The wind was blowing harshly on Jacob's face. He closed his eyes, embracing the cooling feeling it brought against the sun's harsh rays. His crew and him could not have asked for a better day to plunder. The sun was gorgeous and there was not a single cloud in the sky. The sea birds seemed to be enjoying the weather, too, for they spent many hours in flight above the crystal blue seas.

Jacob's eyes opened as he heard the voice of his first mate, Pierre.

"Captain Jackal, sir!" Pierre called to Jacob, the captain of the ship. As he ran up the stairs and to the ship's wheel, Pierre reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a finely rolled paper. The first mate skidded to a stop beside Jacob, and unrolled the map. It was a rather old map, for the wrinkles in the paper were very prominent. There were a few circles and marks in pen, but for the most part, it was rather neat.

"Captain Jackal, look," Pierre began, pointing to the map. "We'll be passing the kingdom of Solomon. You know what that means, don't you?" Pierre looked up, his bright blue eyes shining in the sun. "... Don't you?"

Jacob remained silent for a bit, but then nodded briefly. A small smirk rose onto his face before he turned to his close friend. "Yes, I do," Jacob replied, and let go of the wheel. "It means we're going to be rich." Jacob spun on his heels and swiftly went down the steps and to the main deck of the Black Tortuga, his personal ship. Jacob rubbed his hands together, and then examined the area. All 24 of his crew seemed to be out and enjoying the weather.

"Everyone please listen!" Jacob called out, his loud, strong voice catching the attention of everyone on deck. "It's time to change course a bit. We're stopping in Solomon." At his last words, the crew seemed pleased. They had never been there, and it seemed as if Solomon was some paradise waiting to be discovered. While the paradise part probably wasn't entirely true, it would be loads better than the poverty-stricken lands that Jacob and his crewmates grew up in. They had traveled many, many miles to get to this area of the world, and it was about time they enjoyed it.

"Feel free to take a day or two to rest before we head out again... but after we unload all of our goods and get the gold in our pockets. Understood?" Jacob looked around at his crew, who all nodded aggressively. They were dying to have a party in this new kingdom, no matter what it would take. If it meant spending half a day unloading, they were fine. Pierre would take care of the selling matter and Jacob... well, Jacob would most likely inspect the town, seeing where he could take advantage of it. Every penny counted to Jacob, and he would make sure he looted the city pretty good.

Jacob walked off of the deck, and back up to the wheel. He nodded to Pierre, who continued to stand by his side as Jacob took the wheel and set course for Solomon. The water was practically perfect for sailing, and the wind blew nice and strong for the Black Tortuga's sails. Within half a day, Jacob had gotten to the city, and was ready to dock. He pulled into one of the main docking areas, and at that point, the entire crew hustled as fast as they could to unload the goods. People in the town stopped and watched as one of the largest ships on the seas docked in the town. It was truly a marvel to see. Within the commotion, Jacob felt proud. He was well-known.

Jacob walked off of his boat and onto the dock for the first time. Looking up at the sky, he noticed that it was about midday, a little bit past two o' clock. He nodded to himself. Oh yes, he'd have time. Lots of time.

Jacob looked forwards, and tipped his cap to traders and officials in the area. He would be heading to the pub first, where many traders and goods dealers hung out while also getting a good drink. Jacob wasn't in the mood for alcohol, and he definitely wasn't in the mood for a fight. Through experience and general common sense, Jacob knew there wouldn't be many drunk people there, making him feel more comfortable. There wouldn't be any fights today.

Jacob, after asking an official where the pub was, made his way there and entered the building. It was nearly empty, except for a few shady figures in the corner. One of them seemed to know who he was, for when he walked in, the man in the left corner in the farthest table gave Jacob a questioning look. Jacob noted this quickly, and sat down across from the man.

"Good afternoon... Jackal." The man spat out his nickname as if it were something poisonous. "And what're you doing in Solomon? I take it there's something you want or something you need? I thought you were heading past here, and to a distant land. Don't you have that blackmailing trader to meet?" the other man took off the black hood from his head, revealing a tanned face with sharp figures. The shady man had nearly black hair, and flawed teeth. Jacob leaned back at the sight, and then nodded. He knew who this man was.

"I see you're in Solomon too, William." Jacob said, and tipped his hat to an old friend. They hadn't spoken in years. "I'm here for trading goods. I had an unexpected plunder off the coast of a small island. Ship wasn't supposed to be sailin' there, and I took it down. Turns out it was a cargo load, and I got a hold of a lot of sugar. That'll go for an extremely high price here." Jacob explained, and leaned forwards.

William nodded, and leaned back in his chair, too. "I'm not a pirate, but you know I manage big trades from the big guys around the seas. I know what it's like here. I think you're overestimating the sale prices here." William stated, and clasped his hands together. William leaned forwards, and hushed his voice into a whisper, as if trying not to let anybody overhear what he was about to say. "You want a good deal? I'll tell you the guys to go to. They're shady 'ol fellows, but they'll get you a decent price... plus more."

William took out a pen and some paper, and scratched down some names. Jacob put it in his large coat pocket, and shook William's hand. "Nice to meet you again." Jacob said, and patted William on the back. "Safe travels."

And with that, Jacob was out of the pub, and towards the back alleys of the city, a place where he could find these guys that William was talking about. When he reached the alleys, a tall man was standing there, conversing with his friend, who was much shorter. Jacob rounded the corner, and it was very apparent that they knew who he was. After all, Jacob was wearing his full captain uniform, and the symbol on his hat showed exactly who he belonged to.

"Ah, if it isn't the Jackal!" the tall man exclaimed, and hugged Jacob, patting him harshly on the back. As he pulled back from the manly embrace, Jacob nodded slightly. "Why, I think I know why you're here. You have goods, I am guessing? Metal? Wood? Sugar? All of them? I can give you triple of what the regular markets give you... plus a little gold bonus. You know the drill, right? I give you gold, you perform a little... task for me? All I need is some pirate killed. I'm not asking much for you, someone who kills dozens in a day. Right?"

Jacob sighed at the man's ramble, and then nodded. "I kill for a reason, but yes, I understand. I have sugar for you. My crew's at the dock. We'll be here for three days. We leave on that third day in the evening, so there's time. If we finish here early, we'll be off though, so I'd like it very much if you did what you need to do right now." Jacob explained, and straightened his elegant coat.

The tall man nodded, and he and the shorter man speed-walked past Jacob and towards the dock. Jacob smirked, knowing that he just made a huge profit. It was, indeed, a good idea to come to Solomon. Both the crew and Jacob were happy. But as Jacob walked out of the alley, he wondered what to do next. Could it be that a pirate, so full of adventure and risks in his life was... bored? Smirking to himself, Jacob decided to take the day off, and enjoy the rest of the good weather.

---

NIGHT TIME

As the sun rolled down over the horizon of the beautiful sea, Jacob stepped off of his ship and onto the dock. He ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair and placed his hat on top. Walking down the dock, he put his hands in his pockets, relaxing for a nice evening stroll. That day had been a great one, for Jacob got to relax for once in his life. As he made his way through the city, a large palace caught his eye. Was that where the king and queen lived?

Jacob took a detour, and walked to the entrance to the palace. It was barred out, of course. They couldn't risk anybody going in. Jacob sat down on a large rock across from it, and looked at it. It was so large, so majestic. He wondered to himself if he could afford such a large estate. Probably not, Jacob figured. But the more he watched, the more determined he was to make his dream a reality. Yes, one day he would own such an estate. He would be rich enough. Smirking once more, Jacob nodded. Whomever lived in that place was lucky.

Lucky was an interesting word for Jacob. When talking about himself, he never used it, for his childhood was harsh and poor. Many days he'd go thirsty or hungry as his family struggled to make ends meet. To make it worse, the government was always going after his dad, who seemed to have a... questionable reputation in the world. The government did everything they can to make sure their life was awful, and everyone suffered from it. In that sense, Jacob did not consider any part of that tragic childhood lucky, but even when talking about his current life, he thought none of it was due to luck. It was due to hard work. Jacob worked his skin to the bone trying to get money. Various times he paid the price of his labor; both physically and emotionally.

But it paid off, didn't it? Jacob wasn't sure just yet. But maybe, just maybe, one day he'd be able to settle down and be happy. Start a family, even. Not live in constant danger every day. However, the more Jacob thought about it, the less likely that reality seemed to be. He was the most wanted man to many, many people. Even if he did retire, what would happen to him? Would his bounties be gone? Surely not until his head was on a silver platter. Only then would he be able to rest in peace.

The young princess glowered at her father. He was sitting on his throne in the throne room, the Queen beside her. "Papa, it just isn't right how you keep taking from the poor!" She exclaimed, her arms crossed against her chest. She was ignoring the pleading looks from her mother to stop, but the princess was shaking it off. "That is enough, Annabelle. Go to your room and do your studies." He bellowed, clearly losing his temper. Annabelle huffed before storming off and heading to her room. It was big, about the size of a small house. She dismissed her chambermaid and good friend, Alison. She just wanted some alone time right now. After making an attempt to show her anger by slamming the heavy wooden door, Annabelle fell on her bed and took her pillow, screaming inside it. She might have been acting like a child, but her father frustrated her sometimes! He was the reason that led her to learning archery and fencing, being extremely skilled with a sword and crossbow.

He was the reason she became a maiden of the night, stealing from ships that came to bay and giving back to the poor. It was still midday. Annabelle walked out on her balcony, her light lavender dress following behind her. The sleeves fell off her shoulders and her auburn hair fell in ringlets around her face. She looked out across the village. Her room as at the top of the castle, so she could look out and see the whole village, including the sea. A particularly large ship caught her eye as it pulled to port. Annabelle leaned forward slightly and smiled. "Perfect..." She whispered. It looked like the pirate who controlled it could be wealthy, and she made it her goal that night to raid that ship. Just about every time a ship came to port, the crew would always be at the pub drinking and finding some wench to get lucky with for the night, giving her the perfect chance to raid for gold, silver, or anything else of value she could find.

Annabelle stood outside for a few more minutes before turning to go back inside. She opened her dresser and pulled up a string that led to a secret compartment, where her brown satchel was waiting. She took it out and reached in, drawing out a wooden crossbow she had made especially for her. A knock on the wooden door startled Annabelle, she quickly stashed her stuff back, being careful with the bow, and stood up, shutting the doors. "Come in." She called out. The door opened and her mother, Queen Miranda, came inside. She was wearing a dark red dress that was simple, but somehow it looked extravagant on her. "Hey, mom." Annabelle said, casually walking over to her queen-sized four poster bed and sitting down, placing her hands in her lap. "Sweetie, we really need to talk." Miranda said as she went to sit beside her daughter. The pair favored each other a lot, Annabelle had her same dark auburn hair.

Annabelle sighed and looked away. "I know.. I lost my temper, it was completely stupid, but I'm just so sick, Mother." Annabelle said, exasperated. "I know, I am too." She said putting a reassuring arm around her daughter. "What father is doing is just wrong. He can't keep doing this. There are people out there who has families, children that are suffering." Annabelle said, looking at her mother. "All you have to do is marry, Bella, the kingdom will be yours in no time. We've set up several compatible suitors." Miranda said. Annabelle groaned and stood up. "No, Mother. When I marry it will be for love, not because it's an arrangement." Annabelle said, not looking at her mother. "Very well.. just hold your tongue." Miranda said as she left the young princess alone.

That night, Annabelle went outside for fresh air. It was still early into the night, she usually did her thing when it was later. She walked out of the castle, dressed in the same light dress as before. She picked up her dress and walked down the path to her garden and sat down on the bench, picking a rose up from her rose bush. "When will father understand?" She whispered to herself. Annabelle started humming a soft song to herself, and soon added words on. It was a romantic ballad she heard several times when the men would sing to the women, most commonly when proposing. Her voice was soft and beautiful, almost angelic.

Jacob took a gold piece out of his pocket, and played with it in his hand. He threw it in the air, and then caught it again. He kept his hand in the air, however, and opened his palm, letting the moonlight shine off of the splendid piece of currency. Jacob tilted his head, and examined it carefully. A meal's worth... Jacob thought to himself. This is worth enough for a whole meal. And I'm playing with it.

Jacob felt a slight twinge of guilt, but then hardened his gaze. He suddenly gripped the gold tightly and shoved it back into his pocket. He worked for this money. It was rightfully his. Suddenly feeling a bit frustrated with his emotions, Jacob decided to begin to walk again. He kept trying so hard to train himself to not feel any sympathy for others. After all, he'd been betrayed so many times... there's just no room for feelings or sadness for others. He had to keep his head up, and work for himself.

As he strolled along the outskirts of the palace, he heard something. Grabbing the hilt of his cutlass, just in case, he proceeded carefully. He figured that he would not be a welcome guest, and that they would think he was planning something. After all, he was an infamous pirate, and anything he did would certainly be questioned. Especially around royalty. He'd been in heaps of royal trouble in his lifetime, but mostly with officials or spokespeople for the king or queen. He'd never actually met true royalty, but Jacob wasn't sure if he wanted to or not. There would be no telling how they would react.

Jacob rounded the corner of the garden, and took a peek. A girl? he thought to himself, a genuinely puzzled look on his face. She seemed to be singing a soft, heart-felt tune, and as Jacob continued to listen, he figured it was for her boyfriend... if she had one. Jacob was almost touched by her voice. It was astounding how silky smooth it sounded and how much life she poured into such a soft tune. He decided it would be rude to interrupt her, so he waited patiently. After a little while, Jacob got a bit restless, and he straightened his captain jacket, something he often did.

"Greetings," Jacob said, and entered the garden. His voice wasn't hostile, but rather, it was curious. "My name is Jackal. The Jackal. Either will do." he tipped his hat. Jacob puffed up his coat, as if to show off. "I take it you know who I am? I'm very sorry to interrupt your singing, but I was just quite curious. I'm a pirate, you see. If you know that already, you'll know that I'm one of the biggest in the business. The name will surely be a memory-jogger."

Jacob sat down on a chair across from the bench at a little table. He angled the chair towards her, and tapped his finger to his chin, as if he were thinking. "Something tells me you're not one of the town citizens. No, you're dressed nicer than that." He glanced at the palace, and his eyes lit up. "Do you live there?" Jacob asked, his interest piqued. He'd love to hear the story on how her family got such a nice place. Could it be that they were the mayor of the town? Surely it had to be something more than that. Jacob turned back to the girl, and got a good glimpse of her in the moonlight.

Her hair was brown, and it was curly. Jacob looked at her face, and noticed something. Are those freckles? Jacob thought to himself, and tilted his head slightly. He thought of his own freckles. He thought they were very unique, for there were not many adult people he knew that had such facial traits. Even in the moonlight, the girl seemed very pale, and her blue eyes seemed dark at night.

Realizing he hadn't done anything for a while, Jacob leaned back, and took off his captain's hat. He placed it on the small table, and ran fingers though his thick hair. "I'll only be in Solomon for three days. It's quite a town." And what he said was true. In the time that Jacob had been there, he had experienced many things. Usually, as a pirate, he spent most of his life on the sea, so it was good to be on dry land for a while. The beaches on the coast were clean and inviting, and the city was full of life, even at night. While walking down the streets, Jacob often heard people singing and chanting shanties. Did this rub off onto the girl? Or was her liveliness what energized the town?

Either way, Jacob was rather curious to learn more.

Annabelle twirled the rose around in her hand as she sang the song. It was one she heard a jester sing only a couple months ago, and it stuck to her. It was beautiful and the harmony was gorgeous. The moon was high above them now and it shone directly on her. When she heard a voice, she jumped, causing the rose to drop at her feet. She glanced up and watched as a man; a pirate at that; entered her garden. What was he doing? Sure it was just out of the castle grounds, but this was still personal property! She eyed his attire and took note he was indeed a pirate- then she saw his hat and saw he was captain. Was that his ship that boarded earlier that day? When he told her his name, she instantly recognized his name, of course the princess wouldn't let him know that.

She pressed her lips into an amused line. "The Jackal is an odd name for a pirate." She said and stood up to curtsy him. "My name is Annabelle." She said, bowing her head slightly before straightening up. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know you, or your name. Should I?" She asked curiously, pulling off the look rather well. Of course she knew him, but his ship was the one she'd plan on raiding that night, and she needed to get close so she'd know more about him. "Your ship must be the one I saw sailing up to the docks, its impressive. I spend my day watching ships come and go, and I must say yours is beautiful." She complimented, her hands in front of her and resting against her dress.

She took her seat back on the bench and watched as he sat at a round iron table across from the bench where she had tea every morning. She watched his odd movements and watched him bring his finger to his chin, tapping. What was he thinking about? She laughed softly and nodded. "Indeed your right, I don't live in the town, nor am I a town citizen." She added, holding up a hand. When he asked if she lived in the palace, Annabelle looked at her home, then at him and nodded. "I do. I'm the princess, Princess Annabelle Sabrina Solomon. My family owns this town, my parents are the King and Queen." She informed him, biting her lower lip.

She felt a light blush creep on her cheeks as she felt his eyes on her; why was she blushing? She was suppose to be planning! She watched as he removed his hat and sat it on the table. "Thank you, I admire it myself." She said. Three days, perfect. She knew she would have to get back in and change, she had to get to his ship soon, but another idea popped into her head. A better and easier one.

"Can I see your ship? I've never been on one and I'd love to see what it looks like." She asked, her voice hopeful as she batted her lashes at him.

Jacob chuckled lightly at the girl's joke about his name. She was smarter than he had originally anticipated. He knew that this interaction would certainly be worth his while. As he watched her while she seemed to be thinking, Jacob couldn't help but think about what her thoughts might be at the moment. Did she know who he was? Certainly, she had to, but a small feeling inside of him made him uncertain. She had given no confirmation, no signal to let him know. That put him on edge a bit, but he brushed it off. He had better things to be focusing on.

"Why, that's what everyone is to address me as. Jackal's the name, but," Jacob paused for a second, and let a smirk on his face. "Perhaps one day you'll know my full name." The pirate couldn't let her know it just yet, and he explained why. "Nothing personal, really, it's just that I can't just say everything to everyone. Who know who you might tell? In the world of pirates, if another rival knows your name it's that much easier to track you down. Words spreads rather fast, you know." Jacob explained. "But it's nice to meet you, Annabelle."

As he listened to her talk about the Black Tortuga, Jacob looked over, into the horizon. They were slightly elevated, and Jacob could see part of his ship from here. It was still on the dock, and it seemed as if there were almost no lights. Jacob figured his crew was either sleeping or drinking their heads off. Most likely the latter. Jacob felt a bit of pride. "Why yes, the Black Tortuga is certainly a sight for sore eyes. The finest on the sea, if I might be so bold to say." Jacob turned back to Annabelle, and caught her gaze. He smirked at her, and for a moment, actually enjoyed the company. Finally, someone he could talk to. Someone who had intellect.

As Annabelle laughed softly, Jacob felt warmer. It reminded him of his mother, who, unfortunately, was dead. She had nearly the exact same caring laugh, and that made Jacob feel very nostalgic. He choked on his words before saying, "That must be very nice." Jacob looked at her, and she seemed to be uncomfortable under his gaze... or was it something else? Jacob had no time to think it over for Annabelle asked him another question.

Jacob paused for a second, and then nodded, slowly and carefully. "Yes, if that is what you'd like." he replied, and then stood up. He stretched his muscles, that even after a day of relaxing, were extremely sore. He figured it was because of stress. "We'll be quick, though. I'm not sure if the king and queen would like you away from the palace for that long... with a pirate." he chuckled, and led her down the path to the ship.

As they approached the dock, he turned back towards her. "You're lucky you have a charming and convincing personality. It's not often that people are privileged with the honor of seeing the Black Tortuga up close and personal. She's a 'beaut." Jacob said to Annabelle. He seemed quite proud of his ship. As he led her onto the deck, he motioned with his arms. "Here we are!" he said. "Up there's my wheel, and if you enter under the deck you'll get to the sleeping areas and where I keep my... supplies. In addition, the room under the wheel is my office, my quarters. I spend most of my time there."

Jacob turned to Annabelle, and placed his hands in his royal jacket pockets. "So, where would you like to go first?"

She tilted her head and smiled when he said one day she'll know his real name. "Well, I hope that day comes sooner, rather then later." She commented. "Until then, I'll just call you Captain, as Jackal makes me feel... odd." She mentioned with a small smile. She nodded. "I understand, no worries." Annabelle said, shaking her head, her dark curls following her lead. "If I was in the life of pirates.. I'd be the same way." She said and briefly thought of her second name- The Cloaked Maiden. She smiled to herself at it, glad she had him in her hands now. All she had to do was get him to trust her, then she'd take him for what he was worth. The way he was dressed and his ship he had to have plenty of gold, that'd be perfect to get the village by for awhile.

"I understand the rival thing. We've got quite a few of them ourselves, because our kingdom is rich." She told him softly. "Black Tortuga.. that's an interesting name." She said, tilting her head to the side. "Where did you get it from?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side. She laughed at his comment. "Right now, I don't care what my parents think." She said and stood up, nodding at the pirate. "Lead the way, Captain." She said, following behind him. She felt a little tense walking through the village not in disguise, it would be easier for bandits to get to her. She could defend herself, but not with a dress that poofed out. It was hard enough to move around in as is.

She smiled at his compliment. "Thank you, I think." She said, staring at him questioningly. She listened as he described where everything was out, her ears perked up when he said where he kept his supplies and his quarters. "This is lovely." She said, looking around. On top of her head sat a tiara that glistened in the moonlight. "I'd love to your quarters. I've always wanted to see what the inside of a ship looks like." She said, turning to him, grinning from ear to ear. Oh, this was going to be so easy. She'd take the tour, go home, and the following night she'd be on board and taking his earnings.

Jacob looked over to Annabelle, and smirked. "Maybe one day you will know, sooner rather than later. It all depends on how it all plays out..." Jacob said, and eyed her jokingly. At first he felt guilty for not telling her his name, but the more he thought about it, the more reasons he could think of as to why he shouldn't reveal it just yet. She was a princess, and she had many connections. His name would likely not stay a secret for very long, and with how sweet she seemed to be being, Jacob didn't fully trust her. Something was off, but he couldn't understand what.

Jacob nodded. "I'm glad you understand." he said, and put his hands in his pockets. "It seems as if both you and I have experience in being more on the wealthy side, but you know, I deserve it, too." Jacob's face suddenly became slightly more serious. "I worked very hard for my money, and I don't like being called a selfish man. I'm sure you understand." Jacob sighed, and began to walk.

"I got this ship from some other captain. We got into this huge all-out fight, and in the end, my crew ended up victorious. It was a marvelous victory, and we repainted her and made her our own." Jacob explained proudly. His ship was truly huge, and it fit way more than 24 people. Jacob just liked it when it was less crowded

"My quarters it is, then." Jacob declared, and led her to the door, and then let her follow him inside. There was a royal red carpet on the floor and two bookshelves on either wall, filled with historical books. There were paintings on the wall, and none of them were very important. They only had scenery of some serene landscape or some kind of old pirate or army leader. At the back of the quarters were large chests with treasure, but they were locked by a simple metal lock. In the middle of the room, there was a large table with a huge map sprawled on top of it. There was also a small painted portrait of Jacob's mother and father. Jacob would have taken it down sooner, because he hated his dad, but that one photo was the only way he could remember his mother that well. He longed to see her soft, pale face once more.

"So, this is it." Jacob said, and then sat down in the captain's chair behind the desk. He opened up the drawers, and a mess of papers were visible. "See?" Jacob said. "All maps. I've been to many, many places. Your kingdom being the most recent, of course." he flashed her a smirk and closed the drawers before anything else was visible.

Inside, there were also his personal hand-written documents. In the back corner, there was also a journal, where Jacob wrote his experiences from the day. It was a way to keep his memory in check, and it was a very important routine to him.

Jacob stood up, out of the chair, and rubbed his scarred shoulder. "Let's get moving, then." he said. Jacob led her out of the room, and then stopped on the main deck, and turned towards her. "We can go wherever you want next, but if you want to leave now, you're free to go."

Jacob didn't feel like he needed to show her everything, and as a princess, Jacob figured she'd had enough. If she asked, Jacob would show her more, but he liked giving people choices. It made him feel in control, more so than if he were to only give one option. He was a rather complex, odd person once you get to his core.

Annabelle smiled. "Hopefully I can play my cards right, then." She replied, turning her back on him as she examined the beauty of the ship. She froze when he said he worked hard for his money and didn't like being called selfish. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, I understand. Being royalty, I get called selfish a lot." She told him, her voice growing soft, and it was true, she had her father to blame for that. The people didn't even realize that she was the one giving them their gold, helping them live. It didn't matter, all that mattered was it was being done. She smiled as she turned back to face him.

"That doesn't really explain why you named it Black Tortuga, but I get it, another time, right?" She asked, smiling sweetly at him. She nodded and followed Jackal to his quarters. It was actually nice, spacious, and homey. "This is nice." She told him. She examined the paintings on the walls and admired their simplicity. "These are pretty." She told him, eyeing one that was the ocean painted and an island in the distance, the sun shining down. She wondered idly what other places were like. Ever since she could remember, she hasn't left Solomon, she wasn't allowed to travel much because of her families wealth and her fathers reputation.

Her eyes followed to a painting of a man and woman, the man favored Jackal. "Your parents?" She asked, turning her head back to him, then back to the painting. "Good looking pair." She complimented as she headed to his desk where he sat at. She stared at the maps he showed her, then put back. "Wow, you've been a busy bee, haven't you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She nodded when he said they should get moving and followed him out. She spotted his treasure chest, the lock seemed simple enough. She could do this.

When he asked what else she wanted to see, she turned to face him and frowned. "I'd love to see more, but I really should be getting home before it gets too late. Thank you though, Captain. I do hope to see you before you set sail." She said. Annabelle reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a small kiss on his cheek before turning and walking off the boat. She walked in silence until she reached her garden and quietly made her way back to her bedroom to retire for that night.

The Next Night

The day went by quickly for Annabelle. When night fell, she told her parents good-night. She had changed out of the rose colored dress she had been wearing and into her clothes of the night. She tied the cloak around her neck and covered her face, slinging the bow over her back and grabbing her sword, putting it its sheath. She climbed out her window and down the brick wall, landing gracefully on her feet. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, she ran off castle grounds and took a shortcut to the docks. The ship was still there, good.

She looked around to make sure the ship was clear and when she made sure it was, she went on board. Annabelle made her way to Jackal's office and took out a device she used to pick locks, opening his office door and slipping in, closing the door behind her. She looked towards the chest and grinned, walking over to it and using the device. It took a little longer then usual, but she got it opened. What she saw inside made her want to do backflips. It was full of gold coins. She quickly started to gather handfuls after handfuls of gold and sticking it in her satchel. Once it was full, she grabbed another bag and filled it up as well. The chest was half full now, but what she had would do.

Her cloak concealed most of her face. She heard sounds outside and grabbed the two full bags, she opened the doors to the Captain's dresser and slid in, hiding towards the back to conceal herself and her face.

Jacob nodded at her statement. So she would be heading home for the night. Jacob couldn't blame her, it was pretty late. He imagined such a ship would be quite a shock to an innocent princess like her. He guessed that one ship visit was enough for the day, and that she was a tad overwhelmed. Feeling a bit relieved, he wished her goodbye. Jacob was about to turn around and leave, when she stood up on her toes and remarkably, kissed him on the cheek. Jacob was stunned, and after the kiss he stumbled back a step, his eyes wide. The only time he'd been kissed was from his now-deceased best friend, a female pirate who was almost as notorious as he was. She died in a huge battle from a pistol shot in the chest. Jacob held her while she had her last breaths, and even though they never confessed their love to each other, anybody who witnessed their friendship would certainly see that it was obvious they had a connection.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Jacob said goodbye quickly and went downstairs, into the sleeping areas. He passed the crew's lodge, and entered his own private area, where only he and Pierre slept. Pierre was there, completely focused on writing down things in his notebook. As Jacob harshly threw open the door and fell onto his bed in a heap, Pierre looked up at him, and tilted his head questioningly.

"Something wrong, sir?" Pierre asked. There was no answer. Jacob's face was stuffed into his pillow, something that one would not expect out of a 30-year-old, but rather of a 10-year old. Pierre sighed. He'd get words out of his best friend. "I heard you talking to someone upstairs. Anybody of importance?" Pierre spoke a bit louder and a bit clearer, as to give off the message that he was very determined to figure things out.

Jacob let out a long sigh and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and ran his fingers through his hair. "I talked to the princess of Solomon. She was fascinated by the boat, so I let her on deck." Jacob explained quietly, refusing to look at Pierre. "Nothing bad happened, I just remembered... the memory on the way downstairs." Part of what Jacob said was true, but some of it was a lie. Yes, he remembered a memory, but he didn't dare say it was because of the girl. The less Pierre knew about this, the better.

Pierre sighed. "Oh dear, Jackal. I hope you've not been getting into too much trouble. We need your full focus on the days ahead. Look." Pierre stood up, and gave Jacob the book he was writing in. Jacob propped himself up in his bed, and read the paper. It was money calculations. Jacob's eyes widened as he saw the huge amount of gold his crew had acquired. Jacob looked up at Pierre as if to say 'is this even real?'. Pierre nodded as if he read Jacob's thoughts. "We've multiplied our profits by enormous amounts. This is good enough to feed our crew for a month!"

Jacob nodded, and after he gave the book back, the two men fell asleep to the sound of the waves. Not another word was said that night.

---

THE NEXT NIGHT

Jacob stepped onto the ship, yawning. The day was full of shenanigans. He talked to local pirates, set up deals, and learned about the area. He even ventured into the forest to hunt for a bit with Pierre. Pierre did most of the bow-shooting, since Jacob's shaky hands could never hit a wild animal, not in a million years. After that, they hit the pubs, and eventually, many shanties later, they returned to the ship. "What would a pirate be without a little drinking?" Jacob said to himself as he walked on board, rubbing his head a bit. That alcohol sure hit him like a rock. He was feeling much better than he was earlier, though, but complicated tasks would be nearly impossible for him in this state.

Jacob began to walk to his room, but then stopped. He wanted to head to his office and write in his journal. He'd forgotten it the night before, and even though he wasn't feeling the best, anything would do for him at this point. Grabbing the keys from his pocket, he opened his office, not noticing that it was already unlocked. He stumbled while entering, but then quickly regained his balance. He was extremely focused, and he sat down in his chair, and pulled out his book. Dipping his pen in ink, he started to write, but then quickly gave up.

"No, I'm too tired..." Jacob groaned, and leaned back in his chair. He pushed it back from the desk, when all of a sudden, he felt a bump. "What?" he exclaimed, and immediately leaped out of the chair. Stumbling, he grabbed his cutlass and drew it out, pointing it at the intruder. A feminine-shaped stranger was standing by his treasure, their pockets full of his earnings. "What!?" he yelled, but louder. His eyes were now threatening, and he pointed his cutlass more forcefully.

"Drop it." he hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Drop everything." Jacob looked at the door to the deck, and it was wide open. He knew if he needed any help he'd just have to call to Pierre, who was downstairs. His eyes darted back to the person, and he struggled to make out the face. He was partly-drunk, and the fact that the intruder had a cloak made it that much more difficult to make them out. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice fierce.

Annabelle tried to keep her breathing quite, and not move an inch. Surely he wouldn't be in there a long time, right? Once he left, she'd slip out and get off the ship, she was quite, not even wanting to take the chance to blink her lashes. She watched his shadow sit in the chair and lean back, He cussed in her head as he bumped into one of the bags of gold. Shit, she forgot to move it out of the way! She didn't move for a few seconds, even after he discovered her shape there. People could tell she was a woman, which was where the name the maiden. She narrowed her eyes, her hands instantly reaching up and grabbing her sword out of its sheath, coming out of the dark to square off with him.

Her face was still covered, so he wouldn't be able to see it was her who had stolen, or attempted to steal, his gold. She was actually surprised he had came back this early, it couldn't have been no later then one in the morning. She let the other bag fall from her grasp, grabbing onto the sword with both hands. "People call me Maiden." She said. She had learned to easily disguise her voice with practice, giving herself a thick accent so he wouldn't recognize her sweet, warm voice from earlier. "You take from people who are less fortunate then you, so I'm taking it back and giving it to them. You pirates are done with mistreating people." She said, her voice low and husky. She looked at him with blazing eyes.

"Starting with you." She said and held her sword up, charging at the man.

Jacob took a few steps, actually and genuinely shocked. How could this be happening? And tonight, of all nights? As he stared at her his head pounded with anger and disbelief. He kept his cutlass pointed but his hand shook, and it was a struggle to keep it pointed. Jacob rubbed his face, and his jaw dropped into a disgusted and appalled expression as he heard the female voice speak. He hadn't heard the voice before, or at least, he didn't think he did, but that was irrelevant to him at the moment. As he blinked, he noticed that her eyes were fierce, and he gritted his teeth together at her words. Angry emotions whirred through him, but he didn't have time to think of it for long, as she lashed out at him with her sword.

Jacob leaped out of the way at the last second, but felt a small cut on his arm. As he dodged it, he made a random swing, cutting open one of the gold bags. The gold spilled onto the wooden floor, and Jacob looked at her, furious. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, and stomped a foot at her, his blade still pointed at her face. He would hope that she would stop and listen for one second, and he fended off an attack with the flick of his wrist.

"You steal from the rich and give to the poor!?" he repeated, his voice getting deeper the more he was mad. "And what do you think I was before now? I certainly wasn't rich!" Jacob hissed, and aimed for the other gold bag. He slashed at it, and then looked back up at her, ready to dodge any moves. "What happens, then, huh? Have you thought it through? When the so-called 'poor' become rich from your deeds, will you steal from them?" Jacob asked her, gritting his teeth once more.

"I'll tell you what!" he yelled and aimed for her throat, but he knew fully well she would block it. He just wanted to get closer. As he came closer, he looked into her cloak, seemingly where her eyes were. He still couldn't make out a face. Jacob used all of his strength trying to remain standing and focused, when all he wanted to do was fall on the floor and let his headache pass. But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get rid of her, once and for all... but something inside stopped him. He'd killed hundreds - no, thousands of people who stood in his way. Why not her? No, there was something more to this.

Yes, Jacob had certainly killed people, but the other people were as ruthless of killers as he was. The pirates that he had beaten in fights were notoriously vicious, and they would stop at nothing. But Jacob thought he was better than that. He had a reason and a harsh past, and even though he was a killer, in one form or another, Jacob always only killed who he had to. Heck, he even considered himself a good guy, as twisted as it might seem. After all, him and his huge fleet had taken down one of the baddest men in the business, and saved the lives of thousands of slaves and many families. But Jacob knew deep inside that the bad did outweigh the good... After all, that's what makes a pirate a pirate.

Jacob suddenly turned on his heels, and ran out onto the deck. He stomped on the deck as hard as he could three times, and within seconds, Pierre ran upstairs with a small pistol. He skidded to a stop, and looked at the intruder, but kept his pistol in his holster. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way..." Pierre said, and Jacob threw him an angry glare. He didn't want to give her a choice. If it was up to Jacob, he would have shot her in an instant, but he clearly didn't have the gun. Plus, this early in the morning after drinking, Jacob knew his fighting skills would be next to awful. Even against someone with such minimal experience, which is what Jacob assumed she had, he certainly wouldn't fare very well.

"Make your choice!" Jacob finally yelled, his words somewhat slurred. Pierre grimaced as he realized in what state the captain was. The first mate walked forwards, and put a hand on Jacob's shoulder. Jacob slapped it off, and took a step to the side, nearly tripping. He stabilized himself, stepping forwards. Using the rest of whatever soberness he had left in his system, he yelled, loud and clear with no error, "You'd better not make me beat it out of you."

Annabelle glared at him. "I never give them more then they need!" She said. Which was true. She only gave a little back, but not enough that wouldn't be enough for them to have food and a roof over their head. She scoffed. "You looked pretty damn rich to me, darling." She commented, raising her voice. She could tell he had one too many to drink, his words slurring slightly and he didn't look stable to be on his feet, it should be easier then this. She ducked the sword he aimed at her neck, but it grazed her upper arm, causing her to wince just slightly, but she brushed it off. She watched as he turned and ran. He ran?

She took the chance to gather several handfuls of coin and stuff them in her bag that wasn't cut, it wasn't as much as she'd like, but it was enough to do for now. She quickly glanced up, grabbing her sword when another man came in with Jacob. She listened as they told her to make a choice. She took the chance she had when Pierre went to the captain to run past the two and onto the upper deck. She jumped off the boat and rolled on the ground before getting up. She glanced back before she turned on her heels and ran, ran back to the castle where she'd be safe.

When she got back to her room, she quickly changed out of her clothes and into a white nightgown, stuffing everything in her hidden compartment in her dresser. She let her hair down and shook it, sighing. She sat on her bed and counted the coins she was able to gather. It certainly wasn't a lot, but a couple to each person would be enough, for now anyways. She stuffed the coins back in the bed and slid it under her bed, laying down before she fell asleep.

Later that day, she had got up and washed up, changing into a white dress, her hair in curls. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped, her hand moving to her neck. Her locket was gone, the one she had on yesterday. The captain had seen her in it, she knew he did, and she probably lost it on the ship. Mentally scolding herself, she decided she'd play it off as losing it when he was showing her around. She didn't bother to think about it as she grabbed the bag and moving them to a more formal bag as she left to walk the village, handing the coins out to the villagers.

Jacob woke up in his bed. His eyes flashed open, and he watched as sunlight poured into the resting areas through the small windows in the boat. Even though they were sleeping on the lower deck, the ship was so large that small windows were still far above sea level. Jacob turned onto his side, and grunted, feeling the fatigue in his muscles from yesterday. Yesterday... Jacob thought, and then quickly remembered the events attached to last night. He sighed and shook his head, and then stood up. Jacob looked at the empty beds beside him, and quickly determined that it was late in the day.

Jacob ran upstairs, and saw his entire crew on deck, talking. Pierre, who was standing at the wheel of the ship, waved good morning. Running his fingers through his hair, Jacob walked up the stairs to the wheel, and sighed. "What happened?" Jacob asked Pierre, shaking his head in shame. Pierre chuckled. "You should be telling me, Captain." Pierre replied. Jacob didn't appreciate the joke.

Pierre sighed at his captain's grumpiness. "You were pretty drunk, sir. I am sure you remember the thief who came in, and they took some of our gold from your quarters." Pierre explained, and tapped a foot on the ground as if to motion to Jacob's quarters directly below them. Jacob solemnly nodded, and grabbed the wheel, even though they weren't going anywhere. Jacob didn't want to look at Pierre, and instead, he looked up into the sky to check the time. It was just before noon, Jacob determined, and then looked to Pierre.

"I'm going out in the town." Jacob said. Pierre nodded, knowing that there was nothing else to do, really. Jacob decided had one more day here, perhaps more. At the time, the crew had nothing to do at all. Jacob had a favour to return for the tall smuggler who helped him earn more gold, but other than a small assassination (which Jacob typically didn't perform; he only fought men when he boarded ships that he wanted to loot) he had nothing to to. Only time would tell how long they would stay in Solomon. Pierre didn't mind some relaxation, and the crew certainly didn't either.

Jacob was about to leave to town, but Pierre stopped him. "I found this," he said, and pulled out a locket from his jacket pocket. "It was on the deck below. Belongs to a girl, I assume?" Pierre made a teasing look, as if to suggest something, but Jacob's cold emotions shut the happy mood down immediately. "There's nothing." Jacob hissed, and snatched the locket. "I've had enough of people."

And with that, he walked off of the boat, and into the town.

Jacob looked around, noticing how it was less busy than yesterday, or even the day before. He decided to take the main routes, instead of going the back alleys. He wore his entire uniform; his sleeveless captain jacket, boots, and belt, but didn't wear his hat. People on the street immediately noticed that he was older than almost all of the men. His sharp features clearly indicated that he was no longer a young adult. His face had no signs of aging whatsoever, but his features weren't soft and child-like. He was, after all, 30, and even though it wasn't the oldest, he'd experienced so much for a man his age.

Jacob was walking through the town when he saw the princess. His eyes widened, and he remembered the locket. Digging into his pocket, he pulled it out, and held it firmly in his grasp. While squeezing through the people, Jacob noticed she was giving something to the people, but didn't focus on what. The pirate tapped her on the shoulder, and waited for her to turn around.

"Princess Solomon," he greeted, but didn't bow. Most people would, since it was truly an honour to meet someone of such high ranking, but Jacob didn't. He was still mad from last night. He took his anger out on everyone, and even though Jacob thought the thief was some smaller man with a heck of a lot of courage. Jacob got more mad the more he thought of it. How could such a notorious pirate be robbed by some wannabe? Jacob knew that if he weren't drunk, he would have dealt with them...

Jacob knew there was nothing he could do, so he decided to move on before he became furious again. "I found this on my deck. I take it this belongs to you?" he held it out, and looked her in the eyes. He resisted the urge to feel any emotion as he handed the locked to her, and folded his hands behind his back. There was something about her that made him feel on the edge. Was it what she was doing with the public? Or was it the feeling that there was a story behind the locket that he didn't know?

Jacob shrugged it off as paranoia, knowing that as a princess, it'd be pretty hard to hid a secret from the King and Queen.

Annabelle stopped at the first small house and knocked. A young woman with a crying baby and another little boy answered. She looked tired.. and hungry. "Oh, m'lady." The woman said, bowing slightly. "Mia." Annabelle said, smiling warmly at the woman. "I don't have tax money, I apologize, but I've got tw-" Annabelle stopped her and noticed the distraught look on Mia's face. "It's no problem, Mia." She said and took our four gold coins, enough for a couple weeks, and handed them to Mia. "Just take care of those children." She said, rubbing the bald head of the crying baby.

"Princess.. thank you..." Mia said, starting to choke up. Annabelle smiled and gave Mia a small nod of her head before moving onto the next home in the village, one that belonged to an elderly couple, Mr and Mrs. Jackson. They smiled warmly at her and Annabelle handed them two gold coins, enough for a week. She smiled a they thanked her warmly and she moved on. That was why she did what she did, nothing gave her more joy than seeing the kind and warm smiles from the villagers. Especially then they expected her to be some cold monster, when she really wasn't.

She was at her last few houses when she felt a tap on her shoulder and her name. She recognized the voice and sighed softly before turning around. "Captain." She said warmly, bowing her head at him as she clutched the white bag to her. It was made of satin and looked expensive, he couldn't have possibly guessed what was in there. She glanced at the locket he handed her, feeling a little nervous, but there was no possibly way he could have figured it was her last night, after all only the night before she was on board as herself, the princess. She took the locket from him and was about to thank him when the white pouch fell from her grasp and the gold coins clattered to the ground. "My apologies, Captain." She said quickly as she bent down to father the gold, stuffing it back in the pouch.

She held the locket in her other hand as she picked up the coins. A villager approached her, a broad smile on his face. "Princess, thank you so much! My expecting wife and I would never be able to show our gratitude towards you and your kindness." He said. Annabelle smiled nervously at him and watched as he left. She stood back up and picked the pouch up. "I must be going." Annabelle said, turning back to the Captain as she turned to leave.

Jacob looked at her as she bowed at him. It seemed as if he were the one who should be bowing to her, but he didn't mind the feeling. He was proud to be a captain, and he was glad she recognized it. When she bowed, however, her pouch fell, and Jacob was about to pick it up when many gold coins fell out. He watched as Annabelle quickly picked them up. Is she nervous? Jacob thought, but then dismissed it when he thought perhaps it was just because of him. He was probably quite scary to her.

When Jacob thought about it, the two were different in many ways. He was tall, burly, and rough. He walked with a certain confident stride that lacked elegance, while she seemed to care greatly about the way she looked, considering how much care was put into her clothing and hair. Jacob was often out at sea for most of the days, while she seemed like she would be the kind of princess who had never left her town before. Jacob often wondered if such people had ever wanted to travel. He craved adventure and he craved to see the whole wide world. Did anybody else feel that way?

Jacob refocused when she seemed to want to leave rapidly. He grabbed her bag lightly, but then let go, running around her and in front of her. "Wait," he said, looking at her directly in the face. He was walking backwards, to ensure that she would still talk to him for at least a little longer. "What were you doing back then? Were you giving out your family's money to the people?" Jacob asked, tilting his head. He'd seen enough; the people crowding around and even the grateful couple. He looked into her eyes with a certain curiosity only a man like Jacob could have.

He thought about her actions for a second. Jacob had trained himself to never feel such inclinations. He didn't do so much as look at the poor, knowing that whatever kindness he could muster in his heart would be brought out, and he'd have the temptation to help. When he thought about it, there didn't seem to be anything so bad about giving a few gold coins away, but even little by little, it did add up. And he was determined to save every last penny. He wanted to have a luxurious life. He never wanted to worry about hunger or thirst ever again. He didn't want to worry for his family, or whoever survived out of it.

But other than those reasons, was there anything else? Jacob often wondered what would happen to his riches and ship if he were dead. He would pass it on to Pierre, but if Pierre died before him, where would it go? As unorganized as it sounded, Jacob hadn't even decided. He knew it wasn't because of selfishness, but rather, he wanted to make the best decision. After all, he'd worked so hard. Basically the only person he was considering was his youngest brother, but Jacob wasn't sure that his crew would be able to locate her after his passing. In addition, Jacob wasn't sure if his brother even wanted a ship, for only a pirate could take the Black Tortuga.

But then Jacob's stomach began to feel sick. His father. Yes, there was no doubt in Jacob's mind. His father would be the first one to know of his passing. With Jacob's luck, his father would find the ship and enslave the crew to be his. Why, Jacob's father would easily slip into his spot, for his dad had extensive sword training. Out of rage, Jacob always tensed when he thought of his father. Whenever he saw him, Jacob's whole mind and body would fill with an indescribable rage, and he often lost control.

He vowed that before he died, he'd make sure his father was deep in a grave somewhere, and that he'd rot in Hell.

Annabelle was a little startled when he stopped her and moved in front of her, walking backwards. She stopped so he would. "Yes, I was. There is nothing wrong with that, I like to help the poor out. I don't want to be made to be some monster." She said, shaking her head softly. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest right now. She wanted to leave and get home before she did something that would give her away as her other persona from last night.

In all the ships she stolen off, she never came so close to her identity being found out and by him, though it wouldn't had mattered considering how drunk he was last night. She gave him another nod of acknowledgement. "I really should be going now, Mr. Jackal, thanks again for finding my locket, I'm not quite sure how exactly it fell from me neck, but thank you." She said, clutching onto tht necklace and pouch tight before she walked past him once more, walking a little too fast, her nervous clearly showing, but she didn't care. She was usually a lot more composed than this, so why did she feel so nervous around him right now?

Annabelle was stopped by two smugglers who grabbed her. "Ah, look, the little princess herself in person." One said. He smelt like booze and sweat. "Let me go." Annabella said through clenched teeth as they kept her pinned against the brick wall. It smelt like musty garbage in the alley. "So pretty." The other said. "I'm warning you, let me go." Annabelle said, struggling against the two men. "Or what?" One said and she smiled. "Or else this." She said and easily pushed them off her and quickly took both of them out. It was a little hard to do with the dress on and small heels, but she managed.

She groaned when she saw a small rip at the end of her dress, but brushed it off and fixed her tiara, glancing at the two men, smiling down at their knocked out bodies. "Told you." She said.

Annabelle was a little startled when he stopped her and moved in front of her, walking backwards. She stopped so he would. "Yes, I was. There is nothing wrong with that, I like to help the poor out. I don't want to be made to be some monster." She said, shaking her head softly. She felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest right now. She wanted to leave and get home before she did something that would give her away as her other persona from last night.

In all the ships she stolen off, she never came so close to her identity being found out and by him, though it wouldn't had mattered considering how drunk he was last night. She gave him another nod of acknowledgement. "I really should be going now, Mr. Jackal, thanks again for finding my locket, I'm not quite sure how exactly it fell from me neck, but thank you." She said, clutching onto tht necklace and pouch tight before she walked past him once more, walking a little too fast, her nervous clearly showing, but she didn't care. She was usually a lot more composed than this, so why did she feel so nervous around him right now?

Annabelle was stopped by two smugglers who grabbed her. "Ah, look, the little princess herself in person." One said. He smelt like booze and sweat. "Let me go." Annabella said through clenched teeth as they kept her pinned against the brick wall. It smelt like musty garbage in the alley. "So pretty." The other said. "I'm warning you, let me go." Annabelle said, struggling against the two men. "Or what?" One said and she smiled. "Or else this." She said and easily pushed them off her and quickly took both of them out. It was a little hard to do with the dress on and small heels, but she managed.

She groaned when she saw a small rip at the end of her dress, but brushed it off and fixed her tiara, glancing at the two men, smiling down at their knocked out bodies. "Told you." She said.

Jacob didn't reply to her words. He wasn't looking for a fight. Not now, and not with her. Certainly she knew a thing or two about money, so he kept his mouth shut. Jacob watched as she pulled forwards, ahead of him. He didn't bother to chase her, since it would just seem like he was a persistent, rude man who had no boundaries. Especially when it came to women, he made sure he backed off. He hated men who used women, and even though this concept was quite common from what he'd seen, he swore that he'd never do such a vile thing, especially not after his mother was treated so poorly by his father. Her feelings were real. Her tears were real.

Jacob suddenly wheeled back on his feet as he saw the princess get grabbed by two men, and then dragged into the alleyway. Jacob grabbed his cutlass, but hesitated. What was he waiting for? He ran many meters ahead, knowing that he'd been too involved in his thoughts to realize that she'd been walking way too fast. The people in front of his moved to the side quickly as he had his cutlass out, and he gripped the hilt tightly, ready to fight.

When he got there, however, he was shocked. He took a few steps back out of the alley as his eyes fixed on the two seemingly-dead men on the hard ground. Jacob slowly and carefully looked up at the princess, and closed his jaw. He swallowed loudly, and then slowly shook his head. He put his cutlass away, and then took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. Jacob stepped into the alley, and met her gaze.

"I don't question you," Jacob said quietly. "I don't know where you learned that or why, but I'm glad those two are dealt with." He smiled, but not out of genuine happiness. It seemed like a way to break the mood. He put a finger against his mouth in a 'shhh!' gesture, and then shook his head. "I won't tell anybody." Jacob added, and then turned around, and began to walk out of the alley. He wasn't sure what he'd just witnessed, but it was none of his business. He had better things to worry about.

Jacob thought for a second as he walked out onto the street. His eyes got lost in the crowd of people as he began to ponder the girl. Why, certainly, she'd had experience fighting before. Otherwise, she would have frozen, and he'd have to help. But why did she learn such techniques? Jacob shook his head to himself, and dismissed every other possibility. Clearly, being the princess was dangerous. That's why she learned. There was no other way, right? Right.

With a small turn of his head, Jacob looked back at where the princess was. "I'll be going now, then." he said, and put his hands in his coat pockets. "If you need anything, I'll be at my ship for the rest of the day. My crew and I have decided that we'll be staying here a day or two more, perhaps longer. We have nothing better to do, in truth."

And with that, Jacob headed began to head back to his ship, walking slowly and casually. People on the street stared at him and backed off, worried that he'd attack them. But he didn't. He never would. Even though that was true, he felt some sort of sick pride in being able to walk through the streets freely. People knew him. They wouldn't dare stand in his way. And he liked that. After being pushed around his entire life and hurt by the big bosses of the world, Jacob stood tall and strong. He licked his teeth as he made his way down onto the docks, and onto the deck. He laid there, and watched the sky. It was at that moment that he decided he would stay on the dock all night that night. He'd already lost enough gold.

Annabelle was about to walk out of the alley and head home when she spotted Jacob. She wanted to turn and run, or take him out as well, but he didn't seem to suspect anything. Just a princess who was trained to protect herself, she was hoping so anyways. She stood still when he said he wouldn't tell anyone and put his finger up to his mouth. She kept her guard up and watched his every movement until he started to walk out of the alley. She followed him out onto the busy street. She stopped when he did once again. She sighed and looked at him, but smiled when he mentioned he'd be staying another couple days. Good. She could finish what she started. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Captain." She said, smiling sweetly at him as she walked off, then she rolled her eyes as she headed home. She had a lot to prepare for that night, and this time she wouldn't be getting caught, and if she did she'd be sure to take him out this time.

When she got back to the castle, she walked inside and spotted her parents in the throne room. "Where were you?" Her father boomed, anger in his voice. Annabelle froze and turned towards her father. "Oh, I was just out, Papa." She said as she started going towards her bedroom, but he stopped her. "Come here, Annabelle." He said. She wondered what she had done, why did he sound so angry? She walked towards him and stood in front of him and her mother, who held a sad expression. "What is the meaning of this," He said and she stared in horror as he pulled out her brown bag and threw it at her feet, her clothes hanging out. "You went in my room?" She said, not realizing her voice was squeaky. "Answer me, girl." He said, standing up now and towering over her. "It's nothing, just sometimes I like to go out an be.. normal, get away from this hectic life." She said and he glared down at her. "Go to your room, and don't come out." He said.

She gathered her clothes and bag and rushed to her room. She closed her door behind her and heard them deadbolting it from outside. She shivered and fell to the ground, putting her face in her hands as she cried softly.

Later that night, she had on her change of clothes and pulled her hair back. Her eyes were still red from crying, but now she kept her emotions in check. She went to her window and scouted the area before she tied a rope to her balcony and slid down to the ground. She checked both ways before disappearing into the forest, going towards Jacob's ship.

It was empty and deserted again. She quietly made her way back to the Captains quarters and made her way to the treasure chest when she fell to the ground. She looked back and her foot was caught in a rope. Grunted, she tried to release it but couldn't. She went to reach for her dagger, but it wasn't there. She mentally scolded herself as she worked on the knot around her ankle.

Annabelle was about to walk out of the alley and head home when she spotted Jacob. She wanted to turn and run, or take him out as well, but he didn't seem to suspect anything. Just a princess who was trained to protect herself, she was hoping so anyways. She stood still when he said he wouldn't tell anyone and put his finger up to his mouth. She kept her guard up and watched his every movement until he started to walk out of the alley. She followed him out onto the busy street. She stopped when he did once again. She sighed and looked at him, but smiled when he mentioned he'd be staying another couple days. Good. She could finish what she started. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Captain." She said, smiling sweetly at him as she walked off, then she rolled her eyes as she headed home. She had a lot to prepare for that night, and this time she wouldn't be getting caught, and if she did she'd be sure to take him out this time.

When she got back to the castle, she walked inside and spotted her parents in the throne room. "Where were you?" Her father boomed, anger in his voice. Annabelle froze and turned towards her father. "Oh, I was just out, Papa." She said as she started going towards her bedroom, but he stopped her. "Come here, Annabelle." He said. She wondered what she had done, why did he sound so angry? She walked towards him and stood in front of him and her mother, who held a sad expression. "What is the meaning of this," He said and she stared in horror as he pulled out her brown bag and threw it at her feet, her clothes hanging out. "You went in my room?" She said, not realizing her voice was squeaky. "Answer me, girl." He said, standing up now and towering over her. "It's nothing, just sometimes I like to go out an be.. normal, get away from this hectic life." She said and he glared down at her. "Go to your room, and don't come out." He said.

She gathered her clothes and bag and rushed to her room. She closed her door behind her and heard them deadbolting it from outside. She shivered and fell to the ground, putting her face in her hands as she cried softly.

Later that night, she had on her change of clothes and pulled her hair back. Her eyes were still red from crying, but now she kept her emotions in check. She went to her window and scouted the area before she tied a rope to her balcony and slid down to the ground. She checked both ways before disappearing into the forest, going towards Jacob's ship.

It was empty and deserted again. She quietly made her way back to the Captains quarters and made her way to the treasure chest when she fell to the ground. She looked back and her foot was caught in a rope. Grunted, she tried to release it but couldn't. She went to reach for her dagger, but it wasn't there. She mentally scolded herself as she worked on the knot around her ankle.