Treasure

Chapter 76

"Yes." Emma turned to him with a wide smile, "I was thinking I could practice some shooting with my bow and arrows a bit later?" She pondered out loud cautiously.

It was clear she was asking for his permission if she could be alone. He really had no reason to deny her wish, except for this unsettling feeling. He was tempted to say no for more than one reason but also remembered he had promised to ease up a bit and allow her some time alone. Besides his promise, he knew she needed practice with her least favorite weapon and she surely couldn't practice too much with it on the ship. He let out a sigh, "Aye. I don't see why not." He smiled.

The princess squealed as she hugged him, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He let out a small chuckle as he returned the hug, "Alright, let go gather the supplies and get something to eat."

As the day passed, Emma and Killian were able to gather everything they needed and even a few extra items. Luckily no one gave them a hard time, nor did anyone recognize the famous princess. As early evening approached, the two decided it was time to join the crew in a nearby tavern for dinner. Throughout the day, Killian's uneasy feeling lingered but ultimately didn't feel there were any threats around.

As they entered the tavern, many crew members started to cheer, clearly drunk. Emma smiled at the happy crew as she pulled Killian's hand towards the back of the tavern, where they usually resided. Around were many other pirates, but none seemed interested in flirting with the gorgeous princess, much to Killian's delight. "You weren't kidding when you said this was a famous pirate stop." Emma remarked as she took her seat.

"Aye." The captain smiled, "Shall I fetch us a pitcher of rum?"

"Whatever you fancy." She replied, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

As he walked away he glanced over his shoulder one last time to find her blushing at him. It still amazed him that even after all this time together, she still made his heart race. Not a day went by where the sound of her voice didn't calm him. He felt it was more calming than the sea itself. She was home. No matter where they went or how far they traveled, he always wanted her there. Not to protect her, but because she made everything better. From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning to him having to carry her to bed at night, she provided endless happiness. Happiness he didn't think was imaginable.

"What can I get you?" The barman asked behind the counter.

"A pitcher of rum." The captain responded, still staring at Emma.

The slender barkeeper noticed what his customer was looking at, "She must be worth every penny."

Killian looked down at the ground, trying to compose himself before answering. He hated when other men commented such ignorance. No one in the world, not even him, could afford her in the way that the man was thinking. She was far better than any wench, she was a damn princess. To him, a queen. But he couldn't come out and reveal her status in a tavern full of drunken pirates. "I can assure you she's not what you think." He responded, still not making eye contact with the man.

The barman laughed as he brought the pitcher out, "Women are never what we think." He commented, "I can tell you love her."

The captain caught himself smiling. He had no clue it was so obvious, "Aye, she's-"

As the captain looked up, he was greeted by a tall and slender man with jet black hair, and a matching beard. He had brown eyes that were all too familiar. And the more he thought about it, his voice was one he wished he could forget. All those nights as a boy came flooding back to him... the nights he'd be scared to fall asleep, scared he wouldn't get a meal that day, scared he'd be beaten to death... all because this man in front of him abandoned him and his brother when they weren't even able to fend for themselves. That uneasy feeling started to make sense now. It didn't have anything to do with Emma being on this island, it had everything to do with the fact that his father was on this island.