Danu mumbled something about a captain and her uncle, looking down at the floor. She couldn't help it. Being in front of a prince, no a king, was intimidating.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch that," Septimus said.

"My Uncle, Captain Shakespeare is physically the closest relative available. If you want one of my parents, I'm afraid you'll have to travel a while to get to them. Even on the ship," Danu said.

His voice had softened and that made Danu a little more comfortable. She still stared at the floor, unsure of how to act in the presence of a king, but she had managed to find her voice.

"Is he on the ship now?" Septimus asked.

"Yes." Danu looked up at him, wondering what he was asking.

Septimus held out his arm for her to take. "Would you lead me to him?"

She took it, not sure if it was a wise thing to turn a king down. Not that she wanted to. He was attractive, and she felt drawn to him. His eyes were dark and smoldering, like the ones she had been dreaming about.

She led him down the corridor, and then through a few twists and turns to the cabin of Captain Shakespeare.

There was music playing, as it usually was when the crew had free time. Danu knocked as loudly as she could.

"Captain?" she called through the door. "There's someone here to see you."

The music stopped. There was a slight scuffling noise, and then a pause.

Captain Shakespeare opened the door in a dressing gown, a smudge on his right cheek. Danu internally rolled her eyes.

"What can I help you with?" he asked Septimus

"May we come in?" Septimus asked. "I seem to have found a young lady on board and I'm not sure I want the crew to come rushing down and find her."

Captain Shakespeare nodded. He wasn't too keen on the idea of them finding Danu either. He would do anything to keep her safe.

"So what can I do for you today?"

Septimus took a deep breath. Even though he had spent his whole life trying to become king, he was unsure of what to do in the situation he was in. The stone had not only chosen him, but it seemed it had chosen a queen as well.

"I'm Septimus. Former prince, and now king of Stormhold. And I have to ask you for your niece's hand in marriage."

Both of Danu's and Captain Shakespeare's jaws dropped at the request. Captain Shakespeare because he wasn't sure what would prompt such a question, and Danu's at the idea that he would ask her uncle without asking her.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" Captain Shakespeare asked.

"Under normal circumstances I wouldn't," Septimus replied. "After all, we only just met. Normally I would have asked to court her and then marry her. But the stone chose me to be king, and it appears to have chosen her to be my consort."

"It can do that?" Danu asked.

"Under rare circumstances. Usually it tells the king when his love is near," he explained. "As most of the kings met their wives after they had been king for a while."

Danu blushed a little and looked back at the floor. While she found him startlingly handsome, the way he looked at her was slightly intimidating. He looked at her as if she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

Septimus wished that Danu would look at him. Her eyes were blue. His favourite colour was blue, and her eyes were it. When she had looked at him before it had flooded him with feelings that he wasn't quite sure exactly what they were.

But the longer he stood close to her, the more intense a pull he felt towards her. He supposed it could be the ruby hanging around her neck, but that seemed unlikely.

"And what do you want Danu?" Captain Shakespeare asked.

She pondered his question for a few seconds. "I think that he's right," she said. "It does feel as if the stone can choose, and I don't feel as if questioning it too much would be the wisest thing ever. After all, you're a pirate on a flying ship."

She looked at her uncle and he nodded his head. There wasn't anything he could argue with that.

"If she agrees to marry you, then I have no objections."

Danu and Septimus looked at each other, each daring to hope. Danu nodded her assent, and Septimus felt his mouth curve in a fraction of a smile.

"Would you marry us?" he asked Captain Shakespeare.

"Here? Now?"

"I know it's a little unusual, but this whole thing is unusual," Septimus said. "And you're a captain of a ship. If you do it, it's just as binding as if a priest did it."

"Alright," Captain Shakespeare said.

He performed the wedding, acting as both witness and officiator. The couple stood in front of him, nervous and excited, in spite of having just met.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Septimus leaned down to kiss her. It was slow, sweet and tender. Danu wrapped her arms around Septimus' neck, enjoying it.

And a crash burst through the door, and the crew entered.

"What have I told you about knocking my door down?" Captain Shakespeare bellowed. "I was conducting a wedding!"

"We thought you were in trouble," the first mate said.

"And who's the couple?" another of the crew asked.

"Meet my niece Danu, and her new husband King Septimus," Captain Shakespeare said.

There were a few gasps in the crew. They certainly hadn't been expecting a prince to board their ship and then become king while on it. They fell to their knees.

"Excuse me," one of them said. He was a fairly short member, with black hair and brown eyes. "It seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding, and your men are dead."

Septimus felt his rage grow, but he could also feel the woman who was next to him. One of her hands was on his back, trying to calm him down, and it was working.

"I fear that means I'll have to come up with alternate means of making sure that my wife and I arrive back at the palace unscathed," he said.

"If I might offer my services," Captain Shakespeare said. "After all, she is my favourite niece, and her mother would kill me if anything were to happen to her. And I'll make sure that my crew behaves from here on out."

Septimus nodded in agreement. He wanted to go punch something, but would wait until that was acceptable.