On a warm spring day in early April, Princess Christina found herself wandering the rose garden. Roses bloomed year-around in a myriad of colors some common and others unheard of but it was rare the princess got to visit this garden. From April to August each year her family resided in the summer place. A marvelous palace right next to the sea constructed out of white stone and surrounded by pearly gates. Inside there wasn't much of a difference between the summer castle and her main home back in the city but outside, the differences were many. The rose garden being one of them.
In the center of the garden stood a marble statue honoring her mother who had passed shortly after Christina's birth.
The statue stood as tall as Christina herself and was always polished to perfection.
The young princess laid the reddest roses she could find at the feet of the statue as she bowed her head in respect. She did this every year and she would continue to do so. She took a seat on the bench across from the statue and sighed sadly.
"Well, that sounded like the weight of the world,"
"Drew, I was wondering when you'd show up," Christina chuckled.
"Well, I waited outside your suite but then I remembered your garden visit,"
Drew was a servant of the royal family and Christina's friend. He had come to work at the summer palace the year prior and had bonded quickly with Christina.
"So tell me, has anything changed since your last letter?"
"No, the pirates are still ravaging the seas, plundering kingdoms"
"And what of the mermaids?"
"Peaceful, they keep their end of the treaty we keep ours,"
"Well, that's great but I do wish something could be done about those pirates. They've caused so much trouble"
"You shouldn't worry, Princess, I have a feeling that their trouble-making days are numbered,"
"How can you be certain?"
"I just have a feeling, trust me,"
…...
Christina soon settled into life at the summer palace. Her days were filled with dances, festivals parades, and general merry-making but little did the Royals know what was about to unfold.
It happened during a party. Christina had just descended the stairs into the courtyard looking radiant in her new lavender gown when the pirates scaled the walls. Their arrival caused chaos and confusion amongst the guests.
Christina turned to flee into a hidden passage when she was knocked out cold by magic.
When the princess came to she was no longer in the castle, no longer on land for that matter. She smelt the salty sea water and knew at once where she was.
The pirates had captured her.
She was dumped out of the sack she had been abducted in. she sat up making note of two very important things. One, she was indeed aboard a pirate ship flying a black flag with a skull and crossed knife and fork. Two, they'd restrained her with iron cuffs. If she tried to use magic the metal would burn into her flesh and leave nasty scars.
"Like, welcome aboard the Ravenous Rogue, Princess", a relatively friendly voice greeted. She turned to see a lanky pirate, and a large, grinning dog next to him.
"The 'Ravenous Rogue'?", Christina scoffed. "Then you must be 'Captain', Shaggy Rogers. You are the WORST pirate I've ever heard of."
"But, like, you HAVE heard of me", he smirked.
Christina went on the defensive only to yelp when the iron cuffs burned her.
"Sorry about that, Princess I can't risk you lashing out at the crew,"
"Bur, how did you know about-No,"
"Sorry, Christina," Drew grinned as he stepped out of hiding.
: Why I oughta-owww"
"I suggest you stop before you scar yourself. Besides, I thought ladies weren't supposed to start fights?"
"Ladies do not start fights but they can finish them," Christina gripped.
"Feisty aren't you princess?" Shaggy asked.
"What do you want with me?"
"Well, seeing as you're the Princess and everyone adores you, we're going to ransom you."
"You can't! My Kingdom is small, we don't have much. You'd bankrupt my people-"
"Like, then I guess you'll be staying with us for a while. Take her to her new room,"
Christina was grabbed and forced into a dark but clean cell below deck. Just great. Christina sighed as she dropped to the floor. In frustration, Christina started to pull the pins that held her hair in place. They were painful and Christina didn't see the point in leaving her hair up. Then she caught sight of the keyhole on the cuffs. Maybe, just maybe... hastily, she tried to pick the lock only to be zapped by magic. Curses. There went her escape plan. Of course, there would be magic locks. They had Drew to help them. How could she have been fooled so easily? Drew had conned her into revealing her weaknesses. Could she have been any stupider? She wasn't worried about herself. No, she was worried about her father and her kingdom. They must have been worried sick. Her father would be devastated and beside himself with grief.
There was a time when she was five that she'd locked herself into one of the passageways of the castle and couldn't find her way out. When she finally found her way out her father had scooped her up and not let her go for the next three days.
However, this was nothing like back then. Oh, no not at all. She was trapped at the mercy of pirates, fugitives.
How would she escape?
Could she escape at all?
Yes, she could fly but something told her that she would be unable to fly all the way back home.
She was angry.
"Ow," she yelped again.
She really, really needed to stop that. Getting angry led to magical reactions and magical reactions led to pain. The sooner she got this through her head the better off she'd be.
No doubt there would be scars on her wrists.
…...
Shaggy returned to his quarters tiredly. It had been a long day. A very long day.
Truthfully, he felt bad about having to ransom Princess Christina but if they were to have enough money to retire and live peacefully it had to be done. He had intended to do it the year prior but they hadn't had enough time to. The stories Drew had told and the letters he'd received had helped them prepare for the princess.
While they waited for the ransom demands to be met they would sail the vast sea and do what pirates do best. Pillage and plunder.
...
When Christina woke she had trouble remembering where she was at first. Then it dawned on her and she grit her teeth.
"Ow, ow, ow" Christina whimpered as she was burnt again.
She stood up and began to pace her cell. The bars were iron but they seemed rusted. Maybe if she relied on her strength instead of her magic she'd be able to break out
"I wouldn't try it, Princess, they'll burn you,"
"Drew," Christina hissed.
"I brought you dinner," Drew explained quietly as he slid the tray of veggies under the bars.
Christina snatched the tray and devoured the veggies while ignoring Drew who had sat down on the other side of the bars, watching her intently,
"I know you're angry-"
"angry? I'm FURIOUS. AHHHHHHHHHHH,"
Christina screamed so loudly Drew had to cover his ears.
That was it! Drew stormed all the way to Shaggy's quarters and burst in without knocking which angered Shaggy and frightened Scooby to death.
"Drew, what have I like, told you about barging in-"
"We have to take those cuffs off Christina," Drew cut in.
"So she can hurt us all?" Shaggy asked standing.
"She;'s burning herself. You said not to harm her,"
"SHE'S WHAT?"
"Burning herself,"
Shaggy rushed downstairs where Christina was still screaming as she purposely tried channeling her magic.
"Stop, that," Shaggy pleaded as he unlocked the cell.
"No," Christina snapped as she tried desperately to do magic.
Shaggy stepped forward cautiously, grabbing Christina's wrists and unlocking the cuffs flinching as the clattered to the ground. Christina wrenched herself out of Shaggy's grip and backed away. If looks could kill Shaggy would've been dead. Christina sat on the floor staring at her wrists. Shaggy followed her gaze and was horrified to see the blistering red, peeling charred skin where the cuffs had been.
This was bad.
Shaggy did a double take when he saw the tears.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Sorry?" Christina spat the word like acid. "You'll be more than sorry when you hang,"
"Well, that can only happen if they catch me; they'll never catch me,"
"We'll see,"
…...
The boy was snatched in the dead of night from the safety of his home like all the other village children. Hauled aboard the ship in burlap bags and thrown below deck in moldy, dark cells. Lots of tears were shed that night and lots of lashings were given with the leather whip that burned like fire. The next day the children were hauled on the deck while the captain sorted through them. Those who didn't make the cut were thrown overboard to drown in the choppy waters. Out of forty-six children, twenty-six remained when the captain was done. Luckily, the boy was one of them.
…...
The Princess sat huddled on the straw mat in the corner of her cell. The pain was excruciating. Trying not to cry was pointless. What was that healing spell again? Then it dawned on her.
"Heal what has been hurt
Change the Fates' design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine"
The pain stopped but when Christina looked down there were still scars. The exact shape of those blasted cuffs. The scars that would forever haunt her.
"Princess"
Christina looked up as a stranger stepped into view. A girl dressed in shades of orange and red. As she stepped closer Christina saw that she was also wearing glasses and walked with a slight limp.
"I've been sent to tend to your...wounds,"
"As you can see I've dealt with them," Christina informed the pirate curtly.
"Still, the captain expects me to wrap them up,"
"All I need is a pair of gloves," Christina said as she conjured the silk gloves and slipped them on
"I'm sorry,"
Christina glared.
"I know you're angry at us and you want to see us hang but just know there's much more to us than meets the eye,"
…...
She was nearly sent overboard. Nearly drowned in the brutal ocean. She would've if she hadn't proved herself useful in medicines and keeping order among the other children, often keeping them calm. Still, she longed for her sister. Her poor sister. She hadn't made it. The captain had deemed her too scrawny, too weak. He didn't even give her a chance to prove her worth before the crew threw her into the water.
So, the girl threw herself into proving her worth.
…...
"How could I have let this happen?" Radu moaned as he stared at the ransom note in his hands.
"You can't blame yourself, brother," Dracula tried to reason.
"I have every right to blame myself. Christina's my ONLY child and I swore to Alissa that I would protect her,"
"Don't tell me you're actually going to pay these scoundrels! Why you'd bankrupt the entire kingdom!"
"I have no choice Dracula-"
"Christina wouldn't allow it,"
"But-"
"You're the king. You have armies at your disposal, fleets of ships that can search for her! PULL IT TOGETHER!"
"You seem to be taking this far better than me,"
"You want to know my secret?"
"Tell me,"
"On the inside, I'm just as terrified and worried for Christina as you are but I swallowed my fear put on a brave face and chose to remain clear-headed,"
"Easier said than done,"
"Radu, you and I both know your daughter is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She isn't going to let a group of low-life, thieves push her around,"
"You're right,"
…...
Needless to say, Shaggy was surprised when he received word that the king had refused to meet his ransom demand. As for how Shaggy had received this news so quickly well, he had his ways.
When Shaggy went to inform Christina he was even more surprised to find her sewing in a corner. Then he remembered she had her magic back. No doubt she could conjure these supplies. If it wasn't for the iron bars they'd all be in trouble. Little did they know that she was perfectly able to leave. She paid him no mind as he stopped in front of her cell.
"Cat got your tongue?"
"Go away," Christina ordered not looking up from her work.
"You aren't in a position to be giving orders,"
"I'm a Princess, I can give orders if I please," Christina retorted.
"That doesn't mean I'll listen,"
"True,"
"What? No witty remark?"
Christina finally looked up at him with a red-eyed gaze. Shaggy paled, red eyes did not bode well for him.
"Go Away,"
Shaggy had half a mind to flee but he couldn't do that. He would admit that Christina was strong-willed. If he hadn't been expecting a snarky, wand-wielding princess he'd be in trouble.
"You can't get out of there,"
"That's what you think,"
Christina pulled her wand out of thin air and disappeared.
Oh, no.
"DREW," Shaggy roared as he stormed back upstairs.
"Yes, Captain?" Drew asked as he swooped down from the crows nest.
"Christina's escaped her cell," Shaggy curtly informed the smirking vampire pirate.
"And you're worried because?"
"SHE ESCAPED!"
"And?"
"She could be gone,"
Drew laughed.
"Like, tell me what's so funny before I like, make you walk the plank," Shaggy threatened.
"T-turn around"
There she was being restrained by Duncan.
"Missing something?" Duncan asked as he handed her off to Shaggy.
"Well, it seems I've underestimated you, Princess," Shaggy stated as he pinned Christina's arms behind her back but instead of taking her back below deck he locked her into one of the unused rooms. Christina slid her wand out of hiding only to have it taken from her as Shaggy returned that didn't stop Christina from pulling all manner of tricks. Most of which involved popping out of nowhere and scaring the crew.
Duncan was the last person to take her back to her new room. Regrettably, he tied her to a chair with magical restraints so that she couldn't disappear again. He then moved the chair to the window so she could have a view.
She spoke as he turned to leave.
"Tell me, what is the Kaiju Prince doing aiding a group of low-life fugitives?"
"My father sent me,"
Christina scoffed before pointedly asking: "Did he disown you?"
"No,"
"Banish you?"
"No,"
"Send you on a perilous quest?"
"No,"
"Then why are you here?"
"You aren't going to stop until I tell you, are you, Christina?"
"No,"
"Fine then if you must know I'm acting as ambassador and liaison between land and sea Kaiju,"
"Ah,"
"Now, if you're done with your twenty questions, I'm going to go do my chores. This ship doesn't clean itself,"
Christina heard the door close and then re-open seconds later.
"Princess,"
It was Shaggy again. Christina grit her teeth.
"I have news for you,"
"What? You're going to throw yourself into the ocean?"
"No,"
"Then go away,"
"No, I've come to inform you that your father refused to meet our demands and until he does you're stuck here so you better get used to it,"
I know what you're thinking. WHY DID I START ANOTHER STORY? Well, I'm about to wrap up some of my current stories AND, THIS IS MY ACCOUNT AND I CAN DO WHAT I PLEASE! Oh, I've got so many ideas to share with you but I chose this one first. Now please leave me a nice long review or you get coal in your stocking LOL. Just kidding or am I?
