"I do declare," Sunny said in her southern-sea clown drawl. "Do you folks know each other?"

"Know each other?" Valcom snorted through her thick nostrils. "Not only does this child defy my employer every step the way. But she got me seasick and knocked me off her boat, leaving me for the sharks."

"To be fair, big lady," Chloe grinned. "It was Captain Abacab who got you seasick and knocked you off the boat!"

Chief Inspector Valcom pointed her fireable anchor arm directly at the Captain. He began to sweat profusely. "What arrrr ya doing Chloe? Don't rat me out to this she beast..."

Valcom's anchor fired forward, nearly blasting the odd captain in the head.

"Next time," Valcom sneered. "I won't miss."

"I meant, don't rat me out to this nice and dainty lassie!" the odd captain cried, backpeddling. "Also, I order a good matey to get me a new pair of pants."

"That's one poopdeck I'm not standing on, senor," Monica muttered.

"Anyway," James Clown rasped. "Enough scat talk, even if I'm quite the scat singer. Missy Valcom would like to have a word with you."

"Go ahead, big lady," Chloe muttered. "But you're not my mom."

Valcom crossed her muscular arms and offered a glare that would scare a bull. "Normally, Queen Annabell, I would arrest you on the spot. But Dingsworth has informed me that you are right where he wants you. When my master arrives tonight, he wants you to bear witness to the first Oceanempire!"

Chloe scowled at Valcom. "So he wanted me here all along?"

"Yes," Valcom replied. "He has always had a deep distain for you and how you ran our country. You showed no interest in it, and much interest in the lawless society of pirates."

"Well duh," Chloe replied. "Pirates are much cooler. I'd even take clowns over you stuffy people. All you ever did was want to lock me away and force me to be noble. It may be in my blood, but I don't wanna be one!"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Typical child," Valcom muttered. "This is why he sees you being here as instructional. Perhaps you will learn in retrospect how to run an empire before you are executed."

"And what if I don't want to see your plan to boss the ocean around?" Chloe said, sticking her tongue out at Valcom.

"We have this whole place surrounded," Valcom stated. "So if you try anything with this motley bunch, we won't hesitate to have you killed."

Chloe exchanged glances with her allies. Ramone, Monica, Abacab, and Vinnie all gave a similar look of helplessness. Chloe gave an exasperated sigh. "Because I don't want my crew to die," Chloe said. "We'll watch your little opera."

"Actually, it's a cirkus!" Sunny giggled.

"Oh, it's a clown show alright," Chloe said with a look of determation. "But whether it's the politicians or the clowns who are the real entertainers is up for debate."

The entire mess hall was so silent, that one of the performers dropped a pin on from their clothes and it reverberated around the room.

"Well," Chloe remarked blushing crimson red. "That tagline sounded cooler in my mind.

"Now..." Valcom said. "I leave you pirates to relax and enjoy the show. But... don't try anything funny."

"Umm Miss Valcom?" Sunny asked politely. "Can I try something funny?"

"Why?!" Valcom glared at the twelve year old clown girl.

"I'mma clown!" Sunny exclaimed, and she began to giggle. Valcom blasted her anchor arm directly at Sunny's feet. "Jumpin' Junipers! I thought ma joke was funny at least."

Chief Inspector Valcom stormed away, but at last, she turned around at the curtain. She raised her anchor and pointed between Chloe and herself. "And remember, we'll be watching you."

As soon as the Chief Inspector was gone, Chloe grimaced. She glared at Sunny. "I can't believe you set us up, you southern buttercup in clown drag! Why didn't you tell us that Valcom was waiting for us?"

"Y'all didn't ask!" Sunny responded. James Clown strolled over and put his hand on Sunny's shoulder.

"To be fair, to this little lassy," the funky clown man answered. "It was either this or I fired her from her position. She's one of the worst clowns we've ever had."

Sunny's head sank down low and she sighed. "It's true. I bungle every thing up."

"Basically," James Clown remarked. "None of the other performers wanted to be the one to lead Queen Annabell into this trap. Your family was always one of the greatest patrons of our arts and funded the Cirkus for years on end."

He rested both his hands on a dejected Sunny's shoulders. "This clown girl...Sunny Southerncross, who actually hails from a notorious southern sea family joined us two years ago. And though she was endlessly enthusiastic, she was also an endless blunder too. So when it finally came time to send her on her merry way...she offered to perform this task."

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "Because of you, my whole crew is in danger. So make like a grit and skit!"

Sunny walked away dejected. "If y'all need me, I'll be pretended my painted smile is real."

There was a mixture of looks between the crew. Some were bewildered, others annoyed. But Chloe was the most furious of all. They had lost the element of surprise and now they were trapped by her devious minister. All because of a blundering clown girl.