The Princess and the Pirate

Chapter 1

Marco sauntered down the quarterdeck of the ship, whistling peacefully as havoc was wreaked around him. His bright red tailcoat swished behind him, its golden buttons glinting in the sun. Topping off the outfit was a matching hat, flaunting its exquisite gold lining. He creaked his way down the shifty wooden stairs, taking in the sight of his crew racing frantically across the deck, shouting orders and demands to one another. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, pausing at the bottom of the steps. It was a very rare sight, seeing the bums he called his crew in a rush to get their jobs and responsibilities taken care of. Strangely, it wasn't the normalities that had served as a motivation—poker, rum, an extra slice of salt beef—no, it had been the order from their Captain. An order that had initially left their faces pale and sweaty; something that risked everything they had and worked for.

The order to kidnap Princess Star Butterfly of the Kingdom of Mewni.

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Star sighed as she tapped her fingers on the table in front of her, creating her own melody to hone in on and block out the monotonous rambling of her 'high royal tutor.' The exaggerated title was not even enough to describe the obnoxiousness of the squabbling little man standing in front of her, his head cocked arrogantly as he read out loud from her lesson book. She sat at a desk in a small, lavishly decorated room as she did every day, taught by the one and only Professor Digby.

The sharp sound of the thick lesson book slamming shut caused Star to jolt in her seat, upright and attentive, as she focused on her teacher. He arched an eyebrow at her actions, but made no move to comment. He instinctively placed a hand on his mustache, stroking it. "It's time for lunch," he said curtly. Star hid a grin and exited the room, struggling slightly as she squeezed her way through the door, pulling her absurdly broad dress with her.

She held up her skirt as she dashed through the halls, having already mastered the art of high-heeled running on the slick ivory floors. She reached her destination and burst out the outside doors, where she slowed down and put on a resigned face as she walked down the steps to the flower garden. The princess patted down her hair and brushed the ruffles from her dress, then started courtly to her favorite spot, admiring the garden as if she were seeing it for the first time. With its magnificent crimson roses, illustrious lilacs and almost porcelain lilies, the royal flower garden never faltered in taking her breath away. She had to pause for a moment to take it all in, her eyes sparkling almost as bright as the blossoms around her.

"Star!" a voice called out, pulling her out of the trance she had fallen into. She glanced over at the source of the voice and smiled. It was Tom, a prince from a nearby allied kingdom who had been courting her as of late. He sat on a bench a few yards away, a picnic basket resting in his lap. Though classified as a 'monster,' he was decent looking, attractive even. His cerise red hair was slicked up and he wore a fine tailored black suit. Even the two horns sticking out from either side of his head seemed to be polished.

She skipped over to him gleefully and, not watching where she was going, stepped on the hem of her dress, causing her to fly forward, arms stretched out in front of her. With a resounding THUD, she landed face first on the ground, getting a mouthful of grass and patch of dirt stains on her dress. "God dangit," she muttered, pushing herself off the ground. She looked up to see Tom standing above her, a worried look on his face.

He offered his hand and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah.." she murmured, heating up. Falling flat on your face in front of your suitor wasn't the most graceful or efficient route in greeting them.

"Don't be embarrassed," he chuckled, reaching up to touch a lock of her hair. "I thought it was cute."

Her face grew even redder at that statement, and she turned away shyly to hide it. Tom cleared his throat. "I brought lunch," he said, walking back towards the bench. "Are you hungry?"