The Swan and The Pirate

Halfway Bridge

I was right. The water was a portal! I ended up on the Halfway Bridge, not wet at all. And there stood Hort, waiting for me in his dark clothes. I ran up to the middle of the bridge to meet him. "I'm sorry I'm late, I had problems with a cupid," I excused myself. Hort laughed. "Cupids are the worst. At our school, we have gargoyles," he joked. "I couldn't imagine!" I laughed as I sat down on the Bridge's railing. "Thank you for wanting to meet." he said, also sitting down. "Thank you for coming!" I replied, genuinly thankful. "I've been spending the whole day being ogled by Tedros," I complained. "The King's son?" he asked. I nodded. "That's the Evergirl dream, isn't it?" he asked. "Yes, but no. Not for me," I confessed. "I thought that I would be flustered and genuinly happy, but I'm quite discontent, to be honest." I laughed. "You're something else," Hort replied, also laughing at my stupid explenation.

After some more talking, I found out that his full name was Hort of Bloodbrook, and that his father was Captain Hook. Which I thought was lovely. He kept bragging about his father's awesome ship, and it made me giggle. It was not like a normal giggle. It was a girl giggle. The most girly giggle I have ever let escape my mouth. "I'd like to see that ship sometime. If we graduate this crazy school of course," I suggested. "Really?" he asked, I nodded. "Cool! Yeah, I can totally take you to Bloodbrook sometime!" he promised. "That would be so amazing!" I agreed.

I looked down at his hand and him hiding something behind his back. He'd had it behind his back through our whole conversation I think. "What's that you're hiding behind your back?" I asked. "Oh! Right!" he exclaimed. "I got this for you," he said as he held up a half-withered red rose with thorns on its stem. It was nothing like any rose I'd seen before. I reached out my hand to take it, but pricked my finger on one of the thorns. A small drop of blood excaped from under my skin. I sucked the blood away as Hort looked worried. "I'm sorry, did it hurt you?" he asked, and he seemed genuinely worried. "No, no! I'm alright," I said as I went in for my second attempt at the rose. He handed it to me and I looked at it with great fondness.

Then, I realized that dinner would soon be over and that I had to get back. "Shit!" I thought out loud. "Wow, I've never heard a princess curse before," Hort laughed. "No, Hort, dinner is almost done, and I can't be seen here with you! Because of the whole Never, Ever thing," I explained as I got up from the railing. "Oh right! Yes!" he understood. "Thank you for the rose," I finsihed as I was on my way off, but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist. "When will I see you like this again?" he asked. "We'll meet, I'll make sure of it," I assured him. He let go off my wrist and I started running back the good school. He stood at the bridge, watching me flee.