The Captain and His Lady (A Fantasy Short Story) √

I shall protect you from dragons.

Emma dangled her feet from where she sat on the dock. Her toes skimmed the water's surface, and though it was not very deep, she did not dare let herself fall in. Emma couldn't swim. Not like the other kids could, whom were all playing and laughing even now as she watched in silence. Michael played and rough-housed with the other boys. Every so often, he would come to check on Emma and make sure she was okay. Emma wished that she could swim like the other girls. But she was afraid.

Michael caught Emma frowning as she watched the other children play. He saw her sadness and began to go towards her.

"Michael!" called out his friend, Charles. "Where are you going?"

"I will return in a moment," he replied over his shoulder as he climbed up the ladder and out of the water. He dried himself off and went to sit beside Emma. She turned and smiled at him, but it was not as bright as normal.

"What's wrong, my lady?" Michael asked, playfully shoving his shoulder against hers. "You looked rather sad a moment ago."

"It's nothing," Emma replied softly, shaking her head.

"Does it have to do with not being able to swim? I told you, you can ride on my back. I promise that I won't let you fall."

Emma glanced at Michael, the corner of her mouth turning upwards.

***

"Lady Emma," Captain Michael gasped as he tried to keep them both afloat in the midst of the raging waves. "Take hold of that drift wood! It is your only chance of surviving!"

"But what about you?!" she shouted back as her captain began to remove his arm from her waist. "What of your survival?!"

"Never mind about me! Save yourself! I shall protect you from the dragons! Your life is far more valuable than mine!"

Lady Emma cried, "No! Don't leave me, Captain! I need you!"

Captain Michael furrowed his brow and pushed back to be next to his first mate. He knew they had been through the worst together. He could not leave her now. He would not leave her now. Captain Michael hooked his arm around Lady Emma's waist, and together they held to the drift wood. Paddling with their legs and feet, the pair tried to keep from drowning. The dragons, which had caused the Red Fox to capsize, circled high above in the sky. But they were not the only dragons Captain Michael worried about. He had heard the tales of the water dragons. Creatures that feasted on castaways.

Suddenly, Lady Emma slipped from the wood and Captain Michael's grasp. She was gone so fast that he hardly had any time to react. Captain Michael shouted, calling out her name in hopes that she might have surfaced and drifted away from him. Then, he saw it. His blood ran cold with fear as the great, blue beast rose from the water. Clutched in his thick talons, helpless and clinging for life, was Lady Emma. Her gaze met that of her captain, pleading with him for help.

"I'll find you again!" he cried out, hoping she heard his voice over the roar of the great dragon. "I promise that I will come for you, my lady!"

***

The moment Emma slid off his back, Michael went into a panic. He called out to one of the adults that watched nearby. He dove under the water in search of his friend. The water was not that deep, yet in a matter of seconds, Emma had been swept under the surface. The moment his hand came in contact with her hair, Michael grabbed Emma beneath her arms and brought her up for breath. Emma's mum was frantic. The other parents were in a frenzy. Michael followed the life guard to the dock, where he laid Emma on her back. He quickly pumped her chest and she began to expel the water from her lungs. She gasped and coughed. A towel was placed around her shoulders. Emma shivered, clutching the towel to her chest.

Michael sighed in relief as he moved close and pulled Emma into his embrace.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered so only she could hear. "I broke my promise and the dragons got to you."

Emma rested her head on Michael's shoulder, willing him to hold her longer. And he did. Michael did not let Emma go, not even when her mum said they had to leave. Michael had come with Emma and her mum, so it gave him the excuse to hold Emma when they entered the car.

"I am truly sorry, Emma," Michael whispered again, pulling her to his chest in the backseat of her mother's car. "I said that I wouldn't let you fall, and you did."

"Don't go blaming yourself," Emma whispered back, sneezing from cold. "I don't blame you. I blame that dragon."

Michael smiled softly, but could not bring himself to forgive what had happened. His close and most precious friend could have drowned because of him.

"Not your fault," Emma mumbled, resting her head on Michael's shoulder as her eyes fluttered closed. "Not your fault, Captain."

Michael's gaze met that of Emma's mum. He expected her to be angry with him for not being more careful. However, she only smiled at him.

"You did good," she said softly, nodding. "As scary as that was a just now, I know it was not your fault. The fact that Emma even went into the deeper water with you, that was very brave of her. She rarely enjoys the water that much and when she does, she knows the risk. She wouldn't have joined your water games if she had not trusted you."

"I just feel terrible because I had promised her . . ." Michael replied, frowning. "I promised I wouldn't let her fall, and I did."

"These things happen, Michael. Don't fret over it."

Michael heaved a sigh, but nodded. Emma's mum was right. Neither she nor Emma were blaming him, so he must not blame himself either.