A young man sat below deck, preparing for an everlasting trip. Why did this trip to Denmark seem to last months? His dog-faced chaperone tended to the ships captain, brushing her up, and giving her whatever information he possessed on the astronomical equations to black holes or something of the sort. Their conversations bored him.

Greasy brown hair waved before his face, and he quickly blew it away. When had he last taken a shower? A week ago? Two? He had lost track since he stayed below deck most days and nights. His hands were covered in dirt and calluses, with some scabs on his palms from accidents. He smirked, resting himself inside his hammock; he had nothing to do for today.

The water rocked the large ship back and forth, and in his head he imagined the galaxies rocking him to sleep. As he drifted off into his own thoughts, he was reminded of his mother. He wanted nothing more than to help her. There was little he could do at this point, but he knew all his efforts would go to supporting her. Above deck, he heard someone yell at the top of their lungs.

"Land ho!" The young boy rushed to the top deck, nearly falling from his hammock and ripping the lower decks doors from its hinges. His feet clamored roughly against the wooden steps. His eyes instantly directed to the water before he turned to face the large beige castle. His eyes widened and mouth turned into a wide grin.

He quickly turned into the captains quarters, panting as he noticed his dog faced chaperone with his feminine feline friend.

"D-Delbert! Land!" He sputtered out, his grin still plastered on his cheeks. "La-land! I can see it!" Delbert looked at the boy, his large chocolate eyes stunned by the situation. The woman stroked back her auburn hair into place, turning to face the teenager. Her emerald eyes pierced him as she spoke with her usual hissing tone.

"We might be older than you boy, but I'm certainly not deaf." She motioned the man named Delbert along her side, as they strolled from the quarters. Delbert grabbed the spiritual young teen by his hand and pulled him behind them.

The ports looked half full, giving the men and women aboard the ship hope for at least a bit of time off of a boat. Away from one another, that's all they seemed to want at this point. Jim pressed his nose to the sky, the faint hint of bread was wafting through thick sea air. Delbert tugged the boy along, his face lined with hints of excitement and something extra. Whatever it was, it reeked of females and unwanted pheromones. Jim, in retaliation scrunched his nose and yanked back from him. He jumped to stern, and stared off into the distance. The cylindrical castle looked like an amazing accessory to the large village.

He fantasized what the King and Queen looked like. Probably overly inbred cousins, pale and coughing up blood. Their child was definitely a disgusting, mangled monstrosity beyond recognition. He chuckled as he thought of the cruelty towards their demonic children.

As the boat pulled into the harbor, people began ogling the great ship. It had danced against the waves once or twice, with the sea maiden on the front looking less than pleasant to be there. Men and women file uncomfortably around as the people on the ship start filing out. The sea of faces started parting as the crews feet hit the wooden port. Jim tried rushing past the others, but they shoved him back behind Delbert. He scowled and rolled his eyes, filing slowly behind everyone. Through the crowd, a glimpse of a girl came through; black hair, green eyes, snow skin, small. She looked interesting, with a long yellow dress and no shoes. Something that is highly contrasted by her cleanliness. He cocked his head at her, before she disappeared behind the taller people in the crowd. Shrugging it off, he touched the normal ground.

The thick sea smell is now the scent of baked goods and dirt. He was ready to lodge out finally. No more rocking sea, a satisfactory rarity for him. He followed the impending crowd of sailors around him as they seemed to convene in front of the large canned kingdom. The black haired girl seemed to follow them while everyone else dispersed.

Jim smirked at the valence of the little girl. She was probably fifteen, give or take a few years, from her small breasts and small stature. She followed them all the way to the castle, just staring at the large blob of people. Captain Amelia gave orders for the sailors to disperse and look for whatever lodging they could find. Delbert stayed put my her side, uncomfortably holding her beside him.

Jim, instead of looking for an inn, approached the younger girl. He was a good 9 inches taller than her, practically towering over her. She craned her small neck, strands of black hair screening over her face. She looked so sweet from above, and he pressed his hands into his pockets as he spoke to her.

"What's a pretty young lady like yourself doing over here?" He smirked, thinking he might be able to help her find her way. She shrugged, glancing back in the direction of the castle.

"Trying to get away from my problems," her somber voice was soft, like milk. He gives a swift nod.

"I see. It's kind of hard to escape that stuff. I've got a record back home. Can't come back till I've been forgotten." The girl looked stunned at him.

"You're a criminal?"

"No, no. Not a criminal. Think of me as a... mischievous fairy. I cause problems for those who deserve it." He chortled heavily. The girl seemed to hesitate with her laugh. He patted her head, the thick strands of hair holding his hand.

"Promise, I'm not a bad guy. Want me to escort you back to your house..?" He offered, though at the time, he knew it did sound shady and creepy. The small girl shook her head.

"I know where I belong. Besides, my mother can find me if she needs to." She gave a faint hint of a smile. The boy took his hand from her hair.

"Can I have your name then? So I can know when your mother calls for you?"

"Melody. I'm... I'm Melody."

"Nice to meet you Melody. I'm Jim." He held his hand for her to shake. With a gentle squeeze, he shook them both. They exchanged smiles.

"Hey, would you want to tell me about Denmark? Since you're a local and all, I need to know all the places to go, all the interesting things to see." Melody smiled, obliging him with a simple response.

"I enjoy looking out at the sea during this time of day. I don't know if you'd enjoy that, since you're always on a boat, but it truly is wonderful." Jim laughed and patted her shoulder softly.

"I'm always underneath. Show me the beauty of the sea port, please." With that, they began sauntering off towards the pier. There, they spoke of books, the sea, their exploration. With it, they laughed and joked. Jim enjoyed seeing her smile, it was innocent like a child's.

"So what is your mom like?" He inquired curiously. Melody, still drunk with bliss, answered vaguely.

"Oh, heh. She's... beautiful, and kind, and... sweet." She looked out to the sea again, wave crashing over wave. She cleared her throat, looking back at Jim.

"What, um. What about you?"

"Well, she's... Hardworking, a bit of a hard-ass, but that's because she cares too much. She's amazing." He looks back at Melody, chuckling at her. This young girl was funny as hell. She wasn't like the broads in the Netherlands, or in England even. She was boyish and adventurous, smart and crass. She wasn't bad looking either.

Delbert came up behind the both of them. He tapped on the young boys shoulder, causing him to turn around. The dog faced man introduced him to a tall amber haired woman.

"Jim, this is queen Ariel Madsen. Your majesty this is the youngest of our humble home dwellers, Jim Hawkins." The face of the woman looked faintly familiar. He quickly stood and bowed to the beautiful woman, receiving a curtsy in return. He realized his previous thoughts earlier on the royalty and instantly felt a pit of deep embarrassment.

"Ah, I see you've already met my daughter, Melody." The young queen motioned towards the black haired girl.