The Lester Chronicles: Noble Insanity (Incomplete)

Lion Eyes

Morgan

"BARTHOLOMEW!" I hear a voice call from above as I am pulled up onto a hard surface, sputtering and coughing. I arch my back and retch seawater onto the deck, frantically gasping for breath after I do. I have no idea where I am, or who is around me. But it's infinitely better than floating on a door, as I was. My vision is blurry and filled with misty water; my lungs are on fire and the whole world is spinning.

"Hello? Miss?" Someone speaks; above me, addressing me. "Are you alright? How long were you out there?"

Carefully I wring out my long braid and sniffle, the seawater stinging my nostrils harshly. "Two days. Two days after she took the ship down."

"You poor thing." The voice draws nearer and my eyes focus to see a blonde-haired face with bright blue eyes staring into mine. He looks to be about forty, and is so far very kind. "We should get you warm, mm?"

A small smile creeps onto my face as I realize I'm shivering like mad. "Thank you. Bartholomew, was it?"

He chuckles softly. "God no, Lass. Clun's the name. And if I were you, I wouldn't be caught dead on this ship by Bartholomew."

Gravely, I nod, happy to be back on a solid ship with food and water. "My name is Morgan Carpenter. Duchess of Anamaria."

"A duchess? My G-"

"CLUN!" A different voice from before roars out the name, the piercing sound of this voice making my ears ache. "Who is this mangey little mongrel and what is she doing on my ship?"

Clun looks down to me with sympathy and turns to the sound as the rest of the crew gathers around my soaking form. "Her name is Miss Carpenter, Captain."

The owner of the voice is ragged, to say the least. He wears a purple captain's coat over filthy ebony boots, staring at me with darkened charcoal eyes. Black, scraggly hair with woven grey hangs about his face and under his tricorn hat, and with gold and rotten teeth he smiles. "Oh my. What have we here, boys? A pretty little princess."

The crew laughs heartily and I growl in return. "Do not call me a princess. Do not patronize me." scrambling to my feet, I draw the dagger my father gave me when I was small. Its name is Kozi; a beautiful steel dagger with points that retract and drip tree-frog poison.

Another laugh rumbles through the ring of men, giving the Captain the courage--the audacity, to grab my face and straighten my head out.

Instantly I lash out against this, hurtling my wrist towards his arm and managing to make him retract his hand. I'm not sure if this was in shock or pain, but either way I'm glad to have had an effect. "If you think I'm weak, or docile, or mannered or pretty or even frilly, you are wrong. I may be a duchess but I am not a helpless cooing mess of a dove!"

The Captain furrows his brow and tilts his head. "My my. We have a feisty one, here. Clun, let's give him the judgement. Bring me James."

Clun nods and leaves for a minute, returning with a young man who looks about seventeen or eighteen...my age.

With the strange, hazel eyes of a lion he looks at me, tilting his head. An emerald green coat is on his shoulders, buttoned up over a vest and cravat. He sports tall, brown boots that are scuffed but clean. He's rather stylish, actually. But despite the tidy wear, the eyes are something I have never seen before and something I certainly won't be getting over soon.

"Tell me what you think of her." The Captain prods this "James" fellow forwards, and he furrows his brow as if trying to gaze harder into my soul.

"She's a person."

For a second I'm incredibly confused and almost offended. A person. Yes, I'm definitely one of those. "Are you stupid or just rude?"

His face doesn't change much at all; those strange eyes narrow just slightly and I'm not sure if it was just a result of the sun or not.

I sigh, unappreciative of his deadpan expression. "Guess you're just stupid."

The Captain smacks James across the back of the head, growling and sending the younger man forward a few steps. "What. Do you think of her."

He swallows hard and I see the slightest flicker of tenseness in those eyes. "Fine, I suppose. Useful."
Clun echoes softly. "Useful."

"Useful." The man with the purple coat lets the word roll around over his tongue and into his brain, taking a solid ten seconds to reply again. "Mm. I suppose for a while, she might be." With Clun's input, the Captain seems more convinced. "And you," He turns to James and I notice a sort of hate in his blackened eyes that I have only seen a widow give a man who has murdered her husband.  "If she makes a mistake you will pay for it."

James nods, almost seeming relieved and certainly unfazed by the upsetting gaze. "Thank you."

"I don't appreciate being discussed like I'm an obj-" I begin, not exactly pleased by the situation.

The young man gives me another look with those odd lion eyes and takes my arm, striding across the deck and dragging me to a very small but comfortable looking room. He shuts the door behind him and immediately I bare my teeth, growling like a cornered animal.

"How dare you grab me! How dare you touch me! I do not know you and you do not know me! Come no closer than you are now or I swear to God-"

"Trust me, I won't. Be in the dining hall at eight. Just...stop being absolutely intolerable and thank whatever you want to thank that you're alive."

"I was never in dang-"

"Yes you were."

"Stop interrupting me!"

He leans against the door, folding his arms and sighing as if he were my handmaid when she is disappointed in me. "I'll stop interrupting you when you start listening and following directions. Now sit down and stay here until dinner. Can you do that? Or do I have to send someone in here to watch you?"

Anger bubbles up into my chest cavity like lava in a volcano. It sears and burns my insides, welling up in the back of my throat and singeing the flesh there as well. I grit my teeth and attempt to speak in a normal tone. "I am perfectly able to care for myself, thank you. I'll see you at dinner."

As if he can feel my emotion, a broad smile spreads across his strikingly handsome face. The lion eyes bore into my skull again, but I refuse to look away and let him win. "Dinner then."

Hey everyone it's me, your friend the author! I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I'm working hard to crank out more of this story ASAP! Stay tuned for more very soon and if you're reading, thank you! I appreciate you so very much. ;)
Again with the love,
                                                          Ells