A day later, Elodie awoke on the Golden Drake, where Kas was waiting to update her on all that had managed to transpire in that time.

Limuria had fallen, and many of the elders and General Archenar hadn't managed to escape. But the pirates had, with Carina and Alcor in tow. They returned to Veracruz, where Ventus and Jade made their announcement of their takeover of the Black-Sail Fleet. Captain Aubrey of the Vanity Fair had been the first to cheer them on and bend the knee, accepting the Hawkins siblings at the new Pirate Kings.

There would be some time to go before everyone would accept them, but their actions in Limuria would do a lot to further that claim, Kas decided.

Alcor and Carina were planning on joining Jade and Ventus on the Golden Drake to be pirates, and find out who they were besides royalty of a dead dynasty and a lost nation.

As for Keira Fleetwood, she and Captain Jennings had decided that they would claim that Keira Fleetwood had died in Limuria, with proof to claim the bounty.

Kiera Vance, however, was a mysterious new name aboard the Albatross.

Their next destination was to Leonida, to return Elodie home to Port Augustine. It would be two weeks to her debut party by the time she returned, so plenty of time to spare.

And, Kas promised, he would go with her, and be wed as soon as they could.

----------------------------------------

Being in Port Augustine again was haunting and familiar all at once. Never again would Elodie take the sea-breeze, the cobblestones and the city itself for granted again. In the time she had been away, she'd almost forgotten all the important details. Some of the city still suffered from the raid by the Foxtrot, but most had been rebuilt.

Luckily, the house on Brighton Row was untouched by the fire, and the servants had continued to receive their paychecks in the absence of a lady of the house. Rosemarine had been surprised to see Elodie return, but pleasantly so. She told Elodie to wait in the library—for Brendan Fleetwood had returned to at first oversee Elodie's debut, and then to investigate exactly what had happened over the past year.

So Elodie and Kas found themselves waiting in the Brighton Row house's library.

Kas placed his hands on his hips as he craned his neck to look up and around at the library and the redwood cabinets. "This is a rather nice room—I do hope the books are actually interesting."

"They are," Elodie assured him.

He drew closer to her. "I expect to spend many afternoons here, with you and I."

Elodie arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly what would we do?"

He tilted her chin up with his lithe fingers, pulling her in closer—

"Elodie Ann Fleetwood!"

The two broke away before they could fully kiss as a taller older gentleman threw open the doors to the library.

He was relatively tall, with long red hair tied back in the traditional ponytail of the older gentlemen, streaked with white and in some places faded into a grayer hue. He wore golden rimmed circular glasses and a faded green jacket.

"Grandfather." Elodie reluctantly curtsied for Brendan Fleetwood.

"You have a lot of nerve, showing up here after you ran after your mother, who you by the way didn't tell me had flown the coup!" The older man's gnarled hands curled into shaking fists. "You left this house abandoned, let your mother, a violent criminal, loose on the world—"

"It's not her fault, she was initially taken from here by her mother's enemies, she had nothing to do with her mother originally leaving." Kas moved back toward Elodie, a silent gesture of support.

"You—what—?" Brendan blinked.

Elodie cleared her throat, remembering the posture and voice she took as the lady of the house. It came as easily to her as ever."I sailed with Captain Jennings, after she rescued me from my mother's enemies."

"Why would you do that?"

"I went with Captain Jennings to keep her protection, and so that my mother's enemies wouldn't find me."

"You should have asked for Captain Jennings to return you to me and my estate!" Brendan ran a hand through his white-streaked red hair. "We would have been able to protect you, and then your reputation wouldn't have been more at risk than it already was with your mother—"

"You don't have to worry about my reputation." Elodie crossed her arms over her chest and drew herself to her full height. She was a destroyer, a warrior, as much a pirate as her parents were—at least, in spirit. "Because I already have a marriage match."

"What?" Brendan's eyebrows shot well over the rim of his glasses. "Marriage match—"

Stolen story; please report.

"Yes." Elodie reached for Kas's hand. Kas firmly clasped hers. "I have found a love match in my time abroad and I intend to marry him as soon as possible."

"You cannot marry a man you met on whatever sordid misadventures you managed to find yourself on!" Brendan cried. "Not when you have the chance to gain so much! No granddaughter of mine is marrying a pirate!"

"Oh, but I am not a pirate, my good sir." Kas stepped forward. "I am a privateer, on the Albatross for the Albionese navy. Captain Jennings can write a letter of recommendation that confirms my service to the crown."

Brendan's right eye twitched and a snarl curled up his lip at the mention of Captain Jennings. He ignored Kas, continuing to look at Elodie.

"He's still a sailor, a common man, Elodie."

"Oh, but he isn't," Elodie said earnestly. "Kas—I mean, Kaspar—is the second son of the Duke of Silvershire. A fine estate, I am told, quite wealthy and with a great many connections. A true member of the aristocracy—surely that would be high enough for your designs?"

Brendan tilted his head, visibly considering this.

"That's all well and good, but you have no proof that this man is who he claims he is." Brendan eyed Kas warily.

"If it is proof of my birth, you can write to the Duchess of Silvershire, she'll confirm exactly what I have told you, and I also have this." With a flourish, he placed his hand out, the signet ring for the House of Beaumont prominent. "You can take a look, if you would like to be quite sure."

Brendan examined the ring for a long time, leaning in quite close to Kas's curled fist. He tilted his head this way and that.

". . . It is legitimate." Brendan pushed his glasses up his nose as he straightened his posture. He sounded surprised, disappointed, and reluctant all at one.

Kas smirked and withdrew his hand. "I assume there will be no further questions?"

"No. . . sire." Brendan looked as if he were swallowing a dagger to call Kas by the honorific. "I suppose we should then arrange a wedding date, and cancel the catering and the rest for the debut party since there is no use in debuting—"

"No need," Elodie interrupted. "I see no reason to change all of this with only two weeks to go! What better reason to repurpose a debut than a wedding to the son of a duke?"

Brendan blinked as Elodie held his gaze. He seemed to visibly shrink before her, as it dawned on him that he was not going to get his way. Not this time.

"Well then, I suppose everything will be in order, then." Brendan coughed awkwardly. "I suppose I'll begin speaking with the caterer and the rest."

"That sounds good, you should do that," Kas offered earnestly.

"Right." Brendan lingered around the doorway. "I suppose it is good that you have returned, Elodie. Do try not to make a habit of it."

"Don't worry, I won't," Elodie said brightly.

"Right," Brendan repeated. Then he slipped out the door.

Kas stared after it for a long moment. Then he looked back to Elodie, a sly smile creeping up his face. He lightly brushed a strand of hair out of Elodie's face.

"Well then, darling, where were we?"

----------------------------------------

After the Greenheart departed the next day, returning to the Emerald Isle, that was when Keira and Captain Jennings emerged from the Albatross and the Eldora and Hawkins siblings from the Golden Drake to say their farewells.

"Are you going to be alright alone?" Keira brushed a stray lock out of Elodie's hair.

"I was alone for three months," Elodie pointed out. "And besides, I'm not alone anymore."

With that, she reached for Kas, taking his hand.

Keira nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "Good. You remind me of my Felix, you know."

"Thank you—"

Keira held up a finger. "Take care of her. Or I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully."

Kas visibly swallowed. "Yes, madam."

"Excellent."

Just then, Captain Jennings slipped next to her. The years melted away from Keira's face, her smile as radiant as the sun as she took Elizabeth's hand.

"Are we ready to set sail?"

"Yes, love." Captain Jennings did not look so stern, the years had melted away from her too.

How long had they been missing each other, been too angry to talk to each other when they were all they'd ever needed? They'd grieved their losses alone—but together again, they would be able to shared adventures and so much more.

Captain Jennings smiled at Kas. "I relieve you from duty, Kaspar. I hope this life brings you as much joy as my life on land once did."

She then looked to Elodie. "And thank you, thank you for—-"

She looked to Keira, and Elodie understood.

Thank you for bringing her back into my life.

"Thank you for saving me, and giving me a home for so long," Elodie said. "I hope you both will be very happy together."

"Aye, I think we can manage that." Mischief twinkled in Keira's green eyes. "Take care, storin."

With that, the pirate women left, and Kas and Elodie turned to their friends of the Golden Drake.

Or rather, Jade launched herself at Kas.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" She sobbed. "You'll send letters to Libertalia every week, or I'll come and make you write them!"

Kas laughed—but that also sounded like a sob. "I will, Jade, as long as you do the same."

"What will you do next?" Elodie turned to Ventus and Carina.

"We plan to go to Libertalia, and earn the title my father left for me." Ventus twisted the ring on his finger. "With the treasure, maybe we can fund other ventures like ours, and start to make more places like Libertalia, and make the ones that do exist more stable."

"A world with empires," Carina elaborated.

"And emperors." Alcor smiled. "I hope to make something of myself, something beyond the child-king that the elders thought they could control, or the last echos of a dying dynasty."

"I wish you both luck in your endeavors." Elodie meant it honestly. "I hope to see you plenty."

"You know, you would see us plenty if you went with us." Jade broke away from Kas and swiped tears from her face. "We'd be happy to have you aboard with us."

"I know." Elodie and Kas shared a glance. "But we have work to do here, to get the estate up and running again."

"Maybe after some time away, we'll be ready to sail again," Kas added.

Ventus nodded. "Well, if you ever change your mind, or need our aid, then just call on us. We'll be there."

They finished saying their goodbyes, and Kas and Elodie lingered together on the docks while their friends and family boarded their ships. They watched as both the Golden Drake and the Albatross sailed off into the golden sunset. Elodie knew this wouldn't be the last time that she saw either of them. They'd be back, and perhaps someday soon, both she and Kas would join them for another adventure aboard the high seas and low skies.

But for now, she was home, and hopefully, it would become Kas's home too.

When both ships had disappeared into pinpricks, Kas turned to her, offering his arm.

"I think it high time to return home, darling." His hazel eyes glimmered with mischief. "I cannot wait to try the cuisine of home-cooking in Leonida. May I?"

Elodie accepted his arm, pleased with how they fit together so effortlessly. "You may."