Siren

VII. allies

So many things that Eric could not call a lady ran through his head as he fumed, leading his men to what might have been their doom. Look what she made you do, Eric thought, rolling his eyes at himself. That little vixen has got your pathetic self wrapped around her fingers. So much for following her.

Eric wondered if that was what he deserved for losing half the fleet and because of that funeral stunt, which had been pulled by his aunt, bringing unwanted attention and whispers upon the kingdom. He wondered if that was bad luck which had befallen him and would follow him forever... Bad luck in the shape of that siren, he grumbled.

Normally, he would not have minded the idea, but as he strolled with his men, faces hidden by their hoods or their hats, he wasn't sure if he would appreciate that nuisance following him around as he first assumed.

"Are ye sure abou' this, sire?" Master Harris asked nervously.

"Master Harris, do you think I would joke about something like that?" Eric retorted, fuming.

"Lad, this is insane." Commander Grimsby. "Absolutely, insane!"

"I know." Eric rolled his eyes at him.

"You do know that this could end too bad, lad, eh?" One of the oldest members asked gently.

"Yes!"

"This will end terribly." Peter, Hamish's son, responded as he rushed to walk on the admiral's side.

"Let me do the talking then." Eric snapped, pausing in front of certain doors. He raised his eyes to look at the skull engraved on the pub's doors. "Commander..." Said man lifted his head to look at his prince, expecting a whine or an order to go back to the palace and forget that almost happened. "Please, don't talk... At all."

The other men snickered, all of them knowing how aristocratic Grimsby could sound around pirates while the commander rolled his eyes at the order. Fine, boy. I won't talk and let us see how you deal with things, Grimsby huffed, mentally as he took slight offence in the younger man's words.

Eric gave one look to the skull again before he let a sigh escape. Reluctantly, he pushed the doors of the pirates' den open.

Every man and woman inside the cavern immediately went silent as they stared at the crew which had once arrested them, violated them and imprisoned them. The young sailors and more recent soldiers shrank underneath the hateful gazes from the pirates. At the bar, sat the drunken lowly ones while the captains and first officers sat at the tables in their rightful places.

However, a table in a quiet sunny corner was the one, earning the prince's attention. Eric swallowed heavily before he motioned to his men to sit wherever they fancied, Grimsby giving him a look of disbelief. However, it didn't matter what they fancied or not, because they fancied getting out of that place and never coming back, but that was not an option.

As the men sat between the pirates nervously, everyone went back to what they were doing. However, they were quieter and more cautious.

Eric casually walked to the table in the dark corner, pulling a chair for himself to sit on. Only one chair sat by the table - put there specifically for one old man with greying hair and a wrinkly and scarred face as he sat dressed in fancy pirate clothing and had old weapons and too many silver and gold tokens. Eric rested the back of his chair against the table sitting down as he rested his arms on the top of the chair.

His commander took that as his assurance to rest in one of the chairs at the bar to have a better look at what the prince and the other man would talk about. He looked in front of him to see the bar wench looking at him, carefully checking him out with owl eyes. Commander Grimsby's eyes widened as he gulped in fear, dear God.