Greedy Hearts

Five: Dinner with the Captain

Juniper wanted a better room. But she wasn't about to complain about having a room in the first place. Having a little closet to stay in was far better than sharing quarters with a disgusting crew. She could have privacy and best of all, silence.

With no women's clothes to change into, Juniper had no choice but to dress like a cabin boy. She didn't really care how she looked among this lot, but the clothes didn't fit right, and it was uncomfortable. To top it all off, she was only able to wash up with a bucket of water and a wash cloth of questionable cleanliness. Nothing about this situation was ideal. But at least she was out of the cell and her plan was in motion.

After getting somewhat clean and changed, Juniper left the little room. It was located on the bottom level of the ship, so she had plenty of stairs to trek up. The exercise made her realize just how hungry she was.

On the dining level, a majority of the crew was seated and eating lunch. One was telling a story of a cursed woman who became the most dangerous siren of the sea. The Princess heard it before, and he was getting it all wrong. But she wasn't about to join them, or partake of whatever slop was on their plates. So she made her way up to deck. It was a bit cloudy, but she wasn't complaining.

The wind drew her attention to the South, and she had a feeling a storm was approaching. How unfortunate. Her stomach had finally adjusted to the movement of the sea. Juniper closed her eyes for a moment. This was going to be an interesting venture, to say the least. She was excited to see how things would pan out, she had to admit. After reading tons of books, she was finally having her own adventure. It was exciting but strangely nerve wracking at the same time. What would Valarie think?

"I take it your new room is satisfactory?" The Captain's voice rudely interrupted her thoughts as he approached her.

"It'll do for now, I suppose," Juniper responded tiredly. She turned to him, leaning her back against the railing. "Have you had your lunch yet?"

Kitt smirked. "If you wanted an invitation, you only needed to ask, Princess. No, I haven't. Care to join me?"

"Is whatever you eat actually edible? Or is it the same slop your crew eats?"

"Picky eaters won't survive on this ship... but yes, I do eat better. That's one of the perks of being Captain." He turned on his heel. "Come on, Princess. I'm not asking."

"But you already did," Juniper sassed as she followed after him. She spotted Elena sitting up near the helm but quickly turned away as the maid looked at her. The little traitor.

The main cabin was much nicer than the one on her ship. She hadn't really taken notice before, considering she was just freshly kidnapped, but this room had taste, she had to admit. Juniper was quickly distracted from that as the smell of food hit her, and her mouth watered at the sight of salted pork, warm rolls, and steaming vegetables.

"How in the world do you have all this? From the sound of it, you've been at sea for weeks."

Kitt took a seat near the rolls and motioned for her to sit as well. "We've only been out a week and a half. And I have my own separate storage space that keeps things cool and better preserved." He held his hands out with a grin. "I'm a man of taste."

Juniper couldn't help smiling a little. "How lucky for me." She snatched one of the rolls but didn't sit down as she bit into it. "So, Captain, where are we sailing to? I hope you've considered my words carefully."

"We've set a course for that island of yours. Elena was helpful in doing that." Kitt began preparing his plate. "I must say, I'm surprised you offered to help me. You live a life of luxury that I stole you away from, but instead of hating me, you decided to make things easier on me." His eyes scanned over her. "I wonder why that is."