The Pirate Queen

Chapter 41

It's my birthday so here's a little update as a gift from me to you. Enjoy! <3

Jora threw himself at Eric, pulling the Prince back before the hit could land. Ariel turned to the tall, barrel-chested man in front of her with the greying beard and cold blue eyes. So this was the man who wanted to steal Eric's country. Who forced him into marriage. Who dared to think insulting the late Queen was the best move of action at a peace meeting.

She stepped past Eric, brushing her fingers lightly across the back of his hand, and up to the King, hands on her hips. "Do you have such little power in this room that you must resort to bringing down others to your level? Or are you just that tactless at your attempts for peace and negotiation?"

A few men in the room gaped and Triton turned his cold eyes to her, now raging with fury. "And who the hell are you?"

She smirked. "How much time you got?"

"You aren't allowed in the room," he growled. "This is for world leaders only.'

"The hell she's not," Eric seethed. He shrugged Jora off him and glowered at the King, nearly vibrating with his barely restrained anger. "This is the Pirate King, Lord of the Northern Seas, Captain of the Dauntless-"

"And Crown Princess of Farnce." Valerie floated behind her daughter, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Her name, King Triton, is Ariel Athena Diamrem Nott. And you will treat her with respect, as you will everyone in this room, or risk being removed from it. Understood?" Her mother's voice was firm, unyielding. When Ariel glanced at her there was a look in her eyes that dared the King to try her goodwill and patience. Her grip tightened fractionally, pulling Ariel into her side. It did not go unnoticed that the Queen had tacked Edward's last name onto her's, just as Eric had introduced her.

King Triton gaped now, noting the physical similarities between the two women. "I... My apologies, Your Highness. Your daughter..." He shook his head. "A Farnce Princess and a Pirate King. Is there a title you don't hold?"

Ariel shrugged. "I don't know. What's the name of your country?"

Now he really looked ready for violence. Ariel grinned and turned to look at Eric whose gaze was solely fixed on his father. Jora was holding his elbow, glancing back and forth between them. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline, but as much as she wanted to run and take a second to rest and breath, she forced herself to step further into the room. There were a lot of conversations that needed to be had, but the most important was stopping the war. Without peace, they had nothing.

"Right." She clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention back to her. "Why don't we begin this meeting now that everyone's here, hmm? While I'd like to address how rude and uncouth it was to begin this without all parties, we don't have time. My seat, please."

A bewildered guard gestured her forward to the table, to a seat located next to her father at the head of the table and across from King Triton. Eric took the seat to her left, and her three crewmen stationed themselves along the wall behind her. As they'd discussed on the King's Island, Miki and Lance were present, as well as William Hayes. Notably absent, was Declan.

She locked eyes with William down the table and raised an eyebrow. "Missing a mate, Captain?"

"He's preoccupied," he grunted.

"Cleaning splinters out of his wounds, I hope. Now." She pivoted her gaze to the other side of the table filled with Kings and Lords and a slew of other people she hadn't met. She'd been hoping to get a list of all the people who'd be in attendance before this meeting, but that had been blown to dust back in the throne room. She was officially making things up as she went.