Black Pearl

Chapter 8

I slept easier with the knife underneath my pillow. Whenever I woke up in a fright, I would feel the handle and melt back into sleep until the sun finally rose. I was careful to keep it out of sight whenever anyone else was nearby, just because one thought it was okay didn't mean others would, but it was a great comfort nonetheless.

Slowly, over the next few days, my concerns evolved though. At first I had been so afraid that someone was going to break into my room in the middle of the night, that I was going to be snatched from my bed, or maybe just assaulted here, while I was unconscious. But, no one came in the middle of the night. In fact, after my brief tour with the queen, no one besides my maid came at all. I felt like that fictional princess, the one locked away in her tower for years on end, waiting for anyone.

The prince had not shown his face once, which had originally been a comfort, but no more. All I knew of the man I was supposed to marry was how his voice carried in the middle of the night and how eager he was to cast me aside as soon as I was with child. But was I really going to marry him without ever meeting him? What if he was cruel and ghastly? What if I was entrapped to him before I could make a getaway?

To distract myself from these awful thoughts, I spent my days sewing. I grabbed any pieces of fabric I could find. I used fine lace from little decoration pieces on my table, the curtains that draped over my windows, various sheets off my bed. All of it was cut with sheers and stitched together into something beautiful and functional. No jewels or gems because that would make them too heavy, but my sisters would sigh over them when I returned nonetheless.

Because I was not marrying a man I had never met and I was not going to be returning to my sisters empty handed either. I would figure out how I would transport all of these things later, for now it was just important to keep my mind occupied and my fingers busy, though they bled often from needle pricks.

I also used my free time to badger my maid with questions. I asked her which fruits were grown here, when they were in season. I wondered about the ingredients in bread, but very quickly realized that things like flour and yeast would be hard to come by on our tiny island. When I thought she wasn't looking, I picked seeds out of everything and anything. Then came my next issue: I needed to label things and find a way to document all I had learned.

"Could you possibly find me a journal?" I asked as I splayed myself out ungracefully on my bed. This would serve two purposes: helping me keep track of my seeds and what I had learned and fulfilling my promise to Oceana by documenting my new life for as long as I would live it. Maybe one day, I would want to recall this mess of an adventure. Or maybe another siren would be selected and I could help her before her journey even began.

"A journal?"

"Yes, a notebook and some writing quills please."

"For what purpose, my lady?" my maid wondered, her eyes trained a little too intently on me.

"Well for writing, obviously."

"You can write?"

"Of course."

She only stared at me for a moment, then seemed to collect herself with a shake of her head. "Right away, Miss."

As she spun away, the door was flung open, startling us both. I scrambled off the bed, my body somehow knowing that the visitor was male. My first thought went to the prince, but I very quickly realized that the dark skin and darker eyes could only belong to the one who taunted me while I stole the dagger. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or disappointed.

"Jacob," my maid gasped, her cheeks instantly flushing. She reached towards him, but quickly dropped her arms.

Jacob, the man from the guard's room, moved fluidly, wrapping my small maid in his grip. She let out a squeal and pressed herself against him a little. I watched, unsure of what I was seeing until his mouth brushed against hers.

A kiss. I had read about those in the fairytales. True love was always sealed with a kiss. Was I witnessing true love right this moment? That seemed positively magical.

My fingers brushed over my own mouth, wondering how it would feel to have a man kiss me. And to have his firm arm around my waist like that, tugging me against his unyielding body. I could almost hear the sounds I would make, whimpering so softly.

My face quickly turned as red as my maid's when Jacob finally released her. She stumbled a step, almost seeming stunned, then was downright horrified when she remembered my presence.

"I am so sorry, my lady. Jacob, you need to leave immediately."

"Maisy, relax. I'm sure a single stolen kiss is nothing that Princess Ember can't handle." He challenged me with a blatant smirk. "I have a keen feeling that she isn't one to follow rules very often."

"It's inappropriate and disrespectful to our royals," Maisy stammered out. "You need to leave. I was about to fetch our princess a journal for her to write in and...and..."

"A journal?" Jacob's dark eyebrows shot upwards. "My, a woman who steals daggers and can spell. You really are something."

My chin ticked up. I didn't understand humans well enough to know why, but I was certain that this wasn't exactly a compliment.

"That only makes this easier," he continued. "Grab your dagger, Princess Ember. I think it's time that we got you out of this stuffy room." His eyes trailed over all of the fabric pooled across the floor. "Seems like you could use a break anyway."

"The princess is not to leave the room until the prince comes to fetch her," Maisy protested stubbornly. "And she certainly doesn't have a dagger!"

"My love, Leo will not mind if I borrow his bride for one night."

Though Maisy continued to argue and complain, I didn't need anymore convincing. He knew the prince. He could tell me things about him that I could only imagine. Through him, I could decide if I could stay on behalf of my sisters or if I needed to make a hasty getaway before the wedding with whatever I collected.

And, I got to leave my bedroom.

I dug beneath my pillow and revealed my impressive knife. 

Jacob only grinned at my eagerness while Maisy seemed to be on the verge of a fainting spell.

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Has a book ever scared you or given you nightmares?

For me, Stephen King has ruined many potentially peaceful sleeps. Pet Cemetery and the Outsider ruined me. Also Copycat by Alex Lake