The Lady Captain Read online

  As the pirate ship moved closer, it fired yet again, but none of their shots managed to do any critical damage. Julian's airship was well-fortified. Unless they landed a direct hit, it wouldn't go down too easily.

  When Julian's ship launched a counterattack, it missed. The airships were nearly side-by-side when he ordered his men to prepare the cannons for another round of fire.

  Jolly objected to his captain's command. “I would advise against firing again, Captain.”

  Julian peered through a monocular, studying his enemy. They looked incredibly relaxed, whereas Julian's men were scurrying around, panicked. It wasn't a promising comparison. “And why would you say that, my jolly friend?” Julian asked.

  “Their ship's too close. If we fired right now, there could be some blowback. We could take some damage too.”

  “Well then, we need to turn our ship! Or maybe we should ascend? Or... um... descend?” Julian was so unsure of himself, Lettie had to chuckle. “Either way, we need to put some distance between us and them.”

  An older man with wild eyes and wiry dark hair suddenly appeared at his captain's side. “'Fraid we can't do that, Cap'n,” he reported.

  “Why not, Wiggly?”

  Wiggly? It must have been Wiggly Joe. When Lettie saw his lazy eye for herself, she tried to stifle a fit of giggles.

  Wiggly Joe sorrowfully reported, “Because... they've hooked us, sir.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Julian practically screamed the question.

  “They got us with giant hooks, sir. I dunno how it happened, but they's grabbed us. We're harpooned like a bloody whale. We couldn't get away if we wanted to, Captain,” Wiggly said.

  Before Julian could ask why they were harpooned, he got his answer in an unexpected way. The pirates were swooping from airship to airship, on ropes and planks. In the blink of an eye, at least a dozen whooping pirates boarded their wounded vessel.

  “Damn...” Julian hissed as he drew his sword. In his other hand, he gripped his walking stick, which was actually a rifle, but he had no idea how to fire a rifle and swing a sword at the same time. With a sigh, he shifted his saber to his dominant hand. “Well then, I uh... umm... everyone prepare for battle, I suppose!”

  When Jolly ripped his pistols from their holsters, his eyes were mad. It was as if he had been waiting forever for a moment like this. He aimed the pistols at the men who boarded their airship, immediately dropping a pair of them.

  Julian was significantly less excited about the battle they'd been forced into; in fact, he was panicked. Right away, he crossed swords with a pirate who charged at him. The man pulled back his sword and swung again and again, and each time, Julian barely blocked. After skirting a wild lunge, Julian brought his walking stick forward, clobbering his attacker's head. It was enough to throw him off guard. The man staggered backward, leaving himself open. With a wild yelp, Julian plunged his sword into his opponent's chest. As he withdrew his blade, blood flew from the wound.

  “Messy... so messy...” The captain whined as several droplets of blood splattered his shirt.

  At first, Julian and his men were doing well—until the second wave boarded. The airships were so close now, the pirates didn't even need ropes or planks anymore. They simply leapt from ship to ship. Two pirates advanced on Julian: one with a sword, and one with a gun. The gun-wielding pirate stopped to fire a shot. He was aiming for Julian's head, but he hit his hat instead.

  When Julian saw his top hat flying from his head, he shrieked sharply, spun on his heel, and raced to the lower deck. He charged down the stairs, hoping to retreat, but the pirates cruelly pursued him. They chased him down the hall, cackling at his fear. Another shot was fired, and this time, it sailed over Julian's shoulder, barely missing him. Hoping to get one of them off his back, the captain turned around and fired his rifle, but it was a poorly aimed shot. It didn't even come close to hitting either of its marks.

  Julian nearly reached his bedroom when he heard more gunshots. As he reached for the doorknob, he squinted his eyes and waited for death. But he didn't die. In fact, when he opened his eyes, both pirates were on the ground.

  “Jolly!” Julian shouted the name of his rescuer. His first mate was standing behind him with two smoking guns, one in each hand. “Honestly, Jolly, I could hug you right now! I don't know what I'd do without you, my friend.”

  “You'd probably be dead,” Jolly nonchalantly said.

  “Indeed I would!” Since the immediate threat was suppressed, the captain casually opened the door and slipped inside his room. Julian started to close the door behind him, then he poked his head into the hall again. “Jolly, do let me know when it's all over, will you? If you don't mind, I'm going to wait it out in here.”

  “Of course, Captain,” Jolly agreed. “You're our leader. You shouldn't be out there risking your life.”

  Julian smiled and nodded. That's what he liked about Jolly: his first mate didn't judge him. In fact, Jolly seemed to support his cowardice, which was even better. “Good luck out there!” Julian called to Jolly's fleeing backside. “Give it your all, Jolly old boy! I know you can do it!”

  Meanwhile, Lettie was stuck on the deck in the middle of the madness. She wasn't part of Julian's crew; in fact, she was still a prisoner. She decided to use the chaos to her advantage and attempt an escape. With her head held high, she approached one of the cleaner, well-dressed pirates. He looked vaguely like a gentleman, so she tried to negotiate with him.

  “Excuse me, sir!” Lettie lightly tugged on the pirate's sleeve. “I'm being held on this airship against my will! My father is a very important man. He's the Admiral of the Baltmoor Aerial Militia. If you take me back to him, I'm sure he would not only reward you handsomely, he would--”

  In the middle of her plea, the pirate suddenly slashed at her. Lettie drew a sharp breath as the blade sliced her arm. Had she anticipated such an attack, she might have been ready to dodge, but it was entirely unexpected.

  When he swung his sword a second time, Lettie leapt backward. “How dare you!” she screamed. “I'm an unarmed woman! How dare you! Have you no honor at all? Now I hope you lose, sir!”

  His sword swooped down on her a third time, and this time, she barely dodged. Lettie scanned the area for a weapon, but there was nothing in sight. The relentless pirate continued to creep toward her, slashing and chuckling. Lettie's entire sleeve was sticky and red, and the sight of it seemed to fuel his lust for blood.

  All of a sudden, Jared appeared at Lettie's side and shoved a gun into her hand. “Here!” he shouted. Taking aim with his own pistol, Jared shot Lettie's attacker in the head. “I doubt the captain would approve of this, but you need to defend yourself!”

  After the pirate drew her blood, Lettie knew which side she was on. “Don't worry, Jared... I'll help!” she assured him. She raised the gun and fired at a distant foe. When the shot hit him directly in the chest, Lettie was extraordinarily pleased with herself.

  In the corner of her eye, she spotted Wiggly Joe. He had two swords in his hands, which he flailed like a madman. He lacked proper technique, but it looked impressive, and no one could get close to him.

  Julian's crew outnumbered the pirates two-to-one, and at the end of twenty minutes, the pirates were at an obvious disadvantage. Some of them tried to retreat to their airship, but the ships were shackled together, leaving them no escape. While Captain Featherstone cowered below deck, Jolly was in charge. If it was entirely up to him, he would have killed every last pirate, but he knew his captain wouldn't approve of so much death. The pirates who surrendered were sent to the prison, while the ones who resisted were forcefully suppressed.

  The airships were unshackled from each other, and the enemy ship was commandeered. At the day's end, yet another airship was claimed in the name of Julian Featherstone.

  Lettie groaned at the thought.

  It was yet another undeserved victory.

  Twenty

  When Nico straggled into Ella's kitchen the
next morning, she looked delighted to see him. Company was rare, and adult company was even rarer. On most days, her only companion was her much younger brother, who had become her responsibility after the death of their mother.

  “Nico!” Ella exclaimed. “I'm glad you're here. Breakfast is almost ready. Did you sleep well?”

  “Uh... yeah,” Nico lied. He didn't think it would be appropriate to say her brother's coughing kept him awake. “Something smells good,” he pointed at the oven.

  “You might be smelling the muffins... or maybe the bread? I wake up early every morning, and what I bake, I sell in the marketplace.” Ella scooped some flapjacks and eggs onto a plate and presented it to the prince. “If you'd like, I can give you one of the muffins too. Free of charge! Where's Mae? I don't want to wake her, but breakfast is--”

  “I'm here!” Mae announced as she descended the stairs. Ben, who was still sleeping, stirred in his bed. When she realized she spoke a bit too loudly, Mae clapped a hand over her mouth and tiptoed into the kitchen. “I'm sorry,” she whispered, “I didn't know he was sleeping.”

  “It's alright. Ben's a heavy sleeper... when he's lucky enough to fall asleep, that is.” Ella offered a plate of food to Mae, who accepted with a smile and a nod. “He had a rough night last night. I'm sure you heard him coughing.”

  Nico shook his head. “Nope. I didn't hear it.”

  “Are you kidding?” Mae objected, lightly boxing the prince's arm. “I know you heard it. You were tossing and turning all night! Every time Ben coughed, you rolled.”

  “Well then... that must have been a coincidence, because I wasn't disturbed in the least!” Under the table, Nico poked Mae's leg. He didn't want the lovely Ella to think he was anything less than a happy guest.

  Mae scoffed at his words. “Don't lie. You rolled harder than a wheel, Nico.”

  “I move a lot in my sleep.”

  “So how do you explain the time you sat up, groaned, and crushed a pillow against your head?”

  Mae nearly spat out her eggs when Nico suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. “Hush! We should be more tactful, Mae! Ella's been nothing but hospitable. I don't want her to think we didn't sleep well.”

  “Alright, alright!” Mae didn't want him to think she was tactless, so she smiled at Ella again. “But, uh... thanks for letting us stay here, Ella. And thanks for breakfast. It's very kind of you.”

  “You saved me,” Ella reminded them. “It's really the least I can do.” Ella returned to the oven and extracted two dozen of the fluffiest blueberry muffins Nico had ever seen. His eyes swelled when he saw them.

  “Those look delightful,” he praised her.

  “Do you want one?”

  “Only if I could pay for it. And I don't have any money, sadly.” It was true. For the first time, the reality of his poverty dawned on him. How were they supposed to reach the capital when neither he nor Mae had a dime to their names?

  “Don't be silly!” Ella exclaimed as she transferred a steaming muffin to Nico's plate. “You're a guest of mine, and guests aren't expected to pay.”

  Mae rubbed her hands together in anticipation, but no muffin was offered to her. Nico and Ella were so engrossed in each other, they must have forgotten about her.

  “It's so hot!” Nico exclaimed as he lifted the muffin.

  Ella giggled. “Well... it did just come out of the oven!”

  “How'd you touch it? Didn't you burn your fingers?”

  “I'm used to it. I've had to handle a lot of piping hot baked goods.”

  A few seconds later, Nico carefully took a bite. “Oh, but it's delicious! The blueberry just melts in your mouth!”

  “Thanks. I'm glad you like it.” Ella finally handed a muffin to Mae, whose pout was lifted by the sight of it. When Ella's baguettes were out of the oven, she said, “As soon as these cool down a bit, I should head to the marketplace. The earlier I get there, the more I sell.”

  “And that means we should probably be on our way,” Mae added as she nibbled the muffin.

  “No... not necessarily,” Nico disagreed. “Ella, could I accompany you to the marketplace? After what happened to you yesterday, I'd feel better if I could keep an eye on you.”

  “But it's alright in the daytime,” Ella assured him. “Bordeaux gets worse at night, and I've never been attacked in the marketplace.”

  “Alright, but... I'm, uh... I'm curious to see this marketplace,” Nico insisted. Not only was Ella beautiful, but she was gentle, kind and pure of spirit. He was enamored, and he desperately needed a reason to stay with her, if only for a bit longer.

  However, he failed to notice Mae's displeasure. She couldn't believe how quickly he lost sight of their goal. In fact, she was tempted to march right back to The Velvet Dame—back to her old, comfortable life. If not for fear of punishment, Mae might have done just that.

  “But... shouldn't we head to the capital, Nico?” Mae tried to inject some reality into the conversation, even though she knew she was wasting her time. Nico was so smitten with the girl, she already knew she wouldn't get through to him.

  “If we depart a few hours later, it shouldn't be a problem.” As soon as he saw Ella loading her baked goods into baskets, Nico was on his feet, ready to assist her. “I'll help you any way I can, Ella. Feel free to put me to work!”

  Ella handed him a basket, which was filled to the brim with baguettes. “You can carry this, if you'd like.” She tried to smile at Mae, even though the other woman's expression was hardly pleasant. “Would you like to come with us, Mae?”

  “Shouldn't someone stay with your brother?” Mae pointed in the direction of Ben, who was still asleep in the next room.

  “It should be alright. When I have to leave the house, a neighbor checks on Ben from time to time. You're more than welcome to come with us.”

  “Nah. I'll stay.” Mae leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and unabashedly glared at Nico. Since he had his sights on Ella, she doubted he would want her tagging along. “Try not to stay gone too long. We really should depart for the capital as soon as possible.”

  When they were ready to leave the house, Ella gently kissed her brother, who rolled away from her lips. Though he stirred, he didn't wake. As they made their way to the marketplace, Nico walked beside her, gazing at her perfect profile.

  “I'm sorry if my brother kept you awake,” Ella said with a sigh. “Last night's coughing fit must have been difficult to ignore. It's usually not as bad as that.” Ella's eyes dropped to the ground, where she watched her old gray slippers shuffle along the cracked road. “Ben's condition is getting worse, not better.”

  “Is there anything that can be done?” Nico asked. He would have happily moved mountains for her, if possible.

  “The pills I gave him last night... it's to make him less miserable. It's not a cure,” she told him. “I've heard there's a medicine that might help him, but it's new, so there's only one place you can buy it.” When she turned to Nico, Ella's eyes were hopeful. “You can get it in the capital.”

  Nico's solution came quickly. “Come with us, then! As soon as you finish selling your bread, we can head to the capital together! I'm sure Mae wouldn't mind.”

  “Are you sure?” Ella was wincing. “I don't think she likes me very much.”

  “I don't think she'd object. And even if she did, I think I could get her to come around. Don't worry.”

  After a brief stroll, Ella and Nico reached the marketplace, which was already bustling, despite the early hour of the day. As she arranged her stall, their conversation continued. “Of course, Ben could never make the journey,” she said. “I'll have to leave him with Margaret.”

  “Margaret is...?”

  “My neighbor,” Ella explained. “She has several children of her own. Maybe she wouldn't mind looking after one more?” They sold their first muffin within seconds, to an old man who was waiting for Ella to arrive.

  “These are the best muffins in town, they is!” The old man said
as he dropped a few pennies on the counter. He was a regular customer, so Ella gave him a discount. “If I moved to another town, I'd still make the journey to Bordeaux each day to buy one of these muffins from this lovely, lovely girl.”

  Ella humbly bowed her head. “Thank you, Mr. Fredrickson. You're too kind.”

  Ella left Nico in charge of selling the baguettes, which turned out to be a mistake, since he was much less willing to haggle. Ella usually knocked off a ha'penny or so, because every sale was precious, but the prince wasn't willing to budge. After he turned away two disappointed customers, she tried to take over, but Nico kept insisting on “helping.” Though she appreciated his effort, she was glad he was only joining her for a day.

  “So are you sure I won't be a burden?” Ella asked. “If I come to the capital with you, will I be in the way? I'd really hate to be a burden.”

  “You won't be a burden at all, Miss Clark. In fact, I'd be thrilled to have you with me.” Nico saw a tall man eyeing their stall, so he tried to wave him over. But with the shake of his head, the man kept walking. Selling bread was difficult work. “You know, my sister's name is Isabella. Ella. Isabella. Your names are similar. I'm sure she'd love to meet you.”

  “I don't know if I could meet a princess, though,” Ella said as she nibbled one of her muffins. Sales were depressingly slow. If she didn't sell more soon, she would have quite a surplus at the day's end. “I'd be too nervous.”

  “But I'm a prince. Are you nervous talking to me?”

  Ella peeked at him over her muffin. After a few seconds, she confessed with a nod, “A bit...”

  “Well, you shouldn't be nervous. I'm just like anyone else.”

  “You just happen to live in a palace,” Ella added. “A huge palace. With servants and gourmet food and more money than the rest of us could possibly fathom.”

  Ella stayed at her stall for over two hours. She sold most of her baguettes, but only half of her muffins. Strangely, she didn't look too discouraged by the lack of sales.