BlackLynx17: Wow, I was not expecting any reviews for this story. I don't really write Mendy for other people, because there aren't a lot of people out there who love it like me, but more myself when I'm in the mood to read about them. It means a lot that there are people who like this couple though. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Title: Love At First Sight
Secret Title: Pirate Love
Summary: Wendy is a princess forced to be married at the age of 18. It wouldn't be a problem for her if she had fallen in love with her fiance, but alas fate is not too kind. Determined to runaway to chose her own love, she runs into a nice man who rescues her from her guards. Thinking this man is her one true love, she decides to escape with him. She had no idea that her true love was a no good pirate.
Chapter Two
Cruel Fate
"Where the fuck was Mest?!"
"You already know he was doing his own thing."
"Honestly, you think he would just for once, for once! I don't know, go along as planned and actually help out!"
Mest groans and rubs his face as voices echo throughout his ship. His crew is returning; he hears their moaning and groaning as they load up. The moans only get louder and louder as the rest of his friends arrive. It's well after midnight now (their original plan being to meet at the ship and sail off before midnight). They should have been on their way a long time ago. Now, how is he going to do this? There's no easy way, but there are terribly bad ways that he would like to avoid.
Wendy stiffens when she hears the voices of laughter and hollers. She quickly runs over to his side, pulling at his sleeves to get his attention. Mest breaks out of his thoughts and stares down at her, a wave on concern rushing over him as he stares at her scared face.
"What's happening? Did they find me? Are they here to take me away from you?" She whispers.
"No, no, that's just my crew, those are my friends. They're finally back from... whatever they wanted to do. Don't worry, you're safe. No one is taking you away from me."
Wendy looks up at him with those hypnotizing eyes and smiles brightly, "oh, good! I like your room Mest, it's very... cozy."
Of course it would only be cozy to her despite it being the biggest and nicest room on this ship. Her room is probably twice as big, who is he kidding, ten times as big filled with only the finest things in the world... still, she doesn't appear to be lying to him. She's being sincere and- oh god, she really has placed a spell on him. This isn't going to end well, not at all.
"Wendy, I'm going to go say hi to everyone. Please change into... anything you find that fits you in here and then come and join us on the deck. I'll introduce you to all my friends and then we'll be on our merry way."
He'll only be shooting himself in the foot if he introduces her wearing a gown like that.
"Away from here, right?" She asks.
"Yes, away from here."
"Far, far away! Never to return again, right?!" Her eyes really sparkle this time.
A small smile appears on Mest's face as he nods, "yes Wendy, never to return again."
Wendy squeals and runs around the room, "aye aye, Captain!"
Mest flinches. He hasn't told her, so maybe she's just teasing? He nods at her once and leaves his quarters, closing the door behind him before heading to face the sharks on the deck. When he arrives he sees his friends doing their duties, loading up their goods, going over inventory, and getting ready to set sail.
"Oh, Captain! How nice of you to make your presence known to us!"
Mest rolls his eyes, "calm down Natsu. I know you're mad that I didn't help with today's score, but you won't believe what I went through."
"Couldn't be worse than what we went through today; I nearly got a bullet to the ass thank you very much."
"Hopefully it would have hit the stick that's stuck up there Gajeel." Mest laughs.
His crew all joins in and Gajeel rolls his eyes, smile on his face. Mest walks around greeting his friends, patting them on the back or simply waving. He stares at the cargo being carried on board and nods to himself, liking what he sees.
"How did our little heist go?" He asks.
"Completely as planned, although for some reason the place wasn't as guarded as we thought it would be. Wonder where half the guards went." Erza, Mest's first mate, explains to her captain.
Mest knows exactly what those guards were doing and swallows. He waits until his crew is finally done loading up all the supplies before clearing his voice.
"Listen up everyone, I have an announcement to make! It may come as a surprise, but please listen to me and believe in my judgment. I know what's best and well..." how should he introduce her? A friend? No, a guest? That might be worse... "er- crew member. We have a new person joining our crew."
There... not entirely a lie... not entirely the truth now either though because she's not staying. Crew member? The word whispers through his friends as they wonder what in the world their captain has done now.
"Hold on just a second, while we were busting our asses stealing the treasures this kingdom had to offer, you were making buddy buddy with someone at a pub and convinced them to join our crew?" Gray asks.
"Ah- not entirely," Mest tries to explain himself.
There's shouting now, and threatening, and not entirely nice words as they lecture their captain on relaxing while everyone else did all the hard work.
"Come on guys! It's not like I was just goofing around! I made some scores myself at this place for us!"
"Yeah! And it seems you've scored a woman as well!"
The deck gets dead silent and Mest narrows his eyes; how did they know that she was a woman? He turns around and sucks in his breath sharply. Wendy is walking on deck now, only wearing one of his nice dress shirts stopping just above her knees. Of course no one else would realize that she was wearing just his shirt since she also took one of his belts and strapped it around her waist, making it seem like some sort of... foreign-style dress (shirt dress sounded too stupid in his mind). Her beautiful, exotic, blue hair is braided to the side of her head, cascading down her shoulder nearly brushing against the deck. No, that will not do. Her hair must never touch the ground, especially one as slimy and grimy as this one. She looks so nervous she's trying to shrink down and make herself invisible. There is clear panic in her eyes, not expecting so many people to be here, so she runs over to the only person she knows, which is Mest.
He said these people are his friends, so Wendy's tries her best to smile and remember her manners. She's shaking in her boots though, literally and figuratively, and she can't stop even as Mest places a reassuring hand on her back.
"Everyone, shut up and listen well. This here is Wendy, she's our new guest." Mest announces.
"Guest? I thought you said she was our new crew mate?"
"Are you kidding Mest? She's nothing but a child!"
His friends get rowdy and Mest's left eye starts to twitch. If everyone doesn't shut up soon and let him explain the situation they're about to get stabbed. He should have just told them all the truth to begin with. His friends were dumb, but they weren't stupid. Who cares if they don't understand, this is his ship and if they have a problem with it they can jump overboard.
"Why is she here?!"
"Yeah, who is she?!"
Wendy gulps and takes a step forward. She grabs Mest's hand for courage and remembers what her instructors taught her. When facing her people she should always have her back up straight, her head centered, her chin up, and speak with a voice that's not only clear, but filled with respect and kindness as to not threaten or offend others. Some members of his crew see her about to speak, so they quiet down a bit, but most of them are still voicing their complaints.
"I'm Wendy Marvell, Mest's wife. I hope we can all get along and be great friends," Wendy introduces herself with a smile.
And she's done it. Her voice was strong and clear, it didn't waver, and she didn't look away from any of the faces... that are now all staring at her... with confusion and wonder in their eyes... oh no, what did she do wrong? She wasn't expecting this kind of reaction. Wendy looks up at Mest, hoping he can help her, but he matches their expressions, only looking more stupefied as his jaw drops.
"YOU WENT AND GOT YOURSELF HITCHED!?"
Everyone erupts and Mest is at a lost for words. Wife... his wife, Mest's wife. Is he Mest? Yes he is. Did he propose to Wendy? Mest doesn't know. Today has been such a crazy and unbelievable day, maybe he did and doesn't remember anything about it?! Anything could happen today! Anything! Gold could be falling from the heavens any minute now! Married... MARRIED?!
"EVERYONE QUIT YOUR YAPPING! Captain, you better start explaining and it better be good before you have a mutiny on your hands," Erza's voice rings loudly.
Wendy blinks and narrows her eyes at Mest, "Captain? You're a captain?"
Sure when she first saw the size of his ship she thought he must have worked for a trading company, or be related to the owner, or something of that nature. She didn't expect for him to be a captain, he looked nothing like one. All the captains she's ever met were old and bald, had these funny mustaches, and wore all these shiny medals and pins. Mest dressed like he was going to the bar to smoke, gamble, and drink. He didn't look anything like a captain... and yet-
"Yes girly, captain, our captain of the Fairy Tail Pirates." Natsu tells her.
Mest snaps out of his disbelief and shoots a fearsome glare at Natsu, but it's too late. The damage is done. Wendy's hand drops from Mest's and she takes a step back, away from him. That's the last thing he wants.
"You're a- a- a pirate?"
She looks shocked, betrayed, hurt. Mest's chest lurches and he can't stand it anymore. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She wasn't supposed to find out, or at least, he was supposed to explain to her in simpler and kinder terms that yes, he was a pirate, and yes, he pillaged and plundered, but they weren't the worse pirates out there- yeah, that sounds terrible in his mind.
Wendy looks at him and then back at the rest of his crew. She notices the swords, the guns, she looks up at the crow's nest and sees the jolly roger they fly. It doesn't have a skull on it, but it is a black colored flag... she's given herself away to a pirate... a pirate... her hands ball up into fists and she lowers her head.
However horrible a creature pirates were, her Mest was still better then selling herself into a life of solitude and loveless marriage. At least he loved her, at least he wanted her... but he lied to her, and she didn't lie to him. She told him exactly who she was the minute she decided to be his... she believed he would accept her for her and... what hurts the most is not the lying, but the thought that-
"Did you think I wouldn't accept you if I would have known?" Her voice breaks.
And something breaks inside of Mest. His cool and carefree facade finally disappears and a stone hard expression recovers in its place. He's done being the nice captain, he's done letting them assume what they want and say whatever the hell they think is on their mind. What's worse, he's done letting them hurt Wendy.
"I want everyone to shut up and get us into sea right this instant! Captain's orders! If anyone has a problem you know where the exit is! Erza, get us off of this land immediately. We'll be in my quarters and we are NOT to be disturb. Come with me Wendy," Mest barks out orders.
The crew is paralyzed as they watch their captain grab his mysterious wife by the arm and drag her away. It's silent until Erza finally recovers, clapping her hands and repeating the orders.
"You heard the captain, and he's pissed, so we need to move it!"
"But Erza-"
"Trust in me, trust in Mest. There is a reason for all of this and he for sure is going to explain every single detail to us. You saw it with your own eyes first though; he needs to fix whatever he's done." Erza says, a small frown on her face as she stares at where they left.
If that little girl comes running out with tears in her eyes... Erza reaches for her sword's handle and squeezes it tightly. Captain or not, he's going to have hell to pay.
The door slams close behind them and Wendy flinches. She walks over to the bed against the back of the room and sits down on it, staring at the wall in front of her, afraid to look at her beloved. Mest is pacing back and forth, trying to understand, to wrap his head around- just trying to make any sense of this at all! Because clearly nothing does! Last time he thought he was captain and going on land to steal, and now he comes back married to a- to a- a prin-
"Did you truly think that?" Wendy's voice is the first to break the silence.
Mest flinches and he looks over at her, hands running wildly through his hair, "what?"
She finds the courage to stare directly into his eyes, "that I wouldn't accept you, that I would fear you and run away, that I wouldn't understand that you were a- a-" her lips tremble.
"A pirate?" Mest finishes.
Wendy looks away and nods her head, "I told you the truth about me. I thought we were supposed to be honest to each other, about everything, so why weren't you? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you-"
"Trick you? Into joining a pirate's crew? Is that what you wanted to say?" Mest yells, finding his voice. Turns out the voice he finds is loud and angry.
She flinches, but her eyes stay strong, "why didn't you believe in me?! I don't care that you're a pirate, I care that you hurt me! I'm supposed to be your beloved!"
He lurches back like she's slapped him. He doesn't want to hurt her. That's the last thing he wants to do. He wanted to save her, to help her, to provide for her, and make her happy for some god knows reason. He doesn't understand her though, and when she's calling him things like husband and beloved, it makes him more confused and angry that he doesn't understand.
"Excuse me, am I missing something? Because last time I checked I thought I was just a passage for you to get away from the kingdom that adores and glorifies you. Not some husband material, not your beloved. I have no idea what you are talking about Wendy!"
His voice booms and Wendy's heart... breaks. Her strong persona completely shatters and she throws herself onto the bed, heavy sobs breaking out of her lips as she cries. She ran away from home for this? She believed herself in love with this man? Her mother and father, all her pets, the only home she's ever known, all her servants, her friends, all the people who loved her and deserved better than a princess who only cared about herself. She's left everything for a man who doesn't even love her.
Mest falls to his knees and leans his head down, a broken man. He doesn't... he doesn't understand. Crying, why is she crying? Of course because he's hurt her. Why did he do such a thing? All he wanted to do was help her. Now it feels like he's kidnapped her, lied to her, and is sending her off to her doom. Maybe he should just return her, throw her back on the beach and pray that someone finds her and... and sentence her life back to that prison.
"Princess Marvell," the name escapes his lips.
He stole away a princess. A princess who was on a walk with her guards and then ran away, hoping to escape. A princess who has never known how it feels to be starving. Never been desperate enough to risk her life and steal. Never been beaten, never been in a fight, probably never even lifted up a single finger. The minute she told him who she truly was he should have let her go. She wouldn't survive on his ship, wouldn't make it a few days to the next kingdom or even to a remotely populated island. He should have left her behind... why didn't he? Why did he keep her still? Despite what she truly is? Despite what he truly is?
No more feeling like this. They have to come to an understanding, they have to speak. He can't leave and face his crew like this, leaving her crying behind... especially when those tears are because of him. Mest picks himself up off the ground and walks over to his bed. He sits down next to Wendy, crying her eyes out on his nice sheets he just had cleaned, and calls her name again.
"Princess Marvell."
She mumbles something into the cushion.
"What?" Mest asks.
Wendy sniffs and turns her head to the side. Snot is pouring out of her nose, her eyes full on red with tears, face flustered because she's so upset, and croaks out, "Wendy."
Mest feels his heart crack and nods his head, "Wendy, please, talk with me."
Wendy sniffs and burrows her face back into the cushion. There's nothing to talk about. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what she can do. She knew everything she's ever wanted and now it feels like its been taken from her. She doesn't have a clue on what to do now Not a single one. Mest sighs and reaches out to pat her head, but he pauses. He shouldn't. His hands aren't clean enough to touch a princess, he'll taint her... but she's not a princess...
"Wendy is this room you're not a princess... You're not Princess Marvell of Fiore, and I'm not... I'm not Doranbolt Mest Gryder, 5th Captain of the Fairy Tail Pirates. In these four walls we're just... Wendy and Mest. Runaway and thief. So please talk to me, please stop crying and help me understand what I can do to make you feel better."
Wendy stills. She stays quiet for a long time. Mest finally finds the courage to place his hand over her head and stroke her hair. So soft, so luscious, he shouldn't take advantage of this, but he does. Slowly she stops crying and before he realizes it she's moving away from him, leaning up into a sitting position, and showing way too much leg to him. He has to remind himself to stare at her face, no matter how sad and pathetic it looks.
"You don't love me," she whimpers.
Love her. Love her. Mest repeats the words and then shakes his head at her.
"I don't."
She gasps, clutching at her heart like his words hurt her physically. He doesn't understand why.
"Why would you think that I did Wendy?"
Wendy sniffs and wipes her tears away on the sleeves of her shirt (his shirt; he'll have to just buy a new one). "Because, because of what you told me."
Mest narrows his eyes, "because of what I told you?"
"Yes, you said, you said," she sounds pathetic and she hates herself for it. She tries clearing her throat to get her voice back, "you told me when our eyes met that you wanted to help me. From that one glance, that you wanted to save me."
Mest nods his head, "I did tell you that."
So he acknowledges it! She wasn't fooling herself, he wasn't lying! Her eyes narrow as she simply doesn't understand.
"Well I don't know what country you come from, but in my kingdom that's called love at first sight. I believed that you loved me because of what you said, but now it seems that you don't, and you lied to me, about who you are, about what you truly are, and that hurts more than anything else. I would have accepted you as you are, but you lied to your beloved-... except, I'm not your beloved, or at least, you don't believe so."
Mest eyebrows furrows as he listens to her. Love at first sight? From his story, from when their eyes first met? And what about her? She was scared of him, idolized him, wanted to run away from him, and now she was suddenly in love with him and wanted to marry him?
"You fell in love with me at first sight?" He has to ask, has to, so things will start to make sense.
Wendy blushes and looks away, "not exactly. I like you a lot, enough to want to be with you. I thought love would come later the longer I stayed with you."
"The longer you stayed? You didn't plan on abandoning ship right after we arrived on a new land?"
Wendy shakes her head, "never, I want you. I want to be with you Mest, that's why I left everything I've ever known. That's why I was so resolved. Because I had found the one thing I've been looking for."
"Freedom?" His voice cracks.
"Someone who loves me for me, and someone who I could love and be with without the pressures of my parents and my kingdom choosing for me. It's my choice to choose who I wish to be with, no one else can dictate that, and you were able to give me that choice. My choice was you."
He's never felt like this before. He's never felt wanted. He's never felt needed. He's never... none of this should matter. None of this, stop thinking about this Mest! Stop considering this! She is a princess! She wanted to escape and saw her way through him! It has nothing else to do with anything! If anyone else had saved her she would have gone with them! He isn't special! She doesn't truly love him! Ah... that last thought hurt him more than he thought it would.
"I know what love at first sight is Wendy, that's a widely known phrase. Where I'm from though, it doesn't mean immediate marriage."
"It did for my mother."
Mest freezes and looks over at Wendy. She has a kind smile on her face as she remembers her family, her fingers twiddling around as she recalls her loved ones.
"As long as Fiore can remember, the queens have been cursed with giving birth to females mostly. A queen cannot rule a kingdom alone, so arranged marriages were common. Our parents pick who they feel will help our country most and we're just supposed to... accept that without question." Wendy whispers, her eyes becoming lost and misty.
She gulps whatever saliva is in her mouth before continuing, "my mother knew her duty. She was prepared to be with whoever her parents picked. She saw the love in their eyes, heard the story that love takes time, but the minute she saw my father she knew instantly that he was the one. That he would take care of her, provide for her, protect her, she knew all of that from the smile on his face when they first saw each other. Love at first sight, she told me. Over and over, whenever I would ask her about my betrothed. I didn't know if they had picked one yet and I was so scared. I already didn't like being confined to the castle walls, I wanted to go out and explore and be... normal. My mom would always calm me down with her love at first sight story though and I truly believed that when I met my betrothed it would be love at first sight... needless to say when I finally met him it wasn't, or else why would I be here?"
Mest squeezes his knees tightly. She is betrothed? She has a fiancee? It leaves a vile and sour taste in his mouth; he doesn't like it one bit.
"I didn't fall in love with him and I didn't understand why. It was supposed to be love at first sight, but he wasn't what I had been imagining. He was a horrible person, all into himself, laughing when I told him my hobbies, a woman shouldn't read so many books and play around in the gardens, that's what servants are for," Wendy says in a mocking voice that has Mest smirking, "I went to my parents immediately and explained my situation. They laughed. They raised me into believing in love at first sight instead of just telling me my duties as princess to Fiore. I don't understand why they would give me such false hope like that. I pleaded for another chance at love at first sight, but was ignored. I already ran away a few times to see my kingdom for myself, but this was the last straw. I knew they were my parents, I love them very much, but for them to force me to marry a man I did not love and bare children I would hate? Why would they ask that of me?!" Wendy's voice screeches.
She starts breathing quickly, her chest rising rapidly over and over again. Mest immediately reaches out for her hand and squeezes it tightly. He wipes her tears away and looks at her right in the eyes.
"It's alright Wendy, you're here, you're with me. You're safe, it's okay," he repeats in a soothing voice.
Wendy bites her lips and nods her head up and down, "I know I'm a bad daughter, but it just wasn't fair. I didn't ask to be a princess, I was prepared to give my kingdom everything I had, all I wanted in return was the chance to fall in love and be with someone I got to choose. They took that away from me... so I acted sweet. I obeyed, I returned to my normal life, and laid in wait for a chance at my escape. They trusted me enough to take me for a walk and then I ran. The guards were immediately on my tail, I thought they were for sure going to catch me when you came out of nowhere Mest and saved me. I was so scared, but also grateful, and when you started talking about seeing me and wanting to help... I was happy. Happy because you found me. Because you, well you didn't, but I was happy to believe you loved me and when I looked at you I saw someone who would never hurt me and cherish me and all I wanted to do was do the same... silly huh? Maybe that was my problem to begin with. I believe so strongly in love at first sight and true love... if I wasn't so gullible maybe my life would be better. Maybe I would have hurt less people, maybe would have caused less problems for my savior."
Mest gulps and throws caution into the wind. He reaches out and wraps his arms around her, something he's wanted to do so desperately since she first sounded hurt. He's able to touch her this time, actually feel her skin without his gloves on, and she's so soft, and so small... so breakable.
"You haven't caused me any problems Wendy. Confused the hell out of me, yes, but problems? No, never." Mest tells her.
Wendy clings to this moment even if it isn't real.
"Telling you that I was a princess was the final test. I thought if you tried to return me back home expecting a reward, you weren't the one for me. But you didn't, you still accepted me as I was and didn't care one bit. I loved that about you." She whispers.
And she shocks herself because it's true. She doesn't love him, she doesn't know if she does yet or not, but the fact that he accepted her was something she loved.
"You still accepted me." She continues.
That was all she wanted. To be free. To be seen. To be able to make her own choices. She would have been a great princess if her kingdom had been great back to her. But it hadn't, so now Mest has her in his arms. He's the one comforting her, holding her, not anyone else, and that puts a smile on his face.
"I was scared you would run from me if I told you I was a pirate, even more so after you told me you were a princess. I thought you would have me hung or something," he teases.
Wendy stills in his arms and pulls away, "what? Never!"
He believes her and pulls her back in, hoping she'll find comfort.
"It's not that I didn't believe in you or trust you... well, yeah, maybe it is, I just didn't understand or feel what you felt from our little meeting. How was I to know that you would think..." Mest groans, "I guess it doesn't matter now. I came to your little kingdom to steal your royal jewels, and I ended up stealing away their princess."
"You didn't steal me, I came willingly."
Mest chuckles and pulls back, staring into her eyes.
"What do you want to do Wendy? Do you wish to return home?"
Mest already feels the boat moving, swaying side to side, but he'll turn it back around if that's what she wants. He'll do anything she wants of him right now.
"If I return home I'll be forced to marry someone I don't love."
Ah right, he forgot about that part. She already has someone waiting for her back home, someone she doesn't love. Someone she threw herself in the arms of another man because of how much she despised him. A scowl settles on Mest's face and he grunts.
"Right, I'm not taking you home even if you beg me. Where do you wish to go? I'll take you anywhere in the world and help you get settled in. Anything at all you want to be, I'll take care of you and make sure you're happy."
Wendy sniffs and stares at him, not understanding his sweet words. Why? Why is he being so kind to her? Why is he comforting her? Why is he offering to take care of her if he doesn't want her? Why is his hold on her so strong and warm that she wants nothing more than to lay her head back down against his chest and fall asleep?
"Why can't I stay with you Mest?"
It damn near breaks his heart to say the words out loud, "because you don't want me Wendy."
"I do, I chose you."
"You would have chosen anyone who stepped in and helped you escape."
Wendy pulls away from him so fast Mest doesn't have time to react. Her face is a cold one and her eyes are no longer filled with sadness, but hatred.
"You think I would just fall in love with anyone?" She accuses.
Mest shrugs; from the sound of things and what she's told him, "yes, I do. You don't love me, you said so yourself."
"And so if I did would you let me stay with you?"
Yes. The answer hits him in the head so fast he doesn't have time to think. Of course he wouldn't, because no matter what he doesn't love her. He cares for her for some odd reason, but the thought of her actually loving him... why is his heart racing?
"It doesn't matter."
"You listen here and you listen good Mest, Doran-somthing, Captain of some pirates, whoever you are. It had to be you and no one else. I'm not a fool, I'm not stupid. I saw hundreds of people there in the market, hundreds of men who looked far better off than you, who probably had respectful jobs and wasn't a pirate!" She screams.
It hurts Mest's pride and he glares down at the so called love sick princess.
"I've been surrounded by thousands of people my entire life, seen thousands of faces, hundred of thousands, too many to even recall! And not a single one of them ever made me feel what I feel right now when I stare into your eyes."
The glare on Mest's face falls right off and he's struck with more confusion.
"It could have only been you Mest. If I didn't feel any type of pull towards you then I wouldn't have came along, I would have been back home about to marry some creep who only wants me for my title and my body. Just because I don't love you now doesn't mean I don't feel a single thing for you! How dare you write off my feelings like that! Of course I'm confused! I've never been in love before! I've only heard about it from my mother, so that's all I have to go on! I'm sorry if I ever misled you, which I think I haven't, or ever lied to you, which I know I haven't, but I had no clue on what to do! I wished and prayed for my love to come and rescue me, and guess what? You came Mest. You did. You were the answer to my prayers. Have you ever been in love? Huh Mest? You easily toss away what I'm telling you might be true love, so you must be an expert and know about it yourself, huh?!"
He's silent. He doesn't know what to say, he doesn't think he can even say anything. He hasn't experienced true love. He's experienced lust, a whole lot of lust, but love? No, not for a pirate. Love gets you killed. Love ties you down. The sea is the only love of his life. So who was he to brush aside her feelings when he couldn't even be sure if what she felt was real or not?
"I know you feel something, or else why did you save me? Why did you come for me? Why did you protect me? Why did you bring me here Mest? Huh? Answer me. Why am I here with you right now? Why are you willing to rescue me, but not keep me and set me free? Would that really make you happy? If you just left me and never saw my face again?"
Mest simply wanted to save her. He saw her face, thought she was beautiful, saw it again up close, thought she was even more beautiful, and fell under her spell. He simply wants to help her. He simply wants to make her smile and give her the world... and that doesn't sound like him at all. Why does he want to do those things? Why? She brings up a very valid question...
"You can stay," he finally sighs.
"No, I don't want to stay if you don't want me." Wendy growls out.
"Then what do you want Wendy?" Mest growls back.
"I want you to be honest with me! I want you to tell me the reason why you're so gentle to me if you're only going to toss me aside when you're done!"
Mest chuckles darkly, "that's hilarious, I would never touch you in such a unholy way. I would never dare to taint you!"
"And why wouldn't you? Pirates steal! Pirates kill! Why aren't you doing those things Mest?"
"Did it ever occur to you that I might not be your normal type of pirate?!"
"Of course! Because I wouldn't have fallen for a pirate if he wasn't a good person!"
"You don't know what type of person I am Wendy! You barely even know me! Sprouting all this talk about marriage and being my wife!"
"Whose fault is that?! I told you everything from the beginning! Only the truth! While you hid and lied to me!"
"Well that's what pirates do! They lie!"
"So is that it?! Were you lying to me back then when you said you'd take care of me?! Because that is the reason I decided to tell you everything! Because you made me feel safe and loved like I've never had before in my entire life!" She screams.
Mest pauses and curses himself over and over again.
"You made me feel loved and wanted, so tell me it was a lie! Tell me everything was a lie Mest! Everything you've told me this day and I'll go back! I'll go back and marry whoever the hell they want! I'll go back to being the perfect little princess! Or I'll just leave and go be some nobody on some island, but please, please for my sake, stop lying to me! Stop giving me false hope! Stop being so kind to me if you don't really mean any of it!"
The tears are back and he feels like throwing himself overboard. Why can't he stop hurting her? Why can't she just... why can't he just accept her? Like she's accepted him? Even after everything, even after the arguments and tears... she still wants him.
"They weren't lies," he whispers.
Wendy chokes out a sob, "then why are you hurting me so much?"
"Because I'm an idiot, and a bad person, and I don't deserve to be with such a beautiful and kind princess. I'm a pirate," Mest shrugs, thinking it would explain everything.
Wendy wipes away her tears and moves to get up out of bed. She walks to the corner of the room where the dresser is and pulls the first drawer open, pulling out the dress she was wearing earlier.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going home Mest. You don't want me here, I can't... I don't want to hurt anymore. I'm tired of crying. I just want to rest. I've accepted that I'll never be happy, so let me just find peace."
A sudden anger takes a hold of Mest. He stomps over to her, rips the dress out of her hands, then strides over to the small window he has facing the sea. He doesn't care how expensive looking this dress is. He doesn't care how much money he could make pawning it, or how much one of his friends would love to get this as a gift, he doesn't care about any of that. He claws open the window and shoves the dress through the small hole, wanting it out of his quarters and off of his ship.
"Mest! What are you doing?!"
"What I should have done the moment you started crying! The right thing! Wendy, join my crew! Become a pirate! You don't need a man in your life! You don't need anyone or anything! The sea will be your lover! As she is mine! You'll want for nothing, you'll go on far off adventures, you'll be free and happy here Wendy. Stay here with me." Mest tells her, fire and passion burning in his eyes as he holds out his hand.
Wendy looks at it, then back at his eyes, slowly shaking her head, "why do you keep thinking I want freedom Mest?"
"Because that's what you want! You told me! You wanted to escape from home! Escape from your parents! Escape from a man you didn't love!"
"Because I want love. True love. You may think of me silly, but I want a family. I want a husband who loves me, and kids who I adore." Wendy smiles sadly.
Mest persists, "but- but- you don't need any of those things! You can have freedom-"
"I don't need them, but I want them Mest-"
"But I'm a pirate!"
"I accepted that about you. You just can't accept the fact that you'll be with me. I see that now, so return me home Mest... who knows, if you pretend to just be sailors you might even get a reward for returning me-"
"I don't want a god damn reward Wendy, I want you!" Mest yells at the top of his lungs.
Wendy flinches as she stares at him, stray tears falling out of her eyes, "now that's not fair Mest. I told you no more lies."
He can't win. This conversation, it's the same thing over and over again. It's endless. He can't accept that she wants him. He can't understand that she doesn't realize she truly doesn't love him. He can't let her go though. He can't comprehend why he can't let her go. He saved her, she's his responsibility now, she's his... damn... dammit... she's something more to him. He'll never touch her, never take advantage over her, but he'll make her happy. As happy as she'll ever be. If she wants a family and kids though, who knows? Maybe she'll realize he isn't the one for her after spending some time with him. She's young, she'll learn. A pirate's life isn't a happy one (who is he kidding, it's the best) for a princess. Maybe she'll break, maybe she'll want to go home on her own... and he prays he will be strong enough to let her go.
"No more lies. Stay with me," Mest says, offering his hand for a different reason now.
Wendy wipes away her tears, "no."
"I understand now, or I've given up. I feel like I'll go to hell for this, but I already am so who cares?! You said you didn't love me, but you could fall for me, correct? That you do like me enough to put your future in my hands? Well think of me as the same way Wendy. I care for you, deeply, but I don't love you. Maybe we could fall for each other?" He doesn't like those words coming out of his mouth and already feels the fiery pits of hell just from saying them, "maybe we could be... something more?"
To even hope for such a thing, to even want such a thing- don't think about it. He wants to make her happy, he has to, he's done caring about the reasons that won't come up. Wendy stares at his new resolve and sniffs. She was foolish to believe in love at first sight. Why would it exist for him if it didn't exist for her? She likes him, she could be with him... and he likes her, and he's saying he could be with her. She can't help the smile that appears on her face. It isn't love at first sight... it's a choice. A choice she has. A choice she's always wanted. To pick who she wants, and he cares. About her, about her choices, about her opinions and thoughts. He really cares.
So of course she would choose him, because he's the only one who has ever cared for her like this. She crosses over, wishing to throw herself back into his arms and hope that he will make her feel safe and loved like before, but restrains herself. He wouldn't like that, it would only make things more confusing. So she grabs his hand sheepishly, staring at her toes the entire time as she gives it a light squeeze. She doesn't have the courage to say this to his face, but she has to say it out loud because she wants her intentions to be clear.
"Please fall in love with me."
Because she wants him. That is for sure, that passion is there, even if the love isn't. Mest finds it hard to swallow. His arms are twitching to reach out for her fully and just squeeze her close, wanting to hide her from all, protect her from all. His heart is going crazy and now he's getting scared because it's really feeling like he... like he will.
"I'll... do my best," he manages to choke out.
The smile that lights up on her face kills him with the thoughts that he wouldn't be able to do it, that he would disappoint and bring tears to her dazzling face again because she doesn't deserve to be sad. She wasn't created to cry and frown. She's alive because she's supposed to show the world that smile of hers and light it all up.
"And I will too, Mest."
It's settled. She'll stay... which creates another problem. He can't let her interact with his crew without securing what's his. Mest pulls away and walks to one of his dressers, pulling open drawers and boxes as he searches for where he hides his rings at. Even though it's always in the same place, he's panicking and can't remember until he's turning the room upside down and- ah ha! He finds them! Yes! Mest walks back to Wendy and pulls over her left hand, trying ring after ring on her finger, letting the ones that didn't fit slip off onto the floor before finally this little, tiny one, not a single diamond on it, not even made of gold, more like copper or bronze that probably isn't worth anything and he wonders why he has it with his collection, fits on her ring finger perfectly and doesn't slip off. He goes to take it off her, having dozens of more rings he has yet to try, hopefully finding one that has more flash, but Wendy pulls her hand away and hugs it tightly to her chest as she screams at him.
"No! I want this one, I love this one! It's mine now! No take backs!"
"But Wendy-"
"No take backs!" She pouts.
And he'll give her anything when she makes that face. Mest sighs and drops the rest of his rings on the floor, not even caring about them. He'll pick them up later.
"I'm not- don't think it's a proposal, I mean it is, but it's just- I don't want my crew messing with you! They're honorable men and women and I trust them with my life and I trust them with yours," (a tiny lie, just a hint of doubt in that), "but if you're not clear on what belongs to you then they will claim it for themselves! I don't want that happening, so if anyone bothers you or says anything you have to tell me immediately alright?"
"Because I'm yours," Wendy smiles softly at his concern.
Mest stutters and flinches, "Ah- na- ye-" he doesn't like the way he feels hearing those words, "just tell them we're together or something."
"I've already told them we're married, is it acceptable to continue that charade as we figure out our feelings for each other?" She asks sweetly.
He gives up, "yes."
"Okay Captain," Wendy giggles at him.
Mest raises an eyebrow, "Captain?"
"That's what the others call you, shouldn't I do the same since I'm under you?" Wendy asks innocently.
A blush threatens to spread across his face, but he swallows it down, "you're not like the others, you're my wife- ah, I mean, just call me by my name Wendy. Captain is a loose term here, we're all friends. Everyone will be calling me Mest unless they're teasing, so please just... whatever you want."
Wendy nods her head, "what was your full name again?"
"Doranbolt Mest Gryder... the third," Mest mumbles the last part under his breath.
"Doranbolt Mest Gryder... Wendy Gryder," Wendy whispers the last part to herself.
Completely oblivious that she didn't whisper it softly enough, because Mest hears it and starts heading for the doors.
"The crew is expecting me, would you care to join?" He asks, face completely inflamed now.
"I'm actually really tired right now Mest, from crying and arguing and such. Would it be okay if I went to bed instead?" Wendy asks softly.
"Of course!" Mest says, then teasingly adds at the end, "princess."
Wendy giggles at him and turns around, heading for his bed. She takes the belt off , letting his baggy shirt consume her again, and kicks off her boots before going under the covers. Mest gulps and he's about to speak, but he's already wasted enough time with her, and his crew is only so patient.
"Night Mest," Wendy whispers tiredly, "I've never fallen asleep on a moving ship before. I'm sure," she yawns, "it'll be nice."
Mest goes over to blow out all the candles except for one and passes a sparing glance at Wendy before turning away.
"Good night little princess."
She listens to him leave and stares at the ring on her finger with the last bit of light that's left in the room. She's had jewels, pearls, sparkling diamonds, worth so much money, that even her smallest diamond could feed dozens of people. She's had riches and what he gave her meant so much more than any of those things. So simple, so dull, it makes her heart soar and helps her fall asleep with a smile on her face knowing that she's finally free from her cruel fate.
