The Pirate Queen

by K R Martin

  "I am too. You know, it used to hurt to speak about her. Rather, I could tell stories of her to our children. It felt good to give them glimpses of their mother. But others? It felt like a renewed stab to the heart. With you, it actually feels freeing. I guess it's because if anyone could understand her, it's you."

  You have no idea. Renee fought the chuckle that wanted to be released.

  "I know I have probably said it before, but I am glad you came to our shores."

  "I am too."

  17

  Renee was no stranger to sore muscles. Though something she was well aware of, it had been quite a bit since she felt that sore. Sorik pushed her as much as he always did, maybe even more so. And it almost hurt to keep her right hand immobile. It was that or have it tied behind, and Renee did not relish that idea. Her left arm cried for release from holding the weapon that seemed to have become heavier. But she did improve, mostly. Sorik still soundly beat her, even when he had switched to his left hand.

  "Don't over think it; you must move with the weapon, make it second nature to you." He instructed, whacking her backside with the flat end of his weapon, yet again.

  "I am working on it. Keep in mind, I've had years more experience with my other arm," Renee spoke before charging again. Her blade clashed with his, the metal clanging against each other. She managed four solid hits, almost reaching beneath his defenses, before his blade tapped her arm.

  "That is why you must push yourself. Use what you know; you have the skill and abilities, now you just have to transfer all that knowledge to your other hand. Again." Renee attacked, and parried his repost. "Good. I think that's the first attack of mine you've blocked."

  "Thank you." Renee beamed only to be met with a dull pain along her arm, right where Sorik's blade hit her.

  "And of course, never get cocky, and never let your guard down." Renee wanted to roll her eyes. She felt like a girl again, listening to him quote those familiar lessons. Instead, she attacked. She focused, parrying his attack by deflecting it, using his momentum to force him to push forward. She easily side-stepped his attack, feeling the satisfied thud as she tapped his back with the flat end of her blade. "Better. Your form lacks grace and consistency, but you can learn those skills with time. However, I do believe that will be enough for today." Master Sorik sheathed his blade, and Renee nodded in agreement, her limbs grateful for the respite.

  "My tuwn, my tuwn!" The little voice drifted over to them, and Renee turned to see Willy running toward them on his little legs, a wooden sword in his hand. He swung, his reach focused on Renee's legs, and she barely blocked it with her own sword.

  "Whoa there," she told the boy. "I can't fight you with this." She quickly sheathed her sword. His face scrunched up in an adorable pout, and she untied her belt as quickly as possible. "Do you mind?" She handed the belt complete with sheathed sword to Sorik. He gave her a lopsided grin as he took the offered items. "Now then, I need a sword." She reached down, taking the boy's hand as she moved towards where they kept the training swords. She quickly picked one, and turned to fight her son.

  "Ya!" He cried as he attacked. She easily parried, and couldn't contain her giggles at his enthusiasm.

  "Wosa too!" Rosa's voice lifting over the dull thuds as she came running with her own weapon. She began to attack as well, and Renee found herself fending off both children. Laughter filled the air as she continued to block their low attacks. Her chest warmed, and Renee felt so light and free, as if happiness had permeated every inch of her body. It was as if all the darkness, all the suffering she'd endured was nothing more than a nightmare, a distant memory that she could forget if she so chose. Playing with her children, her son and her daughter, it gave her hope, a glimpse into what her future could be. She wanted that future so desperately.

  Laughter broke into theirs, and Renee's eye caught her tiniest child crawling towards them, practically running with how fast she was moving. The twinkle in her eyes told Renee that Spera wasn't going to stop until she joined the fun as well.

  "Whoa, whoa, time to stop," Renee held her hand out to halt her twins. "We can't play fight with the baby around." Willy's face fell into yet another pout as Renee took the weapons. No sooner had she gathered them in her hands then Spera had made it to her. The baby's face fell, and she began to wail at not being given a sword to play with.

  "Is okay," Rosa immediately said, bending to the baby's level, giving her a hug and a kiss atop the head. Sitting beside her, Rosa began playing with the little girl, teaching her to clap hands, which caused new squeals of happiness from Spera's mouth. Even Willy began to grin as he too joined in the fun. Feeling relief, Renee returned the swords to their place, and turned to watch the children. Her heart thudded and seemed to drop in her chest, bringing both pure joy and agony all at once.

  Will stretched as he stepped out of the dark castle halls and into the sunlight. He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth. It felt almost like a wave, washing the heavy thoughts out of his mind. He didn't regret being king, but the heavy reading, and constant signing, taxed his brain, almost like it filled it with rocks. But the sun, the sun was as cleansing as the waves, rejuvenating him and removing all the excess thoughts. As his eyes opened, they narrowed on the one figure that seemed to occupy his thoughts lately. Captain Varda. She stood just to the edge of the field, her hands lifted to her mouth.

  Curious as to what could have caused such a reaction from the hardened pirate, his gaze turned in the direction of hers, and his own heart stopped.

  "Get me!" Willy kept taunting, dancing just away from Rosa. Instead of chasing him like she always did, her attention was on Varda's daughter.

  "Come on." She smiled, her hand reaching down to Spera. Spera's hand reached up to grab his daughter's, using it to pull her feet under her. Her grip looked strong as she took a few unsteady steps on shaky legs. A bright grin spread across her face, and the toddler took off. Rosa's steps were slow as she trotted along-side the running baby, both of them chasing after Willy, their shrill giggles filling the air.

  He almost had to tear his gaze away from them as he stepped towards Varda, noticing the tears that fell from her eyes only to disappear beneath her mask.

  "Are you alright?" He asked softly as he stopped beside her.

  "Those are her first steps," Varda spoke softly.

  "Oh!" Will turned back to the children, watching as Spera stumbled, but Rosa kept her righted. They began to run again, chasing after Willy once more. He remembered when the twins had taken their first steps. They had done everything together, and walking was no exception. He remembered when he played with them, both using his legs to stand on their own before grabbing each other's hands and toddling off. They almost immediately stumbled, but just as soon righted themselves. It was one of his fondest memories, even if it brought pain at the time, knowing Renee should've been there. Varda must be feeling the same pain he did, knowing Spera's father wasn't here like he should have been. "I am glad I got to share this moment with you." Will said simply, knowing his words wouldn't completely heal the problem, but hoping they could comfort her anyways.

  "I am too." The words were so soft, he must have dreamt them. But he felt a smile tug on his face, believing in his heart that she felt some joy.

  Renee was surprised to find herself walking beside Will in the garden. After watching her baby girl take her first steps with her older siblings, especially once Will appeared at her side, Renee's emotions couldn't be contained. She had somehow managed to make it through her dance and fight that evening, but wasn't sure about being alone with Will. How could she explain that momentarily lapse of judgment? She still couldn't believe she actually said she was glad he was there; she just hoped he hadn't heard her.

  "Your daughter is adorable," Will spoke first. "My children certainly enjoyed playing with her today."

  "I am glad. And thank you," Renee replied.

  "There aren't many children their age, though granted, Spera is a tad bit younger. My dear fri
end Jonathan and his wife have a daughter about Spera's age, but with him as my chancellor in Cartiana while I remain here; there hasn't been a lot of time for them to visit. Little Wolf has a younger brother, just about a year older than my twins, but Caleb's been gone for the past several months on a diplomatic voyage to the new world, and as Caleb and his wife adopted little Ferdinand, the boy went with them. It was refreshing to see them play with a little one."

  "Spera has not really been around other children, so seeing her take to playing with yours, it made me realize how much she was missing out."

  "Your lives haven't been easy, but she seems happy, and I think that's the most important thing."

  "Thank you," Renee fought to keep her voice steady at his kind words. "She is a happy child, and I am so grateful that I have her. It could easily have been otherwise." Her voice finally broke as the emotions began escaping their confines.

  "You mentioned before that you had been sold into slavery?" Will began, his voice gentle.

  "Yes. After two months of hard labor aboard ship, I was sold as a house slave in Jenha," Renee continued, her heart clenching as her mind wandered back to the darker days. “I was weak, could barely keep my head up, but I tried. I don’t know what chafed more, the bindings or the knowledge that they tied me down, preventing my escape.” Would she ever be able to think of that time without seething?

  “How did you escape?”

  “I didn’t. Luca found me. Apparently, he was friends with my master, and took pity of a poor girl from Espan. He purchased my freedom, and took me under his care.

  "I still don't know why he chose to take pity on a poor girl from Espan," she told him, though in truth, Luca had recognized her as Espan’s princess. "But I am glad he did. We left a few days after. I wore a cape with a hood covering my face, but since he already had passes, we were allowed to board the ship to Sanskia without issue. And you know what happened once we reached Sanskia."

  "I would say that I cannot imagine what you went through, but the sad thing is I can," Will said as he shook his head. "I know what it feels like to be a slave, to work 'til your entire body aches, the pain of a whip across your back." He turned his gaze back to her. "I am glad that Luca brought you from that."

  "I am too. I owe a lot to him, and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay him."

  "Sometimes payment doesn't have to be monetary," Will noted. "I'm sure you've paid him back in ways you can't even imagine."

  "Perhaps." She never thought of it that way before. Luca had done so much to help her, but she was wondering if it was a way to help himself. If not, she needed to help him, to repay his kindness, somehow.

  18

  "How did last night go?" Luca asked her, a wink following his statement. Renee rolled her eyes at her friend but couldn't stop the smile either. It really was freeing to tell her husband her past, to not feel any judgment. She still had one more tale to tell, but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell it. While she knew she needed to be, she also wanted more time to prepare. Turning her gaze to the sky she attempted to sort through her thoughts.

  It was such a sunny day, the weather just right, as she stood in the grounds now working on her archery skills. She'd already trained the men, and giving Little Wolf his training, before gaining a bit of archery training from the boy. He now stood off to the side talking with Mei. They had become especially close lately, if the constant blushes were any indication.

  Picking up the bow again, she notched the arrow and pulling the string back. "Last night went well," she said as she released the bow, satisfied with the arrow protruding near the target's center. She was still a bit off, but her aim had drastically improved. However, she still wished to be the marksman Little Wolf was, able to hit the center with each draw of the bow. "Actually, he made a comment about you." Renee said before taking another arrow.

  "Oh? What did he say?" Luca asked before being responded by another thud. Renee continued with her movements, notch, aim, release, as she continued chatting with her friend.

  "He mentioned that there was more than one way to repay someone's kindness. I know you believe you just wanted to be kind to me, but is there a way to repay you for your generosity?" She stopped her movements, turning to gaze sincerely at her friend.

  "My dear girl," Luca said softly, "You have already returned my payment in full. Not just in wealth, even though you have made me far more wealth than I spent to help you. But you have given me far more than that. You gave me a purpose, and a family to belong to. It's been a while since I've had that."

  "You never talk about your family," Renee spoke softly. "You don't have to if you don't wish to, but I was wondering."

  "It's alright to ask. I never realized that I hadn't told you about my past. It's not something I'm ashamed of." His gaze lifted to the sky and they began to take on a far-away look. "As you know, I'm from a kingdom in what's considered the southern lands. To me, they're just home. My kingdom is not large, much like the size of Espan, but it is wealthy. It is filled with natural gemstones and gold. We treat our neighbors well, and have a strong military. It's allowed it to prosper when others have wished it ill. And the royal family is well respected and loved. They're not afraid to work either, and the younger royal children usually chose a vocation, working as apprentices at first. I happen to be the younger son of the previous king."

  Renee felt her eyes widen at that statement. She knew Luca was no stranger to royalty, but it shocked her that he was one himself. "I was always fascinated by the gem and gold trade, and especially the stories the merchants came back with. Our kingdom was no stranger to the trinkets of the world. So many cultures would have their unique styles, and we collect them. I wanted to know where these items came from, to learn first-hand the special cultures that created them. So I joined a merchant's guild as soon as I could. Learned from the ground up the way trade worked, earned my own ship, and I somehow had a knack for it. I made my kingdom even wealthier, if you could believe that, gained a hefty profit for myself, and got to travel the world. I learned I could pick up languages quickly, which only helped to grow my business. And that is how you see me now, a world traveler with a business that's strong enough to stand on its own, well, with some talented men I trust to run it, and just a lover of learning cultures."

  "I never knew that," Renee muttered. "I never thought about journeying around the world as a young girl, but I have seen the new world, the far east, both northern and southern kingdoms, not to mention your own culture, and it gives me a new look at my kingdom. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't glad to learn what I have, even if I am not so fond of the way I got to travel." One side of her mouth quirked up, and she turned back to notching her arrows.

  "Just remember," he said softly, "You always return to family. I saw my brother right before I journeyed to Jenha and met you. After we are able to solidify things here, I will probably return to him. I do miss him, you know. I may travel a lot, but there is nothing like returning home."

  "You're always welcome here. And if this whole situation ends the way I hope, I would love for your family to come for a visit. Maybe I'll even take a trip south, if you'd have me."

  "I think having diplomatic relations with Espan would be a wonderful thing," Luca smiled at her. With a nod, he turned and walked off. Renee wondered what his older brother was like, and hoped that she would one day meet him. Focusing back on her bow, she let the arrow fly, hitting just left of dead center.

  "So this is where the King of Cartiana has been hiding." Will jolted from the papers before him to look up at the man who now leaned against his study's doorway.

  "Jonathan!" Will smiled as he practically jumped up. Jonathan met him half way as the two embraced. "I have missed you." Will stepped back, looking at his friend.

  "Me too, but someone has to run your kingdom for you," Jonathan joked as he elbowed Will.

  "Hey, I put a capable man in charge, thank you very much. Though he could be replaced." Bellowing laughter responded t
o that statement, earning just such a laugh from Will as well. He had truly missed the man who grew up with him, the man who might as well have been a brother. "I wasn't expecting you for several more days," Will noted as he began to walk with Jonathan out the doors. Running the country could wait for a few hours, and he needed a break.

  "I know, but we thought it best to come sooner. There has been a development that I didn't think should wait."

  "What happened?" Will asked, immediately on alert.

  "Nothing bad, at least I don't think so. But, well... it'll probably be best to show you."

  The two men stepped into the courtyard, and Will almost stopped from the sight before him. He was expecting Jonathan, his family, a few guards, and a few nobles. Not the retinue that appeared before him. And if he wasn't mistaken, a good majority were not Cartianan. Jonathan waved to one of the men who stepped towards them.

  "Your Highness," Jonathan gave the man a slight bow, "Allow me to present his majesty, King William of Cartiana and Espan."

  "Your Majesty," the young man bowed deep from his waist, one hand on his chest, the other down by his side.

  "Will, this is Prince Fedor of Vikieva." Will couldn't stop his eyebrows from shooting up. They knew of Vikieva, but had very little contact with the kingdom far to the north. He wondered why a prince would visit them, especially one who obviously came with a delegation. "Prince Fedor arrived in Cartiana about a week ago, and he comes as an ambassador for Vikieva."

  "It is a pleasure to meet you," Will gave him a slight nod of the head.