The Ascension (Book One): Toss the Dice

Chapter Thirteen

It turned out to be the Captain, a wine glass in one hand and something small and golden in the other. As I approached she looked up from rolling whatever it was in her hand and smiled at me.

"Happy Birthday Scurry." She said. "I'm glad that you could celebrate your birthday with all the people that you consider your family."

"Fanks." I said, slouching against the wall next to her, hiding in the shadows just as she was. "Wha' are you doin' 'ere?" I asked. "Ain't there gonna be people lookin' for ya?"

"Yes well," She said, looking back down at the thing in her hand. "I'm trying to avoid a certain someone at the moment who I'm not sure I want to face." I looked at her quizzically and she caught my eye sighing at the question in my eyes. "It's a long story." She said, trying to get out of it.

"I's a long night." I replied, settling down into a chair that I dragged against the while, straddling it like I was riding a horse.

She sighed and looked down at the golden thing in her hand again before closing her fist around it and taking another sip of her wine. "Did I ever tell you the story of how my parents died?" She asked.

"Is it relate' to the story of 'oo you're avoidin'?" I asked.

"Yes." She said hesitantly.

"Then no," I said. "I ain't never 'eard the story of 'ow your parents died."

"Well as you know my father was a merchant." She began. "I was part of the richer nobility here in Jalk and I had three older brothers who would inherit my father's company so all that was left for me to do was to marry a wealthy man and to then have him inherit part of the family company as well. And as marriages used to be back then, mine was arranged. I was alright with my arranged marriage, after all I was in love with Jared, my betrothed and he was very much in love with me. I did have a problem with Jared's little brother by a year though whose name was John. John had told me on several occasions that he loved me and that he could undoubtedly make me happier than his brother could. I always replied that he could try but I doubted it. One day a letter came from across the ocean that my father had been invited to a majestic ball by one of the queen's from the northern islands. My father being the wonderful merchant that he was saw this as three different opportunities; one, to introduce my fiance to the northern island merchants, two, to establish better trade with the permission of the queen herself and, three, to make himself even more well known across the whole sea. So my mother, my father, and Jared all got on my father's fastest ship, The Impossible. I gave Jared a kiss before he left and said that he had a present in his room for me that he was going to give to me when he came back. And off they went to the northern islands with hope." Here the Captain stopped and looked up at the ceiling forlornly, no doubt thinking of those sad times for her and her brothers.

"They never returned." She said. "The northern islands reported that they found the wreck of The Impossible a couple miles out from their biggest island but that they found no survivors. I was devastated and only my three big brothers could console me. My oldest brother Noah, took over father's merchant business and my second oldest brother Carlyl became his partner. As you know Jonathan married Marie and began working under Dameon and will someday become the Harbormaster. It wasn't long after this that I decided to become a pirate and help the poor people of the world in a way that my father couldn't when he was a merchant. But before I left I checked Jared's room for the present that he wasn't going to give me before he left. In his room, on top of his bed was a small box, no bigger than the palm of my hand and in the box was this ring." She said, holding out the gold thing in her palm for me to look at. "There was also a note. I've always remembered what it said. It read, 'My dear Melissa, I know that we are already engaged by the laws of the country, but I find that when two people are in love one should formally propose to another. I am too shy myself to say it outloud and so I have written it down on this paper. Silly isn't it? I've known you for most of my life and we have shared many kisses and yet I am too shy to ask you to marry me. So instead I hope you will read this letter and understand my feelings. Will you marry me my dear dear Melissa? Sincerely, yours truly, Jared.'"

The Captain got a little choked up at his part and had to wipe a few tears out of her eyes that welled up. I waited in silence until she cleared her throat and continued. "He was planning on proposing to me formally when he got back but hadn't been able to get up the courage to ask me yet and so he had set himself a deadline. That was so very like him, setting a date to do something so that he had no choice but to do it. I was crying as I read that note over and over and over again, memorizing it. I was so loud in my sobbing that I didn't hear John come into the room and only noticed him when he wrapped his arms around my in a hug. He told me he was sorry and didn't want to see me cry. He told me that he would replace Jared and keep me safe and I ripped his arms away and told him that I didn't want his help and that he could never replace his brother or the hole he had left in my heart. And then I got on my ship the Andalusia that afternoon and left the port, that was 12 years ago. I sailed for 2 before coming back here to Jalk to meet up with my brothers for a bit. It was then that I met John again. He told me that he was still waiting for me and although I was still mad at him still believed I would never be able to fall in love with him I agreed to let him become my first mate. Now everyone calls him Scar."

I felt my head jerk up as she said this realizing for the first time that the John that she was speaking of and my big brother like Scar were the same person. To think that they had shared such a deep past! I simply shook my head in amazement. I almost couldn't believe it.

"An' now?" I asked her.

"I think that now I love him." She said. "But I don't think I hold the right to tell him so any longer. I rejected him long ago and that should be the end of it. I should simply leave it alone and let it be no more. Even if I did tell him now that I loved him, I doubt that he would do anything about it. He can see that I wear his brother's ring on my ring finger everywhere I go and that should be enough to remind him that I will always love his brother in some form. He was my first love after all." She said.

"I don' fink tha' matters." I said. "Why shoul' it matter? 'E said vat 'e'd wait for ya didn't 'e? So tha' wouldn't 'ave changed. If 'e didn't love ya anymore 'e wouldn't 'ave stayed on yer ship." I said matter of factly, standing from my chair. "An' there ain't anyfing wrong wif alway lovin' someone who is gone. Bu' don' let someone 'oo is gone destroy yer chances for 'appiness righ' now." I said. "I'mma gonna go ta bed but yer gonna tell 'im 'ow you feel. Goo'nigh'." I said, walking towards the stairs.

When I reached the doorway of the room I looked around at everyone and smiled, almost everyone had paired off into couples and I could see that Marie and Katerina were gone along with the kids. They were most likely trying to get them into bed, telling them that it didn't matter how long the adults stayed up for because if you were a kid then you would sleep when kids sleep. I walked out of the ballroom doors and made my way up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. I lit the candle stick by my bed and used it to light all the lamps around my room. I saw the maid bell sitting on my table. Mary told me that it was used to call the maids who slept in the room next to mine every night. I didn't see the point in the maids. If I could do things by myself then why did I have to wake up someone to do it for me. So instead of calling for the maids I simply changed form my party clothes into my night dress all by myself. I blew out all the lamps expect for the candle by my bed and then I got into bed and tucked myself in tight before blowing out the candle. And that's when I let myself drift off into sleep.

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Hey guys. This is the last January update. I will see you in February. Don't forget to subscribe and share this story with as many of your friends as you can.