The Princes And The Pirates (Charming)

IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"]“Kit don’t sit like that, shoulders back, son,” His mother’s voice rang out as they approached the great castle in their carriage. She was unwell, Kit could tell by the dark circles under her eyes. He wondered if she had been sleeping. His father…well, his father seemed oblivious, ranting on about how it would be good for them to see their old friends again and to rekindle the alliance that they had already cemented over their years of friendship. Kit was excited, too. At least, excited to see Eric.

He and Eric had become steadfast friends over the years, something that he had always cherished. While their parents talked business, they were able to get out and explore and talk like normal, ordinary people. Sometimes that was the nice thing about having other friends that were Princes – He didn’t for one moment have to pretend that he was anything else around Eric. His hand rested on the sheath that was tucked away on his belt. He wore it always under his father’s wishes, along with the stiff jacket that his father made him wear. White with a red sash, per the usual colors of the kingdom.

Kit didn’t understand what the big deal was after all, it wasn’t a ceremonious occasion…it was a meeting between old friends. That was the reason that underneath his coat was a loose fitting white shirt and a pair of his sailing trousers. It would be easy for him to pull them off when the rushed to the docks as he assumed they would. After all, it was tradition for the boys to explore the high seas while their parents discussed business. That was the way it had always been.

As the carriage slowed to a stop in front of the castle, Kit was the first one to bound out, helping his mother out next and finally followed by his father. It was a royal greeting, complete with all the servants laid out in rows and the royal family in the middle. Kit grinned when he saw them — they were nearly like a second family, “Your majesties.” Kit said, sweeping down into a low bow for the King and Queen before making a b-line for Eric on the outskirts. He stuck out his hand with a delightful grin, “Eric, how have you been my dear friend?” It was good to be back, it most certainly was.

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IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"] Kit wasn’t surprised when Eric hugged him. Almost immediately, he used his hand to clap it over Eric’s back in familiar greeting. Eric was one of his oldest friends and he wasn’t like the other princes. They seemed to understand each other. They knew there was more out there than just what their parents were showing them. Unfortunately for Kit, he also knew that his mother was very sick and soon the kingdom would fall on his shoulders, which meant he needed to start getting his affairs in order. This would be one of his last leisure trips before his mother could no longer travel — then it was all work for Prince Kit.

“Boredom never did us any good, did it?” Kit said with a grin as he rolled his shoulder back, feeling rather constrained by the outfit his parents had insisted that he wear. He wouldn’t complain, though. The mention of the ball had his eyes immediately on the back of his mother’s head. The woman was deep in conversation with Eric’s mother. “I suppose I'm looking forward to pick out a Princess worthy of Mother’s approval.” He interjected, his hands settling on the handle of his sword as he looked back at Eric. His parents had no need to match him up yet, though Kit was sure they had probably tried to pair him off with the eligible bachelorettes of the countries.

“I think they’re hoping I’ll settle down with a nice princess so they can stop worrying about me,” He answered honestly. Their parents seemed to settle into their normal waves of conversation, leaving the boys the opportunity to slip away. They walked toward the edge of the sea where Kit already knew they were headed. It was tradition after all.

“The high seas it is.” Kit said, unbuttoning the jacket that was on his shoulders and sliding it off. It felt better to be in just the undershirt that flowed — proper sailing attire. He had learned well from Eric over the years, “A mermaid or two.” Charming grinned as he hopped over the stone fence that separated the dock from the castles’ grounds, “I’ve always wondered about Mermaids.” He said with a shrug as he walked onto the wood of the dock, looking at Eric’s ship that was waiting on the water. It was a beautiful thing — it really was.

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IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"]“I’ve rather hoped that myself,” Charming returned when Eric mentioned meeting his true love. He had always thought that that would be the way that it would happen. But mother was growing increasingly ill by the days and his father was anxious to have the kingdom in a place of stability. He would do whatever he could to secure stability for their sakes. It was, after all, his duty as Prince.

A little while later, he had heard all about the mermaids of the blue lagoon and their wondrously enchanting powers. They seemed like women that Charming should avoid, especially given that he was to be wed when he returned. But he couldn’t help his own curiosity. There was something about the unknown and unexplored that had always called to him.

Max – Eric’s dog bounded by at that moment, breaking him out of his own thoughts like glass shattering. It was back to reality. Charming always loved having Max around — he provided a good comic relief for the rest of the crew. Folding his arms as he stood at the front of the ship, Charming looked out over the high seas that were in front of them. They were in for an adventure, he could practically feel it.

“Quick death—“ Kit laughed when Eric did before shaking his head, “I wouldn’t be surprised. There are pirates out there who would sooner name their islands that to avoid having their treasure taken.” He said, placing his hand on the sword that was hanging on his belt by its hilt. He was prepared for the worst, although he was more than certain that they wouldn’t be running into any pirates during their trip.

“What say you we run into some pirates.” Kit said with a laugh as he grabbed hold of the rope that the crew was using to hoist the first sail. He gave it quick and secure tugs in the right direction as the billowing white sail took hold of the sky’s wind and they jolted forward. The wind rushed through his hair and he was suddenly very thankful for the trip. It would do him good to get away from everything for a while. “I’ve heard there’s a run of treasure that runs the border between Neverland and here. We should head that way.”

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IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"] Kit found himself laughing at Eric’s sentiments. He was right, this was not the proper time to be discussing their prospective matches. It was a time for both of the Princes to enjoy their journey together and not worry about what was to come. There was, after all, no telling how many more adventures they would have with one another before wives tied them down to their respective kingdoms.

He raised his hand with Eric mentioned the sea-witch, “I’ve heard stories about her. Nasty little thing.” Kit grabbed one of the ropes and helped the mates of the ship turn the sails to point them in the right direction. “I heard she stole the king of the merpeople’s Triton, making her the most powerful of all the sea-beings!” It was all sailor gossip — silly talk that passed from one ship to another, but it did well to pass the time while they were onboard.

The journey was long, but with a mixture of songs, stories and grog, the men managed to keep busy. It wasn’t until Kit saw one of the islands up ahead that he ran to the side of the boat, “Eric, give me the scope, I think we’ve got land up ahead!” He shouted, pointing to the horizon where a small patch of land had risen up amongst the waters.

He assumed that these were a part of the string of Diablo Islands that ran between Neverland and their kingdoms. A dangerous place for two princes — but the perfect place for an adventure. “Blast—” Kit held his hand up to his eyes, trying to block out the sunlight as he saw something else on the horizon. “I think something must be in the water…looks like we’ve company! Recognize the flag?”

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IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"]Kit immediately shook his head. This was certainly turning out to be more of an adventure than he had bargained for. Talk of sea-witches and mermaids…princesses and pirates! It was as if they had stepped into an alternate reality of sorts in which they were princes of the sea instead of their respected kingdoms. He reached up and used the back of his sleeve to wipe the beading sweat from his brow.

“Goldbeard? It can’t be!” The boat on the other side of the ocean seemed to speed up, Kit could see the deployment of the sails from their vantage point. It wasn’t looking good for them. “Just a legend wouldn’t have canons…” He said as he heard the sound of an explosive. It seemed to be a warning shot, as there was no way they could have hit them from still so far off.

The sun was in their way, causing the men to back down from the side of the boat. They couldn’t see properly and it was making it hard to pinpoint exactly where the pirates and their ship were. When a cloud came through the skin, momentarily blocking the sun, Kit took the opportunity to get their bearings. “It looks likes they’re coming this way!” He said when he was finally able to see into the horizon. The boat had turned and was headed in their direction.

“If we can get to shore before they get here, we have a better chance of besting them,” Kit reasoned as he turned to look at Eric. They weren’t men of the sea…perhaps Eric was, but Kit was far more versed in sword play and land fighting. They would need to get on equal footing if they were to beat the pirates. "What do you say, Eric? Ready for an adventure? This is more than we bargained for!"

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IT WAS MANY AND MANY A YEAR AGO

[attr="class","next"] Kit watched as the horizon island got closer. The hustle and bustle of the crew, however, made him refocus his attention. Goldbeard’s ship was quickly gaining on them, but they hadn’t fired since the last bout of cannon-shots.

“They’re coming in fast from the port side!” He helped the men pull the sails taught, causing the ship to take a hard turn toward the island. They were coming in fast — it looked like the pirates were trying to drive them into the land, but Kit couldn’t understand why. If they were true pirates, they would have wanted to take them on the sea.

As the choppy seas died down the closer they got, the men pulled the boat to a stop and lowered anchor. Goldbeard’s ship seemed to be waiting for something — they didn’t get close enough to advance, but turned so they could begin to circle. “This seems…” But Kit couldn’t finish his sentence, his thoughts were already on other things. They needed swords. Ducking under the deck, he grabbed a few and came back topside.

“What’s the plan, Eric? We going to go engage Goldbeard or wait for him to come land-side with us?” He asked as he threw one of the swords in his friend’s direction.

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