The moment aboard the Cowpoker was tense. Though Sugar's crew of inbred southern pirates couldn't lay a finger on Elise and her crew, there was nothing Elise feared more than the moment they stepped off the Cowpoker. Would the protective power disappear or would they retain their golden glow for a little while longer?

As they headed back to Sugar's Sugarcane Factory where the Lyre and Tito's uncle were stationed, Elise anxiously thumped her sandal on the deck of the proudest pirate wrangling ship in the 4 Oceans.

"Hey, Speck...Elise?" Tito said causing her to jump and nearly lose her balance. She wiggled and wobbled her small arms, threatening to fall off the deck but Tito seized her by both arms. He pulled her back and together they caught their breaths.

Immediately, she blushed with a hand to her soft cheek.

"Thanksie.." she said, her pale skin reddening along with her freckles. "I was about to be whalebait!"

Tito chuckled and brushed his thick, dark hair. "Back on the islands, my friend Blue don't eat any humans. Unlike krill, we wouldn't get caught in his bristly teeth."

"So..." Elise said, swaying back and forth in her dress. "There's no way for them to KRILL us..."

Elise's pun was so bad that not only was Tito dumbstruck. The entire boat of people stopped talking to gape at the two.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Uh..." Tito said, looking back and forth. "Don't quit your day job..." he murmured.

"What's that?" Elise said.

"Uh...being cute?" he said, flashing finger guns

"Nice save!" Elise winked at him.

"But yeah..." Tito said, somehow more awkward than Elise was. "You know the reason I came over here? I wanted to get it over with. Since that's all you seem to think about "

"Think about what?!" Elise said softly but before she could answer, she felt Tito's lips plant firmly against hers.

Elise's mind couldn't think about anything else but how tingly her lips felt. It was better than reading about "True Love's First Kiss" in a story book...because it was real...

When Tito finally pulled away, Elise was gone. "Where am I...?" she said and she fell backwards.

Tito ran and caught her before she tumbled off the boat and fell into the blue sea below. "My hero!" she lisped as he held her in her arms.

Tito quickly laid her out on the deck. "I uh...gotta go now!" he shouted.

"Where are you going?" Elise said, suddenly frowning. "Don't you wanna be my prince still?"

"Ummm...." Tito said, and quickly whipped out pen and parchment. "Here's my shell phone number!"

He scribbled it, threw it on Elise and dashed off.

"Grrrrr..." Elise said, scowling and growling. "He isn't a prince...."

But it was like a spark of fireworks went off in the darkness of head, her face grew even brighter. "He's a rogue!" she said grinning a gap tooth grin. "That's even better!"

Sadly, her moment of elation was ruined as the noisy and skinny Jimmy boy ran across the deck. "Oh captain my captain!" he gushed, sounding strangely refined for a south sea pirate. "Where is my captain! We are at my fair Sugar's Sugarcane Factory and that will decide your fate once and for all!"