The Captain's Secret

"WHAT?!"

"You have to clean the deck, princess. When we said you're staying here we didnt say for free."

Christina said.

"I never agreed to do chores! Here,i have some coins. They are all yours if you just drop me off on your next stop. I did not say im going to be your maid!"

Sophia handed them the bag of coins

Christina shook the bag and then looked at Alexandra.

"First Mate, do you think this would be enough to drop her off on our next stop?"

Christina asked with sarcastic tone.

Alexandra laughed.

"That wont be enough to cover half the trip."

"Im sorry, princess. Looks like you'll have to clean for us"

The two laughed.

"Ugh, this is outrageous. I am the princess of England and i demand your respect!"

Sophia said angrily

"Im sorry to inform you but like the captain said youre far away from your land. You cant order us here."

Alexandra said getting closer and looking down at the princess.

"I-I want to speak with the captain she will surely understand!"

"Im afraid the captain put me and First Mate Alexandra to watch over you, which includes ordering you around. If you dont like it, you can always say that you want to go back to England."

Christina said.

Sophia signed, she had no other choice but to listen to them. Angrily, she grabbed the mop and started mopping the floor. It was obvious the princess has never touch a mop in her life.

Christina and Alexandra were silently mocking her.

"What's going on up here?"

"Captain!"

Everyone stood up and saluted their captain.

Christina's and Alexandra's smiles faded the moment they heard their captain's voice.

"Quartermaster Christina, care to explain all the noise?"

"Let me explain, we were ju-"

Christina began to explain when she was suddenly cut off by the princess.

"Finally captain! These two disrespect me and are forcing me to do their chores!"

"Is that true?"

The captain said look down at them from the forecastle deck.

"Well yes but-"

Alexandra was about to say.

"I dont see the problem, princess. You're not here on a vacation, you know? You have to get your hands dirty from time to time."

The captain said as she laughed.

"What?! This is not fair at all!"

"My my, if you have so much energy to talk back to your captain, then your next job will be to clean the hull of the ship"

Sophia was stunned while Christina and Alexandra looked at eachother in shock and then at their captain.

"Captain, i think that's a bit extreme for a beginner."

Christina said

"If she can complain then she can work as well. Unless someone else wants to do it."

"I will do it!"

Everyone looked behind to see Sib raising his hand.

"Dont you have other chores to do?"

Alexandra said looking at him.

"I can do that too. Just leave the princess alone."

Sib said as he smiled looking at Sophia.

"How sweet. Alright then. Get the princess to my cabin and let Sib finish her work."

The princess looked at Sib as she was dragged away. She mumbled a "thank you" and he just smiled in return.

Sophia entered the captain's cabin. The captain was not there yet so she decided to look around for a bit.

Right away she noticed all the antiques she owned from all places the captain has been to.

One particular objected,however, caught her eye.

A chest with strange symbols and writings all over it.

On it, the name Marina was written.

Sophia reached towards it but then the captain grabbed her hand and pushed it away, making her jump.

"Dont ever touch that, princess. If you dont wish to get your head cut off."

Sophia gulpt in fear from the way the captain was looking at her.

The captain was hiding something inside that box. Something really precious.

The princess nodded and Captain Eleonora let go of her hand.

She then walked away and sat on her chair behind her desk. She gestured for the princess to take a sit on one of the empty chairs infront of the desk.

"Here"

The captain said handing her a book.

"You're a bookworm, right?"

"Pardon me?"

Sophia said as she took the book from the captain's hands.

"Do you like reading books?"

"Yes i do. Why are you asking?"

"Take that book and read it. After that, write me a report on what you thought of it. This will be your task instead of the ships chores for the time being."

"Thank you.. but how did you know i liked reading?"

"When i visited the castle, i noticed a huge library in one of the room. When i asked who all these books belong to, the queen answered that they were yours."

The princess was actually quite shocked by what she just heard.

"Why are you lookibg at me like that?"

Captain Eleonora asked her, raising her eyebrows.

"Im just shocked."

"Shocked?"

"By this. I thought you called me here so that you can give me more chores to do and i had forgotten that you visit my mother often when my father is away. I always wondered why."

Eleonora laughed nervously.

"Its a secret, my princess"

Eleonora said looking at Sophia with a smirk.

"What type of secret?"

"Something youre not prepared to hear. Now start reading. The book won't finish itself."

"Oh!Um Yes Captain!"

And so the princess began reading the book as the captain was working on a map.

This felt strange for Sophia. What can her and her mother be hiding? And also why would she give her a book instead of putting more chores on her? However, she decided not to overthink it and just enjoy a moment of silence.

...

Outside, Hristina and Alexandra were watching Sib who was trying so hard to not fall into the water below as he tried to clean the hull. They were basically mocking him.

"Watch it or you might become food for the sharks!"

Christina yelled

"Worst food they'll ever eat"

Alexandra then said.

They both laughed. Sib didn't say anything, however, he just ignored them as he was used to it.

...

At night, Sib was sitting on the railing of the ship looking at the sea infront of him with only a lantern by his side.

"Aham"

He turned around.

"May i sit with you?"

Sophia asked

"Y-yes of course!"

Sophia sat down next to him and began to stare at the sea too. The princess then looked at his hands, they were full of scars and scratches from today.

"Sib?"

"Y...yes princess?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Volunteer to do the work for me?"

"Oh,well i couldn't let you do all that. I dont want you to get hurt."

"But you got yourself hurt because of it"

"This is nothing. I had worst injuries in the past. You should have seen what the First Mate made me do when she was angry"

Sophia took his hand

"Why do you let them treat you like that?"

Sib looked at her and then at the sea.

"I have no choice. I've made some mistakes in the past. This is how i pay for them."

"What did you do? If you dont mind me asking"

"Let's say that i started a riot against the captain. All the men that followed me were either executed afterwards or serve Captain Eleonora till the end of their life. The captain was somewhat interested in me. That's why she spared me"

"You were lucky to be spared. The captain doesnt look like the kind of person to let anyone get away with betraying her."

"You're right about that. I do regret it everyday however. People died because of me."

Sophia didnt know what to say to that. So dhe just continued holding his hand while he just looked at the sea.

A few moments later, he turned towards her and noticed the book on her lap.

"Oh, where did you get this book from?"

"The captain. Gave it to me earlier. She said that when she visited the castle she saw a library and learned that it belonged to me. So to keep me entertained here she gave it to me."

She said while smiling, looking down at the book.

"When she visited the castle?... Oh! You mean when she slept with the queen?"

Sophia froze. Then slowly turned to Sib.

"She what...?