✔ Masquerade | England [EDITING]

t w o

Calm

The next morning dawned and the bustle and the thuds of footsteps outside the ship woke you up. Your room was under the deck and you had the misfortune of sleeping in the same room with some of the other crew, most of whom were men. 

The previous night was filled with much of their rambling and laughing and it was horribly difficult to sleep. For some reason, they didn't bother you much and left you alone.

Sitting up on your blanket which served as a mattress, you remembered everything that happened yesterday as you fixed your hair and stretched your legs and arms out. Before you could even begin to properly contemplate, Antonio came in with a bunch of clothes which he held in one arm, all smiles,

"Ahoy! I came to wake you up."

"I am wide awake," you replied as you straightened out your bed head, "What are the clothes for?"

"Mister commander captain ordered me to bring these to you," He replied as he placed the pile on the floor in front of you, "He wants you to change, and I quote 'out of those shabby clothes and wear something more fitting for a lackey'," 

"Oh, right..." You mumbled to yourself and nodded, "Thanks, Anton- I mean, Vice- Commander."

"Antonio is fine," He laughed. 

Just as Antonio was about to leave, Arthur slammed the door open, resulting in the poor Spaniard being hit hard on the face. Then followed a curse from Antonio's mouth.

"Why aren't you up, accursed woman?" he shouted and then turned to Antonio, "And you! Why are you crying there just because your nose got hit?"

"It's not like I want to cry, estupido!" Antonio shouted before you even said anything, "The tears just happen to come and how the hell can I control it!"

"Quiet, you!" Arthur hissed, then turned to you and ordered,  "Woman, get ready quickly and start scrubbing the deck!"

And he marched out like a storm. 

"He sure is boisterous," you commented with a sigh.

"Well, well, that's just how he is during the day. He has a set target of work and sailing that he wants to complete for a day, so it stresses him out to the point that he becomes loud and bossy," Antonio explained, rubbing his nose, "But he's quite a calm character at night. The soothing darkness and cool breezes really change his mood. So if there's anything touchy that you need to communicate to him, it's best to do it at night," 

"Understood," You made a mental note of what Antonio said, and then stood up. 

"You'd better get ready in ten seconds before Arthur gets into a hissy fit. He doesn't appreciate tardiness," he laughed as he looked at his pocket watch, "I'll leave you alone."

Antonio left the room and you went through the clothes. There was a yellowed button-up shirt, a black sleeveless vest, a pair of pants which was slightly too big, and a pair of worn brown boots. You quickly put them on before anyone could come in and bolted out of the room.

As you stepped foot outside, the din and bustle of the crew were louder. Seagulls called as they flew, and the resounding of a song sung in unison filled the air. One person sang loud and clear and the rest followed. It was lovely to hear to a landlubber like you who didn't know the way of the seafarers. 

"Way, hey, and up she rises!" 
"Hey!" 
"Way, hey, and up she rises! Way, hey, and up she rises, early in the morning!"

"Up she rises early in the morning, my ass!" over the song and din boomed the voice of the commander from the elevation where the steering was done.