With the Seas ~ A Hetalia Fan Fiction

Chapter 15 ~ Memories

 “Miss Vincent, where are you? Damn it! Answer me, you wanker!”

 “I’m over here,” I manage.

 A minute later, I hear footsteps, and Captain Kirkland appears before me. As he nears me, I hastily wipe at my face with the back of my hand.

 “Just what have you been doing here? You’ve been gone for almost half an hour, and I was starting to wor – wonder just how sick you were. So, I –” he stops and squints at me through the darkness.

 “Are you crying?”

 Instead of answering, I brush away the stray tears and face away from him. Moments pass until a bitter laugh escapes my lips.

 “I remembered something a little while ago, something very important. In fact, it’s something so important that I can’t believe I ever forgot it.”

 Another bitter laugh escapes.

 Captain Kirkland is silent for several heartbeats.

 “What did you remember?” he asks his voice barely above a whisper.

 I turn around, cerulean eyes glistening.

 “I remembered what happened seven years ago.”

 ***

 “I told you already, didn’t I? My father, James Vincent, crafted the most beautiful swords. He was quite well-known actually. Government officials, soldiers, and nobility would personally come to our home in England to purchase his wares from time to time. However, my father would usually have to take commissions and deliver them to the commissioner in person. You see, it was a way for him to travel, to see new places. Sometimes, Father would bring Mother and me along. A ship sent over from the commissioner would have the three of us board it, and then we’d sail away…”

 “Seven years ago, a man called Commodore Burnstead commissioned Father to craft three swords of differing designs. They were supposed to be gifts for the Commodore’s three sons. I think Father mentioned they were triplets. So, my father accepted the commission. Mother and I decided to come along, and a week after the swords were made, we set sail for Port Zephyr. It was to be a three to four week voyage, which was nothing new. Everything was perfect; the skies were clear, the ocean was calm; then two weeks into the voyage, we were attacked.”

 “Our ship was battered by cannon fire, and it slowly began to sink. Father and I were below deck before the attack. He had been explaining to me a new fencing technique. When the first volley of cannons hit, we immediately rushed up the steps in search of Mother. Seawater had seeped into the ship and was steadily rising.”

 “’It’s alright, darling. We’ll be fine. Once we find your mother, we’ll find a longboat and go somewhere safe. I promise you, we’ll all be fine,’ he said to me as we raced down the hallways.”

 “At the time, I believed him.”

 “It was only when we arrived on deck that I began to doubt him. Small fires had started in several places, the sails were torn, and bloody corpses were scattered everywhere. A group of men stood amongst the carnage – pirates. They were laughing gleefully at the chaos around them. Then one of them noticed Father and me.”

 “’Oi, Captain! We missed a couple.’”

 “’So we did… Now who will be the first to fall?’”

 “The pirate captain grinned evilly and reached into his coat. The other pirates shouted out enthusiastically who they preferred to die first as if it were some spectator sport. Father stepped in front of me, took my hand, and gave it a tight squeeze before letting go. I looked up at him, I was so scared, and he smiled gently at me.”