The Reign of the Pirate Queen

Chapter 1

The sun crested the waves, turning the sea a pale gold. Leopold Aristi stood on the gently swaying bow of an oak, two decked frigate, bound for his summer home in Knoxport. The cool morning breeze ruffled his shoulder-length raven hair, and a laugh of pure exultation burst from his lips. He loved everything about the sea: the early morning sun peeking over the horizon; the soft rocking of the ship beneath his feet. Standing on the bow, alone, he could almost forget about his responsibilities, the reason for his journey. His smile faded when he remembered: this sunrise would be the last he'd see in the relative freedom of a second-born prince. His older brother, Edward, was felled in the Battle of Langdon River a fortnight ago, making Leo the sole heir to the throne of Adrene. People already treated him differently, as if he were a fragile plant in need of tending. Being heir, much less king, was the last thing he wanted.

Footsteps behind him and a hand on his shoulder shook Leo from his thoughts. He jumped, startled, but calmed when he saw that it was Sebastian Amnor, captain of the King's Guard and his long-time friend.

"A lot on your mind, Your Highness?" The fair-haired captain always knew when something was bothering him.

Leo sighed. "Do you think I'm ready for this, Bas? I feel so unprepared."

"Well it's not as if you'd be taking up the job tomorrow, right? Your father is healthy enough that you won't be king for a good while yet. Meantime, you can prep and learn how to write good and all that gobbledygook stuck-ups like Reggie'll drill into your skull."

Leo rolled his eyes. Sebastian had never been fond of his economics tutor, Reginald Montgomery. The two were always at odds with each other, and it didn't help that they had been trapped aboard the Andromeda for the past week. "And I'd assume you would rather I spend my days sparring with you or off on some adventure than learning how to 'write good' as you call it."

A wide smile spread across Bas's lips. "A'course, Sire."

Leo laughed softly to himself before patting his friend on the back and heading below deck to the galley, where he knew a morning meal of hardtack and two-month old salted beef was waiting. He cringed, thinking that hardtack would be the one thing he wouldn't miss when he stepped off the ship and into his new life.

Very few sailors were awake when he padded down the stairs to break his fast, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. In fact, he welcomed the few precious moments he had from the world around him.

After nearly chipping a tooth biting into the hardtack, Leo gave up on eating. Better to go hungry for a few hours than to risk a garbled stomach, he thought, and decided to climb the crow's nest for a breath of fresh air.

It took nearly ten minutes for Leo to haul himself up the shrouds of the foremast to the crow's nest atop it. The view took his breath away, as it always did. He could see for miles. He kept one elbow locked around the foremast, closed his eyes and pretended he was alone in the world, with nothing but the sway of the sea to keep him company.

When he opened his eyes, he had to squint from the glare of the morning sun. He knew he'd be able to spot Eagle's Talon, a rocky outcropping near the forested home of the fearsome Taki tribe, before the bustling, ship-lined landscape of Knoxport came into view. He would be more than happy once he arrived at his summer home just east of the port, off the confines of the ship.

Just thinking of the Taki made him shudder. They were a group of warriors, vagabonds of the forest really, who were a plague on the people of Knoxport. Rumor was, they had driven out a group of colonists some sixty years prior, when their rival nation, Althenia, had tried to settle the northern half of the island. The Taki claimed the territory as their own. Taki warriors drove the lucky colonists out to sea, while the unlucky ones became sacrifices to their savage gods. It was a massacre, the greatest one in the island's history. He was grateful he'd never have to venture into their territory without an escort.