23

The ring felt heavy in Gael's pocket. She was running out of time, and at this rate, she would likely put it off until Ainsley was gone forever and her chance to give it had disappeared. She should do it now, while the two of them sat together at a roughly crafted wooden table in the city tavern, but she couldn't force herself.

Earlier that morning, Ainsley had wished all of the pirates warm goodbyes that included, in Ed's case, an arm thrown roughly around his neck and a push into the wall of the the galley. He had reacted with a hostile shove, but they were both grinning from ear to ear. Nathe, on the other hand, as well as the rest od the crew, had gotten a handshake and well wishes. The change in their interactions in just a few weeks' time was amazing. The bitter, aloof princess was gone, and in her place was a young woman who wanted nothing more than to sit with the crew, deep in conversation, late into the night.

They would all miss her.

The two were silent now, the tavern nearly empty in the quiet morning. Outside, Gael could hear the sounds of the city waking up.

Luca was a young man with dark skin and shoulder-length hair left wavy and unruly. Gael knew who he was because the moment the tavern doors opened, Ainsley had pushed her chair back and thrown herself into his arms, pulling him in for a tight embrace. Gael stood up to greet him, and the young man gave her a wary smile and a handshake. She could tell he was surprised; he had likely been under the impression that Gael had been the one to demand a hostage, as Ainsley had been at first, but here she was now, bruised but healthy, with the dampening cuff removed from her wrist.

"Luca!" She gushed. "I've missed you." She pulled away.

"I've missed you too. How are you?" He glanced at Gael again, who found herself getting slightly defensive.

"I'm fine. How are things back in the kingdom?"

"We can talk on the way. Your father wants you home as soon as possible."

"Is that why you look so tired?" Ainsley asked. The youth smiled sheepishly.

"I rode all night. It's why I got here so fast."

"Well, if my father is so determined to have me back as soon as possible..." Ainsley looked back at Gael, who had stayed a few steps behind. Understanding, the pirate followed the two of them out of the tavern, where two horses were tethered to a post. Luca approached one of them and mounted, adjusting his stirrups and bridle. Gael took the moment of distraction to reach for Ainsley's arm just as she reached for the saddle on the other horse.

"Ainsley—may I have a moment?"

The princess took a step closer, putting more distance between the two of them and the knight as well as moving closing the gap between herself and Gael. Gael swallowed. She had started now, she couldn't back down.

"I..." She fumbled around in her coat pocket and pulled out the paper-wrapped package. "I got you something. Just to say goodbye, I suppose." She held out the package and Ainsley took it after a second of wide eyed surprise.

"Gael, you... you shouldn't have... this is so kind of you, but I didn't get you anything—"

"I don't want anything in return. But I do want you to have this."

Ainsley slowly unwrapped the small package, revealing the ring. She slid it onto her palm and stared at it, eyes large with wonder as she examined the perfectly smooth finish and bands of reddish wood that laced across its surface.

"Gael, this is beautiful, I can't possibly accept it..."

Gael, going a moment without thinking about it first, covered the short distance between them and took Ainsley's hand, wrapping her fingers securely around the ring. She hovered there for a moment, Ainsley's skin warm under her own.

"I want you to have this. Please."

She pulled her hands away and Ainsley stared at her, then slowly uncurled her fist and held the ring between finger and thumb. Finally, she slid it onto her middle finger, where it settled neatly.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you, Gael."

Gael felt herself flushing. "Well, it wasn't all that costly. Please don't worry about it."

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

Gael could tell her response was genuine. Ainsley's delight, wary and reluctant at first, shone in her eyes as she admired the band around her finger for another moment.

"Princess? Are you ready to leave?" Luca asked, breaking into the moment between them that had suddenly seemed to hum with electricity.

Ainsley looked up at him. "Oh. Of course." She let her hand drop to her side and met Gael's eyes once, then looked away. Gael's gaze slid to the ground, conflicting warmth and disappointment battling inside her.

"Well, Princess, best of luck."

"Thank you. Blessings to you and your crew."

Gael smiled, and after a moment, Ainsley held out her hand. Gael shook it, feeling the hard wooden ring in her grasp.

"Goodbye, Princess."

"Goodbye, Captain."

Ainsley separated from her, leaving the space between them suddenly feeling empty and cold. She swung up onto the horse's back, gave Gael one last small, somewhat sad smile, then gathered the reins in her hands and followed Luca down the road.

—

Gael bought a bottle of rum and met up with Nathe outside the marketplace. The two leaned against a low wall that contained a flock of sheep and Gael untwisted the cap, handing it to Nathe first. He took a drink, clearly deep in thought.

"Well, our job's finished."

Gael nodded wordlessly, staring up at the clear morning sky. A small dragon fluttered by, being pestered by a swarm of tiny birds.

"We got what we wanted," she agreed at last. "Safe passage through Ackerley's waters. Now it's just clear sailing to the trading ports in the northern countries."

"I gotta say, that was easier than I thought it'd be. After the first week or so, of course."

Gael nodded again. "She wasn't nearly so much trouble as I feared she would be."

"Little bit scary at first, though."

Gael found herself laughing. "Yes. Quite."

Nathe took another drink and handed the bottle back to her. She rubbed her thumb across the paper label, but didn't drink any of it.

"She's a nice girl," Nathe commented. "She'll be a very good queen someday."

"She will. I wish..." Gael changed her mind and bit off her words. Nathe was quiet, however, wordlessly urging her to continue. She leaned back against the wall, weight on her elbows. A breeze brushed by her face and ruffled her hair. "I wish I could be there to see that."

Nathe nodded, sympathy written on his face. He sighed deeply and took the bottle back from Gael, who didn't protest.

"Oh, Gael."

She flushed. "What?"

He just stared at her, gaze drilling holes into her crumbling resolve to deny what he was suggesting.

"I—Nathe, this again? It isn't like that. Really."

"It's fine if it is like that."

"Well, fortunately, it isn't."

There was a long moment of silence. Nathe seemed unbothered by it, but there were words bubbling up inside of Gael, close to spilling even though she wasn't sure what it was she wanted to say.

"I like her a lot," Gael blurted suddenly. Her face warmed, but Nathe just nodded.

"As do we all."

That was what she had been trying to say, but she found herself correcting him.

"Not like that."

"I know."

"I feel as though, perhaps had circumstances been different, we could've..." she trailed off and shrugged lamely. "I don't know." She swallowed hard, trying to process her thoughts in an orderly manner so she could speak them. "She's a princess, and I'm a pirate, and today was the last time I'll ever see her again. That's all there is to it."

"You are still nobility, Gael. It isn't as though you stand no chance."

Gael just looked down at her boots. How had she come to feel in such a way after such a short amount of time? They could barely be considered friends. In fact, Gael would balk at referring to the princess as a friend at all, most because she wasn't sure how Ainsley would see that. She probably didn't see Gael as a friend, and Gael wouldn't blame her.

And yet, recent, obstinate memories kept rising to the surface of her mind that she couldn't push away. A sleepy princess, passed out on the galley table and the way her unfocused eyes had blinked up at Gael when she'd woken her. The way she had fought in the light of the fire; the victorious, violent beast she had become. It captivated Gael. Ainsley's spark, the angry flush on her face when she talked of her father and then, conversely, the way her expression would soften and the gentle touch of her hands, always afraid to make contact with another person. Gael had been utterly captured.

Gael groaned and buried her face in her hands. Nathe chuckled and draped an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, Captain. All infatuated over a pretty girl, are we?"

"Perhaps," she replied, tone muffled. She pulled her hands away again and straightened her posture, letting his arm slip off of her back.

"It doesn't matter. She's gone now, and we can go back to business as usual. And I will forget about her."

"Now, Captain, the crew doesn't like empty promises."

Gael straightened the hem of her shirt with her hands, sighed, and stared up at the clear mid-morning sky. "Nathe, can we please just go back to the Finch? We have preparations and repairs, as well as restocking, to do before we leave again tomorrow."

"Of course, Captain. Anything you say." Nathe nodded, still smiling, but he glanced at her, concern written on his face, at regular intervals as the two made their way back through the twisting streets.

hello my folks, thanks for reading this chapter, and thank you so much for (nearly) getting this brainchild of mine to 200 votes! please vote and comment on this chapter, i'd love to hear your thoughts <3