The Royal & The Pirate

A Pirate's Life For Who?

He rode for at least a half hour until he finally reached Juliana's tiny home. He knocked on the door and Juliana opened it up.
"Abram!" She gasped surprised. "What are you...?"
Abram stared into her cocoa brown eyes. "I've made my mother very angry."
Juliana knew he was distressed, and she took his hand, in her very small one. "What happened Abe?"
"I-I told her I wouldn't wed Princess Mary." He answered shaking his head, blonde hair falling over his blue eyes.
Juliana's mouth dropped, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Abe, why would you do that?"
"I-because, because..I don't know Julie." Abram answered, putting his head on her shoulder.
"Abram...everything's okay. It'll blow over, it always does." Juliana assured her friend, her best friend, who coincidentally was the prince. Abram didn't return to the castle for many hours. When he finally did his mother was waiting for him, arms crossed and a sour look on her face.
"Well?" She glared.
"I still will not wed Mary." Abram said emotionlessly.
"Why?!" His mother half-yelled.
"Because I don't love her, mother!" Abram yelled, and pushed his hair out of his face.
"That doesn't matter!" His mother exclaimed.
"Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter?" Abram said incredulously, "it matters to me!"
"You're a prince! You don't get to fall in love and marry whomever you want!" His mother explained angrily.
"I already have fallen in love, Mother, and I don't want to be with Mary!" Abram countered.
"Oh yeah? Who is this girl then?" His mother yelled.
"Juliana! I love Juliana, mother!" Abram answered.
"Juliana? The girl from Tierra de Riquezas?" Abram's mother's voice became deadly calm, and he suddenly regretted ever mentioning her. She chuckled. She called for a troop of guards. "You have two choices."
"Yes?" Abram asked nervously.
"Marry Princess Mary, and banish Juliana in front of the entire kingdom, or, watch her be hanged. It's your choice, son." The Queen said seriously. "Those are your choices."
"No.." Abram said, falling to a knee.
Banish Juliana? Hang Juliana? Marry Mary?
"That's not fair, mother."
"Life isn't fair." The Queen sneered.
"I won't watch her be hanged, I won't." Abram said more to himself than anyone.
"Then you will banish her from the kingdom, tomorrow, at noon, in front of everyone." The Queen said almost happily.
"But.."
"And, the guards will bring her to the prison tonight. So go, fetch her, guards." The Queen gave an order, and as they passed the prince many gave him sad, sorry looks.
"Also, son," the Queen said solemnly, "You will banish her for her race. Her blood is that of the Riquezeans, and you will banish her as if you never knew her."
"But mother..." Abram protested, "This is wrong!"
"I. Don't. Care." She said icily.
Six years of his life Abram had spent adoring Juliana. She was this whole new world, the one he wanted to live in. She wasn't snotty or arrogant like Mary. She was sweet and caring and absolutely amazing. Each thing his mother hates about her, was what he loved the most.
Abram didn't sleep. He thought of Juliana in the dungeons. He thought of what she would do once she was banned. Where would she go? What would happen to her?
He prepared for the announcement, preparing to speak in front of the entire kingdom.
"I promise this is the right choice." The Queen said softly to her son.
Abram just sighed sadly, and peered out at the people. He stepped out and began to speak.
"Today," he said loudly, "You will witness the banishing of a young lady who is born of the Riquezeans!"
The guards brought out Juliana, who had a clothe in her mouth, no shoes, and bruises where the shackles were around her wrists. The sight hurt Abram to see. Her normally perfect dark hair was tangled and disheveled. Her cocoa brown eyes were red with lack of sleep and tears. She was crying through the cloth.
"Ab-rahm! Mno!" She was sobbing and trying to communicate. Some of the kingdom's subjects cheered, while others booed and yelled.
"Ambe!" Juliana's muffled cries sent Abram's heart shattering.
"Juliana Baker is the daughter of The Enemy, and one of our own." Abram continued. "Her father, who was our own, died in battle with The Enemy."
Juliana didn't understand. Abram had been her best friend, and now he acted as if she wasn't a human being. She stared at him, her gaze never wavering. She was confused and scared and didn't no how to react. Her best friend was banishing her from his kingdom? For being Riquezean. The Enemy, was a country called Tierra de Riquezas, that had separated from Spain.
¿Qué haré? Juliana asked herself. What am I to do?
"Juliana Baker is hereby, and forever, banished from this kingdom." Abram finished, "guards, take her away."
"Amb-rahm! Mno!" Juliana began screaming again.
"Mno puemdos mhacer emsto!" She screamed. The cloth finally fell out of her mouth.
"¿Por qué Abram? ¡Eres mi mejor amigo! ¿Por qué me tracionas?" (Translation: Why Abram? You were my best friend! Why did you betray me? ) Juliana cried, all words directed at Abram.
He knew what she had said and all he could say was, "guards, get her out of here!"
"Abram no." Juliana said slumping to the ground, crying as she was dragged away and loaded onto a prisoner carriage. They would take her to the outside of the kingdom, and from there she would be left alone.
The carriage ride was bumpy, and Juliana's eyes were red and burning.
Why would he do this? She thought. What was he thinking?
Juliana didn't know where she would go or what she would do. She even knew the guards who were taking her away, and they quickly told her how sorry they were.
For a few days Juliana wondered between small fishing villages, that were not part of Abram's kingdom. She ended up in a very lively are. There were line with music and filled to the brims. She quickly learned this city was a pirate port. She didn't want to work as a serving wench, and so she thought awhile.
What if you were a pirate?
Could she make it as a pirate?
She saw a younger man calling to his crew near his ship. He was probably about 21. He had his own ship and he was its captain. Yes, he was a pirate.
"Hey!" Juliana called.
"Aye!" The young captain called back. "What do yer want?"
"To be part of your crew." Juliana answered matter-of-factly.
"Part of ma' crew?" The captain laughed, "you're just a lass!"
"I'll be sixteen in about a month." Juliana said, "And I refuse to be a serving wench!"
"You refuse aye?" The captain raised an eyebrow. "Why should I let ye' on my crew then?"
"I'm good with a sword." Juliana answered calmly.
"A girl that's good with a sword?" The captain inquired, "Where's you learn to use a sword?"
"My father taught me growing up. He died in war." Juliana said.
"Anything else?" The captain asked.
"Unlike most of your crew, I'm educated. And I'm definitely quieter." Juliana said tilting her head.
"You sure that's it?" The captain asked.
"And who would suspect a 'lass' to do anything that's no good? You need someone like me on your crew, captain." Juliana said finishing her argument.
"Okay. Ye' passed. Welcome aboard ma' crew. What's your name?" The captain said gesturing for Juliana to climb up the rope to get on the boat. She did so, never slipping or losing her grip.
"Me llamo Juliana." She said.
"Aye?" The captain said.
"Juliana, and did I mention I speak Spanish?" Juliana said.
"That could be valuable." The captain rubbed his beard, "I'm Captain Collin Sworde. But you'll call me Captain Sworde."
"Sí." Juliana said shaking her head.
"Oh, and you can't be wearing that and work on my ship." Captain Sworde said, and disappeared into a room momentarily. He returned with a white mens' blouse and the tightest brown leather pants he could find to fit her. "You can go put these on."
"Aye Captain Sworde." Juliana said.
"After that help hoist the sails." He said and parted ways with her. The clothes were comfortable, and she caught on quickly on how to hoist the sails.
"Time to hit the seven seas, crew!" Captain Sworde called out.
Juliana was used to life on the sea almost immediately. It wasn't long until they raided her first ship. A royal ship from a small country she hadn't heard of. They had tons of birds on board, along with gold and silver coins. Of course she did her job and got as much as she could carry in big sacks. She did take second to look at the birds, and noticed a tiny gray bird in a tiny cage. It had an orange beak, and looked like it had a mustache. It was the only one like it on the boat, and she snatched up the little bird in the little wire cage. She took back what she had to the boat, and hid the bird. She then returned to the small royal ship and took more and more gold and silver, until there was nothing left.
Captain Sworde called for a small celebration. Juliana was really becoming part of the crew. All of the men accepted her, and luckily didn't try to make advances on her.
They all had nicknames on board, except for Captain Sworde, of course. Juliana went back to the hidden bird, and carefully took it out of the cage.
It hopped onto her hand and she pet his feathers gently.
"Hey," she cooed, "Are you glad to be out of that nasty cage?"
"What are you doing, Julie?" Captain Sworde asked behind her.
She jumped almost dropping the bird. "I-um."
"As soon as I saw all those birds I knew you'd grab one." Captain Sworde laughed.
"You're not mad?" Juliana asked cautiously.
"Mad? Why would a' be mad?" Captain chuckled.
"I don't know." Juliana said lightening up. She placed the bird on her shoulder. He just sat there contently.
"Inca Terns." Sworde said patting the bird. "Cute little things."
"Yeah." Juliana said, "Thank you again, for letting me on your crew."
"You've proven useful so far." Sworde said, "And I don't doubt you'll continue to."