Love of the Sea

~Under Attack~

~Islas' POV~

It's been a week since that ship began following us, it's been a week since Silas put me down in this hole for my safety. He comes down every night to tell me what's going on, and every night he says the same thing, the ship's still there. However he has discovered that they are flying under the colors of my kingdom, I know that they're looking for me. I just can't figure out how they know that I'm on this specific ship, maybe someone saw me leave that evening. I suppose there is no way to be certain of it, I just hope that in the end this will end with little pain. I was pulled from my thoughts by fighting up on deck, I stood up pulling on my boots putting my daggers in their sheaths. I quickly strapped my sword and sheath to my waist before grabbing my hat, I froze looking at the door knowing that was it, I was going to be labeled a traitor and a pirate. I'm going to be hung, or worse, forced into my old life, I shook my head before throwing open the hatch. Only I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw Silas standing there with a dagger to his throat, I looked into the eyes of my father.

"Father?"

He gave me a confused look.

"Isla? What are you wearing?"

I pulled my sword walking out pointing it at him.

"Let him go, or I'll end this now and forever."

He gave me a confused look pushing Silas towards me making him land at my feet, Silas quickly pulled one of my daggers before standing up.

"Isla, what has he done to you?"

"He set me free, I couldn't marry that Prince, I couldn't live behind those stone walls, feeling imprisoned another day. I left, Silas has taken care of me, welcomed me onto his ship, made me first mate, this is where I belong now."

He shook his head.

"No, I would rather see you dead, then as a Pirate,"

"Are you going to kill me Father?"

"If it must be done, you have a choice to make, either come home, or fight and die."

I held up my sword shaking my head.

"I will never go back, this is my home, this ship, the sea is my home, that place was a prison."

"Then you will die a Pirate."

"Better a Pirate than a Princess."

He and I fought, till I couldn't fight anymore, we ended up on deck, and I tripped freeing my hair from my hat. I looked up at my Father as he held his sword at my throat, I knew then that the only chance I had was to kick him back. I took my heel jamming it into his stomach making him fall back against the side of the ship. I stood up looking at the water around us, Royal guards lay dead, floating in the water, I sighed, shaking my head before looking at my father.

"This is your fault all you had to do was let me go, your mistake was coming after me."

He looked at me with sad heart broken eyes.

"I love you, how can you ask your Mother and I to let you go? We brought you into this world with love, and now you're asking us to let the only thing we love more than our titles go?"

"I suppose I am, however you know deep down that if you truly loved me, then you'd let me go."

He shook his head pushing off the side of the ship to stand tall before me, he bent down picking up his sword.

"Never."

I felt a tear slide down my face and shook my head.

"Fine."

We fought and I backed him up to the railing once again, however this time I leaned in placing a small kiss on his cheek. As I pulled away I pushed him over saying one final goodbye, to not only him but the life I left in the past. I looked at Silas quickly removing a stray tear from my face before picking up my hat, placing it back on my head.

"Lets go, leave them behind."

Silas nodded his head giving orders as I walked up to the helm setting our course for open water, knowing that now I can never return. As the sun began to set, Silas came over holding my dagger out to me, I smiled, slipping it back into my boot. We stood there in silence before watching the men go below deck to rest till dawn, and I shook my head.

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head.

"No, my Father tried to kill me, he didn't even listen to me, he didn't care about how unhappy that place made me. All he cared about was me returning to marry and unite two kingdoms that have always been allies. It's like he wanted me to be unhappy, he wants me to be unhappy, who does that? How could you claim to love your child, and then hurt them like that? I swear if I ever have children, I will never hurt them like that, I will never force them to be something they're not. If they want a house, if they want to live on land forever then so be it, I will never force them into the things my parents tried to force me into."

I looked at Silas before shaking my head.

"I'm sorry, I know it's stupid, a Pirate talking about having children."

"It's not stupid, I've thought about it, I've just been waiting for the right woman to come around."

I smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean sure, I've been with women before, but none of them wanted to live a life on the sea. They preferred to be on land, and I could never force them to leave the lives that they had, now I'm just waiting for the right HER to come around."

I looked away knowing that he couldn't be talking about me because I'm right in front of him, I'm here, not on land, I love the sea, yet he's not looking for me. I sighed looking out infront of us, before shaking my head and moving away from him, he looked at me.

"You okay Isla?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, would you mind taking over for me? I've had a long day, and could use some rest."

He nodded his head.

"Yeah, no problem."

"Thank you."

With that I walked away going to our shared cabin removing my sheath sitting on my cot with tears swelling in my eyes. I shook my head taking off my boots, and ankle sheaths, I wiped my face, setting my hat on the hilt of my sword before laying down trying to fall asleep. However no matter what I did, sleep wouldn't come to me, my heart hurt too much, not only did I lose my father, but I learned that the man I love will never love me in return and that is more than my heart can take for a night and day.