The Princess and the Pirate, ch 15: The Invasion of Christeland

They had been on the seas for days and days; Fioretta had lost count. She had lost hope. She found herself sleeping rather than face the nothingness of being a prisoner at sea as she became more despondent. The prisoners were no longer hungry or thirsty as the crew followed Captain Matthew's orders. Somehow, though, Fioretta felt empty. They were heading back to her homeland, but what would its state be? What decisions of sacrifice would her father be forced to make to secure her life?

Just after twilight descended upon them one evening, the prisoners began to hear the sounds of battle—cannons, shouts, explosions. It was amidst the clamor of the crew rushing about, preparing for battle themselves, that Captain Matthew came down into the hold carrying a lit torch. He set the torch in its holder and unchained all the prisoners, pushing his finger to his lips for silence. Fioretta could tell that Christopher was deciding whether or not to take the opportunity to overpower the pirate, but one glance from her stayed his mind. The others naturally followed his lead.

Captain Matthew walked over to a rather barren wall and pressed two particular knots at the same time. Fioretta's eyes widened in surprise as a door pushed back at his touch then slid into the wall, giving them a narrow opening into the unknown. Captain Matthew grabbed the torch and motioned them all to go inside. Once everyone had entered, Captain Matthew closed the door and took the lead.

As they descended a narrow flight of stairs, following the flickering light, Fioretta wondered vaguely whose side Captain Matthew was really on. Was he trying to help them escape? Was he taking them to certain doom? Was he simply transferring them so they could be used as bargaining chips to change the tides of the battle?

At the bottom of the stairs, three rowboats set waiting. He indicated that they should all get into the first two boats. After all the prisoners were aboard, Captain Matthew stepped over to a panel of knobs, levers, and handled wheels. He pulled a lever, and water came into the room. When the water reached a certain level, he pulled another lever, and a door, like a roll-top desk, rolled up from the back of the ship, opening up the world before them. He turned one of the wheels, straining his muscles as he went. The first unleashed rowboat slipped into the water chute and out into the gaping ocean below. Fioretta, in the second boat, felt hope surge in her heart. He turned the next wheel just the same as the first, allowing the boat to dive into the water as gracefully as a swan. As the two boats waited in the darkness and cannon fire could be heard nearby, Captain Matthew stepped out onto a little platform outside the rolling door and pulled another lever. The door closed.

Not knowing what else to do, the men rowing Fioretta's boat drew the boat close to where he stood. He got in the boat himself and indicated that they should row toward shore.

The wake from the ship rocked the little boats as they traveled diagonally across them and water sloshed against the sides, spraying the silent, precarious passengers. Fioretta drank in the cool breeze, but tasted gunpowder in the air intermingling with the salt. It seemed to take forever to reach the little alcove Captain Matthew had directed them toward, but they finally found footing in the wet sand on the beach that awaited them.

The men hid the boats in a stand of trees. Christopher took the time to visit his dolphins who often frequented this particular alcove. Then they all gathered together around Captain Matthew. He steeled himself and said grimly, "The reports tell me the battle is raging fiercely. My father has called me to bring the Princess into full view tomorrow at dawn as the pirates' hostage. I have never had any intentions of doing that. My First Mate is in charge of my ship now, and so, in many ways, I am now your hostage, if you so choose. If I go back, I will be treated as a traitor and be killed. I have freed you all, and you may go your own ways. I beg you to follow my lead, though. My father has gathered every pirate from everywhere in the known world to attack Christeland. My plan is to bring the Princess safely home to her castle as that will destroy his advantage. The king's army and navy will then have no qualms in fighting all out.

Silence met his statements as the freed prisoners absorbed their new set of circumstances.

"We'll stand by the princess's decision," said Captain Sveeney, the man who had captained their doomed ship. His remaining crew and the king's knights, including Christopher, all nodded in agreement. Everyone turned to see Fioretta's response.

Fioretta looked vastly different from the girl who had just a few months ago stepped out of a luxury carriage in HarborTown. Her auburn hair hung limply down her back from its single ribbon with which she had tied it back. Her porcelain doll face was streaked with dirt the way a modern child's doll might be streaked with permanent marker after a two-year-old had gotten a hold of it. Her dress, once lovely and fresh, looked like so many rags thrown together after her treks through the jungle and her trips from boats to wet, sandy shores. The dainty shoes that had once complemented her outfit had long since disintegrated—she now went barefoot.

None of the rest of her party fared any better than Princess Fioretta.

Everyone watched as the young heiress to the throne sank to her knees and began to silently pray. One by one, the others, including Captain Matthew, followed suit. As the party prayed, it seemed to each that the sounds of battle melted away into nothingness. A calmness descended upon each of them that could not be reproduced in any other way.

After a time, the men and women began to stand up, a new resolve and fire lit in their eyes.

When everyone was ready, Princess Fioretta said in a voice that was both beautiful and authoritative, "Captain Matthew is right. We have to return to the castle. We have to let them know those pirates hold no royal or other Christeland hostages. Before we embark, though, we need more evidence that we can trust you, that you are not a spy of some sort. Captain Matthew, please do us the courtesy of telling us everything you know."

Captain Matthew looked her directly in the eye and said, "Dear Princess, I will tell you everything you want to know, but let's first get farther inland, where passing ships will have no chance of seeing us."

"He's right," Christopher declared. "Follow me. I've been this way hundreds of times to work with my dolphins. There is a large cave where we can rest of the night not too far from here."

The ladies gathered their skirts and were positioned in the center of their party as they dove into the trees, following a path single file.

As they walked, Fioretta wondered what Captain Matthew would reveal. She felt as if she were in a dream where home was within her reach, but she could never quite get close enough to it to actually touch it. She offered up a prayer for her homeland every time an insect stung her on their march and every time a branch slapped her face or grabbed at her clothes. Sweat and humidity drenched them all as they walked.

Finally, at the base of a good-size hill in the beams of the clear, bright moon, they came to a stream running clear and cold from the surrounding mountains. All of them stopped, falling to their knees to drink and to clean their hands, arms, and faces. Fioretta realized only then just how hungry she was, knowing they had nothing but their lives left.

When everyone had refreshed themselves, Christopher led them across a shallow section of the stream where the water came up only to their knees. Fioretta detested the mud squishing through her toes as she walked, but it did soothe her abused feet after all the stones and sticks she had tramped upon.

They followed Christopher up the hill to a cave hidden by rocks and trees. Before the rest went in, Christopher motioned for them to wait. He removed a rock from the wall at the cave's opening, and pulled out a torch and flint stones. He stepped inside the cave, just out of sight and lit the torch. He waved in the bedraggled, slightly refreshed party.

Fioretta's first impression was awe. The cave, though it had a small opening was fairly large. No one had to stoop as the ceiling rose maybe twenty feet in the air. It had nooks and crannies that Christopher had obviously used to his advantage, storing dried foodstuffs, blankets, tools, and even weapons. Her heart fluttered with hope. Perhaps all would come out right in the end after all.

The men busied themselves setting up torches for light and a small fire for protection against animals and insects and to ward off the night chill that was sure to come. The women began rationing out the dried meats and fruits Christopher had left in such careful order it was almost like he had been preparing for this very occasion. Soon they were all sitting on blankets around the fire enjoying—well, when you are practically starving from exertion, you can enjoy just about any kind of food—their meal.

"OK, Captain Matthew," Christopher said stalwartly between mouthfuls, "Let's hear it."

Captain Matthew swallowed his latest bite and began. "My father is deranged in his thoughts. For some reason, he thinks I am the rightful heir to the Christeland throne. He was planning to use Fioretta here as a hostage until all of his men were in place and taking over. Then he planned to kill the king, the queen, and even Fioretta. He said he had some kind of evidence that I was the true heir. I'm not sure what that evidence is, but he seemed convinced it would be non-negotiable, especially once the monarchy were all dead. I couldn't let him know my true feelings, because I wanted every opportunity to save Fioretta's life.

"Gentlemen," he looked specifically at each man in the group, "we are facing tremendous danger as we journey to the castle. My father has been planning this attack for years. He has spies—traitors—all over the country. I don't know all of the details, but I know he has them in every major town and even in the castle itself."

Fioretta felt more frightened than she had ever believed possible. She thought of her parents. Were they all right? Had the usurpation already occurred? How many were involved? How deep was this cancerous tumor? She looked around at their group. She wondered if any of the traitors sat right there in the cave with her. Would they attempt to take her life as she slept now the plan had been revealed and the crazed pirate's dreams were being thwarted? And when should she reveal what she and Christopher knew about Matthew's birthmark. She could not let him know in front of everyone as it was a closely guarded royal secret. She decided she just had to be patient and wait for guidance on the right moment for the revelation. She turned her mind away from all the negative thoughts. She had to remain positive and in full possession of her decision-making skills.

Christopher looked like he could hardly hold himself back. "I'm more determined than ever to press on. We'll continue at first light. I'll take first watch." He pointed to other men, declaring which turn they would take in following his watch.

The tattered group extinguished the torches and lay down to uneasy sleep as the fire died to embers. Fioretta allowed the songs of the crickets to lull her out of the nightmare of wakefulness and into the peaceful escape of dreams.