"What?" Keith asked in shock as he looked at Wendy. She huffed, regaining her breath before standing up again.
"Almia's army's coming right for us. Isaac's lifted anchor but we won't gain enough speed to get away in time. Seren and Sven are readying their swords and Rythmi's ready to hide Kate. We're just waiting on orders," she explained. Keith's eyes narrowed as he looked at Wendy before looking at Kate.
"How do you know it's our army?" Kate asked as she looked at Wendy. The green haired woman frowned.
"Your army's leader's Blake right, black hair, black outfit, stupid sunglasses?" Wendy asked as she looked at Kate, describing the man. Kate cringed and nodded her head. That was him alright.
"Get everyone ready to fight. There's no way the Princess is going without a fight," Keith ordered. Wendy nodded and rushed away from the Captain's Cabin.
"What do you want me to do?" Kate asked as she looked at Keith. Keith turned to her and smiled gently. Kate found herself trying to contain her blush as she looked away from Keith.
"Stay in here. This cabin's off limits to everyone but the crew. If anyone tries to come up here we'll stop them," he answered as he looked at Kate. "If someone does come in, hide in here," Keith ordered as he showed her a small doorway in the wall of the cabin. "I've had a few stow aways on board and this is where I've hid them all," he added with a smile. Kate looked at the opening. It was big enough for her and possible two or three others.
"But…." Kate trailed off. She wasn't sure what to say. Did she really want to fight against her father's army and keep herself from going home? Home…. Kate dwelled on the word. Her home was more of a prison.
On the ship she had more freedom than her mother or father ever gave her. Keith, even though he was a complete utter jerk at times, had allowed her to wander the ship and to interact with his crew mates. He had even allowed her off the ship in order to get supplies with him.
Kate sighed. No, she didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay with her new friends and start a new life with them. But…. Would Keith let her?
"But?" Keith asked as he walked over to his sword. Kate bit her lip. Keith watched her in interest. He wondered why she wasn't rushing outside at the sound of her father's army coming to get her. Or why she wasn't fighting to get out of the cabin.
"I don't want to go," Kate whispered. It was low, so low Keith almost missed it. But he heard and his eyes suddenly went wide as he looked at the girl in front of him.
Suddenly, Keith saw her in a different light. Kate was no longer the Princess he had kidnapped. She was wearing his crew's uniform. She had befriended his crew. She laughed, joked and spoke with everyone on the ship. Kate was part of the crew. She was part of his ship. She was part of their little family, as Rythmi called it.
"Then I won't let them take you," Keith replied as he looked at Kate. The blue eyed girl looked at him in shock. He would…. He was going to let her stay? "You've befriended everyone here. You talk, laugh and joke as if you've know the others your entire life. I've only just realized it, but the moment you put that uniform on you became part of my crew. And no one takes my crew without a fight," Keith explained as he smirked at the girl.
Kate looked at him in shock. Her eyes welled up with tears slightly as she walked over to the older boy. She jumped up, hugging him around the shoulders.
Keith stumbled backwards, trying his hardest to catch his weight and hers, arms stumbling around her waist in the process. He silently groaned as he landed on his bad leg. Kate noticed his sudden change in weight and quickly let go.
Keith looked down at the brunette in front of him. She was small compared to him. But her eyes seemed to capture him where he stood. Kate looked back at him with a small smile on her face as she found herself lost in those emerald orbs of his.
"I hate to ruin the moment but Keith, we're sort of under attack," Sven spoke like it was an everyday thing as he stood in the door way.
"Oh yeah," Keith muttered as he let go of Kate. Kate laughed as she watched Keith run out the room, shouting at her to stay in the room in the process.
She shook her head as she walked over to a small covered window, looking out at the scene that was happening on deck. She frowned as Blake boarded the ship from one of her father's army's ships.
She quickly turned around. There was no way she was going to hide and there was no way she was gonna let everyone fight for her. Princess or crew member she was not going to stand by. She would break Keith's orders just this once. She just hoped he didn't get too pissed with her.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" Keith asked as Blake and a load of royal soldiers stood on his deck. Blake glared at the red head before drawing his sword.
"Hand over Princess Katherine and you and your men may go free," Blake ordered.
"I'm a fucking girl you moron," Seren hissed as she glared at the older man.
"Where is she?" Blake asked ignoring Seren. Keith thought for a moment.
"Katherine, Katherine. Oh, you mean a girl about yay big, blue eyes and brown hair?" he asked, mocking the older man. Blake growled.
"Where is she?" he asked once more, beginning to lose his cool.
"Why would I tell you? Get off my ship," Keith ordered as he watched the royal soldiers begin to wander around deck.
Rythmi held a sword out to stop the royal soldier one end, while Sven did the same thing the other end.
"Do you have a warrant to search my ship?" Keith asked as he looked at Blake, a smirk grew on his lips. Blake growled as he aimed his sword at Keith.
"I'll show you one!" he yelled as he charged for Keith. Swiftly, Keith dodged the sword before pulling his own out. The sound of swords clashing together soon filled the deck as the royal soldiers went for the rest of his crew.
A few begin to circle Blake and Keith as the two of them fought. Keith released his Dragonite to ward off the other soldiers.
"This one's mine!" Blake hissed as he glared at Keith, who smirked.
"Great. You him guys, don't interfere!" Keith ordered to his crew, who all nodded at him. Keith moved his sword to try and hit Blake, who quickly dodged it, aiming right back around for the red head.
Keith quickly turned, moving his sword in order to block the attack. He smirked wider.
"You know, if the Kingdom just gave us the jewels we'll give your little Princess back to you," he hissed as he pushed Blake away from him. The black haired man charged straight for him. Keith quickly moved to the side, placing his sword in the way, cutting the man's short open.
"When I beat you. I'll take you back to the castle. You'll be trailed, put to death and then Kate will marry me and I'll take over the kingdom," Keith didn't know why but something in his blood began to boil. He pushed the older man away from him, threw a punch to his face and knocked him back a few feet.
Keith held his sword to the man's neck. Blake quickly pushed it away with his own sword, smirking at the red head as he did so.
"Don't tell me, a heartless pirate's fallen for one of the most royal people of all," Blake stated as he threw his own punch at Keith. His fist collided with Keith's face, causing blood to spill from his lip.
Keith raised his sword and the two were soon engaged on a sword on sword combat fight. Meanwhile, Seren and Kellyn were surrounded by royal soldiers. Their swords clear off to the side leaving them unarmed.
The two stood back to back. Hands balled into fists ready to fight. Kellyn smiled slightly as he leaned his head back to Seren.
"Ready?" he whispered to her. Seren nodded his head. Kellyn quickly linked arms with Seren, sending her flying over his back so she was in front of him. She quickly attacked the soldiers in front of her, while Kellyn took the ones behind him. Having moved so quickly, the soldiers were caught off guard making it easy for the two to take them down.
Seren quickly slid passed two of them, grabbed her and Kellyn's sword before throwing it over the guards towards where Kellyn was. Kellyn caught with expert skill and quickly returned to the fight at hand.
Kate watched on, itching to join the fight. It was so intense, but it looked so much fun. Her eyes were glued to Keith, the way he moved. The way he fought against Blake and then Kate saw him throw the punch.
Blake had said something and Kate knew, with Keith's anger, or rather, what she had seen of it, he would soon be in danger. Kate fingered the handle of the sword she had found in Keith's room.
Her eyes suddenly went wide as royal soldiers came running up the steps towards Keith's Cabin. She gripped the handle on the sword but before they reached the door, someone stopped them.
"Over my dead body will I let you anywhere near there," it was Summer, she stood at the top of the steps just waiting for them to try and attack her. Behind her, Ben landed gracefully on his feet.
He pulled the brunette girl out of the way, holding her around the waist as he kicked the royal soldiers down the steps. Kate giggled from inside the cabin. These guys were really doing everything they could to stop them from getting her.
"She's coming home!" Blake yelled as he maneuvered Keith's sword from his hand. In the process the man sliced at Keith's left trouser leg. Keith hissed as he moved his leg to the side to avoid him or anyone else seeing it.
His crew knew what had happened to him but they didn't know that it had spread as far as what it had. Blake saw the opening and swiped at him. Keith hissed as the sword barely missed his leg.
Blake smirked as he kicked Keith in the left leg. Keith growled as he fell to the floor. Around them, the fighting seemed to freeze. Crew members look on a Keith while the royal soldiers looked on at Blake.
"Now, I'll ask once more, where is Kate?" Blake asked.
Kate watched from inside the cabin, horrified at what Blake was doing to Keith. Slowly she walked towards the door. As she cracked it open she heard Keith speak.
"Over my dead body will I let you take her from somewhere she enjoys being," the crew members gasped, while Blake scoffed.
"She doesn't enjoy it. She's a princess, she's only saying she does so you won't feel bad for the way you've treated her," he held the knife closer to Keith's neck. Keith glared up at him. Blake swiped his sword down, tearing at Keith's left trouser leg and cutting his skin open.
Keith hissed in pain as he felt his trouser leg split open on him, while blood pooled from a newly formed wound. Kate growled as she opened the door.
"Blake!" she called to the man. The crew, soldiers, Keith and Blake all turned to face Kate. Summer rushed up to her, trying to usher her back inside the cabin to hide.
"Princess!" the soldiers called as they looked at her. Blake smirked as he moved his sword away from Keith. Blood dripped off of it. Keith didn't dare stand. He didn't dare apply pressure to his leg.
"Move," Kate ordered as she walked past Summer, who slowly moved aside. Ben watched as she descended the stairs. He rested a hand on her shoulder. She gave his hand a slight squeeze before continuing on her way. Her bangs covered her eyes as she walked.
Kate soon stood in the middle of everyone. Keith looked up at her from his place on the floor. Royal soldiers began to gather around Blake. The black haired man held his hand out to her.
"It's time to go home," Keith closed his eyes. How could he let this happen? How could he fail one of his crew members? One of his family?
Kate looked at Blake's hand. Anger boiled inside of her as she drew her sword and held it to his neck. She looked up, her right eye covered as she glared with her left. Her usual kind, bright eyes had changed. They were cold, full of hate. Hate aimed toward that one man.
"You've gone too far! Get off this ship!" Kate ordered as she held the sword to him. Blake looked at her in shock.
"You…. You brain washed her!" he yelled at Keith. Kate only smirked.
"They didn't brain wash me. And even if they had I would always defend them to someone like you! How dare you attack them?!" Kate's voice grew louder and louder and Keith became scared that her ears would start ringing.
Kate slowly stalked over to Blake. Sword still pointed at him until he fell over his own two feet. Kate held to sword in front of his neck.
"Leave, and if I ever catch you on board this ship again. I will not be so kind as to let you live," she hissed in anger as she glared down at him. Blake glared up at her, how could she defend scum like this?
"You need to return home," Blake spoke as he looked up at the girl.
"I will return home when I wish. As for you, you will return to Almia and bother me no more. Attack my crew members or Captain again and there will be severe consequences," Keith and the crew looked at her in shock, while the royal soldier all gasped.
"Princess?" one of them asked.
"I'm still the princess. But I will return of my own free will. Not when you say so. Now leave," she ordered the soldiers. They all looked at her hesitantly. "That's an order!" she yelled at them. The soldiers flinch. Kate had never once raised her voice that high in her life.
One by one the soldiers began walking back into their own ship. Blake stood to his feet as Kate turned her back to him. She turned around once she was stood in front of Keith, who was being propped up by Sven and Wendy.
"Take him with you," Kate ordered as she looked at the last remaining soldier. The soldier nodded his head as he dragged Blake onto the ship behind him.
"This isn't over, Princess," Blake hissed as he looked at the brunette woman.
"No, it's only just beginning," Kate whispered as she watched the army ship slowly move away from the Dazzling Rose, before turning her attention to Keith.
Woah, okay, I'm happy, I enjoyed writing this chapter.
Keith: Is that the end of Blake?
Not by a long shot. Oh, I can't wait for next chapter either. I'm getting so into this now. I really can't wait, ah!
Kate: She's fangirling a little isn't she?
Keith: And over her own story….
Shut up. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter shall come soon but it might not be as long. Until then my readers, you know what to do.
Kate and Keith: Please, REVIEW!