Empress of the Sea|✔️

Chapter 25

Rewritten
***

Aeryn took another swing of her beer. Tonight, she allowed her crew to celebrate, the reason being Erel's confirmed absence. The siren would not be able to rain on their parade while at the siren-mermaid meeting.

She threw her head back, her head hitting the wall of the common room. The crew had gathered there for some poker games, drinks, and gossip.

All activities Reyna avoided, and so did the prince.

The crew had never once seen Aeryn unleash her "inner child." She'd always been stoic and collected around them. It was nice to see Aeryn laugh without a care in the world. Nice to see her as Aeryn Branche without the title of "Captain" weighing her shoulders down.

Aeryn had excused Reyna and Juele from the common room, knowing both of them were uncomfortable. She couldn't say the same for her quartermaster and Reyna's brothers. They were having a lot more fun than her.

Then Reyna came rushing back. "Captain," she called, losing her footing on the final stair. "The boy has awakened."

Aeryn turned around, revealing her flushed cheeks to the gunner. "Such timing," she muttered before clapping her palms on her thighs and throwing her body into a standing position. "Where is he?"

"In the dorms."

"Alright. You'll speak to him and figure out everything he knows."

Aeryn followed her gunner up the stairs, trying hard to walk straight. She caught Juele's eye then the boy's.

The prince crouched on the floor in front of the boy, entertaining him with a bell from his coat. Jules returned his attention to the boy, unable to observe Aeryn's tipsy steps.

Or Aeryn at all.

The boy was scrawny, thin-boned and differently coloured. Some patches of his skin were hazel and some were ivory. Others matched the colour of burnt wood and others were the same as Aeryn's honey skin.

The boy waved at Reyna, his attention still on Juele's bell.

"What's his name?" Aeryn whispered, leaning toward Reyna.

"He said his name was Brooks," the gunner replied with an equal volume and briskness as her captain's.

"Alright." Aeryn sighed, inhaled, and brought a smile onto her face. A smile she deemed necessary only to pull out when around children. The type of smile that did not invite criticism.

That's why Reyna deemed telling Aeryn she looked like a phantom a decision that could end her career as a gunner.

Aeryn walked over to Brooks and crouched beside Juele, giving him a small shove.

Juele tumbled over, falling to his side.

"Hi, Brooks. My name is Aeryn--"

"Why did you push him? Pushing is bad. You can't push other people. Pushing is bad. You should not hurt others. Violence is only tolerated when hurting criminals," Brooks said with a lisp. He'd spoken so monotonously that it surprised Aeryn just a tad.

Reminding herself that getting worked up over a boy would be useless, Aeryn replied, "I'm sorry. It was an accident. Can you forgive me?"

"I will forgive you, but first you have to give me chocolate."

"I'll give you chocolate if you promise to tell the truth," Aeryn suggested.

"'The truth is rewarded on this ship and anything but the truth is punished.' That's what Captain Kronos said when my mom lied to him. My mommy deserved her death. That's what Captain Kronos told me. My mommy shouldn't have lied about me. That's what Captain Kronos told me. My mommy will go to the Devil to repent for her sins. That's what Captain Kronos told me."