Chapter 10: You Did Nothing
When Callahan said crew, I thought he meant.. crew.
I stood in front of Callahan's 'crew'. I don't even think they could be called a crew, there are only three of them. How do they managed this ship? I have no clue.
Outside, I could be seen as a confident princess with an air of power. Whereas inside, I'm screaming because of how awkward I'm feeling right now. Years and years of royal lessons will hone your pretention skills, if that could even be called a skill.
I deeply breathe in the salty air in the hopes of making the inner me relax so I can focus. Shifting my eyes to Callahan who's on the edge of the deck, a telescope in hand. I watched him look through it, put it down and then squint his eyes as if trying to figure out something from afar.
/Oh, please. There's nothing but water for miles! Stop pretending that you're busy!
I rolled my eyes, unconsciously sighed and looked back at the three men. The one on the left and middle looked like they were trying to keep their laughter while the one on the right still kept his serious face but, amusement was visible in his eyes.
Hearing someone cleared his throat, all of us looked at Callahan's way and saw him walking towards us with a cocky smile.
"Can't you be more annoying?" I asked with a blank look which he replied with a wider smile.
He looked at us one by one and clapped his hands once.
"Princess, meet my crew!" he exclaimed, both his hands towards the three men. He put both his hands on his waist and nodded as if proud of himself.
We waited for his next words but he just stood there, his smile not faltering.
"Get on with it!" I shouted, losing my patience, which made him release a booming laugh.
"Have you gone mad?" I asked and turned my attention to the three man.
"My name is Mara Renalta. I am pleased to meet all of you," I said, giving each of them a smile.
The one in the middle bowed to me, his right hand on his stomach and his left on his back. He looked up while still bowing and said, "I am Ruel, at your service, princess." His accent threw me off guard which resulted with my eyebrows raising. I've never heard anyone talk like he does, he pronounced the Rs so thickly. He stood straight and gave me a smile. I smiled back at him and nodded, a sign that I acknowledged him.
Ruel was a tall man, taller than the two other men and Callahan. Like Callahan, his hair was black and his eyes were green. Only difference was they're a lighter green and I'm guessing his hair was long but I'm not sure how long since it was tied in a small bun. He was quite lean and his face was beardless except for his thick eyebrows and lashes. His lips were thin and his jaw sharp. All in all, he's a handsome fellow.
I switched my attention to the one on the left. He was already looking at me. He kneeled down with his right fist on his chest, just like how Callahan kneels. His head still down, he spoke, "My name is Yohann of the house Thordis, your highness." He has the same accent as Callahan.
"Are you a knight, too?" I asked with a bright smile. He abruptly glanced up, the shock evident in his face changed to what seem like disappointment mixed with sadness.
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, kneeling down in front of him. "I didn't mean to offend you," I added worriedly, my right palm on my heart.
His eyes popped upon seeing me in front of him. "Princess, you don't have to," he said and was about to hold me, probably trying to help me get up. But then he stopped when he realized that he was going to touch me, making his hand hang awkwardly on either side of me. He didn't know if he should stand or not.
Laughing, I stood up and offered a hand to him. He looked at it for a few seconds and then raised his head, meeting my gaze with awe.
He accepted my hand and stood up. I kept my hold on his hand and shook it. "It is a pleasure to have you protect me. It doesn't matter what your position is. What matters to me is who you are. My brother must've trusted you a lot to tell me to only trust you," I stated and looked at all of them. "That alone says a lot about all of you. And I acknowledge each and every one of you. I am deeply honoured to have you protect me," I finished.
They became silent and just kept staring at me. I suddenly felt embarrassed, my cheeks warming up. They glanced at each other, as if conversing in their heads and looked back to stare at me.
"What?" I asked, my cheeks now red.
They smiled at me, except for the guy on the left whose amusement in his eyes never left. He walked in front of me and bowed, both arms on his side.
"My princess, this is Hiro," Callahan, instead of Hiro, introduced. I was confused but did not asked questions.
Hiro backed away to where he was previously standing.
Hiro's eyes were small and brown. He's the shortest among all of them and also the thinnest. But that does not mean that he doesn't have a nice build, though. His hair was black and cut really short. His nose is smaller and softer than the others like his jaw. His lips are thin and pink. He's beautiful but, I sense an air of danger from him. It's as if my gut is telling me that his looks are quite deceiving.
Yohann, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Hiro. None of his features are soft except for his eyes which are as blue as the ocean. I don't know who is taller between him and Callahan so, they're probably the same height. His hair is chocolate brown, his jaw is quite sharp and his lips are fuller. He, too, has thick eyebrows but his lashes aren't that long. His nose is prominent and he has a stubble. At first, his looks are very intimidating but when you look deeply into his eyes, you'd think otherwise.
Hearing someone cleared his throat… again. I glared at Callahan who was still smiling proudly and nodding.
"You did nothing," I said which made Ruel and Yohann bark a laugh.
Pretending to be offended, "I introduced Hiro," he said, a hand on his chest pretending that he was hurting.
"You're unbelievable."
"I know. Quite charming, too," he said making me roll my eyes for the nth time today.
Hiro turned around and started walking away, heading down the dining room.
"Ah, time for breakfast… and lunch. Brunch," Callahan informed, making me cringed.
The rest of us also headed to the dining room.
When I woke up this morning, Callahan informed me that his crew were ready to meet me which made me nervous. Looking at them now, I'm glad that I finally got to meet them.
We started eating and the dining room was filled with stories and laughter. I was not used to this, a table filled with laughter. Smiling, I took another bite from my garlic bread. My eyes found Callahan who was looking at me, I tilted my head, giving him yet another questioning look. He just shook his head and smiled, downing his glass of water.
"My princess, do you have any more questions?" he asked me, which made Ruel and Yohann stopped talking. Hiro? I've yet to hear him talk.
"Actually, I do," I answered, wiping my mouth with a white cloth.
"Feel free to ask, princess. We will answer the best we could," Ruel said. I can't get used to his accent.
"What now?" I asked, putting my bread down.
"We will sail to Teralyn Kingdom. It'll take two months," Callahan answered.
"I already know that. You know what I mean," I told him. I straightened in my seat and kept my eyes on him.
"We will hide you there," Yohann said making me look at him. Putting his utensils down, he also straightened and continued, "There's this town called Celeste. We will live there and disguise as common people."
I looked at him incredulously, "Pardon?" I asked.
"It is your brother's command, my princess," Callahan stated and I know he was serious about this.
"Live there? With you, guys?" I further asked, still not agreeing. "You're all men."
"Don't you worry, your highness. Kacey will be living with you," said Yohann with a smile.
"Kacey?" I asked.
"She's part of the crew, the only girl. Don't worry, she's capable of protecting you as much as we do. We will stay next door," Callahan answered, taking a bite from his bread.
"She's already in Teralyn so we will meet her there. Everything is settled, Kacey took care of the houses and other things. Celeste is the place where we land," Ruel further informed.
"And then what?" I whispered but I know they all heard me.
"Your safety is our number one priority. This is the best way to protect you, as of now," Callahan said and the others nod.
"Alright," I agreed, picking up my fork. "Thank you," I said with a smile which they responded with their own, except for Hiro, of course.
The chatting continued until we were done eating.
Callahan insisted on me resting and so I retreated to my room. I fell asleep and woke up to the sky already dark.
I went to the deck for some fresh air. I looked up to the sky and saw the moon. My thoughts immediately went to my mother. And then to my brother and father to Uncle Wade and Aunt Clara, filling my heart with sadness.
I thought of Byce and Cass, too.
/I hope you're all alright. I hope to see you again.
"Your highness," a voice called from my back, making me turn around.
"Yohann," I greeted him as he bowed to me. "You don't have to bow to me every time. You also don't need to call me 'your highness' or 'princess'," I told him chuckling. "All of you don't have to," I added.
"Oh, no, no, princess. I could never disrespect you like that," he said, waving his hands in disagreement.
"Well, you have to, soon. You can't go calling me 'your highness' when we are disguising as common people," I informed him, my tone teasing.
His mouth turned into an 'o', a sign that he just realized.
"Well, we're not in Teralyn yet. I will cherish every moment that I am freely able to," he said with a laugh. "What are you doing out here, your highness?" he asked, putting emphasis on 'your highness' which made me laugh with him.
My laughter died down, "Thinking… reminiscing," I answered, my voice almost a whisper.
"Oh," I heard him say. "Princess, I'm sorry for your loss and for what happened on your coronation," he added, his head hung low.
I smiled sadly at him and looked at the sea, it was as dark as the sky.
"Your brother," Yohann suddenly spoke making me turn to him again in question.
"Your brother saved mine and my mother's life," he said with a small smile. He turned to the sea and he looked like he was recalling the memory.
"We were poor. Really poor. Everyday we would struggle to find anything to eat. I worked my ass off---," he stopped and glanced at me. I laughed and said I didn't mind. He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"I worked until I could barely move and still, the money was not enough. My mother caught a sickness. The medicine for the sickness was very expensive. I could never afford it even if I worked until I die. So, I turned to other solutions, I tried to steal," he looked down and sighed.
"It's alright, you don't have to tell me," I told him, sadness clear in my eyes.
"No, no, your highness. I want to tell you," he said and I nodded, asking him to continue.
"I tried to steal from a noble but, I was caught. I was severely punished in front of my fellow town people. No one helped me except...," he turned to me with a smile. "Except your brother. He demanded for the torture to stop and paid the noble more than the worth of what I stole. He took me to a doctor. I was unconscious for two days and when I awoke, he was the first person I saw. He asked me why I did it and I answered. My mother is dying. He nodded and handed me a glass of water."
I felt so proud of Kugo. I always knew his heart was pure and kind.
"I told him I had to go to my mother but he refused to let me go, my injuries were too severe. When I had recovered and could finally stand, he gave me a bar of gold. I refused but he insisted. I went home to my mother who was cooking food, awaiting my arrival. She told me that the prince of Saquiro helped her. She was treated by a doctor and the price paid for everything. Our kitchen was full of food and there were new furniture. I was so thankful. I went back to where I last saw him but he already left. No one could tell me where he went," he turned to me with a smile.
"The next day, he was on our doorstep with Callahan. He introduced me to him and the rest… the rest is history," he ended his story.
I shed a few tears which made him panic, "Your highness, I didn't mean to make you sad. Forgive me!"
"No, no. I'm grateful that you told me this. It's an addition to my brother's memory. Thank you, Yohann," I told him and hugged him. He went rigid for a moment but relaxed after and patted my back.
"I'll forever be grateful to your brother. I will lay my life for you," he said when I released him from my hug.
"How's your mother?" I asked, happy for both of them.
"She passed away three months ago, your highness," he answered with a sad smile.
Shocked, I exclaimed, "I am so sorry, Yohann!" I was about to continue apologizing but he shook his head as he smiled.
"She died with a smile on her face."
Staring at Yohann, I saw happiness in his eyes.
"You should rest, your highness. It's late," he suggested. I agreed and retreated to my room but not before thanking him again.
I lay on my bed, my thoughts on Kugo. Kugo was indeed an amazing person. He could've been such an amazing Hangko.
With a few tears shed, I closed my eyes and prayed for his soul and the safety of my Kingdom and the people I left back home.
/Kugo, I miss you. I will move forward and I promise that whatever it takes, I will live.
I wiped the tears away and sighed.
/Good bye, Saquiro. Good bye for now.
No stars are out tonight.
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TheMarCaSa
TheMarCaSa For Jiyen, with love.
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