Road of the Heavenly Light

13-3: A Pirate's Life

The days passed by, but Sigrid could not stop thinking about what Audrey had told her about leading her admirers on. She had been angry at first, believing that Audrey was wrong to think ill of her for it, as she had never actually promised Christian and Adrian that she would choose one of them in the end. Of course, the two of them did believe that to be the case, so she had made it so by not contradicting it. Yet Sigrid also knew that if she lost their affection and adoration, no one would show it to her. No one except... As her thoughts trailed off, Sigrid glanced over at the seashell in her luggage. She let out a loud sigh. What she was thinking about was impossible and would never become reality. No one would ever take her seriously if she even considered the possibility. There was no point in dwelling on it, so she decided to leave her bedroom and stop sulking. Christian and Adrian were sitting in the shared living space, going over their total victories over each other. They immediately rose from their seats upon seeing her emerge.
"Is everything alright? You've been very absent these past days," Christian asked.
She put on her usual charming smile and shook her head.
"I just needed some time alone, so you do not need to worry. I was actually thinking we head into Earth today and see who can run there the fastest."
"Oh, I'll easily win that!" Adrian boasted.
"We'll see about that," Christian argued.

She had hoped that with a few days' time, Audrey's words would go away and that things could go on as they always had. The opposite was true. Sigrid had begun to feel immensely guilty for setting up Christian and Adrian against each other any longer, now more determined than ever with their victory total once again tied. It weighed heavily on her conscience to know that Audrey considered her selfish for carrying out the whole scheme, so she decided to pay the princess another visit to make her understand that she was not the monster Audrey believed her to be.

"So, if I am hearing this correctly, you're leading those two for the attention and flattery it brings you because your parents are too focused on your seven younger siblings to care about you? Is that right?" Audrey asked after she had come to her dorm and explained everything.
Sigrid nodded, confirming that everything was true.
"I would have imagined you would be the favorite in the family, as you're the heir to the prestigious title and all."
"If only that were the case. My parents prefer raising children who can choose their own path in life and develop their talents, not a child whose entire future is set in stone."
"Even if you want attention because of that, how does that justify what you're doing? Manipulating two young men makes you no better than your parents."
It was a valid point that even Sigrid understood, but she felt she had no other options.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost the attention of Christian and Adrian..." she admitted.
"Try to find love with someone you do intend to marry."

It was such an obvious suggestion, but not to Sigrid. For Sigrid, the very notion of love hurt her.
"I cannot love anyone. Not anymore."
"Why?"
"I once loved a man, his name is Collin," Sigrid hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should share more, but continued anyway, "he is the captain of a pirate ship. I could never marry him or even be publicly associated with him. I would be the embarrassment of the country, and I would never be invited to any party or social event ever again."
The princess' eyes lit up. She probably thought it was the perfect story to gossip about.
"Isn't he perfect for you, then? His inclusion into your family would be so shocking that your parents would have to notice you and pay attention."
Sigrid let out a loud chuckle. Audrey's enthusiasm was quite amusing.
"You make it sound so easy."
"Do you still love him?"
Sigrid nodded.
"I never stopped doing so."
"Then follow your heart and stop caring about what others will think. Let him be the one to give you the love and attention your family cannot. It will be even better than whatever you have now, with no manipulation needed, even if it will likely be the relationship of the century."

Sigrid had to admit that Audrey's words were inspiring for someone who had never been in love herself, and she was actually considering the possibility of seeing Collin again. It was a sudden change, but deep inside, she had always known that fighting for the man she loved would be better than the cage she had put herself in.
"Very well, but I have one condition," Sigrid relented, "if you share even one word of this conversation with anyone, I will make sure Brightwald's harbors will endure pirate raids until the economy collapses."
"I promise I won't say a word."
Sigrid doubted it was worth much, but it was better than nothing.

After leaving Audrey's dorm, Sigrid immediately headed back towards her own dorm. She was relieved to see that Christian and Adrian were still away to spend some time with Glen, as she did not want to face them again. Sigrid packed her belongings and wrote a letter to leave behind, explaining everything to the two men and apologizing for what she had done. She did not deserve their forgiveness, but she hoped they would at least one day be able to work professionally with her again, as they were still the heirs to their respective duchies. Without another thought, she placed the letter on the table and left.

Sigrid took a carriage to Earth and, from there, made her way to the beach, making sure she was as far away from the public eye as possible. Once she felt she had reached a quiet spot, she took the shell from her bag and brought it to her lips. Collin had given it to her and told her that if she were to blow into it, he would hear its call no matter where he was. In this instance, Sigrid hoped he was nearby. She blew into the shell, and despite not hearing anything herself, she trusted it had worked. Surely enough, after what couldn't have been more than an hour, a large ship appeared on the horizon. A small boat quickly appeared in the water in front of it, slowly making its way towards the shore. Sigrid had to blink a few times to make sure it was really Collin she saw making her way to her.

The pirate captain stepped out of the boat and stood in front of her, and Sigrid immediately felt at ease.
"My love, you called," he said, a hopeful smile already on his face.
Sigrid nodded, her heart overflowing with happiness.
"I wanted to see you because I want to give us a second chance."
"I thought nobody would ever approve, and it was impossible?"
"I don't care about that anymore. I've had enough of living in this prison. I want to be with you. That is... if you'll still have me?"
Her heart was racing, but Collin quickly eased her worries by wrapping his arms around her.
"Of course I will. You have no idea how much I have longed for this moment ever since we parted ways."
He placed a soft kiss on her hand, as though he were a prince rather than a pirate. It hardly mattered to her.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course you can."
Sigrid leaned in to softly kiss his lips, something he gladly reciprocated.