Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 8] Ch. 9 Unexpected Results

Meela

"It's not just the clothes," Satiri said. "I'm a pirate for blasted sake and you're one of the most prominent princesses in the central kingdoms. I don't really know anything about arranged marriages or if us both being girls is a problem, seeing as we can't make any Heirs. I know how to sail a ship, keep my ear open for gossip. I know how to dance in the sheets, and how to kill someone. Men or women, makes no difference to me. I have money, but I'm not by any means rich. I have no noble blood, I don't know my manners except what I've picked up from watching. And you... you're a bloody princess!" I felt my vision blur as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"You, you, you, you're pretty, and elegant, and rich, and and and down right terrifying to be perfectly frank. And I'm..." she looked down at herself as she slipped back into her native accent. "I'm this." Her shoulders slumped. "I'm nobody, my mum was a prostitute and my da, well I never met 'im but a pirate is as solid of guess as any. Your da, he's the sage king! The bloody invincible fox king of badasses!"

"Pfft, just wait until you meet him." I rolled my eyes thinking about the goof ball people called the "Sage King".

"And that's what I'm talking about! Never in a million years would I have even considered meeting the bloke... king. Your da. But you... " She looked sincerely surprised as if she'd never thought she could say the next words. "...don't want to hide me at all."

"Hide you?" I wanted to show her off.

"Princess..." she scooted closer to me. I was just on a cushion like she was, only I was kneeling like I was taught. She took my hands in hers and held them in my lap. "You are this lovely innocent flower of beauty and perfection. You shine so brightly all the time, I can hardly bare to look at ya. And I'm, I've done things... a lot of things I'm not proud of. I'm damaged goods if there ever were a fitting example. And I... damaged your goods and reputation already. I stole your first kiss, I forced my drunken ass on you and then threw up ruining clothes that probably cost more than my life. and then you still took care of me, you bloody confessed to this this..." She looked down at herself. "...this thing."

"Satiri, you know I don't think of you that way." I squeezed her hands, but I only received a sad smile back.

"I know." She reached her hand up and wipe away my tears with her thumb. "You should, everyone else does. I tried so hard to fit in, to change myself. The way I talked, the way I acted. I let assholes like that guy tonight walk all over me because I thought that's what I had to do. I've been everybody's dirty little secret since I got here. Flint is the exception because he's my captain and a good one at that but..." She sniffled. "No one has ever held hands with me in public." Her face screwed up and her bottom lip quivered.

"Since I got off the ship, everyone but my crew told me to keep my head down, don't make eye contact, don't speak until spoken to. If anyone asks, we don't know each other or we're just friends. I do love you, but my parents wouldn't understand. I thought I had heard it all until today."

She began to cry as she bent her head down. "No one has ever said things like: If anyone asks, you're my girlfriend. We are on a date too. I'll prove that I love you. I told them you were my girlfriend. Bring my girlfriend's stuff or else. Just wait until you meet my father." She turned her tear stricken face up at me. "You never hesitated! You never looked down on me and you never backed down. You put your entire house and business on the line for..." she pointed at her pack. "... for for for a fecking pile of shite! All for me."

She slowly lifted my hands up and pressed my palms against her cheeks. She desperately held them there as if to savor the feeling. "I'm scared, Meela." I felt a new wave of tears reach my hands. "This is everything I've ever wanted and more. But what if it's not real? What if you turn around and say it was all a joke? Today was the happiest I've been in a long time but it's too much. it's too good for me I don't know what to do with it and I can't fathom what I'd do without it. I'm so scared Meela, it hurts. I've wanted to be loved so bad for so long I've done some terrible things to myself and other people for a taste of it. And today you practically paid me to drown me in it."