Chapter Nine: Pirates

“Are you sure?” Throp asked. “How do you know?”

“The flags,” the princess said. Throp looked, but he could see nothing unusual. He had heard stories about pirates attacking ships, taking them over and killing everyone aboard, slashing their throats or forcing them to walk the plank.

“Maybe they’re not on the same course,” Throp said. “Maybe they’ll pass right by us.” But even he didn’t think that was true. The other ship seemed to be directly in front of them, steadily getting closer.

“Alert the captain,” she said. “I have to hide Agnes.”

“Why?” he asked.

“They can’t know a princess is on board,” she said, an intensity in her face Throp had yet to see.

Throp made his way through the maze of the lower deck. He knew roughly where the captain’s quarters were but had never been there. He finally found it, but stopped outside the door, unsure of how to proceed. He knocked softly on the door. There was no answer, so he knocked harder.

“Whatisit!”

The door flung open and the captain stood there in nothing but his long underwear. His hair was mussed and his eyes were bleary. He scowled when he saw it was Throp at the door and seemed skeptical when Throp told him there were pirates approaching.

“Pirates never come out this far,” the captain insisted. “That’s why we took this route.”

“I really think you should come take a look,” he said.

The captain gruffed and slammed the door. He opened it again a moment later, wearing pants and pulling on his coat and hat.

“Alright, boy,” he said, pushing past Throp and making his way up the stairs. “Show me these - “

He stopped short at the top of the stairs. Bain was awake now, standing rigid, his hands in the air. A pair of men were on either side of him, pointing thin swords at his back. Around them stood over a dozen unfamiliar men, weapons also drawn. The pirate ship, up close, wasn’t as large as The Trident, but appeared to be sleeker and grander in design. A black flag flew from the mast. The Herring was painted across the side and grappling hooks attached to sturdy ropes connected the two ships.

“… pirates!” the captain finished.

“Rawk, pirates!” A gravelly, high-pitched voice came from above. They looked up to see a huge bird perched on the railing of the crow’s nest. It flew down at them then turned and landed on the shoulder of a short, barrel-chested pirate in a black coat. He wore a black, wide-brimmed hat and a patch covered one eye. From his left sleeve jutted a shiny silver hook. He reached into his coat pocket with his other hand and fed the bird a bit of something. It was a parrot, gray with red tail-feathers. The barrel-chested pirate stepped forward and his lips curled into a wicked smile.

“Evenin’,” he said.

***

Captain Ellis surrendered immediately, sending Throp down to the mess hall to round up the majority of the crew. Two pirates went with him, training short swords on him the whole time. Part of him wanted to turn, engage them, take them out. But he had to trust that Captain Ellis knew what he was doing.

“Our meager cargo is not worth the cost of the human lives on this ship,” he said and Throp understood. They could afford to lose the crates of goods they were transporting, but if anything happened to the princess… that was a bigger price to pay.

He could tell the crew felt the same way as they filed to the upper deck, annoyed at being taken over so easily but aware of the risks.

The rest of the crew had already gathered there, held at bay by the pirates swords. He caught sight of the princess among them. As “Gus” she blended in, but he wished she had stayed hidden, with Agnes. It seemed safer. He wondered if this was another of her attempts to be adventurous, if the thrill of consorting with pirates was too much for her to resist, in spite of the danger.

Throp made sure he was near her when he was ushered onto the deck. He gave her a questioning look and she made a slight nod. He took it to mean Agnes was safe, hidden.

They stood around, the pirates pacing around them, weapons drawn, watching them closely. The barrel-chested man appeared to be the captain, and he spoke with Captain Ellis in low tones. Four of the pirates went below to inspect the cargo. A few minutes later two of them returned.

“Well?” the captain said. One of the pirates shrugged.

“Mostly allspice,” he said. “Linens, some orange and poms. Bit of post, mostly letters.”

Captain Dregg grumbled.

“Bring up the fruit,” he said.

He looked to Captain Ellis, who remained stoic throughout the ordeal.

“It’s your lucky day,” Captain Dregg told him. “Not much on this pile of timber worth movin’.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” The other two pirates appeared from below deck. Between them was Agnes, struggling futilely against their grasp.

“What’s this then?” the captain asked, stepping forward.

“Found her hidin’ under a mattress,” the pirate said. He tossed something to the captain, which the captain caught deftly on his hook. It was the tiara, the one the princess had offered to Throp in Portsmith.

“Well,” Captain Dregg said. He approached Agnes and held up the crown to her eye level. “What’s a lass like you doing with a shine like this?”

Agnes puffed up her chest, straightened her shoulders.

“I am Princess Nicolette of Larowyn,” she said, with as much authority as she seemed able to muster. “And I order you to release me.”

Throp’s stomach dropped. The pirates began to chuckle and whisper to each other.

“Well then,” Captain Dregg said, turning to his crew. “Looks like this weren’t a wasted trip after all. See her majesty to The Herring. Escort the crew to the brig and disable the rudders.”

Throp looked to Captain Ellis, expecting some sign from him, preparing to throw himself into a fight. He felt someone push past him.

“No!”

The princess had stepped forward, out of the circle of the crew and toward Captain Dregg. A few pirates advanced, pointing their weapons at her. She pulled off her knit cap, straightened her stance.

"Let her go," she said. "I'm the princess."