Sleeping Next to the Pirate King

I sat on a barrel next to the railings of the ship deep in thought. My eyes flicked over to see Baron wearing a simple white blouse with his black slacks and boots. He raised his hands repeatedly as he gave out directions to the crew members. They nodded and would occasionally unanimously shout out, "Aye, Aye Captain!". Baron's golden hair spiked up in a way as if he was going to slowly trickling into Super Saiyan Mode. I chuckled. He has quite the aggressive bed hair. Right now, he resembled a small lion cub.

How cute.

I choked as I felt a puff of smoke enter my fucking mouth. I glared at the nuisance which sat next to me.

"Do you ever get sick of smoking?"

In response Jamia sent another puff of smoke in my direction. Jesus Christ, if she wasn't my friend I would have already made her walk the plank. I chuckled maliciously as I looked at her cigar. Maybe I should go to her room and throw all of her cigars overboard.

Wait a fucking second.

Where the hell does she get the cigars?

I turned.

"Where the hell do you get this unlimited supply of cigars?"

Jacia chuckled as she said.

"Captain Frenchie over there has quite the large supply. I just comply to a simple request and I get boxes of this shit."

I slapped my forehead. She can't be doing that?! I tried to pluck out my eyes as I imagined the scene. Jesus Christ please drop a container of bleach so that I could wash out the shit that I had just witnessed.

No! No! I will absolutely not let my ship between Jacia and Josh sink in such a way. I cleared my throat.

"What is the request that you comply with, Jacia?"

Jacia tilted her head and said.

"I play poker with the bitch every night. If I win, he gives me a box of cigars, but if I lose then I would have to recite a long ass French poem to him."

I breathed out in relief. If it was poker this bitch would probably win every time.

"Did he ever win against you?"

"Only once because I was completely drunk."

Thank God this fucking deviant doesn't exist in modern times, otherwise she'd be a delinquent. I sighed.

"I'm sorry to ask you Jacia, but what was your life like before this?"

Jacia looked up as she put her legs on the railing. With her masculine clothing, cigar in one hand, and boots on the railing she looked like she was about to throw a hundred men overboard. I smiled. For a past time woman she was very independent and badass. She then turned to me and smirked as she said.

"What are you staring at me for? Have you fallen for me?"

I take that shit back. She's nothing but a reckless teenager stuck in a noblewoman's body.

"I'm not going to even answer that shit of a question. With the way you act I could assume that you have brothers?"

"I have five brothers in my family. Every single one of them wanted to be the heir as in my country there was no rules dictating the heirdom to be passed down to the oldest. We all had different mothers. But compared to the others my mother was a commoner. All of our mothers lived in the same mansion. My mother had always doted on me but ever since she married my father she had completely changed. I became a "nuisance" to her. All the other wives of my father treated my mother and I like shit because of their noble status. The only advantage my mother had was my father's favor."

Jacia puffed as her green eyes dulled with nostalgia.

"As the youngest, I wasn't ever given much mind, especially with the fact that I'm a woman. As I reached twelve years of age, the war to the heirdom intensified between my brothers. They started to excel in different things. My eldest brother in swordsmanship, the one after him in medicine, the one after in alchemy, one in literature, and the other in finance. Every day was a battlefield in my household as my brothers tried to get my father's favor and attention. As my father grew bored of my mother, she had stated to take it all out on me. Every morning I would wake up to the saying of, "if only you were a boy". And every night I would sleep to the sound of my mother yelling at me and blaming me for being a "useless woman". As if she wasn't one herself."

Jacia snorted melancholily as she exhaled another puff of smoke. I didn't feel pity but sympathy for Jacia. For the first time I saw sadness in her green eyes. It must've been tough.

"My bastard of a father took interest in me only when the emperor's son of a neighboring country proposed to me. The emperor's son was wealthy, handsome, and everything a girl could wish for, or so my parents said. For the first time my mother smiled in years. My father also developed interest in my mother again. I grew happy for the first time as I thought that my mother had returned to the loving parent that I used to have. Little did I know, that she was actually worse off than before- What the fuck are all of you lazy bastards doing here?"

I turned to see all of the crew members who were on deck sit on the floor as they listened eagerly to Jamia's story. I jumped in surprise. When the fuck did all of these people come here? There was about sixty men. Even the captains and my crew members sat nearby listening. For the first time ever Josh and Ash were actually quiet. Several were even tearing up from Jacia's story. One of them then said.

"Keep going with the fable lass. We're bored out of our asses working on the ship!"

Jacia sighed before she cleared her throat and continued.

"The day of my engagement to the neighboring emperor's son finally came. This would be the first time that I was going to see him. Maids treated me like a princess for the first time as they dressed me. I was always a quiet young girl. I felt no emotions as I saw them as being insignificant. The whole affair with marrying my fiancée was just like any other to me. I was not against it or for it. At times I actually fantasized that it was a chance for me to finally get the fuck out of the hellhole which I resided in."

"Liar. A loud bitch like you could have never been a quiet girl!"

"Shut the fuck up you little bitch before I feed you to the sharks!"

I chuckled at what Josh had said and Jacia's retort to it. The other crew members chuckled as well.

"On the day of the engagement party, my brothers, their mothers, my mother, and my father, watched me enter the main room. Sitting next to my father was the emperor and a strapping young man. I thought nothing of them. The only thing that bothered me was how heavy the dress was. My mother embraced me and whispered to me, "don't mess up your only chance at being useful". I chuckled at the time. What was I expecting? I curtsied to the emperor and his son before walking over to sit next to my father. My brothers glared at me as I sat down. All the guests watched as the emperor's son's eyes wandered. he then looked at my chest and chuckled. I looked at him expressionless. This was my duty. The first time that I was seen as important enough to complete a task. I would not complain or request anything. After the engagement party, I walked over to the terrace to get a breath of fresh air-"

"Are you sure you weren't going for a smoke?"

A second later Josh cried out as Jacia's cigar hit him on the forehead leaving a dark spot. The crew laughed once more as Jacia began talking once more.

"As I walked out the terrace, the emperor's son followed me-"

"What does he need from an ugly whore like you?"

I then turned and screamed at Josh.

"Shut the fuck up Josh! Stop interrupting the story! The next time you do I will personally rip your throat out, do you understand?"

Josh nodded and covered his mouth as Jacia chuckled.

"Anyways, I was followed. I then asked the emperor's son if he was lost. Instead of answering me the bastard attacked me and put his hand over my chest. Due to being in a household full of brothers I had secretly trained in swordsmanship and combat. I then threw the emperor's son to the ground. The man cried out alerting the guests and my family. In front of everyone my father slapped me and called me, "worthless". It didn't sting as much as the look of disappointment on my mother's face. For the rest of the night I sat on the floor in the terrace crying. Towards the break of dawn, a handsome and mysterious man with light hair approached me. He told me if I wanted to join him and go to a place where I could be myself and break away from my hell of a life. In my desperate situation I agreed and followed him. The mysterious man helped me escape the household and took me to a ship. There I met Clarabelle and Daniella and we had set sail. After a couple of days of being treated like a real person, our ship was attacked by that bastard over there."

Everyone turned to look at Baron. Baron raised his arms and said.

"I'm a pirate, what do you expect me to do when I see a lucrative ship as yours?"

The crew members agreed with Baron. I slapped my forehead. Couldn't the fucker at least feel some remorse?

Jacia then turned to me and genuinely smiled for the first time. She then bent and clasped my hands.

"I have never thank you Mila. I understand that you might see me as an annoying bitch, but I see you as much more. I see you as someone who had saved me. Only on your ship did I feel like a person. Only when I joined your crew did I feel like I was alive and not a puppet. Thank you Mila. Thank you for giving me a new life and chance."

I chuckled as my eyes moistened. I then jumped forward and embraced Jacia. I then whispered.

"Don't thank me bitch. I don't think of you as a person."

Jacia looked at me in shock as I then pulled back and smiled.

"I think of you as my best friend and sister. So, don't be afraid to express yourself in front of me okay?"

For the first time I saw Jacia tear up and cry. I held her close to me as she cried. I caressed her hair as I told her.

"It's okay sweetie. You can let it all out. You've been keeping it in for a long time. I'm sorry that you had to face all of that by yourself. From now on, you have Captain Mila to tell your problems to. I'm glad that you think of me as someone close enough to talk to your past about."

Josh whistled as I turned and gave him the middle finger. The crew laughed as Jacia sniffled. I chuckled. I guess that even strong bitches like her have their weaknesses.

How interesting indeed.

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