34 Epilogue

As the bow of the ship reached the ports, every crew member scrambled to get everything and everyone off the vessel. James instructed Gonzalo to have an army of soldiers wait for their arrival. The wooden ramp was finally lowered and Gonzalo boarded the ship along with the soldiers he rounded.

When they arrived on deck, everyone was in disarray. Beaten pirates were tied up and assisted off the ship. Their dead was put to the side, awaiting assistance on what to do with them. Others mourned for the loss of their fellow mates.

As Gonzalo looked around in search of his monarchs, the door to the cabin finally opened, and out came Queen Amelia's ladies-in-waiting. They wept as a group of crewmates helped them get off the ship. The next thing he heard from the cabin was grunts and shouting, demanding to be let released.

It was the pirates' leader along with his men.

Gonzalo stood before him, towering over his poor stature. The pirate leader smirked, unfazed by Gonzalo's death glare. After a moment of tension between the two men, they were moved to the side as the king and queen were announced.

"Your Majesties, are you hurt?" Gonzalo rushed over them, forgetting all manners and conduct.

"We're fine, Gonzalo, thank you," James replied as Gonzalo checked the monarchs' well-being.

As Gonzalo turned his attention to the queen, the next thing he saw caught him off-guard. An unconscious body was put on a stretcher, carried by the crewmates. The body was covered in cloth from the neck down. A puddle of blood was right where the chest would be.

It was Robert.

The prince of Western Wind was hurt.

"Your Majesty, what hap--" Before Gonzalo could continue, he noticed that the king wasn't in his usual composure.

James was staring into nothingness. Emotionless.

The captain approached him, bowing first. "Your Majesty, what are your orders for the prince?"

"Have him sent back to the castle as quickly as possible. And send for the Medicine King. Tell him to hurry," Amelia answered, preventing her tears from falling.

The captain bowed and followed his men.

"Your Majesty," Gonzalo gently approached Amelia, "What happened?"

The pirate leader laughed behind Gonzalo. "Such a pathetic heir. I barely deepened the knife and he's lifeless on a stretcher," he chuckled.

Everybody turned in his direction, ready to devour him with their anger. Before Gonzalo could strike a slap on his face, the pirate leader suffocated. His men were in a panic. They moved away from him, not wanting to experience the pain.

Gonzalo turned to James and immediately knew it was him. James' eyes completely turned white as he stared down at the pirate leader's body. The pirate leader was turning blue. But James wasn't stopping.

"James, enough."

Amelia's firm voice calmed the storm within the silent king. "That's enough killing for one day. Robert needs us right now. We have no time for this," she said. Without saying another word, Amelia was escorted off the ship and all James could do was follow in peace.

The pirate leader continued gasping for air. Fear was finally printed all over his face. Gonzalo then knelt before him and whispered, "You useless living. You brought death upon yourself." He slowly rose and commanded the soldiers, "All those who are alive, bring them to the dungeons. As for their dead, you can either burn them or feed them to the fishes below."

Gonzalo then followed his monarchs. He mounted his horse and rode after the royal carriage.

The kingdom's worst fear has been done.