The Princess and The Privateer

By Marine T. Raccoon

Once upon a time, there lived a princess named Blaze, the sole ruler of the Sol islands; a dardy stretch of ocean with some plenty of room to sail, tons of islands to explore and lots of great folks. The princess was best described by three words, smart, brave and (above all else) powerful. That latter term came as a result of her pyrokinesis, she was capable of commanding flame to her every whim, but this was a power feared by many stupid folks; not only within her kingdom but those neighbouring. While many would flock to see her, few dared to step within arm's reach; a fact that had made this morning's mail more confusing than finding a ship in the desert and more startling than finding a ship in your dessert.

She had received a package from a country on the far side of the ocean, existing in a practically separate world to her own. It was from the country of Crisis; a land reigned over by the Dragon King Iblis. The royal dragon had sent her a cauldron, filled to the brim with gold. Gold that, the letter claimed, was a mere drop from his sea of precious metals. But this was more than a mere gift; it had come with a diplomatic proposal. The king had asked for her hand in marriage and had thus offered to unite their deeply separated countries under one banner. Those terms did, on the surface, seem pretty bonza. Iblis' country was known far and wide for its unmatched wealth… in fact, they were known for only one thing more.

Iblis was a tyrannical ruler. Neither elected nor born to the throne, he had emerged from the western sea following a volcanic explosion. That eruption had destroyed countless cities yet, despite having ruled for five hundred years, he hadn't restored a single one. While Blaze could relate to the issues that came with being made of fire, she really didn't think he was trying his hardest to help his people. Though she had never seen it with her own eyes rumours claimed that moats flowed through his cites; rivers no boat could sail… due to them being lava rather than water. That alone was more than enough of a reason not to marry him, but atop this; Blaze had a more personal problem. The young princess was head over heels in love.

The feline had taken the dragon's note with her, wandering through the city and to the beach, seeking out the council of the very hedgehog she loved. She knew, if she simply signalled him, he would drop everything and rush to her side. Of all her outfits, Blaze had chosen to wear her green ballroom dress her glittery green ballroom dress (the one that, no matter how much the feline claimed she wanted to burn it, she deep down thought was stellar) and matched it with her royal tiara. Standing near the water's edge, the sun not a half-hour from setting, she spied a rugged vessel near the horizon. Recognising it, Blaze raised a finger to the sky. A flare, no larger than her fist, shot into the sky before exploding like a balloon filled to burst with lava.

A minute past, the ship was too far away for her to notice any real movement beyond the gentle flutter of flags and sails. Just as she was considering setting off another flare, she heard the sound of scraping in front of her. The words 'turn around' were being scrawled in the sand, a small wisp of bright cyan energy flickering from the stroke of the final letter. Blaze didn't hesitate, quickly turning on her heel only to come face to upside-down face with her crush; Captain, Silver the Hedgehog.

The Princess and the Captain had a rather peculiar yet thoroughly intertwined history. During their childhood the two had been close, meeting on this very beach in the aftermath of a festivity. Blaze had gotten lost, wandering down to the beach in search of her parents, only to find a grubby little hedgehog searching the rock pools for crabs and pretty shells. That meeting was all it had taken to secure their bond, he'd shared the shells he claimed were his treasure with her and played with the young princess as though she were ordinary. When she'd gotten too overjoyed, fire exploding out of her as a result, he'd simply said it was bonza; showing off his own powers to make her feel comfortable. From there though, their meetings were scant but thoroughly exciting. Being the heir to the throne, let alone a walking fire hazard, the young princess wasn't often allowed to leave the castle grounds and peasants like Silver weren't allowed on them. So, of course, young Silver had broken in and been thrown out more times than either could count. He'd glide up to her bedroom window and gently knock on it; a gesture that, when performed now, seemed a swash more scandalous.

But, one dreary night, Silver vanished. One day, without warning, he'd disappeared; freezing the princess' heart like the kind of giant snowball you'd use for the base of a snowman. During a pirate attack, Silver had been taken hostage and, later, been forced to become a pirate. Fortunately, years later, he'd rallied a mutiny against the kidnapper Captain and thoroughly beat him, but he was lost halfway across the world.

For years both feared the other would have forgotten their bond, Blaze immersed in her royal studies while Silver plundered to survive; she'd heard he was a wanted man long before he finally returned to her. Despite this, their reunion was, as one would expect, really mushy and gross. They didn't quite kiss but, needless to say, the other's absence had made their hearts grow fonder; they sobbed enough to dilute the very ocean. To spare her friend from jail, Blaze quickly elected to make Silver and his crew privateers; pirates that would hunt and capture other pirates to protect her kingdom. While his bounty could never be removed, not without the acceptance of the curmudgeonly council of Koalas that aided the princess, it was frozen and registered inactive. All that had lead up to their current position; often apart but together whenever they could manage.

"Good evening my dear." He greeted, slowly rotating himself to the ground. "My, that letter looks tedious. Shall I whisk you free of this royal dribble drabble?"

For that moment, as she stared into his bright yellow eyes, her thoughts of the Dragon and his offer completely vanished. He was hung in the air, lips no more than a kipper away, wrapped in cyan light that (somehow) let him hang upside down and kept his hat on his head. Even through that psychic glow, his fluffy handsomeness was overwhelming. Silver wore a navy coat with its yellow cuffs and trimmings (left open just low enough to expose his chest fur), a matching hat with a ludicrously large feather and a small hoop in his right ear; every piece contributed to his thoroughly dashing look. He'd so thoroughly matured from the dorky little boy she'd played with in secret. The hedgehog's sharp, but well maintained, moustache was evidence enough of that.

As he embraced the ground, Blaze's arms quickly found his sides and she pulled him into a hug, tighter than the tightest clam, not that he minded in the least. "My Captain, how long has it been since I last held you?"

"Twenty-three hours, forty-eight minutes and thirty-nine seconds." He returned her grasp, one hand on her waist while the other found its way to the back of her head. His fingers dragged through her hair with greater fixation than that of the most focused beachcomber. "Much too long, don't you think?"

"Almost a day," She sighed into his chest, heart beating like seal slapping its blubber. "Much too long indeed, can we walk to your ship? I want free of the city."

"Well, of course, you only had to ask. It's useless trying to resist you." As their grip softened he moved to take her hand, both of them just about fainting as their fingers interlocked. With a gesture of his free hand, the waves ceased their lapping, bright cyan light was glowing from a stretch of the waters before them. His free hand dropped to her waist. "Shall we dance, my dearest?"

"Why of course my Captain." Blaze allowed the gap between them to further grow and, before more than a moment could pass, the two were waltzing across the water's surface; hardened by Silver's psychokinesis.

They were dancing toward the ship, their hearts the only beat to keep time with. "So, what's on your mind? Judging by that letter, something has happened hasn't it?"

Oh yes, the letter, she'd abandoned it on the shore. "Oh, well I'd hate to spoil this evening..."

"Nonsense, I'll help you shoulder your burdens just as you freed me from mine." His eyes seemed to sparkle, brighter than the shiniest doubloon. "If something is troubling you, I want to help."

She spun beneath his arm before drawing in close once again. "Are you aware of the Dragon King Iblis?"

"Ah, I have plundered his vessels many times; he'd send out gold to other countries in the hopes they'd overlook his crimes. I only visited his land once, his people were all rather poorly…" Sadness briefly entered his eyes, before he could twirl them from her view.

Seeing him so concerned, she gently squeezed his hand. "I had heard he was terrible but, you've seen it with your own eyes? You never told me this tale."

"Alas, there's not much fun in that story." He mournfully recounted, drawing her close before pulling away, "He keeps his land barren and his people hungry, despite the great wealth he holds. He has no guards defend his cities, only monsters to keep his populace subjugated. Out of spite, disgusted, we stole from his golden ocean and were lucky to escape alive. Though his army is weak, he is quite powerful. I could scarcely hold him back alone."

"That does match the tales I've heard." She raised her right hand to cup the back of his head, "He's asked for my hand… in marriage."

At that, the dancing stopped; the hedgehog's blood ran colder than an arctic beach. There was a thorn through his heart, it point sharper than that of the spiniest sea urchin. "S-Surely, you don't i-intend to…"

"For a moment it crossed my mind. I thought his wealth might bring my people joy, but it sounds as though he would torture them…" She muttered, eyes lowering to his chest only for him to raise her chin.

"Blaze, you know that, above all else, I wish for your happiness. I couldn't stand to see you with such a monster, it would rend my heart in two." Despite their more than clear mutual affection, to hear it stated so plainly from the hedgehog did surprise her. "But, regardless of my own heart's want, I believe that is true. He would bring your people nothing but crisis. His golden ocean will burn your people rather than bring them wealth."

Tugging his wrist, glancing to the boat ahead, Blaze managed to resume her dance. The words of his heart's deepest want struck a chord within her. Though his words often hit her deeply, those had touched her especially so. The illusion of mere platonic kinship had long been shattered, like what actually happens if you try to send a message in a bottle. A suitor or Silver, if she could marry out of love the latter would be her decision; in this and every one of her nine lives. For no matter how gilded her suitors' hands were, their wealth could not afford them the Captain's place in her heart. The same place that she took up in his own.

A blush brighter than an anglerfish's glow crept over her cheeks as she considered it, "Well, in that case, I'll certainly not be marrying him. I was only considering it for the good he might bring my people…"

"Do you have to marry soon?" Immediately regret washed over him, again he twirled her to hide his face, "F-Forgive me, that's not my place to ask. Your love life is your own-

Blaze cut him off, grasping his waist to meet his eye, "I do not, though I believe the council would like it if I did. Besides, the Dragon King is the first and only to ask for my hand; if he would bring terror to our people they would not have allowed it."

"What?" He was stunned, dealt a shock greater than that created by any electric eel, "How can that be so? You're smart, you're strong and you're… w-well." Surprise turned to bashfulness, "You're beautiful of course, more beautiful than anyone I've come across during my voyages. Your eyes are more beautiful than any gem and your fur is softer than the finest silk. Your laughter is more alluring than the call of any siren; even on such a surface level, you're wonderful. To think anyone wouldn't want to marry you, what possible reason is there?"

Her blush caught fire, literally. Flames were beginning to dance from her fingertips and embers were flickering from her fur. "M-My powers I'm so-

Before she could pull away a cyan glow overtook him, shielding him from her fire but allowing them to maintain contact. "But your flames are incredible. Your flames are beautiful Blaze, you can create warmth and light in a way no other can. It's breath-taking, those who fear them are themselves more hideous than the most putrid of blobfish and offer the world less than the most cowardly of cuttlefish."

"S-Silver…" Blaze still struggled to control her flames, the heat continuing to rise as their dance picked up speed; matching their passion for one another. "Is that the truth?"

"I'd sooner endure ten million stingray stabs than lie to you Blaze." The hedgehog promised; eyes so filled with honesty they might overflow and roll into the sea. "My word to you is no mere trifle, of course it is the truth."

They'd arrived at the ship, their dance concluding with the hedgehog dipping his feline partner. Though the moment was intimate, the sound of the crewmen bantering caused the princess' ears to flicker. The heat hadn't left her face but, though she was trying to hide it, Blaze was smiling. "C-Can we go to our private spot?"

"Of course." Without so much as changing their position, the two began to ascend… though the captain, rather immediately, regretted this decision. Suave as it had been in the moment, maintaining that prolonged eye contact, her lips being less than a sardine away and the feeling of her in his hands; it was too much to handle. For some time they just kind of awkwardly stared at one another, like two total dorks who mutually loved each other but didn't know if the other returned that feeling, regardless of how blatantly obvious it was that they did. Or, perhaps a better comparison would be, they were staring at each other like a naïve hedgehog who kept showing his love without realising it and a feline who knew she was in love but struggled to show it beyond rather blunt gestures she lacked the confidence to commit to.

Well, regardless of how they looked, the pair eventually soared past the deck of the ship (earning a share of stares and whistles) before passing the sails to arrive at their private spot; the crow's nest. He set her down in a manner not dissimilar to a confused tourist picking up a turtle egg before trying to return it, soon vaulting the lookout's railing to stand beside her. Wandering around its far side, finding themselves face to face with the open ocean and alone (well, as alone as one could be on a ship full of ex-pirates) a calm managed to swell over the pair. In this moment of relaxation thoughts ran through the hedgehog's head, was Iblis truly the only one seeking her hand? Strewth, he couldn't imagine it.

"Valuable as a sea of gold might be, I can't help but think its view would fall short of this." The sunset had cast the sky a soft orange, the colour being reflected on the surrounding sea, and was dotted with peach-pink clouds. Every so often whales would emerge, spurting water from their blowholes, and dolphins would rise from the water; flitting in the air and chattering before quickly returning to the sea. Also, there were like, sea turtles and tons of proper ripper jellyfish all over the place; not stinging anyone of course. Yes, the view was indeed beautiful, but it wasn't what he was talking about. "Seeing the wonder in your eyes and the smile on your lips, it's worth more to me than any treasure the world could offer."

Finally, seeing the setting sun reflected in his bright yellow eyes, words she'd long longed to say yet dared not dream were unleashed.

"Silver, marry me." The princess's eyes were full of diamonds, both her hands clutched around his right as she bared her very soul to him... only for it to tear him twain, a fault of his own innocence.

"M-Marry you? A-As in t-to the Dragon Iblis? I-I thought you said…" It was as though a cutlass had pierced his heart, splaying him all over the deck; a blade forged of his own obliviousness and laced with thoughts of some ludicrous betrothal pact that bound the princess. He quickly shook it off though, as if it were a mere glancing blow. "I'm not a priest I'm afraid, I'm a privateer. I can't preside over a wedding. C-Congratulations though."

"Oh my naïve love, how can you be so modest? Of course, I don't mean the Dragon," Her heart was fluttering, like a daft seagull that'd lost its eggs. "My heart longs for no other, in this or any of my nine lives."

The hedgehog blinked, as though fifty days of sea spray had splashed his eyes all at once, "No other than whom? D-Do I know them?" His stuttering grew worse, he went from itching his moustache to plucking at his chest fur. "I-I'm sorry, y-you should marry who you love o-o-of course. If you love them then… they must be wonderful. I will stand b-by and help you no matter what."

"Well, I should hope so. Seeing as it's you I love, my naïve dearest." As she made it clear to him, the hedgehog's heart skipped a beat. "It is you I wish to marry, more than any person let alone some pompous suitor I've never met. No person, no matter their wealth, rank or mind, could ever take your place."

Despite how thoroughly obvious she'd made it, not only now but throughout the years since their reuniting, Silver was stunned to find his feelings were returned. To think that, following their decade long separation, she'd swooped in and retaken a place in his heart; a heart he'd once thought filled with sailing and gold stolen from far nastier pirates, as well as vessels invading the country. It'd taken her little more than an hour to plunder and restock his chest with something more valuable than all that. Love.

"Really? Me? M-More than any prince or…" And yet, despite finding his feelings were mutual and feeling his heart race faster than an especially lost dolphin, there was a worry in his mind. "A-Are you sure about this? I-I love you Blaze, more than land or sea, but, wh-what of the council? What of the laws? They would never approve our union." She felt him squeeze her hands, thumb gently brushing the back of her palms. "I don't want to cause you hardship, having to fight such a battle over me…"

He wasn't wrong. There were but three barriers between her and him, three tempestuous maelstroms that so often separated them. The royal council were one of these barriers; while many of them appreciated the strength offered by the Pirate turned Privateer others longed to hold him accountable for essential thievery performed during his impoverished life. Secondly was the literal distance between them, for his work plundering pirate vessels and assisting in the defence of the islands. In times of crisis, despite her proficiency as a warrior, she'd be stranded at the capital while he risked his life in defence of it. Though these incursions often lasted weeks they had, on rare occasions, stretched out to more than a month. Though his crew was valuable, it was his psychokinesis they so desperately needed; capable of creating as much as it was destroying. He had to be present, in person, much to their dismay.

The disparity between their statuses however, that was the biggest obstacle. Though he had been made a privateer following his return to the islands, this offered him nought in the way of rank. In the eyes of the people, Silver was lower than even the queasiest and most squeamish of the deck swabbing Naval recruits. Were he even a middling naval officer, the likes of a vice-captain or even a boatswain, then his years of service would bring them close enough. But no, even if they could stand such time apart, his prior mentioned rap-sheet prevented him from enlisting.

But this choppy sea between them, laden with Kraken and Siren alike, only further grew the Blaze's want to elope. For, if they could overcome these hardships, what couldn't they as a married pair? Whenever they were together, she felt no man nor monster could beat them; that they could undo all the world's troubles through the combination of her smarts and the optimistic (yet realistic) way he tackled the world's issues. Tackling things head-on without hesitation, working himself to the bone digging through sand in the hopes of finding a treasured solution. But regardless of their barriers, she'd been building to this for months. Though today's letter had accelerated matters, Blaze knew what she wanted to do.

"Then marry me in secret! Let this bond be between us and only us, the world may never know the depth of our union but they will watch its waves spread throughout this land. We'll sneak away for late-night rendezvous, during the day we'll keep one another beyond arms reach but come night we can slip away from prying eyes. Be it on sea or land, I don't care where, whenever I'm with you might heart takes flight. When the sun's about to rise I'll return to my chambers, ready for the next day's work but already longing to return to you." She spoke, voice full of conviction. "Perhaps, some millennia following our deaths, some wonderfully adventurous raccoon will see fit to rifle through my diary and uncover the depth of our bond. Unseal a truth "

"Ah, I can imagine them now, some heroic Raccoon coming across it as she innocently rummaged for parts to build some grand ship." Silver responded with such bonza vigour, "They would deserve free reign of all of the sea that they would."

"Indeed, but even if that truth were never freed, it would make no difference to me." Her hands briefly left his, trailing down to the rim of her bright green gown. Without hesitation she tore free a strip of its silk-like fabric, tying it longways across the centre of his palm. "When you are by my side, I am stripped of my fears. I may safely stand in this crow's nest for I know you would sooner die than let me fall, than let my trust in you wain for the merest of moments. Your presence alone grants me courage I cannot comprehend." A darker shade of crimson had spread across the Captain's face and sweat clung to his sharp moustache, but beyond that, she could see the sparkle of joy and excitement in his eyes.

Silver's fingers caressed the fabric, as though it were the head of a new-born seal. "My dear Blaze, no trove of treasure nor even the most daring of adventures could bring me such joy. Even if it must be in secret, even if we must spend months apart, my love for you stretches further than the horizon and is deeper than the deepest sea." She slipped closer to him, her cheek falling upon his chest fur as though it were a magnetized pillow. Her eyes sparkled up at him; those orbs of amber were purer than any he'd plundered. His left hand met with her back, his right found its way to her ponytail. "If it meant we could stay together for but a moment, I'd give up all my loot. I'd spend all the gold in the world even just to say goodbye, submit to trial for desertion if it meant we'd share one last night."

"Oh how naïve." Her Highness grew closer still, fingers laced behind his neck so as to support her lest she swooned. "Thinking of goodbyes and tragedy at the beginning, let alone speaking it. You bear your heart so plainly, your joy and your fear, you don't even realise it. I have always loved that about you."

"Then, allow me to bear it to the fullest." With a single flourish of a psychokinetic hand, the princess was lifted to his eye level. He leant in, his long and round nose bumping with her petite triangular one. Anticipatory trembles tore through them both, purrs louder than the harshest thunder cracks ebbed from the maiden's throat and the warmth of her power had been stirred. "May I-

Before he could finish asking, she'd tilted her head and pressed her lips to his. They'd finally smooched good and proper, having tried and failed to hide their love they'd finally shed their stupid doubts and fears. They were ignorant to the crew beneath, proper stoked to see the pair having a pash. Tonight there would be a party, of course, but the following years would be the true cause for celebration. With that kiss, the princess and her secret prince, bound by spirit yet separated by the world, had forever secured their union. It was through their secret marriage that the Sol dimension would enter an era of prosperity. Across the islands, bedtimes were abolished, kids could stay up tinkering with their ships for as long as they wanted, and everyone got their proper share of sunken loot. When the dragon king took Blaze's rejection badly he was soundly trounced by the couple, defeated in battle and his people freed from their lava-ey homes. Oh, and the royal couple had like, fifteen adorable kids.

The End.