The Captain's treasure
chapter 11

–violet–

I was startled awake by the sound of thunder as a flash of light filled the room. Sitting up and looking around d I found myself alone in Ace’s room as it tilted.

All the candles in the room were burning a deep blue color as rain pelted the windows from the outside. Ace was nowhere in sight and I felt lost while sitting in his bed. I should’ve Been concerned about the storm or even the room changing but my mind was too focused on everything that had happened.

Closing my eyes I could only think about all the things he had said to me before. I had no idea he felt that way… thinking back on it now it seemed so obvious, that He wasn’t just obsessed With my body. Ever since he made love to me in the tavern he Was caring and sweet.

as Soon as he realized it was my first time his Demeanor changed. Perhaps he didn’t realize how innocent I was until that moment, And when he did he decided to Take responsibility.

He was always careful while handling me, always observant to my behavior and actions towards him. He could read me like a book from the very beginning and took me in, giving me everything I needed, while I was there fighting him at every turn.

Tears stung my eyes as I thought about all the things he did and said. He gave me solace and cared for me when my own flesh and blood never bothered. He gave me a fresh start at life, just like I always wanted.

How could I be so Blind?

As thunder cracked again outside I jumped a little and looked towards the door. The storm sounded quite violent, and I started to worry a bit about everyone’s safety.

Pushing the blanket off myself I found I was wearing The night gown again and I didn’t feel all Gross between my legs. Did he clean and dress me?

Shaking my head I got to My feet and found my normal clothes and boots. I quickly got dressed and stumbled towards the cabin door as the ship tilted to the side.

I could hear the men shouting out over the cracks of thunder and lightning before I even managed to open the door. As soon as I stepped out I was pelted by heavy rain and had to shield my face in order to see anything.

Storm Clouds Surrounded the entire ship as waves higher than mountains rolled across the ocean’s surface. The front of this ship plowed Through them and ocean water sprayed across the entirety of the deck as we sailed through the storm.

It was a terrifying sight but most of the crew hardly seemed fazed as they focused on their tasks And prioritized timing the sails down and keeping stuff from going overboard.

“Korad! Get that rope secured on the east helm now!” Ace called out from the quarterdeck. I stumbled and nearly fell as the ship groaned, hitting another wave head on.

Steadying myself I grabbed the railing and made my way up to where Ace was steering the ship, Ivan and another sailor were securing a rope close behind him.

It was scary seeing Ace practically smiling as we faced off against the raging hurricane around us. He spun the wheel to the right following the flow of another wave and I quickly grabbed onto the railing as everything tilted, before eyeing out once again.

“Come on boys! Get those sails situated! The storms saving us from those bloody blue eastwards who will string us up and hand us from the gallows! We best not waste it unless ye Want your eyes pecked out by the crows!” He shouted.

Looking towards the back Of the ship I could see the three Naval vessels close behind, chasing us through the storm.

How did they catch up?! How long have I been asleep?!

The storm clouds raging around our ship Looked much more violent and dangerous than what we were currently experiencing. The navy seemed to be struggling to push through while Ace and his men were treating this like a casual afternoon.

I flinched as a Ear defaning crack of thunder rolled through the sky, And a lightning bolt struck one of the masts of the naval ships behind us. All you could see was their main sails falling off and disappearing amidst The raging ocean waters.

gulping I made my way over to Ace’s side. He looked over to me surprised and nearly lost his hold on the steering wheel. “Violet! Get back inside!” He shouted.

“I want to help!” I shouted back, over the loud crashes of the waves.

“It’s dangerous–”

“Please! Let me help.” I cut him off while giving him a pleading look. He seemed hesitant as he looked at me but Ivan called out stating the west rails rope was loose and someone needed to fix it fast.

Gritting his teeth he focused his Attention back to steering. “Help Kenny and Leo get the front Sail secured!”

Nodding, I looked towards the front of the ship and rushed towards the men up there who were fighting against the pull of the wind trying to keep the sails From breaking free.

I was quick to help grab the rope and pull it with them until there was enough slack to tie it off. once It was secure we moved to the other one and untied it to pull it back and angle the sail to match up with the others and take on the full force of the wind.

It took all four of us to get the sail fully tied down and once it was done we nearly collapsed on the deck worn out from the strain. Looking around I watched as Johnny struggled to keep a barrel from rolling off the side of the ship.

Quickly getting to my feet, I ran over to help him tie it down. “Vi!” He exclaimed, happy to see me. I gave him a smile as I pulled back the wet hair stuck to my face. “You looked like you needed some help!”

He nodded and looked past me back towards the naval ships. I followed his gaze and saw they were falling quite far behind. We both held onto the railing and watched as we sailed far out of their reach, and the storm slowly began to settle. Most of the crew watched beside us as Ace steered us out of the storm and into the darkness of night.

Everyone was wet and exhausted but happy to have escaped the navy.

Once everything calmed down I made my way back up to the quarterdeck to stand beside Ace.

He glanced at me briefly and smiled. “You know how to tie a good knot.” He complimented.

“yeah well, I had a good teacher…” I responded, leaning back against the railing that overlooked the rest of the ship. He chuckled in response while steering us away from the storm.

The clouds above us thinned out and before long someone was calling out ‘land ho!’

Looking out towards the front of the ship I saw an island in the distance and looked at Ace curiously. “figured we take a break and lay low for the night. It’d be nice to step foot on land, don’t-cha think?”

I smiled with a nod.

The island seemed to be uninhabited as we got closer, and had a large bay which we were able to sail into and park the ship in. They dropped the anchor and everyone did damage control before loading up the rowboats.

As everyone was getting everything situated I went back into Ace’s cabin to change out of my wet clothes and attempt to dry off. The candles in the room had all gone out leaving it in near complete darkness.

Stepping towards Aces desk I found his matches and lit one to light a few candles.

As I finished lighting a few of the candles, Ace walked in and paused. The air was filled with awkward tension as we both stood there. “Ace, about earlier…”

Hest stepped towards me and removed his hat, setting it on the desk beside us. He cupped my cheek and looked me in the eyes as he moved some hair out of my face. “before you say anything. Come with me to the island, we can talk there.” I nodded in agreement and he smiled once more before grabbing some stuff And taking my hand to lead me out of the cabin.

“Ivan! Bring out a couple barrels of beer. I think everyone deserves a drink tonight!”

“aye aye captain.” Ivan responded.

“Come on…” Ace pulled me along and led me to a boat, helping me get in. He was quick to follow before ordering his men to take us to shore.

The island surrounded us in a crescent shape with only one entry point into the large bay. As soon as we hit land, everyone started setting up camp. “Alright men, let’s get a few campfires set up! Chef, cook the Boys A hearty meal! Everyone Deserves a nice quality feast tonight!” Some of the crew cheered happily As they set up a cooking fire and another bonfire.

Ace helped me out of the rowboat and I could help but be grateful to be back on solid land. I found an old driftwood Log to sit on and I watched as some of the crew rested and the rest set everything up including getting the drinks out.

“As soon as the beer started flowing, Crew grew Tipsy. It wasn’t even all that surprising when they brought out some musical Instruments And one of them started singing, soon after others followed Along and everyone was having fun. A couple of the men even started dancing Around the fire As they sung their shanty.

I couldn’t help but giggle and watch as everyone let loose and had fun. So this was pirate life…

Ace came over to stand beside me and watched on as his crew went about. Singing and dancing along the beach. “Enjoying the show?” He asked, amused.

“They are quite lively.” I giggled.

Ace huffed in response, crossing his arms over his chest. “You should see them when after a raid, they get so drunk that a few of them tend to fall off the boat.” He chuckled.

We watched on a bit longer before Ace turned towards me and offered his hand. Confused, I took it and he helped me stand. “Come, you’ll wanna see this.” He led Me away from the beach, and up a hill that was a bit further inland.

As we reached the top I saw the ruins of an old building, covered in vines. half the walls were nothing More than rubble and the roof was completely gone. Curious, I followed Ace inside. He took his torch and tossed it into the old Stove to give us some lighting and set down the bag he brought with him.

pulling Out a few blankets he laid one out to sleep On. A cool breeze passed over us and I couldn’t help but shiver and hold myself. My clothes were still considerably wet making it much Colder. Ace Noticed this and pulled a simple dress for me. “Here change into this, I’ll hang our clothes out to dry.”

I nodded And quickly changed out of the wet clothes. Ace also proceeded to strip off his shirt and coat, and hung everything On a branch just outside to let them dry.

Looking around I stepped over to one of the demolished walls that overlooked the cliff and my eyes widened at the sight beyond it.

A starry sky and bright blue moon was reflected off a shimmering Ocean. From here you could see the ship sitting in the middle of the bay and the island surrounding it. Looking down I could Make out everyone at the beach dancing and singing around the bonfire As they cheered and threw back some Drinks.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Ace came up, setting a blanket over my shoulders. “Been sailing to this island for 6 Years, my father brought me here before he made me captain and showed me this spot.” He tilted his head up towards the sky and I followed his gaze. A beautiful nebula of stars, painted the sky in a mix of colors beyond one’s imagination.

“It’s amazing…” I breathed, entranced by the stars above.

“He told me out of all his years on the sea, he never found a place quite like this, where you could truly admire the night sky.” Ace moved to sit down On the blanket and leaned back against one of the walls, getting comfy with one knee up to rest his arm on.

When I fully looked back at him, he patted the spot next to him, urging me to sit. Holding the blanket over my shoulders I complied and went over to sit beside him.

“You know pirates usually get a bad rep and are thought to be nothing but a bunch of heartless Bastards, but I like To think of myself as quite the charmer.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at His statement as he smiled and gazed at me from the corner of his eye.

“I suppose not all pirates are bad…you’ve Definitely Convinced me that there’s more to your kind than pillaging and murdering.”

“Tsk, well I can’t excuse what others do but I can assure you we ain’t that bad. We try not to kill innocents, women and children are off limits. And All the loot We take goes back to our families back home…”

“Home? I looked at Ace surprised.” He stared out at the horizon in deep thought before sighing. “Yeah, most of us have families waiting for us back home. We come from an island off the map hidden away from the navy and any empires within the region. It’s a safe haven for us, everything we pillage and plunder goes back there to feed and keep everyone safe. It’s where me and most of my crew grew up. It’s been this way for years, our ship is the one thing that’s been protecting the island for generations. We are the only ones capable of sailing to and from it.”

I gazed out towards Ace’s ship. It was baffling to know that they had families waiting for them, families that they had to feed and protect. Ace and his crew aren’t just treasure hungry pirates, they are just striving to survive.

“In a few years I’ll be retiring from being a pirate myself and Johnny will be the next captain…”

I looked back to Ace shocked. “What will you do if you’re not commanding a ship?”

His eyes moved to mine and I held my breath as he smiled. “Well I’d return home, make some repairs to the house, maybe even start a family with someone looking to start a new life”

My eyes widened and I felt a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

“With all the things I’ve accumulated over the years we could start our own shop if we really wanted to, maybe get into the business of making baked goods and pie’s. That is… if she wants.”

I smiled and quickly hugged Ace, hiding my face against his chest. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.” I whispered.

Ace chuckled and pet my head, holding me close. “You could paint every day, never have to worry about anything. He’ll if you really wanted we could even have a few rugrats running around.”

Sitting up I looked at Ace confused. “I thought you said you were infertile?”

He flinched and looked away awkwardly before scratching his head. “Well, it’s uh… complicated.”

I nearly deadpanned. “Ace?! You lied!?” I exclaimed.

“Hey, take it easy! I assure you I didn’t lie! There’s just more to it than that!” He put his hands up. “I’m not completely sure of the details myself, okay? My father never really understood it either and mom passed before she could explain it!”

I could only look at him in disbelief, I can’t believe this man… “You’re telling me you have no idea if I could be pregnant right now?! What if I decided not to stay?! What would have happened to me and the baby?!” I started to panic a bit, looking at my stomach.

“Calm down violet, it ain’t like that! I’m sure you’re not pregnant yet! There’s a lot that goes on with that ship that is hard to explain.”

Looking back at Ace I huffed in irritation. “You don’t understand it so how could you be sure? You said you’ll retire in a few years, but what if I’m carrying now?!”

His features softened and he pulled me back against his chest and cupped my cheek. “then I shall care for you as any other man would.” he leaned in and kissed me and I couldn’t help but melt into it.

My previous anxiety washed away as I closed my eyes and we deepened the kiss. After a moment he pulled away to look at me sternly. “I will have to continue commanding the ship until my ten years are up but I promise I will never leave or abandon you alone. With or without a child I will be there for you.”

Looking into his eyes I could tell Ace was sincere. I wanted to ask him about what he meant but now didn’t seem like the right time. I knew he would tell me eventually, I just needed to trust him.

“You’re a strange pirate, You know that?”

He smiled and pulled me closer into his embrace. “I’m the best pirate there is darling…”

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