The words "We've spotted him, your highness!" were called out loudly, reaching all throughout the ship and causing all inhabitants to shift from placid and uncaring to vigilant and alert in an instant. King River followed the shouting sailor's finger with his eyes, squinting in the bright morning sun, and spotted a ship in the distance. On its flag was a pirate symbol—Ludo's treacherous emblem. The white silhouette of a great bald eagle, its wings spread out in a glorious arc, rested on top of a large spider. The pale hue of the symbol contrasted brilliantly against the black background of the hoisted banner.
They sailed after the pirate ship, gradually approaching it as it made no sudden attempt to flee from its pursuers. When the royal vessel had come close enough to the ship to touch it, hooks were flung over its side and it was pulled in beside them, much to the monsters on board's surprise.
Standing at the quarter deck of the ship and glaring menacingly at the oncoming attackers was its captain, Ludo. "Well, well, well," he sneered. "What have we here?"
The Mewnan crew stood in position at the edge of the ship facing Ludo and awaiting orders to lower the planks and storm in. The King stood up as tall as he could make himself and bellowed, "Release my daughter, you fiend!"
Ludo chortled amusedly. "The princess? She's not here, you fool!" Several monsters let out a small chuckle.
River's eyes went wide and he grabbed at his beard. "You.. the...—"
Tom stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "Nonsense. You didn't do a very good job at covering your tracks," he said, pulling out the feather found in Star's room and presenting it to the crowd in front of him. "They must be holding her captive inside of the ship."
"Yes!" King River nodded his head in agreement. "Find her!"
At his command, the Royal crew charged onto the ship, engaging in a tight battle with the monsters. Tom watched as River rushed into the fray, his lips parted while a war cry erupted from them.
Nonchalantly looking at the scene and then out over the water, he pulled a handheld mirror out of his satchel. It was a rustic gold, bestrewn with an assortment of beautiful jewels. Tom gazed at his reflection in the object and whispered a few words to it.
As if he had never been there in the first place, the clash carried on, the Mewmans determined to find their princess and the monsters determined to defeat their attackers.
•·················•·················•
Star awoke the same way she had the previous day. Lying on the cold, hard floorboards while the vessel she inhabited rocked back and forth. She was still dressed in the navy blue dress from last night's dinner. The blonde sat up and groaned. Her head was pounding, sharp and heavy.
Last night's dinner? She thought to herself. What... happened?
She placed a hand to her temple and massaged it as she tried to recall the events of the previous night. They had sat down for a meal in Marco's cabin. There was stew, and—no. She hadn't. Had she had more than just a sip of the rum?
Star got to her feet and looked around the room for a change of clothing. There was nothing of interest, just the bunk next to her, the plain sheets ruffled from her slumber.
Discouraged and definitely not in the mood to go out and interact with the crew, the princess slumped back onto the bed and pulled the sheets over her.
Just as she was getting comfortable, the door shot open and sunlight poured into the dim cabin. A large BANG! Shortly ensued as it smacked the adjacent wall.
This elicited a flash of pain in Star's head, hard and hot. She grimaced and squinted at the trespassing rays of light. She could make out a silhouette standing in the doorframe. As her eyes adjusted, Marco came into view.
She sat up slowly and croaked a "Good morning" while rubbing her eyes. Guess she wouldn't be going back to sleep.
Marco smirked and said "Good afternoon, you mean. You've been asleep for quite awhile." he walked towards her and set down a pile of clothing on the edge of the bed. "Here's a change of clothes. I'll be outside."
Before he could leave she called out, "Wait!" prompting him to turn around. "What... happened last night?" a blush crept up her cheeks, coloring them a light rose.
Marco chuckled as he said "You went a little crazy on the rum. It wasn't too long before you were so drunk you didn't know where you were." He shot her a smile. "Naturally, I brought you back to get some rest."
"Oh, um..." she blinked, surprised not only by her reckless actions but also by his chivalrous one. "Thank you. Sorry about that."
He gave a slight nod before exiting the room, closing the door behind him to give her privacy.
He's quite well-mannered for a pirate, she thought to herself as she got out of bed. Besides kidnapping me, that is.
Lying on her bed was a long beige dress with beautifully interwoven floral patterns curling and twisting along the hem, which ended just below the knees. The chiffon sleeves reached past her forearms, embroidered with the same design. The piece was modest, but had a certain charm to it.
She donned the garb and left the cabin, wondering where all the dresses had come from.
The first thing Star thought when she walked out onto the deck was that it was hard to believe there had been a skirmish with monsters on board just yesterday. For a second she was convinced the ordeal had been a dream, but she knew if it had been then the entire kidnapping situation would have to be too, and that was asking too much.
"Go fish!" a voice yelled cheerily from the middle of the deck. The entirety of the crew sat around a round wooden table, each with a hand of cards and a focused expression on their face. Did they have nothing better to do?
A girl with short black hair grumbled and drew a card. Janna, Star thought, attaching names to faces as she surveyed the scene. She noticed that Marco was nowhere to be seen.
Unsure of what to do, she took a few steps towards the group of crew members that were heartily laughing away, poking fun at each other and playing around. Seeing them getting along reminded Star of her best friend, Pony Head, and she began to smile as the memories they had made came flooding back to her. She couldn't wait to see her, to tell her about the new adventure she had gone on—the one she was on right now. As soon as she got home, she would—she would...
She took a deep breath and her eyes began to moisten. She wiped at them, fighting back the tears that were starting to come.
"I win!" the boy with orange hair—the one who had yelled before—practically shrieked at the others as he displayed his cards smugly.
Star glanced up, startled, and saw Marco openly staring at her from across the deck, a genuine look of concern on his face. When caught looking, he blinked and shifted his eyes, moving to scratch his head.
Star got a hold of herself, brushing off her dress subconsciously. She found herself wondering about the true feelings behind Marco's gaze, but her thoughts scattered as her stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten much last night, had she?
•·················•·················•
Tom quickened his pace as he turned into a shady alleyway, a shortcut to his home, the palace of the underworld. He kept his head low and made his way through the dangerous streets without incident. Although he usually avoided stepping foot in the wicked city, it couldn't be helped. The mirror could only teleport him so far, after all.
As he approached the menacing front gates to the castle, he stood tall and the guards, upon recognizing him, let him through. He walked through his mother's beloved garden of souls and through the main doors into the large entry hall. On the wall hung a collection of macabre paintings—his mother's favorites—as well as an assortment of medieval-themed props. Suits of armor, hanging swords, and even a few large ornate armoires spotted the room, giving it a haunting, yet, Tom felt, homely feeling.
He worked his way through a winding maze of similarly decorated hallways before reaching his destination. He knocked three times then slowly creaked the door open. Sitting at a large oak desk awaiting Tom's arrival was his father.
"It's been done," Tom reported, placing his arms behind his back. "The Mewman navy is attempting to rescue their beloved princess from the clutches of Ludo and his monsters as we speak."
"Good," his father replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Now that they're distracted, we seize the opportunity to recapture the princess ourselves."