The Queen of the Pirates

Chapter 2

In the dimly lit hold of the ship, Sabrina and Thomas sat close to each other, their voices earnest as they echoed off the damp, wooden walls.

"Thomas..." Sabrina began, her voice soft.

Thomas reached through the bars, his fingers brushing hers. "Sabrina, don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here. You and I will run away together, start our own crew."

Sabrina chuckled, a bittersweet sound in the gloom. "Captain Sabrina? Sure, that sounds great."

Thomas grinned, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "We'll think of something good for your name, and I'll be your strapping first mate to which all the ladies are drawn to."

"Looking like that? I'm not so sure," Sabrina teased, a hint of a smile on her lips. "And besides, we'll need more than just a bunch of single girls."

Thomas laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true. I'll figure something out."

"Don't hurt your brain, Tom," Sabrina replied, rolling her eyes affectionately.

A booming voice abruptly cut off their conversation from above. "Thomas!"

Thomas jumped up, his face paling. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." He dashed up the stairs, leaving Sabrina behind with a look of uncertainty and concern on her face.

Thomas emerged onto the deck, greeted by the imposing figure of Silver John. The captain's dark brown hair was tied back, and his piercing eyes were filled with suspicion.

"Where have you been?" Silver John demanded.

"I was just running around—" Thomas began, but Silver John cut him off.

"Doing what?" the captain pressed.

"Nothing of any importance," Thomas replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

Silver John's gaze softened slightly, but his tone remained stern. "Listen to me, son... your mother left me responsible for your and your brother's well-being. I'm trying to protect you..."

"Oh yeah, by what? Forcing me to stay on this ship? I need to see land, father! I need to dock! You can't just keep me and my brother locked up like your trophy below deck," Thomas retorted, his frustration boiling over.

Silver John's eyes narrowed. "You wanna see land? Fine! We'll set sail there now. You'll see how unsatisfactory it is in comparison to the sea."

Dylan narrates, "Sabrina felt betrayed. So when Thomas returned the next day...*

Thomas hurried back to the hold, his heart heavy with worry. "Sabrina! Sabrina?" he called, searching the dark corners of the cage.

Sabrina looked at him with cold eyes. "You're the captain's son."

"What?" Thomas said, taken aback.

"Your father killed my father, and you lied to me!" Sabrina's voice was sharp with betrayal.

"I had to!" Thomas protested, his eyes pleading for understanding.

"WHY?!" Sabrina shouted.

"Because you would have never been my friend if I hadn't! My father hasn't let me off this ship since I was just a little lad. He believes I'll never want to leave if I stay on the sea all my life like my mum did after I was born. I never even met a person my age, let alone a girl, until I saw you. I... I couldn't just not be your friend. I never imagined I'd..."

Sabrina's gaze hardened. "You'd what?"

Thomas took a deep breath, his voice breaking. "I'd fall in love..."

Sabrina's eyes filled with tears. "With me? The locked-up trophy in a cage who fancies herself a future captain. What's there to love?"

"What isn't there?" Thomas whispered.

"Get out..." Sabrina said, her voice shaking.

Thomas reached out, but Sabrina turned away. "GET OUT!" she screamed.

With tears in his eyes, Thomas ran away, leaving Sabrina alone with her shattered heart.

Dylan narrates, "Two years later, Thomas's father finally took him ashore. But as Thomas looked back at the ship, he realized that his true dream was to be with Sabrina, aboard their own ship, with their own crew."

Silver John and Thomas stood on the shore, the vast expanse of the sea behind them. "What's the matter, boy? Isn't this all you dreamed of?" Silver John asked, his voice gruff.

Thomas shook his head, his eyes distant. "I think I have a different dream now, father. I want to see the prisoner."

Silver John's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What was that, lad?"

"I want to set her free," Thomas repeated his voice firm.

"You've been seeing her?" Silver John's voice rose with fury.

"Yes, but it's more than that, Father... I love her," Thomas confessed, his heart pounding.

"You traitor! That witch has cast a spell on you!" Silver John roared.

"NO! She hasn't, Father," Thomas insisted.

"Bring the wench up here!" Silver John ordered, his voice echoing across the deck.

"Aye, Captain!" the crew responded in unison.

Sabrina was dragged up to the plank, her hands tied behind her back. The sea roared beneath her, a dark and treacherous expanse. Thomas watched in horror as his father forced her to walk the plank.

"I'm sorry," Thomas whispered, his voice lost in the chaos.

Sabrina took a deep breath, her eyes locking with Thomas's. "I know," she replied, stepping off the edge.

Without hesitation, Thomas jumped in after her.

Young Man, "And then? What happened next?"

Dylan, "Nobody really knows. Some say he used a knife to free her, and they swam to the shore. Some say that the sharks took pity on her and saved them. No one can know for certain. All they knew was that Thomas had planned this from the beginning. He knew his father would go berserk and throw Sabrina overboard. He stole all the gold from the ship in their pockets."

Young Man, "They had planned it?"

Dylan, "Of course they did. Sabrina was hoping they'd force her to walk. That would be the only way for them to escape."

Young Man, "So what happened next?"

Dylan, "Before I tell you that... I require your name, boy."

Henry, "It's Henry, sir."

Dylan, "Then, Henry, let me tell you the story of Captain Sabrina Swiftsword and her first mate, Thomas."