From Riches to Rags

VIII. - The Gift

"Oh, I wasn't expecting you," she muttered, stepping back and gesturing for him to come in. "I was hoping it was Tom who was coming to tell me that he had changed his mind and I could stay."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Dex muttered, narrowing his eyes at the princess. He instantly wanted to take his words back as he looked into her blue-gray eyes and saw how red they were, extra moisture looking as though it might spill over at any time. She put on a brave face, but Dex could tell she was upset about being kicked out.

"No, that's not what I meant," Elizabeth replied shaking her head. She took a deep, calming breath before continuing, "What's up?"

Dex scrubbed a hand across his brow, wondering what he was going to say, "I don't really know why I came up to see you." Okay, he wasn't off to a great start.

Elizabeth tilted her head to the side and scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. Dex pushed a lung-full of air out through his mouth, struggling to find the words.

"I don't flirt with women, I hardly even talk to them, aside from the polite thank you every now and then. I certainly don't kiss them in tavern kitchens on a whim," Dex stared into her eyes, pleading with her to understand what he was trying to say, even though he was saying it so poorly. "Not since..." Dex shook his head, stopping himself. He would not go there, this girl did not need to know his life story.

"I'm a pirate, I care about my crew, my ship, and the ocean, so I really don't know why I came up here," he continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh," Elizabeth said, confusion clearly written all over her face.

"I guess I just...I've been through...I understand the situation you're going through," Dex struggled to find the right words to tell her, without telling her too much. "There isn't a lot I can do to help you, my men and I are leaving on an expedition tomorrow. The ocean and a ship full of men is no place for a princess, but I want to help in some way."

Dex held out the bag of gold, gesturing for Elizabeth to take it. She reached out and grabbed the small sack from him and at its weight, she scrunched her eyebrows together. She untied the leather drawstrings and gasped as she peered inside.

"It's pirate's treasure, which means it was stolen, so I'm not sure you want it," Dex shrugged, hoping she wouldn't turn down his gift simply because he was a pirate. "But it's what I can do to help."

The Princess looked up from the gold and studied him for a moment, increasing his level of discomfort. "Thank you Dex," she breathed. Then a little louder she said, "It...it really means a lot."

Dex waved a hand at her, dismissing her thanks, it really was the least he could do. He felt his heart give a small leap in his chest that she didn't refuse his gift and he frowned inwardly at that.

"Okay, well, I need to get down to my ship and prepare to set sail in the morning," he awkwardly took a slow step back. "So good luck, I hope everything works out for you," he allowed a small smile to pull up the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you, I'm glad I had the chance to meet you," Elizabeth beamed up at him.

At the look she gave him, Dex turned and hurried out of her room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Elizabeth

Liz stayed staring at her door, the smile slowly slipping off her face.

Well...that was unexpected.

Shifting the weight of the gold in her hand, Elizabeth smiled as she turned and put it into her sack with the small number of other belongings she had. This gold was just what she needed, now she could buy food and maybe some more clothes and she wouldn't need to stop to work again until she got where she was headed. Wherever that was.