SEASICK

26- Royal Pains

Wait... what? KILL The Balosar family? Me?

Alana's heart was in her throat as she tried to remain unbothered.
"We should start with how we will infiltrate the Taycia palace,"  Kazumi said pulling a folded map from his waistband, the one he received from the mysterious man in Ekapan.
Infiltrate... the Taycia palace? What is he saying?
Alana could almost throw up.
"This is a map of the palace grounds, and partly the blueprints of the castle." Kazumi laid the map flat on the table.
Alana glanced over the blueprints of her old home.
"A rebellion member has been forming a hidden hole on the north side of the grounds, not a lot of foot traffic there."
The hole I escaped through... it was a hole made to destroy my family...
"I have fifty men ready and willing to attack, Chusi included" Hadan looked over the map closely, nudging Chusi lightly with his elbow who just rolled her eyes.
"I see the hole is close to the Princess's room." He pointed to the balcony Alana knew too well. "Should we kill her as well?"
Alana's eyes snapped to her friends who were focusing on the map.
"Why not? She is a member of that awful family." Leopoldo shrugged making Alana's heart crumble.
"If we enter through her balcony and kill her, it would be much easier than trying to fight the guards crowding the doors." He explained.
They do not even know the princess and they are talking so easily about taking her life... I am the princess, they want to kill me.
"Yes, that could work. I hear the princess is always accompanied by a personal guard though. Silas Everblue, he is rumored to be a pretty tough son of a bitch, but I think it would easy for any of you to slit his throat." Hadan let out a hearty laugh.
He is more than that! He is a wonderful man! Do not talk so casually about killing him. Alana felt as if she were having an out-of-body experience in the worst way, her closest friends whom she loved dearly were sitting here plotting her death.
"Oh, excuse me, perhaps that is not a way to talk in front of a lady," Hadan said noticing the warped face of discomfort and disbelief on Alana's features, disregarding Chusi as a woman.
The pirates shifted their gaze up to Alana as well.
"Don't worry, little dove." Ivo smiled naturally. "You won't be a part of this, and it may sound scary, but it is for the greater good of Taycia."
"What?" Alana could only murmur, the stress seemed to exude in her expression.
"We have kept you in the dark for long enough, dear." Leopoldo rested a hand on her shoulder, making her look up to him in fright, which he did not place as fright for herself, but at their words.
Is this too much for her? Is this only going to make her want to leave more?

"Taycia is a despicable kingdom, ran by despicable people. All of us have been affected by their reach, and every time we are in Taycia we watch people suffer. We have grown tired of their reign, and we plan to remedy the issue." Leopoldo explained bluntly.
"We are working with Hadan," Kazumi motioned to Hadan. "We, and other outside parties, are assisting Bizia to overthrow Taycia, and after which Bizia will gain control of the land."

This cannot be real; this cannot be happening.

"Listen," Leven huffed. "If you don't want to see kids and people being beaten in the street like dogs- for just trying to survive, then this is the only way." It was his way of trying to make her feel more at ease, aggressive as it was.
Alana made herself nod, she fought back tears.
I cannot allow myself to look emotional, that will be too suspicious. What is worse, they are not wrong. My parents need to be stopped... but killing them? Allowing Bizia to take over Taycia? Can I sit here and accept that?
Hadan sighed dramatically.
"Well, back to the topic of the evening then." He crossed his tree-trunk-arms. "I say we move in four months from now. They will be having an annual birthday ball for the princess, everyone of importance will be there. The king and queen, the nobles, the advisors." Hadan poked the map where the ballroom was.
"You four will enter through the princess's balcony, if she is still in her room, kill her." He eyed the men, Alana trembled gently.
"Then make your way to the ballroom, on the way there take out any guards that are lingering around and may see you. From there, you will sneak in as guests of the party so dress spiffy." Hadan looked to all the men.
"When all the royals are in the room, after the princess's grand entrance, if she isn't already dead, is when you will strike. Escape through these doors that lead into the garden, and over the gates, you will be home free." Hadan looked pleased with his overly simple plan, and the pirates nodded.
"Now, once the royals are dead, we are looking at war, because the rest of the higher-ups are not going to go easily. That is when, with your help, we will come in with our own army to overthrow the land completely."
Alana was exhausted inside herself and could not do anything but sit there.
Her eyes shifted to Kazumi, who watched her closely.
She felt small under his gaze but oddly enough serene, his eyes were like a golden sunset, warming her up with a brilliant glow.
Running away was supposed to be freeing and simple... but I got myself chained up in the sun of his eyes, and it burns so badly, my heart, it cannot take this... I was so happy with them, and everything was fine, but now I am so conflicted. They want me dead and do not even know it. 
"I will be right back." Alana quickly stood, becoming increasingly upset by the conversation, and squeezed behind Leopoldo and Leven to leave the table.
The men watched her disappear around the corner apprehensively, worried they exposed too much to her.
The pirates looked to each other, a sense of despair washing over them. They were already more than convinced Alana was starting to grow tired of them. Of course, the men did not realize, Alana was doing everything in her power to stay with them.

Alana propped herself against the wooden counter and stared at her reflection. She stared in her own honey eyes and sighed.
What do I do? What can I do? I have no intention of going back to the castle, and I know my parents must fall, but what can I possibly do?
She lifted her hand to caress her forehead, calming the storm inside her head.
"Why did it come to this..." Alana moved her hand back over her hair and exhaled a sharp sigh. "I can do this, just go out there and act fine, everything is okay, everything is peachy."
Alana forced herself to smile at herself, but it quickly fell. She groaned loudly.

Okay, a few more minutes.

Alana ended up pep-talking herself in the bathroom for close to fifteen minutes before she finally decided it was time for her to return to the pirates.
She was so focused on not bumping into any of the dancing patrons she did not notice the guests that were swarming the pirates. 
"Kazumi~" A high pitched female voice whined.
Alana looked up to see very pretty women hanging off of all her pirate friends.
One woman with ginger hair kneeled and clung to Kazumi, pushing her breast into his arm, as she smiled up to him.
She wore a dark plum bralette, and a matching pair of very short, shorts.
"Come to my place tonight, I have been so lonely without you."
Oh, how bold. Alana raised a hand to her lips fighting off secondhand embarrassment.
"Meera, enough." Kazumi raised a hand to her, only making her giggle.
"Leo, baby, please don't make me sleep in a cold, lonely~, bed tonight!" A blonde, wearing a pink bandeau and long white skirt whined on one side of Leopoldo, clinging to his arm for dear life.
"No, no, Leo follow me home." A brunette, in a red two-piece skirt set on his right side gently, gripped his chin to make him look at her.
Another blonde, in a royal blue and white floral bikini-like top, and white shorts hugged Leo from behind.
"Maybe we could all keep each other warm tonight." She cooed, and the other women eagerly agreed.
Alana's blush increased. Oh, how bold.
"Leven-pie! Cutie! Come home with me and I will feed you whatever you want, and I mean whatever." A plumper woman, dressed in a green loose sundress, was grabbing Leven by the arm, she added the last part with little more seduction.
Oh, how bold.
"Cute? Get outta here, would ya'?" Leven swatted at her as if she were an annoying mosquito, but she did not let up.
Alana looked to the woman who had sat in Ivo's lap. He leaned back in his chair, his elbow propped up on the back, to rest his head in his hand.
The woman had bright cherry red hair and lips, and a slim figure.
A red, short dress adorned her body, and she wore the tallest heels Alana had ever seen.
"Ivo, darling." She placed her arms around his neck slowly. "I want you to fuck my senses out of me tonight." OH, HOW BOLD!
Alana gasped hearing the woman's blunt words, causing all the men to look up to her.
"Eh? Who is this?" One blonde woman said, easing off of Leopoldo.
They are all so beautiful, of course, they would want to be with them.
Alana nervously chuckled, holding up her hands. "Oh, hello." She slowly waved.
"Alana, you were gone for so long are you okay?" Leven asked quickly, pulling his arm from the ample brunette.
"Oh, I am okay, really. I wasn't gone that long, was I?" Alana looked around for Hadan and could not find the huge man.
The meeting must have been brief, I guess he left while I was in the bathroom.
"Are you sure, little dove?" Ivo asked, removing the woman from his lap in a swift motion, causing her to totter back.
"You know this little girl?" The redhead asked Ivo, steadying herself on the high heels. Ivo ignored her, giving his full attention to Alana.
Oh, no. I took so long they think I am sick. I am ruining their moment with these women.
"Well, I do feel a little sick." Alana smiled through the nerves. "Please, continue, I think I need to leave." Alana turned on her to the displeasure of the men.
"You will stay here," Kazumi said, standing from his chair abruptly, scaring the ginger that was attached to his arm.
Alana turned and smiled the best she could.
"Don't worry, Captain."
If I use his title and not his name maybe his woman will just think I am a crew member and it won't ruin his chances tonight. Alana thought.
"I will lock myself up good, have fun." Alana glanced to the confused ginger waiting for Kazumi. The last part was said a little too harsh, Alana did not mean for it to sound that way.
It was like all the pirates were struck by lightning on the inside.
She never calls me captain... she is starting to hate me... She so easily gave me to another woman. Kazumi thought to himself as he watched her turn away from him.
Oh, gods. Why give us something so sweet and precious just to have her turn on us? Leopoldo thought looking at her disappear in the crowd.
"Should we go after her?" Ivo asked.
"... No..." Kazumi sat back down defeated, he wanted to give her space and not another reason to appear to pull back from them.

The most feared demon pirate captain, emotionally exhausted by a clueless nineteen-year-old girl.