Chapter Nine
The Pirate Queen
Polka awoke in a unfamiliar room. She was lying in a hammock and outside she could hear flowing water and voices. Polka stepped off the bed and nearly fell over as the room swayed beneath her. I'm on a boat. She realized. She had always wanted to ride on a boat and for a moment she stood there, exhilarated. Suddenly Beat opened the room's door. Polka gave a cry of surprise.
"You're up!" He shouted happily. Frèdèric and March quickly appeared behind him.
"Where are we?" Polka asked after greeting everyone.
"A Baroque ship. It's captained by the prince of Baroque, Crescendo. He found us floating in the river." Chopin explained.
"Where are the others? Allegretto? Viola? Falsetto?" There was an awkward silence after Polka said this.
"We aren't sure... The prince only saw us in the water."
"Come on," said March, "you should meet him."
Prince Crescendo was a kind, tall, blonde haired man. Polka liked him instantly. "Is there any way we can repay you?" She asked. "You did save our lives after all."
"Yeah!" Beat added. "March could wash dishes for you or something."
"That's not fair!" March complained. "Why do I have to wash dishes?!" Crescendo laughed.
"It's good to see that you all are in good spirits, but," he turned to Beat, "there's nothing that March, or any of you, could help me with. For now I would suggest you just rest. We'll port at Baroque City tomorrow morning. After that I'll arrange for a ship to take you back to Forte." Frèdèric rose from his seat and shook the prince's hand as they filed out of the room.
"I believe I'll stand up on deck for a bit." He said. "The rest of you should do as Prince Crescendo suggested and get some rest." The three nodded and went to their rooms. A half hour passed and Polka still did not feel even a little tired. She went outside, wondering about Allegretto and the others, hoping that some fresh air would clam her fears for them. Frèdèric was standing in the bow of the ship and she stood by him.
"So the world is all just Frèdèric's dream." Polka said, partly to herself. "Good evening, you still haven't woken up from your dream yet, have you?"
"Oh hello Polka. Having trouble sleeping?" Chopin said, purposely evading her question.
"Yes," Polka admitted, "I'm still worried about the others." Frèdèric nodded thoughtfully and leaned out over the ship's rail.
"Polka, when I first came here, to your world, the colors here seemed duller. But now when I look around everything is more vivid. More clear. I've been looking for proof that this is or is not the real world. Could this mean that this 'dream' is slowly becoming reality? Or is it only proof that I am slipping away... For example," he said, turning to Polka, "I find myself wondering about whether the others are all right. But if this is a dream, why should I care? I feel a strong sense of solidarity. A connection with the people of this world."
"Maybe that's normal." Polka suggested. "After all, it's only natural to worry about companions you've spent a lot of time with.
"You know, before I became sick everything around me seemed so meaningless, but ever since I learned I didn't have much longer to live even the little things in the world around me began to shine. Now that I think about it it was probably because I was began to fade rapidly, just like Emilia."
"Emilia?"
"My sister." Chopin explained. "She was fourteen when she was struck down with tuberculosis and passed away. She was the same age as you." He realized.
"Your sister was fourteen." Polka whispered to herself. "Just like me, when... I see."
"She must have had so many hopes and dreams. Why does God allow such things to happen to good people? He took away her chance to live."
"It is sad, but everyone dies eventually." Said Polka, trying to cheer Frèdèric up. "It's just that for some people, like Emilia and me, it happens a little bit earlier. That's all." Chopin laughed.
"You know," he said smiling, "Whenever I am talking to you I feel like I'm talking to Emilia" He checked his pocket watch, forgetting that it was apparently broken. It showed the time 12:16. "It's late, I'm going to get some rest. You should too." He began to walk back to his cabin thinking to himself. Could it be that Polka reminds me of Emilia because in my dream she is... No, that's crazy, but if this is a dream then perhaps it could happen. Maybe Polka is Emilia, a dream version of her.
Polka stayed on the deck a bit longer. She noticed a few snowflakes gently falling into the river and wondered if there would be a lot of snow, since that could possibly slow their trip to Ritardando. Suddenly the was a massive crash and Polka was knocked off her feet. She did not notice that a small, heart-shaped stone fell out of her pocket. As a nearby sailor helped her up she asked, "What was that?!" The sailor shrugged and they both ran to the rear of the ship where Prince Crescendo was watching another ship pull up beside them. The name on its hull was The Water Witch. Frèdèric, Beat, and March ran onto the deck with Polka. Crescendo swore under his breath and then commanded the sailors to ready the cannons.
"Of all times for this to happen." He muttered.
"What happened?" Beat asked, staring at the big ship.
"It's a pirate ship. They appear out of nowhere and attack vessels on the river, like us. All of you should go back to your cabins."
"Good idea." Agreed Frèdèric. "Beat, Polka, Mar- Where's March?!" Everyone hurriedly searched for the forest guardian.
"Look!" Polka shouted over the cannon fire. She pointed to the pirate ship, where March had apparently sneaked over to, the fairy girl had been caught by the pirates and was being taken below deck.
"We have to save her!" Beat cried, running to the pirate ship. Polka tried to grab him but missed and ran after him.
"Polka, no!" Chopin said stopping himself from running after her. "We have to save them!" He told Crescendo. The prince drew a blade and gun from a barrel.
"Right. You, you, and you. Come with me." He pointed at three armed sailors. "Do you need a weapon Frèdèric?" Chopin let loose a burst of magic from his hand.
"No."
The Prince and his men led the way through the pirate ship. Any enemies they did not shoot or cut down Frèdèric doused in lethal magic. No one had commanded Crescendo's men on his ship to stop firing so as they made their way below deck the men had to continually dodge cannonballs. The whole time Frèdèric did not stop calling his friend's names. Finally, Polka called back. She had hid herself in a barrel to escape capture. After a sailor pulled her out they could see she had been weeping from terror. "Are you alright?" Chopin asked. The girl nodded.
"I am now." She said. The company of five slowly fought their way to the bottom deck, checking each room for Beat and March.
"One room left," said Crescendo, "Everyone ready?" Everyone prepared themselves and threw open the door. Inside a female pirate held March as two other male pirates chased Beat; who was armed with a rifle. There was a moment of confusion as Crescendo and his men barged into the stock-room. Frèdèric blasted the hook-handed woman against the wall with magic. She dropped March, who ran to Polka. One of the male pirates had been killed and other was being tied up by a sailor when Chopin asked the woman who she was. Crescendo was taken aback. "That's Dulce, the Pirate Queen." He said in disbelief. "No one's ever been able to capture her." March, assuming that all was now safe walked over to Dulce. The pirate was still being held against the wall, but her hat had fallen to the floor and March picked it up and put it on.
"There." March told Dulce, as if the fairy had just done some great deed. "Serves you right. Now I have your hat." Dulce smiled sweetly.
"That's alright dear," she said in a faux gentle tone, "you can have my hat."
"Why you're not too bad after all!" March declared. Crescendo was not so easily fooled. He picked up some rope and tossed it to his men.
"Tie her up." He ordered.
Back aboard the Baroque ship Dulce and the other captives were stored in a small, guarded cabin. On deck March was proclaiming her great acts of bravery to Polka while Beat kept interrupting and telling how the forest guardian had spent most of her time on the pirate ship in captivity. Polka decided to believe Beat. Prince Crescendo and Frèdèric sat nearby talking to each other.
"What will you do with the pirates?" Chopin asked.
"They'll be tried for piracy of course. If, or more likely when they are found guilty most will be hanged. The others will be in jail for the rest of their lives." A sailor ran up to Crescendo and interrupted.
"Dulce has taken over the lower decks!" The prince leapt up.
"Keep them up here!" He commanded Frèdèric, pointing at the three children. Crescendo brandished a pistol and headed downstairs. At the lowest deck Dulce stood awaiting him, arms crossed.
"So good to see you, your highness." She mocked. "I was wondering if yo-" Her speech was cut off as Crescendo shot her in the stomach. The pirate queen slumped to the floor, trying to say something. Crescendo bent down over her as his men recaptured the leaderless pirates.
"What was that you were saying?" Crescendo whispered in her ear. Dulce opened her mouth, but could not get any sound to come out.
"Ah, ah..." She started. "Ah... I... Viola..." Dulce took a deep breath after managing to say this. Then she shuddered a little, and passed away. Once the prince returned to where Chopin and the others were Polka asked him what had happened, since they had heard gunshots.
"Dulce is dead." Crescendo thought a moment and then asked Frèdèric, "You said there was someone named Voila in your group, correct?"
"Yes..." Replied Frèdèric, not sure why he was being asked this. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh. No reason really, I just thought of something. That's all."
The next day the ship docked in the city of Baroque. It reminded Chopin of Paris, especially the palace where Crescendo lived. It looked exactly like the Sun King's palace. Inside they were introduced to Serenade, the prince's betrothed. She, like Polka and Beat, was from the Kingdom of Forte. Three years ago she had been princess there and next in line for the throne, but she gave it up so she could marry Crescendo and now Count Waltz, her cousin, ruled Forte. Later that day, as Frèdèric wandered about the castle he noticed a piano in one of the courtrooms. He sat down in front of it and began to hit a few chords. Soon he was playing one of his etudes, oblivious to everything around him. He let his mind wander as he played, thinking back to when he was a child and then his time spent with George Sand. As he finished the song he thought of the present. Was he dying? Was he dead? Or was Paris, Warsaw, and his life just a dream and this land was reality? Frèdèric ended the song and was brought back to the moment by clapping. Behind him stood Polka, Beat, and March.
"That was amazing Frèdèric!" Beat exclaimed. "I didn't know you played the piano."
"Yes, well I used to play it quite a lot." Chopin said, embarrassed. "I'm not as good as I used to be."
"It was excellent anyway." Said Polka. "We came to tell you the ship leaving for Ritardando leaves in four hours, so be ready."
Before they left Crescendo and Serenade told them to come back anytime and they were all invited to their wedding in two months and to bring their friends when they were found.
"We'll come back soon." Polka promised.
Author's Notes: George Sand, whose real name was Amandine Aurore Lucille Dupin, was a feminist author and from 1837 to 1847, Chopin's lover. But later in their relationship as Chopin got weaker Sand became more his nurse and less his lover. Eventually they had a falling out when Sand wrote her novel Lucrezia Floriani, about a rich actress and a sickly prince. It was fairly obvious that these characters were based off Sand and Chopin. Chopin remained friends with Sand's daughter Solange though and it is believed that Solange was present at the pianist's death.
