《Ocean Storm》


 Prologue

    Thunder rolls, lightning fashes, and the storm tossed waves of the sea smash against the stony shore of the isolated island. Beasts that are somewhere between humans and wolves slink through the bushes and trees, their ears lowered against the gale above their heads. Sharp, keen eyes fash warily through the pouring rain, peering at the path ahead.


    But then the leader of the pack halts, raising a hand to tell the rest to do the same. The wolf in line behind him tilts her head to the side, whispering fercely, ¡°What is it, Prince Kanin?¡±


    The prince doesn¡¯t respond, but growls quietly and unsheathes the sword hanging at his hip. With a lash of his tail, he barks ferociously and leads his warriors to battle.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Their enemies are a different party of wolf-people, who seem to be taken off guard at the ambush. Swords clash together while howls and yelps of pain ring clearly through the raging storm, lashing the air with the sounds of war.


    But above the sounds of fghting, a loud, screeching roar rends the sky, causing the clouds to whip the island more fercely than before. The wolves scatter, eyes glazed with fear as they stare at the mountain that sits ominously in the center of the island. Then with yelps of terror, each party turns and follows their leaders in opposite directions.


    The roar rings again, forcing the storm to rage ever harder.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°Long ago, before humans ever lived here, Lilliath and Cardonia were inhabited by tribes of wolf people.¡±


    I hug my stuffed dragon closer as mother begins the familiar story once again. I look over at my twin brother. We look a little bit similar, but also quite different, considering that I¡¯m a girl and he¡¯s a boy. I can tell that he¡¯s growing tired of hearing about our secret history, but I love to hear it. Mummy says she¡¯s been telling it to us since we were born fve years ago, but every time I hear it, I still get a chill that runs down my spine.


    With a smile, Mummy gets more comfortably settled on my bed before she continues. ¡°The wolf tribes each hunted in their own lands, but once a month at the full moon, they would all change into full wolves and gather together to share news.


    ¡°But then came the humans.¡± As she starts the next part of the story, I shiver, imagining what it must have been like back then. ¡°The humans thought that the wolf people were some form of werewolf, so they caused wars, intending to kill all the wolves.¡±


    ¡°But the wolves didn¡¯t die!¡± I exclaim right on cue. I never miss my chance to interject into the story.


    Mother smiles, touching my cheek gently. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lizzie. They had one of two options. Some of the wolves decided to leave. They took ships, sailed off into the sunset and were never seen again. But the others decided to take on human forms and stay behind.¡±


    I cough, choking my stuffed dragon. But I quickly look back up at Mummy with enthusiasm.


    She looks at both my brother and me with a gentle gaze, her yellow eyes warm. ¡°I am a descendant of that tribe. And so are you,¡± she says, touching us both on the nose.


    I giggle. ¡°But we¡¯re elves too!¡± I respond, reaching up to feel my pointy ears. I always think it¡¯s so funny how Mummy¡¯s ears aren¡¯t pointy.


    Before she can say anything else, my brother leans forward. ¡°Mum, I¡¯m tired of hearing this story! I know all about the wolf people and how cool they were! But I want to know when we¡¯ll get our wolf forms!¡±


    Mummy smiles kindly. ¡°You¡¯ll get them one day, Teddy. When you¡¯re all grown up and mature, maybe then you¡¯ll get them.¡±


    Teddy crosses his arms over his chest. ¡°But I am grown up and mature!¡±


    Mummy laughs. ¡°You¡¯ve got a little ways to go yet.¡±


    There¡¯s a knock on the door to my room and Daddy enters. ¡°Are you telling stories again, Saria?¡± he asks Mother, smiling as he walks over to sit down next to her.


    She smiles at him, looking into his eyes. ¡°When am I not Will?¡±


    Daddy strokes her cheek with a hand and murmurs, ¡°Sometimes I think you tell so many stories because you miss all your adventures.¡±


    With a sly grin, she replies, ¡°So what if I do? They were the best times of my life. I got to fall in love with the most amazing prince there ever was, and he made me his queen.¡± She leans over and kisses him on the lips, causing Teddy and I to exclaim in disgust.


    Daddy looks over at me, placing a hand on my forehead. ¡°Lizzie, you¡¯re as sick as a dog!¡± he exclaims, then adds with a joking glance at Mummy, ¡°No offence.¡±


    ¡°None taken!¡± she responds, laughing heartily. She laughs a lot like her father does. Grandpa always seems to laugh. He doesn¡¯t even mind it when I make jokes about his pirate leg, but after we¡¯re done laughing, he always tells me that pirates are very bad and I never want to meet one.


    Daddy picks up my brother, saying, ¡°Come on, Teddy. It¡¯s time you went off to bed and let your sister sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a big boy Daddy! Put me down! Big boys don¡¯t get carried around!¡± Teddy exclaims indignantly.


    Daddy starts walking towards the door. ¡°If you¡¯re sure, I will put you down. But just so you know, I had some cookies and milk set aside for you, but they¡¯re not for big boys.¡±


    Teddy¡¯s quiet as Daddy walks out the door, but in the hall I hear him mumble, ¡°Can you carry me to the cookies Daddy?¡±


    Mummy smiles, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. ¡°Goodnight Lizzie. Get well soon.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I say. Mummy blows out the candle by my bed, but before she leaves my room, I ask, ¡°Mummy, will me and Teddy really have wolf forms like you someday?¡±


    She looks at me seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure Lizzie. The only reason I got mine was because I was bitten by a werewolf, and the venom reacted with my wolf spirit. You might get your wolf form someday, and you might not. But Lizzie, don¡¯t tell your brother. He lives to be a wolf, and if he knew it wasn¡¯t a certainty, it would break his heart.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell him,¡± I promise. ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about. I don¡¯t feel human inside sometimes.¡±


    Mummy smiles, whispers, ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± and closes the door.


    The next morning when I wake up, I feel even sicker than the night before. But I¡¯ve already spent a whole week in bed, and I need to get up and move around. So picking up my stuffed dragon, I hop out of bed and leave my room.


    For a moment, I stand in the wide castle hall outside my door. I¡¯m not entirely sure where I want to go and what I want to do, but then I decide to go down to the kitchens and visit the cook. Sometimes when I¡¯m down there, the cook gives me treats, and after not eating anything all night, I¡¯m getting pretty hungry.


    I enter the kitchen to fnd it as busy as usual. The maids are cleaning fruits and vegetables, the cooks are making dishes, and my personal favorite, the head chef Susan, is just pulling a piping hot tray of cookies out of the oven.


    ¡°I hope some of those are for me!¡± I say, jumping up to sit on a stool beside her.


    Susan puts them down on the counter and looks at me, taking her oven mitts off. ¡°Who else would I be making them for, little Princess Elizabeth?¡± Pulling out a small plate and pouring me some ice cold milk, she laughs, ¡°You and Prince Theodore eat more cookies than anyone I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    Looking at her innocently, I say, ¡°Well that¡¯s because you make the best cookies in the world Susan!¡±


    ¡°Anyone would think you¡¯re buttering me up!¡± she laughs, looking at me slyly.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I respond, shaking my head. ¡°Butter is messy and you put it on bread.¡±


    For a moment she stares at me, then she bursts out in laughter. ¡°Oh, the things you think of, little Highness!¡±


    Taking a spatula, she slides a warm cookie on to the plate and hands it to me. Setting my dragon on the counter, I take a bite and a large swig of milk. ¡°Thank you, Susan!¡± I exclaim. ¡°Another masterpiece of a cookie!¡±


    With a chuckle, she responds, ¡°Anything for you Princess Elizabeth.¡± While I eat my cookie, she glances over at my stuffed friend. ¡°Tell me Highness, I always see you walking around with that little dragon, but you¡¯ve never told me its name!¡±


    Looking over at the little stuffe, I tell her, ¡°Her name¡¯s Solar! Mummy gave her to me for my frst birthday! She¡¯s my best friend.¡±


    Susan strokes Solar¡¯s head, looking at the stitch detail. ¡°Did Queen Saria make her herself?¡± she asks, studying the eyes, which are clear and life-like.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I mumble through my cookie. ¡°I never really asked.¡±


    Picking up one of the well-feathered wings, she says, ¡°Well, it certainly is a work of art. You take good care of her!¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± I promise, nodding my head vigorously. ¡°She goes with me everywhere. There¡¯s never a moment she¡¯s not at my side.¡±


    ¡°I hope you never get too old for her,¡± Susan says. ¡°I remember when I was young I had a teddy bear I always took around with me, but when I got older, my parents threw it out. They said I was too old for that sort of thing. I still miss that teddy bear sometimes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dreadful!¡± I exclaim. I can¡¯t fathom anyone who would want to throw out a stuffed companion. Finishing my cookie, I hug Solar tightly. ¡°I will never let her go!¡± I tell her fercely.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Susan laughs, putting my plate in the washtub. ¡°Now off you go, Highness. The rest of the cookies are for after supper. Besides, with that dreadful cold, you shouldn¡¯t be having too much sugar.¡±


    I sigh and hop down from the stool. ¡°I guess so,¡± I mumble. ¡°I¡¯ll see ya later Susan!¡±


    When I leave the kitchen, I feel kind of aimless. I¡¯m not sure where to go, so I just wander. But then I hear something in one of the rooms as I¡¯m passing so I stop walking.


    Peering in through the door, I see Grandpa Edmund standing around one of his tables with models of Castle Town on them. He¡¯s talking loudly to himself and playing with the fgures.


    I know Mum and Dad always tell me not to go near him alone because he¡¯s more than a little bit insane. He was really sick once, and it was supposed to kill him, but somehow he survived. But the side effects messed him up in the head, and now he spends his time alone, playing with his toys.


    I¡¯m too bored today, so I push open the door. ¡°Whatcha playing with, Grandpa Edmund? Can I play too?¡±


    Grandpa doesn¡¯t look up. ¡°I don¡¯t have any grandchildren. My son was taken by a dragon and never came back. And for your information, peasant, I am not playing, I am ruling a city.¡±


    Walking closer I look at the model. ¡°You¡¯re ruling a toy version of Castle Town. That¡¯s not exactly a real city.¡±


    Finally Edmund looks up at me. ¡°How¡¯d a little peasant rat like you get in here anyway? I should have the guards behead you! Guards! Behead this little worm!¡± He reaches down into the city, picks up a model guard and throws it at me. His lame throw lands the guard on the foor in front of me.


    I look down at it then back up at him. He stares at me for a moment, then looks back down into the city. Picking up another guard and one of the peasants, he makes the guard take the peasant to the dungeon. ¡°There, problem solved,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°Lizzie!¡± a voice at the door exclaims. I turn to see Grandma Abigale standing at the door. I look at her, then back at Grandpa Edmund. She looks so much younger than him. In fact, she looks only to be my mother¡¯s age. But it must be because she¡¯s a half elf.


    Grandma Abigale walks over to me and takes my hand. ¡°You know better than to come in here alone! Edmund isn¡¯t stable, he could have hurt you!¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    As she leads me out of the room, I laugh, ¡°Yea, he put me in the dungeons!¡±


    Grandma sighs. ¡°Well, next time he might do something worse. So don¡¯t go in there alone anymore. Promise me.¡±


    ¡°I promise Grandma,¡± I say earnestly.


    Wrapping her arm around me as we walk, she says, ¡°Good girl. Now if you don¡¯t want to rest, why don¡¯t you spend some time with your other grandparents and I? We¡¯re playing cards at the tea table.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I exclaim happily. I love spending time with Grandma Abigale, Grandma Lily and Grandpa Garth. They are always so much fun! And Grandpa Garth tells the silliest jokes!


    But as we enter the tearoom, Mum gets up from the table. ¡°There you are Lizzie! You weren¡¯t in your room this morning, so I was worried.¡± Walking over to us, she crouches down to rest a hand on my forehead. ¡°How are you feeling sweety?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m doing okay I guess. I don¡¯t feel better, but I needed to get up and move around. If I stay in bed any longer, I¡¯ll go crazy!¡±


    Smiling, she kisses my nose with a little laugh. ¡°Would you like to go get some fresh air?¡± she asks.


    I look past her at the table where Grandma Abigale is just sitting down. Turning back to Mum, I say, ¡°Well I was going to have tea, but going outside sounds like fun too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± she says with a smile, and taking my hand, she leads me from the room.


    The sun is shining bright in a vibrant blue sky when we go outside. Small, puffy clouds skid across the huge canvass and paint a welcoming scene. Mum leads me by the hand through the castle courtyard, and we wave at the gardeners tending to the hedges.


    I love going into Castle Town. The markets are loud, flled with people buying and selling. Merchants dressed in fancy clothes display their wares and peasants shop through the stalls. Sometimes, Mum gives me a gold coin and lets me buy whatever I want with it.


    Today, however, we just browse. We walk slowly through the crowd without rushing and say hello to the people we know. A lot of people are happy whenever they see Mum, and most everyone bows with respect as we walk by.


    Looking up at Mum, I ask, ¡°Why do they bow to us and not to each other?¡±


    Smiling, she replies, ¡°Well think, little Lizzie, if everyone bowed at every person they walked by in this market, they¡¯d all be crashing heads and wouldn¡¯t make it anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, nodding sagely. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to go to the square today?¡± Mum asks me as we walk.


    Giving a little bounce of excitement I say, ¡°If you tell me the story behind the statue!¡±


    Mum laughs. ¡°You¡¯ve heard that story dozens of times.¡±


    ¡°I still like to hear it!¡± I exclaim. ¡°I like to hear all the stories. They¡¯re so much fun! They¡¯re like little adventures that I can live in a minute.¡±


    Looking down at me curiously, Mum asks me, ¡°Do you wish to go on adventures Lizzie?¡±


    I think for a moment before shaking my head. ¡°No, I like Castle Town! I don¡¯t know why anyone would want to leave it to go on a scary adventure when they can stay here and listen to stories.¡±


    With a small, relived sigh, she laughs, ¡°That¡¯s one way of looking at it.¡± Then after thinking for a moment, she continues, ¡°Do you think Teddy wishes he could go on adventures?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes!¡± I say immediately. ¡°Teddy is always pretending he¡¯s adventuring in a dark forest or fghting with pirates and sea monsters. He hates listening to the stories so much because he doesn¡¯t like to hear about things that he can¡¯t go and do. And he¡¯s already acted out all the stories you told us, so he¡¯d rather make up his own.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Mum responds with a nod. I can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s thinking about, but I don¡¯t have time to ask because we¡¯ve reached the bronze statue in the square.


    Letting go of her hand, I run over to lean on the base of the statue and look up at it. The statue is of a brave little dwarf brandishing a sword and wearing a prince¡¯s crown. On the base, it says, ¡®In memory of Prince Gulliver, the bravest dwarf in all of Lilliath¡¯.


    Mum sits down on the base of the statue and picks me up so I can sit on her lap. ¡°Where shall I start?¡± she asks. ¡°It is a very long story after all, and I don¡¯t know if you should be outside long enough to listen to all of it.¡±


    ¡°Start at the battle then! The one where Daddy and the others come to rescue you!¡± I exclaim, bouncing on her lap eagerly.


    Her voice taking on the mysterious quality it has when she tells stories, she says, ¡°I had been in Scimitar¡¯s castle for three, long, torturous days, my wounds from my fght with the dragon deep and infected. The pain was so intense that most of the time it was all I could think about. I had told William in a dream not to come, but I don¡¯t know how I ever expected him to listen. Maybe I thought that he didn¡¯t love me enough to disobey me and rescue me. Whatever the case, I was surprised when he and the others charged into the castle.


    ¡°The battle was swift and ferce. William and the others fought bravely, but the dragon was too strong. It grabbed Gulliver and tore him up. William held him as he died, then prepared to go back to fght the dragon. But I had a plan. I had watched how Scimitar treated his dragon, and I had guessed that the only way the dragon could be killed was if Scimitar was killed frst. So I signaled to William to toss me my sword, and grabbing it in my tail, I stabbed Scimitar through his heart. Both he and the dragon burst into fames, and the battle was won!¡±


    ¡°But you were dying,¡± I whisper, captivated as always by the story. ¡°Your wounds were too great.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Mum says quietly as she thinks back. ¡°I don¡¯t remember too much after that because I passed out. I just remember listening to my heart slow down and stop, and I couldn¡¯t hear myself breathe anymore. I was very cold, and I seemed to be lost in a fog. But that¡¯s when I met Solar.¡±


    I shiver and hug my stuffed Solar tightly. This is my favorite part of the story.


    ¡°She asked me if I thought it was my time to die. And I knew that as a werewolf, there would be no way that I could ever live with William and make him happy. So I told her that I would be willing to die to give William the chance to move on in his life.¡± Her eyes are distant, and I wonder if she remembers that she¡¯s telling me a story or living in her memories. ¡°But that¡¯s when she told me about our history. She freed me from my curse and let me live.¡± With a smile, she looks down at me and tousles my hair. ¡°Then we came home and after a while your father fnally got up the courage to propose to me.¡±


    ¡°I love that story,¡± I sigh.


    Picking me up off her lap and setting me on the ground, she says, ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we play some hide and seek? You go hide frst.¡±


    We played hide and seek for the rest of the day, and I¡¯m surprised when Mum stops playing suddenly and looks up at the setting sun. ¡°Tonight¡¯s the full moon,¡± she murmurs. I had completely forgotten about the full moon. Mum couldn¡¯t be out in the town that night because the townspeople didn¡¯t know about her being a wolf descendant.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have time to walk. I¡¯ll call Lightshower.¡± Closing her eyes, she¡¯s still for a moment, and a second later I hear Lightshower¡¯s roar. The beautiful draqois lands delicately in the square, her huge form taking up most of the space. Lightshower is about the size of a real dragon, Mum told me once, but she¡¯s much softer and nicer than most dragons. There is enough space on her back for four or fve people to ride on, and her fur is so warm that I never get cold, even if we¡¯re fying on a cold winter night.


    Mum lifts me up onto her back and jumps up behind me. I love Lightshower and I love fying, even though I don¡¯t love adventure and I¡¯m afraid of heights.


    Giving the draqois¡¯ shoulder a pat, she says, ¡°Let¡¯s get home quickly.¡±


    With a small nod, Lightshower leaps into the sky, and only moments later we are hovering near the balcony outside my bedroom. Mum helps me down and walks over to tuck me into bed while Lightshower waits by the balcony. ¡°Time to get some sleep now, my sick little princess.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but yawn. ¡°Goodnight Mum,¡± I murmur, rolling over to snuggle down in my blankets.


    ¡°Goodnight Lizzie,¡± she whispers. I don¡¯t hear Lightshower take off because of her silent fight, but I know they¡¯re gone.


    I shiver as feverish chills run down my spine before I slip into a deep, contented sleep.


    Gasping awake, my eyes snap open and I pant heavily against the pain in my chest. With a groan, I roll over, tangled in my blankets. I barely notice that the sun has set and the moon is high in the sky. My skin feels like it¡¯s on fre, my bones don¡¯t seem to ft in my body and all my muscles ache.


    Rolling over again in a vain attempt to escape my pain, I fall out of bed and slump to the foor with the blankets covering me. My chest heaves as I fght for air, and I claw my hands against the cobbled stone foor as if I can rip myself away from this pain. I try not to scream, but I can¡¯t hold it in any longer, and when my voice escapes my lips, it comes out as a wild howl.


    Finally, the pain dies down a bit, and with a whimper, I crawl out from under the blankets. I lay panting on the foor for a moment until my eyes catch my refection in my mirror. Freezing in fear, I stare at a small black wolf puppy that gazes right back at me. I finch away and the puppy in the mirror does the same. The puppy has brilliant red eyes that are wide with fear and when I open my mouth to ask who it is, its jaws open as well.


    Cold realization shocks through me, and a bark of surprise rings around my room. This is not what I was expecting at all! I didn¡¯t truly believe I¡¯d ever get my wolf form, and this pup looks nothing like me! My long, wavy hair is normally a brilliant glowing blond, and my eyes used to be gold. This puppy in the mirror is a black ball of fuff with a white patch on its back, and its red eyes are ferce looking. The only thing even slightly familiar is the unusually long fur on its tail. Shivering in fear, I let out a long, scared, howl.


    Only a moment later, the door to my room bursts open and Daddy runs in. Mum in her full wolf form runs through the door behind him. Daddy stays at the door with a worried expression, but Mum pads quickly over to me. ¡°It¡¯s alright Lizzie,¡± she rumbles gently. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She curls her body around mine and licks my forehead softly.


    I can¡¯t stop shivering. ¡°It hurts,¡± I whimper, closing my eyes.


    ¡°I know,¡± she murmurs. ¡°The frst time always does. You¡¯ll get used to it. I¡¯ll teach you how to change on will and how to control your power. It will be easier then. But right now I¡¯m here, and it¡¯s alright.¡±


    I bury my muzzle into her fur, and for a moment, I lose myself in her warmth. But then my eyes snap open and I ask in worry, ¡°Do you think Teddy changed too?¡±


    Mum shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I probably would have heard him howl like you had if he changed.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to tell him?¡± I whisper. ¡°He¡¯s the one who wanted to change. He¡¯s the one who wanted adventure, not me! What if he hates me?¡±


    Licking my ears, Mum murmurs, ¡°Lizzie, we have to tell him. And he¡¯s your brother, he won¡¯t hate you, even if he¡¯s upset for a while. But he won¡¯t be upset with you, just at the situation, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll change when he¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s never ready?¡± I whine quietly. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he have changed instead of me? I don¡¯t want this without him having it too.¡±


    Mum doesn¡¯t reply right away, she just sighs and wraps her tail around me. ¡°Sometimes life doesn¡¯t make sense Lizzie,¡± she says eventually. ¡°But you just have to learn to make the best of what you¡¯re dealt, and that means that you can¡¯t hate this. You have to embrace it. It¡¯s a part of you that you have to learn to love. And one day, someone else will learn to love it too.¡±


    Before I can say anything, Teddy runs in past Dad and he stands there and stares at me, his red hair messy from sleep and his golden eyes wide. I scramble to my paws and take a step towards him. ¡°Teddy, I can explain,¡± I try to say, but my voice comes out as a small yip.


    Teddy shakes his head and backs away slowly, whispering, ¡°No, it¡¯s not fair. I was supposed to be frst!¡± Turning, he runs out of the room with tears streaking his face.


    Daddy makes a step to go after him, but I bark, ¡°No! I¡¯ll talk to him.¡±


    He stops and looks back at me uncertainly, and I know he can¡¯t understand what I¡¯m trying to say. But then Mum gets to her paws and stands beside Daddy, brushing her tail against his leg. ¡°Go after him, Lizzie. He won¡¯t understand you, but maybe you can work this out.¡±


    I race out of the room and down the hall in the direction that Teddy took. But I can¡¯t see him and at frst I¡¯m not sure how to fnd him. But then I realize that I can smell things more strongly than I could before, so taking my chances, I press my nose to the ground and inhale. It takes me a few moments of sniffng around the hall, but then I fnd a scent that reminds me of Teddy. Trotting more slowly now, I follow the smell, and eventually it leads me to the castle library.


    When I enter the library, I know just where to go. The library is huge, three stories tall, but there¡¯s a place on the third foor where Teddy would act out his adventures while I watched or pretended to be a maiden in distress. When I climb the fights of stairs, I fnd him sitting on his bench, looking at his wooden sword that¡¯s resting in his lap.


    At frst, I¡¯m too scared to go forward, so I just watch him. He doesn¡¯t move for a while, but then he picks up the sword angrily and throws it across the room. With a small whimper, I pad forward and sit down in front of him. He doesn¡¯t look at me, just wipes away the angry tears that slide down his cheeks. I nudge his leg with my nose, but he still refuses to look at me.


    Hanging my head and hunching my shoulders sadly, I sit there in defeat. But then I get an idea, and I run over to the bookshelf. Rearing up on my hind legs to reach the book that I¡¯m looking for, I drag it down. It¡¯s an adventure story, one of mine and Teddy¡¯s favorites. The book fops to the foor, and I pick it up carefully in my teeth to drop it at his feet. Sitting down, I use my paw to turn to a page where there¡¯s a picture of a brave knight fghting a large and dangerous wolf.


    Teddy just stares at the picture, so I go over to where his sword is laying and I bring it back over to him. Putting my forepaws on the bench to drop the sword in his lap, I drop back down and growl at him playfully.


    With a small smile, he picks up the sword and slides off of the bench. ¡°Alright,¡± he sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll let you be the bad guy.¡±


    Raising his wooden sword high in the air, he announces, ¡°I am Prince Theodore, and I will slay you, foul beast!¡± Then he lunges at me and I run away from him. He chases me through the library, uttering battle calls all the while.


    As we make it back to the bench, he pretends to strike me down, and I play dead with my paws sticking straight up in the air and my tongue hanging from my mouth. But as he¡¯s giving his victory speech, a barn owl races by the library window with a shriek. Giving a frightened yelp, I scramble under the bench and crouch there shivering.


    Teddy lets his sword drop to his side. ¡°Lizzie, it¡¯s just an owl,¡± he says with a sigh.


    I creep forward and peer at the window nervously.


    Walking closer and getting down on his knees, Teddy says, ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re scared of your own shadow.¡± Shaking his head, he sighs, ¡°Wolf or not, you still need your big brother to look out for you don¡¯t you?¡±


    I come out from under the bench and yip, ¡°We¡¯re twins. You¡¯re only older than me by a few minutes.¡±


    Teddy catches me by surprise when he leans forward and hugs me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lizzie. I¡¯ll always look out for you.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Lizzie! You have to focus,¡± Saria shouts, getting


    exasperated. ¡°I know you hate adventure. You hate fghting, you hate all of this, but you have to learn! You never know where life will take you, and you must be prepared for when you get there.¡±


    I sigh, looking away. ¡°Why do we have to train today? It¡¯s my eighteenth birthday tomorrow. Can¡¯t I just spend the day with Teddy?¡±


    Saria crosses her arms and shakes her head. ¡°No Lizzie. Teddy trains just like you do. And he doesn¡¯t even have his wolf form, so it should be easier for you. You can go once you¡¯re done for the day.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not as if I don¡¯t know how to fght!¡± I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air and lashing my tail angrily. ¡°I just don¡¯t like to! You¡¯ve been training me since I was fve. Don¡¯t I know enough yet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re never done learning!¡± Saria growls, and I can tell that she¡¯s getting mad by her bared teeth and thrashing tail. ¡°And if you know what you¡¯re doing, then prove it! All you do is walk around with your head in the clouds, hugging that stuffed dragon! You¡¯re almost an adult for pity¡¯s sake! You should leave your toys in your room where they belong!¡±


    I look over at where Solar is sitting by the side of the training feld. ¡°She¡¯s been with me everywhere I¡¯ve gone since the day you gave her to me Mom. I¡¯m not going to stop carrying her around now just because you think it¡¯s childish!¡±


    Snorting angrily Saria snarls, ¡°It¡¯s not just the fact that it¡¯s childish. You pay more attention to that stuffed animal than you do to the world around you. You turn eighteen tomorrow, and yet you¡¯re still scared of your own shadow, even more so without Solar. What would you do if you were ever kidnapped? It happened to your father. It could happen to you too. I just want you to be prepared.¡± She sighs, coming closer to rest her hands on my shoulders. ¡°I won¡¯t always be around to look out for you Lizzie. Neither will your brother. You have to start taking care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I do know how to take care of myself,¡± I grumble, looking away from her yellow eyes.


    Taking a few steps back and leaning into her battle position, Queen Saria growls, ¡°Then prove it.¡±


    Snarling, I turn my anger into the drive that I need to fght. With a yell, I leap at her, spinning in the air to bring my foot down in a heavy kick. With a surprised yelp, Saria reaches up her hands to block my kick and toss me back. Without hesitating, I throw myself back at her, punching and clawing fercely. She blocks all my moves, but she¡¯s panting heavily at the effort. No matter how strong of a fghter she is, I know she won¡¯t use her secret powers against me. And she¡¯s not as young as she used to be, so I know that without her powers, I can outlast her.


    I keep swiping at a steady pace, slowly pushing her back. Finally, when she can¡¯t respond as swiftly anymore, I lunge forward with a snarl, throwing her back against the wall. She crashes into the wooden bench and it smashes from her impact.


    I pant heavily, my nostrils faring in anger. But when Saria doesn¡¯t get up right away, my anger quickly melts into concern. I run forward crouching by her side. ¡°Mom! Are you okay? I¡¯m sorry, you said to prove it!¡±


    Saria sits up, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m fne Lizzie. You certainly did prove it. You¡¯re done for today.¡±


    ¡°Not bad little sister,¡± I hear a voice call from behind me, and turning around, I see Teddy walking towards us with one hand on the sword sheathed at his side. ¡°But you still have a lot to learn before you compare to me.¡±


    ¡°First of all Teddy,¡± I say, helping Saria to her feet. ¡°You¡¯re only a few minutes older. And secondly, I don¡¯t like fghting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Theodore, not Teddy,¡± he sighs, shaking his head. ¡°Teddy is a kid¡¯s name. It¡¯s much more manly to be known as Prince Theodore instead of Prince Teddy. How many times do I have to tell you?¡±


    ¡°A million times more,¡± I say, punching him lightly on the arm. ¡°You¡¯ll always be Teddy to me.¡±


    ¡°Well alright little sis, just so long as you don¡¯t say it around anyone else,¡± he concedes, crossing his arms.


    ¡°I keep telling you¡ª¡± I start, but he cuts me off.


    Resting his elbow on my head, he says, ¡°I don¡¯t call you little sis just cuz I¡¯m older. It¡¯s also because you¡¯re so tiny .¡±


    Growling I say, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you grew into a monster!¡±


    Saria steps forward with a small laugh. ¡°Now, now, you two, be nice. Go have some fun in town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get changed and meet you out in front of the castle Teddy,¡± I say, walking over to pick up Solar and dust her off.


    ¡°See ya there Lizzie,¡± he replies, heading out the door.


    ¡°Lightshower!¡± I call, turning to look at where the draqois is crouching on top of the roofs that cover the halls around the training feld. ¡°Can you please fy me to my room?¡±


    With a trill, she leaps down to land in front of me. As I climb up onto her back, Saria calls, ¡°Please be home in time for dinner!¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I promise as Lightshower lifts into the sky. When she hovers by my balcony, I slide off her back and stroke her muzzle. ¡°Thanks Light. See ya later.¡± With a farewell meow, she swoops away.


    Walking into my room, I sigh, pausing to look in the mirror. My blond hair falls in gentle waves past my shoulders, contrasting sharply with my black fur. Covered in dust, I look like a strange warrior, but I don¡¯t feel like one. Saria was right. I am still scared of everything.


    Changing back into my human form, I pause briefy to study my eyes. Before I changed, they had been gold like King William¡¯s, but since that night, they¡¯re a rich pink colour. The only time my eyes are actually red is on the night of the full moon. Other than that, they stay pink. It¡¯s weird, but I don¡¯t mind. The red eyes always scared me.


    Turning away from my refection, I change from my dusty battle garb into a clean pink dress. I only ever wear this dress when I¡¯m going into Castle Town. It¡¯s the nicest dress I have and it matches my eyes perfectly. I may be a coward, and I might hate adventure, but I love being a princess. I always make sure to treat my subjects kindly, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t love it when they bow to me in respect. Surrounded by a city full of people who adore me, I feel safe from the outside world. At least here in my home I don¡¯t need to be afraid of everything.


    Once, a few years ago, Saria brought Teddy and I into the forest. Teddy loved every minute of it, looking behind every tree and bush for adventure, but I had started at every little sound, even though I had both my parents and a troop of guards to protect me. I¡¯m just not suited for adventure, and I don¡¯t think I ever will be. I enjoy the safe life I lead here.


    Sometimes, Will and Saria take Teddy with them when they go to visit the dwarves and elves, but I¡¯ve never gone. I always stay here, ruling the city in their place with the help of Grandma Abigale. Sometimes they¡¯re even gone for weeks at a time, and I worry every moment they¡¯re away. But not much trouble ever befalls them so my worries are for naught.


    Casting aside my thoughts, I pick up Solar and hurry though the castle to meet up with Teddy. He¡¯s waiting in the courtyard, his foot tapping impatiently. He had changed into a nice set of clothes, but his sword still hangs at his hip. I can¡¯t remember him ever not having that sword on him since he got it for his fourteenth birthday. I think he even sleeps with it. He says it¡¯s for safety purposes, but in a safe place like this, defended by knights, griffns and a draqois, I can¡¯t imagine what danger there could possibly be. I hadn¡¯t even ever heard of or seen pirates in Castle Town, despite the warnings of my Grandpa Garth.


    When Teddy spots me, he calls out, ¡°There you are Lizzie! Seriously, I don¡¯t know how it could possibly take so long to change a pair of clothes. I mean, look at me! I¡¯m already dressed and ready to go for ten minutes now!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet Teddy,¡± I scoff, slugging him lightly in the arm as I reach him. ¡°You¡¯re a guy, it takes you much less time to get changed than it takes me because I have to put on a dress, and you just pull on some trousers and a shirt.¡±


    He glances over at the little pink bow I had tied carefully around Solar¡¯s neck. ¡°It would probably take less time if you didn¡¯t worry about what your dragon looked like. Why don¡¯t you just leave her here? One of us is going to have to rule Lilliath one day. What if it¡¯s you? Do you really think the people would trust a leader who carries around a stuffed animal all the time?¡± He sighs, crossing his arms. ¡°You really need to grow up Lizzie.¡±


    Walking past him angrily, I say, ¡°Well what are you worried about? You¡¯re older. You¡¯ll probably end up ruling the country. So what does it matter if I¡¯m childish and a coward?¡±


    Catching up to me with his easy stride, he laughs, ¡°Yea you¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ll most likely end up getting married frst. Maybe I¡¯ll fnd some maiden in a tower to rescue somewhere. You never leave the city. Finding the right guy to marry in this place will most likely be next to impossible.¡±


    I walk slower with a sigh. ¡°You know just as well as I do that even if I did fall in love someday, no man will ever fall in love with me.¡±


    ¡°Lizzie.¡± Teddy stops walking and makes me do the same by putting a frm hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You know I was only joking with you. Besides, Will fell in love with Saria, and at the time they both thought that she was a werewolf, not a wolf descendant. I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s someone out there just like Dad who will be able to look past the fur and see the real you inside. I see it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Teddy, but you¡¯re my brother. You¡¯ve known me all your life.¡± Looking away I add, ¡°And even if you didn¡¯t see it, you¡¯re kinda stuck with me so you¡¯d learn to put up with me anyhow. Besides, Saria and Will rescued each other. Intense situations like that can bring even worst enemies together. Like you said, I never leave the city. I¡¯m a coward. No man could ever love all that.¡±


    Teddy doesn¡¯t respond, he just stares seriously into my eyes. His eyes are the gold that mine used to be, and I can¡¯t help but be envious of their light. ¡°Lizzie, no one knows what the future holds. You can¡¯t be sure that you¡¯ll never have love, just as I can¡¯t be sure that I will.¡± When I don¡¯t say anything, he sighs and continues, ¡°Come on then. Maybe some shopping will cheer you up. Tomorrow¡¯s our birthday after all, and you know that if we see anything we want today Mum and Dad will buy it for us tomorrow.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I try to push away the dark cloud that seems to be hanging above my head. ¡°Yea, some birthday shopping will do me good I think.¡±


    As we walk into the market, the busy life of the townspeople does cheer me up. I smile at the people who stop to bow at me. Browsing along the stalls, I search for something that catches my eye. I¡¯m so focused on looking at the wares that I don¡¯t notice a young boy running in my direction until he crashes into me.


    As I stumble back a step, Teddy grips his sword and growls, ¡°Watch it!¡±


    The boy looks up at us with wide, scared eyes. Getting to his knees, he bows low, whimpering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry your Highness! I didn¡¯t look where I was going. Please forgive me!¡±


    I rest my hand gently on Teddy¡¯s arm that¡¯s still gripping his sword. When he loosens his hold, I crouch down in front of the boy. Putting a fnger under his chin, I turn his face so that he sits up and looks me in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s okay, boy. Accidents happen. But what were you running from anyway?¡± As I speak, I pull him up so that he¡¯s standing again.


    Dusting off his ripped and dirty trousers, he casts a glance behind him. ¡°A creepy black cat was following me! At frst I thought it was just going the same way I was, but then when I started running, it started chasing me! I was so desperate to get away that I didn¡¯t look where I was going.¡± The boy opens his hand and looks down at a shiny silver coin in his palm. ¡°My father gave me this coin as a birthday gift, so I came to the market to see what I could buy. I was looking at the coin when I passed the cat in an alley, and that¡¯s when it started following me. Maybe it likes shiny things and it wanted my coin?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t see the cat now,¡± I assure him, glancing around the busy street. ¡°Just be more careful with your money next time, alright? Cats aren¡¯t the only ones who like coins, and I would hate for some thug to rob you of your birthday gift.¡±


    The boy looks up at me with wide eyes, gripping the coin tightly and holding it against his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll be much more careful from now on your Highness! I promise!¡±


    With a smile, I dismiss him. ¡°Off you go. Buy yourself something nice!¡±


    With a rushed but grateful nod, the boy runs off through the market again.


    Teddy sighs. ¡°You know Lizzie, you can be way too nice sometimes.¡±


    I turn to look at him, slightly shocked. ¡°What would you have me do? Throw him in the dungeons? He¡¯s just a boy. He wasn¡¯t watching where he was going, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°At least that¡¯s his story,¡± he huffs, as we begin walking through the busy market again. ¡°What if he was really trying to rob you? You¡¯re only lucky that Solar is all you have with you today.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s any such thing as being too nice,¡± I respond indignantly. ¡°If anything, you¡¯re too suspicious. Like I keep telling you, there¡¯s hardly reason enough to carry around a sword in this city, let alone suspect little boys of being thieves.¡±


    Giving me a sly look out of the corner of his eye, Teddy replies in a quiet tone, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t little boys be thieves? When our mother was fve, she was a thief. He looked like a poor peasant like she was. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that coin was actually stolen and not a gift at all.¡±


    I stop walking to turn and look at him angrily. ¡°Teddy that¡¯s enough! Stop always looking for the bad in the world. There¡¯s a lot of good out there too!¡±


    Crossing his arms, he shoots back, ¡°You only think that because you never leave the city. Why are you afraid of everything if most things are good and not bad?¡±


    I open my mouth for a heated retort, but before I can speak, the merchant in the stall that we¡¯re standing beside pipes up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your Highnesses, but I can¡¯t help but noticing that your dragon friend there looks in need of a new ribbon, Princess Elizabeth.¡±


    I turn to look at him, jarred from our personal argument by his voice. Then I look down at Solar¡¯s pink ribbon, examining it closely. The edges are a little frayed. I had tied this ribbon around the little dragon¡¯s neck for as long as I can remember.


    With a broad smile, the merchant gestures to a multitude of ribbons that are laid out on his table. ¡°Would you like to take a quick look at my wares? They¡¯re all hand woven by my wife.¡±


    As I step closer for a better look, the merchant adds, ¡°Or if you¡¯re not in the market for ribbons today, could I interest you in one of my hand stitched satchels?¡±


    ¡°No satchels today thank you,¡± I reply kindly with a smile. ¡°However, I will take a look at your ribbons.¡±


    As I examine his fne wares, he picks up his best ribbon and shows it to me. ¡°What do you think of this one? It¡¯s woven with a fne gold silk that we get imported from overseas. It is a very rare piece, and not only would it make your small companion there shine, but it would look lovely in your hair too.¡±


    Taking the gold ribbon, I hold it against Solar¡¯s neck. It does certainly seem to make her shine... ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I breathe, admiring the wonderful piece of work.


    ¡°Since you like it so much,¡± the merchant begins with a wide smile, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you for free.¡±


    ¡°Oh would you?¡± I ask, looking up at him gratefully. ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    Placing his hands on his hips and uttering a quick, hearty laugh, he exclaims, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble! Enjoy!¡± Leaning closer as if to whisper a secret, he adds, ¡°And maybe come back tomorrow to see if anything else catches your eye.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that,¡± I tell him with a smile. As I wave to him and continue to walk down the market with Teddy, I catch my brother rolling his eyes at me. ¡°What? Solar needs a gift too.¡±


    ¡°All that piece of cloth needs is a nice shelf in your room,¡± he grumbles.


    Before I have a chance to reply to him, he suddenly points at another table of wares. ¡°Now look at that sword! That¡¯s a real gift.¡±


    Teddy hurries over to the table, but I follow more slowly, tying the gold ribbon around Solar¡¯s neck. Even though I know she¡¯s nothing more than a stuffed animal, I can¡¯t help but think that she looks like she likes her new ribbon. Stuffng my old pink ribbon into a pocket hidden in the folds of my dress, I stroke her head softly.


    ¡°There you go Solar,¡± I whisper to her. ¡°Now you¡¯re all prettied up.¡±


    When I reach the table where Teddy is ogling over the weapons for sale, I examine the sword that had caught his eye. The blade is polished to shine and the handle is inlaid with gold fecks. While I admit to myself that it is a beautiful sword, I can¡¯t help but thinking that I would never want it. Owning a sword means that you realize there¡¯s a possibility you may have to use it.


    When Teddy is done looking at the sword, we continue once more down the market. I turn my head this way and that to try and see everything that¡¯s being sold. As I¡¯m looking, I end up glancing down a dirty alley. Stopping dead in the middle of the busy fow of people, I stare in shock at a black cat sitting on a crate. The cat stares right back at me, its blue eyes gleaming.


    When Teddy notices that I¡¯m not walking beside him anymore, he pushes his way back through the crowd to my side. ¡°Lizzie, what are you doing?¡±


    Without looking away from the cat, I point at it. ¡°Look Teddy! That must be the cat that boy was talking about.¡±


    Getting frustrated, Teddy throws his hands in the air. ¡°Come on Lizzie! Maybe it¡¯s just a regular black cat. They¡¯re not that uncommon. I still think that boy is nothing more than a common thief.¡±


    I don¡¯t reply because I¡¯m locked in a staring contest with the cat. Suddenly, it gets to its paws, sticks its tongue out at me with a catty smirk and turns to streak down the alley .


    With a gasp I grab Teddy¡¯s arm, pulling him into the alley with me. ¡°Let¡¯s go Teddy! I need to catch that cat!¡±


    ¡°Lizzie! Stop this nonsense!¡± Teddy yells as he¡¯s pulled along behind me. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid cat! And you must be even more stupid if you would follow it into a dark alley!¡±


    ¡°Shut up Teddy!¡± I growl at him without breaking my stride. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that look it gave me? There¡¯s no way that was an ordinary cat! Besides, how many stray cats can you think of that would follow a boy down the street just for a coin? It¡¯s very unusual!¡±


    ¡°You know, for someone who hates adventure, you sure are curious about some dumb cat,¡± I hear him grumble. ¡°Now will you please let go of me? You¡¯re starting to bruise my arm.¡±


    Without breaking my stride, I let him go so he can run beside me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mutter. Sometimes I forget that I¡¯m much stronger than a regular human.


    I don¡¯t take my eyes off the shape of the cat streaking ahead of me, but when it rounds a corner, I trip on my dress and slam into the ground.


    ¡°Lizzie, are you okay?¡± Teddy asks, helping me to my feet. ¡°See, this cat is no good. Let¡¯s just forget about it and go home okay?¡±


    Ignoring the scrapes on my hands and knees, I run towards the corner the cat had disappeared behind. ¡°No Teddy, I¡¯m going to catch that cat!¡±


    But when I round the corner, all I see is yet another dark and dusty alleyway. Stomping my foot in frustration, I growl, ¡°Darnnit! If I didn¡¯t trip, I wouldn¡¯t have lost it!¡± With a sigh, I look down at Solar to see that she¡¯s dirty from falling on the ground. Dusting her off, I check to make sure that her new ribbon isn¡¯t ruined. Thankfully, the ribbon is still fne, and when I turn it around in the sunlight, it sparkles in a dazzling way.


    Suddenly, a black streak fashes in front of my vision, snatching Solar from my hands. With a gasp, I realize that the black cat had stolen her and was streaking away down another alley with Solar dragging along behind it.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shout. ¡°Get back here with my dragon!¡±


    As I pursue the little furry thief, I hear Teddy yell, ¡°Just leave it Lizzie! It¡¯s not worth getting lost over!¡±


    But I don¡¯t respond because I¡¯m too focused on the cat. I won¡¯t just let Solar go! I¡¯ve had her since I was a baby and I¡¯ve never gone anywhere without her. I hear footsteps behind me and I realize that Teddy had caught up. He doesn¡¯t say anything, but I can almost feel the anger rolling off of him in waves. He¡¯s furious with me. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting some cat steal Solar.


    I keep my eyes fxed on the sleek form of the cat, being careful not to trip this time. I run a little faster, and start to catch up to the creature. Reaching out, I grab desperately for the cat¡¯s tail, but just as I¡¯m about to grasp it, the cat leaps up.


    Startled, I try to stop, but it¡¯s too late. I crash headlong into a stack of crates, giving myself a bloody nose. Snarling in anger, I look up to see the cat disappearing over the side of a large ship. Looking around I realize that we¡¯re in the harbor.


    Holding my bloody nose, I duck down behind the pile of crates. I don¡¯t want to be seen.


    Huffng, Teddy crouches down beside me. ¡°Now that it¡¯s a lost cause, do you want to go home?¡± he gasps as he tries to catch his breath.


    I turn to glare at him, my eyes burning. ¡°I am not going anywhere without Solar. So if you want me to come home at all then I suggest you help me sneak onto this ship.¡±


    Staring at me with his mouth hanging open, Teddy stutters, ¡°You¡¯re going to sneak onto a ship? Are you crazy? Stop being ridiculous Lizzie! I¡¯m the one who likes adventure, and even I¡¯m not stupid enough to do something like that!¡±


    I don¡¯t reply with words but I see Teddy finch at the intensity of my gaze.


    He looks at me for a second, obviously thinking. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he concedes. ¡°Well if you¡¯re going to do something totally stupid, I guess your big brother should come along to make sure you don¡¯t get yourself killed.¡±


    I feel like throwing my arms around him in gratitude, but instead, I just turn to study the ship and the towering pile of crates.


    The ship is a large wooden brute, but it¡¯s somehow different from the industrious models that we use to ship goods across the sea. The sails are yellowed and tattered at the edges, the wood looks rough and splintery, and there are several parts where it looks like holes had been patched up. I can¡¯t help but wonder if the captain of this ship is just a reckless captain that rams into rocks a lot, or whether they often had tussles with pirates. In any case, it¡¯s not somewhere I¡¯m thrilled to be, but I have to get Solar back.


    The towering stack of crates rests very near the ship, reaching up to the side railing. The crates seem to block the view of the ship from most other parts of the harbor. Looking around, I realize that this is one of the oldest docks in the harbor and is hardly used anymore. The ships we use to trade goods always dock in the newer ports, and only visiting ships use the old ports like this one.


    Studying the towering mountain of wooden crates, I trace a way up in my mind. If I keep myself in a low position, I should be able to cross over into the ship without being seen. I plan to get on that ship, fnd Solar, and get off as quickly as possible. I need to make sure I get off before the ship leaves port. There¡¯s no telling how long it will stay.


    ¡°Come on Teddy,¡± I whisper over my shoulder. ¡°Follow me up. And make sure no one sees us.¡±


    Instead of giving me one of his usual remarks, he just nods, obviously in the state of mind he gets in whenever he¡¯s taking on an important mission.


    Keeping myself low, and moving more like a wolf than a human, I creep steadily up the pile of crates, keeping my eyes fxed on the ship¡¯s railing. I¡¯m tempted to just switch into my half wolf form to get aboard easier, but that will cause even more trouble for me if I¡¯m seen. This way, if I¡¯m caught, I¡¯ll just tell whoever owns the ship that a cat stole something of mine and fed here. If they know I¡¯m Princess Elizabeth, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.


    However, since I don¡¯t recognize the ship, and I don¡¯t know what sort of person the captain is, it would probably be best if I refrained from being seen, to avoid any possible trouble.


    When I fnally reach the top of the crates, I can peer onto the ship. It seems to be deserted. Most of the crewmembers must be in town, perhaps stocking up on supplies or eating a meal before they head out to sea again. Perfect. Less chance of us being seen.


    Turning to whisper to Teddy, who is just behind me, I tell him, ¡°The coast is clear. The crew doesn¡¯t appear to be on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Teddy mutters, his face serious. ¡°Now let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a short jump to get onto the ship, but you should be able to make it. Just try not to make too much noise,¡± I order. For once the prospect of danger doesn¡¯t seem as bad to me. This time, I have a mission and a goal, and I¡¯m not leaving until I have completed my objective.


    Sizing up the distance, I bunch my muscles, vaulting myself onto the ship. I land in a silent roll, whipping my head around to make sure I still haven¡¯t been seen. When I still don¡¯t see anyone, I wave for Teddy to follow. His leap is much less graceful, and he lands with a heavy thud.


    ¡°Shhh!¡± I hiss at him. ¡°We can¡¯t have anyone know we¡¯re here!¡±


    He scowls at me. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not a wolf. I can¡¯t move as quietly as you can.¡±


    Ignoring his comment, I look around the deck for any sign of the cat. I don¡¯t see it, but I do see a door that¡¯s left slightly ajar. Sneaking quickly over to it, I keep my body low. As I get closer to the door, I notice a strand of golden cloth caught on the rough wood of the doorframe. I bear my teeth in a silent snarl. That cat is going to pay. I just got that ribbon for Solar!


    ¡°The cat went this way,¡± I whisper. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Teddy gripping his sword tightly.


    I peer past the door to look into the dark room beyond. Torches are lit on the walls, and I can see another doorway and a staircase leading deeper into the ship. After I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no one beyond the door, I creep into the room, sniffng the air. My nose may not be as sharp in my human form, but in the enclosed space of the small room, I can still pick up the faint trace of cat scent. The scent leads to the stairs, and making sure that Teddy is right behind me, I follow it down.


    The underbelly of the ship is dark, the only light coming from the small cracks of the closed cannon holes and a few lanterns. To my right is another staircase, but the scent leads me farther into the room, weaving between wooden crates that smell of food and gunpowder.


    I follow the scent of the black cat all the way to the back of the ship. There¡¯s another door here, this one slightly ajar as well. Pushing the door open a little wider, I wince as it creaks, afraid that someone would hear me. But when no one comes running, I creep inside with Teddy at my heels.


    This room isn¡¯t very big, but most of it is flled to the brim with treasure chests. Some are locked tight, but a few are left open, spilling with gold coins and treasure. The foor is littered with gems and coins and I widen my eyes in silent disbelief. Behind me I hear Teddy breathe in sharply.


    But then my eye catches something sitting atop one of the piles of gold. It¡¯s the black cat, with Solar still dangling from its mouth.


    I lunge for it, trying to snag my precious friend, but the cat leaps away, across a desk in the middle of the room. It disappears into shadow on the other side of the desk, but before I can follow it, a soft, cold chuckle echoes around the room. A sinister voice follows the laugh, and I feel a chill of dread run down my spine.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl, Ice.¡±

 Chapter 3

    My heart dances frantically in my chest; a bird attempting to break free of its cage. There¡¯s the sound of sliding steel as Teddy draws his sword. Taking a step back, I bump into one of the treasure chests and yelp in shock as more coins spill to the foor.


    The voice laughs again, and I manage to make out the shape of a hand in the darkness, stroking the cat¡¯s fur. ¡°Now what¡¯s this we have on my ship? A couple of stowaways?¡±


    Forcing myself to swallow my fear, I try to talk in a strong voice, but when I do speak, it comes out as a quiet whisper. ¡°I-I¡¯m Princess Elizabeth, and your cat seems to have stolen something of mine.¡±


    ¡°Princess Elizabeth?¡± the voice responds, only mildly curious. It speaks towards Teddy next. ¡°Then I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re her royal guard.¡±


    ¡°You are mistaken,¡± Teddy growls in a threatening rumble. ¡°I am her brother, Prince Theodore. Now give my sister back her stuffed dragon and we will be on our way.¡±


    Instead of being intimidated by Teddy¡¯s aggressive attitude, the voice just laughs. ¡°A princess and a prince! I think it¡¯s our lucky day.¡±


    I feel the ship shift beneath my feet and I look around in alarm. ¡°I would like to take my dragon and go now please,¡± I say quietly.


    ¡°You heard her,¡± Teddy adds more forcefully. ¡°Do it or we will throw you in the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°That would be a trick,¡± the voice coos softly. ¡°Put your sword away boy. It¡¯s not play time.¡±


    Teddy takes a step closer. ¡°Give me the dragon. Now.¡±


    ¡°I said...¡± the voice begins in a threatening tone. There¡¯s a streak in the air of something moving very fast, and Teddy¡¯s sword is thrown to the other side of the room, clattering down behind a treasure chest. ¡°...it¡¯s not play time.¡±


    ¡°Lizzie, get over here now,¡± Teddy orders with wide eyes. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    My heart is still beating like crazy, but I stay where I am. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without Solar!¡±


    With a sinister chuckle the voice mocks, ¡°You heard the girl. She¡¯s not leaving.¡±


    Grabbing my hand, Teddy drags me out of the room. ¡°Teddy! I¡¯m not leaving without Solar!¡±


    ¡°Yes we are,¡± my brother snaps as he drags me towards the stairs. ¡°Something¡¯s not right about this ship, and we need to get off it before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    I don¡¯t reply, but look back over my shoulder at the shadows of the room where Solar is. I feel my eyes begin to burn with tears. I don¡¯t want to lose my friend, but Teddy is right. There is defnitely something dangerously wrong about this ship.


    We take the stairs two at a time, bursting through the door into the brightness of the day. At frst I¡¯m dazzled by the light, but I freeze when I realize we¡¯re surrounded by tough looking sailors. They all hold swords and smile dangerously .


    Teddy shoves me behind him. ¡°Let us off the ship,¡± he growls, causing the crew to laugh.


    ¡°You gonna make us?¡± one of the sailors sneers. ¡°You and what army? What weapon for that matter!¡±


    I hear footsteps coming from behind me. I jump, running behind Teddy to peer around him at the door we just came through. Teddy turns as well, standing protectively between me and the door.


    The person who belongs to the mysterious voice in the dark steps out into the light, and I gasp, realizing many things. The frst is that it¡¯s obviously a woman. The second, she must be the captain of the ship, considering the size of her hat. And third... she isn¡¯t human.


    Her two large ears are pointed and furry. Her face has a cat-like nose, and she has different coloured eyes. One eye is blue while the other is a bright green. Her entire body seems to be covered in a fne fur, ranging many colours, from white to orange and black. On the tips of her fngers I see small slits I guess are hiding claws, and the palms of her hands have tough pads on them. Her long tail weaves behind her, the fur on it fowing through the air with ease. Her tail looks soft and fuffy, but the dark glint in her eyes and the smirk on her face tell me that she¡¯s not to be messed with.


    ¡°Let us go!¡± Teddy demands. ¡°There will be serious punishments for you and everyone on board if you keep us here!¡±


    Reaching to stroke the black cat on her shoulder, who I guess must be called Ice, she replies in a silky voice, ¡°Go ahead. Leave. I will warn you that there are sharks in the water though, so you¡¯d better swim fast.¡±


    Turning to peer past the crew, I realize with dread, ¡°Teddy! The ship has left port!¡± Castle Town and my safe life are already far behind us, fading more every second.


    Teddy¡¯s head whips around in alarm. Turning back to face the captain, he roars, ¡°Turn this ship around now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid, Teddy-bear,¡± she snarls mockingly. ¡°we can¡¯t do that. You see, as pirates, we despise following orders, especially orders that come from snotty royalty.¡±


    ¡°P-pirates?¡± I stutter in a scared whisper. ¡°Oh no...¡± Still hiding behind my brother, I whimper, ¡°Are you kidnapping us?¡±


    ¡°You catch on quick, Elizabeth was it?¡± the captain laughs. ¡°Royalty of any kind will fetch a nice price sold to the right buyer.¡± Turning her head to look at her cat, she purrs, ¡°When I sent Ice ashore, I told her to bring back a princess. I wasn¡¯t expecting her to bring a prince as well. It¡¯s my lucky day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you do this often,¡± Teddy growls, glaring at our captor with poison in his eyes.


    Strutting around us in a circle, she examines us with a freezing gaze. ¡°Yes, indeed. But you are the fnest specimens we¡¯ve collected thus far. Usually we pick up frail little whelps that die of sea sickness, or princesses so ugly that no one wants to buy them. But you two are strong and healthy.¡± Her mismatched eyes burn into mine and I have to look away. ¡°The only fault in her is her timidness. But I suppose that¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    Teddy takes a step towards the Captain, and instantly one of the pirates jumps forward and restrains him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about us as if we¡¯re a common commodity to be traded!¡± Teddy roars in her face. I¡¯ve never seen my brother so mad. If he had been roaring in anyone else¡¯s face, they would have run for the hills. But not the Captain. She simply rolls her eyes in a bored way.


    ¡°Muzzle yourself, you stupid mutt,¡± she drawls, turning away. ¡°You¡¯ve got the worst dog breath I¡¯ve smelled in my entire life.¡±


    I can tell that Teddy is still fuming, but he can¡¯t break free of the pirate¡¯s grip and he¡¯s powerless without his sword, so he just grinds his teeth and glares at her as if his gaze alone would be enough to kill her.


    Turning back to face us, she announces, ¡°You have two options. You can either cooperate and swab the deck, or you can take twenty lashes a day and spend the rest of your time locked up in the brig.¡± She examines her fngers with a disinterested expression as she fnishes, ¡°The choice is yours.¡±


    Teddy doesn¡¯t reply, but before he can burst out with some stupid remark and get us both thrown in the brig, I step forward. ¡°Where¡¯s the mop and bucket?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°Smart girl,¡± the Captain purrs with a wicked grin.


    ¡°Lizzie!¡± Teddy exclaims as he turns on me. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? We¡¯re royalty! We shouldn¡¯t let them force us to stoop to their level!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you,¡± I begin quietly. ¡°But royalty or not, I still feel pain, and I don¡¯t want to be whipped twenty times a day. I don¡¯t want to see you whipped either. So please... just do it?¡±


    Teddy stares into my eyes, uncertain. Finally, he lowers his head and sighs, ¡°Alright, Lizzie. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± the Captain sighs. ¡°I was looking forward to whipping you. Oh well. There still may be other opportunities.¡± Looking at the pirate holding Teddy, the Captain snaps in a commanding voice, ¡°Cut-throat!¡±


    Letting go of Teddy to stand at attention, Cut-throat replies, ¡°Aye, aye, Captain Felix sir!¡±


    ¡°Go fetch these two dogs what they¡¯ll need to swab the deck. And make it snappy!¡± At the Captain¡¯s demand, the pirate hurries off through the door that leads back below the ship. Looking around the rest of her rag-tag crew, Captain Felix orders, ¡°The rest of you swine get to your stations. We must be as good as invisible by the time they realize that their precious prince and princess are missing.¡±


    Folding his arms across his chest defantly, Teddy growls, ¡°They will fnd us. And when they do, you¡¯ll be sorry you ever weighed anchor in Castle Town.¡±


    Captain Felix steps forward and pats his cheek, mock sympathy in her face. ¡°Oh you poor boy. You¡¯ll never see your family again. Nobody fnds my ship unless I want it to be found.¡± As she turns away from him, Ice sticks out her tongue, mocking us.


    I feel hatred burn in my veins, and suddenly I realize why dogs like to chase cats.


    Captain Felix makes her way to the wheel of the ship, charting a course. I¡¯m glaring at her and her pet so intensely that I jump when a bucket and a mop are dropped down in front of Teddy and me. Looking over at Cut-throat, I finch as he tosses me some wash rags. ¡°You do the mopping,¡± he growls, shoving his fnger in Teddy¡¯s face. ¡°And you do the scrubbing,¡± he smirks at me.


    Before I can dip my rags in the bucket, he hands me a knife. I take it and look at him warily, unsure of what to expect. ¡°Cut your dress shorter, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    For a moment, I just stare at the dagger, and I notice that Teddy is staring at it with hungry eyes. But then Cut- throat clears his throat and when I look at him, I realize that his belt is flled with knives and daggers. I can¡¯t help but shiver as I think I know how he got his name.


    Teddy sees his weapons too, and with a scowl, picks up the mop and dips it in the bucket angrily.


    As I stare at the knife and wonder where to begin, Cut-throat growls with a smile, ¡°Make it nice and short Elizabeth. You don¡¯t want it getting caught and tangled in the ropes.¡±


    I look up at him sharply with wide eyes. I¡¯ve never worn a short dress in my life! It¡¯s very unbecoming of a princess to show too much of her body. When Cut-throat doesn¡¯t break my gaze, I know he¡¯s serious. Gripping the knife tightly I finch as I rip the frst piece of fabric. My beautiful dress, ruined.... But I suppose this is still better than the lashes and the brig.


    Cut-throat watches as I destroy my dress, telling me when I¡¯m making it too long and forcing me to cut it ever shorter. By the time I¡¯m done, the dress is far above my knees and showing way too much skin. I feel my face burn with a blush as the other pirates come closer and stare at me with hungry eyes, laughing at each other.


    But then the Captain¡¯s voice rings through the air, and for once, I¡¯m glad to hear it. ¡°Back to work you scurvy dogs! You know the rules. No one but the buyer is allowed to touch the princess!¡±


    Looking up at Captain Felix sharply, I ask warily, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Turning away from the wheel, the Captain leans over the railing to look down at me. ¡°Why do you think I usually steal only princesses?¡±


    I shake my head, not sure what she means.


    ¡°It¡¯s because there¡¯s a lot more dirty old men in the world than dirty old women.¡± With a smirk, she continues, ¡°Girls sell for more than boys. It¡¯s a bit of a strike on my conscience, but I do my part by making sure the princesses get to the market untouched. After that, what happens to them is beyond my control.¡±


    Teddy throws his mop to the ground, spinning to glare at the Captain. ¡°You disgusting, fea-bitten, mange bag! If anything happens to my sister, I will spread your guts from Lilliath to Cardonia!¡±


    In a streak of movement, Captain Felix throws a knife down towards Teddy, the blade whizzing past his ear and cutting off a few pieces of hair. Before Teddy can turn and grab the knife that¡¯s now stuck in the wood, Cut-throat snatches it up and puts it in his belt. ¡°Watch it, Teddy- bear,¡± the Captain hisses dangerously. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but pocket change to me.¡± Straightening up and returning to the wheel, she snaps, ¡°Now hurry up! I want to see my refection in the foor within the hour or you¡¯ll be sorry.¡±


    Still scowling, but slightly more wary now, my brother reaches down to pick up his mop. I hurry and dip my rags into the bucket, and start scrubbing the railing of the ship. I can¡¯t help it as a few silent tears slide down my face. When I woke up this morning, my life was perfect. And now... It¡¯s hard to believe that only a few hours ago, battle training was my biggest worry.


    By the end of the hour, my hands are raw and bloody, and every joint in my arms ache. But the hard scrubbing paid off. The railing is shinning like new, and the foor glistens. Teddy and I slump down together on the foor as the Captain leaves her lofty perch to examine our work. She saunters about the ship, criticizing everything, but then she fnally sniffs, ¡°On the whole, it¡¯s terrible. But it will have to do. You two are on kitchen duty. You are to go to the kitchens and help Mr. Salt prepare dinner. If I hear that you aren¡¯t doing everything he tells you, I¡¯ll be forced to punish you. Now go.¡±


    I feel so tired that I could sleep for a week, but I force myself to jump to my feet, afraid that if I don¡¯t move fast enough, Captain Felix with pull out a whip and hit me.


    ¡°Where are the kitchens, Captain Felix sir?¡± I ask warily as Teddy gets to his feet more slowly.


    Pointing with her fnger to a door that¡¯s opposite the one we had frst gone through, she orders, ¡°Through that door and beneath the galley. Get your scrawny haunches over there before I decide to lash you anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye sir!¡± I exclaim, grabbing Teddy¡¯s hand and dragging him along behind me.


    Once we¡¯re through the door, Teddy pulls his hand away. ¡°How can you act like that Lizzie?¡± he exclaims, throwing his hands in the air, exasperated. ¡°I can hardly keep myself from spitting in that stupid feline¡¯s face!¡±


    ¡°Well, I just don¡¯t want to get hurt, that¡¯s all,¡± I murmur meekly, looking down at the foor instead of at him.


    Shaking his head, he sighs, ¡°I just don¡¯t know how you manage it. You¡¯re the dog out of the two of us. I should think you would be barely stopping yourself from lunging at her throat.¡±


    ¡°First of all Teddy, I¡¯m a wolf, not a dog. And secondly, I don¡¯t have anything against cats on the whole. I just hate that woman and her stupid pet. Now let¡¯s get to the kitchen before¡ª¡± the door opening behind us cuts me off and I jump back, afraid that it¡¯s the Captain, but I relax when I realize that it¡¯s just Ice.


    Teddy smiles when he realizes that the black cat is alone. ¡°Perfect. Now I can teach that stupid cat some manners!¡±


    Before I can stop him, Teddy lunges for Ice, trying to grab her around the throat. But she leaps up and lands on his head, clawing at his face. Snarling with anger, Teddy tries to grab Ice and tear her off, but she jumps and slashes at his hands before he can grab her. Teddy¡¯s focusing so much on grabbing the cat, that he doesn¡¯t see the stairs behind him. I try to call a warning, but it¡¯s too late. Ice jumps off his head as he goes tumbling down the stairs.


    I wince as I hear him crash into the kitchen. Ice glares at me and I quickly make my way down the stairs before she throws me after Teddy.


    ¡°How dare you treat my kitchen like such rubbish?¡± the cook, Mr. Salt, hollers. ¡°Get to your feet boy and clean up that mess this instant!¡±


    Growling to himself and rubbing his forehead where Ice had scratched him, Teddy hauls himself to his feet and begins putting all the pots and pans back in place.


    Turning to glare at me, Mr. Salt throws a wooden spoon at me. Reacting fast, I manage to catch it before it smacks into my face. ¡°Start stirring that soup, and make it snappy!¡± the cook growls, pointing at a large pot full of boiling soup.


    ¡°Aye, aye, sir,¡± I say quietly, rushing over to the pot. As I begin to stir, Ice leaps onto the counter beside me, and stares at me through unwavering blue eyes. I shiver at her gaze, and even when I look away I can still feel it burning into my skin. After a while, I turn to her and growl quietly, ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you go watch Teddy for a while?¡±


    But Ice remains as still as ever, staring at me without even blinking. With a shiver, I wonder if she can somehow tell that I¡¯m not human.


    By the time Teddy and I fnish cooking and cleaning the dishes, we¡¯re both exhausted. But our rumbling bellies keep us from falling asleep.


    I approach Mr. Salt warily, unsure of how he¡¯ll react to my question. ¡°Mr. Salt sir?¡± I ask in a shaky voice. ¡°Could my brother and I have something to eat?¡±


    For a moment, the gruff cook doesn¡¯t respond. He just looks Teddy and I up and down with an appraising eye. Finally he growls, ¡°I suppose. You have worked hard enough I guess.¡± Taking a ladle, he spoons some soup into two bowls and hands them to us. ¡°Here, eat up. Then you¡¯d best report to the Captain.¡±


    I don¡¯t wait for a second invitation and neither does Teddy. I gulp down the soup in large swigs, ignoring the pain as it burns my mouth and throat slightly. The soup seems to be gone all too soon, but I don¡¯t dare ask for more. I feel lucky enough to be given what I was. Licking my lips, I realize that it was the most tasteless soup I¡¯d ever eaten, but my hungry belly tells me it was the best food I¡¯d ever had.


    Teddy and I quickly wash our dirty dishes, then make our way back up the stairs to fnd the Captain. As I walk outside onto the deck of the ship I¡¯m surprised to fnd that the sun has set and the clear night sky is dotted with countless stars. I freeze for a moment, staring up at the little specks of brilliance. I¡¯ve never seen so many stars before! Castle Town is always lit up at night, and the light seems to block out the night sky. Admiring the beauty of the softly lit night, I can¡¯t help but yawn.


    ¡°Come on, Lizzie,¡± Teddy murmurs quietly beside me. ¡°Let¡¯s go fnd out where we can sleep.¡±


    Placing an arm around my shoulders, he leads me over to the wheel where Captain Felix is studying the night sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re done our chores,¡± Teddy declares roughly, but when I elbow him frantically in the side, he adds, ¡°Captain Felix sir.¡± I can still hear the poison in his voice, but I want to stay on the best terms with the Captain as we can. I don¡¯t want to be punished because we disrespect her.


    Captain Felix looks slowly away from the sky, studying us carefully. ¡°I suppose you louts will be wanting to sleep then.¡± Her voice is quiet and cold, and I can¡¯t help but shiver. As she fnishes speaking, Ice leaps up to her shoulder, glaring hatred at me again.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I murmur quietly, unable to take my eyes off of Ice.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the Captain says. ¡°Go downstairs to the store room. There¡¯s another stairway there that leads to the bunkroom. Ask Diggs and Riggs to take you to your sleeping place.¡±


    ¡°Er, who are Diggs and Riggs, Captain Felix sir?¡± I ask nervously. I don¡¯t like standing here in the cold gazes of the Captain and her cat, but I also have no clue who she¡¯s talking about.


    She freezes me in her mismatched stare, and with a shiver, I take a step closer to my brother. Finally she murmurs, ¡°They¡¯re mostly identical twins. Riggs has a hook for a hand. You can¡¯t miss them.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but shiver as I think of a sinister fgure with a sharp hook where his hand should be. ¡°Aye, aye, Captain Felix sir.¡±


    I start towards the door, but stop when I realize that Teddy isn¡¯t following me. He¡¯s still standing there staring at the Captain. Both Captain Felix and Ice have turned their backs and are staring up at the sky, but the Captain¡¯s tail twitches methodically back and forth. Teddy seems to be watching the movement of her tail almost as if he¡¯s hypnotized. His gaze is deep and thoughtful, but I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s going through his mind.


    ¡°Teddy?¡± I murmur quietly, not wanting to alert the Captain. ¡°Are you coming?¡±


    He jerks his head as if he¡¯s just been snapped out of a trance. Without one more look at the Captain, he leads me away through the door. ¡°What was that all about?¡± I ask him as we start down the stairs to the storage room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Teddy replies gruffy, his voice strangely guarded.


    I stare at him in shock. It almost sounds like he¡¯s trying to keep some sort of secret from me. Teddy and I never kept secrets from each other. We always told each other exactly what was on our minds. We were closer than two peas in a pod. And yet here he was... practically lying to my face.


    Giving my head a sharp shake, I chase away my nagging thoughts. Of course Teddy wouldn¡¯t keep secrets from me. It must just be my tired mind playing tricks on me.


    The bunkroom is a fair sized room flled with hammocks hanging from the ceiling. Most of the hammocks are occupied by burly sleeping pirates, but near where we are standing by the stairs, two men are playing cards. I realize they must be Diggs and Riggs, because other than the fact that one of them has a hook where his hand should be, they look identical.


    Teddy and I walk over to them, and I say quietly, ¡°Excuse me, but are you Diggs and Riggs?¡±


    ¡°The two and only,¡± the one with the hook replies, looking up from his game. Getting to his feet, he thrusts his hook out as if preparing for a handshake. ¡°Riggs, at your service.¡±


    The other brother gets to his feet as well and bows. ¡°Diggs, also at your service.¡±


    As Riggs still has his hook outstretched, I take it gingerly and shake it. ¡°Captain Felix said you two could show us where we can sleep.¡±


    ¡°Certainly we can,¡± Diggs responds, and I can¡¯t help but smile. These two brothers don¡¯t seem scary at all. In fact, they¡¯re the friendliest faces I¡¯ve seen all day, despite the scars that mark them.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two sit down and join us at a little game of cards frst?¡± Riggs offers, gesturing at the little table.


    Before I can reply, Teddy growls, ¡°We¡¯re tired and all we want to do is sleep.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fne!¡± Both brothers exclaim together. ¡°No need to get your trousers in a knot.¡±


    Riggs leads the way through the sleeping bodies to the back of the room. This part is flled with cages, and I shiver as I guess this is the brig. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lock us up are you?¡± I ask nervously.


    ¡°Sorry, Elizabeth,¡± Riggs replies sorrowfully while Diggs continues, ¡°Captain¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Teddy growls, glaring at the two good- natured pirates. ¡°Come on Lizzie, let¡¯s get some sleep.¡± He marches grumpily into the cell, fopping down on a hammock.


    Riggs leans closer to me and puts his hook to his mouth as if he were sharing a secret. ¡°Not so friendly, ain¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not usually this bad,¡± I say apologetically.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I blame ¡®im,¡± Diggs huffs. ¡°Been a strange day for the both of ye.¡±


    Hesitantly, I step into the cage. I can¡¯t help but feel extremely nervous being locked up. I¡¯ve never been locked up before in my life. I¡¯ve always had the best of everything, and been free to go where I wished. Even on the full moon when I change into a wolf I don¡¯t get locked up. I have enough sense to stay in the castle, but everyone in the castle knows about our secret anyway.


    I jump as the door clangs shut loudly behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I watch as Diggs locks the door, his ring of keys jingling. When he¡¯s done, both brothers wave.


    ¡°Goodnight!¡± they say in unison, before they turn and make their way back to their card game.


    As I lie down in the hammock that¡¯s hanging on the opposite side of the cage that Teddy¡¯s on, I say quietly, ¡°They weren¡¯t too bad.¡±


    Teddy grunts. ¡°Whatever. They¡¯re all just pirates to me. I bet they¡¯re just playing nice to get something out of us. Well it won¡¯t work with me.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem like that to me. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re just nice pirates,¡± I reply, although I never would have thought that I would ever call a pirate nice. But the twin brothers had been good-natured and funny. If I wasn¡¯t so depressed and scared because I¡¯m locked up on a pirate ship, I may have even called them my friends.


    But then I close my eyes with a sigh. Maybe Teddy is right. Maybe I am too trusting. After all, we are on a pirate ship, and my destination is who knows how far away, not to mention the unspeakable things that might happen there. It¡¯s a long time to be on a ship... especially surrounded by dirty men when I¡¯m wearing a dress so short it hardly covers me. I can¡¯t help but shiver. But as long as I have Teddy with me, I should be safe enough... and even though I don¡¯t like the Captain very much, she can¡¯t be all bad if she¡¯s willing to shield me from the brutes in her crew.


    I wonder how many princesses Captain Felix has stolen before. Obviously enough. She certainly seemed to know what she was doing... I grit my teeth and shut my eyes, rolling over so that Teddy couldn¡¯t see my face even if he looked my way. They¡¯ve been right about me all along... I am too childish. I¡¯m too much of a coward. I¡¯m the worst princess in the history of princesses. How could I love a lifeless stuffed animal so much that I¡¯d follow it on to a pirate ship? How can I be such a coward that I jump around from order to order, even though I¡¯m a prisoner anyhow? If I had been sure that no one would fall in love with me before, I¡¯m even more sure of that now.


    I try not to make a sound as small tears roll down my cheek and drop on the foor beneath me. I want to go home. I¡¯ve never hated adventure quite as much as I do now. I can¡¯t stop the endless fow of tears as I wonder if I¡¯ll ever get to see my home and family again. Clenching my hands into fsts, I regret this morning. I had fought with my mother, just because I resisted the important training she was giving me. If only I were more like Saria. Then I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. I would have fought and snarled and somehow got off this ship. I can¡¯t believe someone like me is the daughter of the greatest hero of our time. My mother fought dragons and got beaten up multiple times for someone she didn¡¯t even like at the time. And I¡¯m too weak to even save myself.


    ¡°Teddy,¡± I whisper, my voice sounding choked with sadness. ¡°Are you still awake?¡±


    Teddy doesn¡¯t respond, and when I listen harder, all I hear is his quiet breathing as he sleeps.


    Crying even harder, I murmur, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m sorry you have a sister as terrible as me. And I¡¯m sorry for getting you into this mess. You¡¯re the best brother I could ever ask for...¡±


    I cry silently for a long time, but eventually, I must fall asleep. My dreams are dark and haunted by shadowy fgures that prowl behind me, hunting me. I run as fast as I can, screaming for someone to help me, but no one comes. I¡¯m alone in the darkness with the shadows coming gradually closer... closing in on me... my screams are cut off as they pounce on me and smother me.


    Gasping awake, I see Teddy standing beside my hammock, looking down at me. His face is somber and his voice is cold as he says, ¡°Happy eighteenth birthday Lizzie.¡±