Chapter Twenty

"Wha'cha doin' there, girly? Yeh still 'ave potatoes to peel!" I glanced over my shoulder to find my companion standing just behind me, a scowl etched on her young and freckled face. "Have you been daydreamin' again? Yeh do know we got people to feed, don't ya?"

"Yes, of course," I assured her, picked up my knife yet again. To be quite honest, I was fairly sure that I was terrible at cooking, for not only could I not keep a stew pot from boiling over, I was also rather prone to cutting myself. Just looking down at my own hands caused me to shiver as my eyes caught sight of the angry red cuts that had marred my delicate fingers. "I suppose I will have to grin and bear it, won't I?"

"And what might it be that you have to bear?" It was not until the rogue took a gentle hold of my hand and and brought it up to his lips to kiss it that I gasped, and though I could feel Kai coming closer all the while, I was still surprised to have his free hand rest on my hip. Having been aboard his ship for so long, I had become accustomed to his flirtatious ways and various advances- none of which were all too subtle- yet this was certainly much further than he had ever gone before. "Perhaps I can help you ease your burdens then?"

"That's enough out of you!" Before either of us could say a word, there was a loud crack of a wooden spoon meeting skin. It was not the first time Ann had hit the man for his lecherous ways, but it was the first that I had heard him cry out because of it.

"¡Mierda!" Although I had no way of knowing for sure what had been said, I suspected it was nothing I would wish to understand. Soon he was nursing the offending hand which knuckles were left a bright red, and I quickly came to realize just why he had reacted in such a violent way. However, I had to admit I was still rather curious as to how that would hurt a man who had his neck all but cut wide open, for while I had never asked him about his scar, I could not easily ignore it. "Come on now, Ann... That's just being cruel," he complained. "I was only concerned with how you were treating the girl is all."

"She's as fine as she ever was," my companion assured him. "She's a lot better than she would be on deck if yeh ask me." I nodded in agreement though I was sure to hide my hands from view lest Kai happen to see how much they had gone through in so little time. However, it would seem that my gesture was not to go unnoticed. "Wha'cha tryin' to hide there? Somethin' I ought to know about?"

"Oh, I can assure you that is nothing for you to be concerned about," I insisted. "I only wish I could do more for you all."

"You do well enough as you are." I blushed being as I was still unaccustomed to Kai's more sincere compliments, yet he grinned all the same. Not that I was too surprised since he always seemed to be amused by my modesty. "I guess I should be getting back on deck then. We're almost to Belém, after all."

"Do you mean Brazil?" I asked, sounding a bit more eager than I would have liked. When the man only offered me a smile and a nod, I felt all the more delighted. "You know, I do not believe I have ever been there before... At least not that I can remember."

"Well, it is rather far from the English territories," Kai explained. "Where we're going belongs to Portugal, so even I'm not all that familiar with it myself." Having thought on it further, though, he rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Still... a good friend of mine lives there, so at least we have that going for us. Can't say we'll make it that far yet. Not with that brother of yours hunting us down as he is."

"Is that why we have been stalling for all this time?" Neither he nor Ann would agree to to it, yet they were also careful not to deny it. I had found it peculiar that we had done little more than drift during the past few months, and though we had defeated many a ship- with me having to be stowed away in the captain's quarters for every assault- we only took aboard the absolute necessities of food and drink. A most curious thing for the arguably most feared pirate in all the world to do. "Then it is no wonder that I have only been of any use here."

"Now don't be so sore, princesa," my host begged of me with a sheepish grin. "I promise you there will be more for you to do soon enough, but we can't risk being found out just yet. Even the girls have had to be more careful."

"Aye, and the Miss not be likin' it," Ann said with a huff as she folded her arms over her meager chest. "All this hidin' her womanhood puts 'er in a sour mood, you see," she explained to me. "That's why this fool 'ere was tryn' to sweet on yeh. Lady Claire ain't givin' him a fix, so he goes and gets what he can from the lot of us... Ain't that right, Cap'n?"

I merely raised a brow at the man, yet he only laughed and shook his head. "If we were ready to take on the admiral, I wouldn't give it another thought," he assured our small companion. "If you'll remember, though, I'm known to be the Woman's Keeper... but if there be no women aboard, then surely I cannot be the man the navy is after. Isn't that right?"

We stood there in silence for a time with each of us dwelling upon our own thoughts, yet it was not long before there came a call for the captain to go on deck. Ann, too, went to follow him, yet I chose to stay behind in the galley. It was not because of a lack of curiosity, of course, for I truly did wish to be a part of things. However, I did well to remember my place aboard the ship, and while I should have liked to have said otherwise, I knew I was an object of scorn and distrust among much of the crew. A consequence of my being the admiral's own blood no doubt despite me not having chosen such a fate for myself.

Even without having been told or having overheard it, I was well aware that Kai was the only one among the others that I could place any of my trust in. I should have said the same of the young cook whom I had been assigned to assist, yet I was still unsure of her feelings towards me. After all, I was certain from the very beginning that her favor was solely with her Lady Claire. She was still kind and rather warm company, of course, and yet I wondered if it was not because of her own feelings or those of her captain that she gave me so much deference despite her fellows' opinions of one such as I.

It was then that I shook my head to clear my mind of these thoughts, and not long after, I forced myself to smile. Richard often did the same to reassure himself that all was well, and while my heart sank to realize it, I still accepted the comfort it brought me. If I could give my being there a sense of worth, no matter how small, I would be able to live another day. All I must do is show that I am capable enough to take care of myself, I decided. Then I will have nothing to be ashamed of.

With my renewed conviction, I returned to the task of cutting the vegetables laid out on the counter before me. Despite my eagerness- or perhaps it was because of it- I soon found myself to be all the more clumsy with the knife in my hand. In all but a few minutes I had managed to cut myself not once but twice, and it was then that I became frustrated with myself once more.

"Blast it all!" I cursed with an angry stomp of my foot. "What use am I if I cannot even cut a potato?"

"Maybe it is only cooking that you are not suited for then." I glanced back to find Kai standing over me yet again. However, when I merely stared back at him with wide eyes and reddened cheeks, he seemed more than a bit confused by my expression. "Is something the matter?"

"Only that you to hear me speak in such a terrible manner," I replied quietly as I began again at my peeling. He simply chuckled, but before I fully understood what he was planning to do, he pushed me aside. "And what is it that you are doing?" I demanded, my hands upon my hips. "I thought you were called up to the top deck?"

"I was," he agreed while taking up my knife. "Denny caught sight of shore, but we'll have to wait until tonight before I can decide whether we've arrived or not. It's impossible for me to tell for sure without the stars."

"Is it not difficult to travel by stars alone?" I pressed, my annoyance with him having given way to wonder. "I would think that a man of your skill would have a more advanced way in which to travel... though I must admit I have never been good at geography myself."

Kai laughed then, yet he did not tease me as I thought he might. Instead he brought his attention to the remains of the food that lay abandoned on the counter where I had stood. I simply watched as he began to peel away the skins of the offending potatoes, and to my surprise, he did so with such skill that there was but a single ribbon of skin for each that showed no signs of waste of the actual potato itself. A feat which left me in absolute awe of him.

"How on earth did you manage it?"

"Simple," he explained with a shrug. "I like to cook... so that means I do well at it." At first, I said nothing being as I found his answer so peculiar, yet soon enough, I began to giggle. "There. That suits you much better. Now doesn't it?"

"You really are terrible, Kai..." I mused. "I must admit, though, I am impressed to see that you could do such a thing. It makes me wonder if you really the rogue you claim to be." I had said so in mere jest, yet when he came to hear it, I saw his face fall slightly. It was the first time I had ever seen him so uncertain of himself, and so I could not help but ask him what was wrong. "Is that such a bad thing?"

"Not at all, princesa," the man assured me. "I am... happy to hear you think so highly of me."

"Of course I do," I replied, fussing with my hands out of embarrassment. "If it were not for you... I would no doubt be the wife of a navy officer or some such. There is no question in my mind that this life shall suit me much better... although I must confess I am well aware of how little I am capable of as I am."

"Perhaps you would like to become more self-reliant then?" he offered with a small smile. "Out here, you only have yourself to impress," he continued. "I'm sure you have things that you want to do, but if you lack the means with which to do them, you might very well fail." I could sense that he was trying his best to be gentle in his choice of words, yet it was still very clear where he stood on the matter. "I don't care to see people fail."

"Then could you teach me how to use a gun?" I asked with only a slight hesitation on my part. The man cocked his head as if he had been caught off guard by my request, yet I did not begin to explain my reasons to him. They were simple enough, I suppose. However, I feared that his desires for his own gain would influence his judgement should he learn of my intentions. "Of course, I understand if there are other things you like for me to become familiar with first."

"That may be for the best," he agreed as he returned to his preparation work at the counter. "Even so, I'll do well to remember what it is that you wish of me... my little princesa..."