The next morning, Raven had implemented my advice.

I spotted early in the morning chatting with August, the junior pilot, at the wheel. They laughed together.

I caught his eye.

He waved to me enthusiastically and I waved back just as joyed.

As I asked Howler some questions later in the day, I noticed Raven helping Freddy and the current carpenter inspect soft spot in the wooden deck. The carpenters appeared grateful and impressed by his initiative. Around mid-afternoon, Raven was joking with the junior able-bodied sailors and their seniors. By early evening, Raven even sucked up enough pride to mop with the little powder monkeys. Shiloh and the rest were climbing all over him though.

I found I wasn't the only one watching Raven. Captain Gryphon prided his son from a distance, regarding my impressed when we made eye contact. He wasn't the only one though, out of the corner of my eye, I knew Jasper was scowling at the maturing captain.

Just before the sky began shifting hues, Captain Gryphon motioned for me to meet him on the quarterdeck.

"Yes, Cap'n?" I jogged up the steps to his command.

"My boy." He pointed to his son awkwardly scrubbing the decks as he made the little ones laugh. "He has matured a great deal overnight."

"Seems like it, huh." I shrugged, proudly.

He chuckled and turned from the edge.

He gestured for me to follow him into the navigation room. I complied.

Instinctively, I closed the door behind me. When I turned back, Gryphon had lit a lantern at the center of the table and taken a seat at the head.

I took a seat across from him.

"I know you're a girl and I know you caused that change in Raven." He spoke casually while maintaining eye contact to see my reaction.

I took a moment to clear my throat, unexpectant of another pirate knowing my secret. I must not have been doing as good of a job at hiding it as I thought.

"Can I asked how you knew?" I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

"I knew from when I first laid hands on you." He chuckled glancing past my collarbone. I blushed at the memory of our first encounter.

"Are you going to drop me off next stop?" I blanched. I would have nowhere to go, no one to run to. I'd either have to join a brothel or die of starvation.

Luckily, my negative imaginings were interrupted.

"Of course not!" He rumbled with a hearty chuckle. Relief and surprise battled on my face. "You've been such a good influence on my boy! He's becoming the man I always hoped him to be and it's because of you."

I began to straighten my back with pride, until he dropped the bomb.

"I want you to marry him."

I almost choked on my on oxygen before I looked up expectant of another joking chuckle or any sign of insincerity, but there wasn't. He sat with a large smile, but not the teasing but the honest, legit proud kind.

"I-I'm sorry but I don't think your son sees me that way- Besides! We're pirates!"

"Even pirates get lonely." I caught a glimpse of unfocused eyes, somewhere far away from everyone else, but it was gone with a blink.

"I'm just asking you to consider it for now."

I nodded and stood up. I couldn't think properly as I grabbed the door handle and tried to twist before recalling it was a sliding door.

As I walked out, I faintly registered Jasper walking away an angry look cemented on his face.

Almost automatically, I silently followed him.

*Author's Note*

Do I hear wedding bells? Let us see in the next chapter!