Anything Aqua might have said was interrupted by the blast of cannon fire. Aqua's eyes had gone wide and she immediately tackled Elsa to the floor. Just in time as wood splinters and shrapnel rained down around them. The two shared a frightened look. If the pirates found out that the ship was host to the Queen of Arendelle, then they would capture her, hold her for ransom, or worse.

Under normal circumstances, the queen's vessel was guarded by other ships. An armada to keep the woman safe but Xemnas had insisted that it was better to go on a ship not bearing the flag of her kingdom and without the guard. Not only would it save on costs, but it would make it easier for her passage to his kingdom he said. It would make their boat less of a target since they had a rough go with the pirates in the area.

He thought wrong.

The handmaiden got to her feet, wincing as wood cut into the vulnerable parts of her dress. Aqua took Elsa's hand in her own and hauled the woman to her feet. They didn't have time to sit there and simper in fear. Aqua's father was the guard captain for years in the kingdom. He made sure that she knew not to freeze up when she got scared. Instead, she had to lock it away until there was time for it. Normally after whatever happened.

"Elsa, we have to hide." she insisted.

"They're attacking the ship!" Elsa whispered. "Where could we possibly go?"

"Anywhere but here."

They raced out of Elsa's room, finding water in the hallways. The ship lurched and started to lean towards one side. Aqua grabbed the queen to help keep her upright. They both felt their hearts racing in their chest as they realized what the water meant. That the way the ship was off kilter could only mean one thing.

"We're sinking!" Elsa cried.

Aqua paled. She forced back her own fears. Focus. Focus. Focus. It became her mantra. Focus on survival, then panic. They couldn't go any further below deck. They would risk drowning, getting caught on things that were starting to float as the ship went deeper and deeper into the depths. But if they went above... They would be at the mercy of the pirates who had boarded the ship by now, possibly fighting the crew that was supposed to protect them.

She looked up at the deck. She could hear the clash of sword on sword, of gunfire. How many pirates were coming after them? Her heart filled with dread. There was a scream above deck and a body fell down the staircase. The blue haired woman checked the man over, but the moment she turned him over, she could tell there was no helping a sword through the heart.

Dead.

Elsa gave a shriek and clung to Aqua, hands clasped over her mouth and tears springing in her eyes. The Queen had never seen a dead body before. Aqua had. She reached down, removing the sword from his chest. He wouldn't need it anymore. She had a Queen to protect. She turned to face the frightened monarch. Even if they did manage to find somewhere to hide, the ship was going down. The life boats were on deck. They had to go up. They had no choice.

"Elsa, we have to go up."

The Queen slowly shook her head in denial. Aqua didn't blame her. There were murderers up there. Thugs. But if they were lucky, they could swipe one of the life boats and had some fighting chance. Some means of escape. Because if they stayed below the deck, they would drown. Or get hit by another cannonball, but those seemed to have stopped. Mostly because the men aiming their own cannons were either blasted to bits by the holes that had been seared into the ship with metal and gunpowder or up top fighting.

"But they're up there."

"Elsa, please, trust me? I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Aqua nearly sighed in relief when Elsa nodded slowly. The handmaiden took Elsa's free hand in hers. Together they stepped over the body of the man who had fallen down the stairs. Aqua went first, because she was the expendable one of the two of them. No one would mourn her if she died. She was just a commoner. But they would mourn the Queen if something happened to her. Elsa was a wonderful leader who always put her people first, no matter what happened. Hence her agreement to the wedding. Aqua had to shield her eyes once they reached the deck.

On deck was nothing short of a massacre.

The pirates that were attacking were only three in number. And they had managed to turn the deck into chaos. They fought hard and were clearly not above any underhanded tricks. There was a tall man in a large brown coat with golden trim, fighting with a smile. He hacked and slashed brutally, using his strength to brutally slay the crew. A young plucky blond danced around his opponents, laughing as he used two pistols, shooting to kill.

"Ah, and our honored guests finally join us."

Aqua could have sworn her heart stopped. She quickly turned, seeing a young man with white hair. He wore a white shirt and a blue vest that almost looked like it was frosted over. A mischievous smirk lined his features. In his hand was a blood soaked dagger. Aqua brandished her blade in his direction, easing Elsa up onto the deck, behind her, using her own body as a shield. He could run her through for all she cared. He was not getting Elsa.

"C'mon, we threw such a big party for you!" he jested.

"Stay back," she demanded.

Despite the quavering fear she so desperately tried to squash with feigned firm confidence. She stood tall and held her sword a the ready. Her father didn't raise a girl who would turn over and die because someone told her to. This only served to make the youth bark a laugh. It drew the attention of the his crewmates, particularly the man in the coat. He turned to look at them, barely acknowledging his enemies.

"Jack, get the Queen on the ship."

"Aye, Captain!"

The white haired man - Jack - nodded. He tried to dart around Aqua but she matched his steps, keeping herself in front of Elsa. He tried to move to the other side and Aqua once again blocked him, keeping her blade pointed at him. They were losing ground however, getting closer and closer to the railing of the ship. Jack seemed to consider this, watching Aqua's every move.

"You won't make this easy for me?" he requested.

"Your Majesty, go to the lifeboat. Hurry."

Jack shrugged, apparently taking no offense to her lack of answer for him. Elsa put a hand on Aqua's shoulder, giving it a squeeze before she turned and hurried towards the lifeboat. If she got it in the water, Aqua could join her, she told herself. That was all it took. Aqua's eyes glanced back at the Queen and Jack took advantage. He sucker punched her in the stomach. Aqua gasped. She had been unprepared for the blow and collapsed.

Stand! You have to stand! she begged herself, but it was like her mind was made of cotton. Every muscle in her body strained to get back up and fight. She could see someone's boots come into her line of sight. She swallowed thickly. Aqua reached out, grabbing Jack's ankle. He looked down at her, surprised to see her fighting whatever powder was going through her veins. His expression became unreadable when he saw the tears forming in Aqua's eyes.

"D-Don't..." Aqua uttered.

"Don't what?" he asked.

"Don't... hurt her..."

Talking was a strain. Moving was agony but she couldn't let them take the Queen. She wouldn't let them hurt the only person who treated her like a real person. From the nobles that watched her interact with the Queen and Princess to the servants who thought her some uppity class climber. Elsa tried to pull her away, but Aqua was too heavy for the Queen. But she kept eye contact with the pirate, glowering for all she was managed to force herself to hands and knees before the man. He looked between her and the man in the brown coat then the ship docked next to their sinking vessel. Time was of the essence.

Jack then turned to the broken handmaiden, so determined to stop him. He reached down and hit her along the neck and Aqua went limp. He knew the ship was going down. If he left her there, she would drown, or get eaten by sharks. Clearly the Queen meant more to her than the job if she was willing to try and fight pirates for the woman. So he leaned down and picked her up, carrying her towards the ship.

"She's not part of the job," his 'Captain' said.

"I'll take responsibility for her."

The blonde snorted as he shot the last remaining crewman. The smell of blood choked the air around her. It made her feel violently ill. She might have wretched had her situation been different. She tried feebly to fight off the man but her head hurt and he was stronger than her. Perhaps because of his life on the sea. Aqua had been taught by her father how to fight but as a child. When he passed, the King and Queen made sure she never had to do that ever again.

"You? Responsible? That's hilarious."

Aqua looked up at Jack. She tried to shake her head but she barely managed more than a twitch. Black started to line the edges of her vision before she lost consciousness.

"Captain, behind you!"

Elsa had scurried towards the direction of the man in the brown coat. The man turned to see Elsa staggering his way, clearly horrified by the carnage. She tripped over a body and fell to the deck of the ship. The man in the brown coat walked towards her, clearly not impressed with how his crewman handled the situation. She was on her knees before the Captain of the pirate crew, shaking. He lifted her to her feet with ease but let go of her just as quickly. There was nowhere for her to run after all. Even diving off the ship in this mess was begging for the sharks to finish her off.

The man turned to Elsa and frowned. She had placed the gun underneath his chin. She had grabbed the gun from the ground whens he fell but seeing that Aqua was down, she was the only one left to assure their safety. Her hands gave a faint tremble as she held it, but it was there, pressed against his skin, threatening to do the very thing he had done to the crew. Killed in cold blood. Elsa had never killed anyone before. She had never even held a weapon.

"You wouldn't-"

The gun clicked. There should have been a bang. And the pirate should have been dead. But the gun was out of bullets. Frightened tears welled up in Elsa's eyes. The crew was dead. Even if she did manage to save herself and Aqua, they would be alone at sea, easy prey for any ship to come by and attack. They were doomed from the start and perhaps that was the most frightening part. That despite all their fighting they wouldn't be able to save themselves.

"N-No," she uttered.

The man looked between her and the gun before he laughed. Throwing his head back and laughing at her. Rich deep laughter tumbled across the blood soaked deck. It was such an awful place to be laughing. She stared at him incredulously. Then she tried to shove him away. He didn't move. He wasn't even fazed by her hasty shoves. He might as well as have been a brick wall.

"How dare you laugh at me?"

"How dare I? You just tried to shoot me in the face. I've got to say Your Majesty, I'm impressed."

Elsa glared at him, trying to come off as unimpressed. 'Channel the 'Ice Queen', she told herself. People mocked her for being so cold to strangers. She needed it now more than ever. She had no bargaining chips anymore. Not even her weapon. It was as useless as a candle in a snowstorm. She had to weather this one out. Think, she needed to think. There had to be something she could offer the pirate so he didn't kill them both.

The man easily disarmed her while she was trying to think over her next plan of action, taking the gun before tossing it over the side of the ship. She heard it go over and then plunk once it hit the water. Her gun with no ammo. They should have checked it before they rushed the deck. Before they thought to fight instead of hide. The ship lurched and she reached out to grab something to keep herself upright. She loathed the fact that she ended up holding onto the Captain to do so. But he wrapped an arm around her and waited for her to regain her balance.

"What will you do now? We have your handmaiden. Your ship is sinking. Your crew is dead." he pointed out.

So they had lost after all. She tried not to let the creeping dread show on her face. If she stayed on the ship or tried to fight, they would kill her. If she went with them, they would still possibly kill her but she had a better chance of survival on a ship that wasn't slipping below the depths. Besides, they had Aqua. Her dearest friend. She couldn't abandon the woman to the pirates. Not after all they had been through.

"P-Parley?" Elsa stammered.

"You're speaking to the Captain." the man said. "My name is Terra."

He bowed and removed his hat as he did so, revealing messy brown hair and startling blue eyes. His frock coat was a deep warm brown, but it was tainted by blood of the crew, damp dark patches coating the once pristine fabric. His white shirt beneath had a tear, perhaps from a blade that danced too close to the skin of the Captains chest. Clearly he had the makings of a dangerous man, armed to the teeth with a cutlass on each side and as far as she could see, two guns on his person.

"Why?" she whispered, confused.

She had to know he and his crew attacked the ship, killed the crew and were stealing Aqua. As far as she knew, her handmaiden had never done anything to attract the attention of pirates. More rather, it was her they were after. She would be worth a pretty ransom considering who she was. Not only that but pirates were cruel and vicious beings. She didn't want to know what they would do to her if she crossed onto the deck of their ship.

"Not to interrupt the pleasantries, Captain, but the water is rising fast." Jack called from across the ship. "Get the queen and let's go!"

"Very true."

Elsa tried to back away from him, but he picked her up with ease, as if she weighed nothing. He grabbed a rope, dangling from above and swung across to his ship. Where the other pirates were waiting for him. Elsa gasped and clung to him, squeezing her eyes shut and prayed that she wasn't screaming as they crossed the gap. Wind rushed around them and she leaned into Terra's chest. All too soon they were on a deck once more. This one didn't have a single body on it.

"Thought you were going to stand there all day, Captain!" the blonde teased.

"Everyone accounted for?" a woman asked.

Elsa turned to the 'newcomer'. The woman was dark skinned with long beautiful curly hair. She wore a necklace with an abalone shell as the pendant. Her waistcoat was a deep red satin, with golden buttons, but she let it remain open, tied only with a lighter red silk sash. Unlike her companions, she was not coated in blood. But she did have a hat, with a deep blue feather, topping the brown leather. Elsa couldn't help but notice the woman wore breeches, not skirts.

"We have the Queen." Terra said.

"Plus one! Jack was oogling her!"

Her? The only other female on the boat was Aqua. She couldn't help but feel relief seeping into her veins. Aqua was alive. She wasn't alone to deal with the pirates by herself. Though with the pirates, she wasn't sure if this was a mercy or not. Horrible tales of what happened to women under the thumbs of pirates bubbled to mind, making her heart clench tightly. Perhaps it would have been better if she had drown.

"Aqua?"

She pulled herself from Terra's arms and turned to face his crew. She took a deep breath, willing her 'strong willed demeanor' in place. She was a queen negotiating with pirates - criminals. She hoped they couldn't see the way her hands trembled. The way she wished she was anywhere but on the deck with them. That she would just wake up and this was all just a horrible dream starting as far back as when she first got engaged.

"Where is Aqua?"

"Below deck," the blonde supplied. "Jack hit her too hard."

"She'll be okay." Terra said.

"Okay...? You hit her! Why would I trust any of you?!" Elsa demanded.

She backed away, trying to put some distance between them but her back hit the railing. Any further away and she would be in the water. With the sinking ship. Her heart clenched tightly. She could feel her breath becoming short. A panic attack? But the crew stayed back, giving her the much needed space, though the young blonde boy looked like he wanted to say something or do something. Comfort her somehow?

"She makes a good point," the boy with white hair said.

"We were hired by your sister Anna. We're not your enemies."

Elsa shook her head in sheer disbelief. Anna would never ever hire pirates. They killed the whole crew! Men who had families at home, with loved ones who would never see them again. Men who had laughed and smiled with her as they loaded up the ship. How they had been telling stories of what they had seen on the seas or what they would do once they returned home.

"We have proof," the woman said.

She pulled out a scroll from inside her waistcoat before handing it over to Elsa. The young Queen looked over the document, recognizing the royal seal. Royal documents in the hands of criminals. Elsa didn't want to believe it. Yet there they were. She looked from the scroll to the pirates. This had to be some bad dream. Something she had made up, right?

"Anna..."

"The men you were with were going to kill you at sea."

Elsa looked up at him and pale. Immediately she wrenched open the scroll, reading over it. He was right. This was Anna's writing. Her very wording. News had gotten back through the spymaster that the crew had indeed been trying to kill her, to start a war. Xemnas' kingdom would blame Elsa's country for not delivering their bride and would fight them for it. The war that Xemnas had threatened was coming despite the sacrifice she had tried to make. Despite offering herself as a consolation prize. She shivered.

"Now..." Terra said gently. "Did you eat anything while you were aboard?"

"It's important! They might have poisoned you." the young blonde insisted.

Elsa shook her head. Her nerves had gotten the best of her. She had been unable to eat a thing despite Aqua trying to coax her to. She knew her best friend had meant well, but Elsa's heart simply hadn't been in it. She had been resigned to her fate, but certainly not happy about it. Her lack of an appetite was simply pre-wedding jitters. Now she apparently had good reason because if Xemnas had his way, she would be dead.

"What about drinks?" the white haired man asked.

"Aqua had wine..."

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