The Witch's Pirate! (Book 1)

Crystal

At least the girls are saved. I thought, breathing out in relief. I glance up to see the pirate getting near the large ship, that has one large pole, that holds the sails in place.

“Hart, how I miss thee.” I heard him mumbled to himself, as we slow down. I turned back to look at him.

What’s wrong with this man? I arched a brow, watching him look at the ship.

Hart? Who’s Hart? Wait, why do I care?

Finally reaching the ship, he stood up, making the boat rock. I grasped the edge trying not to fall into the cold waters once again.

“Please be careful,” I begged, he looked down at me.

“Don’t worry love, if you fall I will go after you, can’t lose my prize can I?”

He gave me an assuring smirk. I blinked at him and lowered my head.

“I think I have better chances with the waters than with anyone at this moment,” I told him. He didn’t reply, but cupped his mouth with his hands and yelled out.

“Aye mates, the Captain is here, lower the ropes!”

Within seconds, a rope ladder was thrown over the ship, making it swing as it reaches us.

I looked up, from what I could see, the ship was huge, just how they described them in books. I had never seen a ship up so close. Suddenly my mind went back to earlier today when I had seen a ship, one that had disappeared into the fog.

So, it was this ship? Well, it looks almost the same.

The Captain lowered his stand and grasped my arm gently hoisting me up.

“Ladies first,” he smirked at me.

“Oh, I’m touched, you’re such a gentleman. It’s always been my dream to climb a pirate ship. This is most definitely not against my will.” I mocked standing up, but in doing so, we rocked, causing me to fall forward. He acted quickly and wrapped his arm around my waist again, effectively pinning me against his chest once more.

“Are you always this cheerful? Careful love, don’t want to lose ya now,” he chuckled. I looked up and blinked, then my cheeks flared up once again. I moved away from him and grasped the brown rope. Lifting my blasted, heavy dress, I placed my foot on the rope. Without a second thought, I climbed up.

“Oh, I am always joyful, you should see me in my happier days, it’s even better,” I grumbled, looking down at the dark waters.

I wonder if I can just jump down, now it is too dark either the guardsman will find me and kill me or sharks will. Just my luck, how I hate it.

“Keep going, love,” the Captain snapped me out of my thoughts. I shook my head and looked down at him. He’s following me up, looking up at me.

“Don’t look up my dress or you will have a personal meeting with my shoe, and look it here, it has a heel.” I threatened, smirking at the thought of hitting his face.

“If hitting my face will bring you peace, then don’t think about it. It won’t, trust me,”

“Oh, I have feeling it will.”

The Captain moved his hand and placed it on my behind once again making me jerk up.

“Eii, Pervert, stop touching my bottom,” I hissed, going up. He didn’t say anything at first.

“It got you up didn’t it, and don’t worry, I only touch the ones I like,” he said, causing me to sigh in frustration.

“I already hate you,” I told him, as I finally reached the edge of the ship, and raised my dress up pushing with all my might, I flop forward, and fell painfully on the ground, hitting my bottom.

“Eii,” I hissed, rubbing my behind. I looked up to see the Captain jump down with ease and bend on his knees, giving me a hard look.

“What?” I growled at him.

“Nothing, just curious, that’s all.”

“Being curious is a good thing, but can I ask why are you curious about me? I told you the truth, but you don’t trust people,” I averted my gaze from him. He was making me feel unconformable. He smirks at me.

“You’ll see love,” he stood up walking briskly over to me and gently standing me up.

“Set sail, we are leaving before those damn bastards reach us,” he yelled. I looked behind me, to see the many men dressed in rags and wearing bandana over their heads. Some are older than this man. They started to get things ready. I turned to face the Captain, only to see he was wearing a black suit instead of pirate clothes.

He has his hat, but no pirate clothes. He doesn’t even look like a pirate. Wait, is he the same guy I saw earlier today? Wait, it is him, oh God.

I felt something cold and metallic wrap around my wrist, I look down and my eye widen. Two large golden handcuff bound me.

“Sorry, my witch, for now, I have to cuff you,” he told me as he clink it close, and gives me a cocky look, pushing his body closer to mine.

“Where did this cuff come from?” I looked up at him with wide eyes.

“I always carry spares. I never know when will I need them, ” he shrugged. Now panic arose in me. Everything that I had been going through was finally reached to my limit.

“I won’t run away. I can’t, don’t do this to me, please. You have the wrong person. Please believe me. I’m not princess Drea. My name is Crystal Bay. I am just a daughter of a farmer and a housewife.” I wiggled my arms, the Captain rose his own, making me flinch.

He’s going to hit me.

“Is that so?” I turned my gaze back to him, only to see him rub the back of his neck, looking at the ocean.

He’s not going to hit me?

I breathed out in relief.

“Yes, please, I was sold off to pay off my father taxes, and tonight I was supposed to um bed... Well, you know, but the princess came and gave me this offer in order to not be with the King, so I took it. She won’t be back for the next three months. I must hide for those three months until she comes back. She told me she’d give me my freedom, but I don’t believe her at all. She’s a spoiled, rude mannered princess. Do I have to draw sketches for you to understand?”

I was jumping up and down in frustration, my eyes burning. I was ready to break down.

He just stared at me looking a bit amused by my tale. That aggravated me even more.

“Oh God, this has been the most awful day of my life! Please believe me. I want Mama.” I huddled myself into a ball, wrapping my arms around my legs.

“Please just send me back to my cottage, all I want is to live peacefully with my books.” I didn’t know why in front of this stranger I cracked. I finally cracked, after everything that had happened to me, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My tears ran hot down my cheeks, and my body shook violently.

Suddenly, I felt a strong arm under my legs and my body being hoisted up. I hiccupped, looking up to see the Captain is moving down two steps heading for a trap door, next to a large pole.

“Let me down please,” I begged, wiggling. He ignored me, making his way down the squeaky stairs, turning toward the right, and placing me down on the floor. A foul odor of rum hit my nostrils, I looked around to see shelves filled with alcohol, and beyond from what I could gather, large cannons. I could hear water dripping from somewhere.

The Captain bent on his knees, and I looked up.

“You’re not the princess?” he asked this time.

“No, you are hard of hearing, ” I moved away from him, shivering.

“The king hasn’t seen you at all? He doesn’t know anything about this, does he?” his voice was tender trying to comprehend everything I had just told him.

“If he did, he would have my head on a platter next to his dinner table as a decoration piece,” I snapped. He sighed, standing up and rolling his shoulders.

“Do you believe me?” I asked, with a tiny bit of hope.

“Yes,”

“Why?” I don’t know why I asked that.

“I know two types of girls when they cry. The ones that cry out fake and the ones that tell the truth. I doubt you are a liar. Your tears are real, and you know what?”

He gently walked up to one of the shelves that was filled with bottles. I licked my moist lips, watching him grasp a bottle and pop it open. He took a long gulp, then wiped his mouth with his arm. Then looks at the rum bottle for a long second.

“That’s good rum.” He suddenly chuckled, as his hands tightened around the glass, turning his knuckles white.

“W... What?” my voice trembled. He turned toward me, and somehow I knew his silver eyes were dark again. Yet his voice is very calm, to calm for my own liking.

“I’m so pissed off, that I want to go and kill someone,” he slammed the glass on the floor breaking it into pieces and the liquid splattered everywhere. I jerked up in fright.

With that, he turned around and headed upstairs, leaving me alone in the dark, after he shuts the door. I balled myself up, and I started to cry once again.

Why does my luck suck so much? But then again, I feel safer for now. Being the Pirate captive is better than being the Kings play thing.