The Captain's Queen

Chapter 4: The Wicked Wench

1715

My nose twitched when I realized I was awake and not dead. When I yawned, I felt my chin scratch against splintering wood, practically feeling the dirt particles imbed in my skin. I pried my eyes open, and they adjusted to the dark wood contrasting against the calm blue sky.

I did not remember falling asleep last night. Was I knocked unconscious? Did I suffer a hysterical breakdown? Was I just so tired that I collapsed to the ground? No matter what had happened, morning came as it always did, blessing me with its gifts of the warm sun and bright blue sky. It was as if it was apologizing for the hell it put me through last night.

I felt my fingers press into the wood of the deck as I sat up. I grabbed a hold of the broken yet intact wheel to help my shaking legs stand up. I examined the significant damage that the hurricane caused.

The main sail was ripped to shreds, and what was left of the small mast now rested across the entire ship. The taffrail was split in many areas. Many of the barrels and ropes that made their homes on deck had been thrown overboard by the storm, and floor boards on the deck were completely smashed through to the berth deck. I was shocked it was still floating.

There was nothing worth repairing. I didn't have the tools, nor the skill set to salvage anything. The only positive note was that the ship wasn't sinking—yet. I would be lucky if this ship would move at all. I was going to need to prepare to die out here, humbly floating on the Golden Skye.

I began walking down the stairs onto the main deck, but then I stopped and slumped down and sat on the broken steps. I groaned as I rested my head on my tender knee caps. My short hair now fell around the sides of my face, cruelly reminding me of the traumatic decision that I had to make last night. I sat like this for a few minutes to let myself breathe, taking in everything that happened to let myself feel pity before trying to fix it.

I was practically shaking from malnutrition, I needed to eat something and soon. There were copious amounts of my skin that burned so bad, my red hot skin was peeling. I was trapped in a torturous existence.

I lifted my head up and gazed out into the endless ocean. There was a fire in the sky, burning my eyes. My vision was hazy, but I blinked the tears out and they rolled down my cheeks. Despite this wretched place being a part of my fateful demise, I looked to that infinite horizon and felt hope. Hope that there's someone, someplace just beyond that line, waiting for me. When I reach it, I will be able to find my new life.

I was putting all of my faith into what was just beyond that horizon. I almost didn't see the little dark speck interrupting the line where the sky meets the sea. I rubbed my eyes just in case it was a blur in my vision and squinted at it again. My thick eyebrows stitched together because the dot was still there. It was too good to be true, so I figured that I was just hallucinating from my lack of food.

Just the thought of food made my stomach begin to twist and turn inside itself. I felt so weak, I knew that if I didn't get any food at that moment, I would surely die. With a bit of motivation, I completely forgot about the object in the ocean and I trotted down the steps to fetch some food.

I stayed down under the deck to avoid the sun beating down on my sensitive face. The berth deck was nearly full of water, submerging my knees and my hips. Barrels were floating around but all the metal objects sunk to the floor. I went around to find what I could salvage. What was left of the water was getting worse and worse, and the food was slowly getting harder and more tasteless. I felt like I might as well be eating nothing at all.

I sat on the stairs that led to the deck to stay out of the sun but the water was slowly rising and it covered my legs. As I chewed endlessly on the hardtack that I have been living off of, my mind was still turning. I may have been suffering under the effects of the unforgiving sun with a severe lack of water and proper nutrition, but I came to the harsh conclusion that Princess Idina Maria Odette of Madya died with the rest of the royal family. As of now, I am nothing but a commoner, stranded at the sea. If I were to ever get off of this boat, I was determined to never let anyone know who I truly am. I am dreadfully afraid that someone will alert Krozar and I will face certain execution.