Fit to be Queen [Sinbad x OC]

part eight

Iris woke up the next morning in her own bed, not remembering how she got there. She must have fallen asleep sitting in the small crow's nest beside Sinbad. Apprehensively realizing that the man probably carried her to her bed, she leapt up and went to a mirror to see if there were any new marks or if anything was out of place.

She seemed fine, though. She couldn't see or feel any signs that he did anything other than carry her to her mattress.

She was then overcome with a different wave of anxiety. Today was the day where they were set to come across the pirates. Sinbad was trusting her to fight alongside him, the Generals, and the soldiers. But she had never fought in such a large group; she had only ever attacked one person at a time, and rarely ever head-to-head. She was nervous and didn't want to let anyone - especially the King - down.

Once again, there was a knock and Sinbad let himself in, humming, "Good morning, Iris."

"Morning." She muttered.

"How are you doing?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

She sighed, deciding whether or not to be vulnerable in front of him. Ultimately, she figured now was the time to let her walls down. "Honestly, I'm anxious."

"I think you're going to be fine. Great, even." He encouraged. He stood behind her as she looked at herself in the mirror. "You're strong. And you're surrounded by other strong people. Even if anything happens where you're in a bad position, I'll save you." He declared with pride.

His cocky comment brought a smirk to her face. "It's not like I'll need saving." She joked.

"I guess I'm the one you'd need saving from." He snaked an arm around her waist, attempting to turn her around, but the girl was learning his habits and moves. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it, shoving her elbow into his ribcage, making him bend over and clutch his gut with a wince.

"Nice try." She hummed with pride. "But I'm catching up." She lifted her chin and looked down on him confidently.

"Looks like I won't need to look out for you." He admitted through gritted teeth.

----------

Even though she managed to counter the King, Iris was still overwhelmed with nervousness as the hours went on and on. The seas grew rougher as rain clouds covered the sky, shielding the sun, but no pirates were in sight. The fleet they were expecting was large, so they should be able to see them miles in the distance.

Rain began to drizzle on the deck, obstructing their view of the horizon, but it almost everyone was outside, waiting for them to encounter the pirates.

"This is caused by magic." Sinbad claimed, using his affinity for the Rukh to determine it so. "They're getting close."

Noticing the girl's nerves, he grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers in her small, delicate ones. She didn't fight it. She squeezed his hand back, welcoming the unspoken assurance that he offered.

Pisti swept by the side of their ship, leading the boat to the left of them. She was riding on a large bird, readying to land due to the rain. "They're about five kilometers ahead. We should brace for attack." She said, her high-pitched voice solemn and serious.

The King nodded. "Let me confront them first."

With that, Pisti retreated to her ship and the violet-haired man looked forward sternly.

The next couple of minutes could have been just a few, or nearly an hour, but the tenseness of the wait made the time draw out as though it felt infinite.