“Citizens of Nestell, you bear witness to a heinous criminal! One who, by the wise leadership of King Syrille, will be put to death within the coming week for the follow crimes...”
“...illegal acquisition and usage of an oceanic vehicle. Possession of tools for oceanic exploration without the express permission of King Syrille or the Royal Precession. Conspiring with enemies of the Kingdom of Nestell with intent to undermine King Syrille and the Royal Precession, as well as numerous other misdeeds. The Kingdom of Nestell sees fit to punish the deeds of Sadashi Sicer fittingly...”
“...anyone found aiding this criminal will meet a similar fate, as declared by King Syrille. If any citizens have information regarding his informants and co-conspirators, it is your right to deliver that information to the Royal Precession, or you will be considered an accessory to criminal behaviour. That will be all.”
With the public address declared finished, the citizens present cleared out, heading back to their fairly mundane lives, just as the head of the guard stared down at Sadashi.
He walked in front of the stockade holding him, before squatting down, as Sadashi stared at the ground beneath him with a vacant gaze.
The head of the guard grabbed his face and pulled it up to face him.
“Consider this a mercy for his highness, pirate scum. Your life wasn't one worth living.”
Sadashi hardly fought back, as the head of the guard smirked, stretching his face in his hands.
“Scum is scum. The ocean is his majesty’s, and you have no place in it.”
The guard spat on Sadashi’s face, before letting go and standing back up, as he ordered the other guards to drag him away.
“You’ve one week, Sadashi.” The head of the guard called, as Sadashi was pulled into the palace interior proper. “Perhaps you should atone? How else could you make up for such vile acts of villainy?”
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Aloette stretched her arms, lifting herself up off her pristine sheets, just as the crack of dawn seeped in through the window. Taking her time getting out of bed, she hurried over to the window and stared out at the rest of Intide, watching as everyone else in the city began their day, letting the streets come to life with people, all framed by the gorgeous grace of the ocean just at the bottom of the slope holding Intide in its arms.
Aloette took in a deep breath, before getting herself dressed and heading out into the hallway, hurrying down the manor stairs into the main foyer.
She grabbed her bag from the side of the door and began to head out.
“Miss Everday!”
Aloette turned her head back inside. “Oh, morning, Evans.”
“Where are you headed this time of day?” Evans asked, stepping into the foyer with his apron and duster.
“The marketplace! They have this selection of watermelons on display.” Aloette explained, holding her hands out in a square shape. “They grow them in boxy confinements so they’re shaped like cubes when fully grown.”
Aloette dug around for her wallet in her bag as she spoke. “They’re exceptionally cheap, so they always sell out before I can get them.”
“But the marketplace is all the way down by the docks. That’s almost as far as the palace.” Evans insisted. “I couldn’t have you walk that far unattended.”
“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” Aloette bragged, flexing to prove her point, before giggling to herself. “I’m very self-reliant.”
Evans went to raise another objection, before sighing out and going back to cleaning. “If you trust yourself to be safe. Please at least return before dinner is served. You wouldn’t want your mother worrying.”
“Of course I will.” Aloette said, leaving out the door, before popping her head back in. “And don’t forget to make something to pair with watermelons!”
Aloette closed the door soon after, as Evans found himself amused by Aloette’s passing comment.
“So eccentric...”
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Aloette made her way down Intide’s hillside, humming gently to herself as the breeze from the ocean slowly washed over her, pairing beautifully with the clear sky and vibrant sun above.
The streets were abuzz with chatter, as passers-by shared gossip and hearsay about the latest news floating about the kingdom, all far more interesting than their otherwise standard lives.
“...rt sending transport between here and Pelaga soon eno...”
“...arently, the Royal Concession’s ramping up for some kind of expeditio...”
“...ou heard about Sadashi, right?”
Aloette lifted her head while idly passing, as she noticed two people talking amongst themselves.
“I was at the announcement yesterday. They said he was trying to navigate the ocean without King Syrille’s go-ahead. He even stole some of Syrille’s private maps.” One mentioned, as the other covered their mouth.
“I didn’t know the pirate problem was getting this bad...”
“Isn’t he part of that pirate crew that tried going into The Further?” A third person mentioned while walking past, as the other two nodded back to them. “I swear, if he brought some sort of creature back from there, I’ll do worse to him than the Concession will.”
Aloette watched them talking to themselves, before checking out of their conversation and continuing down the street, tapping her chin in thought.
“Should I ride the carriage back?” She wondered aloud, swinging her legs as she walked. “Watermelons are quite heavy to be carried uphill...no, I should be fine to walk. All the more preparation under my belt!”
She continued humming while walking, just as the marketplace started coming into view, drawing her eye with its colourful tents and activity throughout.
She quickened her pace and folded into the crowd, inspecting around her for the vendor in question. Eventually, she found her way to the centre of the docks, getting a better view of the area around her, only to be interrupted by two guards charging past, nearly knocking her over in their rush.
Aloette managed to get back up, as she stared at the guards running in the opposite direction of the palace and further into Intide.
“They sure were in a rush...” Aloette remarked, almost forgetting why she was there, before the stall holding the watermelons came into view. “Aha!”
She hurried over and squeezed her way through the crowd, before immediately grabbing up a watermelon.
“Yes! They’re actually here!”
“Ahem.”
She turned to the vendor, tapping his finger on his counter frustratedly.
“You have to pay for that.”
“Oh, of course!” Aloette said, scrambling for her wallet, before handing over the appropriate amount of gold.
The vendor took it, before eyeing her up. “You’re that energetic girl, aren’t you? I’ve seen you bother the other vendors while I’ve been staying in town.”
“I hardly think I’m a bother.” Aloette corrected, before fitting the watermelon into her bag. “And thank for the food.”
“It’s your money.” He remarked, just as Aloette left the vendor to tend to other customers.
Aloette made a point to turn back around and start making her way back to the manor, just as the ocean breeze caught the back of her neck, reminding her of the other reason she wanted to head down to the docks that day.
She faced the palace, just above the marketplace and dwarfing it with its sheer presence. The building covered the opposing cliff face, running around its length, just off to the side of Intide proper.
Aloette carefully found her way over to the end of the docks, leading to a blocked-off walkway running parallel to the palace just against the edge of the ocean.
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The entrance, however, was fortunately unguarded, letting Aloette open the gate leading out to the walkway without hassle.
“That’s odd. The guards aren’t normally this careless.” Aloette said, before squeezing her way through and quietly making her way down.
As the walkway and palace exterior continued, the cliff overhead started to make itself known, stretching a shadow over the walkway and giving refuge from the sun’s heat.
Right as she reached halfway around, Aloette stopped and rested her hands on the railing, taking in the fresh air and temperate atmosphere, even as the looming presence of the palace guard finding her was still in the back of her mind.
This was her refuge.
Her moment of freedom from the doldrums of everyday life she’d grown so accustomed to.
A moment she could truly have to herse-
“PISS OFF!!!”
Aloette jumped suddenly, covering her head with her hands and ducking while frantically searching for the guards that found her, only to find no one around, giving her pause for thought.
“I SAID OFF!!!”
After calming herself, Aloette tried looking for the source of the voice, ducking over the railing and perching her head to inspect the rest of the palace, only to hear grunting coming from below her, drawing her eye to a grate built into the palace.
She ducked down and peered inside, before making out what looked to be a storeroom, housing various palace goods, with the only out of place object being the set of stockades in the centre, and the man inside them, trying his best to swat at the insects in his face.
“You absolute...” He groaned, attempting to blow them away, only for one to land in his mouth. “Arh-!”
He spat it out in frustration, giving him some relief from them bothering him, only for Aloette to knock on the bars rhythmically.
“Good day.”
The man, confused by the sudden voice coming from nowhere, jerked his head around, only to find a very innocent and curious face watching him from the grate above.
He stared back at her, before sighing out and trying to get comfortable. “Are the guards offering private viewings now?”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t talk to them.” Aloette answered, as she lay down and started kicking her legs. “My name’s Aloette.”
The man only acknowledged her in the most basic sense, before speaking. “...that’s a rich name.”
“Well, yes. My family is quite well off.” Aloette replied. “You’re a prisoner, aren’t you?”
The man took a second, before staring up at the ceiling.
“...rich and perceptive.”
“You must be that Sadashi I’ve heard about.” Aloette deduced, pressing her face to the bars. “The pirate, right?”
“You’ve heard correct.”
“Why are you locked up down here?”
“For being a pirate.”
Aloette chuckled to herself. “No, why are you down in here instead of the prison?”
Sadashi tried readjusting his legs, before breathing out again. “If I was in a more obvious cell, they're worried someone might be able to free me.” Sadashi replied, readjusting his legs again. “So they stowed me away with the provisions as a precaution. And to torture me with the constant smell of food I can’t eat.”
Aloette stared at him again, before turning around and sitting with her back to the wall. “Being a pirate sounds tough.”
“And this part doesn’t even involve sailing.” Sadashi remarked, before jumping at the sound of Aloette grabbing the bars.
“You know how to sail?!”
“Calm yourself, kid. It’s a pretty basic skill.” Sadashi insisted, as Aloette lay against the bars again.
“Oh, what’s it like out there? Surely, you must have some grand adventures with your crew.” Aloette asked, before her eyes lit up. “Have you travelled to The Further?!”
Sadashi kept his face stoic and unimpressed. “It’s a known death trap. I wouldn’t still be here if I had.”
“So it’s real?!” Aloette exclaimed, balling her fists and kicking her legs excitedly. “I just knew it! King Syrille denies it’s even out there, but I knew it had to exist!”
Sadashi scoffed at the mention of Syrille. “He would say that. He’s got a private map to help navigate towards it, and yet it’s ‘not even real’ in the eyes of the palace...”
Sadashi strained his vision to look back up at Aloette, as she rested her back to the bars again, taking in the ocean breeze.
“...why are you sitting here?”
Aloette turned her head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean why’s the daughter of a noble wandering onto the palace grounds and talking to a death row inmate?” Sadashi remarked, as Aloette sat more comfortably in the direction of the sea.
“This is the only place I can get a great view of the ocean.” Aloette admitted. “Everywhere else is either too busy or heavily guarded.”
Aloette pointed to the walkway and smiled. “But this one’s just lightly guarded.”
“So you knew you were breaking in...?” Sadashi remarked to himself, before shaking his head. “If you value your life, you’ll forget talking to me and avoid stirring up trouble, okay?”
Aloette turned around, as she could tell Sadashi was serious in his convictions.
“...I’m not much longer for this world.” Sadashi admitted, returning to his depressive slump. “Time spent talking with me would just be wasted. And I couldn’t live with myself if the daughter of a noble was caught up in the crimes of an enemy of Nestell.”
Aloette gave him a moment to breath, before standing back up. “If you say so.”
She left soon after, finally leaving Sadashi to sit alone with his thoughts once again, only for her to duck her head down to the grate again.
“But I’m coming back tomorrow.” Aloette insisted. “After all, you’re not long for this world, so I only have so much longer to get to know you.”
Sadashi tried not to acknowledge her, as she left properly this time, as Sadashi felt another insect crawling up his face again.
“I may just prefer you, bug...” Sadashi let out, before closing his mouth to avoid swallowing any more.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Unbeknownst to Aloette, extending her trip had taken up more time than she’d intended, as the light of the afternoon was slowly being replaced with twilight. Fortunately, the trip back home wasn’t much longer, as she made her way up the hill with her fairly heavy watermelon, already having cleared most of the way.
“Perhaps...the carriage...is still an option...” She reasoned, before taking a needed break, as she rested outside one of the alleyways splintering off from the main street, staring inside of it out of curiosity.
A couple lanterns lit up its interior, indicating various bars, but hardly anything grabbed Aloette’s attention, as she turned around and reached for her bag again, only to find a few figures looming over her, facing the alleyway.
The first one leaned down, before grinning at Aloette.
“Hey, girlie. You mind stepping aside?”
Aloette froze, as she got a better look at the gang, accurately deducing they were pirates. The woman in front of her stood back up proper, before dusting off her sharp red jacket.
“Okay, kid. It’s been a long day, and we need a drink.” The woman insisted, stepping closer, as Aloette found herself backing up. “We just wanna get by hassle-free.”
Aloette was still struggling with what to do, as she realised she’d accidentally left her bag on the ground, before the pirates realised as well and started digging through it.
“Hey, Nyra?”
The woman grit her teeth, before turning back. “Yeah? What’s in there?”
“Just a weird looking fruit and a wallet with a good amount in it.” Another pirate mentioned, holding up the wallet, as Nyra clicked her tongue in amusement.
“Well, I’ll be. Guess she’s paying for our drinks tonight.” Nyra remarked, before getting a better look at the frightened Aloette and smiling. “Hey, yeah. Now that I look at her, her blood does look kinda rich.”
Aloette noticed one of the pirates reaching for their revolver, as she started to panic even more, holding up her hands and backing up into the alley further.
“Kid, you gonna play hardball?” Nyra asked, slowly hemming Aloette in. “We got your wallet, we just wanna see if you’ve got anything else on ya.”
“I-I-I don’t...I-I’m not...holding a-anything...” Aloette managed, as Nyra held out her hands.
“She finally speaks.” Nyra joked, getting a laugh from the other pirates, before lowering herself to Aloette’s height. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”
Nyra reached for her side and pulled out a rusted cutlass, as Aloette’s eyes shrank in fear, before she backed up even more.
Just as the pirates were closing in, Aloette took a deep breath, readying herself for what was to come, before holding out her hand toward them.
“S-Stop! You’ll stop yourselves a-at once!”
Unsurprisingly, this hardly deterred her pursuers, as Aloette struck a dynamic pose.
“I command you to stop!”
They only came in closer, surrounding her on each end, as Aloette closed her eyes and scrunched up her hands.
“And why should we, girlie?” Nyra let out, reaching far enough to caress Aloette’s face with her cutlass, right before Aloette blurted out her truest declaration.
“Because...”
“B-Because...”
“B-Because I’m going to become the Pirate Princess!!!”
It took a moment for the pirates to register what she’s said, mostly due to the sheer whiplash of the statement against their attempt to intimidate.
The first one to crack, however, was Nyra, who went from wickedly smiling to howling with laughter and clutching at her stomach.
“Holy shit, the pirate princess?!” Nyra laughed, almost falling over. “What are you, five?!”
The other pirates backed off a bit, as Nyra struggled to catch her breath during her laughing fit.
Aloette was similarly in two minds, wondering if she should use the opportunity to duck out of the alley, or wait for a safer chance to guarantee her escape.
“Oh my god, the balls on this girl!” Nyra hollered, wiping tears from her eye. “That doesn’t mean anything! It’s just words!”
Nyra gave herself a moment to collect herself, before standing back up and chuckling lowly.
“Of all the people we coulda come across...” Nyra smirked, as she put her cutlass away. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard in months.”
Aloette noticed Nyra approaching again, as she froze up, hoping not to provoke her further, only for Nyra to start walking past, followed by the rest of the pirates.
“Kid, you gave me a good laugh.” Nyra said, patting Aloette’s shoulder assertively. “We’re keeping the wallet, but you’re free to scram.”
Aloette turned around as they started heading into one of the bars, before Nyra stopped by the door and smiled again.
“And let’s hope we don’t run into each other again.” Nyra threatened, tapping her cutlass handle. “Okay?”
Aloette quickly nodded back, as Nyra headed into the bar proper, right before Aloette fell to the ground, sinking to her knees now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
Her face was still slightly cold from the sword blade pressed against it, as well as the slowly approaching cold of night that was starting to become more apparent.
She slowly managed to get herself back on her feet, before looking around for her bag.
She found it discarded by the side of the alley, now lacking a wallet, but with the watermelon fortunately intact.
Taking a heavy breath, she collected her things and started heading back up the hill, trying to speed up her ascent, before arriving at her manor soon after.
Right as she opened the front door, she noticed Evans grabbing his coat, before turning to address her.
“Miss Everday.” Evans greeted. “I was just about to go out looking for you.”
Aloette took another breath, before dragging her bag inside and smiling. “Well, you needn’t have worried! And one watermelon, just as promised!”
“My my, that must have been heavy to carry. Did you at least take the carriage back?” Evans asked, as Aloette waved her hand dismissively.
“It was one watermelon. Hardly an issue.” Aloette played off, dropping the bag by Evans feet. “Now, I believe I suggested a dinner using this.”
“I’ll get right on that.” Evans offered, taking the bag off her hands, before noticing Aloette heading up the main stairway. “Aren’t you going to come to the dining room?”
“I think I’ll take a break in my room. I’ll join you in a moment.” Aloette excused, as Evans bowed and left, letting Aloette take her time going back to her room.
Opening the door, she pulled herself in, before closing it behind her and heading back for the window, resting against it as the day finally turned over to night.
Intide was asleep, with the only presence of life being the lights still shimmering from the occasional window, and the reflection of the moon cast off the coastline, standing out against the city as it always had.
Aloette lay her head back, staring out at the city again, before letting out a sigh of relief.
“One day...”
She caressed the window, feeling the slight tinge of cold coming off of it, before pulling back.
“One day I’ll see you again...”
She eventually got up, feeling ready to head out and leave the confines of her room, but not before staying a moment longer and staring at the window, just as the moonlight bled in once again.
“...soon...”