The Spell Called Love - Empires SMP S2 AU: Nature Wives

Chapter 3: The Pirate Problem (Katherine)

Katherine walked along the edge of the river trying to find her boat, her mind churning with her encounter with Shelby.

She hadn't even gotten to know Shelby properly, yet it seemed that Katherine - somewhere in the back of her mind - had known her for years...

Eventually, Katherine stumbled across her boat and got into it and was getting ready to row away from the swamp land, when she finally remembered why she had come to the swamp in the first place. Katherine groaned and glanced longingly at the mud laden shores contemplating whether she should get some now or later.

She decided that she could always drop by again to grab some later.

Right now, she wanted to get home. She promised her people she would be back as soon as to finish work on the new pier.

Katherine rowed away from the shores of the swamp, determined to get home, she could pick up some other material along the way, reluctant to go back to her people empty handed.

Luckily, Sanctuary was on her way home, so after stopping off to pick up some dark oak, Katherine made her way back to Glimmer Grove. 

The sun was high in the sky when she finally came across the familiar unfinished Princess Pier, she docked her boat and hauled the logs out of the bottom of her boat, passing them to the Fishermen so that they could finish off on the pier.

Once Katherine was free from the burden of logs, she stretched her arms skywards, waking them up for another good afternoon's work. Once she promised the Fishermen she would be back in a jiffy to help, Katherine left Princess Pier with a spring in her step as she wandered through Sheep Square and past the pirate placing TNT-

Katherine halted her cheery stride and backtracked, blinking as the pirate stopped what he was doing to look guiltily up at her, his face reddening as he realised he was caught red-handed:

"Heyyyyyyy, Katherine!"

"Joey?" Katherine asked the pirate, not returning the greeting, "Where did you get all this TNT from?"

"Nowhere. I made it myself." said the pirate with a delighted smile, "I made it for you, my princess."

Katherine had plenty of experience with Pirate Joe to know that whenever he smiles that daft smile, he's lying.

"Joey, howmanytimeshaveItoldyouthatIamnotyourprincessandthatstealingthingsisbad," Katherine took a deep breath and composed herself before adding, "Can you please leave me alone?"

Joey didn't seem to take this as a telling off, but more of a command. He backed off all the same: "Of course! Anything for you, my princess."

"Joey-," Katherine was ready to explode onto the pirate but he was already legging it back to a lone boat that was moored to a bank.

Katherine took a few deep breaths before looking down at the heap of TNT in front of her.

He probably took all this from Jimmy's.

Katherine gathered up the TNT with an exasperated sigh, retrieved her elytra from the care of one of the villagers and flew off to pay the Sheriff a visit.

*

It was clear where the pesky pirate had stolen the TNT from when Katherine reached Tumble Town.

The gunpowder wagon - once decorated with TNT - was now bare, so Katherine set to work replacing the TNT.

Katherine was nearly done with placing all the TNT back when Jimmy came out of his house, "I mean- how many times do I have to tell Joel that I'm not-"