She was early the next night, already waiting on the table with a candle and a book by the time the outer kitchen door creaked open. She slipped her bookmark between the pages and set her book aside to watch Chakotay walk in, his gaze focused on the door until it was shut. He turned to look at her and a grin slowly crossed his face.
"Someone was excited," he murmured, dropping his bag on the ground before he climbed onto the table beside her.
"I don't have much else to do." She shrugged and rested her hands on the table to lean back, her crossed legs swinging gently.
"Right, your oh, so boring life." He scoffed, a teasing grin still resting on his features.
She rolled her eyes. "Dare I ask what you've been up to?"
"The usual." He shrugged. "I went back to my ship for the night and then spent the day trading, trying to feed my crew."
"You said you were here because of rough times," she recalled.
"Some of us actually have to work for our food and pay." He gave her a look that she ignored, instead scooting back further onto the table so she could cross her legs. "And sometimes, there isn't enough out there to trade and eat."
"So, you steal."
"I do what I have to do. My crew is my family and I promised I'd take care of them when they signed on to my ship." The firmness of his voice entranced her and she watched him, the way his hands moved as he spoke.
"I didn't realize crews were that close," she admitted, her voice softening.
"Not all of them are. Most are there to do a job, but my crew…" He stopped and shook his head. "We've seen some shit and we've been together for a few years now. Most can't go home, so we're the only family we have."
"Is it hard?" She shifted again, this time to fully face him and take in every movement of his face and body.
"You get used to it after a while." He met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. "You haven't seen much outside of this castle, have you?"
She scoffed. "Of course, I have. We have our Delta castle down south for the winter."
He immediately rolled his eyes and stood up. "That doesn't count; it's familiar ground, home."
"But I—"
He held his finger up to her lips to stop her, a wild grin forming. "You want an adventure, Princess Kathryn? I'll give you one. We'll go see my ship and I'll have you back in the morning before anyone notices you're gone."
"Chakotay, I don't…"
"Stop thinking. If you think about it, you'll come up with three dozen reasons not to go." He lowered his finger and offered his hand to her. "I promise you'll be back before anyone notices you're gone."
She hesitated, focused on his face and the wildness she saw in his dark eyes. After several moments, she took his hand and allowed him to help her off the table.
"I'll need to change."
He shook his head and gently tightened his grip on her hand. "No time. Besides, no one will see us anyway and it's best if you're not recognized." Her hesitation became even more obvious, so he tugged on her hand and took a step toward the door. "Come on, your highness."
"Better call me Kathryn if I'm not going to be recognized." She smiled cautiously and matched his step forward.
"There's the rule-breaking princess I met last night!" He laughed, leading her out of the kitchen and into the night.
They walked for several minutes away from the castle, Chakotay never letting go of her hand. She looked around, fascinated by how different the familiar grounds looked under the dim, white light of the moon. He smiled as he watched her, occasionally tugging on her hand to keep her moving. As they reached the edge of the forest, movement spooked Kathryn and she tightened her hold on his hand.
"Just my horse," he reassured. "You know how to ride, don't you?"
"I do, I just wasn't expecting a horse here," she defended, loosening her grip but not letting go.
"How else do you think I traveled?" A teasing tone entered his voice and she rolled her eyes.
He let go of her hand to untie his horse from a tree branch, but offered it to her again as she stepped up to the horse. She glanced at it huffed, audible over the horse's whinnies and movements.
"I only need your help because I'm not tall enough, not because I'm woman." Her voice was firm and he nodded immediately.
"I know," he agreed, lowering his hand and instead dropping to his knees.
He cupped his hands to form a foothold and she easily pushed off him and onto the horse. He stood up and watched as she adjusted her nightgown and robe before he climbed up in front of her and grabbed the reigns.
"Are you cold?"
"I'm fine. Let's go before I change my mind." She wrapped her arms around him to hold on, her fingers trying to find a hold in his vest.
He nodded and gently kicked the horse's side. They left the forest at a light jog, quickly kicking into a gallop once they were on the road leading away from the castle. Kathryn felt the loose hairs in her braid dance around in the wind and she tilted her head to watch the countryside quickly pass by. Unfamiliar sights blended together and a wild smile crossed her lips and lit up her face. She had always loved riding, but rushing through new territories added another element of excitement and hurried the beating of her heart.
She could smell the ocean before she saw it and felt the cooler air hitting her exposed legs and face. Her smile didn't fade, but only widened when the large and dark expanse of water could finally be seen as they crested a hill.
"Have you ever seen the ocean?" Chakotay raised his voice a little to be heard over the wind.
"Never," she answered, a soft laugh escaping her.
"It's amazing. It always seems never-ending, but you should see it when there's no land around." He shifted and the horse gradually slowed as they entered the small coastal town. "My ship is the fourth one in line." He raised his hand and pointed, pulling Kathryn's gaze away.
"With the red sails?"
"That's the Val Jean." He smiled and stopped just inside the town, easily sliding off to tether the horse to a post with other horses.
"It's beautiful." She kept her gaze on the ship and blindly allowed him to help her down, her slippers thudding softly on the dirt.
"She," he corrected. "All ships are she."
"Why?" She finally looked at him, curiosity filling her gaze lit by the half moon.
"I don't know," he admitted with a soft chuckle. "Want to take a closer look?"
"I assumed we didn't ride all this way just to see her from afar." She smiled widely and took his offered hand, eagerly following him through the streets to the dock.
They walked onto the deck and she looked around, wanting to analyze every single detail of the ship. Loud revelry sounded below the decks and she looked down despite herself before looking to Chakotay.
"Captain's away, so they throw a party," he laughed, his head shaking. "Ships don't always stay awake during the day and sleep at night, especially when we're at sea."
"Is it ever quiet, then?"
"For a few hours before sunset. They're all drunk and passed out by then." He laughed again and smiled. "This isn't a passenger ship, so there aren't fancy quarters to show you."
"That's fine." She shook her head and continued looking around, her gaze finally following the masts up to the sails.
Chakotay watched her quietly for a moment. "Do you want to climb up there?"
"Can we?" She looked at him, childlike excitement overwhelming her features.
"I'm the Captain, we can do whatever we want. You'll be better off barefoot, though." He nodded down to her feet and paused. "In breeches, too. We might have something that will fit you; you can change in my quarters and then we'll climb."
She nodded eagerly and followed him below deck, her fingers lightly trailing along the wooden walls. He led her down to the bottom of his ship and searched through the crates for a while before triumphantly holding up a loose pair of leather bottoms.
"Let's try these." He tossed them to her and then pulled out a loose white shirt. "This too." She took the clothes and followed him back through the ship until he stopped outside a closed door. "This isn't the quarters you're used to, Kathryn. Try not to judge too much?"
"I didn't expect an adventure to cater to my known lifestyle. Open the door so I can change." She tilted her head and looked at him, her arms crossing over her chest.
"Very demanding," he teased, but he opened the door and stood aside so she could walk in. "I'll wait out here, come out when you're done."
"Aye, Captain." She laughed and shut the door between them.
She couldn't help but look around the room instead of changing, taking in Chakotay's most private place. Books lined the shelves and she ran her fingers along them, finding fiction to religious texts. As she moved around the room, she found a large telescope settled by the open window. The sound of Chakotay moving outside the door startled her and she drew her hand back from touching it, almost dropping the clothes she held in her other hand.
She set them on his bed and slowly pulled her robe off. His room was warmer than the air outside and she didn't shiver, even as she slipped her nightgown off and neatly folded them next to the borrowed clothes. The breeches and shirt went on easier than her normal attire did, and she paused to admire the range of motion they gave her. She lastly stepped out of her slippers before opening the door.
"Ready?" Chakotay grinned as he looked at her, surprised by what a difference her attire made in her appearance.
"Ready." She smiled and absently tugged at the loose shirt.
They returned to the deck and he stopped at the bottom of the mast, his hands resting against the thick wood. He pointed out the handholds carved into the wood next to the rope ladder and gestured for her to climb first.
She grabbed onto an upper rung and pulled herself up, her bare feet settling on the rope beneath her. Her toes curled a little for additional support and she paused a moment, glancing down at Chakotay. He smiled reassuringly and she looked back up, her gaze solely focused on the ladder as she climbed.
When she reached the top, she was panting softly and there was a dull ache in her arms and legs. She sat down and moved away from the ladder opening, watching as Chakotay easily climbed through.
"How are you doing?" He offered her a hand and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"Exhausted." She started to say more, but the view caught her eye and shut her up. "Oh, my god…" Leaning against the low wooden wall, she took in the seemingly small town and even smaller people.
"Look at the ocean," he murmured, leaning next to her.
She turned and looked away from land, her mouth gaping open as she saw how endless the ocean looked. It extended to the horizon, water meeting sky and only the light of stars helping her to tell the difference.
"This is my favorite spot. Completely alone with the sky and the ocean, my two favorite things."
"I saw the telescope in your quarters," she breathed, still in awe of the view.
"I'll bring my smaller telescope up here sometimes. It gets uncontested views."
"One night, you'll have to show me." She briefly looked at him and he saw the pure happiness on her face.
"One night? Bold of you to assume I'll let you back on board my ship." He rested his elbow on the wall and watched her.
"Oh, you will," she said firmly, smirking and knowing he saw it.
"I don't think your royal influence extends out this far. Us thieves operate under a different rule." He continued watching her, the sight almost taking his breath away. With the moon in the background, he had an almost perfect silhouetted view of her thin face.
"What if I were to offer something in exchange?" She turned and leaned her back against the wall, her head tilting up to meet his gaze.
"Oh, like what?"
"Food." She shrugged. "Whatever you need to get your crew out of their rough times."
"I don't think King Edward would appreciate his daughter organizing a trade with thieves." He watched her expression flicker at the mention of her father and filed it away to the back of his mind.
"Who said it would be an official trade?" A conspiring smile crossed her lips and Chakotay decided that was the moment he officially liked Princess Kathryn.
"You have yourself a deal." He offered his hand and she took it, firmly shaking it twice.
"Now, how long do we get to stay up here?"
Chakotay looked up at the stars and studied them for a moment. "Depends on how long before sunrise you need to be back in your castle."
"Not too long after sunrise," she answered, turning her gaze back to the horizon.
"Then we should go soon." He heard her sigh and smile in sympathy. "The price you pay for sneaking out."
She turned her head just to roll her eyes at him. "It was worth it. If we leave now, we'll have time to stop by the kitchen so I can make good on our trade."
She cast one more look at the ocean before she grabbed onto the ladder and slowly made her way down, Chakotay following suit. Once on land, they hurried to his horse and took off at a gallop for the castle.
Only when Kathryn was sneaking into her room as the sun rose did she realize she had left her nightclothes and slippers on the Val Jean. She looked at her dirty feet and cringed, trying to think of excuses as she changed into a clean nightgown. Her mind whirling with exhaustion and the night's events, she stashed the borrowed clothes in a trunk under old dresses and slipped into bed.