Treasure: ℛℯ-𝒲𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃 |Pirate!England X Reader|

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Matthew's face suddenly goes back to normal, "But, yes— informants are really good at keeping a secrets!" He stands and begins making his way to the door to go back to the hallway. Jack and I exchange a look of concern as we watch his back disappear into the darkness of the staircase. He turns his face to me without averting his gaze from the open door, "What the fuck was that?" I shrug my shoulders, and begin walking after him, Jack not too far behind me.

We follow the short hallway back to the stairs to the deck, and find most of the crew gathered around a barrel, small flecks of ash and smoke rolling from the top up into the sky. Matthew had already joined them, a cup of ale in his hand, his arm draped over Alfred's shoulders as they sang sea shanties. Jack grasps my hand to guide me amongst the men, warding off anyone who might try something, and plops me down between him and Leon. "Did you enjoy your first day of Cartography?" Toby speaks up from my right, half way across the circle. I nod hesitantly, afraid to make a noise that would get me noticed. A faint smile appears on his lips and he sips his ale without breaking eye contact with me. "You'll learn with Jack next, then he and Leon will teach you Carpentry and how to negotiate with the ports."

"Ok," I bow my head slightly, acknowledging his plans for me.

"You want ale or rum, Princess?" Jack asks me from his place on my left.

I hear a scoff from just behind him, and see Kirkland, dressed casually with a white poet shirt and black pants, a bottle of rum in his hand. "She doesn't drink, Jack," the flames of the small fire illuminate his bright green eye as he swallows down a sip of the alcohol.

The brunette turns to him with a pout, "All Blacksmiths drink, I thought?"

"Not this one," he gestures to me with his bottle, a dark smirk on his face.

"I'll take rum."

Jack'a pout transforms into a cheeky smile, and he turns to one of the crew, "Oi, get this beaut a cup of rum!"

"I want the entire bottle," I shoot back.

The men all exchange surprised glances, but I don't avert my gaze from Kirkland's. "The Princess is a drunk," he announces in a demeaning tone, and all of his men instantly laugh in response.

"Stop calling me Princess," I hiss, popping the cork off the bottle I was handed, "My name is (Name)."

"It's out of respect, Princess, I assure you," Toby says, attempting to cut the tension.

"Respect, my ass!" I take a swig of the liquid in the bottle. I wince at the strong taste, just slightly, attempting to hide the fact that I had never had a drop of alcohol in my life. Mo never drank— not around me, anyways.

"I think it fits," a slightly slurred voice says as-a-matter-of-factly from around the circle. I turn my gaze to see Alfred staring me up and down, and he says with a sneer, "The only thing Princess' are good— is being saved."

Before I could even get a word in, Jack's already throwing insults back at him, "If I do recall, this Princess kicked your ass during the last raid."

The men erupt into more obnoxious laughter, smacking Alfred on the back and shoulders as he rolls his eyes. Matthew cuts in with tears in his eyes, a raging blush across his cheeks, "Don't laugh at my brother, you guys! He could've died!" He throws his arms over Alfred's shoulders, sobbing into his chest. I squint my eyes to get a better look at them across the circle; I had forgotten they were brothers. They look nearly identical, now that I've physically seen them together— only difference being their eye color and hair length.

As Alfred attempts to force Matthew off of him, Leon speaks up from next to me, "Shut the hell up, you bastards. I can't hear my own thoughts." The absolute disgust in his eyes sends a shiver down my spine.