Sham of the Sea

Chapter 3

Y/N could barely believe how simple it had been so far.

She had barely declared herself a royalty - and it was not even her own idea - but she was saved from any premature killings for now.

The captain had left without another word, leaving her crew to tend to Y/N while she was busy. The woman's aura lingered, having Y/N still weak in her legs.

Y/N's knees hurt and her head warned her not to get too comfortable, but, for now, she was alright. She had calmed her thoughts, and even if her stomachache had yet to even out, most of her nervousness had lowered to a simmer in her stomach.

It was the woman with the dreadlocks who pulled Y/N to her feet again and dusted off her shoulders with an appreciative hum. "Ye did jolly, Yeji. We can always score with a royalty." The shorter girl said.

Y/N was still in a daze. Her mind was clouded by a thick fog that made her forget everything she observed around this unfamiliar surrounding. Her brain could not believe that she had landed here and tried to shroud her in sweet ignorance.

"Where to? I do not reckon this one be a danger." The shorter woman added.

Of course not, Y/N could not hurt a fly. Still, she kept her head down and listened to the conversation attentively. It was the least she could do; she had not a chance against a full crew of savages. Only a crafty plan would get her out of this predicament.

"Take her with you. You did jolly with Minji last time." Yeji - the redhair - had to be in some high-ranking position to be ordering people around like that. She also looked smug when Y/N risked a gaze at her.

Swift, Y/N lowered her eyes anew. The pirates and their hungry stares made her toes curl.

"Aye. Come on, pretty face, we shall discuss some rules." The woman with the dreadlocks motioned Y/N to follow, and Y/N meekly did as she was told. She still felt the heat of the captain on her face. How unbecoming.

"Name be Nayeon. What do ye want to be called?" The woman, named Nayeon said as they crossed the deck to the very tip of the ship.

Nayeon greeted all the women they passed. There were few, just as Y/N had noticed earlier. This crew seemed fairly small compared to the fleets of over a hundred sailors she had heard about.

Y/N lick her lips before she introduce herself. "Y/N, I'm Y/N."

"A pretty name. Fitting for its owner."

It was not Nayeon who complimented her, but one pirate fellow Y/N had seen in the audience earlier. The woman's features were hamster-like, and the shape of her eyes lifted elegantly in the outer corners. Her syllables lingered in their harmonies, adding an accent to her speech that gave away she wasn't from the area.

Just like the others, she was only scantily dressed in a white shirt with a V deep enough to reach her cleavage. She had pushed up the sleeves, showing off muscular forearms and her broad upper body that tapered into a tiny waist. Y/N was pretty sure she could nearly enclose that waist with her hands.

The most curious thing about the woman was nothing of all that, though. It was her hair, the black locks that fell in sweet curls into her eyes, but they also had a distinct white streak to her left. It was thin, only three fingers thick, and it still captured Y/N's attention.

A snort came from Nayeon's direction. "Works e'ery darn time. Go run a rig somewhere else, lovergirl." she shooed the other pirate off, who just grinned, stretching her squishy cheeks. Y/N thought the girl looked like a kind person.

The new woman stepped in and lifted a hand to caress the angry scratches on Y/N's neck. Y/N stayed frozen deliberately, expecting a blow, but received concerned eyes instead. Her cramped heart released its pressure as it called for her to ease the woman's downtrodden look.