Kendall turned and looked at every single item in his room. Nothing under the mattress of his bed, nothing behind the blue banners, no trinkets, no carvings, no nothing!
"Curses!" Kendall hissed and grabbed one of the metal candle holders and hurled it across the room. "Where is it?!" He asked himself and sank down on the bed, smothering his hands over his face.
He was in the very brink of giving up. It wasn't long until James' execution were to take place and by that time Kendall needed to be out. He just had to find that stupid seal or he'd die before he and James had gotten anywhere at all.
The young prince let out a defeated sigh and shook his head, glancing around in the room once more before a sense of warmth and calm flooded him. He gasped, jumping up to his feet.
"T-That's it!"
Linelineline
"... and the penalty for piracy is to be punished by death by hanging." The soldier standing by James' side said. The pirate rolled his eyes and let out a low sigh. He was standing on top of a platform with a noose around his neck and his arms tied tightly together behind his back.
It wasn't his first execution and he suspected – or rather... knew – that it wouldn't be his last. But no matter how many times he stood up there he was just equally unamused every time. He even knew both his crime, penalty and all the formalities inside and out.
"... by orders from the king and support from the law, you are to-"
"Pay my debt here and now and hope the lord shows he the mercy I was not shown nor showed here." James finished and sighed. "Ar, get it over with already..." He muttered and closed his eyes, preparing himself for a neck pain that was going to last for a while.
The solider seemed awfully taken aback and almost insulted. "V-Very well." He said and grabbed a hold of the lever to his right. "I now pronounce your punishment, paid-"
Just as the soldier was about to pull the lever, a swishing sound was heard and a thin arrow pierced his arm, making the soldier yell and fall to his knees while holding his bleeding arm. Everyone looked up at the walls from where the arrow had come.
"I-It's the prince!" A woman in the crowd in front of the platform shouted. The young blond let out a shaky breath and put another arrow on the bow he had and fired it, hitting and cutting the rope to James' nose off. James wasted no time in taking the groaning soldier's sword, cutting himself free and jumping down from the platform, making the crowd scatter, trying to get away from him.
Kendall gulped a bit and snapped his head to the left where soldiers were climbing the wall to get to him. "Stop, your majesty!" They called when he started running along the wall, balancing in the narrow wall and with his arms out to keep his body weight equal. "Your majesty!"
The young price ignored the shouts and swiftly jumped down the wall and landed with a soft thud in a large wagon filled with hay. "Thank you, Carlos." he mumbled to himself and then hurried to get out and away from the fortress and down the road towards the town.
Behind him he could hear the clopping from horse shoes and he cursed silently and hurried up. Then he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and yanked up onto the horse. "You're never gonna get far on foot, your majesty." James murmured into his ear.
"J-James!" Kendall gasped and quickly wrapped his arms around the brunet. "You made it!"
"Yeah and you saved me from a terrible neck ache." James chuckled as he hurried on the horse and galloped down the road towards the docks. Kendall laughed happily and threw his head back.
"This is insane!" He cheered as he and James rode down to the docks. "Carlos and the crew are waiting for us!" He said and pointed at the docks where a familiar ship was floating a few hundred yards out.
"Ar." James said.
When they got down to the docks James helped the prince off the horse and Kendall grabbed a tight hold of his hand. "They are after us." Kendall said and followed the pirate out to the docks. He hesitated more and more by each step and frowned slightly.
"What is it?" James asked worriedly. Kendall frowned and look up at him with an embarrassed look and gulped.
"I-I can't swim." he confessed and looked down at the deep blue water. James rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"You're joking?" he asked and Kendall shook his head.
"N-No." he mumbled. "I was not allowed to leave the fortress... when you came and took me away, that was the first time I had ever set my foot outside of it!" Kendall said and glanced over his shoulder before turning back to James. "I can't swim."
"Darn..." James mumbled and furrowed his eyebrows. "They're gonna get us if we don't..."
"James..." Kendall then mumbled, eyes staring blankly out towards the ship. "I have an idea..." he mumbled and gulped a but before turning his head and looking up at the pirate. "D-Do you trust me?"
"Of course." James said. Kendall smiled briefly before bowing his head and mumbling out twisted words and silent hums. "What in the world are you-" James began but stopped himself when soldiers came running towards them.
"Stop! Pirate!" They shouted and James cursed and drew his sword. The prince stopped him and grabbed a hold of his arm and took a few deep breaths.
"Do not, w-whatever you do... l-let... g-go." Kendall breathed out and James turned to him. The young prince's eyes were glowing bright green and his lips were pressed into a thin line. The blond – still with his eyes on the ship – took one big step straight off the dock and James wanted to yell out but stopped when Kendall's foot came to a stop on top of the blue water.
The blond took another step and then another, forcing James to follow. James gulped as he took a hesitant step out to where the prince stood on the water and felt as if he were simply standing on a flooded platform. "K-Kendall..." James mumbled and gave his feet a doubting look.
"T-Trust me." Kendall mumbled and seemed to be gathering his own confidence before he tightened his grip on the brunet. "Just trust me." he said. Behind them the soldiers were just as speechless and dumbfounded as the pirate. "Come on!" Kendall urged and started dragging James along as he started running. "Let's go!"
James followed and he could hear soldiers call out and shout orders around to follow in a boat but if they kept going like this the soldiers would never catch up with them in time.
"What in the world-" Carlos choked out when he saw James and Kendall come running towards the ship. "C-Captain!" he called out and James waved with a confused look on his face. The two boarded the ship and Kendall sank down on his knees and panted.
"A-Are you alright?" James asked. Kendall smiled up at him and nodded.
"I'm fine... I just-... t-that was... tiring." he mumbled and leaned into James' embrace. "Let us leave before they catch up." He murmured and yawned.
"Kendall, you have to go back." James said. "You can't stay out of the castle, you'll-"
"Die?" Kendall asked and looked up. "It is not the fortress itself, James. I overheard my father talking about a sacred seal that allows me to... stay somewhat human... so to say." He said with a tired smile. James blinked, eyes darting over the blond.
"You found it?" Carlos asked. Kendall nodded.
"And I made sure I would never lose it." He said and tugged his his white cotton shirt open and exposed the large branding just over his heart. It was about size of a fist and it was in the shape of a diamond with small curls and vines around it. James gasped slightly.
"Kendall!" He exclaimed and glared at the blond. "Who did-"
"I did it." Kendall interrupted.
"How the hell did you-" James roared but got interrupted again.
"The candle holders." Kendall said and gave a tired chuckle. "I've never noticed it before. The foot of the candle holders, they were the shape of a seal. They were everywhere in the fortress..." He explained and got some help up on his feet. The crew was already getting the ship moving. "I-... I branded myself with it."
James frowned a bit and brought his lips to the blond's and then pulled away to inspect the burn. "Are you hurting?"
"N-No." The blond said and gulped. "O-Only when you touch it like that." he said and grabbed James by the wrist and looked up at him. "I am so glad you are alright." He said and hugged the brunet.
"Thanks to you, yes." James said and hugged him back. "I had no idea you were so skilled with a bow." He said. Kendall smiled sheepishly and blushed a bit, snaking out of the brunet's grip and backing away.
He chuckled stiffly. "S-Speaking of that..." He mumbled. "I have... um... never really... really used one before." He confessed. James blinked and Kendall looked a little nervous.
"What?" James asked and took a step closer. "You've never used a bow before and you decided that it was a good idea to fire it above my head?" he asked. Kendall gulped. "You have never used a bow before and you thought that I was worth the risk?"
"I-I am sorry, James!" Kendall blurted out and dodged when the brunet tried to grab him. He ran up to the rudder deck and hid behind Carlos. "It just... I don't know what happened I just... at the time I just knew how to use it."
James growled at him and furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" he asked angrily.
"J-Just like at the docks." Kendall said. "I-I have never done that before but... I-I just knew how to do it." he explained. "It might have something to do with my-... um... with me." He said and the angry pirate softened a bit and sighed. "I am sorry." The young prince said and dared to approach James once more.
"You're forgiven." James sighed and Kendall smiled sadly.
"Captain..." Woodland mumbled and came walking. "It's good to have you back in one piece." James smiled and patted the elder pirate on the back. "We figured you needed some help." Woodland continued and James let out a roaring laugh.
"By the lord, Woodland." James said. "You are a bunch of lingering bastards!" he said and smiled. "You're sticking to me worse than leeches." He said.
"You ain't getting rid of us that easy, Captain." Woodland assured and shook his head. James sighed a bit and smiled.
"Thank you, Woodland." he said with a genuinely grateful smile and then turned back to Carlos and Kendall.
"Where to, Captain?" They asked in unison. James grinned wickedly and let out a harsh breath.
"I heard the guards outside of my cell gossip about a treasure island in the south. Something about the royal fleet's stocks and goods." he said with a mischievous smirk.
"Ay, captain." Carlos said with a grin and disappeared out of sigh and left the prince and the captain up on the rudder deck.
James smirked down at the blond and pulled him closer by his coat. "You, your majesty." James said. "You do realize that you owe me quite a lot for simply taking you with me on my ship, right?" he asked huskily and leaned down to nibble at the blond's neck.
"A-Ay, Captain." Kendall murmured and closed his eyes a bit, longing for their lips to touch already. He peered his eyes open and brought his hands up and tangled them in James' soft brown hair. James smiled smugly and then kissed him, drawing a moan from the blond.
"Moaning already?" he asked with a smirk.
"Captain." One of the crew members called out and James clenched his hands into fists, tired of always being interrupted.
"What now?" he growled and turned around only to stop in his track and glare down at the short brunet down on the deck. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.
"Logan!" Kendall gasped. "Y-You-... Why are you here?" he asked and glared at his former servant. "You shouldn't be here." The prince gritted out. Logan sighed and frowned a bit, looking troubled.
"How did you get on the ship?" James demanded to know.
"I have been a servant my entire life." Logan said with a shrug of his shoulders and worriedly looked around on the deck. "I've learned not to be noticed unless called for." he said and looked back up to where the prince and the captain of the ship stood.
"Why are you here?" James asked. Logan gulped a bit and glanced around once more.
"B-Because... I am coming with you." He said.
Hey guys! Soo.. Logan's on the ship now! I know you all asked for it and I do listen to you. I managed to braid Logan into this story and you'll see in the coming chapter about some real drama and... well it's just gonna be weird for a while.
Thank you so much for reading and thank you thank you thank you for the reviews! I love it when you guys are happy! Thank you so much! I hope you all enjoy!
oxox Hannah