated him. He had expected her home to be some shack by the sea when he’d discovered she didn’t live on her ship full time. He had at least expected the lighthouse to be abandoned, only the bare minimum furnishings inside. That thought had been stupid. Captain Tides was the most notorious pirate of all. She’d even been called Queen of the Sea. Of course she would have gained enough wealth to live like a king. And the town she cared for probably treated her like royalty too.

Serenity watched his fists clench and unclench as he looked about the room. His face was hard with anger. “I didn’t steal them, you know,” she said softly.

“What?” he hissed, trying to keep his composure.

“I didn’t steal the furniture.”

He scoffed. “You expect me to believe that?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Even if you bought it, it was with stolen money.”

“No. They were gifts. I don’t steal money.”

“And that makes being a criminal okay? What do you think you’re doing right now? You kidnapped me and you’re holding me hostage for a ransom from the prince! I’d call that stealing money!” He was so angry he wanted to hit something.

“Are you always so self righteous?” she shot back. “You should’ve gotten to know your enemy before taking her on. You know nothing about me, Melromarc.” She turned away from him. Planting her foot on the bottom stair, she glanced over her shoulder. “You would have killed me if you had the chance, just to remove another problem from your kingdom. You wouldn’t have cared about the consequences. Your kingdom would’ve been safe and the blood of my people would’ve been on your hands. You’re no better than me.” She slowly began to ascend the spiraling staircase. “The kitchen is on your right. Eat whatever you want. I’ll be at the light if you need me.”

Hraesvelgr ate the loaf of bread he’d found while he snooped through the kitchen. Surely there was a map of some kind that would help him get out of here. This captain lived like a princess but her obvious love for the ocean had to be evident somewhere. He shoved the last bite of bread into his mouth and paused to think. The kitchen was probably a too conspicuous place to keep things. The bottom levels would be where she hosted guests and, as she lived as a spoiled princess, potential servants. He needed to find her room.

He hurriedly made his way to the spiral stairs. She had left the trap door to the next level open. He climbed the stairs and found himself on an enclosed landing. Further along the landing were three doors. He cautiously opened them. Two of the doors lead to small but elegant rooms and the third to a bathroom. He continued across the landing and up the next flight of stairs. He noticed the door here had also been left open and that while the lower level had a trap door this one was fairly normal. Still fancy enough to be in a castle, he thought, annoyed. Had she really gone to such lengths to live like a pretend queen?

Finally, her room came into view. This whole floor was taken up with it. Ornate curtains hung as if floor to ceiling windows took up the opposite wall. A modish desk and chair sat below the actual window. An opulent bed, spread with luxurious blankets and pillows took up a large section of the room. A handsome wardrobe stood between him and the next staircase. He noticed the twinkling lights that hung around the iron banisters.

“Desk first,” he muttered to himself. He walked over to her desk to see an unfinished letter. Intrigued, he read it, curious as to why it had been left there.

Dearest sister,

You cannot imagine the grief that I hold. Both our parents are gone and now you and our home. I returned to surprise you but when I arrived everything was gone. I have found no one to tell me you survived and this month without word from you has been torture. I still pray there is hope but I fear there is none to be had. I can’t even return home to be near you and our parents. I wasn’t even able to give you a proper burial. I miss

The letter ended abruptly as if she hadn’t been able to finish the thought. Curious, he rummaged through the drawers. A small chest lay inside one of them, several letters inside. Clearly these letters were treasured. He peeked at one of them to confirm they were from this mysterious sister. It was signed with the name Acanthus. He bit his cheek, trying to remember why the name sounded so familiar. Shrugging it off, he continued his search for maps. His search was in vain. Everything he found were handwritten notes of legends and stories. Frustrated, he fell back onto the floor. Clearly everything related to her piracy was on the wretched ship.

The ceiling glinted as the sun slowly lowered. He looked up to study it. After a few moments, he recognized the diamonds to be in the shape of a shark. Diamonds studded its back, like polka dots. The handwritten legends and the unfinished letter all suddenly clicked into place.

“You’re searching for a fairytale.” Serenity didn’t bother to turn as her prisoner joined her at the railing. She watched the waves below crash against the rocks of her sanctuary. “I can understand why you want to find it but it’s just a story.”

“You don’t have to believe in it for me to find it,” she snapped. “I don’t need your criticism. You wouldn’t understand.”

“You want to find it for your sister,” he said, gently.

She glowered at him. “I see you’ve been snooping through my home. You couldn’t find a way out so you decide to invade my privacy instead.” She turned her back on him. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “I didn’t become a pirate just for the fun of it, you know. And I don’t need you to tell me the Undersea Galaxy is a myth. Everyone already has. That’s not going to stop me.”

Hraesvelgr grabbed her wrist and spun her around. He caught her waist with his free arm. He winced a little as pain shot through him. Holding her, he gently put his hand to her face. “You’re one sassy sailor.” He leaned forward and kissed her full lips. Serenity was startled but kissed him back after a moment's hesitation. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, holding her to him. Her mind was spinning.

She finally pulled away, blushing. “You’re going to hurt your shoulder,” she whispered.

“I don’t care,” he murmured back, his arm still around her waist.

A screech overtook their silence. Serenity looked up. “It’s Firaskie.” She pushed out of his embrace and, reluctantly, he let her go. She held out her arm for the large hawk to perch on. She unfurled the note the bird brought back. A small smile touched her lips. “Looks like you get to go home, Melromarc.”