Chapter 2

The silence over the pirates and Narnians was so overpowering that a single person could hear the sound of a breath amongst it all. The commanding centaur and Brilannia stared each other down for a good while right before the captain could not keep herself silent any longer and spoke up. Her crew members all drew in long breaths as they watched their friend's daughter stepped out from them and confronted the Narnian.

"How dare to you question the reason for my presence here, fool?" she spat out with enunciation so good that spit flew from her mouth and hit him in the face as she glared up at him with eyes as cold and stalwart as steel, "My crew and I are here to take my father, Arnstead Omenhaif from your accursed prison, if you wish to know that, ha!"

"You are not allowed to release a prisoner who is willfully in irons because of the crime which he has committed against Narnia and her royals," the centaur replied in a resonant, deep voice while he looked down upon the young woman before him, "so therefore, my men and I have reason to take you and your men in as trespassers to be judged and locked up also just like your father, miss."

"Willfully put in irons? I should think not, sir!" the teenager shouted in a raised voice that she only used with her crew but this was an instance where she felt that it needed to be used, "I demand to be taken in and give that High King of yours a piece of my mind and my sword!"

"Fine then, men, take this one," he commanded his own men just for Brilannia to watch two of those with him come at her and take hold of her on each arm rather tightly, "do not let her go. High King Peter will see to her properly and King Edmund will give her the justice deserved of a trespasser and relation to a wanted criminal."

The young woman slightly struggled against the two Narnians who had a hold on her but knew that she'd better not do so in order to get where she wanted to be. Her men were left behind after being told by the centaur to return back to their boats and the Black Widow not to return unless called for. Brilannia felt humiliated being led away like a criminal yet she did not care at all knowing that she would be in the presence of Narnian royalty to allow herself to speak her own mind crazy as it was. The redheaded girl glanced at all the exquisite items in the castle as she was led through hall after hall thinking just how she might be able to get away with some before being told to hurry up and was soon in the columned throne room of the castle.

"Hey, what is the meaning of all this?" she questioned to notice one of the Narnians putting her hands in irons behind her back so she could not reach her saber before another took her hat off her head, "I'm defenseless, like a criminal."

"You are one, missy," one of them spoke up as she turned her head to look at him to see that he was a half-man, half-goat, a faun making her laugh in mockery at him, "I would not laugh like that if I were you. It just might behoove you to benefit from their majesties' good graces. Speaking of them, here they come and don't do as much as spit on the floor either."

Brilannia heard a strong trumpet behind her but when she tried to turn her head, the faun beside her did the opposite instead making her face forward again. As she stood there, the young Terebinthian heard the sounds of boots and slippers coming around her and soon her eyes beheld the young royals before their thrones in coronated glory. Everyone in that room bowed to their Kings and Queens except the red – haired girl in the black coat who just stood tall or as tall as she could before one of the Narnians there spoke up.

"Your majesties, this obstinate and stubborn young woman was found by my men and I outside the castle gates with her own entourage who were sent back to their ship," the centaur stated his report to the royals as Brilannia glared at him out of the corner of her eye and then at the royals specifically one in particular who returned her stare with one of his own, "she is the daughter of Arnstead Omenhaif, the wanted pirate of Terebinthia whom we have locked in our dungeon for trespassing, attempted thievery and murder. She wants to free him which I highly doubt your graces will allow that from a relation of the said criminal who also has been trespassing on the castle grounds."

"I can clearly tell that she is of relation to that man, Orieus," one of the kings broke his silence who happened to be the one staring at her, "We most definitely and logically release him just by the petition of a relation due to his deeds that he has committed against Narnia. For this one, I can probably suggest a similar stay like her dear father, unless my royal siblings say otherwise."

When he had said that, he looked to both sides of him at the others who all voiced their agreement by either a nod or a hand raised before the king would focus his attention on the girl before him. Brilannia stared the boy king down with her steel blue eyes only to realize that his own were like hers but of a far deeper more brilliant blue underneath dark blond eyebrows, golden – blond hair and crown before making her move.

"What in all of Terebinthia is the meaning of such carelessness?" she fired back to look up at the royal straight with her chin defiantly held aloft in arrogance and pride before working her irons loose with a lock pick held in her hand behind her back and soon was loose hand to her saber hilt, "How dare you defy me? Me, Brilannia Isabelle Omenhaif, Captain of the Black Widow! This country will pay for this when my men attack from my ship and destroy this castle and every living thing in it! And don't you think highness that I will not get what I want along with you as a prisoner so don't try my patience."

At that moment in time, she had unsheathed her saber and had sauntered right up to the foot of the dais where the royals were seated on their thrones ready to unleash her wrath but would be stopped by more than one Narnian including that same King she wanted so desperately to kill.

"Ow, that's mine," she squealed in a high – pitched voice when her blade was knocked from her hand and picked up not to be given back, "my fatheré gave it to me for my birthday so I need it, highness!"

"I know it was yours, Miss Brilannia, but it's in Narnian custody for now," the king said with a slight smirk on his face that she thought was handsome but didn't let it faze her, "so the belt comes off along with the hat and the coat. You won't need those in the dungeon. Don't worry, I will keep watch on them and not let anyone steal or use them; yet I will get a decent look at this saber and see what my Narnian blacksmiths can do to fix it right. Orieus, take little miss Omenhaif down to the dungeon but put her in a separate cell away from her father, understand?"

"Yes, your majesty," the Narnian replied to come towards the young woman only to pick her up like a potato sack after her belt, hat and coat had been taken from her to leave her dressed only in a long – sleeved black shirt, red trousers and black boots to carry her out kicking and screaming like a little girl all the way, "I will do so and she won't get out of her irons this time."

"Not fair! Not fair!" Brilannia screamed at the top of her lungs while pummeling Orieus' bare back with her fists and then managed to say something to the king who happened to be following them to make sure of things, "Just wait, your majesty! You think you're High King now, you won't be when my fatheré and I are done with you!"

The High King only smiled while coming up beside the centaur and glanced up at the Terebinthian whose copper – red tresses were all in her face and wildly in a mess making her look a little adorable but not enough to merit any kind of attention. She knew that they had gone through a high door and were descending the dungeon staircase because of the coldness she immediately felt before getting to the bottom and being put down on her feet to look around.

"Come along then, here's an empty cell for the little captain," the king broke his smiling silence to pick up the keys from where they hung with a teasing laugh in his voice and unlocked the door, "Go on, Orieus, I will put this one back in stronger irons and in her cell. You have other duties that are more important than this, so go ahead."

The Narnian bowed deeply to his king and then left silently at a slow trot only to have Brilannia stick her tongue out at him with a slap on the cheek in return from the king and then he finished dealing with her. She silently watched him fasten bigger, stronger irons around her wrists only to do the same on her ankles making it harder for her to walk soon to have the girl in the cell and locked the door behind her.

"I'm sorry that I have to do this to you, Brilannia but the law is the law," he said in a gentler tone of voice before leaving her alone with her thoughts, "luckily I am showing you mercy and not wiping you before locking you up to be considered a mean ruler. I did the same to your father but he's not taking to the reasonableness of mercy. I hope that you do and we can be friends and allies not enemies. See you in the morning and we'll see if your attitude has changed any. Good – night to you, Miss Omenhaif."

Brilannia could only glare at the royal as he turned to leave up the stairs even though the look that he gave her was one of kindness yet she was not going to give into any of that kind of cowardice. Once he was out of sight, the redheaded teenager slowly shuffled over to a corner to sit down with her knees drawn up to her chest quietly muttering to herself in how she had been treated so poorly by royalty.

"Mercy shown to me, Brilannia Omenhaif, the bane of the Eastern Ocean, pah! He will receive due measure when I get out of here and deal with him. Revenge is mine and I will not rest until there is Narnian royal blood on my sword, ha – ha!"

It wasn't long after that when sleep got the best of her and she fell asleep not knowing that she would not be locked in that cell until nightfall the next day but she would refuse to do anything that she had to be guarded and watched for. This daughter of a murderous pirate did not even fathom of the mercy and grace given to her by Narnia's royals especially from the one who would be her guard, the High King himself.