Of Pirates and Princesses
Chaptre Four: Wedding Crashers
"We are here," Emma announced, craning her neck back at the high walls of the castle that greeted them down their crowded journey of the channel.
"Queen Cora will not see this coming," Ruby smirked as their ship successfully blended in with the others.
…
Regina nervously flattened her hands over the front of her white dress.
This was it. The big moment.
Her big day.
And what her mother had been grooming her for.
Regina had had a very secluded life style. Ever since her birth, she had been kept locked up in a special part of the castle, reserved only for her, close family, and trusted servants. She had never really questioned it when she was younger, thinking the world was no bigger than the four corners of a room. And she was content to play with her servants children, and with her toys, and read her many and many books. Her servants were forbade from telling her anything of the outside world but it didn't take long for one to slip up and as she got older she began to long to figure out what lay outside the castle walls.
She had even made several escape attempts but she never was successful. Each time she had been caught and imprisoned inside her room for her disobedience. And mother had been most upset about it. "Why do you hanker for the outside world so? It is a sick and dirty place, no where fit for a beautiful young lady like you," she said, stroking Regina's pale cheeks which had not seen natural light.
Regina was often told she was the most beautiful girl in the world and that she should do all she could to preserve that beauty. Which meant nightly regimes of creams and facial cleansing and being careful not to exercise too much because it could cause her soft skin to bruise too easily. Regina did it without complaint even though she grew tired of it. Why couldn't she be like other girls? Why couldn't she be less beautiful? For her beauty had no meaning if she had to be more careful of life in this way.
Her heart hungered for adventure. For leaving the castle walls and finding some traveling companions and riding away into the sunset on some quest to save villagers from an evil queen. But she could do nothing but sigh wistfully out the window and read books on it. Books on brave heroes saving princesses and fighting mighty foes and beasts. On pirates that sailed the seven seas, plundering villages and taking treasures of which man could only dream of.
She loved each and every one of her books, treating them with the utmost care and not letting anyone dust them but her even though it was servants work to clean the multitude of shelves they rested on. Each tome was expensive, with gilded lettering and thick pages made of animal skin. Some of them had colorful illustrations and others had ornate wording that halfway turned into branches and twigs overhanging text.
Some were her favorites, like the tale of a mermaid who loved a man so strongly that she gave up her voice for him to have a chance to walk the land and convince him to love her. When he did not she turned to foam. Another story was that of a beast who had been turned this way because he had been a rude man. And only a princess's love could save him before his rose dropped it's final petal.
Regina would sit there and imagine that she was either the princess or hero in the story, gone off to make a difference in the world.
The longing was so strong she could taste it, and it depressed her to not be able to indulge in it. She grew quieter. Less mobile. All she would do is sit in her chaise for hours and gaze with rapt wonder at the black and white images in the books. Images of hungry seas, of ferocious beasts, and of dashing heroes taking away trapped princess to a happy ending with true love and marriage. How romantic.
And the illustrations were pretty, especially the one's of the princesses. Depicting them with warm faces, flowing hair, and kind hearts. Regina would let her eyes linger on their visage for a while before examining the other pictures.
She lived for those things vicariously because she could not do so in real life.
And all the while her mother worked on matching her up with a king worthy of her. Regina dreaded that because she did not have any experience with men other than her own father. And when her mother spoke of wifely duties it worried her and frightened her. Would she know what to do? She was so young still, only on her 18th year. Who even would be the man she was marrying? She didn't want to be passed along like a business transaction. She wanted true love. Wanted to feel the sweet yearning for her partner. Wanted to spend all day by their side. But she did not have the luxury of that. Those were only things found in stories.
All she knew was that his name was Leopold and he was the mighty king of the White Kingdom, and looking for a new wife since his old one had died. Marrying him would bring the Red kingdom a powerful ally, much land, and even more money. Mother was pleased with his offer for Regina but Regina was not.
It was nerve wracking, being sent to another place when she had never even stepped foot outside of the castle. But mother said all would be fine, and that the wedding would take place outside because it was time for the kingdom to see Regina's beauty for the first time.
Regina was elated to see the outside world, but not like this. She wanted adventure, but not like this. She didn't want it with some unknown man. She wanted it with someone around her age. But she knew it was the way of royalty to marry older, and to beget as many heirs as possible.
She ran her hands down her front once more, trying to smother the nerves she felt. It did little to help.
"Princess, do not worry," her hand maiden urged her. It was Rosalee, one of her closet friends. They had grown up side by side and though the blonde was older, she treated Regina fairly. There had come a point in time when Regina had been so infatuated with the older girl and she could not understand it. So, she had merely chalked it up to the whims of a 14 year old's heart and not acted upon the confusing emotions inside her. Though, from time to time, that similar swell of affection burst within her.
This was not one of those times. All she could feel was dread and fear at her upcoming wedding, Rosalee's presence not even enough to soothe it. "I cannot stop worrying. I have never met the man, and I have no clue if he is kind, or if he is mean. What does he even look like?"
Rosalee gave her a look of sympathy. "You shall find out shortly. But do not worry for your mother would not pick a terrible man for you. Have faith that all shall be well."
Regina nodded her head, feeling a little bit soothed. "I shall try my best."
Rosalee squeezed her hands and then it was time to go.
The ceremony felt a bit behind a haze for Regina, because all she could think on was not making a fool of herself. And she could not stop worrying on what the kingdom would think of her. They had never seen her before. Would they hate her? Love her? What did her people even look like?
As the doors to the outdoors finally opened up, she was assailed by a lot of sun. She blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes and then she was stepping out into the outside world for the first time in her young life.
Guards were lined up, backs straight as they held up trumpets and blew them in announcement of her arriving. A carpet was under her heels and doves were released to flutter over head. She could not resist looking up. The sky was so blue and clear, not a single cloud on it. It was so wondrous, being able to see it finally not behind a glass pane. A breeze tickled her cheek and though she was still on castle grounds, for the wedding was taking place in the back yard, where the castle hung on a cliff over the sea, she had never been here but in her dreams.
And there were crowds of people around her dressed in finery, cheering loudly and whispering to themselves as they finally took their first look at her. She knew in her white dress, with a high collar and stitched with lace and pearls, a long trail following after her, she looked darling as her mother had confirmed and stressed several times. In her hands she held her flower bouquet of the most expensive flowers. Behind her walked two guards, silently keeping pace with her.
She swallowed nervously but kept going, making way for the altar where she could see a man dressed in white.
It was no doubt the king and she let out a heavy sigh. He was old. Older than expected and his figure was less than flattering. She had known not to hope and yet she still had, foolishly for her heart was still young and naive.
Her parents, the King and Queen were standing not far from the altar, smiles on their faces. "We are so proud of you," Henry Sr. said while Cora added, "Do us proud, Regina. This is your defining moment."
Regina nodded her head and pretended this was what she wanted: a probably loveless marriage to her husband.
"You are every bit as wondrous as I had been told," King Leopold said, his eyes raking over her with a hunger that made her shiver unpleasantly. She plastered on a fake smile like mother had instructed into her.
"I do hope so," she replied with demurely.
She took her place in front of him where the priest stood, ready to start the ceremony. He opened the book and began to read in Latin, starting the union.
It was all very long, and Regina wondered when the part of exchanging the vows would occur. Mother had written Regina's vows for her, saying she knew best what would work best for this occasion and Regina had complied and memorized them though she did not agree with them.
Finally, they arrived at the part when their holy union would be joined and Leopold would be the first to make his speech. But before he could so much as open his mouth, an explosion sounded off, startling everyone with how close it was.
And then another one went off. And another one.
"What the hell is going on?" Leopold roared out as guests began to disperse to avoid getting hurt. They stampeded in towards the castle doors which had swung open.
"Princess, quickly, this way," a voice instructed her and she felt a pair of strong hands grab her. They belonged to one of her guards and she let him direct her away from the chaos, another one of the guards coming in front of her and knocking people out of the way with his sword.
She could hear her mother and father's plaintive cries, worrying about her. Their own guards were surrounding them, swords drawn and ready for a fight.
"We must have intruders at the wedding," Henry Sr. shouted out. "Show yourself you cowards!" he pulled out his own sword.
"I shall help catch the fiends," snarled Leopold. "How dare they ruin my special day!"
"What is going on?" Regina wondered, scared. Who were these people trying to hurt her?
"Don't worry, we will keep you safe," the guard holding her said. "We think someone may be after you, and so we need to take you somewhere they won't think to look for you."
"Where?" Regina asked as she got turned around in the chaos. Her and the guards were not making way to the castle but to a corner around it, to a path that lead to the royal channel where accepted ships were stationed and waiting to be used. Some guests were already on them, trying to get away.
"Focus more on running princess. We do not know where the enemy could be. They could be anywhere," he answered and Regina kept her mouth shut, following after them. Over here it was less crowded and they were able to make way without much fuss.
Once they had gotten down where the docks where, the merchant ships bobbing in the water, Regina was lifted up under the arms by the guard in front of her and placed onto the ship gently. "Quickly," urged the one who had been waving the sword to bar others away. "We don't have much time. Is everyone on and ready to go?"
"Aye," confirmed a man with a pot belly and who was short in stature. He was freeing the ship, while two others ran to ready the sails to pull the ship out.
"What- why am I on a ship? Are the King and Queen also leaving by ship?" Regina asked, her heart racing in her chest. Her wedding day had quickly turned upside down. It had been unexpected.
"They will be safe. The rest of the guards shall make certain of. You just worry about yourself for now." She was assured this by a dark skinned woman.
"Here, sit down," one of Regina's guards patted the board and she sat down, dirtying her dress the least on her mind. The ship pulled away and she looked back at the castle, which towered over them. Smoke was curling up from areas and she wondered if a fire was spreading. Loud shouts came from above there and she hoped that whoever had done this would be caught and punished.
Eventually the merchant ship she was on broke out into wider waters and the castle became smaller and smaller with each gust of wind. The ship swayed under her and as her heart calmed down she found that this was the first time she was on a ship. And on water.
It was so amazing! She couldn't stop a wide smile from stretching her lips and turned to look into the water, marveling at what secrets it could hide underneath.
"Why are you smiling princess?" asked the dark skinned woman from before.
"I've never been on a boat before. In fact, I have rarely been allowed to leave my room. This is fascinating. And enthralling." She leaned over the side and dipped her fingers in. The water was cold, colder than she expected it to be.
"Be careful not to fall over," the woman warned, before going over to ensure that if Regina did tip forwards too much, she could catch her.
"Alright princess, we should be safer by now," explained one of the guards.
"And when can I return?" she asked, turning wide innocent eyes on him.
He chuckled, not kindly. "Well, not for a while."
"What do you mean? I have a ceremony to conclude." As much as the idea gave her dread, she wanted to please her mother. It was all she ever knew to do. All her life had ever been.
"It's not safe," spoke up the other guard. "So, we will be taking you somewhere else until it is safe to come back home."
Regina nodded her head. She was worried, but she trusted her guards to do the right thing. "I suppose that is fair. I only hope my parents shall be well."
"I think they'll be fine," the woman answered, smirking as she shared some sort of look with the two guards.
The short man came up to them. "Is everything in order?"
"The princess is unharmed, albeit a bit shaken," answered the woman.
"Good. Captain says we should hit a small town by nightfall and then we can switch ships there. We need better gear if we are to keep the princess safe."
"I thank you greatly for this," Regina said solemnly, wanting to let them know how grateful she was for their quick help.
They all snickered at her words, which only confused her. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, tis only our duty to serve you," one of the guards bowed grandly, only making the others snicker harder. He scowled at them, hitting the rotund man on the back of his head to shut him up. "Cut it out."
"I'm not the only one!" he frowned, rubbing his hurt spot. "But I don't see you smacking August or Sabine either."
That must be the guard with the full beard's name, and the dark skinned woman's name too.
"Could you tell me all of your names?" Regina asked. "I'm afraid I don't really know them."
They all exchanged wordless looks with each other before decided to impart this information. "I am August," said the bearded man, confirming Regina's deductions.
"I am Leroy," said the stout man.
"Though we call him Grumpy, because you will find his demeanor is certainly not happy," added Sabine. Leroy shot her a nasty look. "And I am Sabine."
"I am Neal," answered the guard with a smaller beard and many ear piercings.
"Do you all work for the crown?" Regina asked. "What roles do you do?"
They exchanged another look among themselves.
"Well, I happen to be a cook. From the royal kitchens. We didn't want you to starve so I came along for the journey will be long and we only want you to eat the finest foods."
"And we are the royal guards," August explained, pointing to himself and Neal. "And we were hand picked for our skill to protect you and accompany you on this journey to a safe haven."
"And this is Sabine. She is here to help sail the ship but she is trusted by the crown for her good work ethic," Neal tacked on, making Sabine glow at his praise.
"And surely you shall not forget me," cut in another voice and this time it belonged to a brunette with long legs. "I am Ruby, and I direct this ship. Without me, we would lose our way." She smiled something wolfish. "It is good to finally see you in person, princess. I have heard a lot about your beauty but I can see those rumors were not lies."
Regina flushed at hearing praise from a stranger. "Thank you. Your countenance is a pleasure to look at as well."
Ruby's smile widened. "I am pleased to hear such high praises from royalty."
Another pair of boots thudded up to join them and it belonged to a woman who was in the process of redressing. She was wearing tight slacks, to which a sword hung, and tall black boots to encase her feet. She was doing up the buttons of a white ruffled shirt, revealing the tops of her breasts and smooth collarbone, and her hair was streaming behind her, loose and wild.
It shone in the bright sun and Regina could not stop looking at this woman. She looked exactly like almost every princess in the books Regina had read and admired.
While her attire did not match to what a princess would wear, it worked because it gave her a sense of masculinity that made her only all the more appealing. And her hair, how Regina longed to touch it, to see if it was truly as soft as it seemed.
They looked on at each other as the woman fell in with her boat mates. Her hands stilled for a second on the buttons before resuming and clearing her throat, she gave a little bow of her head. "I am glad to see you safe, princess. You may call me Captain Swan."
"Yes," Regina nodded her head, knowing she hadn't exactly answered anything, and her wide eyed look of astonishment was not lost on the crew who began to chuckle.
"You've enchanted yet another one to lose their tongue," Ruby hollered, elbowing the captain in the ribs. The captain grimaced.
Neal shook his head. "How do you do it so easily?"
Regina was lost on what they were talking about but for some reason it felt like they were laughing at her. She wasn't certain, however, so she didn't say anything. And she was too well mannered to do so either.
"Princess Regina, I hope you enjoy your stay with us. We will do our utmost best to keep you comfortable and safe," Captain Swan swore, flashing a dazzling smile to Regina who could feel her heart pounding faster at it.
"Thank you," she made out.
The Captain left to go back to steering the ship and so did the rest of them until only Ruby was left. And in her hands, unnoticed by Regina before, was a bundle.
"Here, wear this," Ruby offered her a change of clothes. "It would not do well if people were to see you walking around in that dress. You will be easier to spot."
Regina hurried to put them on. The material was not high quality and it itched and scratched at her, but she did it without much complaint, not wanting to be labeled as a spoiled princess.
The garbs she had been given consisted of burgundy pants, a striped shirt that was short at the sleeves, a vest to go over it, and a head wrap to hide her long hair under. Tucking her hair gave her a more boyish look not that she minded. She had dreamed of cutting her hair several times in the past but never had, because mother had forbade her from doing so.
"There you go," Ruby had said when Regina emerged redressed. "No one will recognize you now, princess. And our travels should be smooth and assured."
The rest of the crew Regina had met were busy, leaving her to sit next to Leroy while he peeled some potatoes for stew tomorrow. Regina would have offered to help but she knew nothing on how to prepare food. She had never even touched a knife in her life. She marveled at how quickly he did it before she turned her attentions to the sea, watching the waves lap up the wooden sides of the ship, and how the sky shrunk and extended with distance.
By nightfall they had indeed landed at port and as Regina was lead off the board, she had no idea that she had finally gotten her heart's desire and was about to end up going on the adventure of a life time.
A/N: Poor naive Regina, not even aware of her own situation.
Ages, for the story. Emma was 16 when she started pirating professionally. August was 16 as well. Neal was 18, Sabine, 20 and Ruby 12. And Leroy, nobody actually knows how old he is.
Currently they are:
Emma: 28
August: 28
Neal: 30
Sabine: 32
Ruby: 24
Leroy: ?
