"Ocean blue eyes looking in mine, I feel like I might sink and drown and die."
A simple girl, daughter of a pirate captain, meets the future "King of the Pirates" and begrudgingly decides to join him on his adventure to find the One Piece.
CO...
The one goal that Artemisia had set out to complete was now over. Her mother stood in front of her. After years of not seeing her, she was not looking into her mother's eyes. The eyes that would watch her as she learned how to use a crossbow. The eyes that always assured her that everything would be alright. Years and years of pain and exhaustion had flown away in an instant. There was no longer anything to worry about now that she was here.
Nothing stopped Artemisia anymore, "Mom!" She ran and jumped on her.
The tight hug took Phillipa by surprise, "Whoa!" She held onto her daughter, holding her up as best as she could. It was much harder than it used to be. Her little girl had grown up since then. There was no longer a need to carry her around anymore. "You're just as much of a hugger now than when you were a kid."
Pulling away, Artemisia looked into her mother's eyes with a grin, "What are you doing here?" Part of Artemisia was happy to see her mother. Obviously, she would be. That was the whole point of her coming out to sea. To see her mother again. But there was a part of her that was slightly disappointed. Her mother made it too easy by coming to find her. She was expecting a little bit more of a challenge.
The tanned woman in front of her didn't seem to mind that, "You and your crew have been causing quite the uproar. I knew I had to come see it for myself."
It was time for Artemisia to let her mother let her go. She could tell that it was a bit difficult to hold her up still. She planted her feet on the ground and looked at the woman. The initial excitement faded away and Artemisia found herself thinking about before this moment. The nights she stayed up, wishing for her mother to come back. Running to the dock on the island when she heard a ship was approaching. The disappointment when she saw it wasn't her mother coming back for her.
Tears were in Artemisia's eyes, "I missed you, you know," Her voice was shaky. She sniffled but didn't let her tears fall. "I always thought about you when I was with Axel. I set out to find you the first chance I got."
It was now Phillipa's turn to get emotional, "Oh, Artemis..," She placed a hand on the side of Artemisia's face. Artemisia found herself sinking into it. "I missed you too," Just like it was hard for Artemisia, it was hard for Phillipa as well. Artemisia lost her mother and Phillipa lost her daughter. It was Phillipa's choice to leave her behind but it was only because that was the only way Artemisia would be safe. If Phillipa's own first mate, someone she considered her brother, could betray her, who else could? She couldn't chance that with her daughter around. "Axel told me you were quite the handful during your time with him."
