Memories Carry No Weight When The Present Is In Danger

The Duchess's white afternoon dress flowed behind her as she sped through the house, blowing out every candle, extinguishing every fireplace, and bidding goodbye to every housekeeper. She was pretty, and young too. Not young like eight or nine, young as in nineteen, twenty. 

Today was the day she was going to the mainland. The last time she'd been there was seven years ago. Although she acted like she was leaving forever, she knew it was only going to be a week or two. But, for her, a week or two of some semblance of independence was all she needed. 

She was going to go to a medical conference, there were going to be doctors from all around the archipelago talking about the latest scientific advancements and she knew she couldn't miss it for the world.

The large palace-like structure was her home, and she was certainly going to miss it. She was leaving, just like her parents once did, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread settle in her stomach and in her mind as she thought about them. They were kidnapped by pirates while they were at sea, travelling to the mainland. Whatever happened to them, the Duchess didn't know. She remembered being so excited when a knock at the door came, jumping off of her chair and landing in the arms of the housekeeper. When she opened the door, it wasn't her Ma, and it wasn't her Pa. It was the King, all the way from the mainland. He picked his niece up and carried her to her chair again. He told her what had happened, how her parents were taken, but weren't held for ransom. He told her how the pirates killed her parents. She didn't believe him at the time, she said it was all nonsense and that they said they were coming home today. I guess it isn't hard to imagine that they never came home. 

So, with all of that said, you can understand her hesitance towards leaving. She was going to be just fine, she knew that. Naria's Navy was stronger than ever, and there was a rumour going around that there was a ship better than the ones that the pirates had ever encountered. Besides, she would be travelling in a disguised ship. She would be going on a fisherman's ship. Sure, it wasn't the best ship in the world, but it did the job. It was sturdy, and she was told that the Captain of the fisherman's ship was quite nice. So it all worked out, really. 

She approached her main housekeeper, who also acted as her governess when she was younger. This woman had raised her, she was practically a mother to her. The Duchess held the housekeeper's hands in hers and smiled. 

"I won't be gone very long, don't worry." She squeezed her housekeeper's hands.

"I know, Lizzie, just be careful, okay?" The housekeeper kissed Lizzie's forehead.

Lizzie smiled even more and pulled her housekeeper close to her. "I love you, Margerie… I'll see you after two weeks."

Margerie pulled away from the embrace and let Lizzie be on her way. She almost dropped her bags as she sped down the street. She didn't check the clock before she left, and she certainly didn't want to be late. 

She'd heard that the mainland was thick with industrialisation, a whole new world just waiting for her. These two weeks were going to be the best time of her life. She would get to ride in one of those fancy new horse-and-carts and she'd use a typewriter and even, if she was lucky, get a vaccination. Everything, all of this, was new. Achea was rather stuck in the past, a relic of an older time. 

The docks grew nearer and nearer into view, and her butler almost verbalised his shock as he ran towards her to take her bags off of her. She huffed, but ultimately acquiesced. Her butler didn't speak much Narian, so she learned a bit of Krylarian for him. "Mèk wòtèn sàmèrè, jòtòlèn kèkwèl." She put her hands on her hips. She could do this herself, she was nineteen for goodness' sake. 

"Kòlèvè jòtòlèn wòtèn, tèn dòlèzèk xèmèlèvè kwòlèkèlèmè sò tènèzèk kèkwèl," her butler replied. Myran was always good at overpowering her while bickering, so he was pretty much always right. He did make a good point though, she did need to save her strength. She had never been at sea before, and he obviously had because he came from Kryl.

She made a pshht sound and climbed into the boat, letting Myran carry her bags. The boat was small and green. Rust climbed up the walls, but other than that it was in perfect condition. It did reek of fish though. 

"Good afternoon, Ma'am." The fisherman turned around from his place at the helm. He was around her age, nineteen, twenty tops. He had a greek nose, but pale skin. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, a thick streak of green showing underneath. 

"Call me Lizzie." She raised a hand out towards him and he brought it to his mouth, tenderly kissing it. Her heart fluttered for a minute, a warm colour rising to her cheeks. She smiled and brought her hand back. What was she doing, he's a fisherman! He was genuinely very pretty, even in his poor-quality clothes. 

She folded her lips and sat down by the wheel, legs swinging over the rest of the deck. You'd have thought that he'd get a railing installed, but it was alright. It allowed her to spend her time with him. 

Hang on… she'd just met him. She needed to slow down. And yet, his gaze on her made her feel nice and he was just so kind. It was like those fairytales, the ones with love at first sight and happily ever afters.

She hadn't even thought about it when she asked, "Where are you from?" It must have been a thought that slipped out of her head.

He was caught suddenly by that, and a nervous chuckle escaped him. "Well, Greece, originally. I lived there until I was seven, then I came over to Naria. Now I travel between Achea and Naria for business." He paused, checking over his shoulder to see if he was given the all-clear for leaving. "What about you, Lizzie?"

She liked the way her name sounded on his tongue, the way he was so casual. "Well, I was born in Achea. Ma was King Olivier's sister, and Pa was the Duke of Srata. Technically, I am next in line for the throne of Naria, although having never left Achea properly, I don't think that'll ever happen," she rambled.

"So you've not really left then, have you?" He asked. His lower-class accent was pleasing to the ears. It reminded her of her first visit to Naria when she was younger. 

"No, I haven't. I doubt you've forgotten what happened." She sighed and stared out at the water. The thought that these very waves harboured the darkest of monsters, both human and not, unsettled her. 

"How could I?" He sighed. 

A hand on her shoulder. She thought it was the fisherman, but a different voice spoke to her. "Tènwèk xalèkèf wòdòlèn kwèlèvèzyakòmàz." Myran said.

Lizzie nodded in response, and her butler left the two to their business. "He says we're ready to leave now." She looked up at the fisherman.

He smiled once more and pulled a lever on the ground next to him and the boat groaned and slowly pushed forwards. "One ride to Naria coming up! Ladies and Gentlemen, please prepare for a bit of jitters as the boat departs. If you've got seatbelts, please fasten them and prepare for departure." The fisherman spoke into an imaginary microphone and spun the wheel dramatically. 

When he said jitters, she didn't think it would be that bad. 

The boat lurched and Lizzie felt her stomach flip and twist. They were out in the sea, not in the safety of the dock. The boat lurched again. She tried to grab onto anything as she felt herself slip down. Her hands grasped the rough trousers that the fisherman wore, which warranted an oomph of surprise from him. He narrowed his eyes and peered around the helm. "Well, what are you doing down there?" He asked. 

"Just give me a hand!" She snapped. The fisherman smiled and grabbed her hands which were now clinging onto his leg for dear life with every lurch the ship made. His arm tensed as he pulled her back up on to the higher part of the deck. 

"If you'll excuse me, Lizzie, you're a woos." The fisherman patted her on the back and stepped away from the helm. "Look, if you suddenly get thrown off the deck," He began, laughing to himself. The fisherman approached the ledge and Lizzie's heart leapt into her mouth when he simply fell. She closed her eyes. "Wow… Have you never been on a fisherman's boat?" Came the not-so-far voice from below. 

Lizzie opened one of her eyes and found that the fisherman was safely standing on the deck below, unscathed, and surprisingly closer than she'd imagined. "Well, that's just unfair." She pouted. 

"Come on down then!" The fisherman said, offering her a hand. 

"How civilised," She remarked, a smirk creeping onto her face. She sat down on the ledge and took his hand. She hopped off of the ledge without shutting her eyes in fear. The fisherman laughed at her, and she enjoyed his laugh. It was youthful and innocent. His laugh wasn't fake, like the men wishing to court her, he was genuine. "It's rather rude to laugh at a Lady, I could have your head for that."

"I don't think you could condemn me without knowing my name." He circled her, his voice teasing. 

"I rather think that you ought to be at the helm, Captain." She smirked. Lizzie enjoyed this, the thrill of doing what she had never once thought to. 

"We're on course." He prodded. "I'm technically not a Captain. You can leave that to the navy you surround yourself with."

"Who says I surround myself with the Navy?" She circled him now as well. 

"You called me Captain. I bet one of them tried to win your heart."

"I don't think that's any of your business, Captain." She narrowed her eyes at him. 

They circled each other for a while, before the fisherman's face completely dropped enough to send a cold wave down her body and make her stop circling. He kept staring at something behind her, by the looks of it, it was something bad.

"Theo." He said, his face as white as a sheet and his voice unsteady.

"Theo? What's a Theo?" She asked cautiously. 

"Me. That's my name." He paused. "Now… My Lady, I want you to slowly walk back inside the ship and take your butler. Hide in the lower deck, where all of the fish is." 

"I don't understand, what's wrong?" She asked. There was only one thing that could have been wrong. Only one thing that could warrant all of this. 

He shook his head. "Just do as I say. I'll deal with them." His gaze never left something behind her, something that cast a shadow on the entire ship. She thought it was a cloud at first, that nothing could ruin her perfect day out. 

"No. I want to know what's going on." She stared at Theo, hoping for him to reciprocate the glance and call her a woos again. Anything, anything but what she knew was behind her. "Look at me, Goddamn you!" Her sharp tone caused Theo's panicked gaze to flick to her, and then back to it. The one thing she didn't want to name. She turned around, now too curious and confused to not see it. 

She took a shaky breath and placed her hand over her mouth. It was huge, more than twice the size of their small ship. "Is that a-" She started. 

"Pirates…" Theo breathed. He grabbed her hand before either knew what they were going to do. "Lizzie. You've got to run."

"Run where? We're out at sea, there's nowhere to run that they won't check. We're dead." She didn't blink as she stared at the ship. Something shiny had left it, the sun reflecting off of the object for her to get a good look at it. With a fzzipp, an arrow landed about a centimetre away from Lizzie's feet. A warning. If the pirates wanted her dead, she would have been shot. First rule about travelling on the water: never underestimate a pirate. If a shot misses, you've got a worse fate waiting for you. 

Lizzie pulled on Theo's hand, dragging him along with her as she fled into the main body of the ship. Away from the deck. Theo tried to protest, saying he was of better use out there, buying them some time. 

"Absolutely not." Lizzie finally let go of Theo's hand when they reached a sheltered area of the deck. There were cutlasses and arrows in a box. 

"Myran?" She called. "Myran?"

The scurry of feet along the deck. Lizzie grabbed two cutlasses and tossed Theo one. She bit her cheek. If they were going down, they'd go down fighting, just like her parents did. 

Someone in a dishevelled black-and-white uniform skidded out in front of them. He had messy brown hair and the colour had drained from his face. "Lizzie!" He breathed. "Mèk zòfèkàlèz sèkèvèlèn dòlèkèlè, jèfènèlè!" He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Jèmè wòkèlèvè sòbèmèf sòlòmìkìn, xèwèzèk kèkwèlèvè zèfèlèkèlèmèzèk, xèlèzèk kòlèvè dèlèvèkèz kèkwèl tèn zèjèvè. Jòtòlèn wòjèmèvèk tèn jènèzèk!" He took a deep breath. "This is what happened to your parents, Lizzie…"

She drew back from the embrace and picked up one of the last cutlasses from the box. She handed it to Myran, who hesitantly took it. It felt like there were rocks in her throat, not letting her say something helpful in this situation. "Alright." She coughed. "Alright. If they board your ship, Theo, we'll have no choice but to fight. I've studied pirates, albeit briefly, and they're keeping us alive, toying with us. We can't let them take us." She looked to the floor. "If worse comes to worst… we jump."

"Into the water?" Theo asked. 

"Right into the water." She could feel the sensation all over her, the freezing and the water forcing its way into her mouth, choking her. It was like a sense of déjà vu. She shook the thought away. Now was not the time for matters like that. She was going to fight, fight for her life. Memories carry no weight when the present is in danger. 

THUD THUD THUD THUD

A plank crashed down onto the deck, followed by the heavy boots of pirates. Their time was up. With every thud, Lizzie flinched. Myran quietly whispered a prayer. 

"Kèkwèlèvè kèkwèlèvèf, tèn wòkèlèvè jèmèf kèkwèlèzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz.

Dèlèvèkèz tèn kèkwèlèvè jèmèf kèkwèlèzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz.

Jèmè wòkèlèvè sòbèmèf sòlòmìkàzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz.

Kèkwèlèvè kèkwèlèvèf, tèn wòkèlèvè jèmèf kèkwèlèzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz.

Dèlèvèkèz tèn kèkwèlèvè jèmèf kèkwèlèzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz.

Jèmè wòkèlèvè sòbèmèf sòlòmìkàzèk, tèn kwejekèf zòlòmìkàzàf kwèlèvèzyakòmàz."

(Victory, victory, we ask for victory, in the name of the open waters.

Grant us victory in battle, in the name of the open waters.

We seek victory over our enemies, in the name of the open waters.

Victory, victory, we ask for victory, in the name of the open waters.

Grant us victory in battle, in the name of the open waters.

We seek victory over our enemies, in the name of the open waters.)

Lizzie resonated with that prayer. She didn't believe in Myran's Solomikos, but she would take all the help and faith she could get. She would not die today. She would not go down like her parents did. And, if she did, she would make them proud. 

The boots grew closer. Now was the time to act. Lizzie looked at both Theo and Myran. Each of the three was inexperienced and certainly going to suffer. It was an unspoken truth that plagued the air. 

Lizzie was the first to move. A pirate had appeared next to Myran and she'd run for him. Hacking and slicing the man, who had barely any time to react. Crimson spilled from him and onto her white dress. Her mother's dress. The frozen expression on the pirate's face as she slit his throat. She didn't think about it at the time. It was survival. She was doing what she needed to… wasn't she? She didn't want to process it, that she had just taken someone's life. It was self-defense… 

Someone else lunged at her, tearing her dress at her side. She spun around and ducked as a cutlass swung at her. She'd taken minimal lessons in sword fighting, but this wasn't sword fighting. This wasn't even battle… it was sport.

Her eyes flicked to her right as she dodged the blade. Theo and Myran were struggling over there, and she was too. Even though they were brutes, the pirates were still more experienced than they were. Combined, they could kill about two or three men at the most. Not a whole crew's worth. She knew she had to say it… She just didn't want to give up so quickly. 

She opened her mouth to speak. 

"Gentlemen! Is that any way we're going to treat our guest? Now, come on. Of course we're going to have to use force, but just restrain them. We actually want these ones alive." A man's voice clearer than them all tutted. "Honestly, it's no wonder why they call us brutes."

This was obviously the pirate Captain. The man who was going to torture and do unspeakable things to them. A life with him wasn't worth living. 

"Do it!" Lizzie shouted. Her, Theo, and Myran bolted for the edge of the boat. Theo was restrained before he'd even got halfway across the ship. Both she and Myran jumped at the same time. 

She expected the cold, cold whip of wind as she fell. She expected the water to hit her like a wall of bricks. She expected freezing temperatures. What she didn't expect was to jump into the air, and to feel a sharp pain on her right ankle as something gripped it, forcing her upper body to plummet down and for her to hit her head on the metal of the hull. The last thing she heard was Myran's scream as he fell into the water.