The Pirate and the Princess

Chapter 7

Something was screaming in the back of Melody's head. This wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to be hanging around with boys, much less boys who work for her and her family. Someone of higher class was probably who she should've been with. But the voice subsided as she felt her heart pound with glee. This was what she wanted, this gay freedom on her skin as she walked with this boy.
He searched around, before reaching to grab the plank. As it fell to the docks, he ushered her into the ship, following after, pulling the wooden board back to its original stand. Melody twirled in her soggy undergarments, they began pulling tighter into her skin as she examined the magnificent ship surrounding her, holding her. She stared up at the sails, starboard, stern, everything possible. She drunk in every inch of the wooden masterpiece. Jim snuck up behind her, tapping her shoulder, quickly taking place on her other as she looked for him. He motioned towards a set of double doors. The offer stood less than a second before she nodded, clasping her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. Her face felt slightly flush as he smiled. Opening the doors showed off a large sleeping area, hanging cots swaying over one another. As waves came through, they seemed to affect the two a bit more. Maybe it was because they were so much closer in here, but the ship made them both warmer. Melody tried stringing herself onto one of the cots. As she sat in the cloth hammock, she sputtered.
"This is so uncomfortable. How long have you been in this thing?" She turned around, her hair inevitably brushing over her eyes. She attempted blowing it off, though it seemed to have found its perfect resting area on her face.
"I think," Jim replied gruffly, and pulled himself into the hammock above her, "it's been about two years."
"How did you live in this for two whole years?" Melody shrieked, looking up from her hammock. Jim just swayed back and forth, his hands hanging down from the hammock.
"I dunno, this has just been my life for the past couple years." Jim sat up, his weight shifting to the wooden floors again. He watched as Melody struggled to pull herself from her own hammock. Ever so wobbly, she finally managed to stand up, trying to keep herself up straight on the deck. Jim smirked to her, circling around her.
"So you have your land legs still. Now how do you change that?" Jim mocked her, his hands on her shoulders. He rocked her back and forth, making it harder for her to stand.
"Hey! Quit being an ass!" She cried, a smile still plastered on her face. She brushed off his hands, from her shoulders.
"Ah! I have a pleasant idea as to how to get your sea legs." The boat rocked a bit harder, tilting them both off center a bit. Jim didn't seem to be as affected as Melody. She began struggling to stand in general, so Jim pulled his hand onto her shoulder, his other on her waist.
"What? Do you even know how to dance?" Melody scoffed, looking him up and down. He didn't seem the type to really have a refined sense of luxuries. Jim raised an eyebrow, his smirk slightly fading, though still there.
"Well of course I do." His eyes twinkled as the remaining moonlight shone through the loose boards and onto his skin. There was a pounding beat in Melody's chest at that point.
What's going on? Melody asked herself, swallowing a lump in her throat. This was such an awkward and sick feeling. There was the voice again. Nagging her that this wasn't right. Still she protested it, unsure what was so bad about this.
"Fine. Show me what you know," Melody placed her hands on his neck. Jim began leading, his feet nimble and able to hold the both of them.
Melody followed, imagining her elegant ballroom, the both of them in fine silk attire with the band playing in the background. Jim swiftly pulled her up, twirling her in the air. Their eyes met again, this time the connection less subtle than before. When he put her back down, his eyes didn't unlock from hers, they gripped each other's interest deeply, for no known reason at that point. They both laughed slightly, their faces simultaneously flushing a similar shade of red. Melody released her arms first from Jim's neck, Jim swiftly following suit, despite both parties obviously wanting to stay there with one another.
"We should probably head back to the castle before anyone notices we're gone." Melody proceeded to break the silence. Jim nodded, finally breaking eye contact. He grabbed Melody's shoulder before attempting to lean down to peck her cheek. The waves began hitting the ship even harder, causing the kiss to miss entirely and Jim's lips made contact with the pure sea air rather than her, though Melody fell hard into his chest. He wrapped his arms around, trying to protect her as best as he could from any debris.
Melody felt trapped inside of his arms, though she accepted it sort of. She knew she couldn't do this on her own. Their now damp clothes pressed together, sea water still splattered on the top of the boat, dripping through the cracks and onto their hair and clothes. As the sea decided to try to calm itself, so did Jim's grip. He looked over Melody, making sure she hadn't been hurt or knocked by something. She looked entirely clear of bruises and didn't complain of any immediate pain. Jim let out a relieved sigh, his smile returning.
"We need to go now. Before the waves get worse," Melody remarked, her hand finding its way into his. Jim nodded, pulling them both out from the ships belly. As they reached the top a head peeked out from the water, though it quickly subsided back underneath. Melody knew who it was, and she bit down on her tongue. They were being watched by the people of the sea, her extended family, to be exact.
Jim nimbly pushed down the bridge from the board to the port, pulling the princess and himself from the ship, doing his best to return it to its place. They giggled, running back to the front of the castle, still hand in hand. Very few lights were on, though guards were in their stations. Melody urged them to stay silent at her entry, and however reluctant they had been, they allowed her and her friend to creep into the castle. They snuck about the dark hallways, hiding from whatever people were roaming at this hour.
When Melody and Jim finally were acquainted at his nook in the wall, she felt bad for leaving him alone in there. Before he parted from her, she wrapped her arms around him. She snuggled her head into his shirt which had dried almost completely at this point. Bidding a reluctant farewell, they both parted into their individual directions. Her heart began racing again, her fingers pulling through her black hair as she anxiously paced to her room.
Before opening her door, she calmed herself, returning her face to its normal pale milk, and her fingers ceased their incessant fidgeting. She pulled open her door, and flopped onto her bed. She tightly held onto her blankets, a smile sneaking into the corners of her lips. She began squealing just thinking about him now. His pretty face, his tall stature, his interest in the sky and hers of the sea. His voice was like a song–a melody, if you will–at every syllable he pronounced. His intelligence and humor just attracted her more to him, with everlasting superfluous language and knowledge. Nothing and no one could possibly sway her imagination and ideal of him.