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

You're my only partner.

Michael sat with an ice pack on his left eye, staring at the blank wall as he sat in the headmaster's office. Billy, the boy he had been fighting with, sat in a chair opposite of him. Michael glared at him with pure hostility. Billy had called Emma horrid names, and Michael was not going to let him get away with it. Hence the reason for him being in the office with a black eye. It was not the first time he was sent to the headmaster's office, but it was the first time he was sent with a black eye.

"You may go in now, Michael," the headmaster's assistant said, crossing her arms as she came to stand in front of him. "How's your eye?"

"I hardly feel the pain," Michael boasted, with a taunting grin in Billy's direction.

Billy grumbled, but Michael was already entering the office and did not care if he said anything. However, when he saw the stern look of disapproval in the headmaster's eye, his grin became a frown.

"Please sit down, Michael," he said, motioning to the empty seat. "Would you like to explain to me why you so aggressively hit Billy?"

"He called my best friend, Emma, a gold-digger," Michael replied, removing the ice from his eye. "He called her the illegitimate daughter of the dead prime minister and said that no one would ever glance her way because she's as ugly as a dead horse."

The headmaster's eyebrows shot sky-high when he heard this, and cleared his throat.

"I see . . . So you took it upon yourself to defend Emma?" he asked.

"Billy has been bullying Emma since her first day here," Michael explained, nodding. "I never had to a reason to become violent before now."

"Ah, a knight in shining armor?"

Michael began to fidget with the ice pack, unable to speak further. The headmaster was very aware of everything that transpired in the school. Not to mention Michael was hiding how he truly felt about Emma. At age fourteen, Michael was experiencing changes in his body, his thought patterns. Even in the way he saw Emma, who was now blossoming into a beautiful girl, was changing. And Michael did not want anyone to speak wrong about Emma. His Emma. Michael had a tendency to be a bit over zealous. He was jealous for Emma's attention.

"Am I to assume that should Billy restrain from further teasing Emma," the headmaster spoke after a long silence. "I can expect that you will not resort to violence again?"

"If Billy stays away from Emma," Michael replied, nodding slowly. "You can count on it."

The headmaster nodded and excused Michael with the consequence of suspension, should he find himself in this position again. Michael left the office and was prepared to return to his room, when a flash of brown caught his gaze.

"Again, Michael?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow as she approached. "Really, I can handle anything Billy throws my way. You don't have to keep putting yourself in the middle."

"He was disrespecting you," Michael replied as he slid his arm around Emma's shoulders. "I was not about to stand by and do nothing."

Emma sighed, "Well, thank you. You're a great friend."

"Hold on now. I'm your best friend. I am entitled to a bit more praise, don't you think?"

Emma giggled and gently shoved away from him. Michael feigned offense as she started to run away from him. He ran after her, growling; she squealed in terror. Yet, they both laughed in pure excitement.

***

Captain Michael hurried after Lady Emma, calling her name and begging her to stop. However, she continued to run away from him. The Red Fox had made port to resupply, when there was an uproar about whom might replace Lady Emma as first mate. Not waiting to hear what Captain Michael might say, she turned and ran away. But Captain Michael was not prepared to let her escape him.

"Lady Emma!" he called through the streets of town, never once losing sight of her. "Don't you dare leave me in such a manner!"

"Why don't you just choose a new first mate?!" she shouted, facing him with a strong stance. "'Tis obvious the rest of the crew question your reason for having me in such position! Find someone else! I don't want to be a reason for your crew to rise in mutiny!"

Captain Michael stopped in front of her. He gawked, utterly appalled that his first mate would let an irrelevant comment break her strong demeanor. Captain Michael, seeing that Lady Emma was not running anymore, advanced and gatherer his partner into his embrace. Lady Emma shuddered as she leaned into him, sobbing softly.

"No one has ever been more fit to be my first mate than you have," Captain Michael whispered, holding tight to her shoulders. "You are my only partner. My only first mate. And my only lady. No one will ever replace you, understand?"

Lady Emma nodded as she gave in and returned her captain's embrace. Captain Michael pull away and cupped her face in his strong hands. He stared into her eyes and Lady Emma saw that his words rang true. As they always had.

"There's to be a full moon tonight," he whispered with gentle warning, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "Promise me you will stay clear until I am returned to normal."

"There may be slight problematics with your request," Lady Emma whispered back, swallowing the lump that rose in her throat. "Some weeks ago, there was a full moon . . . You left to keep me out of your reach, but . . . You remember biting my shoulder?"

"Oh no . . ." Captain Michael furrowed his brow and took Lady Emma's hands into his own. "So . . . You've been poisoned as well."

She nodded, looking down at their entwined hands. Captain Michael rubbed Lady Emma's knuckles with his thumbs, watching her downcast expression.

"You had to go through that alone," he whispered, pulling her into his embrace once more.

"I was not alone," Lady Emma replied, shaking her head. "I followed you to the secret location . . . I stayed a good ways off from you. I transformed at the same moment you did, so . . . You didn't hear me."

"Had I known, I would have helped you with the transition."

"It was not as bad as I had expected."

Captain Michael nodded, somewhat relieved, and yet . . .

"I wish such a curse would not befall you," he said, looking into Lady Emma's eyes something fierce. "I swear to you that I will not cease to search for an antidote. For a way to reverse the curse on your soul."

"What of your soul?" Lady Emma asked in a small voice.

"My soul is blackened by my crimes," Captain Michael replied, shaking his head. "I deserve to have this fate. You do not."

"I'm not going to let you live with that choice. If there is a cure, I want you to seek it for yourself as well."

Lady Emma squeezed her captain's hands, emphasizing her point. Captain Michael sighed and held both her hands in one palm while bringing his other hand up to move a strange of her hair away from her eyes.

"Proof you are my only partner," he whispered, placing his hand at the back of Lady Emma's neck and bringing her closer. He kissed her nose and then her forehead. And with that, Captain Michael pulled Lady Emma to his side. Together, they returned to the docks and the Red Fox.