Authors: Catherine Banks
“I’ve been good,” I told him. “How have you been?”
He smiled at me. “I’ve been great. Your dad is a great captain.”
“I’ve missed it,” I said honestly, “I wish I hadn’t had to go, but I did learn a lot off ship.”
“We’ve missed you here too,” he said, “It was never the same after you left.”
“You’d only been here a month,” I said.
“Yeah, but the mood soured for a long time after you left,” he told me. He peered at me with squinted eyes. “Why are you wearing the mask?” I took it off and he smiled. “You’ve grown even more beautiful, Tilia.”
“You pirates are such flatterers,” I said as the wind cooled my blush.
“So you have other pirates flirting with you?” he asked.
“Just one,” I admitted.
“Well that’s definitely not enough,” he told me with a smile. “I bet if you stopped wearing that mask you would have pirates fighting over you.”
“Dad’s smooth tongue has passed on to you I see,” I said with a smirk.
“So, who’s this other pirate?” he asked.
“That is a secret. I would rather not have Dad trying to rough him up,” I said.
“I could do it for your dad,” he offered.
“Cristoff,” I said with a frown, “you don’t even know him.”
“No, but like I said, pirates will fight over you and I am willing to be one of them.”
“You don’t even know me, Cristoff,” I said with a sigh. “I could be a horrible wench and you don’t know it.”
“Somehow I don’t think you are a horrible wench,” he said as he watched me.
“I’m full of surprises and mysteries,” I told him, “You’ll see tonight.”
“What are you afraid of?” he asked me.
“I’m afraid that my secret is going to ruin things with that pirate. Plus I have a feeling Dad isn’t going to be too happy with me.”
“Your dad can’t stay mad at you and if that pirate can’t accept whatever this secret is then it wasn’t meant to be,” he said with a shrug.
“You act like it’s no big deal,” I said, “but you’ll see.”
“Well, if your pirate can’t handle it, you know where to find me,” he said, kissed my cheek and jogged down to the main deck.
“Pirates,” I mumbled as I put my mask back on and looked at the island we were approaching. Over a hundred pirate ships surrounded the island and several bonfires lit up the beach. It was Walin, the island Finn had taken me to and I found myself recalling the kisses that day. Despite worrying about revealing my truth, I was extremely excited about tonight. I had a feeling that it was going to change my life and I could barely contain my anticipation to see how it turned out. Should I change my hair color like I did when I was Jax or did I just leave it as it was? I would have to reveal myself to Finn anyways, but the others didn’t need to know what color hair I really had. That settled it for me. I used the spell and changed my blonde hair to black.
We dropped anchor and climbed into dinghys to head to land. Everyone was excited about the ending of the Festival and finding out who the winner was. Once we hit the beach, I was helped out of the boat and I waited to walk beside my father. I was pretty sure the only way I would stay safe was to have him acknowledge that I was his daughter. I had upset quite a few pirates over the years.
Thousands of pirates filled up the huge island beach and they all waited for my father to come to start the ceremony and name the winner. As we walked through the crowd many of them whispered in shock at seeing me with him. I held my head high despite the few who muttered curses about me. Dad looked down at me with a questioning look, his eyes roving over my hair a moment, but he said nothing out loud. We came to the platform and Dad and his main crew walked up it. I stopped at the side, but he waved me up.
“What is Jax doing up there?” someone asked loudly.
“Is Jax part of his crew?” someone else asked.
Dad raised his arms and the crowd quieted. I looked out over them in search of the only pirate I cared to see, but there were too many packed together to find him. Just in front of the platform were twenty-two empty crates which now had one member from my dad’s crew in front of each one. “Tonight we find out who the winner is!” he said in his booming voice. The crowd cheered and then quieted again. “And tonight we celebrate the winner, the joy of being pirates, and my reunion with my daughter.”
The crowd exploded into chatter. Dad looked at me again, but then raised his arms to quiet the crowd. “One by one I want the captains who participated to go to a crate and put the treasures you stole into them. My crew will count them and determine the winner.”
A line formed and the crowd parted to allow them room to get through. One at a time they came forward, emptied their sacks into a crate, and then stood next to the crate. Finn walked forward, but his eyes never left me, not even as he dumped his stolen treasures into the crate.
When the last one had come forward my dad opened his mouth to start speaking, but I stepped forward, jumped off the platform and walked to the last empty crate. Everyone watched me and I ignored them all as I took off my bag, opened it and emptied the treasures into the crate that Cristoff was in charge of. His eyes were so wide I thought they might explode.
“What is this?” my dad asked.
“My name is Jax, I’m a captain of a small pirate group and these are the treasures I have stolen during the Festival,” I told him.
His eyes narrowed and then his booming laughter filled the island. “Dammit girl, you are spectacular. How long have you been doing this?”
I shrugged. “Can’t remember when I started, but it wasn’t too long after you left me on land.”
“You are Jax?” asked someone.
“I am.”
“What proof do we have that you are Jax?” asked Finn. I turned and looked at him and saw the pain and anger on his face.
“I could recount the things I’ve stolen from each of you and the other things I’ve done if you would like,” I said.
“Any fan could do the same,” one of the other captains who stood near Finn said.
“Do not question her,” my father bellowed.
“Whether you believe it or not, that is who I am,” I said with a shrug.
“Tally the items,” Dad ordered.
“You are sneaky,” Cristoff whispered as he leaned over the crate to count my treasures.
I hadn’t taken my eyes off Finn and he kept my gaze a moment longer and then turned to face Tristan who was counting his treasure. I swallowed nervously and faced Cristoff. “I think I’m going to be single as soon as this night is over,” I muttered and tried to hold back the tears already trying to escape. Nothing was certain yet. He might still forgive me.
“It happens,” Cristoff said, “But if you want someone to take your mind off of it, I will be more than happy to oblige.”
I laughed despite my fear and looked up at my dad who was frowning. “Uh oh, Dad’s mad.”
“He’ll get over it,” Cristoff said. He finished counting and walked up to my dad and the others as Sedgwick made a list and wrote the tallies down.
I glanced at Finn, but he wasn’t looking at me. I hoped he would at least talk to me after the winner was announced, which I now hoped I did not become. My dad turned to the crowd and raised his arms. “Third place goes to Timon, second place goes to Jax, and the winner of the Festival is Finn!”
Everyone cheered and I clapped and cheered with them. Finn was lifted into the air as his crew and the rest of the people gathered congratulated him. Barrels of booze were rolled to the beach and cracked open. Mugs were passed around once filled and everyone drank and cheered Finn’s name. Dad stalked over to me, wrapped his hand around his sword’s hilt at his hip and said, “Care to explain?”
I sighed. “I wore the mask to deliver my letters to people and because of the mask and the mark people assumed I was part of your crew. Then rumors started spreading and soon I was a pirate even though I hadn’t done anything. I took the ball and ran with it, choosing to be Jax and I recruited a small group of people to occasionally help me. But I mainly messed with the other pirates that visited the Capitol. Most of them aren’t fond of me because I’ve stolen from them or ruined their plans of doing things in the Capitol or because I beat quite a few in fights.”
“Do your Aunt and Uncle know?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes and then realized he couldn’t see that. “Of course not. They think I’m Jax’s fan and that I want to be her.”
“Although I don’t exactly like the idea of you being a pirate, especially not on your own, it does make me swell with pride to know you are doing so well without my help,” he said with a smile.
“So you’re not mad?” I asked.
He laughed and put an arm around my shoulders. “How can I stay mad when you’re so amazing?”
“I wish more people felt like you,” I mumbled.
“Why is your hair different?” he asked me.
“It’s a spell,” I explained, “So I can hide my identity better.”
“Jax, can I talk to you?” Finn asked.
I hadn’t seen him come up, but then again my dad took up a lot of space. Dad turned on him and frowned. “What business do you have with her?”
“Dad, it’s alright,” I said, touching his arm, “Finn won’t hurt me.”
“No one will hurt you or I’ll tear them to pieces and feed them to the sharks,” he growled.
“I promise I won’t hurt her,” Finn said.
Not physically, I thought, but maybe emotionally he might. I followed Finn away from the celebrating pirates, down the beach where no fire blazed and the cold wind blew. I felt myself preparing for the worst and my heart trying to grow as cold as the wind. He stopped, ran a hand through his hair and turned to me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried to several times. I told you I needed to tell you something,” I reminded him.
“You are Jax?” he asked.
I nodded my head, turned away from the crowd, changed my hair back, and took my mask off. “I am. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I hadn’t known you very long and then I tried to yesterday and today, but you didn’t let me.” I changed my hair back again to black. “I know you’re probably furious with me and you have every right to be. And I know you probably don’t see me the same and you’re probably not going to forgive me, but…”
He stopped me mid-sentence by pulling me against him and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me tightly. Several people cheered and hooted down the ocean, but we ignored them. He lifted his head away and smiled at me. “You are full of surprises Pirate Princess.”
“You mean…”
“I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me, but you’re right that you tried and if I was in your place I probably wouldn’t have trusted me right away either. Plus, you defiled my flag,” he said.
“You stole my necklace!” I reminded him, “It was the only gift I had from my father.” I gasped, “My father, who probably just saw you kiss me. Um, you might have to run.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” he whispered and then kissed me again.
“That is enough!” my father yelled.
Finn smiled, put my mask back on for me and held my hand as we walked back towards my dad. He wasn’t happy. His face was red and Sedgwick and Cristoff stood on either side of him, ready to do whatever they needed to, whether that be beat Finn or hold my dad back.
“Dad,” I started, “I can explain.”
“You think you can kiss my daughter?” Dad asked, “Just because you won a Festival?”
“No, I kissed her because she stole my heart along with several treasures right out of my hands,” Finn said.
Dad closed his mouth and looked at me. “You’re courting him?”
“Yes,” I said.
“You’re courting a pirate?” my dad asked.
I laughed. “You think one of those city boys can handle a girl that could beat him with one hand tied behind her back? You had to know I’d crave the sea and someone who could handle it.”
“You are a princess,” he reminded me.
“I know and I’ll cross that bridge with Esmeralda and Jared when it comes, but for now let me enjoy my youthful abandon,” I begged him.
“What did he do to prove himself to you?” Sedgwick asked me.
“He stole my necklace,” I said.
My dad glared at Finn and asked me, “The one I gave you?”
“In my defense I didn’t know she was your daughter at the time, but she stole it back the same night and defiled my flag,” Finn explained.
“You defiled his flag?” Cristoff asked with a laugh.
“He deserved it at the time,” I said honestly.
“And now you think he deserves to kiss you,” Dad growled.
“I’m not ten years old anymore, Dad.”
He sighed and looked like he wanted to punch something. “You break her heart and I will break your kneecaps and several other bones before blowing up your ship and sending it down to the bottom of the sea.”
“I don’t plan on breaking her heart,” he promised, “although she will most likely stomp all over mine before long.”
“As it should be,” Dad said with a nod.
“You haven’t chosen the crew member from the other crew yet,” Sedgwick said, reminding Finn of the prize he had won for collecting the most treasures.
He smiled at me and said, “I choose Jax.”
“She’s a captain and…”
“I accept.”
I pulled Finn away before anyone said anything else and we joined in with the others, eating and drinking and even dancing around the fire. Night turned to morning and we were still partying. The pirates who had despised me before, now forgave me and expressed their reasoning as “any child of Rocco’s is bound to be a crafty pirate”.
I sat beside Finn on the beach, listening to the waves and leaned my head on his shoulder. “I have to say this went much better than I thought it was going to.”
“Were you worried I would leave?” he asked.
I held up my left hand and looked at the ring. “I thought I would have to give this back.”
“If you had beaten me you might have,” he teased me.
I punched his arm and said, “I was only four treasures away from beating you.”
“Next year we will team up and wipe the lot of them,” he offered.
“That sounds like a great plan,” I agreed, “but I don’t think you could handle not being captain anymore.”
“Whoa,” he said, “you have to join my crew. You don’t even have a ship.”