6

The sun was high in the sky and the air smelled of the glittering saltwater that lapped at the weathered ship's hull. Ainsley had been working all day. Originally, she'd been annoyed at being at Nathe's every beck and call like some average sailor, but the resentment had faded away in the pleasant monotony of her toil. She had always found enjoyment in physical labour, probably because she had been accustomed to it at such a young age- despite her father's protests. Plus, the constant business distracted her from the awful emptiness she felt.

At first, Nathe had obeyed the captain's wishes and given Ainsley the easy jobs, the ones a simple cabin boy would usually attend to. Slowly, though, he'd allowed her to take on heavier work, which she couldn't help but take pride in. She had even taken up a few jobs that required small teams of men, all of whom accepted her help with cautious gratitude, like they were afraid of insulting her by denying her assistance. All except Edward. He seemed determined to poke snide comments her way whenever he found the opportunity.

"Princess!"

Ainsley straightened from her crouched position over a coil of heavy rope to meet Gael as the captain hurried up to her.

"What are you doing working with rigging? I told Nathe to give you light work."

Ainsley shrugged and pushed back her short hair, feeling her palms come back damp with sweat. "Oh. I told him I didn't mind. I don't- really. I enjoy it."

"I wasn't aware you were familiar with shipwork."

Ainsley paused and glanced down at the rope piled around her boots. "I'm not. Nathe told me what to do in simplest terms possible and... I just did it."

Gael stared at her for a few seconds. "You are a very unusual noble, Ainsley."

For some reason, the comment made the stores of smart retorts in the princess' mind vanish. She lifted both her shoulders mildly and twisted the cuff around her wrist, not knowing what to say. Gael's gaze broke away from her.

"Well, some of the men are taking a moment in the galley to refresh. It's only fair that you join us."

Ainsley pretended to need a moment to consider it, though she knew she didn't really have a choice. "I suppose," she replied at last, tone betraying her reluctance. Despite her weariness, she'd much rather be out in the wind and fresh air, with nothing to do but work until she was too tired to feel anything. In fact, she was too exhausted to even summon the anger that had burned inside her since this ordeal began.

The inside of the galley smelled of ale and sweat, but Ainsley was too weary to care. The moment there was a hard wooden bench underneath her, her knees began to tremble. Perhaps she'd overworked herself slightly. The crewmen, about five or six of them currently, sitting on either side of the two adjacent tables, all left her a respectful distance as they talked amongst themselves. She caught a harsh spurt of laughter from one as he reached across the wooden expanse to shove his companion. Gael plopped down without an apparent care between two of them, joining in the conversation with ease and a friendliness that awoke a spark of envy in Ainsley. She looked away, pulling at the cuff around her wrist, which she'd worked at so much that the skin underneath was red and scraped in a few areas.

A flask of something strong was set in front of Ainsley. Before she could reach for it, there was a derisive chuckle from someone at the next table.

"Don't bother. Her father'd never let his princess drink this shit."

Ainsley's jaws snapped together and she glared Edward square in the face, hating the arrogant smirk that played on his face as he met her gaze. He didn't see her as any sort of threat, she realized, fingers curling into fists until her nails bit into her sore palms.

The tension broke as one of the men leaned over and slapped the back of the young pirate's head and Gael tossed him a few warning words.

"Watch yourself, Ed."

The attention on her fell away again and she took a drink, mostly just to prove she wasn't under her father's control. She had had alcohol before, but that was mostly champagne and other rich, delicate beverages that sparkles on her tongue. This, on the contrary, burned her throat and didn't have a particularly welcome flavour. After struggling down a few more swallows, she let it be and lifted her right hand to examine one of the several splinters that had worked its way into her skin during the day.

A presence arrived next to her as Nathe sat down to her right, leaving a casual distance between them. Ainsley leaves away from the pirate, eyes flickering back down to her hands as he struck up a conversation with Gael.

"...And make sure she's wearing gloves if you're to send her out again."

The obvious mention of her made Ainsley look up, not happy with how she was being openly discussed without being included. Nathe nodded, however, and focused his attention on her next.

"Y'did well today. Gave some of these brutes a run for their money."

She couldn't help the small smile that arose, then disappeared before she let herself sink to thanking him. Around her, conversation quieted slightly, then Gael was leaning her elbows against the table, speaking directly to Ainsley.

"Princess, these men here are too afraid to address you directly."

Surprised, Ainsley made accidental eye contact with a young man with a scruff of dark facial hair who immediately looked away, flushing slightly. Something about it made her want to laugh out loud. The rest of the pirates weren't any better, all suddenly much more interested in the wooden grain of the table in front of them. Only Edward didn't care, giving an amused scoff and taking a drink, as though amazed by his crew's attention on her.

Gael was grinning from ear to ear as she watched them, shook her head, then faced Ainsley again. "Well, they want to know what it's like being dragonblood."

"Oh. I... what would they like to hear?"

"Anything you'll tell them, I suppose."

Ainsley shifted awkwardly on the bench, wrapping her hands around the flask that she didn't really intend to drink from. "Being dragonblood is... to share an existence with other beings." She paused, struggling to describe it. Everyone around her, in the royal court, tended to already have a pretty good idea of what her abilities entailed. She wasn't sure why she was telling them these things, indulging their questions. But perhaps not all of these pirates were her enemies. They just happened to be a part of the captain's crew. "Every minute of every day, you can... feel their presence, or even their emotions. As an example-" she broke off for a second. Something about her experiences seemed deeply personal to her now that she was talking about it. "Sometimes I'll look out to the Arkell Ridge and feel this very brief flash of contentment, or pride, or... even loneliness. Or I'll be hunting with my hawker and I'll know he's caught a hare because I can feel his excitement. I know when a dragon dies, either violently or peacefully, anywhere in the world, because it hurts me, or I just feel... sad." She shrugged, uncomfortable with how unnaturally loud her voice seemed in the dead silence that had fallen. "And it works the other way around, too. They feel any of my own emotions. It's a partnership, really."

The only sound was the creaking hull and the muffled splash of water outside. The crew watched her with wide eyes, looking almost enchanted. It was obvious no had ever explained dragonblood to them in such a way before. Without realizing, Ainsley had started to twist the cuff around her wrist.

"Sounds hard to bear, if I had t' be honest," Nathe spoke up. Ainsley glanced at him in slight surprise. She couldn't remember the last time someone had recognized the emotional suffering that could come with her abilities. It was always awe- whispers of such power and born to rule.

"And what- what's it like with the bracelet-thing?"

Ainsley felt her defenses snap up, a flash of her anger returning even as she clarified. "You mean- this?" She raised her cuffed hand and got a nodded response. She folded her arms protectively on the table, subconsciously shutting herself back off. "It's fine," she replied, tone curt, not bothering with any more of a response. The tension had trickled back into the atmosphere, and she was almost relieved when one of the pirates broke it again.

"Does your hawker beast have a name?"

"Uh- yes. He's called Erris."

Another voice. "Is he like a dog?"

"Perhaps like a dog that can hunt down a stag without help."

There were some chuckles, and now more questions came faster as the pirates abandoned their fear of her status.

"Have you ever ridden a dragon?"

"What's the biggest dragon you ever seen?"

"I thought the king wasn't dragonblood."

The last statement was from Edward. Ainsley, caught up in answering the curious pirates, glared at him, interrupted in the middle of a response.

"He is not."

"Then how are you?"

She bristled slightly at the tone he used. "My mother, you insolent bastard."

There was a moment of shocked silence, then Nathe burst into a genuine laugh. A few others joined in and one slapped Edward between the shoulder blades, getting a half-hearted glare from the young pirate. Gael was grinning from ear to ear.

"So am I right," the captain asked, silencing the men, "in assuming the ability is heredity? What are the chances a child will be dragonblood?"

"About half, but again- it's only present in the royal family line."

"What of the other noble family located in the far east of your country?"

"Ygreen?"

A nod of affirmation. For once, Ainsley was glad her tutors had taught her so much of her own history and the history of the dragonblood ability.

"They possess it, but only faintly. Not enough to be truly considered, unless... well, in marriage."

"Oh? What does that mean?"

Ainsley pushed her flask away, closing back up. "Nothing of importance. Is there more I can do on the deck?"

Nathe and Gael exchanged a glance before the officer stood up. "Always something to do on the Finch, princess. Let's get you some gloves first."

hey yall heres uhhh another chapter lol. votes and comments are always appreciated