Chapter 29. Intoxicated

Morning rose over the horizon bringing with it a new dawn, a new day. Dominick had been awake for hours, watching quietly as the sun rose over the sea. He'd had trouble sleeping ever since the night of the storm.

He could still see the shock on the crew's faces as his clothes dripped and Captain Drake coughed up salt water. No one had expected him, a captured navy officer, to jump in when she went overboard. Even now, several days after it happened, Dominick still wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it. The question kept him up at night, made worse by the fact that she was sleeping on the other side of the room.

Dominick looked at her now. She slept peacefully, her face bathed in sunlight, chocolate curls sticking out wildly across her pillow. Her eyes began to flutter and he quickly looked away, shoving down the tangled mess of feelings that were threatening to choke him.

She was overly cheerful for someone who nearly drown less than a week ago. "A day for celebrating," she had said before sending him out to do his chores. Celebrate what, he wondered as he walked the length of the ship, broom in hand. Her being alive? The crew had already done that. There was no one around to watch him sweep today so he couldn't ask. After the night of the storm the crew of the Black Siren were considerably less hostile towards him. A few had went as far as clapping him on the back. Even the Lieutenant, who Dominick has more reason to fear than anyone on the ship for the sway he carried with the captain, had thanked him for jumping in after her. This had convinced Captain Drake that no one was going to try and stab him anytime soon and let him work unchaperoned. Dominick thought she was pushing it, but he knew she wouldn't change her mind so he let it be. After all, he'd survived many a sword before.

He hadn't been working for very long when he heard footsteps approaching. A member of the crew was coming towards him. Dominick gripped the handle of the broom tighter.

"Captain wants everyone above deck," he said. "That means you too."

Dominick let out the breath he'd been holding. He nodded slowly. The other man walked away muttering something Dominick couldn't quite catch. He tried not to think about it as he returned the broom to its closet and started towards the upper deck.

When he climbed the stairs that led above deck, Dominick stopped at the top step and stared. Of all the things he'd been expecting to see, flowers and paper lanterns hanging from the mast was definitely not it. The last time they had stopped in a port was nearly two weeks ago, but the flowers, white lilies it seemed, looked as if they'd been cut that morning. He slowly approached the crew gathered near the mainsail. Captain Drake was among them wearing a ridiculously large hat with an orange feather sticking out of it.

Her smile was absolutely radiant.

Dominick forced himself to look away. His eyes found the lieutenant instead. He stood next to Captain Drake and looked uncharacteristically nervous. She elbowed him, gesturing starboard. His eyes went wide and he looked as if he might collapse any second. Dominick turned to see what had him so spooked. His jaw dropped.

The princess was approaching them. Her dress was one Dominick had not seen before; it was ornate and lacey and would most definitely catch on the floorboards if she wasn't careful. There was tension in the way she moved, but her face showed none of it. She was beaming at the lieutenant. Dominick looked between the two of them several times before it hit him.

This was a wedding.

While no country ever would recognize it as such, as captain of a ship Erika Drake technically had the authority to perform the marriage ceremony. Dominick couldn't believe it. If he somehow managed to get both himself and the princess off this ship, her parents would kill him.

...

There was no limit to the drinking that ensued that night. Wine flowed freely among the crew as they celebrated the day's events. Drunken comments about the nature of what happened after the wedding party had the princess blushing furiously. Several crew members whistled as she and the lieutenant attempted to sneak out of the galley.

The revelry was only just beginning to wind down when Dominick decided that he should leave as well. He hadn't drunk much, but it was enough that he was feeling pleasantly light-headed as he walked back to Captain Drake's quarters. He was surprised to find her already inside. He hadn't seen her leave. Her lips were on his the second the door closed behind him.

Dominick melted into the kiss, letting her pull him further into the room. A part of him knew this was wrong, but he seemed to have trouble finding it, lost somewhere between the taste of her tongue in his mouth and the feel of her hands pulling up the bottom of his shirt. She broke the kiss and pushed him backwards onto the bed.

...

I know this took me twenty years, but hey! An update! :D Pls review they give me life and strength to work on the next chapter.